Lesson 1: Fear is our Greatest Weapon

Craig sat at his desk, sorting through a small stack of papers. Official classes hadn't started yet. But there was one student he needed to meet with right away. A smile touched his lips as he perused the letter on his desk. It had arrived not long ago, specific instructions from the Dark Lord. Craig had been present when the Malfoy boy had received the mark. It had been a momentous occasion, a great step in the young boy's life. The letter before him, instructedd Craig to guide the boy in the Dark Arts, teaching him what it truly meant to be a Death Eater.

Craig tapped the desk with his quill absentmindedly. What to teach the boy first... He would surely need to learn how to perform the Unforgivable Curses effectively. But for those, he would need true hatred, true anger. so perhaps, that would be where they needed to start, instilling the proper mindset into the boy.

He thought back to when he had been recruited so many years ago....He had only been fifteen at the time. And the first thing he had learned was the vitality to preserve the purity of the wizarding race. Yes. That was definitely where they needed to start.

Perseus let out a small breath as he approached the potions classroom, heading there from the Slytherin common room. He could still recall his last conversation with Proteus, about how they needed to lay low for a bit, due to all of the commotion he'd been hearing about from other students. Proteus was good at listening to him, so he took that opportunity to leave for his first lesson with Professor Craig Rivera, telling Proteus he was simply investigating the situation of the chaos mildly. Of course, he knew some of the plan that Voldemort had just enacted, that a number of students and professors had been placed under the Imperius Curse to spread the word of the Dark Lord, of his return. He was just lucky that his father had been considerate enough to tell him before he and Proteus had returned to school.

He stopped in front of the door, knocking politely. He waited a few moments, then entered when he got the okay to do so.

"Good evening, Professor Rivera," he said with a bow of his head as she shut the door behind himself. His clenched his fist slightly, still feeling the mark's slight burn on his skin. He wasn't really nervous, but more concerned about how this situation was going to turn out, because when he was being honest with himself, he truly had no idea what could happen. He had guesses, but no solid assumption. He wondered for a moment what the first lesson would be about, but didn't ask, because he knew that he would find out soon enough.

"Ah, Perseus!" Craig called out in welcome. "Please, come in." He waved a hand dramatically through the air, gesturing toward the less than welcoming cold room. He leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands together and resting them on his stomach. He watched the Malfoy boy calculatingly, noting the slight clench of his fist. Good. He was thinking. He allowed several minutes of silence to pass. He was waiting, watching. Trying to gauge how much self-control the boy had. To outsiders, it may seem that death eaters act only impulsively. But those were usually only the idiots...the plans that never went quite right. A true death eater, an accomplished one, learned patience. Each action had to be carefully calculated, each word heavily weighed.

The boy obviously had learned manners and decorum. Good. That could always be used to his advantage. Those who came off crass always attracted the most attention, making them the object of suspicious whenever anything went awry. But those who learned the delicate art of charm and seduction...those are the death eaters that survive.

He finally broke the silence. "How are you enjoying the events on campus? This little charade the Dark Lord has invoked on the castle's inhabitants? This cleansing is much overdue yes?"

It was test. He wanted to see how the boy had reacted to not only the events of the past day, but to his statement as well.

Perseus looked to Craig with a sense of respect, knowing that the Malfoy family still had quite a ways to go before their name could be restored to its former status among their peers, and Craig was a person who could help him to achieve that. Draco hadn't been able to do what he was now set to do, and his competitive side hoped he'd be able to. His mind wandered momentarily to Proteus. For the longest time, they'd remained neutral, the two of them... but Perseus had chosen a side, now. He'd broken the pact. But, honestly, that was a silly pact. Neutrality only got one so far. Action was the best route, he now realized. His grey eyes glanced momentarily around the room, which seemed to have an entirely different atmosphere when compared to the hours spent in it during class.

Then, his attention went back to Craig as the Professor spoke and asked his question. He took a moment to think about his answer, knowing this was some sort of test, before his lips parted into the slightest smirk and he inhaled softly to speak. "It will definitely spread the message effectively, anyone of tainted blood will feel the effects of today down to their bones, whether or not they witnessed it personally. This was quite overdue."

Craig smiled slightly at Perseus's response. Good. The Malfoys had trained their boys well.
"Yes," he said coolly. "There is no doubt as to the message. I am sure it will be received clearly."

The castle was already in an uproar. The Dark Lord ordered he not be involved in the execution of this particular plan. Craig had been told his time would come, though he still had no clue as to his purpose within Hogwarts's walls. But he would do what he needed to in order to protect the wizarding race. Soon, he would need to inject himself into the panic, comfort the victims to make sure they trusted him, to inject himself into their lives.

"I am glad to hear you say that, Perseus. This is merely the first step, but a grand first step, no? But the true genius in this plan is not merely in the magic, in the curses. I don't suppose you see the true genius behind this particular course of action?"

He raised a single dark eyebrow, watching the young man carefully.