The Burning Pen

A Dark Scenario
by Ruth Solomon

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence.  Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately.  You are not welcome here.  The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

Disclaimer:  All HP characters are the property of JKR.  I make no $$$ from the writing of this fanfic.
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CHAPTER 14

Chapter 14 ~ Getting Into the Groove

The precedent set by Severus Snape served Hermione well. She, too, received a written reprimand by the Board and wasn't charged by the Ministry for using an Unforgivable in a disciplinary manner during the execution of her duties as a Hogwarts teacher.

However, the Board of Governors immediately added a clause in the Hogwarts Teachers' Standard Book of Rules and Regulations that stated the use of an Unforgivable on a student of Hogwarts for discipline would be grounds for immediate sacking and arrest. Only the DADA teacher had permission to cast such spells as part of the curriculum and to teach ways to defend against them. No one else would slip through the cracks unscathed.

By the time Halloween came around, Hermione's students were on par, maybe a little better than par with their Charms lessons and wand work. This might have had something to do with Hermione warning them that anyone who had a P or under in her class would not be attending the Halloween ball. She certainly knew how to create incentive.

The two weeks of detention served with Hermione were little more than extended class hours. Using the Room of Requirement, she worked with her pupils two extra hours each evening, helping them to improve focus and intent so they could cast more powerful spells and begin to use non-verbal magic. It reminded her of the days of Dumbledore's Army. The students actually began to enjoy the "detentions" especially when Hermione demonstrated her own ability to cast non-verbal spells.

"When you can do this," she informed the impressed students after blasting a small stone to dust without saying a word, "they'll never hear you coming."

Snape had served as the DADA teacher when Flitwick was still the Charms master. There was a marked difference in the former professor's students and Hermione's students. Flitwick was set in his ways of teaching and taught the students what he thought they should learn in the order he chose based on their abilities. Hermione, on the other hand, managed to get hold of Snape's syllabus and used it to make her lesson plans, teaching the students what they needed to know a week before Snape introduced the next topic.

One would think Snape would be happy about this, but he wasn't. Students bumbling spells was his main method of taking points in his class, especially from Gryffindor house. Competency was a liability as far as Slytherin getting the House Cup. But he found other ways to shave points. Petty ways. A crooked tie or untied shoelace was good for a couple of lost points in a pinch.

"Appearance matters," he said to a Gryffindor witch after taking five points from her. She'd been running late and had hurriedly buttoned her robes wrong so they were uneven.

As Snape walked away, she muttered to a student sitting next to her, "If appearance means so much to him, he should wash that greasy hair."

"Twenty points from Gryffindor, Miss Pearl," Snape called back without turning around. "For your cheek."

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"Minerva, you seem so tense," Hermione said to the headmistress as they ate breakfast in the Great Hall. All of the teachers except for Snape were present. "Is there something wrong?"

Minerva sighed.

"Severus is going to introduce a new dark creature today, and I don't approve," Minerva admitted. "But, it is part of the curriculum and I have to allow it."

Snape never included what creatures he was introducing on his syllabus, because he wanted to keep the element of surprise. He simply provided a list of Charms necessary for the weekly magic lab. You never knew exactly what the spells would be used for. Naturally, Minerva would be advised, however, because the DADA class required use of dark magic and dark creatures.

"What creature is he introducing?" Hermione asked curiously.

Minerva paled.

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Snape's seventh year students entered the DADA classroom to find it cleared of desks. Snape stood at the front of the room, and next to him was a large locked trunk. It shook a little.

"Find some place to put your books. You only need your wands," the professor said.

The trunk next to him thumped.

"I wonder what's in there," Ginny said to another student as they put their books on the floor.

"Knowing Snape, I'm sure it's something horrible," the witch replied as she drew her wand. They walked toward the front of the class, eyeing the still thumping trunk. They stopped a respectable distance away as Snape eyed them.

"Separate into two groups based on your houses and form a line" he ordered.

Soon there was a line of Slytherins on the left and Gryffindors on the right. Ginny Weasley had been pushed to the front of the line and held her wand tightly, her brown eyes resting on the box.

"You first, Miss Weasley," Snape said softly. "Come forward. I am quite aware of your skills. You were a member of Dumbledore's Army, were you not?"

Ginny nodded as she approached the professor, who stepped away from the box and pointed his wand at it.

"Those skills may help you here. Alohamora!"

The lid to the trunk flew open, followed by screams of terror as what it contained was released. Snape kept his wand trained on it as it unfolded to its full height, hissing at Ginny and slowly gliding forward.

A Dementor.

"Use the proper spell, Miss Weasley!" Snape called to her as the hideous, scabby creature floated forward, its black robe inches off the floor. It was doubly horrible because it wore no hood, the misshapen grayish head, distorted human-like face and elongated mouth visible. Long gray-nailed fingers reached toward the redhead as if to grasp her by the shoulders as it hissed.

Ginny stood there, frozen with fascinated horror as the thing drifted closer.

"Do it, Miss Weasley! You have the ability. You've been through a war! Find the courage!" Snape hissed at her.

Ginny suddenly came to life.

"Expecto Patronum!" she cried, a stream of silver light rushing from her wand tip and forcing the Dementor back.

"Yes!" Snape said softly, watching as the stream of light transformed into a full Patronus, taking the form of a hare, which began kicking the Dementor with its powerful hind legs.

It was driven back until it hovered over the trunk again.

"That's enough, Miss Weasley. End the spell," Snape ordered.

"Finite Incantatum."

The hare vanished.

"Next student from Slytherin House," Snape directed.

He gave Ginny a nod as the next student took her place and the Dementor warily drifted forward again.

"Not bad, Miss Weasley. Not too bad at all," he said, and Ginny beamed at him.

"Five points from Gryffindor—for your hesitation," he added. "Go to the back of the line."

"Oh, he's such a snarky bastard," Ginny muttered under her breath as she stalked away.

Snape smirked nastily then turned his eyes back on the Slytherin student facing the Dementor.

"Cast the spell," he instructed.

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A/N: Just a little filler chapter to round the story out a bit, tell what happened with Hermione and show a little more Snape while moving the time forward. I always write Snape taking as many points from Gryffindor as possible. Lol. It's like breathing to him. Anyway, thanks for reading.

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