Through the Dark (Draco Malfoy x OC)

Chapter Ninety Nine

"I dropped Potion's because of Snape," Faye said into her cereal. "Now he's in D.A.D.A!"

"It'll be fine, relax." Daphne sighed. We had been through this conversation with Faye numerously since the welcoming feast.

I pulled a part of my soft and sticky cinnamon bun and popped it into my mouth. "Who knows, his teaching method might be different for D.A.D.A than in Potion's." I deliberated, but I knew I was talking shit for the sake of easing her mind. Unlike my peers, I didn't fear the man, but they could never know the reason as to why. 'He's been my guardian since my adoptive parents betrayed me and then looked after me during my imprisonment,' didn't really roll off the tongue.

"Let's go to class," Daphne said as she climbed off her seat.

"You still haven't told me about your summer," I said to her as we walked out of the Hall.

"And you haven't told me about yours," she retorted.

"Touche," I tilted my head.

As we neared the class door in the dungeons, a group of waiting students became visible. In particular, a Hermione Granger with books as big as her in her hands talking animatedly to Harry and Ron. Draco was at the end of the queue, book lazily hanging from his hand as he laughed with Crabbe and Goyle. A smile rose on my features, seeing him in raw, candid happiness. There was a hint of his long lost innocence.

The classroom door opened before I could relish in his delight and Snape stepped into the corridor. His sallow face framed by his black hair. Silence fell over as he peered over the students.

"Inside," he commanded.

The room already replicated Snape's flavour. As the Potion's room had been, the D.A.D.A room was now gloomy with curtains blocking out the windows and gruesome imagery plastered over the walls.

"Lovely," Daphne commented as she looked over some pictures of people in pain with contorted body parts.

"Different teaching methods my arse," Faye muttered as she plonked her books down at a table beside me.

"I want your full attention," Snape said as he crossed the class and everyone had sat. "You have had five teachers in this subject so far. Naturally, these teachers will all have had their own methods and priorities. Given this confusion I am surprised so many of you scraped an O.W.L. in this subject. I shall be even more surprised if all of you manage to keep up with the N.E.W.T. work, which will be much more advanced."

I didn't take my eyes away from the Professor, but I could feel Daphne and Faye sulking beside me. Draco, who was sat at the desk in front of me, tapped Goyle on the elbow and they shared amused expressions. Clearly excited to start this subject with our Head of House.

"The Dark Arts," Snape began, "are ever-changing and eternal. Fighting them is like fighting a many-headed monster. Each time a neck is severed it sprouts a new head fiercer and cleverer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible."

My concentration was already waning as I stared numbly at pictures of monsters on the far wall. To my side, Harry and Ron were rolling their eyes and I snickered knowing Harry would be livid that Snape had taken over his favourite subject.

"Your defenses must therefore be as flexible and inventive as the arts you seek to undo." He signalled to the wall behind him, "these pictures give a fair representation of what happens to those who suffer the Cruciatus Curse, feel the Dementor's Kiss or provoke the aggression of the Inferius."

As Snape went on, his voice blurred into white noise. I had fallen into a trance staring at the witch shrieking in agony who had suffered the Cruciatus Curse. My heart felt etched in charcoal, not only was I one to be victim to the curse, but I had inflicted the damage onto another. Lydia.