Hello everyone! Here is chapter two, enjoy!
Defense Against the Dark Arts with Snape was interesting to say the least. As a result of Hogwarts' student body nearly doubling overnight, classes were split up a little differently this year. Half of each House was in class together, making class sizes to be about thirty kids each. Classrooms and dormitories had been expanded to accommodate Hogwarts' new size, but the increased number of students was still a foreign feeling to all.
Gryffindor had gained twenty-five new students from the Wizarding Academy, four of which were in sixth year with Harry. The two boys were Leviticus and Adrian, whom Harry and Ron had been speaking with at dinner the night before. They were fine enough boys, mischievous, but kind. They were half-blood, their mother was a witch who had attended Ilvermorny and their father was a muggle who worked as a toy factory manager. They had a little sister named Sabrina, she was ten and they doubted she would get an invitation to attend a wizarding school. Apparently, she showed sure signs of being a squib.
Ravenclaw had gained the most WADA students with forty-nine, seven for each year. Clarissa McAndrews, the black-haired girl Luna had been talking to the night prior, was in Harry's class that morning. Per the knowledge of Hermione, McAndrews was one of the most prominent pure-blood families in the United States. Last night, Clarissa appeared to be one of the students most impacted by the Battle of WADA. She was one of the students who had walked in with singed robes, and even today there was evidence of the cuts and bruises of battle on her body. Luna said that she hadn't talked much at dinner the night before, and that she seemed to be thinking about something a million miles away.
Hufflepuff gained thirteen students. Phoebus Pote, the boy whom Neville and Hermione had talked to the previous night, was the only new sixth year added to Hufflepuff. Hermione was thrilled to learn that he too was Muggle-born, and said that they had bonded over their blood status and a new program on television, which they had to explain the concept of to Neville. She claimed that he seemed like a smart boy, but he denied it, saying that the best in their year and the Wizarding Academy was Clarissa, the girl sorted into Ravenclaw.
Slytherin had gained a single student whom Leviticus and Adrian had claimed no one liked much because he seemed to be "Pre-Death Eater Scum", judging from the things he spouted at school and how he reacted to WADA being invaded in an almost gleeful manner. Thomas Watkins was his name, a pure-blood and a fifth year.
The class was abuzz prior to Professor Snape walking in, and immediately silenced when he did.
"Now," Snape said, sweeping across the floor of the classroom, "can anyone tell me the purpose of the Protego Horribilis charm?"
Hermione and Clarissa's hands went up at the same time.
"Yes Miss…" Snape said, looking at Clarissa.
"McAndrews, sir. Protego Horribilis is a protective charm that is often used in place of the Shield Charm during battle. While stronger than Protego and Protego Duo, it is not as strong as Protego Totalum or Protego Maxima. The charm protects the caster and the area around them from any sort of Dark Magic, with the exception of the Killing Curse," Clarissa answered.
"Five points to Ravenclaw," Snape declared, seemingly unmoved, "Turn to page one-hundred and ninety-five," he murmured.
There was the shuffle of books, and students opened their N.E.W.T level Defense books to a chapter titled Stimulus.
"Mr. Potter, perhaps you could tell us the function of the Stimulus hex," Snape questioned, glaring at Harry.
Harry swallowed, remembering the time last year during Occlumency lessons that he had unintentionally used the hex on Snape.
"Well, sir. It does what you would think. It stings your opponent. If it lands on their face, it causes it to swell up like an allergic reaction. If it hits another part of the body, it produces welts on the skin," Harry said.
"The Stimulus hex is one of the most inconvenient and debilitating hexes in battle," Snape declared, "All it takes is to be unprepared and unprotective of your face, and suddenly your eyes have swollen shut and you're being taken captive by the Dark Lord's forces."
Snape ordered the students to find a partner, with one practicing Protego Horribilis and the other practicing Stimulus. Harry and Hermione partnered together, same with Ron and Neville. Leviticus and Adrian were partners, as were Phoebus and Clarissa. Neville and a Hufflepuff student were the only two who had to be sent to the hospital wing during the class. However, that didn't stop Snape from barking out corrections.
"Miss McAndrews if you would please lower your elbow when casting, you might look less like a bird trying to flee from battle," Snape grumbled as he walked past Clarissa and Phoebus.
"I think I've fought enough Death Eaters to know how to hold my wand for myself thanks," Clarissa declared, causing the pairs around her to stop and observe the conversation, many jaws looking as if they could sink no lower to the floor.
"Detention!" Snape snapped.
"Detention for what, exactly? Having an opinion based on battle ground experience?" she sassed.
Snape opened his mouth, but was cut off, "You don't scare me, Professor Snape. I have seen things more terrifying than you will ever be, so this act of intimidation you are trying to get across to me is not going to work."
There was a shocked pause, and then mumbling across the classroom as nearly everyone had stopped practicing their incantations.
"You just bought yourself a month's detention, McAndrews. Thirty points from Ravenclaw," Snape refuted, turning away.
"Don't expect to see me at any of them, Professor," Clarissa concluded.
Snape paused, then continued to walk away. Students began reiterating their spells, but no one could shake the fact that some girl from a school whom no one knew the location of had just sassed Professor Snape.
Snape stood towards the front of the classroom for the remainder of the class, blood boiling. In all his years of teaching, he had never encountered such defiance from a student. He wasn't sure if he should be furious or impressed that a student finally had a little bit of nerve to stand up to him.
Snape observed the girl, curious. He began using Legilimency, catching the site of only a few memories; Clarissa and the boy across from her as small children playing on a piano, Clarissa yelling at who seemed to be her father in front of company, Clarissa comforting a younger girl, perhaps a sister, the night before the younger girl was bound for Wizarding school, and finally the rubble of what appeared to be the Wizarding Academy's auditorium. Then, he was shut out of the girl's mind.
Pursing his lips, he squinted at the girl. It was rare that a witch of this age already be so advanced in Occlumency that she can ward off penetration while being focused on a completely different spell.
Class soon ended, and students began shuffling out. Clarissa stormed past Snape, her shaggy, blonde haired friend following closely behind her.
"Filthy blood-traitor," Thomas snorted to Draco as the pair strode ahead of them.
Harry and Ron bolted down the hall to catch up to Phoebus and Clarissa, who were clearly arguing.
"…bus I don't care! I don't care anymore, that man was trying to intimidate me, he was trying to bully me. He tried to make me not feel welcome in the class that I excel most in, and I'm not having any of it. That mean ol' bat can go rot in Azkaban for all I care," Clarissa claimed.
"Claire, you can't just go running your mouth to every professor that corrects you," Phoebus explained, "You're going to get yourself so far deep in detentions that you'll never be able to do what you enjoy anymore."
"Like I said Phoebus, I don't care. He was an asshole and I wasn't having it."
"Well I personally thought it was bloody brilliant," Ron declared behind the pair, "Snape's a foul git, it's about time someone had the nerve to put him in his place."
"Someone tried to use Legilimency on me afterwards, wouldn't shock me if it was him," Clarissa said, rolling her eyes.
"You were able to block out Snape's attempts to read your mind?" Harry asked, astonished.
"Yes, if it was him. It's not that hard. We have been trained at the Wizarding Academy in Legilimency and Occlumency since we were first years. It's one of the Dark Lord's most valuable assets you know, being able to torture those he loathes most into madness," Clarissa declared, "Professor Larson, our Defense teacher, wanted us to be as protected as we could possibly be. He was one of the few people who believed in the Dark Lord's return."
"Well, maybe he should come and take over for Snape. I'm certain anybody will be a better Defense teacher than that slimy ol' git," Ron said.
"He's dead," Clarissa murmured, "Death Eaters got him last night while he was warding off the area with the first years' escape portkeys inside."
She turned quickly on her heel, striding away. Phoebus followed, leaving Ron and Harry in their tracks.
"Well, what other outcome did you expect, asking about their teachers?" Hermione asked from behind the two boys, "Only four staff members from the Wizarding Academy survived. Apparently, many sacrificed themselves in order to protect the students."
And with that, she pushed past Ron and Harry, making her way to Charms class.
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