CHAPTER 47

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CHAPTER 47

Under the stern guidance of Professor Snape, Elmi found himself navigating the challenging realms of dueling and wizard ethics. The shift in his special assignment marked a departure from its usual potion-making focus, and it was getting heavier by the day. Snape, known for his exacting standards and relentless pursuit of excellence, approached the lessons with an intensity that surpassed even the rigorous training Elmi had received from his own noble house. 

As a scion of a noble house, Elmi was no stranger to lessons in etiquette and conduct, but Snape's uncompromising approach delved deeper into the nuances of wizard ethics.

Through this intense period of instruction, Elmi's understanding of the magical arts expanded beyond the confines of potion-making. Under Snape's demanding tutelage, he navigated the intricacies of dueling and laying the foundation for a Slytherin who would not only excel in the pursuit of power but also wield it with discernment and responsibility. 

Whenever Snape talked about those things, he had a pinch of regret in his eyes. Elmi knew this came from the loss of Lily Potter. All those lessons were earned from his reckless and thoughtless actions in his youth. In his youth, Snape was a true believer in Voldemort's cause; he had swallowed all that Voldemort spewed, which is why Voldemort never suspected Snape could be a spy, even though all his other men told him otherwise. To him, Snape was a faithful follower, but all that changed the second Lily Potter died, and that was the part Voldemort could never understand: love.

Now, Snape only lived for redemption and to protect Lily's son, but greed appeared in him when he saw Elmi's excellence. A greed to create a new type of Slytherin that wouldn't fall into the same pitfalls as him. That is why he was going to give him not only power but also the ability to discern right from wrong. 

Of course, he was still a Slytherin, and being noble and pursuing power was important, but since he lost Lily, the meaning of being a noble had changed. He might act ruthless, but he was not going to allow bullies to rule over Slytherin. For most of the Slytherin from noble houses, it was impossible to change them since their fathers or mothers were hidden death eaters, but the change could start from the neutral houses like Fawleys. His aim was to create the next ruler of Slytherin.

He looked at Elmi, who was having a hard time getting up from a through beat up. There was one thing he didn't understand from this boy: he was beaten to the ground, but his eyes were still full of defiance like Elmi didn't see himself beaten like he was not taking this as a real defeat. 

Snape decided he was going to push Elmi to his limits to see if he still had something hidden. The boy was using some unique spells from his family grimoire, but they were nothing special; at best, they were the same as common charms and curses taught in 1st to 4th year. Snape, in a cold voice, said,

"Get up, boy."

Elmi took one more deep breath and tried to get up, but he was having a hard time. Snape flung his wand, and a force pushed Elmi into a couch near the wall. Snape continued in his usual manner,

"Is this all you can show me? Yes, you are more talented than an average 1st year, but this doesn't prove anything in this vast world. You are a frog in a well thinking yourself superior because you are measuring yourself with ordinary people like Malfoy, Potter, or Weasley."

He flung his wand again and, this time, pushed Elmi to the ground,

"Show me! Show me the source of your arrogance!"

Elmi was starting to get angry, and for a moment, he thought, was it okay to show Snape the real him? The spells he was using were the usual spells that were similar to common use spells; he did not show him any of his more unique spells. 

Elmi knew Snape was trustworthy and wouldn't turn to the other side. The real problem was whether he would keep what he saw to himself or tell it to Dumbledore. He gritted his teeth and said,

"Professor, I will show you who I am only if you take an unbreakable oath to never divulge what you saw or experienced to anyone directly or indirectly. If you do not do it, this is all you are going to see."

Snape was a bit taken aback; he knew something was amiss, but he didn't think it was to the degree of taking an unbreakable oath. He thought for a bit and remembered the things Dumbledore told him about Tom Riddle, and he said,

"I cannot take such a farreaching oath, but if we edit it a little and add some conditions, I could swear it."

"What kind of conditions?"

"A condition for the cause of you taking the dark path: if I see any proof of you taking the dark part, it will be in my purview if I want to share what I knew or not. Is this acceptable to you?"

After talking this through, they created an oath without a loophole; Elmi defined in detail what Snape meant by the dark path; he could only break the oath under certain specific conditions. 

In the dimly lit confines of the empty classroom they were using for Elmi's lessons, Elmi and Professor Snape stood facing each other, the air thick with a sense of solemnity. The unbreakable oath, a magical bond that transcended mere words, binding them to a pact of unwavering commitment. 

Elmi, his expression determined, met Snape's piercing gaze as they clasped hands, the ancient magic resonating through the room. The magical currents intertwined, sealing their mutual promises with an ethereal glow. 

As the oath took hold, the weight of responsibility settled upon Snape's shoulders. Elmi swung his wand and cast his first spell,

"Toxicus Nebula"

A green rain rained on top of Snape, and even though he used a shield spell, the curse was able to pass through it like it was not even there. For a moment, he felt a bit weak; he could feel his reflexes were a bit slower, not by much, but it was definitely slowed. 

He had tried casting a few of Elmi's spells before, but this was the first time he had heard of this spell. For a week, he had trained Elmi, but he had never used this one. After that, Elmi didn't wait and cast another spell.

"Invisibilis Fumus"

In a green puff of smoke, he turned invisible. This caused a shock in Snape because he could still hear his footsteps, but this was not a mere optical illusion like most invisibility spells. He swung his wand and cast a more powerful shield spell against what Elmi would throw at him. Elmi positioned himself to his right and released another spell. This one was a spell especially effective against shielded and armored targets and was the spell he killed the troll with,

"Glaesum Lancia"

The second he cast it, he became visible again, and a glowing amber-colored spear manifested in front of him and darted toward Snape at a neck-breaking speed. The magical spear clashed with Snape's shield, and it had so much more power than anything Snape was expecting, but the spear only managed to crack his shield, and after penetrating a little bit, it got stuck in it. This surprised Snape, but the spear didn't have enough power to penetrate his shield completely.