Death's Gift - Chapter Twenty-Nine
Teacher Troubles
The next few days were a pain for Harry, his first class with Tom teaching had gone nothing like he thought it would...
"Let's start off this class by me telling you something. The last two years you have been learning about how to defend yourself against the Dark Arts, right?" There were murmurs of "Yes"s and students nodding their heads, "Well, here's the cold hard truth, if you really want to defend yourself against something then you first have to understand how it works, such as the expression 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'."
"So you're going to teach us the Dark Arts?!" Ron blurted out.
Tom glared at him, "Did I call on you Weasley?"
Ron snapped his mouth shut, his eyes widening. Harry and Draco both almost laughed.
"I thought so. Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, in order to know how to defend yourself against something, you have to understand how it works. In this class we will be learning of dark spells, focusing in on some of the worst curses out there and the best ways to counteract them. Before we begin there is something you all must understand, it does not matter the type of magic you use, but the intent behind it."
"But Dumbledore says-"
"Ten points from Gryffindor." Tom snapped, "You will raise your hand if you want to speak."
Ron's face flushed and he shrunk down in his seat.
"If you could use your brain for a second then you would realize that Dumbledore has to approve all lesson plans. Perhaps you would benefit from having to write a three foot long essay on why the type of magic you use doesn't matter."
Ron's face became even redder.
Blaise raised his hand.
"Yes Zabini?"
"Will we have to learn how to cast the spells in order to completely understand them?"
"You will not be casting any in class since most of the ones we will be learning about are too difficult for those of your skill level. However, there are some lighter curses that are borderline dark that you will be able to learn and use without having any retaliation."
Almost every single Slytherin smirked.
"Now open your books to page one hundred and sixty seven."
Harry shook his head, ever since that first day Tom had been relatively ignoring him, only calling on him when he needed an answer to a question, purposefully only for the darker questions. Sometimes Harry would say that he didn't know, only resulting in Tom giving him a knowing look, after all, they both knew that Harry knew the answer. By now people had started to notice that there was a bit of tension between Harry and "Professor Vanidestine", Draco, Blaise, as well as Theo had all tried to bring it up before, but Harry always shot them down in some form. Because he was always questioned about it around his other friends, Harry had taken to spending most of his time with Luna, she never did ask him anything, most likely because she already knew it all.
"How does this look?" Harry asked.
Luna turned to look up at Harry, the green eyed boy conjuring up a mirror for her to look in. Luna tilted her head a bit to see the intricate braid Harry had put her hair into.
"I love it!" Luna beamed.
Harry smiled, "I'm glad you do."
"Where'd you learn to braid like this?" Luna asked, running her fingers over the weaved hair.
"Ginny always complained about never being able to see the back of her head whenever she did her hair so she recruited me and started teaching me how to do hair. I was beyond horrid at first, but I had to make it seem like I cared so I practiced." Harry told her, making the mirror disappear with a wave of his hand.
"Oh- I never meant to bring back bad memories..."
Harry hopped down off of the ledge he'd been sitting on and joined Luna on the grass, wrapping an arm around her, "Don't worry little moon, I'm happy to be doing this with someone I actually care about."
Luna smiled and hugged Harry, "It really is amazing."
A laughed escaped Harry and patted Luna on the top of her head, "Brilliant."
. . . . . . .
"Is it just me or is there something off about Professor Vanidestine?"
Everyone looked up at Hermione, they were all currently in the library, working on homework.
"What do you mean?" Luna asked, "I find him rather interesting."
"He's teaching us the dark arts." Hermione persisted.
"It makes sense though, the only way to know how to best defend yourself from something you must first understand how it works, like he told us on the first day." Anthony said.
"Yes, but he's focusing on some of the darkest spells, and the way he speaks of the dark arts, it is as if he is trying to make them sound appealing."
"Because they are." Blaise said simply, making Neville, who was beside him scoot over a little bit. Blaise rolled his eyes, "I didn't mean it like that. It's a branch of magic that we're not taught about. It's only human nature to be curious."
"Yeah, and like he said, it doesn't matter what kind of magic you use what matters is the intent behind it." Harry added, "You know that just as well as me Hermione."
Hermione bit her lip, "I know, I just-"
"Don't concern yourself about it." Draco told her, "Whatever the case is at least he's a better teacher the Quirrell."
Everyone nodded.
"I can understand where Hermione is coming from though." Susan said, "It does seem as if he is trying to make us interested in the dark arts."
"Though at the same time he tells us not to use the spells he teaches us about." Hannah recollected.
"It could be reverse psychology." Hermione perked up.
"Why would a professor be trying to get us interest in what we're supposed to be learning about how to protect ourselves from? It doesn't make any sense. He speaks of other fields of magic with the same enthusiasm, we just take more of a notice to his enthusiasm in the dark arts because all the other teachers talk them down." Harry defended.
Harry paused, why was he defending Tom? Why was the simple fact that Hermione was questioning him bothering him so much? He was mad at the man, he shouldn't care about what happened to him, but, why did he?
"Exactly." Theo nodded his head along to what Harry said, "And of course he's going to focus on the dark arts because that's what were learning about, defense against the dark arts."
"But- I don't know I just..." Hermione trailed off, her brows furrowed in concentration.
"Have you had an encounter with a Wrackspurt lately?" Luna asked.
"What?"
"A Wrackspurt is an invisible creature that flies into your ears, making you unfocused or confused." Harry explained, "She's saying that you seem confused."
Draco groaned, "Harry please don't tell me that you believe all of that rubbish in the Quibbler?"
Harry shrugged, "You never know what's real or not."
Draco shook his head, "You're daft as a bush."
Harry smirked, "At least I'm still smarter than you."
Draco glared at him as the others started laughing. Harry nudged the blonde with his shoulder, a smile on his face. Draco rolled his eyes and allowed himself to smile, the group falling back to their work after awhile.
. . . . . . .
Almost a month had passed, the tension between Harry and Tom getting no better, in fact, it had gotten worse the longer it lasted. The two of them were constantly at each others throats, Harry figured that it was probably even worse than his relationship with Snape had been when he was a Gryffindor. At least Tom hadn't taken away any points yet, though it was most likely only because he didn't want to diminish the Slytherin house, after all, Harry had given him many chances to do so with his snarky remarks.
"Now can someone tell me what the Sectumsempra curse is?" Tom asked to the class.
People exchanged glances, but no one raised their hand. Draco, Blaise, Theo, and Neville all looked over at Harry who was staring out the window, resting his head on his chin, completely zoned out.
"Potter-Black, can you repeat what I just said?"
"'Now can someone tell me what the Sectumsempra curse is'." Harry replied, not moving his gaze.
"Can you answer that?"
"Nope, never heard of it."
"Are you sure about that?"
Harry turned his head to glare at the man, "Why wouldn't I?"
"All of your friends were looking at you as if you knew the answer." Tom said simply, "And the fact that I overheard to mentioning the curse in the library yesterday, you seemed to know what it was then."
Harry's eyes widened, Tom smirked.
"What were you doing eavesdropping on me and my friends?" Harry shot at him.
Tom glared at him, his smirk fading, "I was not eavesdropping."
"Sure sounds like it."
"Five points from Slytherin for talking back to a professor."
"What?!" Harry blurted out.
"As well as another five points for trying to lie to a professor."
"That's rubbish!"
"And another, you did not raise your hand."
"You were the one who called on me-"
"Detention!" Tom snapped, "I expect to see you in my office at seven."
Harry glared the man, in a fury he snatched up his bag, quickly leaving the class, roughly pushing the door open and slamming it shut behind him. Once he was in the hallway Harry pulled his invisibility cloak out from his bag, throwing it over himself, he couldn't be seen in the halls since he was supposed to be in class. He stormed off down the hallways, making his way down to the dungeons. Once he reached his dorm he ripped the door open he slammed it behind him in anger. Harry pulled off the cloak and threw it, along with his bag, onto his bed. His magic lashed out, Harry dropped his mental shields that concealed it from others, his magic's energy filling up the room, prickling Harry's skin. He let out a blast of raw power, he couldn't believe Tom! He'd gone from just being incredibly irritating, making Harry want to murder him on sight, to taking away points and giving him detention! It wasn't like he had a clean record, but still! Harry punched his mattress in anger.
*What is Harry upset about?* Anemone asked, slithering up to where Harry had shrunk down onto the floor next to his bed.
Harry sighed, *A certain professor is being unberable.*
Anemone wrapped the end of herself around Harry's ankle, bringing her head up to look him in the face, *Does Harry want Anemone to bit them?*
Harry laughed, and stroked her scales m, *Tempting... really tempting, but no. As angry as he makes me I don't want anything bad to happen to him.*
Anemone tilted her head, *Is Harry friends with this Professor?*
Harry paused, was he friends with Tom? Sure they acted like it sometimes, but they were also constantly fighting.
*I dunno... Maybe?*
*Is that why Harry is upset? That he might not be your friend?*
Harry had opened his mouth to answer "No", but something stopped him. He bit his lip, *Possibly? It's confusing. One second were getting along and laughing and the next we're throwing curses at each other.*
*Frenemies?*
*No,* Harry shook his head, *I will never be his enemy, not again.*
Anemone looked at Harry once more before she lowered herself, curling up around her companion, *Harry should talk with his maybe friend.*
Harry looked up at the stone ceiling of his dorm, talk? With Tom? If Harry knew him at all, which he did, it was bound to get into a shouting match, or some kind of fight. He sighed, things had been going so well between them up to the point when Tom just cut him out completely. Harry didn't know why that bothered him so much. He always thought that everything would be better if Tom just left him alone, that he could have a normal life. Though if he was being completely honest, he missed Tom more than anything. He missed hearing the man's laugh, he missed his complete bluntness, he missed those moments where his emotionless mask cracked, allowing a bit of his true feelings to show through, and, the thing that shocked him the most, he missed their petty little arguments. Harry groaned and ran his hands down his face, he'd couldn't believe that he'd begun to actually care for the man that was supposed to be his enemy.
. . . . . . .
By the time seven rolled around Harry made his way up to Tom's office. He's stayed in his dorm the whole day, skipping the rest of his classes, he hadn't even gone to the Great Hall for dinner. Draco and Blaise had found him sitting on the floor, talking to Anemone, when they'd finally come back. Both of them telling him off for disappearing, then later telling him off again when the clock struck seven and he hadn't left for detention. Harry had been planning on just skipping it, if only to piss off Tom more, but they'd forced him out of the room. When Harry reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor's office he knocked on the door. It was already almost a quarter past seven, though he couldn't find it in himself to care. When he heard a "Come in" from within the room, Harry opened the door, closing it behind him as he entered.
"You're late." Tom spat, glaring at Harry.
The Slytherin boy rolled his eyes, "Yeah, I couldn't find it in myself to care enough to be on time."
"Be here again tomorrow, you'll be having another detention for your tardiness."
"Lovely." Harry muttered sarcastically.
"You will sit and write an essay on why you must not lie to a teacher." Tom told him.
Harry sat down, raising an eyebrow, "Where's the blood quills?" he added bitterly just to dig at Tom.
Tom's head snapped around and he eyed Harry, his mouth opened slightly, but he then closed it, as if deciding to to speak after all. Harry sighed and pulled out a quill of his own as well as a piece of parchment. In just half an hour he was done and he stood up, setting the rolled up essay on Tom's desk.
"What was the real reason for this detention?" Harry drawled.
Tom raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms and leaning back into his chair.
Harry rolled his eyes, "Don't give me that, I'm not stupid."
"Debatable."
Harry took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Look, I know that you're angry at me for some reason, but I refuse to believe that you would take away fifteen points from Slytherin as well as give me a detention with you if you didn't have some kind of ulterior motive."
"And what makes you think that?" Tom asked, tilting his head.
"For the love of Merlin! Tom will you just cut it with the act?!" Harry exclaimed, "Why the hell are you acting like this?!"
"Why am I acting like this?!" Tom asked, "You're the one who's been avoiding me."
"You did it first!" Harry challenged.
"I did no such thing!" Tom stood up, putting his hands on his desk and leaning forward slightly.
"Oh yeah?!" Harry asked, "Then what do you call that little thing you did during the summer?! You completely cut me out!"
"What nonsense are you going on about?"
"You know exactly what I'm talking about! I had to threaten you just to make you enter my mind for the order meeting! You didn't say anything to me the whole summer after the attack on the Dursleys!"
"It's not like you tried to talk to me either." Tom pointed out.
"Because I knew you wouldn't reply."
"And what makes you so sure about that?"
"Because I know you Tom!" Harry shouted, "I'm not just some random stranger!"
"Then just what do you think you are?!" Tom asked, staring Harry directly in the eyes.
Harry blinked, what was he?
"I- I don't know... but I know that I must be something to you or else you would've thrown me aside by now."
Tom paused, what exactly was Harry to him? Could.. could he allow himself to be possesive?
Harry let out a breath, looking down at the floor, "What did I do? I know I did something that made you angry with me."
"I was not angry with you." Tom told him.
Harry looked up, "What?"
"Must I repeat myself?" The man drawled.
Harry's brows furrowed in confusion, "I don't get it. If you weren't angry with me... then why did you shut me out?"
Tom chuckled slightly, "You speak as if you missed me."
Harry bit his lip, "Well, I did."
Tom's eyes widened as he stared at Harry, the teen had his arms crossed, looking off to the side, as if embarrassed. Tom couldn't help himself, Harry had missed him, he'd said it himself, surely, he could allow himself to be a little possessive?
"Harry..."
The boy jolted when he felt Tom grab his wrists, not even having noticed that the man had walked around his desk, their faces now only inches apart.
"You, you are insufferable." Tom told him in a low voice.
Harry had opened his mouth to reply, but Tom cut him off.
"But you are the only thing keeping me from spiraling into insanity."