Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, alas, but I do own Tevelle.
A/N: Another chapter, and I must say I am disappointed that no one reviewed. I wasn't going to update until someone did, but I got impatient. Here it is.
Of Blood And Magic
Chapter 3: Creatures
Tevelle followed despondently after the rest of the Slytherins as they made their way down to their next class, Care of Magical Creatures with Hagrid. A low sigh escaped her as she pulled the hood of her cloak up higher to shield her sensitive eyes and skin from the bright sun. Yet another teacher who would hold any offense against her. At least the professor of her last class had merely ignored her. Tevelle hadn't really minded as she had no trouble with the subject. Hagrid, however would be another story. He would probably assign her the meanest animal he could find.
The class was sown near his hut which bordered the Forbidden Forest. Maybe she could sneak away into the shadowy trees and visit the creatures of the forest. Tevelle was sorely tempted. Would Hagrid notice or care? Perhaps it was not such a good idea. No doubt he would accuse her of working some blood sorcery or other such nonsense. Better not risk it.
The whining of a large boar hound caught her attention and she was surprised to find that they had reached Hagrid's cabin, the owner of which seemed not to have noticed them.
On the ground there were several creates, a rattling noise emanated from each, punctuated with something that sounded suspiciously like explosions. The sources of the noise were six-inch long, lobster-like, pale, shell less creatures without any visible heads. Tevelle wrinkled her sensitive nose at the almost overpowering scent of rotting fish.
"On'y jus' hatched," she overheard Hagrid explain proudly to the Gryffindors. "So yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project of it!"
"And why would we want to raise them?" Malfoy demanded coldly to appreciative snickers from Crabbe and Goyle. Tevelle had to resist the urge to turn Malfoy into a ferret and bounce some sense into him.
Hagrid was quite clearly stumped.
"I mean, what do they do?" asked Malfoy. "What is the point of them?"
Tevelle frantically restrained her inner beast lest in her anger she betray herself. She had to settle with an angry frown and a low growl.
Hagrid settled it by explaining that the answer was the next lesson. Tevelle was the first to dig her hands into the various things Hagrid had set out to feed the skrewts. The other students hesitated and several seemed surprised that she would set herself to the less than appealing task with something that bordered on eagerness. Hagrid noticed too, and gave her a strange look.
Soon Tevelle became absorbed in tempting the skrewts to taste the food she offered. Dean Thomas suddenly shouted in pain ans Hagrid anxiously rushed over.
"It's end exploded!" Dean complained.
"Ah, yeah, that can happen when they blast off." Hagrid nodded knowingly.
"Eurgh!" Lavender Brown repeated herself. "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"
"Ah, some of 'em have got stings," said Hagrid and several people hastily removed their hands from the boxes, "I reckon they're the males...the females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies...I think they might be ter suck blood." He said the last bit with a meaningful glance at Tevelle.
The vampire let the insult slide right off her. Already she was losing interest. None of the skrewts would injure her. Ah whicker form the trees caught her attention. She turned her head to look at the forest as her hand continued to feed the skrewts.
Thestrals threaded in and out of the trees, begging her to join them. Several students saw them, remarkably quite a few who had seen death, and gaped in surprise, jaws slack.
A pale gray form showed beside the black winged horses. On top of the creature's head were bulging round eyes. Four spindly legs with huge flat feet supported its smooth pale gray body. Tevelle wondered at this for a second. It wasn't a full moon, why was the extremely shy Mooncalf risking discovery to see her? She doubted even Dumbledore knew that at least one Mooncalf lived in his forest. Luckily no one else seemed to have seen it.
Most of the class seemed to be avidly watching an argument that Malfou was having with Hermione. Tevelle wasn't really interested she was to busy trying to convince the thestrals and the Mooncalf that she couldn't come.
Two words caught her interest, however.
"Dragon blood." Hermione continued to talk, oblivious to the effect those two words had caused on Tevelle.
The inner beast coiled and writhed as she sought to keep it contained. Her surroundings were forgotten as she struggled within herself.
Dragon blood. Dragon blood was powerful; the most potent and magical type of blood save Unicorn or Phoenix blood. Dragon blood was also very had to come by, even for vampires, but Xeven somehow got his hands on several crates of it ling before Tevelle was born. Very anniversary of her Blooding, the day she was turned, Xeven would pour her a glass of Dragon's blood. Tevelle would savor every drop, making it last as long a possible.
The memory caused the hunger to intensify and Tevelle could feel her inner beast take hold. Her canine teeth lengthened and the pupils of her eyes expanded into pools of black rimmed with thin slivers of brown. She could hear the alluring pulse of blood throbbing through the veins of her classmates. Oh, it would be so easy. She could claim it as a slip, that she had forgotten to drink her thrice daily glass of blood. No one would know except her. It would be so easy, so very easy.
Panic gripped her. She could not betray herself so soon. Tevelle wildly pulled back her inner beast and pushed it aside. If she was lucky no one had noticed her change.
When she finally came back to herself all was relatively quiet. Apparently Hermione had won their duel of words for she had a slightly smug look about her that was only confirmed by Malfoy's annoyance. Tevelle noticed Malfoy looking at her. Hid eyes studied her with a calculating coolness that was touched by something she couldn't identify. Had he noticed her lapse? Quickly, she looked away before he noticed her looking at him.
The remaining hour passed quickly enough, though Tevelle found it increasingly difficult to refuse both the Mooncalf and the thestrals. Thankfully, the bell that signaled the end of the class rang across the grounds. Lucky for her, the thestrals and Mooncalf could not expect her to forgo the goblet of blood that awaited her with her meal. She found it difficult to ignore the hunger that painfully gnawed a hole in her stomach creating a aching emptiness that was worse than the pain. Tevelle found herself wondering why Hermione had to mention blood. Why not their scales or heartstrings which were powerful enough to use in wands.
At lunch she ate no meat. She had eaten enough meat for a week so she would not dishonor the wild creatures who had given their lives by eating more than her fill. Once finished she sipped what was left of her blood leisurely, letting her eyes wander.
Hermione was eating quickly at the Gryffindor table and rushed off soon after. Before long the bell ran signaling the start of afternoon lessons. Tevelle made her way down to the Defense against the Dark Arts classroom along with the rest of Slytherin.
When they reached the classroom, the doors were open and Moody sat at his desk. Tevelle took a seat near the front and to her dismay, Malffoy and his gang sat down at the same table. Tevelle would have moved, but all the other swats had filled up and the class was settled.
To move now would bring the attention of every eye in the room, something Xeven had always warned her against.
Moody took roll, his magical eye swiveling towards each student as they raised their hand or announced their presence.
"Tevelle Nightshade?" He asked, looking at her coldly as she raised her hand.
Once the roll was taken care of, Moody launched right into the lesson.
"I've had a letter from Professor Lupin. Seems you've covered Dark Creatures..."
"Lupin couldn't tell a dark creature from another if it bit him." Malfoy declared pompously awarded with sniggers from those at their table. Tevelle merely scowled and was careful not to take her attention from Moody and so acknowledge his snide comment.
"But you're very behind on dealing with curses." Moody continued, fixing he gaze on Malfoy.
"Well it's not our fault all of our teachers were incompetent!" Malfoy blurted. Moody did not remark, but Tevelle did.
"Shut it, Malfoy," she growled dangerously.
Draco Malfoy stared at her in surprise, challenge in his eyes. Clearly he wasn't used to being spoken to such by fellow Slytherins.
"So, curses," Moody clapped his hands together regaining the classes attention. "They come in many strengths and forms. The Ministry thinks that I should just show you countercurses, and not show you what illegal Dark curses look like, as you're not supposed to be ready for it. Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves. I say, the sooner you know, the better. A dark wizard isn't going to tell you what he's about to do. You need to be alert and watchful. You need to be prepared."
Malfoy smirked and muttered something to Goyle who began laughing dimly.
"Any one know which curses are most punishable by wizarding law?"
Malfoy smiled in anticipation, and raised his hand. It was another student that the professor called on.
"The Imperious Curse?" came the voice tentatively.
"Yes. That one gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperious Curse." Moody got to his mismatched feet, opened his desk, and took out a glass jar. Three large black spider scrambled around inside in a vain attempt for freedom. Moody caught one and held it so that all could see. Moody pointed his wand at it and muttered, "Imperio!"
The spider leaped from the hand that held it and began to do back flips. It landed on the desk with a perfectly executed forward roll. It then began to move its legs to some beat that no one else could hear in what was unmistakably a tap dance.
Malfoy laughed gleefully and his laughter was echoed by the rest of the class, that is, except Tevelle and Moody.
A sick dread coiled in her stomach. She could feel the helplessness of the spider as if chains had been looped around her limbs and neck. Tevelle turned her gaze away feeling sick, unable to get the image of the spider's puppet-like movement from her mind.
"Think it funny, do you? Would you think it funny if I did it to you?" Moody growled.
The laughter died, except for a small smile that lingered on Malfoy's lips.
"Total control," Moody said quietly and with a flick of his wand the spider began to tumble over and over in a tightly curled ball. "I could make it jump out a window, drown itself, throw itself down one of your throats. Years back there were a lot of witches and wizards controlled by this curse. Some job for the Ministry trying to sort out who was being forced to act, and who was under their own free will." Moody fixed both eyes on Malfoy with an impenetrable stare.
"It can be fought, and I'll be teaching you, but it takes real strength of character, something not everyone has. Better avoid being hit by it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" Everyone jumped at his bark.
Moody picked up the spider and threw it back in the jar. Tevelle sighted in relief, yet could not dispel a sense of foreboding.
"Anyone know another? Yes, Malfoy?"
"The Cruciatus Curse." He announced confidently.
Moody nodded as he grabbed the next spider.
"The Cruciatus Curse." said Moody, "needs to be bigger for you to understand fully. Engorgio." He said as he pointed his wand at the spider.
The spider grew in size until it was larger than a tarantula. Malfoy watched expectantly as Moody raised his hand again.
"Crucio!" He muttered.
The spider's legs bent in on its body. It rolled over and twitched horribly, rocking side to side. No sound issued from it, but Tevelle could hear its scream. She clutched at the desk, her eyes wide in pain that did not belong to the present, but that of a memory. Her gut clenched and she found it hard not to roll up into a ball as the spider did.
"Stop!" She managed to croak, her breathing heavy.
People turned their attention from the spider and Moody, surprised by her tone, lowered his wand. Malfoy glared at her for cutting short the spider's torment. He had enjoyed it!
"Pain," Moody said after reducing the twitching spider back to its normal size. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse...That one was very popular once too. " Moody gave Malfoy another steady look before shifting that gaze to Tevelle.
"Anyone know any others? How about you Miss Nightshade?"
Tevelle wanted to shrink from his gaze. He knew she knew the last curse. It was death, something she was far to familiar with.
"The Killing Curse." She mumbled uncomfortably.
"Yes, the Killing Curse." Moody reached in the glass jar for the third and final spider that scuttled around frantically to avoid its doom, but to no avail. Moody placed the spider on the surface of the desk and raised his wand.
"Avada Kedavra!" Moody roared.
Tevelle wanted to turn her head desperately, but could not tear her gaze away. Death. She had seen it countless times, experienced it . She had thought that she had become, if not used to it, comfortably numb to it. Now, this senseless death, no matter how small, jerked her from that stupor. Tevelle had never understood how people could kill in cold blood. Still,weren't vampires supposed to deal in death almost daily. People would be surprised to know how few vampires actually killed, and very few of those deaths were intentional. Perhaps her fear of death wasn't all that strange, even for a vampire who had to die before living.
There was a flash of green and the spider stilled. Silence cloaked the room and all but Malfoy seemed stunned. Malfoy was watching the dead spider avidly. Moody swept the dead spider to the floor.
"Not nice, not pleasant. There's no countercurse, no blocking it. Only on known person has ever survive it, and that has earned him the title of the Boy Who Lived."
Moody began to lecture them about the Unforgivable Curses. The other students took out quills to copy notes down, but Tevelle remained still. She already knew all she wanted to know about those three curses. It Moody noticed her lack of studiousness, he did not say anything.
The class remained silent throughout the rest of class, but as soon as the bell rang, the class broke out in excited talk.
"My father almost sent me to Durmstrang. There they actually teach you Dark magic instead of just showing you," Malfoy was bragging for the millionth time. "Still, it was cool how that spider just died."
God, could he ever stop talking?
Malfoy continued to speak to his ring of admirers and Tevelle remained carefully separate and silent.
"Miss Nightshade?" Moody called her back, and slightly relieved to be rid of the Slytherins, she went.
"Are you alright? Considering...your past, that last spell must have upset you." Moody said in a soft growl.
"That is not how I died." Tevelle answered steadily, still unsure that he was not just rubbing it in her face, and he had meant to upset her all along. That's what the other teachers would have done.
"Still..." Moody continued, but Tevelle cut him short.
"Professor, may I go to dinner?"
"Yes," Moody said looking non pulsed, then considering her for a moment as if just realizing what she was and why she was so anxious for the meal, he added, "Yes, that is probably a good idea."
Tevelle smiled her sweetest smile and strode out the room. As soon as she was in the corridor her smile faded. Moody was prejudiced, just like the other professors. The only difference was the Moody, as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, did not fear her as much. He knew how to defend against her kind. Granted, a ring of garlic could be harmless to her, but there ware other ways to protect against vampires...against her. The entrance hall was packed with people.
Tevelle sighed as she lined up. Right in front of her was Malfoy and his gang. Despite her delay, somehow she had ended up with them. Tevelle's moody brightened when she noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione before them.
Ron was shaking with fury, glaring at Malfoy.
"Get stuffed, Malfoy," said Harry, "C'mon, Ron..."
"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you Potter?" sneered Malfoy. "So tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"
"You know your mother Malfoy?" said Harry-one hand on the back of Ron's robes to keep him from attacking Malfoy- "that expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"
Malfoy turned pink with rage.
"Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."
"Keep your fat mouth shut, then." Harry turned away.
BANG
Several people screamed and Tevelle instinctively put a magical shield around Harry to protect him from Malfoy's curse. There was a second BANG accompanied by a roar that echoed around the hall.
"OH NO YOU DON"T, LADDIE!"
Tevelle and half the students in the hall turned around to see Moody limping down the marble staircase, his wand out and pointing at a white ferret that shivered on the flagstone floor where Malfoy had been standing.
Silence filled the entrance hall; no one was moving except for Moody.
"Did he get you?" Moody growled at Harry.
"No," said Harry, "missed."
"LEAVE IT!" Moody shouted.
"Leave- what?" Harry said, bewildered.
"Not you-him" Moody growled, jerking his thumb at Crabbe who stood frozen, poised to pick up the white ferret.
Moody limped toward the ferret which gave a terrified squeak and ran toward the dungeons.
"I don't think so!" roared Moody, pointing his want a the ferret which flew ten feet in the air before falling with a smack to the floor and bouncing upward once again.
"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned, "Moody growled, the ferret squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..."
"Never-do-that-again-" Moody spoke each word as the ferret hit the floor.
"Professor Moody!" said a shocked Professor McGonagall as she came down the marble staircase with her arms full of books.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall."
"What- what are you doing?"
"Teaching."
"Teach- Moody, is that a student?" McGonagall shrieked, dropping her books.
"Yep," said Moody.
"No!" Professor McGonagall ran down the stairs, pulling out her want. With a loud snapping noise a moment later, Draco Malfoy reappeared in a disgruntled heap on the floor, before getting gingerly to his feet.
"Moody, we never use Transfiguration as a punishment!" Professor McGonagtall continued to berate her fellow professor.
"We give detentions, Moody! Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"
"I'll do that, then," Moody growled, glaring at Malfoy.
Malfoy glared malevolently back and muttered something about his father and what his father would do once he heard of this.
"Oh yeah?" Moody limped forward menacingly. "Well, I know your father of old, boy...You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son...you tell him that from me...Now, your Head of House'll be Snape will it?"
"Yes," Malfoy grumbled.
"Another old friend," growled Moody. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape... Come in,you..."
Moody seized Malfoy's arm and marched him off to the dungeons.
Tevelle watched them go, smiling. Apparently she was not alone in thinking Draco Malfoy looked better as a ferret.
A/N: That's another chapter. I know I said I wouldn't update another chapter until someone reviewed, but I got bored and impatient. I also am having a block with my other stories and this chapter was already written( I was just waiting to get a review to type it up). I WILL update sooner if people REVIEW, key word REVIEW! I need to know if people like it, or if they hate it, but I need to know what people think. This is one of my faviorite fics and I would hate to stop posting the new chapters I write (notice I said posting, not writing, I'll still be writing so if people review I will update!)