『 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗮𝘁𝗲 』

𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 𝖿𝗈𝗎𝗋- 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴

"THE DARK ARTS," said Snape, "are many, varied, ever-changing and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster, which, each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible."

Alex let out a sigh, noticing the only available place to sit was next to Daphne Greengrass.

He sat down and ignored her, immediately focusing on Snape.

"Your defences," said Snape, a little louder, "must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the Arts you seek to undo. These pictures," he indicated a few of them as he swept past, "give a fair representation of what happens to those who suffer, for instance, the Cruciatus Curse—" he waved a hand towards a witch who was clearly shrieking in agony, "—feel the Dementor's Kiss—" a wizard lying huddled and blank-eyed slumped against a wall "—or provoke the aggression of the Inferius—" a bloody mass upon the ground.

"Has an Inferius been seen, then?" said Parvati Patil in a high-pitched voice. "Is it definite, is he using them?"

"Well?" whispered Daphne to Alex. "Is he using them?"

He glanced at her. "Yes." He replied nonchalantly, ignoring her thoughtful look, and focusing back on Snape.

"The Dark Lord has used Inferi in the past," said Snape, "which means you would be well-advised to assume he might use them again. Now.." He set off again around the other side of the classroom towards his desk, and again, the class watched him as he walked, his dark robes billowing behind him.

"..you are, I believe, complete novices in the use of non-verbal spells. What is the advantage of a non-verbal spell?"

Hermione Granger's hand shot into the air.

Snape took his time looking around at everybody else, making sure he had no choice, before saying curtly, "Very well.. Miss Granger?"

"Your adversary has no warning about what kind of magic you're about to perform," replied Granger, "which gives you a split-second advantage."

"An answer copied almost word for word from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 6," said Snape dismissively. "but correct in essentials. Yes, those who progress to using magic without shouting incantations gain an element of surprise in their spell-casting. Not all wizards can do this, of course; it is a question of concentration and mind power which some," his gaze lingered maliciously upon Harry Potter, "lack."

Alex's brows creased in thought.

"You will now divide," Snape went on, "into pairs. One partner will attempt to jinx the other without speaking. The other will attempt to repel the jinx in equal silence. Carry on."

A reasonable amount of cheating ensued; many people were merely whispering the incantation instead of saying it aloud. Alex immediately managed to repel Daphne's muttered Jelly-Legs Jinx without uttering a single word, earning points to Slytherin.

Snape swept between them as they practised, looking just as much like an overgrown bat as ever, lingering to watch Harry Potter and Ron Weasley struggling with the task.

Ron, who was supposed to be jinxing Harry, was purple in the face, his lips tightly compressed to save himself from the temptation of muttering the incantation.

Harry had his wand raised, waiting on tenterhooks to repel a jinx that seemed unlikely ever to come.

"Pathetic, Weasley," said Snape, after a while. "Here— let me show you—"

He turned his wand on Harry so fast that Harry reacted instinctively; all thought of non-verbal spells forgotten he yelled, "Protego!"

His Shield Charm was so strong Snape was knocked off-balance and hit a desk.