"You have had five teachers in this subject so far, I believe." Snape began, "Naturally, these teachers will 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 will 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."
Snape set off around the edge of the room, speaking now in a lower and quieter voice. Many people were struggling to hear but, to me, it felt like he was yelling.
"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 cleverer and fiercer than before. You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible. Your defences 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, "gives a fair representation of what happens to those who suffer, for instance, the Cruciatus Curse, feel the Dementor's Kiss, or provoke an Inferius."
I flinched slightly when I saw the Cruciatus Curse image. It was too fresh in my mind, too real. I recoiled slightly as a hand rested on my leg, comforting me. The image was skipped over quicker than any of the others, perhaps Snape had noticed.
"Has an Inferius been seen then? Is it definite, is he using them?" Parvati Patil asked.
"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... You are, I believe, complete novices in the use of nonverbal spells. What is the advantage of a nonverbal spell?"
Hermione's hand shot into the air and Snape made sure no-one else had their hand up.
"Very well - Miss Granger?" he said curtly.
Hermione explained that it gave your opponent no warning on what spell you were going to use and Snape told us to get into partners and practice nonverbal spells. We weren't allowed to speak when jinxing or defending.
I managed to get Tobias multiple times without speaking and I managed to block his spells without speaking. Snape gave us a curt nod which was as much as we could expect. I didn't acknowledge him, my hand gripping more tightly on my wand as he moved past.
"Pathetic, Weasley. Here - Let me show you -" said Snape, turning to Harry and raising his wand.
"Protego!" Harry yelled instinctively, knocking Snape into a desk.
"Do you remember me telling you we are practising nonverbal spells, Potter?" Snape said angrily.
"Yes," Harry replied stiffly.
"Yes, sir," corrected Snape.
"There's no need to call me 'sir', Professor," Harry replied.
He received detention, the class silent in shock at his words. Snape ended the lesson a short while later, and I was eager to escape as quickly as possible, almost tripping over my feet to reach the door.
I waited outside for Tobias and the others to exit, they were last as usual. But a fifth figure came out with them, one that made me tense immediately.
"Miss Malfoy," I froze in fear, "Come with me, please."
I turned to face Snape, my face showing no emotion. My friends were silent as they stared between the two of us, they knew I normally followed him without complaint, he was normally the one who looked after me.
"Miss Malfoy," I could hear the strain in Snape's voice.
I shook my head silently, backing up. I couldn't be alone with him, I didn't know what he was going to do.
"Lyra, I was looking for you," relief washed over me as I heard Dumbledore speak, "If you would follow me to my office. You as well, Severus. I have something to discuss."
I glanced in fear at Snape one more time before silently following Dumbledore, feeling the stares of my friends on the back of my head.
"Professor Snape is a spy," Dumbledore had a hard look on his face, "He is working for the Order, spying on Voldemort. He is working on my orders, and mine alone."
"But he-" my voice was shaking but I was cut off.
"I know what he did," Dumbledore continued, "Voldemort told him in advance what he was expected to do. He came to me, told me he couldn't do it. I told him what was at stake if he refused, how many people could die. Professor Snape did not want to cause you pain, but he had no choice."
"You... told him to torture me?" My voice was hollow.
"It was for the greater good, you understand that of course," Dumbledore's voice showed no signs of regret or sorrow at his decision or the pain it caused me, "There was no other way around it."
Thoughts circled around my head. I had always believed Dumbledore was good, that he would protect everyone and always do the right thing. Had I been wrong? How could he approve Snape's actions?
"You understand?" Dumbledore repeated, his hand hovering above the desk. I stared at it with a frown, it seemed to be completely black, almost as though it had rotted.
"Of course..." my voice was barely a whisper, I could feel Snape staring at me.
"And you also understand nobody is to know about what happened or that you saw Snape there, yes?" Dumbledore continued and I merely nodded, "Go to your common room."
I felt numb as I walked out of the office. Dumbledore told him to? A man I had trusted, he gave the order? I wasn't even able to comprehend it yet, how was I going to hide this from my friends?
"Miss Malfoy," I heard Snape speak, he had clearly followed me out, "Lyra!"
I stopped walking and turned around, looking down.
"I... I'm sorry," he said quietly, "Please understand I didn't want to do it. Dumbledore didn't give me a choice, and I will try my hardest to make it up to you."
"It's too late..." I said quietly.
"Lyra, I..." he trailed off as I walked away.
After lunch was double Potions. I was still reeling from what had happened, but my friends didn't question me despite my near silence during lunch. I didn't eat anything, I just pushed the food around my plate with a frown, before gathering my books and heading out of the Hall ahead of them.
I made my way down into the dungeon and noticed only about fifteen people were doing N.E.W.T. level.
Tobias, Ron, Hermione and Harry were also doing it. Before we could say a word to each other, Slughorn appeared. He greeted Harry and some Slytherin with much more enthusiasm than anyone else, I noted.
We entered the room as sat down in fours. Four Ravenclaws sat together and four Slytherins did too, my brother included. That left Harry, Ron and Hermione with a Hufflepuff and Tobias and I to sit in a two.
"Scales out, everyone, and Potion Kits, and don't forget don't forget your copies of Advanced Potion Making..."
"Sir?" said Harry, raising his hand.
"Harry, m'boy?"
"I haven't got a book or scales or anything - nor's Ron - we didn't realise we'd be able to do the N.E.W.T., you see -"
Slughorn gave Harry and Ron their Advanced Potion Making books and sets of scales and began to tell us all about the potions on tables. Hermione answered what they all were, to no one's surprise.
Veritaserum was first. It was a potion which forces people to tell the truth. Next was Polyjuice Potion, which we had made in second year. Lastly was Armortentia, the strongest love potion in the world.
I sniffed the air, intrigued as to what it would smell like to me. I smiled as the familiar scents reached my nose - chocolate which was my go-to comfort food after a full moon, vanilla, old books like my father's study, and... was that Tobias's hair? I went slightly pink at the thought.
"Your shampoo is really strong today," Tobias commented and I resisted the urge to laugh. It seemed he didn't realise what Armortentia smelt like, "What?"