Bahr al Jabal

Persephone watched with wide, interested eyes, unflinching.

A smile spread over her lips when the show was over, clapping slowly.
"... well, well... very good. The Dark Lord did train you fair enough. But there's still more. Ever seen this trick..?"

The woman had her wand out, and she swished it across the air.
A dark, eerie screech seemed to resound from it, and a squirt of blood dripped into the swampy waters.

The dead birds around them began to stir, eyes darkening with an eerie red glow as they fluttered to her now held out arm and landed, hissing and snapping their beaks at Crouch.

-The redwood melts away and reforms as my wand as my human form returns.-

"No, I cannot say I saw this trick. And hence is why I am here."

Persephone kept a cool grin on her face as she walked forward, toward Crouch.

"This spell is a reanimation of the dead. Turns them into flesh-desiring puppets. Not really inferi, much more vial and hard to kill. They just... keep coming, no matter what."

A pause.

"I must say, though, that wand-hand spell is something I'm unfamiliar with. Where did you learn it.."

"Oh yes I assumed you wouldn't... That is a spell I invented. I'm the only one to date who can do it..."

The woman flicked her wand, letting the birds crash back into the water, again mere corpses.

She eyes his arm carefully, and smirked.

"Well, Crouch Jr... There is more to you then meets the eyes, then. I must say, I'm impressed. You'll be a... fun student.."

-Crazy Grin.- "Oh yes I do make a terrible first impression..."

A small smile, the woman inclined her head.

"Then I, Persephone, will teach you without question. Your beliefs with the Dark Lord might not meet mine, but none-the-less... the Dark Arts will bring us together."

A pause, she held out her hand.

"deal...?"

-I extend my hand but then stop and look at my hand, I had forgotten I was wearing my glove with a spiked palm.-

"Whoops... sorry!" -I laugh- "Force of habit..."

-I take off the glove and shake her hand.-

The woman gave a soft laugh.

"I must say, I really am quite impressed. You even wear spiked gloves, how funny..."

The woman crossed her arms and smirked.

"Lesson times are up to you... I don't have much on my hands, so I don't care when or where..."

-Crazy Grin- "Oh what can I say, I'm just your regular everyday menace to society..."

"At any rate though, I'd like to start now if you don't mind..."

"Now...?"


A pause, the woman looked Crouch over again, before a smile broke her expression.

"Very well. We'll start with blocking charms and spells. The Shadow Arts are particularly scanty on these, and a simple protego won't do with everything..."

-I contain my disappointment, defense is quite a pathetic last resort... but still, it's probably important that I know this, considering Bryn has one of my weaknesses on standby...-

"Very well..."

"Now, now, Crouch. Chin up. These have kept me alive for years..."

The woman backed up, the mark below her left eye seeming to move as she waded backwards through the swampy waters.

"Throw any curse at me right now and I'll show you a way to reverse the spell for your own good."

-Crazy Grin- "As you wish..." -I fire a jet of fiendfyre at her.-

The woman gave a cruel grin.

Her wand was held up in a moment's notice, and a large black sort of shield covered her hands.

When the fiendfire came close, it was if she grabbed it into a massive ball of crackling flames before tossing it back towards Crouch.

"Think fast, Jr!"

-My eyes widen in true, unrehearsed panic and I jump out of the way.-

Persephone wiped her hands together and took a few steps toward Crouch.

"All right. first things first. Let's get down how to preform this spell."

A pause, she showed him her hands, which appeared normal.

"The spell is nonverbal. Umbra cor. You must direct the thought of the spell to your hands if you wish to bend the spell to your wills- to throw it back to your opponent, all right?"

-It seems to make sense so far...-

"Alright..."

"Go ahead and try it out. Just concentrate, allow yourself to be immersed in it's power... the better you understand how to give up to the magic within you, the sooner you'll master these spells."

An encouraging nod, Persephone gave a weak smile.

"And with your ability, I have no doubt you'll get it on your first try."

-Crazy Grin- "Well naturally... it's not like I'm like those other imbeciles I'm forced to endure day-in and day-out..."

-I close my eyes and begin focusing-

The woman smirked darkly and watched.

A shadow shield flickered over the boy's hands.

"Ahah! There you go! Keep at it, and then open your eyes.."

-I keep them closed for a few more seconds and then open them.- "UMBRA COR!!"

The power of the spell of protection- Shadow's heart- actually sent Persephone stumbling backwards.

The woman grinned.

"Now, keep a cool head and focus..."

She eyed his hands, protected by the spell, and conjured a ball of fiendfyre.

"Stay calm and catch it- send it back just like you would throw a ball... Shadow's Heart will keep you safe, don't worry."

The woman then let the fireball go, toward Crouch.

-I calm down my psychotic impulses whenever I used magic and then caught the ball, I then send it back at her, letting out a feral snarl.-

Persephone, in a simple reflex, had the spell on her hands and caught the ball of fire in no time.

She pushed it into the water, drowning it, before brushing her hair from her face, grinning.

"Very well done! That mere spell will keep you pretty safe from anything magic. And that's about the only protection spell you should need for now.."

A smirk, she crossed her arms.

"... and I'm sure you'll be excited to learn these new curses..."

(( Lol do you want to just skip to after she's done training him in a few things, or just keep going? ))