Connected

Chapter 10 'One on one'

Chapter 10 ‘One on one’

Snape set off around the edge of the room, speaking in a low voice; the class craned their necks to keep him in view.

“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 and indestructible.”

Evanna stared at Snape. It was surely one thing to respect the Dark Arts as a dangerous enemy, another to speak of them, as Snape was doing, with a loving caress in his voice.

“Your defenses,” 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 toward 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 ground.

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

“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, they watched him as he walked, his dark robes billowing behind him;

“… you are, I believe, complete novices in the use of nonverbal spells. What is the advantage of a nonverbal spell?”

Hermione’s hand, of course, 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,” said Hermione, “which gives you a split-second advantage.”

“An answer copied almost word for word from The Standard Book of Spells, Grade Six,” said Snape dismissively, over in the corner, Draco sniggered, “but correct in essentials. Yes, those who progress in 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 - “lack.”

Evanna felt a sense of excitement go through her body; Lucius had already taught Draco and her, how to perform nonverbal spells when they were nine.

It took them a full year to master them by using their elder’s wands.

Evanna looked towards the corner where Draco was sitting and saw him half smiling towards her.

He was hesitating in fully smiling as he still didn’t know if she had forgiven him or not. Evanna smiled back at him as she had already bought his sorry. She knew why he was smiling; he was also remembering the same thing which she was.

Evanna turned her head to her left to see Harry constantly glaring at Snape and he didn’t stop until Snape looked away.

“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.”

Although Snape did not know it, Harry had taught at least half the class (everyone who had been a member of the D.A.) how to perform a Shield Charm the previous year. None of them had ever cast the charm without speaking, however apart from Evanna who had not thought it really important to show the D.A until Hermione mentioned its advantage a few seconds ago.