60) Arrival

30 October 1976

Alastor Moody looked calmly at the seventeen students infront of him.

This will be amazing for him, he thought inwardly. He couldn't help but anticipate the fun he was going to have with this students.

He himself knew that he was a sadist in his methods. Perhaps it was wrong to relish in the pain of this students. But it didn't mean that it will be a useless task.

He was ordered to shape them into champion material and he was sure going to do that. The pain he will inflict upon them would make them tougher. Far tougher than normal kids and will make them better than their peers.

The job of an auror was not an easy one. One didn't became a celebrated auror by simply waving wands and casting spells. An auror must be always ready for danger and there should be no area he should slack off. His gaze must look beneath the obvious and form correct conclusions within seconds. Else he would die in a battle.

Being paranoid was a part of auror's life. It was also the skill which had kept him alive till now.

Most of his peers were either dead or simply took voluntary retirement unable to hold on longer. Merula was the last auror batchmate of his who too had died on a raid some days ago. He looked at the Fortescue girl who was Merula's goddaughter. He had seen her in the funeral, crying over the death of her godmother.

Alastor hoped that the girl was good. It would be a shame to have hopes for her and she will not be able to live upto them. He just wanted her to have Merula's commitment to duty and justice. If the girl had a spine of true steel like Merula, then she will automatically succeed in life.

"All of the seventeen students present here. You all are selected by your Headmaster and teachers who each have high hopes from you. They believe that you will be able to perform better than the rest of the people present in Hogwarts," Alastor said, his gruff voice going over the large room in which they had gathered for the practise.

Everyone's faces bar the Slyhterin students, Amelia Bones, Harry Potter and Alice Fortescue lit up at Alastor words.

However Alastor continued on as if he didn't wanted to see their happy faces. Or even if he saw it, he simply ignored them.

"I don't believe or listen to what your Headmaster and teachers said. I will gauge your skills by my own methods. To me each one of you are nothing more than snot nosed brats who want to simply have the glory of tournament!" Alastor thundered out. Some of the people who didn't expected the last shouting part simply recoiled slightly in alarm and surprise.

Severus meanwhile was enjoying Moody's class till now. Moody was sure a paranoid bastard but noone could doubt about his capabilities.

"How many of you are trying to be aurors?" Alastor asked out in a loud voice.

Frank Longbottom raised his hand first along with Amelia Bones raising hers simultaneously. Their actions was slowly started to be followed by everyone bar the Slytherin students.

Sirius Black looked at the Slyhterins who all had not raised their hands. He scoffed inwardly at everyone of them. Why would they want to be aurors? They were all Death Eaters in making. There was no way that any one of their lot

Alastor looked at the Slytherin students who had not raised their hands.

"You Nott, what are your ambitions?" Alastor asked looking pointedly to the Seventh year Slytherin Prefect who looked back at him impassively.

"I want to be a cursebreaker sir," Izar replied with a straight face.

"Good," Alastor said with a small nod as he looked at the Nott heir.

Severus was amused inwardly at the answer of Izar though. The man was a master in cursebreaking and wardbreaking. The amount of wards he had broken while working for the Dark Lord spoke more about his skills in the field.

"Black?" Alastor asked looking at the figure of Narcissa Black.

"Charms Mistress Sir," Narcissa replied coolly as always with the same calm look on her face.

"You Greengrass," Alastor continued on looking at the Greengrass heiress.

"I will enter into the political arena sir," Laena replied confidently. She was going to lead the neutral block afterall.

"Rosier?" Alastor continued on looking at the 6th year Prefect.

"I will handle the family business sir," Evan Rosier said confidently.

"You Prince?" Alastor asked looking at Severus.

"Bounty hunter Sir," Severus replied calmly. While the muggle ones brought the people who had broken the bail bond agreement to justice. The wizarding ones were different as it consisted of even killing the person upon whom bounty was placed. The direct kill on sight order was though given on people who were serious criminals like Fenrir Greyback.

Severus was just bluffing with Moody but if the old bastard took it seriously then it was going to be more fun. He was honestly lying out of his ass at the question. He just wanted to give a different answer than anybody. He would have stated business at first as an answer but Evan already picked it up before him. Besides a Bounty Hunter worked both ways.

For a bounty hunter money was honey.

"Huh, a good one. Tough line of work considering that dangers are always a part of that job," Alastor said turning his back from the students.

"All of you will have to work on your dodging though," was the only thing he said before turning back and firing a stinging hex straight at Severus. He didn't even waited for a moment and shot the next one in the direction of Harry Potter.

The others who were wide eyed at the sudden action weren't anymore as the veteran auror immediately started to cast stinging hexes on anyone in sight.

"No using of wands or taking cover! Dodge with the best you got!" Alastor barked out as the room was only filled with jets of light aimed at the students present there for next two hours.

An hour later....

"You Prince, you got skill in dodging," Alastor said with a small smile looking at the figure of Severus Prince who was hit by only three filipendo and two stinging hex. Alastor could only hit him after he had backed him down to a corner and not given him space. Having no more space to dodge and consecutive spells were enough to catch him offguard. The spells must be casted fastly and you have to play with the area, it was the only way to beat the boy for now.

The boy was the only one to stay on his feet till now in the whole team. Clearly he exercised his body otherwise he will not have remained so long.

The boy was fast and the best thing was that he was calm the whole time. Not even a single time in the two hours did he panicked.

"You Potter, your dodgings need more work as well as your headstrong attitude. You were so stubborn to sometime see the obvious. You took the harder route when there were more simpler ones. Work on it," Alastor said to Harry Potter who was sitting crosslegged on the ground. He could barely stand up after the whole debacle of being hit with strong hexes. He had vomited slugs, experienced boils in armpits as well as continously hit by strong knockback jinxes. He and Severus were focused on more by Alastor as he wanted to gauge the stregth of the captain and vice captain of the team.

Till now Severus was the only one who could stand in his own two legs. The others were crouched on ground holding their aching legs, sprained muscles and dislocated knees.

Alastor had not allowed them to go to infirmary. They will not be dead by some little pain. He wanted them to experience pain. If he had to suffer in a school teaching brats then he will use it to his fullest. They might not see the advantages of today's practise but it will come on to them slowly.

"You Nott, your footwork needs work otherwise your movements are fine," Alastor said to the Seventh year Slytherin Prefect whose body was in petrified state. He casted a finite as he moved to the next member of their team.

"Bones, you got the same spunk as your brothers. However you are more reckless than them. They too get so in pressure," he said looking at the figure of Amelia Bones who was supporting herself with her back to the wall.

"Fortescue, your efforts were better than many novice aurors. You too just have to mind your surroundings otherwise the next time will be same. It takes a stray single spell to be killed," Alastor said looking at Alice who was in a similar state as of Amelia and leaning to wall with her back while she was crouched down.

Alice nodded eagerly. Not even Severus was so cruel to her in training. However it only fuelled more determination inside her. This was the level of skilled aurors.

"Evans, stop panicking from next time. Also keep your head in the battle. Your dodging was minimal and you were getting afraid at some points when the spells were closer to you," Alastor said looking pointedly at the sixth year Gryffindor Prefect who was leaning with Hermione Granger with their backs to wall. Both were repeatedly hit by slug vomiting spells as well as knockback jinxes.

"Granger. Your speed needs work. You were panicking more than dodging," Alastor said bluntly with a frown in his face. This girl had faced deadly situations yet she still lacked the calm disposition required mostly in life and death situations.

"Black, your dodging was fine but your posture was rigid most of the times," Alastor said looking at Narcissa Black who was sitting besides Laena Greengrass with sweat running down her face. Her ankles were hurting after the dodging she had did in the last two hours. Her shoulder was already dislocated due to one of the knockbank jinxes.

"Greengrass, you were too excited. Your excitement to dodge was the reason for most of your injuries," he said looking at Laena Greengrass whose ankle was dislocated and who was clutching it with pain in his eyes.

Alastor continued to comment on their performances after which he left the room to meet the aurors who were going to arrive in the next hour.

"That bastard is completely mad," Evan said with a dislocated shoulder which he had after hitting the wall by a knockback jinx.

Severus didn't commented. He had enjoyed Moody's class immensely. He had never felt so alive till this class after arriving to Hogwarts this year.

"Prince, get me to Madam Pomfrey," Laena said with a urgent pleading tone.

"I swear when Alastor mentioned his class I should have expected something like this," Madam Pomfrey arrived into the classroom whispering under her breath at the exact moment. She immediately went on to action from one end of the room.

"Severus patch as best as you can," Madam Pomfrey suddenly called out after seeing Severus who was looking in better condition than everyone. She had belief in Severus' healing as she had trained him when he came to the infirmary to show his progress. The boy could become a skilled healer if he wanted. A career in St Mungos could suit him well.

"Greengrass give me your leg," Severus said with a nod as he looked at Greengrass who was at his right.

"You sure not going to make it worse," Laena said a little concerned looking at Severus.

"I will not," Severus said as he gently bent down and sat crosslegged on the floor while taking her leg placing it above his own two legs.

He gently inspected her leg and located the dislocating point.

He gently massaged the area a little as Laena sighed in relief.

Alice who was watching all that simply felt anger inside her chest at the scene. Not once did he had looked towards her and now he was massaging her infront of everyone.

Lily too who saw it felt a little uncomfortable seeing it. To see Laena Greengrass giving out pleasurable sighs of relief while Severus massaged her leg was something which made her feel unsettled.

Severus gently placed his wand at the location and murmured the incantation gently. Healing spells required incantations mostly as it was easier that way and more effective.

The bone popped back with a sound to its original location and Laena felt a moment of pain before it suddenly began to dim.

"Take a pepper up potion from Madam Pomfrey," Severus said as he moved next and came face to face with Narcissa Black.

"May I?" He asked gently looking at her with a calm look. For some strange reason she was a little tense seeing him. He wanted to find out the reason for it but it was impossible as she was trained in Occlumency and would be able to sense him within moments and could accuse him. He already was not on good terms with Black family for now and there was no need to poke it more.

He didn't knew that while he was thinking about the good terms with the Black family. They were thinking of making him goodbrother.

Narcissa nodded as Severus crouched at her leaning figure while he gently massaged the shoulder area. His hands massaging her while his face leant below gave Narcissa the view of his side face as well as neck. She turned her face away as she didn't wanted to show the good and relieving effects of his massage to him.

Severus wasn't bothered as he simply placed the wand and put it on the dislocated shoulder. The same incantation was uttered for the second time and with a pop her shoulders were fixed like earlier.

The series continued on as Severus patched the Slytherins and Amelia Bones.

When everyone was finished Madam Pomfrey spoke up hurriedly looking at her watch.

"Fast kids. The other schools would be arriving within 20 minutes. Hurry up," Poppy spoke up urgently looking at them.

Severus groaned inwardly at the whole scenario. He didn't want to go and applaud for the visiting students but there was no other way as attendance there was compulsory.

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