PART 1

Sephoneia Totengräber

September 1996

Harry never took as much notice of the way a classroom spoke about the teacher it belonged to as he did with Defence Against the Dark Arts. After seeing five different teachers decorate it to their taste, he had thought he wouldn't be surprised by whatever the old woman who had accepted the position would do.

He had never been more wrong.

The room looked like something Harry would have expected from Snape, not an old woman who looked like she would die of old age any day now. (Though there was no frailness about her, no hunched back, but rather something … unsettling.)

The curtains hadn't been drawn, yet the classroom was gloomy all the same. Ceiling-high bookshelves stood between the windows, blocking the light partially. Skeletons and shelves filled with odd trinkets and disturbing items (were those pickled organs?) lined the other wall. A rather impressive Thestral skeleton stood right behind the teacher's desk. What appeared to be a preserved corpse was slumped over in a chair with an unfamiliar man standing still next to it. Too still, Harry noticed – he couldn't even see the rise and fall of his chest indicating his breathing. But the man's eyes followed them as the students filed into the classroom. (Harry decidedly ignored the presence of the corpse.)

The old woman was sitting on her desk rather than behind it and watched them with keen eyes, waiting patiently for everyone to sit down. She was still wearing the outdated, black robes Harry had seen her in during the Welcoming Feast. They looked old, but well-kept, though her wide-brimmed, pointed hat had seen better days.

"My name is Sephoneia Totengräber," she introduced herself, her voice laced with an accent that reminded Harry of Viktor Krum.

"Before we begin, I want you to practice pronouncing my name correctly. As sixth years, the importance of correct pronunciation in spellcasting should be well-known to all of you, so I expect there to be no trouble." She smiled, baring her teeth in a way that made Harry a bit uncomfortable. "Not that I'd know."

The class dutifully followed her lead, some of them clearly as bewildered as Harry felt.

"Now, then," Professor Totengräber continued, once she was satisfied with the way everyone said her name. "You are my first class of the day – my first class in altogether, really. So you have the advantage of my welcoming speech not being worn down, yet. Or being refined in any way.

"I shall only stay for a year, so don't expect me to learn your names. Truthfully, I am still not quite sure what to do with you for that one year. I haven't used conventional magic since I graduated about a century or so ago and there was no 'Defence Against the Dark Arts' being taught at Durmstrang. We had Dark Arts and we had Rituals and Curses as an elective – among others. Though I have heard it's called Curse Breaking nowadays."

"Blimey," Ron whispered to Harry. "She must be as old as Dumbledore."

Harry decided against replying, because their teacher's eyes landed on them just as Ron finished speaking.

"Albus tells me sixth years are supposed to cast non-verbal spells and to prepare you for 'dark times'. Apparently, your vol de mort is using dark creatures such as Inferi to do his bidding, so I'm supposed to include those in the curriculum." The woman's expression brightened. "Now, as it happens, Inferi are a speciality of mine. So we shall start with those and perhaps, by the time we are done with the topic, I will have a better idea of what to do with you all."

She turned her upper body to the side and gestured to the man and the corpse. Both began to move at her bidding, making the whole class flinch.

"I brought two samples for you. Both are Inferi. Do you all know what Inferi are? Good. Who can tell me what the difference between these two is?"

Silence greeted her question. Harry looked around to find the unease he felt reflected on most of his classmates' faces, even the Syltherins.

"No one? One of my Lémures, then."

"It's Fawley, grandmama," one of the Slytherins said.

Professor Totengräber tutted. "You and I both know you are Lémure at heart, Lynea dearest. Now, my question?"

The girl sighed. "One Inferius was created with necromancy, the other with what the Ministry likes to call the Dark Arts."

"Supposedly," another Slytherin Harry didn't know added. Lémure, Harry assumed.

"Yes, precisely." Professor Totengräber hopped down from her desk – Harry wouldn't have expected her to be so nimble, still – and walked over to the – the Inferi.

"Who would have recognised this one as an Inferius?"

Four people raised their hands. All of them Slytherins, Harry noted.

"You," their teacher pointed at one of the boys. "Tell the class how."

"The eyes gave it away," Blaise Zabini drawled.

Harry frowned and leaned forward to take a closer look. Now that he paid more attention, he could see that the dead man's eyes were milky, clouded over.

"It doesn't breathe, either," Zabini continued, "and it occasionally forgets to blink."

As if to contradict him, the Inferius slowly blinked, took a deep breath and opened its mouth, "And if I had not given you those hints?"

Harry stared in disbelief as the words left the dead man's mouth.

"Your eyes –"

"Could indicate blindness." The dead man tilted his head. "Not that all blind people tend to have a visible impairment."

Zabini seemed to have no reply for that.

"The most obvious sign is his magic, of course," Lémure said.

"Precisely." Professor Totengräber clapped her hands. "One of the most useful skills any person should possess is the ability to sense magic. I won't even begin to try to understand why you people never bother to learn, but no matter. That's what I'm here for, isn't it?"

Harry was still reeling from the revelation that a dead person could speak and interact and by all means appear like an ordinary living being, when their teacher dismissed the dead man and turned to the other Inferius, the one that was very obviously a decaying corpse.

"Now, this one is currently under my control or it would have already attacked. I find that practice is a better teacher than theory, so I shall give you all a moment to grab your precious wands before turning it loose."

Wait –

o

It had taken the combined work of the entire class – minus Lémure and Fawley, who had watched from the side – and the rest of the lesson to subdue a single Inferius.

"Pitiful performance," Professor Totengräber told them. "Nothing unexpected, but it is still disappointing. I didn't even silence you to force you into practicing non-verbal spellcasting. No matter. We have an entire year, yet. You better apply yourselves, for I won't help you if you fail."

For some reason, Harry got the feeling that she wasn't talking about marks, but real, life-endangering scenarios. Like facing a feral Inferius while under silencing spells. For some reason, Harry got the feeling that Professor Totengräber would stand by and watch it tear them apart instead of stepping in as a responsible teacher was supposed to do.

"That will be all for today."

"But –"

Harry turned to Hermione, who was staring at the teacher, nonplussed. "What is it?"

"Didn't you notice? She didn't award a single point!"

Harry opened his mouth, but before he could retort, Professor Totengräber called out, "Before you all leave. Is there a Potter in this class?"

Harry blinked. Then he exchanged a wide-eyed look with Ron and Hermione, before slowly raising his hand. "Yes, Professor."

Professor Totengräber nodded. "Potter and my Lémures, please stay behind."

Harry gestured for Ron and Hermione to go ahead, mouthing, "I'll be fine," and remained in his seat as the classroom slowly emptied.

The two girls that remained behind with him were the Slytherins from earlier. He only vaguely recognised them from having shared Potions with their House for five years. Oddly enough, he noticed that they both had white streaks in their hair even though they looked nothing alike otherwise. One girl, Fawley, had reddish brown hair and green eyes with round cheeks. The other one had dark hair, eerily white eyes similar but not identical to Professor Totengräber's and a sickly, pale complexion. She wore a pair of black gloves, Harry noticed.

"Hand me your schedules," Professor Totengräber said to the two Slytherins. "I will see about arranging some necromancy lessons for you."

Harry watched as Lémure perked up. "About the Totengräber's specialities?"

Professor Totengräber smiled. "Yes, dearest."

"Would you mind if Theo attended?" Fawley asked.

"Theo?"

"Theodore Nott, my cousin."

"On your mother's side?"

Fawley nodded.

"Pity. But perhaps he will show an affinity regardless, unlike your brother. Bring him to the first lesson and we shall see. Now, as for you." The old woman turned to Harry, as did her two – grandchildren? "Have you inherited the Potter's precious Cloak of Invisibility?"

There was a sharp intake of breath from one of the Slytherins – Harry was too busy staring at Professor Totengräber to see which one. "Er – Yes?"

The old woman nodded, a satisfied look on her face. "Take good care of it. That Cloak is quite a special treasure." She gave Harry a once-over. "Looking at you, perhaps there is potential in you, too. Say, why don't you join us? We might make a little necromancer out of you, yet."

Harry, who still wasn't quite sure what exactly necromancy even was, only managed to stammer his way through what he hoped was a polite rejection.

"Pity," Professor Totengräber said and then she dismissed him.

"What did she want?" Ron asked the moment Harry exited the classroom. He and Hermione had apparently decided to wait for him, so they could walk to their next class together.

Harry told them all about the odd conversation. When he mentioned the word necromancy, both Ron and Hermione gasped out loud.

"Dumbledore hired a necromancer?" Ron exclaimed, his face pale.

"Is it bad? What does it mean?"

"Oh, Harry," Hermione said. "Necromancers practice very dark magic – the magic of death. Despite what the term may suggest, they do not limit themselves to summoning spirits for the purpose of divination. They also reanimate the dead and conduct experiments and do other unspeakable things. Those Inferi she brought to class today were most likely created by Professor Totengräber, herself."

"Hey, now," Ron protested. "It's not – It's not that bad. There's a bit of a – er – controversy surrounding them. And they're mighty scary, I'll give you that. But they do a good job with funeral services. The Lémure cemetery is the most sought-after in our community for a reason."

"It's necromancy, Ron! That's illegal! The Ministry has forbidden the practice, yet they still do it!"

"But," Harry ducked his head when Hermione directed her glare at him, "Dumbledore must be aware of that – he personally hired her."

"He also hired Quirrelmort, the Peacock Fraud, fake-Moody and the Pink Toad," Ron muttered.

"Umbridge wasn't his fault."

Ron shrugged. "He obviously still had options – so why did he allow the Ministry to force Umbridge on him, then?"

Harry didn't know what to say to that. He shook his head. "I'll ask him about it if I get the chance."

o

"And she offered to teach you?"

Harry watched Dumbledore closely, but the headmaster didn't seem in any way disturbed by the revelation, merely surprised.

"Yes, sir."

"Did you accept?"

"I – No. I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about and it seemed … Sir, Hermione says necromancy is illegal."

"Ah, yes. The British Ministry has declared them the Forbidden Arts and much like the Dark Arts, the Ministry does not approve of their usage. But the Totengräbers do not live in Great Britain, my boy. The laws are quite different on the continent, depending on the country."

"So it's fine wherever they live?"

"That is a complicated matter, my boy. The Totengräbers have earned themselves quite the reputation over the centuries and for good reason. I hear they have stopped experimenting with curses on living subjects, but one can never be sure."

Harry gaped at Dumbledore. "And you allowed someone like that to teach?"

Dumbledore smiled weakly. "It was not an easy decision, my boy, I can assure you."

"So it was a good thing I declined her offer." Harry looked at the table, avoiding Dumbledore's gaze. "Though I can't help but wonder if her teachings might help me survive against Voldemort."

"As my old friend keeps telling me, necromancers do not concern themselves with matters pertaining to the living, only those pertaining to Death."

Dumbledore sighed and Harry dared to glance up, watching the headmaster's expression turn contemplative.

"Though I cannot deny that there might be a certain merit to learning the Art of Necromancy. It is a rare art and its teachings are undeniably profound in meaning. Additionally, the Totengräbers' ways go hand in hand with the oldest practices of magic – the ways before wands and incantations were introduced. You may learn invaluable lessons from Professor Totengräber."

Harry frowned. "So I should accept after all?"

"I cannot make that decision for you, Harry."

Harry didn't know how to interpret that. Did that mean Dumbledore approved? Or did it mean he disapproved? Would Harry benefit from learning highly illegal magic? Would it be alright? Hermione had called it very dark magic and that couldn't be anything good. But if it would help him fight Voldemort …

"Sir? Professor Totengräber also asked after my invisibility cloak."

Maybe Harry was imagining it, but he thought Dumbledore's eyes started to twinkle at that.

"Did she, now?"

"Why was she so interested in it?"

The twinkling intensified. "Perhaps you ought to ask her that, yourself. Now, let us begin before the hour turns too late. This first memory I wish to show you belonged to Bob Odgen."

AN

Art of this perfectly normal old woman:
something-rotten tumblr com/post/760820060009971712/sephoneia-totengr-from-my-fanfic-death-doesnt