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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:12:32 GMT -5
Since the group had ditched out on lunch, it was decided that they would go to Fortescues for ice-cream to tide their hunger. Eustace had offered to treat everyone to a cone, eager to spend the pocket money that Raven had given him. Soon, Hermione was indulging in a double scoop of pistacio, Harry had chocolate and Eustace was rapidly devouring a vanilla cone. Eustace also got a bowlful of cookies and cream for Thorne, who threated to chew on on his socks at home if he was not given ice cream.
The group sat at at table outside the shop, Harry answering Hermione's and Eustaces questions about school. Harry was just going to ask Hermione about Snape when he heard a familiar voice call his name. He turned to see the grinning faces of Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.
Harry stood up and got chairs for them from a nearby unoccupied table. They gratefully accepted the chairs and relieved their arms of their shopping bags. Crookshanks sniffed around Hermione Granger’s feet.
“Oh, um Ron, Hermione, this is Eustace and Hermione. They’re new here.”
“Another Hermione, I didn’t think it was that common a name.”
“Neither did I, but it’s nice to meet another one,” Hermione Snape grinned and shook Granger’s hand in a businesslike fashion.
“How’re we going to keep track of all these Hermiones?” Ron asked.
“Well,” Eustace tossed Hermione Snape an mischievous grin, “you could just call her Hermes.”
“Oh honestly!” She rolled her eyes at Eustace, “You act like such a child sometimes.”
Eustace grinned at Hermione Granger and Ron, “She hates it when I call her that.”
“So, have you two known each other long?’
“Yes, quite a while.”
“They’re exchange students from Durmstrang.” Harry told Ron and Granger, which was the story Eustace and Hermione Snape had told Harry.
“Oh, may I say that your accent is very good.” Granger said.
“Oh, we’re native English, we just were sent to go to Durmstrang instead of Hogwarts.”
Ron, Hermione and Harry exchanged a glance.
“What brings you to Hogwarts then?”
Eustace lowered his voice, “Well with the war brewing and all, our parents thought Hogwarts was safer… Oh, how rude of me, did you two want ice cream?” Eustace tried to divert the conversation away from their pasts.
"Oh, sure, thanks! Uh can I have Chocolate?" Hermione asked. Eustace nodded and turned to Ron.
"I'll have the same as well."
Eustace hurried off to get their cones, as the others fell into silence which was broken by the sound of angry yowling coming from under the table. Aparently Crookshanks had wandered too close to Thorne's ice cream. The bandy-legged ginger cat ran under his owner's chair and cowered in fear. Hermione peered down at Thorne, who looked at her with a look of cute innocence.
"Oh who's this?" she asked holding a hand out to Thorne, who purred against her fingers.
"Oh that's Thorne," Harry replied, "He-"
if you're going to tell them i can talk, i suggest you don't, came Thorne's voice in his head. Harry blinked and it appeared that the others couldn't hear Thorne.
"Um Er- He belongs to our new Defense Agasinst Dark Arts teacher," Harry hurriedly finished, as he watched Thorne give Hermione's fingers a brief lick before turning his attention back to his ice cream. At this moment Eustace made his return, carrying two chocolate cie cream cones. He handed one to Ron first, then turned to Hermione. She didn't take her cone right away, but peered at his face curiously.
“So,” Ron whispered to Harry from behind his ice cream cone, “Did you find out anything else about Snape?”
Harry shook his head in a way that meant ‘not now’.
“You know, “ Hermione Granger said, “You look awfully familiar, Eustace. Are you sure we’ve never met before?”
“Oh, yes quite positive.” He nervously tugged at his hair to make sure it wasn’t slicked back. Harry immediately was reminded of his father.
“Oh, well, do you have family around here?”
“No. Well, unless you count my sister, she’s teaching Defense against the Dark Arts now.”
Harry, Ron and Hermione Granger exchanged worried glances.
“Why do you keep doing that?”
“Oh…um…well you should know, the job is jinxed. No professor’s lasted more than a year.”
“Yeah,” Ron said, “Either they were thrown out by the board of govorners, or they turned out to be You-Know-Who’s spys.”
“Or toads.” Hermione added.
“Umbridge” Ron shuddered.
“Who?”
"Our last DADA teacher.. She was horrid." Ron stated with a sour face. He turned to Harry. "Oh you'll never guess whats going on with Perfect Percy. Someone got the bright idea to promote him to Junior Minister."
"Really? How's the reat of the family taking this news?"
Ron opened his mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Snape and a woman whom Ron didn’t know.
“Done eating already?” Hermione Snape asked. She sounded disappointed.
“Why don’t you take those inside?” Snape ushered the group into the ice cream parlour and picked out a booth that could be easily defended. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that.
“I’m getting an ice cream.” Snape said and Ron looked like he was trying not to laugh. It was difficult to picture Snape with ice cream, “While I’m up, does anyone need anything?”
“Umm…would you mind getting me a strawberry cone?” Raven asked.
Snape nodded and Hermione Snape gave him an encouraging glance which he returned with a scowl.
He returned with two pinkish cones and gave one to Raven. She took a lick of hers and made a face. “I think you gave me the wrong cone, Severus. This definitely isn’t strawberry.”
“Oh, my mistake.” They switched cones and Snape glanced sharply at Hermione Granger, who had just scanned the menu and was now looking at Ron and Harry in the same way she always did in class when she knew the answer to a question and wasn’t being called on. Snape caught her eye and she turned bright red and concentrated fervently on finishing her own ice cream cone.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:12:51 GMT -5
“So Potter,” Snape said between bites, “do you plan on continuing your little fan club this year?”
“Huh? What fanclub?”
“The one that got the Headmaster deposed last year.”
“That was not my fault!”
“It was that witch, Umbridge and her stupid decrees!” Hermione Granger bristled, “and I mean witch in the derogatory sense!”
“And it’s not a fanclub!” Harry could feel his face grow hot.
“It’s serious! Just look what we did last year! We got Malfoy other DE’s sent to Azkaban!” Ron chimed in.
“Keep you voice down, imbecile!” Snape hissed and glanced nervously around. Luckily the room was nearly empty as it was a lovely day outside and most customers were taking advantage of it, “Do you want the wrong ears to hear?!”
“It’s not like Voldemort’s going to-“
“DO NOT SAY THE NAME!”
“I’ll say whatever name I please!”
“Shut up! All of you!” Raven hissed and threw a spell at them causing them all to fall silent, “Professor Snape and I have reason to believe there are Death Eaters in the area. We don’t think that they are ‘on business’ but it isn’t a good idea to attract their attention either.” She glared at both Harry and Snape, “Got it?” Snape gave a curt nod and she lifted the spell.
Once everyone settled down, Raven focused her green gaze on Ron and Hermione Granger.
"Did you two come here with either of your parents?" she asked, keeping her voice even, without any of the irritation she showed before.
"Well, er, my dad broght us both," Ron replied, wondering why Raven would ask. "He said he had to meet someone, and told us to wait for him here."
Raven nodded absently, "Good, as soon as he gets here, I suggest you two go home with him. We'll leave a while later."
"Us two? What about Harry?" Hermione pipped up.
"Harry has to stay with us," Raven stated simply.
"What?!" Ron hissed in outrage, before Raven's cool gaze settled on him. He scowled and continued in a softer tone. "Harry's our friend, he should go with us. Why can't we all go together?"
"Because right now with so many of us, we are a large target," Raven replied. "I'd rather not tempt fate by having the lot of us trapse around, garnering the attention of any stay Death Eaters."
Ron opened his mouth to protest further, but at that moment Arthur Weasley entered the ice cream shop. He regaurded Snape with a curious look as he drew near their booth. Snape in an ice cream shop was an odd thing to see.
Snape stood up and quickly and quietly updated Arthur on the situation. He nooded and turned to his youngest son.
"Come on Ron, Hermione, we need to go."
"But Dad!" Ron protested, but his father just gave him a stern look.
"No buts, Ron. We need to leave. Now."
“We should be going as well, ready Potter?”
“Yeah, okay. Bye Ron, Hermione.”
“Nice meeting you.” Hermione Snape called after them.
“Yeah, nice meeting you.” Eustace agreed as they parted company.
The warm air hit them as they made there way out onto Diagon Alley and into the street. The children followed behind Snape and Raven silently carrying their parcels and packages, while Thorne brought up the rear. They were headed in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron, when suddenly Snape stopped and started to drift over to the other side of the street.
“Where’re we going?” Harry asked.
“Apparently, not the Leaky Cauldron.” Snape muttered acerbically.
Harry glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the Leaky Cauldron, it seemed ordinary to him, “Why not?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to you, Potter. If I say ‘jump’, you should, because usually there’s an excellent reason for it.” Snape stopped again, changing their direction, walking purposefully towards a nearby cauldron shop and bending over to inspect the inside of one, “Look at this one Professor Xavier.” Raven bent over the cauldron as well, and Snape whispered to her, “Boxed in.” Raven nodded gravely.
“Ah, but look at the poor quality of it’s bottom, not nearly thick enough.” Snape said in a normal voice.
They were off again in another direction, as the plainclothes Death Eaters seemed to push the group into an even smaller box. It was clear that this was premeditated. Finally, they found themselves in front of a small shop near the end of the alley. Not caring what it was, Snape lead them inside, hoping they had a fireplace they could use.
If the outside seemed small, that was nothing to the inside. The small shop was chock full of all manner of odds and ends in bright red and gold packaging. Suddenly a person popped out from behind a counter nearly filled with more red and gold packages, or it would have been a person, if it had a head.
“Ah!” Snape said, clearly startled by the headless man.
“Professor Snape!” The headless man said from behind the counter.
“Fred? Or George?” Harry said hopefully. He took a closer look at one of the packages. Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes was emblazoned across it along with characatures of Fred and George.
A flaming head of hair popped out of nowhere, “Hello Harry! Can I interest anyone in a Headless Hat?”
“No thank you, Mr. Weasley,” Snape said exasperatedly, “but a fireplace would be most convenient.”
“There’s one in the back, Fred’ll show you. Oy Fred! Harry’s here! Need’s to use the fireplace..”
“Hey Harry! Come for a tour of our new Headquarters?”
“We need to use the fireplace.” Snape repeated
“You in a spot of trouble, Harry?” Fred became serious.
“Death Eaters.”
Fred and George exchanged glances and their eyes twinkled slightly, “Don’t you worry, Harry.” We’ll get you out of here, Fred?”
“Allow me to give you the grand tour.” And he ushered them into the back room.
The back room was larger than their front room and was filled with merchandise and supplies. A corner was sectioned off where a cauldron was seated. Fred took them past all that to the very back corner when the fireplace was.
“Inflammare.” Fred said and fire sprang to life. He handed them a bottle of floo powder.
“Wait a minute, what if the Death Eaters saw us enter your shop?”
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Fred reassured him, his eyes twinkling merrily, “We’ve got quite a few tricks up our sleeve. I do believe we have some merchandise that needs testing…” He grinned at them, “Go on, get out of here, I’ll give you a real tour another time.”
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“Hello there! Welcome to Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes! Care for a sample of our Fantastic Flying Fudge? Fresh from the fire, It’s still flaming hot.” Fred held the plate under the man’s nose.
“I don’t think there were enough ‘f’s in that sentence…Fffff-red.” George snorted
The Death Eater waved the plate away, “Did you see a boy with black hair and glasses, and a scar?”
“Hmm…black hair, glasses and a scar….was he about sixteen?”
“Yes.”
“Oh, and did his hair stick up all over the place?”
“Yes.”
“And was his name Harry Potter?”
“Yes.”
“Yeah, he’s right here.” Fred ducked behind the counter and emerged with an old issue of the Daily Prophet, that had a large picture of Harry on the front, “Here you go.”
The man scowled. “I mean just now! Did he enter your shop just now!”
“George, have you seen Harry Potter today?”
“Oh yes, we lunched with the Queen and the Man in the Moon.” Both twins let out identical peels of laughter.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like some fudge?”
“No I don’t want any fudge!” The door opened again and two other people entered the small shop.
“He came in here.” Said one of the others breathlessly.
“Who came in here?” George asked
“Harry Potter.”
“Where?”
“In here!”
“No he isn’t!”
“I saw him enter! He is here!” The Death Eater drew his wand. Suddenly there was a loud explosion, causing the Death Eaters to jump. One of them dropped their wand.
“Ah!” One looked back and saw that one of the twins was headless.
There was another loud bang followed by squealing and suddenly something that looked a little like a house-elf made of light went streaking across the room. The Death Eaters dodged it.
“So sorry!” Fred said, “I haven’t quite got the Faery Fires to work properly, they’ve been going off all day.
“More ‘f’s, fred?”
“I’m partial to them.” He grinned back at their guests, who were fumbling for their wands. “Wouldn’t you like a Headless Hat- whoops!” Fred tripped over one of the DE’s wands and sent it flying across the room while Fred stumbled into a candy dispenser sending Gluey Gumballs across the room. “Hang on, let me get your wand for you.” Fred stumbled his way across the gumballs and handed the Death Eater the wand.
“Fools!” The leader growled at them, and pointed their wands on Fred and George, “Tell us where Potter is or we’ll kill you!”
“Did he just call us fools Fred?”
“I think he did, George.”
Fred mock-grimaced, “Should we tell him, you think?”
“Yes, lets enlighten him.”
“I’m giving you three seconds to tell me where you’ve hidden Potter. One- Two- Three! Avada Kedavra!” His wand suddenly gave a loud his and turned into a cobra.
“Ah!” All three Death Eaters jumped back in surprise and fell onto the floor, slipping on the gumballs. One fell into the shelf behind him taking out a shelf of Skiving Snackboxes, one box seemed to explode open and a fine cloud of cookie crumbs sprayed everywhere, Immediately the three Death Eaters started making retching noises.
“Ah, the puking pastilles.” Fred and George took out another box and ate the antidote half. On of the Death Eaters tried to curse them, but his wand turned into a rubber rat. There was an especially loud screech and a brightly colored pinwheel firework roared about the room, setting blue fire to anything that came close. The three Death Eater had had enough and made a dash for the door.
Fred called after them as they tore down the street with the pinwheel in hot pursuit.
“We’re not fools, we’re professional pranksters!”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:14:17 GMT -5
It was the begining of another school year. The air buzzed with conversation as students wondered what would happen this year. There was one unfamiliar face sitting at the teacher's table. No doubt it was the new Defense Against Dark Arts teacher. Everyone watched her with aprehension, wondering if they would be anything like their last DADA teacher. There was also an empty space at the table, but none of the students noticed any of the other teachers were missing...
Suddenly the student's attention was drawn to the doors of the great hall, as McGonagall strode into the room, followed by a crowd of first years. McGonagal led them towards the front of the hall, where the Sorting hat sat upon a stool.
For a Thousand years and more,
I’ve sorted Hogwarts School.
Whoever should walk through that door,
They’ve sat upon this stool.
They’ve put me on their head
And I’ve seen virtues they extol
And to each I’ve always said
which house they should enroll
For I was given useful stuff
By the Founders Four:
Ravenclaw and Huffelpuff
Slytherin and Gryffindor.
From Ravenclaw it’s known
That I received a useful gift
It was a mind to match her own
So through students I could sift
A consciousness she put in me
To sort the great and small
To tell them where they ought to be
Now I could sort them all
From Hufflepuff she gave to me,
to balance out, I’m told,
the presents of the other three
She gave a heart of gold
‘Now you’re a thinking, feeling cap’
That’s what the founder said
As she placed me in her lap
From on top her head
From Slytherin, an artfulness
which aids me in this rhyming
a certain crucial craftiness
And a sense of timing
To see which way the winds do blow
At Hogwarts every year
So all of you can think and grow
And learn with little fear,
And finally from Gryffindor
The Brave, The Bold, The True
I received but one gift more
So I could sort all you
He gave me a brazen tongue
To say what’s right and wrong
And so I come to what must be sung
Within my sorting song:
Last year I warned you
I had bid you all to come together
And still your house you cling on to
as if tied to it by tether
Courage, cunning, heart and mind
Each I needed to be done
And you do too, as you will find
We need them all, not one.
Remember as I’m on your head
As I must ‘till I’m worn thin
As I must say as I’ve always said,
“Let the sorting now begin”
But please, I plead, I beg of you
To listen for your sake,
There’s nothing worse for humankind
Than the houses that we make.
The hall was filled with a stumned silence for a moment, then the room broke out in the sound of chatter, as everyone pondered over the sorting hat's dire and cryptic message. McGonagal cleared her throat, which cause the babble of voices to die off, then went to stand next to the stool where the sorting hat sat. She pulled out a long scroll and began calling out names.
"Henry Atkins"
"Hufflepuff!" came the hat's response.
"Methias Blackdrake."
"Ravenclaw!"
"Analise Burns."
"Ravenclaw!"
"Katar Doitzle-Kiezer."
"Slytherin!"
"Valantinez Doitzle-Kiezer."
"Griffindor!"
"Mark Evans."
Harry's ears perked up at the familiar name. He craned his neck to see the boy that he had seen Duddly bully oh so long ago. Ron noticed Harry's interested look.
"What's up Harry?"
"Harry motioned his head towards the boy who was now sitting on the stool, as the sorting hat was being placed on his head. "That kid, I know him, sorta." Harry whispered under his breath, "He lives near Privet Drive.."
Ron nodded, as they heard the hat call out, "Gryfindor!"
Mark scurried to their table, sitting next to young Val.
Finally, when the last name was called, Dumbledore stood up and clapped his hands. “Welcome and welcome back everyone,” He nodded to the crowed, “I know you are all anxious to begin the feast, but first, I have a few start of term announcements to make, First I’d like to welcome two new sixth years who have transferred from Durmstrang Academy, Mr Eustace Xavier and Miss Hermione Snape. Would you please stand up?” A flurry of whispers broke out all over the room.
Hermione and Eustace stood up from their respective tables both looking quite embarrassed.
“Thank you, you may sit now. Also new to our school is Professor Xavier, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Thank you, you may all sit.
Furthermore, I am pleased to announce the official begining of the Defense Association run by our very own Harry Potter. An extra-curricular Defense Against the Dark Arts club. Anyone wishing to sign up may see either Harry Potter or Professor Xavier, who will be supervising.
Finally, I would like to remind everyone that the Forbidden Forest is…well, forbidden. Oh and our caretaker, Mr. Filch has asked me to remind everyone that ever-bashing boomerangs and screaming yo-yo’s are still not allowed. For a full list of contraband items, there is a copy in Mr. Filch’s office. Also he has asked me to remind everyone that magic is not allowed in the hallways between classes. Now, without further ado, let the feast begin!” With that the food appeared on the tables and everything else, the sorting hat’s song, the new Durmstrang Transfers, and ever-bashing boomerangs were driven out of their thoughts.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:19:17 GMT -5
* * * * * * * * * * * Raven sat in her classroom, casually reading a heavy tome that sat on her desk. She didn't bother to look up as students slowly trickled into the room and made their way to their desks. Since the 6th year class was smaller that last year, it had been decided that both Gryfindor and Slytherin would be combined for advanced DADA. She hid a smile as she heard their covert whispers, making out every word with her sensitive ears. "Think she's any good, or an incompitant like Lockheart?"
"Oooh what if she's really a spy for the Dark Lord?"
"Or maybe a werewolf, or even a vampire.."
"Well there's bound to be something wrong with her.. I mean there has been with all our other DADA teachers..."Several students gazed at a covered cage that sat on the edge of Raven's desk. The memory of Lockhart and his Cornish Piksis flashed thru their heads. The cage shuddered and a low keening growl could be heard, echoing throught the room. Raven looked up breifly and tapped her fingers on the side of the covered cage. The noise immediatly stopped. The got the class to quite down, so Raven took ther oppertunity to introduce herself. "Welcome to Advance Defense Against Dark Arts. You'll notice that we've had to combine two houses, seeing that only a few of you passed your OWLS to get here. I'm you're new Professor, Raven Xavier. I'm going to warn you ahead of time that I will be harder on you than any of my other classes. Notice that this is Advanced Defense Against Dark Arts.." Raven took role, then stood, walking to the front of her desk and leaned against the edge, near the covered cage. "Now this year, we're going to do things a little diffrently. We're going to split the year up into three sections. The first will deal with new dark creatures from places around the world. The second will deal with items both used for dark arts and to detect and prevent them. And finally the third part of the year will be dealing with Dark Spells and their counter spells. Any questions?" Draco Malfoy raised his hand, with a smirk on his face. Raven raised an eyebrow. "Yes Mr Malfoy?" "Professor Xavier," he drawled, "would you happen to be related to Vincent Xavier?" It took every ounce of her will to keep her face calm and nuetral. "Yes, I am." she stated simply before casting her eyes on the rest of the class, "Does anyone have any questions relevant to DADA?" Neville timidly raised his hand. "What's your question Mr. Longbottom?" "Er Professor, what's in the cage? It's not cornish Piksis is it?" he asked with a wince. Raven smiled and shook her head. "No this is actually a new species of creature that has been recently discovered." She pulled the cloth off the cage to reveal a small creature with large black eyes, a mouthfull of sharp fangs and spines covering it's leathery body. Raven pulled on a pair of Dragon hide gloves, and reached into the cage, pulling the creature out. It hissed and growled at her until she shovel a bottle, that looked to be full of blood, into the beast's narrow snout. It drank greedily from the bottle as Raven turned to the class. "It's just a baby, and goat's blood usually calms it right down, but the adults are rather dangerous. Can anyone tell me what this is?" The class was silent for a moment and even Hermione Granger (who Raven had heard was the class know-it-all) was stumped. Finally Dean Thomas raised his hand with a slightly uncertain look on his face. "Um, Professor, you said it drinks goat's blood right?" Raven nodded with a smile. "Is is a Chuper- er.. Chupa-cabre?" "Chupacabra," Raven corrected, "Wonderful Mr. Thomas, 5 points to Gryfindor. I got this little fellow on loan from a college in Puerto Rico. These creatures are quite rare but when fully grown are quite deadly. Each of their spines contain a paralysing venom used to subdue their victims. Now can anyone tell me any other creatures that uses venom in that manner?" The class went rather smoothly after that, with no one blowing up or any other of the dark preditons Raven had made about her first day. Finaly class ended and Raven called out to her departing students. "Alright class, remember I want a scroll done on the feeding and mating habbits of the lethifold." After the classroom emptied, Raven sat back in her chair and breathed a sigh of relief. The Chupacabra let out another keening growl, as it curled up into a little ball. "Tired little one?" she cooed at the spikey beast, who regarded her with it's large, lumious eyes. "Don't worry, just more clas and you'll get to go back to your nice, dank, tropical forest in the Magical Creature Preserve in Puerto Rico." The Chupacabra just gave her a disgruntled hiss in reply. |
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:30:42 GMT -5
During breakfast, Eustace sat pushing his eggs around his plate unenthusiastically. The Gryffindor dorms were very comfortable, the four posters especially so, and yet he hadn’t slept well. This Draco seemed to be the exact opposite of himself; Draco was a whiney, self-absorbed, pig headed prat. Eustace wasn’t sure why this surprised him so much, this Draco obviously had been cultivated by his father to be nothing more than a smaller, younger Lucius Malfoy. But so had he, so why did he rebel and Draco didn’t? Where did the difference lie?
Eustace thought about this while halfheartedly picking at his bacon. He thought about his childhood, trying to find the moment when he knew he could no longer follow in his father’s footsteps. Throughout Eustace’s childhood, like most children, death seemed a remote oddity, an unreality, and Lucius worked hard to keep it that way. Oh, Eustace knew what death was, it was in the papers almost every day. He knew the facts, and was probably more savvy than many boys his age. But learning about death and seeing it occur were two completely different things.
”I said no, Draco, and that’s final.”
“But I want to go with-“
“No. Your time will come to serve the Dark Lord. ”
“You said that last year!”
“Yes, and I’m saying it this year as well.” He gave Draco a cold stare, grabbed a white mask and left the room.
Draco kicked the woodwork and toppled over a chair. He was almost fifteen and that was plenty old enough in his opinion. He wanted to help his father on ministry raids. It wasn’t fair…
He kicked over a basket of laundry, “Stupid elves!” He shouted, “Dobby! Get in here, now!” He waited a few minutes, Dobby didn’t come, “Dobby, you filthy little blighter! Where are you?” Frustrated, he started kicking the laundry into the basket himself, he stopped when he saw one of his Dad’s black traveling robes…
It wasn’t difficult to find his father, and the black hooded robe concealed Draco nicely in the shadows. He didn’t remember how long it took, or even most of the events that happened. The thing that stuck in his mind was the pale glare his father had given the muggle boy, there was no mercy there, no human emotion. No, he was wrong, there was an emotion, it was something like the twisted cousin of joy. He was deriving a sort of sadistic pleasure from hearing the muggle plead at his feet.
It took every fiber of Draco’s will to keep from rushing out into the clearing. It was lucky that two thoughts were warring in his mind and prevented him from taking any action at all. One was that he knew if he didn’t interfere, the muggle would die, and if he did interfere the muggle would still die and he would be severely punished. The other thought was that it was real, and that it was wrong and had to be stopped at any cost. Hermione had been right about his father all along… he hated it when she was right.
In the end, he did nothing, not out of making a decision to do nothing, but out of a vacillation between two actions.
He could hardly believe it was his own father acting so cruel. It seemed like he’d never known him until then. The realization came to him that the man at home whom he called father, the one who listened to his prattle about this or that with detached expression. The one who bought him new brooms and other toys with a vague aire of fatherly indulgence. The one who looked on Draco's accomplisments and failures with a sort of distant paternal pride That man was a mere shell, a hollow man, compared to the visage of his father now. This Lucius Malfoy, the one Draco had never seen, was alive. And it frightened him.
He never asked to go with his father again.
“-stace…hey…” Hermione Snape was poking him in the shoulder, causing the other people from the Gryffindor table to stare at the wayward Slytherin.
“Did you just call me Stacey?”
“Don’t give me any ideas.” She smirked and sat down next to him, causing a ripple of conversation to pass down the length of the table. “So, what’s up?”
“Oh, nothing really…what are you doing here?”
She shrugged, “Nothing interesting at the Slytherin table. Draco’s a total bore… Soo…what are the Gryffindor dorms like? Are they nice?” Seamus was now glaring at Eustace and Hermione and many others were watching out of the corner of their eyes. The conversation increased at other nearby tables and a few were watching them from there.
“People are watching us.” Eustace said out of the corner of his mouth.
“So?”
“So…I don’t think you’re supposed to be over here…there might be a rule.”
“Oh that’s just silly…of course there’s no rule…”
The conversation in the room increased and Draco was whispering something to Goyle.
“Draco’s looking at us.”
“And I care about this … why? Since when did you become so self conscious?”
“He could be dangerous.”
“Who? Draco?” She snorted, “I think I can handle him.” Groups from other tables were openly staring.
“Um, excuse me?” It was Seamus, “Ummm… this is the Gryffindor table.”
“Thank you, I think I know my colors, see? Green.” She pointed to her robe, “You’re wearing red. I noticed the difference.”
“You may have also noticed that you’re the only Slytherin over here.” Seamus said tactlessly.
“So I am.” She smiled at him and then turned back to Eustace, “Do you have any free periods today? I had an idea about-“
“Excuse me, but can you please leave? It’s our table.”
“It’s alright Seamus, she’s okay… we’re friends.”
“Friends with a Slytherin?” He stared at Eustace with a hurt expression on his face, as if he’d betrayed all of Gryffindor house.
“Oh that’s just completely dotty!” Hermione Snape said in an exasperated voice, “Just because I was sorted into Slytherin doesn’t mean I should be treated like I’m some sort of house-elf!” At the mention of house-elf, Hermione Granger looked up from the book she was reading.
“What about house-elves?”
“’Mione, you’re a prefect, tell the Slytherin she can’t sit at our table!”
Hermione Granger’s eyebrows flew up, “There’s no rule against it. What’s wrong with her being here? You don’t have a problem when Lovegood comes over to talk with Ginny Weasley.”
“There! You see Eustace! There isn’t any rule! I told you so!” She punched him playfully in the arm.
“But she’s a Slytherin! She might….hear stuff…”
“Like what? Oh, you mean our breakfast secret Gryffindor meeting we have about destroying the Slytherins? Come on…” She rolled her eyes and shut her book, “This is exactly the kind of thing the sorting hat was telling us about!”
“But Hermione…!”
“She hasn’t done anything wrong, I can’t evict her from the table.”
“What’re you doing sitting with this Gryffindor?” Draco drawled, leaning over the table
“’This Gryffindor’ happens to be my friend. Do you have a problem with that Master Malfoy?” It wasn’t sarcastic. It was said with (faked) genuine interest in the answer. That an a whole lot of eye batting…
Draco looked hard at Eustace, “You’re the other one from Durmstrang?”
“Yeah. Eustace Xavier.” He held out his hand for Draco to shake, Draco just stared harder at him.
“Xavier. Are you related to the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor?”
“Yeah…my sister.”
Draco’s mind seemed to be working hard. His brow furrowed and he frowned slightly. He looked caught between the fact that Eustace was related to Vincent Xavier who’s infamy was legendary, the fact that he’d gone to Durmstrang, and that he was a Gryffindor.
“Well… you had better watch yourself.” Draco mumbled. It was hard to say whether it was a threat or a genuine warning, “Come on ‘Mione.” Draco grabbed Hermione Snape’s wrist to pull her from the table.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:31:32 GMT -5
During breakfast, Eustace sat pushing his eggs around his plate unenthusiastically. The Gryffindor dorms were very comfortable, the four posters especially so, and yet he hadn’t slept well. This Draco seemed to be the exact opposite of himself; Draco was a whiney, self-absorbed, pig headed prat. Eustace wasn’t sure why this surprised him so much, this Draco obviously had been cultivated by his father to be nothing more than a smaller, younger Lucius Malfoy. But so had he, so why did he rebel and Draco didn’t? Where did the difference lie?
Eustace thought about this while halfheartedly picking at his bacon. He thought about his childhood, trying to find the moment when he knew he could no longer follow in his father’s footsteps. Throughout Eustace’s childhood, like most children, death seemed a remote oddity, an unreality, and Lucius worked hard to keep it that way. Oh, Eustace knew what death was, it was in the papers almost every day. He knew the facts, and was probably more savvy than many boys his age. But learning about death and seeing it occur were two completely different things.
”I said no, Draco, and that’s final.”
“But I want to go with-“
“No. Your time will come to serve the Dark Lord. ”
“You said that last year!”
“Yes, and I’m saying it this year as well.” He gave Draco a cold stare, grabbed a white mask and left the room.
Draco kicked the woodwork and toppled over a chair. He was almost fifteen and that was plenty old enough in his opinion. He wanted to help his father on ministry raids. It wasn’t fair…
He kicked over a basket of laundry, “Stupid elves!” He shouted, “Dobby! Get in here, now!” He waited a few minutes, Dobby didn’t come, “Dobby, you filthy little blighter! Where are you?” Frustrated, he started kicking the laundry into the basket himself, he stopped when he saw one of his Dad’s black traveling robes…
It wasn’t difficult to find his father, and the black hooded robe concealed Draco nicely in the shadows. He didn’t remember how long it took, or even most of the events that happened. The thing that stuck in his mind was the pale glare his father had given the muggle boy, there was no mercy there, no human emotion. No, he was wrong, there was an emotion, it was something like the twisted cousin of joy. He was deriving a sort of sadistic pleasure from hearing the muggle plead at his feet.
It took every fiber of Draco’s will to keep from rushing out into the clearing. It was lucky that two thoughts were warring in his mind and prevented him from taking any action at all. One was that he knew if he didn’t interfere, the muggle would die, and if he did interfere the muggle would still die and he would be severely punished. The other thought was that it was real, and that it was wrong and had to be stopped at any cost. Hermione had been right about his father all along… he hated it when she was right.
In the end, he did nothing, not out of making a decision to do nothing, but out of a vacillation between two actions.
He could hardly believe it was his own father acting so cruel. It seemed like he’d never known him until then. The realization came to him that the man at home whom he called father, the one who listened to his prattle about this or that with detached expression. The one who bought him new brooms and other toys with a vague aire of fatherly indulgence. The one who looked on Draco's accomplisments and failures with a sort of distant paternal pride That man was a mere shell, a hollow man, compared to the visage of his father now. This Lucius Malfoy, the one Draco had never seen, was alive. And it frightened him.
He never asked to go with his father again.
“-stace…hey…” Hermione Snape was poking him in the shoulder, causing the other people from the Gryffindor table to stare at the wayward Slytherin.
“Did you just call me Stacey?”
“Don’t give me any ideas.” She smirked and sat down next to him, causing a ripple of conversation to pass down the length of the table. “So, what’s up?”
“Oh, nothing really…what are you doing here?”
She shrugged, “Nothing interesting at the Slytherin table. Draco’s a total bore… Soo…what are the Gryffindor dorms like? Are they nice?” Seamus was now glaring at Eustace and Hermione and many others were watching out of the corner of their eyes. The conversation increased at other nearby tables and a few were watching them from there.
“People are watching us.” Eustace said out of the corner of his mouth.
“So?”
“So…I don’t think you’re supposed to be over here…there might be a rule.”
“Oh that’s just silly…of course there’s no rule…”
The conversation in the room increased and Draco was whispering something to Goyle.
“Draco’s looking at us.”
“And I care about this … why? Since when did you become so self conscious?”
“He could be dangerous.”
“Who? Draco?” She snorted, “I think I can handle him.” Groups from other tables were openly staring.
“Um, excuse me?” It was Seamus, “Ummm… this is the Gryffindor table.”
“Thank you, I think I know my colors, see? Green.” She pointed to her robe, “You’re wearing red. I noticed the difference.”
“You may have also noticed that you’re the only Slytherin over here.” Seamus said tactlessly.
“So I am.” She smiled at him and then turned back to Eustace, “Do you have any free periods today? I had an idea about-“
“Excuse me, but can you please leave? It’s our table.”
“It’s alright Seamus, she’s okay… we’re friends.”
“Friends with a Slytherin?” He stared at Eustace with a hurt expression on his face, as if he’d betrayed all of Gryffindor house.
“Oh that’s just completely dotty!” Hermione Snape said in an exasperated voice, “Just because I was sorted into Slytherin doesn’t mean I should be treated like I’m some sort of house-elf!” At the mention of house-elf, Hermione Granger looked up from the book she was reading.
“What about house-elves?”
“’Mione, you’re a prefect, tell the Slytherin she can’t sit at our table!”
Hermione Granger’s eyebrows flew up, “There’s no rule against it. What’s wrong with her being here? You don’t have a problem when Lovegood comes over to talk with Ginny Weasley.”
“There! You see Eustace! There isn’t any rule! I told you so!” She punched him playfully in the arm.
“But she’s a Slytherin! She might….hear stuff…”
“Like what? Oh, you mean our breakfast secret Gryffindor meeting we have about destroying the Slytherins? Come on…” She rolled her eyes and shut her book, “This is exactly the kind of thing the sorting hat was telling us about!”
“But Hermione…!”
“She hasn’t done anything wrong, I can’t evict her from the table.”
“What’re you doing sitting with this Gryffindor?” Draco drawled, leaning over the table
“’This Gryffindor’ happens to be my friend. Do you have a problem with that Master Malfoy?” It wasn’t sarcastic. It was said with (faked) genuine interest in the answer. That an a whole lot of eye batting…
Draco looked hard at Eustace, “You’re the other one from Durmstrang?”
“Yeah. Eustace Xavier.” He held out his hand for Draco to shake, Draco just stared harder at him.
“Xavier. Are you related to the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor?”
“Yeah…my sister.”
Draco’s mind seemed to be working hard. His brow furrowed and he frowned slightly. He looked caught between the fact that Eustace was related to Vincent Xavier who’s infamy was legendary, the fact that he’d gone to Durmstrang, and that he was a Gryffindor.
“Well… you had better watch yourself.” Draco mumbled. It was hard to say whether it was a threat or a genuine warning, “Come on ‘Mione.” Draco grabbed Hermione Snape’s wrist to pull her from the table.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:33:28 GMT -5
Eustace stood up and pulled out his wand, “Don’t touch her Malfoy,” he growled dangerously. The two squared off, each with identical scowls on their faces. Draco’s hand still held Hermione’s wrist, and in his other hand, his wand was trained on Eustace’s heart. Crabbe and Goyle had managed to lumber over as well and were pounding their fat fists into their hands and cracking their hairy knuckles.
Both Hermiones stood up, Granger spoke first, “Leave her alone-“
“Or you’ll what? Take points away from my house? Prefects can only take away points from their own houses, you stupid mudblood,” Gasps went up from the table as well as a few giggles from the Slytherins.
Ron jumped up and pulled out his wand, “Give me a reason, Malfoy…”
Harry rose as well, a green flame burning in his eyes. They glared at each other, finally Draco’s eyes slid over to the teacher’s table, it was still early and only a handful of teacher’s sat there, one was Snape, who was watching them, but seemed to be turning a deaf ear, Draco found this encouraging, “Let me tell you this, Potter, you can take the House and Quidditch Cups and shove them up your ass for all I care. I’m through with games. I’m done playing. You will pay for what you did to my father, what all of you did to my father.” His ice-blue gaze marked the members of the Defense Association. All those who had put Lucius Malfoy in Azkaban, “And you will pay dearly.”
“Is there a problem over here?” Came a silky voice over Draco’s ear. No one had seen Snape approach and it was impossible to say how long he’d been standing there.
“Yes, professor.” Hermione Granger said in a business-like fashion, and pointing an accusing finger at Draco, “Malfoy is harassing our table.”
“Is he now?” Snape raised an eyebrow, “Is this true Draco?”
“Of course not, professor! I just came over to talk to… to… your daughter…”
Snape smirked, “You mean my neice?”
“Yes, her.” He looked at her innocently,
“He was-“
“-And what, Miss Snape, were you doing at the Gryffindor table?” Snape interrupted.
“I was just talking to-“
“-to Gryffindors? I was under the impression you were a Slytherin. Would you like to be resorted?” an air of menace permeated his words, as if ‘resorted’ really meant ‘burned off the Snape family tree’
“No I would not to be resorted! I’m more of a Slytherin than he is!”
“Really! Then you’d better start acting like one.” They had a silent staring contest. Finally Snape looked up.
“You,” He pointed at Hermione Snape, “Back to your proper table. And ten points from Slytherin.” Hermione huffed off, “Draco, perhaps you can talk some sense into that girl, twenty points to Slytherin if you can.”
“But!” Harry glowered at Snape, “You can’t do that! You took points away from her and she didn’t even do anything wrong! Malfoy was-“
“The next word out of your mouth Potter will cost you five points.”
“That’s not fair!”
“Life’s not fair, Potter. Twenty points from Gryffindor.”
“Twenty! You said five!”
“Five for each word.”
“I only said three words!”
“ ‘that’s’ is a contraction, therefore it is equal to two words. Detention, Potter, for your cheek. Come along, Draco.”
Malfoy smirked.
Harry’s face turned red and Snape ushered Draco over to the Slytherin table.
Ron was livid, “He didn’t even let us give our side of the story! It’s like he knew we were right and he took points from us anyway just to be a great big slimy git!”
Harry suddenly started chuckling. It was the kind of giddy laughter that realization sometimes brings. What was it Snape had said to Hermione? That she’d better start ‘acting’ like a Slytherin? He hadn’t said being more like a Slytherin, he’d said acting…and then there was the fact he wouldn’t let anyone but Draco get a word in edgewise… was he just being a git or was it an attempt to bolster Draco’s thin argument?
“He’s finally cracked,” Ron whispered to Hermione Granger, “Harry, what on earth is so funny?”
“Don’t you see?” Harry whispered to Ron and Hermione, “It was all just a big show for Draco.” He explained his reasoning to Ron and Hermione.
“I think you might be right, Harry.” Hermione said at last, “No professor could be dumb enough to believe Draco’s story.”
“You think just because he’s a teacher, he can’t be a git? Honestly, Hermione, you put too much faith in your professors.”
“Snape’s been telling me since last year that I needed to pay closer attention to detail.”
“Well, we’ll be able to see in Potions, won’t we Harry? It’s next you know.”
“Oh yeah…forgot.”
“Potions!? You didn’t tell me you had Potions! How did you ever get an O on your Potions Owl?! I swear you’ve got the worst luck ever Harry.”
“Thanks Ron.”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:39:05 GMT -5
Draco was looking unusually pleased with himself. Harry hung back just to make sure he didn’t have to stare at Draco’s sanctimonious face. But when they got to the potions dungeon he saw that it would be difficult to avoid Draco.
The lab tables had been pushed away to make room for three large cauldrons, that formed a triangle in the middle of the room. Their fires had already been stoked and each was half full of a bubbling dark liquid. The chairs were arranged in a circle around the cauldron. There were six seven chairs.
Hermione Snape was already seated in front of one of the cauldrons with her arms crossed in front of her and a sour expression on her face, it made her look even more like a Snape. Harry sat down next to her and Hermione Granger sat next to him. Draco took up a chair next to Hermione Snape which made her move her chair closer to Harrys so the circle was somewhat lopsided.
Harry almost didn’t notice Cho Chang enter the room with Ernie McMillan, “Hello Harry,” She gave him a sad sort of smile.
“Hi Cho.” He said awkwardly. He was saved from saying anything else by the entrance of Snape. He came from his office carrying a tray of many small jars split into three groups. Cho and Ernie took the available seats.
“Put your quills away, you won’t be needing them. Now we need to get started right away.” Harry caught Snape’s eye, it was impossible to tell what was on his mind, he tried looking into his mind like he had at Dragon’s Gate, but he couldn’t.
“This is Advanced Potions and you are the best of the best, how Potter ever scraped by, I’ll never know. Perhaps fame is at least something…”
Harry’s eyebrows flew up, “Are you suggesting that the judges gave me an ‘O’ because I’m ‘The-Boy-Who-Lived’ “
“Your words, Potter, not mine… Now, I want you all to break into groups – not you two together, I think- Miss Snape, you go with Draco, Granger, you with McMillan, and Potter’s with Chang.”
The lesson was even worse than normal potions. The potions required ten times more concentration, and some even demanded incantations said at the right time and pronounced properly. Not to mention Cho wasn’t paying any attention to the cauldron and he had to keep making sure she chopped the brimweed small enough or added the ginseng. He would occasionally see her staring at him. It was making him uncomfortable and he was having a hard time concentrating while Snape barked instructions at him. He remembered the conversation he and Snape had had back at Dragon’s Gate… It had to be true, Harry kept telling himself, Snape had almost been half-decent at the Manor. It had to be a show for Draco. House points and detentions didn’t matter, Harry kept saying to himself while sweating over his cauldron, (Cho was staring into space again) Snape was there when it really counted, when he was in real danger.
Snape was standing over him, scrutinizing his potion when he grabbed his hand to stop him from putting something in the cauldron, “Potter! Are you paying any attention to what you are doing!? I said to add the lungwort after the marjoram, or are you trying to kill us all?”
“Sorry professor…” Harry mumbled quietly and stirred his cauldron harder, forcing himself to concentrate.
“I do not tolerate mistakes in this class.” Snape waved his wand and the contents of Harry’s cauldron vanished, “Get your things cleaned up, you get a zero for the day.”
“Yes Professor.” To Harry’s surprise, Snape threw him a dirty look. Harry thought he would have been happy he was finally not talking back and doing as he was told.
“And you will do a three foot scroll on the properties of Lungwort.”
Harry nodded, enjoying Snape’s face turn purple with repressed anger,
Harry and Cho sat in their chairs, Cho staring off into space and Harry watching the others work.
He noticed that Hermione Snape kept the cauldron between Draco and herself, and whenever he would try to get near, she would circle around the cauldron. Harry smirked, watching Draco get more upset with her, but not wanting to show it in front of her uncle. Snape sat at his desk, writing something, and Ernie and Hermione Granger were working together peaceably.
“I’ll cut those for you.” Draco said while leaning over to take the knife from Hermione.
“Thank you Draco, I’ll stir the cauldron.” She ducked under Draco’s arms and furiously took out her annoyance on the simmering potion.
They continued their avoidance dance until finally when an exasperated Hermione Snape gave Harry a look that said, “help me!”
Harry took a bit of lungwort, and lobbed it into Draco’s cauldron. They hadn’t added the Marjoram yet.
This perhaps wasn’t such a good idea, because Draco’s cauldron immediately began to spark and bubble violently. The top of the boiling liquid caught fire and wherever the droplets of liquid fell, there were little burning holes.
Before they knew it, they were all in the hallway. Watching Snape fight the blaze, When Snape finally emerged from the room, he was covered in smoke, his cloak had burn holes in it and he was wearing a particularly murderous expression on his face.
“So…” He hissed quietly, “Who added the lungwort before the marjoram?” His gaze automatically fell on Harry.
Harry glared defiantly back at him, “I did.”
Snape’s mouth went very thin and his great nostrils flared, but he said nothing.
“I thought I should start acting the way you say I do,” Harry continued, “I figure if I’m going to get house points taken away, I might as well deserve it, right?”
Snape’s face tinged with color.
“I mean, I might as well be an arrogant, publicity seeking, copy of my dad. I mean, how many time have you told me how much I’m like my father?”
“Then you admit-” Snape shouted triumphantly.
“Oh I admit it,” Harry said casually, “I also admit that my father was right, you really shouldn’t exist, Snivellus.” Harry smirked, and Hermione Granger glared at him with an expression like a landed fish. Harry knew she couldn’t believe he was insulting a teacher. He would hear about it later, “I don’t know how Dumbledore could be fool enough to allow such a sadistic dark wizard to teach here.”
A muscle in Snape’s jaw quivered and he clenched and unclenched his hands as if he wanted to wrap them around Harry’s throat. Even Draco was looking slightly shocked (or at least very amused) “Potter… my office… now…the rest of you, to your dormitories.”
Snape slammed the door shut and the jars threatened to crash to the floor. As soon as they were safely inside, Snape rounded on Harry, “What are you thinking, Potter? I’ve half a mind to report this to- this is no laughing matter, have you cracked?”
“Oh you should have seen the look on your face when I called you Snivellus!”
“What the devil are you talking about!?”
“I already told you. I figure I should start acting like you say I do. The operative word being acting.” Harry grinned.
Snape just stared at him for a few seconds. Slowly, the corner of his mouth quirked up in something akin to a smile, “Are you telling me this was a show?”
“Do you think Malfoy bought it?” He whispered. Now the other corner of Snape’s mouth quirked up as well.
“I’ve no doubt,” Snape sat down at his desk and took out a piece of parchment, Harry took the chair opposite, “You realize I’m still going to have to give you detentions. No professor here would ever let anyone get away with such disobedience. It would seem odd if I didn’t. And you did effectively destroy the potions lab,” The words ‘effectively destroy the potions lab’ were shouted just in case anyone was listening.
“Do you think maybe we could make them Occlumency lessons, YOU SLIMY HAIRED GREASEBALL?” Harry, fueled by adrenaline, was still feeling a bit bold.
Snape nodded, “That would be convenient, we’ll do that after the potions LAB IS RETURNED TO NORMAL, WITHOUT MAGIC. I HARDLY THINK YOU DESERVE TO BE CALLED A WIZARD. YOU THINK THE WHOLE WORLD SHOULD FALL DOWN AT YOUR FEET, YOU GRYFFINDORS ARE ALL ALIKE. I WANT TO SEE YOU IN MY OFFICE EVERY FRIDAY FOR THE NEXT MONTH, WE’LL SEE IF YOU EVER PULL A STUNT LIKE THIS AGAIN. AND IF YOU DO, I PROMISE YOU NEXT TIME I WON’T BE SO KIND.”
“FINE!”
“AND TWENTY-FIVE POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!”
“FINE!”
“FINE!” Snape got up to leave, but Harry held him back, “Professor, I think you should know, Draco’s harassing your niece.”
Snape nodded, “OH PLEASE POTTER, DO YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE DRACO HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS? I SAW THE LUNGWORT FLY ACROSS THE ROOM. IF YOU INSIST ON TELLING MORE OF YOUR TALL TALES-”
“THEY ARE NOT TALL TALES!”
“IF YOU INSIST ON TELLING LIES, I SHALL HAVE TO MAKE IT TWO MONTHS OF DETENTION!”
“YOU CAN’T!”
“I CAN, AND WILL”
“BUT-“
“TWO MONTHS, POTTER, EVERY FRIDAY. THAT SHOULD TEACH YOU TO RESPECT YOUR ELDERS. NOW, OUT OF MY OFFICE!”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:40:21 GMT -5
"Where are we going?" Raven asked as she and Snape walked down an empty, darkend hallway. It was pass curfew and all the students were suposedly asleep. They had decided that the self defense lessons would continue, but somewhere that was less public, now that school was in session. Snape said he knew just the place.
"It's called the Room of Requirment," he explained, "It pops up when you have great need for a place.. " he stopped in front of a door that Raven was possitive hadn't been there before. Snape opened the door to reveal a modestly equiped training room. The floor was covered with mats, mirrors were lined up against one of the walls, and various types of training equipment were against the oposite wall.
Raven whistled in apreciation. "Wow... Nice."
Snape gave her a smirk and motioned for her to enter.
They started a routine that they had developed over the past couple weeks of training. First a ten minute warm up, then they worked on new moves, where Raven would demonstrate a couple times, then have Snape preform the move several times before she was sure he had the gist of it.
Finally they ended the night with some low-impact cool down excercises.
"I wish you had told me about this room before," Raven said as she tossed him a bottle of water. "The floor mats here would of saved your back from a lot of aches and pains."
Snape made a face, "Tell me about it. Well at least I don't hurt now."
"Thats because we've been doing this on a regular basis," she stated with a smirk, "You're a lot more flexible now." Raven paused briefly, her eyes clouding over in thought. "Oh, by the way, we'll have to discontinue these lessons for the next three days."
Snape cocked an eybrow at the odd tone her voice had taken. "Not that I'm complaining, but why?"
"Look out the window," she said softly. Snape gave her a puzzled look before casting his gaze out a small window in the corner of the room. He immediatly noticed the moon was just a silvery sliver in the sky.
"Oh.." he reply, not really sure what else to say.
Raven gave him a strained sort of smile, "Yeah... I figure it might be best to leave off till the moon's back in the sky."
"Do you need someone to take over your classes?"
"Oh no, no.." she said quickly, "I'll be fine during the day, just when it gets dark I get a little... moody. Anyways.. I'll see you later. I got to get up early tomorrow. I have a DA meeting to supervise.."
* * * * * * * * * *
By the next morning, Harry was in a very good mood. Even the bothersome fact that Cho had somehow wound up in sixth year potions couldn't draw him out of his happieness; Not only had he been able to call Snape things he’d been wanting to say to his face for years (wrongly, he now saw) and hadn’t truly been punished for it, but it seemed almost instantaneously, Snape seemed to treat him differently, with a kind of respect.
Or maybe he wasn’t actually treating him any differently, but Harry was viewing the things he did in a different light. It didn’t feel quite like yelling when Snape passed him in the hall and said something particularly derogatory. It had become a strange sort of game.
He realized he had to be careful though, he had been a bit over the top at potions class. He couldn’t pull anything like that again without the professors thinking about suspension. He wondered if his celebrity status would allow him to push that envelope, but he decided that was probably not a wise idea. He did, after all want to become an auror. And an auror, Harry guessed, needed an excellent academic record.
He was so immersed in his thoughts about Snape’s new attitude that morning over breakfast that he had almost completely forgotten about the Defense Association. (they were no longer calling it, at least officially, Dumbledore’s Army.) He was halfway to the Gryffindor common rooms before remembering he should have been in the Great Hall.
“Hello Harry, where’re you off to in such a hurry?” It was Neville, just coming up the stairs.
“DA meeting, there’s one right now.”
Neville smacked his forehead “Ah! I completely forgot!” Neville changed directions and sprinted alongside Harry.
By the time he and Neville arrived, Neville was huffing and puffing and Harry’s glasses were slightly fogged up. Harry sighed, relieved to see that Professor Xavier had not yet arrived. Everyone else seemed to already be there. But no one noticed Harry or Neville enter the room, as their attention was focused on a knot of people near the doorway across the room.
“-is outrageous! I can’t believe you!”
“All I’m saying is that they could be dangerous! What if they’re spies?”
“Oh come on, Seamus,” It was Ron, “Colin’s got more of a chance of being a spy than she does! Did you even pay attention to what happened yesterday morning?”
“What if it was an act?”
“It was not an act! Malfoy’s an annoying little git! And I shouldn’t have to defend my actions to the likes of you!” Hermione scowled, which didn’t help her case any, because it made her look even more like Snape.
“What’s this about?” Harry asked.
“There you are, Harry!” Hermione Granger pulled him into the half-circle surrounding Hermione Snape, Blaise Zabini and Theodore Nott. “Tell Seamus he’s being paranoid.” Harry’s stomach tightened, remembering seeing Nott Sr at Voldemort’s rebirth,
“Umm…well, there really isn’t any restriction on membership to the DA. They can join if they want to.”
Seamus, for the second time in as many days, looked betrayed. He wasn’t the only one. Other members of the DA were looking at the Slytherins as if they’d all just presented Dark Marks on their arms and declared themselves to be loyal to the Dark Lord. The half circle broke to allow the three Slytherins to enter the room. He heard Blaise mutter under his breath, “We’re not all Death Eater scum.” Blaise and Teddy took a place as far from Seamus as possible, and Hermione Snape took up a spot near Eustace, who Harry saw was also here.
Before another altercation broke out, Professor Xavier came into the room. With her black hair drawn into a loose ponytail and dressed in blue jeans, dark velvet gloves and a loose turtleneck sweater, her appearance didn't quite mesh with what they expected from a DADA professor.
"Sorry I'm late everyone," she said with a smile, "I had something to take care of.. So, can anyone tell me what you guys have covered so far, so we have a general idea what to do today?"
“Um….” Harry really wasn’t prepared to teach a class this morning, “How about a demonstration? Any members from last year want to demonstrate a duel?”
“I will,” Ginny stepped forward.
“And me.” Luna joined Ginny on the dueling platform that had been set up where the head tables should have been.
They squared off, each waiting for the other to make a move. Finally, Ginny struck first, “Rictusempra!”
Luna dodged the curse while tossing one of her own, “Expelliarmus!” Ginny saw it coming and muttered something under her breath, the Expelliarmus hit her and she went flying backwards, but her wand was still firmly planted in her hand. She wasted no time, “Petrificus Totalus.” Luna tried to dodge it, but the curse hit her in the ankle and her hands snapped to her sides as she fell over.
Ginny ran over to her and removed the curse, helping her up. But Luna grinned at her friend and said, “Rictusempra!”
Ginny burst into laughter.
“Hahahahahaha! Lunahahahahaha! Take it off hehehe, off….hahahahaha!”
Luna smiled and lifted the tickling charm. After Ginny had regained her composure, they bowed to a clapping audience.
“Good job, you two,” Harry said as they took their spots back on the floor. Harry ascended the platform, “Alright, how about a little quiz, to see what everyone remembers?” They nodded their agreement.
“Um okay then…How about if we start with the Patronus?” Harry closed his eyes and concentrated on a happy thought, “Expecto Patrinum!” A white stag burst from Harry’s wand.
Raven’s eyebrows flew up and her mouth drew itself into an approving smile, “A corporeal patronus?” She exclaimed, “Very impressive!”
Harry colored, “Well I’m not the only one who’s got it down, okay, anyone else want to give it a try?”
“I’ll have a go.” Hermione Granger stepped forward and closed her eyes, her brow knitted in concentration. Finally she raised her wand, “Expecto Patrinum!” A ghostly silver otter burst from her wand. She took her place again.
“Anyone else want a shot?”
“Hermione can.” It was Eustace, who was casting a sidelong glance at Seamus.
Hermione Snape glared at Eustace and muttered so only he could here her, “Oh gee, thanks Gryffindork.”
“I know you can do it Hermes, I’ve seen you.”
“What if I don’t want to!”
“It’s going to help the Slytherin cause, trust me.”
“But she wasn’t a DA member last year...” Seamus complained
“Doesn’t mean I can’t produce a patronus.”
“Well, okay then. Sure, go ahead…”
“Expecto Patrinum!” A ghostly griffon burst from her wand. The Gryffindors gasped. She smiled mischievously at Eustace, “I think Eustace should produce for us his patronus.”
“Hermione!”
“What? You don’t like it when other people volunteer you to do something?” She smirked at him.
“But, that’s not a good idea!” he hissed at her, “You know what my patronus looks like!”
“Maybe he can’t make a patronus.” Seamus smirked.
“Maybe you should just shut up, Finnigan. Expecto Patrinum!” A serpent with a crest of feathers protruding from his head slithered from Eustace’s wand.
“Ohh, a Quetzal Dragon, Dad would love to find evidence of those…” Luna said to herself.
The other Gryffindors looked at him suspiciously
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:40:52 GMT -5
After the review, Harry thought they should practice disarming. “Alright everyone, queue up, two lines, now face each other. Now when I say go. We’ll all disarm each other, then we’ll move down the row, that way everyone will get a chance to disarm everyone else. Ready? Go!”
Harry moved down the line and was only disarmed once, by Ginny. He picked up his wand and kept going down the row, Ron, Luna, Hermione, Hermione, Eustace, Teddy, Ernie, Cho…
“Expelliarmus!” Both Neville and Harry shouted at the same time, and, before Harry realized what was happening, his arm seized up around his wand, he couldn’t let go even if he wanted to. Neville looked shocked. The two spells had crossed paths and a bead of gold energy shot it’s way towards Harry’s wand. Phoenix song was heavy in his ears and before he could do anything, the bead of gold reached his own wand. Harry half expected to see his parents materialize out of his own wand, but instead, the signature of other people’s wands flew out instead, the memory of all the Expelliarmus charms he had just preformed.
“What do I do now?!” Neville looked wide eyed at Harry. They were now several feet in the air and surrounded by the golden cage effect. The phoenix song grew louder.
“I’m going to break the connection, ready?” Harry watched as his teacup turned back into a toad. It was today’s Transfiguration class, only backwards.
“No, wait! We’re too high!”
“It’s okay!” Hermione Granger shouted up through the phoenix song, “I’ve put a cushioning charm on the platform!” Harry looked down, they were almost to the top of the enchanted ceiling by now. As sure as he was Hermione was good at charms, he still didn’t like the idea of falling twenty five feet.
He gritted his teeth, “Ready Neville?”
“No-“
“One-“
“Harry,”
“Two… Three!”
The connection severed, they fell through the air landing hard on the cushion charmed platform. Harry felt a sharp crack as his wrist contacted the platform he had the sneaking suspicion that it was broken, he also had the wind knocked out of him and Neville was looking dazed.
“Neville you okay?” Harry asked once he regained his breath.
“I- I’m not sure…” He was holding the side of his head, “I hit my head pretty hard.” He winced in pain. His eyes looked unfocused and his pupils were unevenly dialated.
“We’d better get you to Madame Pomfrey.”
Professor Xavier helped Neville up, muttering something about her good luck not lasting, under her breath. "I should have rembered that you two have the same wand core from when we went to get Eustaces wand," she said as she inspected the side of Neville's head. "Come on, lets go to the infirmary." She turned to the other students. "Okay, looks like we're going to have to cut today short. We'll continue this next week."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
It was near Midnight as Snape wandered through the Forbiden Forest searching for an ingriedient he needed for Madame Pomfrey. Neville wasn't looking any better after his fall that morning. If anything, he looked worse. Snape needed an herb, which only bloomed on a new moon night, and so far he wasn't having any luck.
A coppery scent reached his nostrils and he felt the impulse to follow it. He came across a break in the trees and immediatly stopped. He saw Raven sitting in the middle of the clearing wearing nothing but an oversized t-shirt that came to about mid-thigh. Next to her was a crumpled towel, stained red with blood. Aparently she had just finished cleaning up after a kill. She didn't apear to have noticed him and was gazing up at the sky as if in search of something.
Snape stepped into the clearing, instinctially drawn to the scent of blood in the air. He got a hold of himself and called out in a slightly hesitant voice. "Raven?"
She did not turn to look at him, but keep gazing up into the night. "What are you doing here, Severus?" she asked in a soft, slightly disconected voice.
"I was gathering some herbs.." he began, when she suddenly turned to face him, stopping his words with the look in her eyes. They were like burning emeralds, the pupils were thin black slits. She stood with a fluid grace, as she continued to reguard him her searng gaze.
"You shouldn't be here." She replied quietly as she began walking towards him. For a moment, Snape felt like a rabbit being stalked by a panther. He shook off the feeling and drew himself up.
"Why? You yourself said that you wouldn't hurt me."
Raven drew closer, her eyes still boring into his. "Who said I want to hurt you?" she asked in a soft purr.
"Then what-" his flow of words were interupted by Raven's lips as she pressed them against his. The kiss she gave him was dark and hungry, filled with passion. For a moment he stood lost in the sensation, then his hands came up to either push her away or draw her close, he wasn't really sure which. But as soon as his fingers brushed against her bare arms, Raven broke the kiss, backing away from him as if he was made of fire.
The two of them just stood there looking at each other, their breaths coming is short gasps. Raven plopped down on the ground, sitting with her legs crossed in front of her, her head tilting down to hide her face.
"Leave Severus," she said in a soft husky voice. "Or the next time I'll do more that just kiss you.."
Snape stood there for a moment, in a state of shock, his lips still tingling from Raven's asault. Finally he shook himself out of it, and quickly left the clearing before Raven..or he could change his mind.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:42:35 GMT -5
Snape paced his study, his face whiter than usual. He was very glad Hermione was now lodged in the Slytherin dorms and wasn’t there to ask awkward questions.
And he had a lot of awkward questions. All of which required a self searching examination of his feelings towards Raven, and Raven’s feelings towards him, and a whole lot of other things he really didn’t want to look into at the moment, not when there were more critical matters to be handled...Neville was still not looking any better.
Raven had warned him to stay away from her during the new moon. Did this indicate that she was concerned about his feeling violated or that she didn’t want him to get the wrong idea about their relationship? It could go both ways.
Of course there was the fact that Raven had actually told him she liked him. And he hadn’t believed her the first time, would he make the same mistake twice?
There was a knock at the door, “Who’s there?” He snapped
“Poppy.” Snape opened the door for the head nurse.
“I’m glad you’re still awake Severus. Do you have any vessel shrinking salve?” She looked worried.
“I’m not sure.” Pomfrey followed Snape to the potions dungeon and his office. “Is it for Longbottom?”
“Who else would it be for?”
“I don't know. I've been hearing the strangest things all day. What happened?”
“I don’t know, I don’t ask questions. I just treat people. Did you find it yet?” She snapped.
“No, I… well here’s the container, it’s nearly empty.”
“Can you make some more?” Snape nodded.
A half-hour later he entered the hospital wing. Neville was lying on the bed closest to Madame Pomfrey’s office. His face was drawn up into a look of deep distress, as if in pain or concentration and sweat beaded on his brow while he tried to be rid of the blankets that covered him.
Snape swept past him and knocked on Madame Pomfrey’s door.
“Just in time, too.” She snatched the small bottle out of his hand as soon as she opened the door. Carefully she squeezed some of the salve onto a washcloth, and then plunged the washcloth into a steaming bowl of water by Neville’s bed. She turned his head to wash his forehead with the concoction and Snape saw a great purple welt where Neville had apparently hit his head.
“There, that should help with the swelling.” She replaced the washcloth and looked slightly more relieved, “Thank you Severus.” She added curtly, almost as an afterthought.
“I think this would be the first time Longbottom’s head could be described as over-inflated.” Snape mumbled to himself.
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
“Have you gotten the other potion I asked for done?”
“I told you it had to simmer for at least six hours.”
“Well, I suppose we’ll just have to hope we won’t need it sooner then, won’t we?”
Snape bristled, “I suppose so… or that we won’t need it at all.”
Snape sensed a movement on the other side of Neville’s bed. Neville was no longer straining as much at the bedsheets, but the distressed look remained.
“Perhaps if you had restocked the stores as you were supposed to have done over the summer-“
“I was somewhat detained over the summer.” Snape growled low, trying to communicate his annoyance while not waking Neville.
“What could you possibly be doing that could take up the span of three months?”
Before Severus could answer, there was another noise that made Pomfrey look as well, a shape quickly ducked out of sight behind Neville’s bed and Snape thought he saw a bit of flowing material yanked from Neville’s hand.
Snape strode quickly over to that side of the bed. He saw no one. He looked under the bed, but only saw Madame Pomfrey’s feet on the other side. However, his ears told him differently…
“Accio invisibility cloak!”
“Ah!”
“Potter! What are you doing!”
“I um…er…” Harry was sticking out from under Neville’s bed. A dozen implausible lies rifled through his mind, he finally decided on the truth, “I was checking on Neville…sir”
“Get up.” He yanked Harry up by the shoulder. Harry looked at him expectantly. But it was Pomfrey who spoke first.
“Tell me Potter, are you licensed medical practitioner?”
Harry didn’t look up at her, “No Ma’am,” Harry mumbled.
“Then what possessed you to get up in the middle of the blooming night and sneak into the hospital wing!?”
“I don’t know ma’am.” Harry hung his head.
“You don’t?”
“No…”
“Shall I call McGonagall down here to see if she knows?”
“No! Look I just wanted to-“
“I don’t think that will be necessary Pomfrey… I will take care of Potter,” Snape glared at a relieved looking Harry, “Come along Potter…My office…”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:42:54 GMT -5
“Look Professor Snape,” Harry started as soon as they reached Snape’s office, “I just wanted to see if Neville was alright. I couldn’t sleep and I thought I’d go check on him. And that’s the whole and complete truth, I swear.”
Snape sighed, “Sit down Potter. And shut the door.” Snape sat down opposite Harry. For a long time, neither said anything. Snape just sat there, steepling his fingers and staring off in to space. For some reason, this made Harry more uncomfortable than if Snape was throwing jars of pickled slugs at him. Snape sighed again, “Why, why do you insist on doing things like this? What good did you think it would do to see Longbottom at…” He checked his wristwatch, “Two in the morning?”
“I don’t know. I just was so…” he shook his head, “I don’t know. I couldn’t sleep.”
“Have you been practicing your Occlumency?”
“Erm…we haven’t started lessons yet…”
“You shouldn’t have stopped from last year.—yes I know it was…partially… my fault— Do you remember the exercises I gave you? Clear you mind of thought and - ”
“Emotion. I remember them.” He thought bitterly of Sirius and wondered whether he could ever forget them.
Snape nodded, “Practice…every night before bed. It will help you to sleep. You didn’t have another dream, did you?”
“No.” He had dreamed, but not anything about Voldemort. He and Neville were balanced atop a giant glowing glass orb. Neville was slipping and grabbed Harry’s hand. Harry tried to pull him back up, but his hands were slippery and Neville slipped down off of the smooth curved surface and into a ring of waiting Death Eaters. Harry himself slipped, landing next to him and the Death Eaters advanced. He could see the Longbottoms being tortured with Bellatrix laughing maniacally. She said something to Neville which Harry couldn’t hear, and then a Death Eater grabbed Harry and attempted to pull him into the Veil (the scene had changed to the Department of Mysteries) Harry clawed at the Death Eater’s mask and stripped it away to reveal a smiling and winking yet somehow wild-eyed Lockhart. Just when Lockhart was about to shove him through the veil. Harry awoke with a start.
“You are positive?”
“Yeah.”
“Very well. Now. Tell me how you two ended up on the ceiling in the first place.”
“We were practicing the disarming charm, and I forgot that Neville had gotten a new wand. Remember? His wand core comes from Fawkes, like mine and Voldemorts-“
“The name, Potter.” Snape growled suddenly,
“Why are you so scared to say his name?”
“I am not scared!”
“You are! Every time I say it you start rubbing your arm!” Snape folded his arms resolutely to keep himself from repeating the action.
“What happened after your wands connected?”
“No, I want to know why you won’t say his name. It’s only a name, after all.”
“How do you invoke magic, Potter?”
“What do you mean?”
“What do you have to do to make something magical happen?”
“Wave a wand.”
“And…”
“And say magic words..”
“Exactly.”
“But I’m not doing magic, I’m just saying…”
“A name has a kind of magic. When you say a name, it invokes the object it stands for. When you say the Dark Lord’s name, it invokes him. Especially for you, who is so intrinsically linked to him. My dark mark has the same effect only it’s not as…true a link with him as your scar.”
“I don’t know why you couldn’t have just told me that straight off…” Harry mumbled
“I thought you would have figured it out on your own. Or do you need to go back to elementary charms? What happened after your wands connected?”
“Well, it happened just like the last time, with me and V- You-Know-Who, only Neville forced my wand into regurgitating the spells I’d just done, we were raised off the ground in a sort of golden cage, and there was phoenix song. I was the one who broke the connection. We both fell onto the stage –Hermione had softened it—but I guess it wasn’t enough, I broke my arm and got the wind knocked out of me and Neville, he hit his head… ”
“From that height, he’s lucky he didn’t break his neck.”
“I should have never broken the connection.”
“There are lots of things we should never have done. The trick is seeing what we can do about them.”
Harry gave Snape a funny look, “Why are you acting like this?”
“Like what?”
“Well, erm.. usually you’d be yelling at me for being up past curfew, instead you’re giving me advice…”
Snape cocked an eyebrow, “Would you rather I yelled at you?”
“No.”
“Then don’t complain. Because it’s very easy for me to imagine that you are James.” Snape arose from his chair, motioning for Harry to follow.
“I’m not James.” Harry said sulkily as they entered the potions dungeon. A cauldron stood simmering. Harry guessed it must have been the potion Madame Pomfrey wanted.
Snape didn’t answer right away, instead, he stood thoughtfully stirring the potion, “I know your not James. You may look like him, but you act like your mother.”
“My mother?” It was the last thing he expected to hear, especially from Snape, “You knew my mother?”
He paused his stirring to think, “No. I didn’t know her. Not nearly well enough anyway.”
Harry looked like he was going to say something, but quickly shut his mouth again. He did this several more times before working up the nerve to ask the question that was burning in his brain, “What… what was she like?”
“You saw the pensieve.”
“Yeah, but what else about her?”
Snape stared off into space, “Lily Evans was everything her sister wasn’t. She wasn’t afraid to stand up to what she knew was wrong, and stand up for what she knew was right. Even when she was outnumbered, overpowered and out maneuvered, she had an iron constitution until the moment she died.”
Something in Snape's tone gave him a wild idea, a sickening thought. “Did you…you didn’t…like her, did you?”
Snape stiffened, “That’s a personal question Potter.”
“I don’t care, I want to know.” He wasn’t sure if he really did want to know, and was dimly aware that Snape might have been offering him a way to back out of the question, but he plugged onward.
Snape chewed on the inside of his lip, thinking, “Very well, Potter, I will tell you. But remember, you asked.” He collected his thoughts, “No. I did not like her. In fact, I hated her, She infuriated me more than James and his gang ever did.”
He saw the stricken look on Harry’s face, “What did she do to make you hate her?” Harry turned away, his face reddening.
Snape did the same as Harry, and for the same reasons, “She loved me.”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:43:28 GMT -5
Whatever Harry had expected to hear, that wasn’t it.
“What?”
“You heard me Potter, don’t make me repeat myself.” Snape said quietly.
“She…loved… but…” Harry couldn’t speak or think coherently. Snape? His mum loved Snape!?
“You needn’t worry about her liking me on purpose.” Snape said bitterly, “Oh it wasn’t her fault.”
“What did you do to her, give her a love potion?!” Harry took a step back from Snape.
“Of course I didn’t! Quite the opposite. I didn’t want anything to do with her.”
“Why not?” Harry was so confused, one moment he was upset because his mom liked Snape, the next he was upset because Snape didn’t like his mom. “Because she was … she was a mudblood!?”
The word echoed around the room. The only other sound was the softly simmering cauldron. Snape didn’t look up.
“Language, Potter.” He muttered, “No. That was not the reason and I don’t see why I’m discussing this with you at 2:30 in the morning.”
“Yeah? Well I don’t believe you anyway.” Harry muttered.
Snape put down the ladle with an air of finality, “Come with me, Potter.” Harry followed behind Snape through the winding dungeon corridors.
“Where’re we going?”
“Teacher’s wing.”
“You’re not going to wake McGonagall…?”
“No, but you might if you don’t stop talking.”
They continued on in silence until Snape stopped at one of the suits of armor, he whispered something to it and it saluted and tapped the wall behind it. An archway materialized and Harry found himself in a hallway with many doors. Snape went to one and pulled out his wand, muttering something Harry couldn’t hear and the door creaked open.
“Where are we?” Harry whispered.
“My flat.” Snape whispered back, pocketing his wand again. Harry hesitated at the threshold, not wanting to cross it. Snape turned to look back at him, standing in the doorway, “Come in, or don’t. I don’t care.”
Harry entered the dark room. Snape lit an oil lamp and the apartment came into focus. Harry was half expecting to see cold stone walls like the dungeon and snakes decorating the place, but It was quite ordinary, and actually kind of cozy. The focal point of the room was a large cherry cabinet filled with vial racks and vials of red liquid. Snape opened the cabinet and took out a vial. He uncorked it and downed its contents, placing the empty vial in a rack of used vials.
“What’s that?”
“It’s none of your business is what it is. Wait here.”
Harry wandered aimlessly around the room, examining the shelf of arcane potions texts, studying an arrangement of antique potions equipment, and stopping finally at the cabinet filled with vials. He opened the glass door and the strong metallic twang of blood met his nose. He shut the cabinet quickly, sitting down on the couch facing the fireplace.
When Snape finally returned, Harry jumped, “What’s in that cabinet?”
“I thought I said it wasn’t any of your business.”
“It smells like blood.”
“It’s a potion. It has dragon’s blood in it, of course it smells like blood.”
“What’s it for?”
“Again, none of your business. Here,” he said awkwardly shoving a dust covered black lacquered box at Harry, “I’ve no use for it.”
Harry brushed the years of dust off of the box. It was made of polished ebony and had two silver Snakes etched into the top in the shape of two ‘S’s. Initials. “Why are you giving this to me?”
“It belonged to your mother, she gave it to me, now I’m giving it to you. I have no use for it.” He repeated, almost as if it was an excuse to be giving Harry a gift.
Harry opened the box, inside was lined in dark green velvet, and a parchment envelope laid on top of the box’s contents. Harry took out the envelope, carefully freeing the yellowed parchment from it. Snape looked like his first instinct was to take the parchment away, but he held himself back. Harry read:
Severus,
"Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent." – Hugo
With love,
Lily Evans[/o]
Harry read through the card a couple of times, still hardly believing it. He went on to the next sheet of parchment, which was a peice of handwritten sheet music. Harry folded the parchment and placed letter and music back into the envelope. He glanced at Snape who was staring resolutely at the floor. His face tinged pink.
He now turned his attention back to the contents of the box. On the velvet lining laid a six-holed flute. Unlike the box, it did not look new. The gold finish was worn off in places to reveal it was actually made of a silvery metal. In fact, it looked like something one could buy in a muggle shop. Harry took a closer look and noticed that it was from a muggle shop. There was a crest in the space between the mouth piece and the holes bearing a Gryffon and a Basilisk. Underneath that it read:
~Evans~
fine tin flutes since 1881
Made in Wales.
(D)
Harry put it back into it’s box. “Erm…thanks.” He honestly didn’t know what to say and wildly he thought that be must be having the most vivid dream ever. No one said anything for a long time, “Why did she give this to you?”
Snape still looked like his face was burning, he didn’t look up, “She used to play it all the time. I think she must have thought I was interested in it.” Snape shook his head
“Were you?”
“No.” Snape said quickly and firmly, "It’s been sitting in my closet ever since.”
“If you didn’t want it, why did you bother saving it?”
Snape looked up and stared at Harry, completely taken aback by that question. “I don’t know.”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:44:08 GMT -5
Harry."
Harry groaned and tossed a pillow in the direction of the voice.
"C'mon Harry, we'll be late."
"Go away."
"It's Quidditch tryouts, you know how miffed Hootch will be if we're late! Wake up!"
"I don't feel like playing Quidditch, Ginny can be Seeker."
"What's the matter with you, Harry, are you mental? How can you not want to play Quidditch? We haven't played since the Toad banned us for life! Get up! Now!" Ron grabbed Harry by the arm and dragged him out of bed. Harry just laid on the floor squinting in the sudden light that met his eyes. When he didn't move, Ron brandished his wand and appeared ready to curse him. "on't make me use this, you know I will.."
"Alright, alright, I'm getting up..." His head hurt, and it had nothing to do with his scar. His mind was still reeling from lack of sleep and the load of questions that were weighing in on his mind. Even the prospect of playing Quidditch again couldn't rouse him out of his melancholy.
It became worse when he opened his trunk to get out his robes. There was the box, plain as day, and Harry had no way to pretend last night didn’t happen.
“What’s the matter with you today? Is it about the DA? It wasn’t your fault you know, what happened to Neville. No one blames you.” Ron looked seriously at Harry, “Neville’s going to be alright. It’s not the first time something like this has happened to him. Remember that story he told us about his uncle dropping him off a balcony?”
“He didn’t bounce this time.”
“Yeah, but still….look Harry, any of us would have done-.”
“This isn’t about Neville!”
“What’s it about then? Because I can’t help you if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”
“Just get off my back okay?”
“I’m your best friend, you can tell me-“
“No, I can’t. Look, lets just go to practice, okay?”
"Alright, fine you big git."
The field was still heavy with dew when they got out to the pitch, some of the Gryffindors were already tossing the quaffle around. A group of red clad spectators huddled in a group and whispered among themselves.
“So,” Ron said as they walked onto the pitch. They could see Madame Pomfrey making her way from the castle, followed by a line of Slytherins with broomsticks slung over their shoulders, “Who do you think will make the team?”
“Dunno.” Harry replied icily. He wasn’t in the mood. Ron didn’t push it. They walked on silently.
“Alright everyone,” Madame Hooch began, clapping her hands, “ I want those who are trying out for Gryffindor on this end of the pitch, those trying out for Slytherin at the other end of the pitch. “
“First thing’s first, Gryffindors,” Madame Hooch looked at the assembled Gryffindor team, which was significantly smaller than last year, The Gryffindors had lost their chasers, all three had graduated, including Angelina. “You need to choose a new captain, we’ll put it to a vote. Anyone wishing to be captain will please step forward.”
All eyes fell on Harry. Harry looked around at everyone, but didn’t move.
“Come on Harry.” Ron nudged him forward “You’d be a great captain.” A chorus of agreement rose from the Gryffindors.
Harry stepped back into line, shaking his head, “I know a better one.”
“Who?”
“You.” He pushed Ron forward.
“Me? No… I’m no Charlie…” Ron went pink.
“You’d be great.”
Ginny agreed, “Yeah, c’mon Ron, all you did all summer was practice Quidditch. And the summer before that….and before that….”
“You’ve been wanting this since first year.” Harry remembered that in the Mirror of Erised, Ron had seen himself as quidditch captain.
“Does anyone else wish to try out for captain?” Madame Hooch interjected. No one stepped forward.
“All those in favor of Ron as our new captain?” Harry raised his hand, as did Ginny. The beaters were undecided.
“Weasley, he saves everything, he blocks every single ring…” Harry began,
“That’s why Gryffindors all sing..” Ginny joined Harry.
“Weasley is our King!” the Beaters Kirke and Sloper joined in and raised their hands. Ron was redder than ever and grinning from ear to ear.
Weasley, he was born to win
He never lets the Quaffle in
Weasley will make sure we win
Weasley is our King!
Some of the Slytherin sniggered from the other end of the pitch. Malfoy shouted back to them, “'Weasley cannot save a thing, He cannot block a single ring,”
Other Slytherins, even new members, joined in the song, “That's why Slytherins all sing:
Weasley is our King. Weasley was born in a bin He always lets the Quaffle in,Weasley will make sure we win,Weasley is our King!”
Soon the pitch was a cacophony of competing lyrics, the Slytherins had begun to march across the pitch, shouting out new verses with even bolder lyrics than last year, it was hard to tell if Hooch heard them, because the Gryffindors were now shouting at the top of their voices,
“Weasley is our King,
Weasley is our King,
He never lets the Quaffle in,
Weasley is our King.”
“Weasley tried to catch the snitch
Look and see his broomstick twitch
Weasley's a son of a-"
“-sing! Weasley is our king!” The Gryffindor team had lifted him up onto their shoulders and were now marching towards the Slytherins.
“ENOUGH!” Madame Hooch’s magically amplified voice rose over the stadium and the singing died away. “Back to your half of the field. All of you!”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:44:36 GMT -5
Tryouts continued with some normalcy after that. Ron, with some more prodding, fell into his role as captain.
“Who’s next?” Ron said looking up from the notes he’d scribbled on the previous contenders for the open chaser positions.
“I am.” Eustace stepped out from the line of contenders.
“Right, Eustace…what’s your surname again?”
“Xavier.”
Ron gave a businesslike nod, “Alright Xavier, let’s see what you can do; Ginny, you’ll be our opponent chaser and Sloper, you be our opponent beater, everyone else, man your positions.”
The quaffle was up in the air, Eustace got it from Ginny almost immediately and caught Ron by surprise by feinting to the right. The ball was off again. The players speeded around their half of the pitch, Ginny closely marking Eustace’s movements, Eustace was about to score again but was distracted by a bludger that hurtled dangerously close to his head, Ginny grabbed the quaffle and scored. He took the ball back on the rebound and would have scored except a bludger hit him in the back and sent him flying forward on his broom. He dropped the ball, it was all he could do to keep from sailing off the end.
Malfoy’s laughter made him turn around. He realized it hadn’t been one of their bludgers, but one of the slytherin’s. Malfoy held a bat and was grinning.
“You arse!” Eustace shouted and tried to concentrate on his tryout. He scored another goal, catching up with Ginny’s as she’d scored while Malfoy nearly smacked him off his broom.
“QUIT IT DRACO!” Came a frightened voice from the other side of the pitch, “Getoff!” Eustace dropped the quaffle. It was Hermione Snape.
Eustace raced to the other end of the pitch where Draco was attempting to climb onto Hermione’s broom. Hermione was attempting to speed forward, but Draco held fast to the twigs of her broom.
“Knock it off you bloody arsehole!” Eustace shouted and grabbed a handful of Draco’s hair. It caught him by surprise and he let go of the twigs of Hermione’s broom, but not Hermione. Her broom went speeding out from under her.
“Ahhh!! You bastard Draco!” She shouted frantically and clung to Draco for dear life. Surprised Draco flailed about trying to get his balance again. Hermione slipped.
“I’ve got you Hermes!” Eustace shouted and grabbed her as she fell towards the ground. The school broom threatened to careen into the ground as well under the extra weight, but Eustace pulled up hard and managed to stabilize their descent.
Madame Hooch blew her whistle, “What’s going on over here?” I thought I told everyone to stay on their own sides! Xavier! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Saving my life!” Hermione Snape cried as she and Eustace got shakily to their feet. Draco landed beside them, a mixture of fear and hatred mingled on his face, both teams now met in the center of the pitch, “Draco tried to climb onto my broom!”
“No! She lying! I was trying to save her!” Draco protested.
“Yeah! I saw the whole thing. She was sliding off and Draco grabbed her. But then that git came along and started ripping into Draco. Draco lost his grip and she fell.”
“LIAR!”
Both teams erupted in heated debate, a few brandished wands and threatened to start slinging curses. Some forgot about wands and were nearly coming to blows.
“ENOUGH! Xavier, Malfoy, you two come with me. Potter, get Snape to the hospital wing.”
---
It was a half hour later in Hooche’s Office, Draco insisted that he saved Hermione, while Eustace insisted that he saved Hermione and that Draco was trying to hurt her. The Gryffindors stuck to Eustace’s version and the Slytherins stuck to Draco’s. After getting nowhere with this, Hooch had had enough. She was calling their heads of houses, and their guardiansl; Snape, Raven and McGonnagal.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:45:02 GMT -5
Raven arrived at Hootch's office, her mouth set in a grim line. Eustace avoided her gaze and slunk down in his chair while Draco gave her a petulant scowl.
"What happened?" Raven asked, her tone curt, as she glared at both boys.
Hootch steepled her fingers together and tapped then against her chin. "I'll get to that as soon as Professor Snape and Professor McGonnagle arrive. I don't want to go over this more than once."
Raven nodded and waited in a corner of the room. They sat in an oppressive silence until Both Snape and McGonnagle came in at the same time. As soon as everyone was settled Hootch went over the events, telling both sides of the story. It looked as if this was going to be a case of one boy's word over the other's.
Raven let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed at her temples. "What does Hermione have to say about this? She was involved, so maybe we should get her side of the story before deciding what to do?"
“I will go retrieve her.” Snape got up, glad for the chance to be out of the oppressive atmosphere in the room.
When he got to the hospital wing he was nearly knocked down by Hermione who threw herself at him, “Uncle! I’m so glad you’re here, I was flying chaser and Malfoy-”
“-I know all about it. Madame Hooch sent me to collect you.”
“Oh good! Wait until they hear my side of the story, Draco is soo going to pay…”
“Yes…but not today… Potter, did you witness this event as well?”
“What do you mean, not today?” Hermione demanded.
“Yeah. I saw it.”
“Then you should come as well, we’ll talk on the way.”
“What do you mean he won’t pay today?” Hermione pressed.
“When we get to Hooch’s office, you will insist you don’t know what happened, and that-“
“She knows bloody well what happened!” Harry interrupted.
“I know she knows what happened, Potter. But as I am the one who would have to carry out any disciplinary measurements, the whelp’s going to have to get off scotch free for now.”
“He can’t!” Hermione looked desperately at her uncle, “Uncle, he’s dangerous!”
Harry looked angry, “You’d let your own niece be treated like this?!” Harry pointed emphatically at Hermione Snape, “She could have easily died out there, if it weren’t for Eustace! This isn’t some kind of game, it’s lives we’re talking about!”
“And it is exactly lives I am trying to save, Potter. Namely your own, and by extension, everyone else’s worth saving.”
“I can’t believe you Snape! I don’t know what my mother ever saw in you! You’re a low down scheming-“
“That will do Potter. You can call me names later. For now we have to decide what we’re going to do about-“
“I am not a pawn!” Hermione screeched at him.
“Voices down you fools! Listen to me, Hermione, there is more at stake in this situation than you can imagine. You are just going to have to trust me for now. I promise I will fill you in later, but right now, just do as I say.”
They had arrived at the office and Snape took them aside before opening the door. “You will both insist you don’t know what happened.” He whispered to them, “The goal will be to create an inconclusive situation where the matter is dropped entirely without punishment. Eustace will insist he was in the right, so will Draco. Try to covertly clue Eustace into what's going on. But if you can't. Don't try. It's not worth exposing our intentions. We can fill him in later. You two will-“
“Say we don’t know what happened. We’ve got it.” Hermione turned icily away from him and went to open the door, Snape stopped her.
“Hermione, I’m sorry it has to happen this way.”
“Yeah, I’m sure.”
Harry glared at Snape, “You’re tickling a sleeping dragon, you know.”
They entered the room.
They were met by an awful din; Eustace and Draco were on their feet in the middle of a screaming match.
“Here she is!” Eustace exclaimed when she saw Hermione enter the room, “She’ll tell us what really happened.”
The room fell silent, all eyes on Hermione. She felt sick to her stomach. “I….” She began, but stopped, looking forlornly at Eustace and then at Draco.
“Would you like a chair?” McGonagall asked gently.
Hermione sat down, “Well, see, the thing is…. I mean, now that I’m not dangling five hundred feet in the air… In the heat of the moment, it’s sometimes hard to…” She didn’t look anyone in the eye, but stared at the floor.
“Sometimes it’s hard to…?” McGonagall prompted.
“I don’t really know what happened!” She said quickly.
Someone, probably Draco, sighed. Eustace was on his feet again.
“Hermione! You saw what happened-“
“I’m saying I’m not sure anymore, Eustace!” She looked desperately at him, willing him understand.
“But Malfoy grabbed your broom! You shouted at him to get off! Harry! You were there! You saw what happened!” He looked desperately to Harry.
“I was looking for the snitch,” He mumbled, “I only saw after when you snatched Hermione out of the air.” Harry figured he could at least give Eustace credit for saving her, if he’s got to make it look like it wasn’t Malfoy’s fault.
Eustace looked from one to the other, non-plussed, “But…” He sat down, completely deflated, “Hermione…”
“I’m sorry Eustace, I can’t say if Draco did anything or not.” She shrugged helplessly.
Raven had been standing in the corner as the scene played out, watching each participant with eyes narrowed with anger. Her gaze rested briefly on Snape, before turning to Hootch, who had begun speaking.
"Well it seems that we're not going to get this resolved. Since no one got hurt, I'm letting you all get off with a warning," Hootch turned her hawk-like eyes on Eustace, Draco and Hermione, each in turn, "But if I catch any of you doing anything like this again, it's double detention for the lot of you."
The students nodded quietly before Hootch dismissed them all from her office. Draco sneered at Eustace before hurrying out, having enough sense not to press his luck. Hermione turned to Eustace and attempted to place a hand on his shoulder, but he brushed it off, his face filled with hurt and anger.
"Eustace, I'm sorry..," she pleaded, but he was already stalking out of the office. Raven quietly watched HArry and Hermione, who were both looking absolutly miserable, before following Eustace out.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:45:19 GMT -5
After they had left the room, Snape cleared his throat, “ Potter, Snape, I suggest you two go and get cleaned up, your classes have probably just about started, ask McGonagall to give you a pass to excuse you from the begining of class so you can get some breakfast, Mr. Xavier as well if you can catch him. Ah, Professor Xavier, may I see you in my office? It’s about that potion you needed for your seventh years.”
Raven paused midstride and turned her poison green eyes on Snape, reguarding him with a stoney expression for a moment. Finally she nodded and motioned for him to lead the way.When they reached his office, Snape shut the door. Immediately, Raven rounded on him, “Do you want to tell me what just happened back there?”
“Yes, that’s why I called you in here...” Suddenly he felt very self-concious, remembering the previous night, “Um.. Perhaps the headmaster should hear of this as well,” He uncorked a flask filled with floo powder and threw some into the fire, “Headmaster Dumbledore!”
Dumbledore’s head appeared in the fire, “Yes, Severus?”
Raven and Dumbledore said nothing while Snape told of today’s events.
If Snape had hoped to calm Raven down with his revelation, he was greatly disappointed. If anything, the news seemed to make her angrier.
"So, Draco Malfoy almost kills Hermione, and he gets off without any punishment whatsoever?" she hissed softly.
“What you have to understand about that is-“
“Oh I understand. I understand perfectly. You are too busy worrying about rocking Draco’s boat to worry about the safety of Hermione-“
“That’s not true! If I could have prevented the situation, I would have. But what’s done is done and there’s no reason to ‘rock Draco’s boat’ more than necessary.”
“And what about Eustace in all of this? Have you even considered what he might feel like? You’ve just pressured his best friend and one of his house members into lying in order for you to keep up some silly charade-“
“That charade is absolutely necessary!”
"Why?" she asked, her eyes burning with some unidentifiable emotion. "Why not let Hermione tell the truth and let Hooch dole out the punishment? They were under her supervision, so I would think it would fall on her to be the bad guy. You could have made a token attempt to sway her for being lenient on Draco. You would of still looked good in his eyes, and he would have been punished."
Snape blinked. Why hadn’t he thought of that? It would have worked. He scowled, more at himself than anyone else. He turned to the headmaster for guidance.
“Well,” Dumbledore said calmly after a slight pause, “What’s done is done, I think. Severus, I would like you to keep a close eye on Draco, Eustace and Hermione. You as well, Raven. Perhaps it would be prudent if you called Eustace and Hermione into your office and laid the truth out on the table. I can’t imagine they are having an easy time of it. It’s bound to get worse before it gets better, but perhaps some of the damage can be stayed if it is taken care of swiftly.”
“Yes Headmaster.” Snape mumbled like a chastised child.
“If that is all, Severus, I think I have some chocolate frog cards to hide.” He gave Severus an encouraging look before disappearing in a whirl.
Raven turned to leave, but Snape's arm shot out to stop her. She stiffened at his touch and didn't turn around, but at least she didn't pull away either.
"Raven," he began, then paused, at a sudden loss for words. "I.. I'm sorry. I did what I thought was right at the moment." He paused again obviously having trouble with his next words. "I made a grievious error, I know.."
Raven's shoulders sagged, and she let out a sigh as she turned around. "I'm the one who should be apologizing Severus. I overreacted a bit. I- I'm more mad at myself than anything and I took it out on you."
Confussion flashed over Snape's face. "Why are you mad at yourself?"
Raven's cheeks flushed bright pink. "I.. Um... Well, I'm a bit er.. angry at myself for um... throwing myself at you.." The last bit she stammered under her breath.
Snapes eyebrows flew up and his mouth formed a perfect 'o' "Oh........that."
Raven blushed harder and scowled slightly, "Yes that.. I don't make it a habit of throwing myself at people."
"Well I was given fair warning, wasn't I? And certainly no one was hurt, so..."
"But you might have been," Raven replied in a quiet tone. "I could have..." Raven paused, and let out a mirthless chuckle, "Actually I'm not sure what I might have done exactly, but I'm sure you wouldn't of appreciated it."
Snape smirked slightly, "I wouldn't exactly consider what you were doing torture..."
Raven blinked at him in wide eyed astonishment, as Snape's face turned beet red, wishing that he take back those words that had slipped out of his mouth without thinking. They both stood in an embarreded sort of silence. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded." Snape turned, if possible, even redder, "I only meant that it was not...well, I'm not sure what I meant exactly but I certainly didn't mean it the way it sounded!" This just kept getting worse and worse.
Raven tilted her head and looked at him intently for a moment, as if she was puzzling something out in her head. "Severus, do you like me?" she asked in a soft voice.
Snape lowered his eyes, avoiding her gaze, "Yes.."
Raven stepped closer to him and placed two gloved fingers under his chin to lift up his head, so that she could look him in the eyes. "Are you attracted to me?" she whispered, her eyes open and vurnerable, half afraid of what his answer would be.
Snape wanted to pull away, but he was rooted to the spot. He felt like she was able to see clear through his mind with her liquid green eyes and he wondered briefly if she was an occlumens. He thought about blocking some of his feelings but found he didn't want to. "I believe I am." He said quietly.
Even though this was the answer she wanted to hear, it wasn't the one she expected. Now she was the one dropping her eyes to the floor, unable to meet his gaze. "Are you sure?" she asked quietly, "I mean can you be attracted to a scarred shapeshifter?" She quickly pulled off one of her gloves and pulled up her sleeve to reveal a pale arm encirled with a miriad of vine-like tattoos. She grabbed his hand and placed it on her bare arm so that he could feel the scars that hid beneath the inked designs. It was as if she was trying to give him a chance to change his mind. "Can you be attracted to this?" she added in a sad whisper.
"I can if you can be attracted to a greasy, hook-nosed, crotchety old vampire." He spat the last word out as if it were an oath.
Raven gave him a small half smile. "Don't give me that Severus Snape," she chided gently, "We both know that you're not greasy, thats just the sunblocking lotion you have to use. And you're nose isn't hooked, it more of an aquiline nose... I think you're more...urm...abrupt than actually crotchety," her smile widened slightly before she continued, "and hey, I'm not little Miss Suzie Sunshine myself. As for you being a vampire, well," She blushed slightly and unconciously rubbed her neck where he had bitten her in what seemed like ages ago., "I er.. have no problems with that whatsoever.."
"Well as long as we're laying all the cards on the table, I don't think you are anything near ugly, in fact, I think you're very beautiful, Raven." He smiled for the first time in a very long time, exposing his canines, "And between you and me, Miss Suzie Sunshine would annoy the devil out of me."
They looked at each other for a moment, both smiling. Snape felt significantly lighter, it was as though a great weight had been lifted from him. Their eyes locked and Raven lifted up her head tentatively. Snape slowly lowered his to hers, giving her plenty of time to turn away. She did not.
They kissed.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:45:52 GMT -5
There was a soft popping sound and a house-elf shuffled slowly towards the only occupied bed in the hospital wing. It muttered to itself wheezily, and clutched at a basket too large for it’s spindly frame. No one was there save for the occupant of the bed.
The boy was snoring softly, sound asleep. The house-elf slipped the basket full of sweets into the pile accumulated on the nightstand and left.
----
“Hi Harry! Hi Guys!” Neville grinned as his friends entered the hospital wing.
“Hi Neville, feeling better?”
“Yeah, I’m a bit sore still, but Madame Pomfrey says I should be out of here by tomorrow. Want a candy? I’ve got loads.”
“Thanks! Got any chocolate frogs?” Ron asked.
“Yeah I think Dean sent me some. The purple box… So, what have I missed?”
“Not much, just school, you know.”
“Oh, that reminds me, I’ve brought you your homework, for when you feel up to it. Professor Sprout told me to tell you not to worry and that she’s sure you’ll catch up in no time.”
“Homework Hermione?” Ron wrinkled his nose, “Oh that’ll make him feel much better.”
“No, it’s okay, thanks Hermione, just put it on my nightstand, I’ll take a look at it later. Oh, and will you hand me a piece of that gum while you’re over there? Take one for yourself too, it’s starting to look like a sweet shop in here.”
“Thank you Neville.” She took one of the offered gums.
No one spoke as they chewed on their various confections. Harry finished his handful of Every Flavor Beans, “Listen Neville, about what happened at the DA meeting…”
“Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t your fault.”
“I broke the connection.” Harry said flatly.
“We couldn’t stay up there forever, could we?” Neville fiddled with the wrapper of his gum, “Could have done a hover charm I suppose. I should have thought of that.”
“No. it-“
“Harry! Stop blaming yourself. It’s no big deal. Madame Pomfrey fixed me right up, see? No harm, no foul, right? Let’s not say another word about it.”
“Neville, you don’t mind if I…?” Ron gestured to the chocolate frogs.
“Nope, help yourself.”
“Thanks.”
“No problem- Oh hey, I meant to tell you I’ve been having the weirdest dreams. I can’t quite remember them, but I keep seeing Lockhart in them. How funny is that!”
Harry nearly choked on a fizzing whizzbee, “Lockhart?” Harry remembered the Lockhart dream he’d had a few nights ago.
“Yeah. It’s weird, he’s dressed like an obliviator,” Neville became very serious, “Oh, and my parents were there, they were talking to Lockhart. I never can make out what they’re saying though.”
“I wonder why you’d be dreaming about Lockhart of all people,” Ron wondered aloud.
“Well, I saw him a few nights ago…er, well, it’s hard to keep track of time when you’re in hospital, so, it’s probably a bit longer, just before we started school. The healers say he’s making a speedy recovery. He’ll be back to his old, smarmy self in no time.”
“Oh god, I hope not.”
“Well, you never know, maybe he’ll be a changed man.”
“Or he’ll write a memoir about it and try and sell it for top dollar.”
“At least it would be his own story for once.”
“Yeah, but I bet half of it would be fictional.”
“Oh!” Hermione squealed, “We’ve got potions in five minutes Harry!”
“You’re in Potions, Harry?”
“Yeah. Unfortunately.”
“Well, I have to tell you, I’m not sorry to get rid of that class.”
“I wouldn’t be sorry to see it go either, believe you me. See you later Neville.”
“Bye guys.”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:46:23 GMT -5
“Good afternoon, class.” Snape said as he entered the room, “Mr Potter, Miss Granger, do take your seats, don’t dawdle, and remove the gum from your mouth Miss Granger, you know the rules about eating in class.”
Hermione and Harry exchanged confused glances, Snape was being positively chipper. Well, chipper for him anyway. “Don’t bother pairing yourselves off, I’ve already done it for you: Chang with Malfoy, McMillan with Snape, and Potter with Granger. Don’t break off just yet, wait until the instructions are given and I’ve explained a few things…” Had Snape just paired him off with Hermione? Yes something was definitely different with Snape, or maybe he was trying to make up for asking him to lie. Harry decided that must be it.
“… now when I turn the hourglass over, you will begin…start…now…”
Hermione chopped the ragwort into very thin strips.
“What are you doing, Hermione?”
“What do you mean what am I doing? I’m chopping ragwort.”
“There’s no ragwort in this potion.”
“But it say it right there…oh fudge, I’ve got the wrong page, what was the page number, Harry?”
“umm…9610…”
“Thanks,” Hermione riffled through the pages of he potion text, “9610…9610…96…It was 9610, right?”
“Yeah. Right after the chapter on the properties of boomslang.”
“Right.”
“Find it yet?”
“No,”
“Wait, stop, you just went past it, yeah, you’ve got the right one. Will you pass the beetle wings?”
“Sure…beetle wings, you said?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks- oh wait, these are bat nails.”
“Oh, sorry Harry. My mistake. Here you go.”
“Thanks.”
Hermione turned her attention to the open book before her. ‘…it is important to make sure the powdered gentian roots be kept in a moisture free environment to ensure their longevity. Spoilt root can drastically change your potion. If you cannot verify it’s freshness, it is best if you refrain from using it. Especially in class D potions…”
Hermione blinked and realized she hadn’t taken in a word of what she just read. She started again, “…it is important to make sure the powdered gentian roots be kept in a moisture free environment to ensure their longevity. Spoilt root can …” She stopped herself again and brought her eyes back up to the beginning of the paragraph, going slowly over the text again, “ It. Is. Important. To. Make. Sure. The….” Hermione screwed up her face in concentration, she wished everyone would shut up, there was too much noise in the room, “Gentain root can change drastically. Verify if you can sit frenshes, tsi sebt fi oyu fainrer form ti…” Hermione shook her head to clear it. “D potion in class especially, gentianated..gentians gen…tians…” Why was she reading this again?
“Have you got the Gentians yet?”
“Oh! Right, coming up Harry.” She turned to the pile of herbs on the table…which were the gentians again? Did they have the blue flowers with the dark purple centers or the blue flowers with the silver… what were they called? Leaves? Why was she looking for gentians again?
“Which were the gentians Harry?”
“There the blue ones with the purple.”
“Oh, right! Now I remember.” She grabbed the flowers from the table but couldn’t for the life of her remember what she needed them for.
“Can I have those?” He pointed to the flowers.
“Yes, of course, I can’t remember what I needed them for anyway.”
Harry gave her a funny look, “You were getting them for me.”
“So I was! Sorry Harry, Must be tired.”
“Yeah…now this next part, can you help me with it? I’m having trouble understanding what it’s saying, I know you’re supposed to crush the lion berrys but in the next section it says to chop them up. So are you supposed to crush, then strain? Or maybe I missed something about splitting the pile…?” Harry looked helplessly at Hermione. Hermione appeared deep in thought, a look of consternation across her face. Suddenly she looked as if she was about to say something, but instead she swiveled around and looked confusedly about the room.
“Hermione? Have you figured out the lion berry thing? You know I’m no good at this…”
No answer.
“Hermione?” He tapped her on her shoulder. She jumped, the look of consternation hadn’t faded. The room seemed far away to her now. Like she had been plunged under water. Everything seemed dampened, like in a dream. She felt numb, and her hearing was so diminished it was a moment before she realized she was being spoken to and another moment before she could work out what was being said, and still another moment to realize the it was her name.
Hermione struggled to reply, but it seemed her mouth wouldn’t move properly, she laboriously formed the words but it was like trying to speak through a mixture of marbles and treacle, “Ooouat…amm…aaai..duinnn…heeeere…?”
“Professor Snape, something’s wrong with Hermione.” An edge of panic tinged his voice, “I… I don’t know what went wrong… I think I must have done something terribly wrong in the potion because she’s completely… something’s terribly wrong.” Harry went back to his cauldron where Hermione still stood oblivious. Harry waited anxiously for Snape to catch up to him.
“Miss Granger, can you see me?” Snape lit his wand and waved it in front of her. Her eyes focused but didn’t follow the wand light.
“ … seeeeiuu… aaai … feel …strange…swimmmming…”” She replied with some effort.
Snape looked into Harry’s cauldron, “What was the last step you accomplished?”
“We were just about to add the gentians, is she going to be alright?”
Snape dipped the ladle into the boiling potion and brought a portion of the thin liquid up to his nose, inhaling deeply, then breaking into a great show of coughing, blinking and sputtering, “Dear Lord Potter! What have you done?” Harry looked horrified, “We need to get her to the hospital wing immediately.” With some effort they managed to direct Hermione towards the door, “Miss Snape, you are in charge. Potter, you will help me escort Miss Granger to the hospital wing.”
They walked as quick as they could through the dungeon. “Potter, for your own peace of mind, it might help you to know that whatever is wrong with Miss Granger has nothing to do with your potion.”
“What? Why did you say it did? No wait, don’t tell me.. you suspect Malfoy. You’re paranoid…”
“You may have noticed, I am also still alive.”
“Well, if it wasn’t that, what’s wrong with her then?”
Snape shook his head, “Do I look like a mediwizard to you?”
When they arrived at the hospital wing, there was a commotion in the ward. Madame Pomfrey was exchanging words with Professor Dumbledore. There was a group of uniform clad wizards and witches hovering in groups over Neville’s bed and a couple off to the side comparing notes.
Madame Pomfrey looked up from her conversation and rushed over to the group, “Sorry, the ward is closed, no visitors now, thank you.” She said brusquely,
“We’re not visiting,” Harry motioned to Hermione, “Something’s wrong with Hermione.”
Madame Pomfrey took a closer look and saw Hermione indeed wasn’t herself. She motioned for a mediwizard to come over and take a look, “It’s the same thing isn’t it?” The healer waved his wand over Hermione.
He nodded, “I suggest we take her along with the other one, it might be contagious.”
“Take her? Take her where?” Harry wanted to know, “And who’s the other one?”
“Neville’s contracted the same condition,” said Madame Pomfrey, “These Healers are here to take him to St Mungo’s.”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:47:11 GMT -5
“What took you so long?”
“Don’t take that tone with me, Weasley. I was held up by Miss Spinnet asking about her last potions exam”
Harry and Ron had been impatiently waiting for Snape at the front entrance. It had been a few weeks since Neville and Hermione had been taken away and finally, finally they were able to get time away to go visit them.
“Professor Xavier will be joining us as well, I believe she is already waiting for us in Hogsmeade. Come along then, you two.”
Harry felt a chill up his spine when he saw the thestrals, their skeletal hooves pawing at the earth. He stared transfixed for a few seconds, then shook himself and got into the carriage. No one spoke for the entire trip to Hogesmeade. They hadn’t any word on Neville or Hermione’s condition, and they feared the worst.
The Three Broomsticks was empty save for Madame Rosemerta and Raven, who was staring into her glass of water when the three entered the establishment. She nodded to them and stood up. They walked solemnly to the fireplace where they, one by one, disappeared in a puff of green flame.
The group walked out of the dust of the floo and into the sterile atmosphere of St Mungo’s. Harry felt a slight warm breeze and noticed all floo ash had dissapeared from his robes.
“We are here to see Neville Longbottom and Hermione Granger.”
“Very well then, they are in the Janus Thickey Ward.” Snape raised his eyebrows at that, but then just nodded to the healer and led them on.
“Harry, does anything about this corridor look familiar to you?”
“Yeah, isn’t this where Lockhart is?” Harry got a pit in his stomach. They were headed towards the Long Term Resident’s Ward.
“You don’t think…whatever they got, it’s incurable do you?”
“Don’t say that.” Harry growled, although he was thinking the same thing himself.
“Can I help you dears?” It was a motherly looking healer holding a tray of potions, “You look a bit lost.”
“We are looking for Hermione Granger and Neville Longbottom, please.” Raven replied.
“Ah,” The healer said seriously, “ Do you see the end of the hall there? If you turn the corner there will be a room with rows of beds, the fourth and third beds from the end are Granger’s and Longbottoms… Poor dears…winding up like the Longbottoms like that…”
“Like the Longbottoms? What do you mean they’re- “
“Come along Potter, this way.” Snape ushered them down the hall.
“They can’t possibly be like the Longbottoms. I was there the whole time and Hermione was definitely not Crucio’ed into dementia.”
“There’s more than one way to addle someone’s brains.”
“Like dropping them on their head?” The thought that had been plaguing him for the past two weeks surfaced.
“Unless Granger also was dropped on her head, I doubt it very much. Stop trying to put more blame onto yourself than you already have earned.”
“It’s too coincidental to be an accident!” Harry replied hotly, “ Both Hermione and Neville were there! And nothing else unusual had happened before or since that incident.”
“Not everything is always about you, Potter.”
“This is NOT about me!”
“Stop it the both of you!” Raven finally interjected, “You’re making a spectacle of yourselves. And we’re here anyway.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:47:35 GMT -5
A stern looking woman sat in between Neville’s bed and one of the end beds. Harry recognized the vulture hat. She didn’t look up when they came near although it was apparent she knew they were there.
Harry hesitated, wondering whether he should greet her or not. He didn’t have to, because presently, she looked straight at him, “Come to visit Neville have you?”
“Yes ma’am and Hermione.”
She nodded, making the vulture tip dangerously over her eyes, “It’s good to know he’s had good friends. He was a good boy.”
Harry’s voice cracked, “You say that like he isn’t going to recover! Like he’s dead!”
She just stared at Harry for a moment, then got up, “I’m an old woman, Mr. Potter. I’ve lived my life. I can sit here all day long and it doesn’t make a difference because I have raised my children, and kept my house, and fed and clothed my grandson. I’ve had my share of memories. But you, you’re young. And it doesn’t do for the young to dwell on false hope.” Harry looked away, his face was burning. She sighed, “I think I’ll leave you alone, Good day to you, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Professors.”
After a few steadying breaths, Harry ventured to look at Neville. He was sitting up in bed and staring straight ahead through lifeless eyes. Harry swallowed and looked away, in the bed next to his was Hermione’s. Hermione still had the look of intense concentration on her face and seemed to be slightly aware that there were visitors. She was sweating and staring hard at Harry, as if it was an extreme effort to concentrate at all.
“Hermione,” Ron held her hand, “Hermione, can you understand me?” His face was screwed up in a look of intense anguish. Harry couldn’t look at him without coming close to tears. He looked at Snape instead, who had his eyes closed and looked rather paler than usual, but he at least seemed calm. Harry wondered whether he was practicing occlumency. . Professor Xavier kept looking around nervously.
“I’m going to use the loo.” Harry mumbled after a few minutes of this torture, he had to get away, “I’ll be back.”
He passed by the other beds numbly. This couldn’t be happening, this wasn’t happening, not to his friends. Why is it that everything he touched came to ruin? Harry blinked away tears as he wandered aimlessly about the ward, only half heartedly looking for a bathroom. He knew the sooner he’d found it, the sooner he’d have to go back.
“Are you lost, dear?” A healer whom he thought he recognized asked.
“No thank you,” he replied, trying to keep the quaver out of his voice.
“Alright dear.” She smiled and Harry realized it was the woman who was Lockhart’s healer, “If you do need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”
“Thank you,” he mumbled, roaming listlessly about the corridor.
He finally found the bathroom, it was a cheery yellow with lurid fragrant smelling flowers scattered about the countertop, which only served to annoy him. He splashed cold water onto his face, and it seemed to help somewhat, although he couldn’t be sure how he was going to face Hermione and Neville again.
He found himself wandering the ward again, and somehow, he got the idea that he might as well visit Lockhart. It wasn’t that he actually wanted to see him, but more that he didn’t want to see his friends in their incapacitated state.
“Excuse me, could you tell me where I can find Gilderoy Lockhart?”
The kindly healer cocked her head to one side, “Gilderoy Lockhart? He’s that famous chap that wrote all those books? I wonder whatever happened to him. He seemed like a such a nice fellow. I rather fancied him actually.”
Harry blinked, “Gilderoy Lockhart. He was here. You know, he liked to sign autographs?”
“Here? No I don’t think he has been.” She checked on a clip board, “When do you think he might have been here?”
“The last time I saw him was Christmas, last year.”
She flipped back several pages on her clipboard, “No… I don’t see his name here. Are you sure you’ve got the right ward dear?”
“Quite sure.”
“Well he isn’t in our records. You must have the wrong person.” Just then there was a loud barking from a few beds away, it was the lady with a fur covered head. She was still here, “ Oh, I’m sorry dear, I’ve got to attend to dear old Agnes here. Perhaps you should check at the front desk?”
"I think I will, thanks."
=======
“Where’s Ron?” Harry asked when he’d returned to the group.
“He went to look for you, about five minute after you left.” Snape replied, his eyes still closed.
“Oh.” Harry sat wearily in the chair and waited for Ron to return, Hermione was staring at him again, and looked like she was trying to say something. She just opened and closed her mouth a few times and then fell exhausted onto her pillow.
He looked over at Neville and gasped.
Mrs. Longbottom was standing near her son. Standing and holding out a gum wrapper for Neville to take. Neville just stared straight ahead.
“He can’t take it.” Harry said uselessly to Alice. She either didn’t hear him or couldn’t respond, because she just held out the gum wrapper. Neville didn’t respond.
“He can’t take it,” Harry said again, the tears welling up again. He stood up and walked over to Alice, “Can’t you understand? His brain’s been fried, he’s a vegitable. He’s finished. Done. Gone.” Harry shouted at her through hot tears, she didn’t appear to notice, but kept on holding out the gum wrapper, waiting.
"He can’t take the bloody gum wrapper because he’s like you now!” Harry felt someone grip his shoulder. Snape was standing over him wearing an expression Harry had never seen on his face before
“Sit down, Harry.” Snape said quietly, directing him to a chair. Alice still held out the wrapper and Harry wondered when she would tire of it.
Ron returned, looking a bit more collected than he had before. He nodded solemnly to Harry, and Harry nodded back. They both sat in silence for some time.
“They’re not going to stay like this.” Ron said stubbornly, “There must be some way…there just has to be…” He trailed off.
“And what if there isn’t?” Harry asked dully and closed his eyes, trying to collect himself the way Snape seemed to be able to do.
“Don’t talk like that. There is. And we will find it. We can’t give up- These are our friends.” Alice had shuffled over to Harry and held out her hand to him, “Neville’s mum’s got something for you.”
“Gum wrapper.” Harry opened his eyes slightly and took the wrapper from her. He stuffed it in his pocket.
It was difficult for Harry and Ron to concentrate on anything after their visit. Quidditch seemed the furthest thing from either of their minds. But it seemed to them their first match of the season sprang upon them. The Slytherins had taken to singing ‘Weasley is Our King’ whenever a Gryffindor Quidditch player was in earshot, causing many a near-riot. Ron had to take house points from Ginny for cursing Draco, although secretly he wished she’d given him more than just a blue and green polka-dotted face.
Tensions were higher than ever between the Gryffindors and the Slytherins and it didn’t all have to do with Quidditch. Somehow it had come out that Neville’s parents had been in St. Mungo’s for ages and Draco kept hinting that he was the one who put their son and ‘the mudblood’ there as well. Harry many times had to resort to leaving the room before he couldn’t control himself. In those times, he was sure he would have been able to pull off a good Cruciatus Curse. Ron wasn’t helping any. Twice McGonnagal had to reprimand him for fighting (“A prefect must be an inspiration to their house! Especially in times such as these! They must set an example!”).
The DA had taken on a new life of it’s own, it was no longer a fun club, but a sort of junior auror boot camp. Harry, who was sure it was not coincidence that his friends had contracted the madness, put everything he had into training what he saw for the first time, as a real army. They had once again taken to calling it Dumbledore’s Army, much to the consternation of Professor Xavier. And the practices became increasingly more strict. Once Xavier had suggested that perhaps he was taking the club a bit too seriously and Harry went off on her, launching into a passionate speech.
“Taking it too seriously?” He roared, “What kind of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor are you? How can you not take it seriously? Two of our schoolmates have fallen to the dark arts-“
“There’s no evidence that-“
“-have fallen to the dark arts, “ Harry’s voice rose above hers, “and you say, ‘don’t take it seriously.’ ”
“Don’t put words in my mouth, I said YOU were taking it TOO seriously, that does not mean the same-“
“Voldemort is out there.” Many cringed at the sound of the name. He turned to the assembled group, “Do you want him to torture and kill your parents? Do you want them to wind up like Neville’s Parents, like Neville and Hermione? How about your siblings? Your friends? You?” Harry’s iterations did not fall on deaf ears, “Because that’s exactly what will happen if you don’t learn to protect yourselves.” Harry was close to tears, “And don’t think it won’t happen to you, because it can. It can happen to any one of us. A any time. Remember Cedric Diggory?” Cho let out a sobbing gasp, “I’m sure he never expected Voldemort (-cring-) to be at the other end of the Tri-Wizard cup. And no, I’m not a better wizard than Cedric. Cedric was a damn fine wizard as ever I knew. He just wasn’t prepared. You can never expect Voldemort, but you can prepare for him.”
“It is not your responsibility-” Raven said coolly, hoping the calm in her voice would soothe him.
“Oh, but I think it is. Why don’t you ask Dumbledore if you don’t believe me?” Harry gave her a pointed expression. Raven said nothing more.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:48:26 GMT -5
Dumbledore looked up from the stack of parchments that cluttered his desk, as Raven slid into his office. He notted her furrowed brow and aggitated epression with some concern.
"Albus," she began softly, pausing for a moment to put her thoughts into words. "We may have a bit of a situation with the DA.." she paused again and worried her lower lip for a moment before continuing, "Actually, with Harry."
Dumbledore raised his snowy eyebrows, and motioned for her to sit. "What exactly is the problem, Raven?"
Raven explained everything that happened at the last DA meeting, specifically how militant the meetings were becoming and the incident involving Harry going off in a full blown rant.
"He's becoming fanatical about this, Albus." she stated quietly. "Someone needs to set him straight and honestly I don't know the boy well enough to do it..."
Raven looked at Dumbledore and found that his expression nearly mirrored her own. He tapped his arched fingers against his chin, in thought for a moment before speaking.
"This is getting to be a situation. I myself would talk with Harry, but ever since the death of Sirius Black.." he paused as sorrow breifly washed over his face. "He no longer trusts me."
The both sat quietly for a moment, before Raven decided to break the nearly oppressive silence.
"Harry seems to believe that he must be responible for preparing all the other students for war.. and that you think it's his responsibility as well....?" she began, hoping Dumbledore would elaborate.
"Ah yes, that would have to do with what he heard about the phophesy," Dumbledore said with a trace of what might have been bitterness, but it was so fleeting, that Raven was almost sure that she had imagined it. "That would explain why Harry is so gung ho about getting the other students trained. He must feel like it rests upon his shoulders to get everyone ready for whats to come."
"But if he keeps going on like this, he liable to have a nervous breakdown," Raven said. "This needs to stop before things get out of hand. Maybe if we disband the DA club..?"
"No," he replied, "They would just meet in secret like they did last year."
"There must be something we can do."
Dumbledore sighed wearly and leaned back in his chair. "I know, but at this moment I'm fresh out of ideas.."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Raven left Dumbledore's office feeling more aggitated than ever. Her cat-like senses were sending off alarms that something was going to happen if this situation kept going as it was. Something bad.
Someone had to talk to Harry and make him see some sense, but who? Suddenly it came to her like a flash of lightning. She altered her course and made her way to the dungeon.
Raven peered into the potions lab, to find Snape hunched over a table, carefully dividing up ingriedients for the asignments he would use the next day. She watched him silently for a moment, before stepping into the room and leaning against the frame of the door.
"Severus?" she called softly, not wanting to startle him. He looked up at her and frowned at the expression on her face.
"Whats wrong?" he asked.
"We, may have a problem," she replied. "I tried to talk with Albus but he said that there really nothing he could do, and I know we can't leave things the way they are or it'll all just blow up on us and-"
"Raven, calm down, you're not making any sense." Snape motioned for her to sit next to him on one of the lab stools. "Now. Take a deep breath and try that again. Slowly, this time."
Raven briefly explained what happened in DA club, and Harrys reactions, and then her conversation with Dumbledore.
"Something must be done about this, Severus," She said softly. "Harry's bordering on fanatacism with this.. He almost reminds me of the time when I met Barty Crouch.." She let out a small sigh. "And he won't listen to me.. Maybe-"
"I'll speak with him," he said quickly, anticipating what she was to ask of him. Raven let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you," she said softly, then gave him a half-hearted grin. "I just wish I didn't have such a dire situation to use as an excusse to see you."
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:48:46 GMT -5
If it were possible, the Slytherin rivalry had reached heights never before imagined. It got so intense that Dumbledore had threatened to cancel Quidditch if it didn’t stop. That stopped the outward violence, but did not serve to lessen the tension. The very air was charged with its electricity and it only seemed to get worse without an outlet.
When finally the day of the game arrived, it was no longer Quidditch, it was war.
The game was the most brutal Quidditch match Hogwarts had seen in many years, fouls flew left and right and the game went for four hours straight. (mainly from all the injuries that had to be attended to, which were not always on the field) It was very near sundown when the snitch was finally caught. Draco caught the snitch, but Gryffindor won by a narrow margin of ten points (Gryffindor scored just barely before Malfoy snatched the snitch)
“Good game, Potter.”
Harry turned around to see a very exhausted looking Draco Malfoy extending his hand. Harry just looked at him and said slowly, “You do realize you lost, right?”
“Only a game, Potter, only a game.” Malfoy smiled placidly back at him. Slowly, Harry took Draco’s hand, to shake it, waiting for something to happen to him. The handshake ended uneventfully.
There was an awkward silence.
“Erm…nice catch.”
“Yeah but your new chasers were good though.”
“It was a close game.”
“True…true…”
Harry looked from Crabbe to Goyle, his hand on his wand. There was another awkward silence. Which was thankfully broken by the sound of footfall on the stone, Harry looked up and saw Snape was headed this way.
“Excellent catch, Draco,” He turned to stare icily at Harry, “Is Potter pestering you?”
“No sir. We were just talking about the game.” Harry could hardly believe any of this was happening. Had he really just passed up a golden opportunity to get Harry in trouble?
“I see. Well if you don’t mind, I would like to borrow Mr. Potter for a moment, to talk about his…rather abysmal potions grades.”
Malfoy nodded, “Certainly professor. See you around, Harry. Crabbe, Goyle, come along then, you two, lets hit the showers.” Malfoy left with his two footmen in tow.
Harry blinked, not believing that Malfoy had exchanged words with him without any sneering or threatening. “Okay, now that was strange…”
“Not strange, Potter, suspicious.” Snape motioned for him to follow him.
“What was it you really wanted to talk to me about?” Harry asked when they finally reached Snape’s office.
“Your abysmal potions grades.” Snape replied dryly, “You’re slipping, Potter, and this time I know it has nothing to do with my cooking the books. From what I have been told, Potions is not the only class you’re slipping in. Actually, the only class you continue to exceed expectations in is Defense Against the Dark Arts.”
“I’ve got a lot more important things to worry about. Like staying alive.”
“Are you in immediate danger? Because I was under the impression that a lot of other people were tending to your safety “
“Funny how they’re never around when you need them.”
Snape’s nostrils flared, “How dare you.” he said with quiet menace, “People are putting your life before their own and you have the audacity to claim that it’s not good enough for you?”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“By all means, explain to me what you did mean.”
“It’s not my personal safety I’m worried about, it’s everyone else’s around me; Neville, Hermione, Cedric, all the people who were petrified in my second year, everyone I’m around, it’s my fault. I’m a danger to everyone here.” Harry chuckled mirthlessly, “It would probably be a good thing if I flunked out.”
“I’m glad you feel that way, Potter. Because that’s exactly where you are headed. If this keeps up, I am wondering who we are going to get to run the DA. We might just have to cancel it.”
Harry’s head snapped up. He hadn’t thought of that.
“I suggest you give it some more rational thought before you decide to neglect your studies for more ‘important things’, as you say. For now, I am sure the other Gryffindors are wondering what happened to their seeker. Good game Potter.” Snape nodded curtly and sat down at his desk pulling a pile of papers toward him, indicating the conversation was over.
Harry nodded back and headed for the door, but turned back, “Shouldn’t McGonagall have told me this? She is my head of house.”
Snape didn’t look up from report on acromantula venom he was reading, “True, however she is not your uncle.”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:49:14 GMT -5
The great hall was abuzz, as students sat over their breakfast, planning out their first trip to Hogsmede for the year. At the head table the teachers were conversing quietly over their meals, making sure to keep an eye out for trouble among their excited charges.
Owls swooped in with the morning mail, and everyone's eyes were drawn to a rather large package that was being delived that morning. Five owls struggled with the weight of their plainly wrapped burden, as they sluggishly flew across the great hall towards the teacher's table. The package landed with a heavy thud right in front of a mildly embarressed and confussed looking Raven.
Raven stood to look at the package, and a small smile tugged at the edge of her lips. Snape raised an eyebrow and looked at the box in front of her questioningly. "Need any help with that?"
"Um.. er, yeah. Thanks," she replied. The both of them grabbed opposite ends of the package and began to lift it off the table.
"Professor Xavier.."
Raven stiffend slightly, and she slowly turned her head to face Dumbledore, her cheeks again, flushing with embaresment. "Yes?"
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled briefly. "I wondering if you were going along to the trip to Hogsmede today?"
Raven's posture relaxed a bit and she let out a small sigh of relief. "No.. I have to much to do today." She gave him a quicj smile. "Maybe next time." With that she pratically dragged the package and Snape out of the Great Hall as quickly as she could.
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Once they arrived to the relative safety of her quarters, they placed the package on a coffee table, right before Snape collapsed into a nearby chair.
"What was that all about?" he asked, flexing his fingers to get the stiffness out from carry the heavy box.
Raven gave him an embarrassed smile. "Um, er yeah, about that.. I was worried that Albus was going to let my little secret out.. But I think he was just messing with my head."
"Secret?"
Raven blushed again. "Yeeah.. It's er- my birthday."
He raised an eyebrow at her, "Really?"
"Yup," she replied toying with a loose lock of hair. "Albus is the only other person here at Hogwarts that knows.. Well, other than Thorne that is.."
He gazed at her curiously. "Why keep that a secret?"
"I guess I don't want a big production made of it.." she shrugged. "I mean my birthday wasn't ever really acknowledged until I came here to Hogwarts." She gazed fondly at a brand-new leather bound book that sat on the table next to the package. "Albus, made sure that I would get a present every year while I went to school. Usually sketchbooks like this one or art supplies."
"You draw?"
She nodded, "Not as much as when I was a child, but I dauble occasionally, when the spirit moves me." She shook her head, as if to clear it. "Anyways, lets see what I got from Japan.."
"Japan?" Snape asked curiously, despite himself.
Raven smiled. "Yes.. My friend Keiko lives there. She and her brother took care of me during a rough time.." her voice trailed off, and a trace of sadness entered her eyes. In an instant it was gone, as she plastered a smile on her face. "If I know Keiko, she's probably sent sent me enough japanese candies to sasify both mine and Thorne's sweet tooths for a year." She oppened the box and her grin took an mischevous edge to it. "It's time introduced you the wonderful world of pocky."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Raven watched Snape with a feline smirk. It had been determined that he had an extreme fondness for both dark chocolate and almond pocky. He stared at an empty box that he held in his hand, with a slight frown, then let it drop to the ground with the others.
"Pocky should be illegal," he groused, "It's quite addictive."
Raven just grinned like a cheshire cat. "I know.. Thorne could live on the stuff." She glanced at the other items she had recived from Keiko. Other than the large amounts of Pocky, Ramune and other japanese confections, her friend had sent several hard to find teas that Raven was especially fond of, a samuri sword for Eustace (with an attached note from Keiko, firmly stating that Raven must bring him to Japan on their next long holiday so she could meet her new "brother") and an old photo album. Raven hadn't yet drawn up enough nerve to look through the pages. She didn't think she could deal with the memories of looking at the old pictuces would draw up.
Snape let out a sigh as he looked at the stack of unopened pocky boxes that Raven had said he could have. He had already gone thru half of the original ammount she had given him. "I really shouldn't have another box," he stated, and Raven giggled, knowing he was trying to talk himself out of opening another box. "I'll ruin my appiteite for the feast tonight."
She made a slight face. "Well I don't have to worry about that. I'm not going."
Snape took his eyes off the candy and focused a puzzled gaze on Raven. "Why?"
She shrugged. "I'm still convinced that Albus is going to announce it's my birthday. He's the closest thing that I have to a father, and I guess he feels it's his paternal right to embarass me in front of a large group of people," she said with a chuckle.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:49:33 GMT -5
“Potter?”
“What do you want, Malfoy?”
“I just wanted to say I’m sorry…you don’t have to get all huffy.”
“What do you have to be sorry about?” Harry could think of about a dozen things that he should be sorry for.
“Well… you know…I’ve been a real prat all these years…”
“No kidding? What made you realize it?”
“’Mione.” He mumbled to the floor.
“What? I couldn’t hear you.”
“Hermione. Not the mu- not your Hermione, my Hermione. Professor Snape’s niece.” Harry bit hard into his lip to keep from laughing. Malfoy? In love? It was too funny to imagine, but it looked like Hermes had managed to put a ring through Malfoy’s nose.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.” Malfoy muttered, his cheeks coloring.
“No no…of course not….” Yeah. Right.
“Should we start again then, Potter?” He held out his hand for Harry to shake.
Harry hesitated, “I still don’t believe you.” He said flatly.
Malfoy colored deeper but when he spoke, his voice was calm, “No, your right, I haven’t given you much reason to trust me, have I? I’ll tell you what. Meet me in the Three Broomsticks; You and Weasley and whoever else wants to come, there’s a place where they’ve got best wizarding cuisine, we’ll go to lunch. My treat.”
Harry just sort of stared at him and wondered if Hermione had actually put him under Imperius as a sort of joke, she was from Durmstrang, after all…
“Oookay…”
“Great. See you there.” He left the room whistling.
A half-hour later, Ron came tearing into the room.
“Where’ve you been, Ron? You all packed?”
“-Listen, did you see Malfoy?”
Harry snorted.
“I’ll take that as a yes. What’s wrong with him? He just apologized for the Weasley is Our King song, said I really was a good Quidditch player, and invited me to lunch. Is he off his head?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but he told me he likes Snape’s niece. I’m not entirely sure I believe it though. So he’s either telling the truth, highly doubtful, Hermione’s put him under some sort of congeniality curse, plausible, or it’s some sort of trap, highly likely.”
Ron nodded, “He told me you agreed to go to lunch with him, is it true?”
“Yeah. Here’s what I’m thinking; He said bring anyone I want. So I’m going to invite, Ginny, Luna, Colin and Dennis, and any of the other DA members who will go. If he really is going to do something, he won’t do it if there are too many of us, And if he does, we’ll have the best DA members with us, he’ll be no match for us. And if he really is trying to be nice… well I suppose even Malfoy deserves a second chance.” Harry sounded doubtful.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
After Snape had managed to leave Raven in a relatively unsuspicious manner, he rushed to the potions dungeon, which was, thankfully, deserted due to Hogsmeade. He wished she had told him sooner about her birthday, he would have been able to put more thought into what he could get her. It was too late to shop. The carriages for Hogsmeade had already left. But if he couldn’t buy her something, he could at least make her something.
He took a mental inventory of his stores before rushing to his bookcase filled with potions books. He had only a vague idea of what he was looking for, but he knew it had to say to him ‘this is for Raven’ and it had to be done in an afternoon.
His eyes lit on something perfect. Raven was an artist. And what can an artist use? Paint. Snape stoked the fires under four cauldrons of red wine and one of white. If he wanted to be done today, he would have to create each color simultaneously, luckily the base was similar for all of the paints but one, white was always a difficult color to achieve. Oak and Aleppo galls, horse chestnuts, hemlock and the rinds of pomegranates simmered in the alcoholic mixture. Extracting the tannin was the longest step in the preparation. Meanwhile he crushed the copperas into a fine powder.
This was the first time Snape had attempted this particular type of paint. It was not typical everyday paint, this was living paint, animus atramentum. It was of the same stock as the moving paintings dotting the hallway at Hogwarts. And he knew it was just the thing for Raven.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:49:53 GMT -5
It was a crisp autumn day and the whole town was dressed to the nines for Halloween. Wizarding Jack o’ Lanterns talked to each other while miniature skeletons played catch with the apples and the delicious scent of pumpkin and mince pies, fruit cakes and corn bread wafted out of homes and down the main thoroughfare. The whole town had a wonderful festive atmosphere and it would have been very difficult indeed for anyone to feel the least bit in a bad mood.
In the end, Harry had persuaded Ron, Eustace, Hermes, Ginny, Luna, Colin, Dennis Seamus and Justin to come along. There was no way Malfoy was going to try anything with a group that size. Harry briefed them just before they went inside, telling them to be on guard for anything suspicious.
If possible, The Three Broomsticks was even cheerier on the inside than on the outside, a small fire was lit in the hearth to counteract the nippy air outside and the room was alight with the hues of fall. Everywhere was lit with the warm glow of jack o’ lanterns, Cranberry garlands, enchanted bat decorations hung in the eaves, and the whole room smelled strongly of roasting apples and butterbeer.
Draco sat in stark contrast with his pale face, white-blonde hair and frost-blue eyes, not to mention his cool green Slytherin robes. He sat at a table near the fire absentmindedly staring into the flames and eating the dried fruit and nuts dispensed from the enchanted cornucopias on the table. He stood up when he spotted Harry.
“You came…I didn’t think you would, honestly… and you brought Weasley and hello Hermione aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.” He grinned at her.
“They’ll be sorer if you don’t shut up.” She said under her breath.
“What was that?”
“I said hello Draco,” she smiled politely. She’d been trying to distance herself from him, but between Quidditch practice and classes, it was very difficult.
“Well then, shall we get going? It’s quite a hike.”
“Isn’t anyone else coming?” Harry wasn’t sure it was a good or bad thing if Draco decided not to bring anyone.
“Yeah… Crabbe and Goyle. Where’d they go anyway? Crabbe…Goyle…foooood…”
The two hulking boys tore themselves away from the pastry cart, their pockets bulging with pumpkin pasties, “I swear you two, I don’t know where you put it all.”
“Our mouths?” Crabbe said and Goyle guffawed stupidly
“Obviously. Come on then, lets go.”
“Where’re we going?” Harry asked after a while of walking.
“Merlin’s Castle.”
The group exploded in a flurry of talk, “No way, really?” Ron said, his face lighting up, “Have they got one in Hogsmeade?”
“Oh I’ve been there!” Seamus said excitedly, “it’s great.”
“What’s Merlin’s Castle?” Harry felt left in the dark.
“You’ve never hear of it? Oh, it’s lots of fun. it’s a restaurant in a castle and all the waiters and waitresses dress up just like in Merlin’s day. And while you eat you get to watch professional duelers reenact famous duels…sometimes they’ll hold special events, like every spring they reenact a unicorn hunt. Or hold an old fashioned Quidditch match using a real live snidget, you know, that sort of thing.”
“I’ve always wanted to go there, but it was always too-.” Ron shut his mouth quickly.
“Far?” Draco suggested.
“Yeah that.” Ron turned bright red.
Despite this, Harry frowned. It was just too good to be true. Draco couldn’t be bringing them there out of the kindness of his heart. Could he?
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:50:34 GMT -5
The exterior of Merlin’s castle was sizable and gleaming white reminiscent to how Harry pictured Camelot. Actually, it reminded Harry strongly of a restaurant his aunt and uncle had taken Dudley and his friends during summer vacation, only Harry had to wait in the car. He remembered it because they’d forgotten to leave the windows rolled down and it was sweltering hot out. He woke up sometime later with a man dressed a lot like Merlin mopping his head with a cold wash cloth and handing him a large glass of cold water and muttering about muggles. Suddenly it dawned on him that that man must have been a real wizard. Probably even someone he knew. He tried to think of who it might be, but he had been so hot he’d payed more attention to the glass of water than to the person.
But it was a cool fall day now in the wizarding world, and as they entered underneath the massive portcullis it wasn’t only a restaurant, it was more like a tourist trap, Most of the castle served as a sort of living museum; jongleurs, artists and artisans demonstrated and plied their wares to the paying public. A wizard dressed as a medieval alchemist was handing out bits of chocolate charmed to look like real galleons. By the time they got to the center ring, just about everyone had forgotten they were supposed to be on their guard.
The courtyard where the restaurant was, was really a big Quidditch field, a sort of coliseum with tables set up instead of seats. In addition to the box seats up above, there was a ring of terraced patios with tables for the less high flying productions, like dueling, and musical entertainment.
“How many please?” Said the hostess at the entry to the patio.
“Um…letsee…” Draco counted the people in his party, “Thirteen.”
“Thirteen? Are you sure? You know what they say about thirteen to a table…”
“Heh… you sound like our Divination professor.” Ron rolled his eyes.
“Was my favorite subject.” She smiled down at them, “Here you are, a table for a party of thirteen. Stand back please.” She took out her wand and elongated the table, conjuring more chairs, “Thank you, make yourselves comfortable and your server will be with you shortly.”
Everyone busied themselves with looking at their menus. Ron almost choked on his water when he saw the over inflated prices. Draco must have noticed because he made sure to make it clear to everyone, astonishingly not pointing out Ron and his lack of gold, that he was paying for everyone.
The show consisted of some of the acrobats they had seen before doing aerial stunts on brooms and even a middle eastern themed troupe that did acrobats of magic carpets. (They had made sure to mention they’d gotten special permission from the Ministry). But they were only the warm up acts.
An aged man, as thin as a rake, in faded robes much too big for him, shuffled slowly out into the arena clutching a grey something in his wrinkled hands. For some reason, this had the effect of drawing people’s attention even more than the acrobats. By the time he’d gotten to the center, the roar of the crowd had diminished into a dull whisper.
The man stood for several minutes. It seemed he was waiting for something, or maybe it was just a tactic to grab their attention even more. Finally, the man took the grey bumdle from under his arm and placed it on his head. For a split second, Harry thought it was the Sorting Hat, but realized there were subtle differences, the rips were all in the wrong places for instance.
And finally, in a creaky voice that would have been barely a whisper were it not for the Sonorus spell he had used, slowly, carefully, he began to speak:
And finally, in a creaky voice that would have been barely a whisper were it not for the Sonorus spell he had used, slowly, carefully, he began to speak:
I will tell you a tale of a time long ago
Of familiar faces, In a place you all know.
It was hard to tell exactly when the transformation began but gradually the scene seemed to shift, it was difficult to put a finger on exactly what was changing, but it was, Harry could tell. The field seemed to grow larger. Or maybe it didn’t exactly grow larger, nothing seemed to move. But it just seemed to be able to accommodate more. Unnoticed, an old growth forest seemed to spring up in the middle of the coliseum, in fact, if you didn’t look down at your table, it was almost as if the coliseum had disappeared altogether.
The hat seemed to reverse itself from various states of shabbiness until it looked as though it had just been made. It was hard to see the old man’s features from under the large robe and wide brimmed hat, but something had changed about him too. He seemed to be standing straighter, although he had his head down. His voice no longer seemed frail, but had gained strength and timbre.
Ere came the village, a forest once stood,
t’was a refuge for wizards, a magical wood.
Something was moving in the shade of the trees behind the speaker. Harry couldn’t make out what it was.
For witches and wizards, these were difficult days
The non-magic-folk crushed their wizarding ways.
There was the piercing scree of a raptorous bird overhead, Harry looked up, but it was impossible to see through the canopy of trees.
They hunted us down like a venomous snake
like man eating lions, they did us forsake
like an eagle who steals human babes in the night
like crop eating badger who brings on a blight
This did our non-magic brethren construe
The wizarding world did not know what to do
And thus came together, for ill or for good,
Four of a feather, in this very wood.
The old man looked up suddenly and seemed to look straight at Harry, only he was no longer old at all. He was a tall man with a closely cropped beard Free flowing auburn curls fell around his shoulders. There were gasps from the crowd as recognition came to them, Harry got a shiver up his spine as he realized it was Godric Gryffindor. He threw of the tattered and faded cloak of the old man to reveal a robe of rich reds and golds. And there, by his side, hung the very sword which Harry had killed the basilisk with in his second year.
Something gold flashed briefly in a stray sunbeam cutting through the canopy. It bounded out of the thicket and there was more gasping. It was a gryffon. The griffin’s and Gryffindor’s eyes met in a sort of staring contest and Harry wondered how much like hippogryffs gryffons were. Gryffindor bowed and so did the Gryffon which allowed him to climb onto his back. It then took two bounding leaps and took off into the air, circling low over the crowd. There was more gasping and a flurry of whispered conversation.
Phoenix song filled the air, as did many ohhs and ahhs from the diners. The forest seemed to light up as a phoenix flew through the forest. It stopped in the clearing and stood perfectly still, as if it was waiting for something to happen. Four figures stepped from the shadows as if called there by the phoenix song. Rowena Ravenclaw, Helga Huffelpuff, Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin.
“And so we traveled far and wide for others of our kind.
Slytherin, went east as far as he could find
Ravenclaw a northern road she took upon her quest.
Huffelpuff went south, And I, I traveled west.
There we went and back again, our students fast in tow
To this lowly patch of ground to teach them all we know.
But even then the seed was plant that cracks foundation stone
It could have yet been stopped right then, had anyone but known…
Another shape moved in the shadows of the forest and there was a distinct hissing noise. Harry strained to listen, to make out if he could hear if the snake was speaking parseltongue, but it had died away and the voice of the narrator drowned it out.
Gradually the forest changed again. The trees had been cleared and a foundation manifested itself. They were watching Hogwarts being built right before their eyes. It was a rather impressive effect, even unfinished, Hogwarts was amazing. It was very odd to see it so … new. Masons moved huge white blocks of stone by magic and magically aligned them into place in the growing castle. A ring of four tents had been erected to house the growing number of students, one tent to each founder. Green and Silver, Red and Gold, Yellow and Black, Blue and Bronze, the houses had begun.
“Slytherin brought from the east the brightest and the best.
And something else returned with him, but would he pass the test?
Salazar the Parselmouth, considered snakes a friend
And this, you see, would be what would undo him in the end.
In his travels east abroad, he found himself a wife,
And little did the others know that this would change his life.
A beautiful reptilian woman with almond shaped eyes slinked down from the bow of an apricot tree and met Salazar at the back of the Slytherin tent. She spoke in a hissing and spitting voice that sounded very much like a snake, Harry strained to make sense of the sounds, but they just sounded like a lot of hissing and spitting to him. She pointed to the Gryffindor tent slyly.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:51:34 GMT -5
Right in mid hiss, a beam of light hit Slytherin’s wife so forcefully that she was knocked into Slytherin. They untangled their robes and blinked, looking around. After a minute of this, Gryffindor peeked out of the tent with a slightly confused look on his face.
“You think this is part of the show?” Ron asked, his mouth full.
“I don’t think so.” He cast a nervous glance at Malfoy, but he was paying attention to the ring. Whispering had started up among the crowd as everyone wondered what would happen next. Rather than breaking the mood, it made the forest seem alive with creatures.
Finally Gryffindor emerged from the tent, quite red faced and sweating. He no longer gave the bold air of a brave person, but the rather annoyed air of an angry actor, and this more than anything so far managed to unnerve Harry. He exchanged his fork for his wand. Another blast came from a different break in the trees, this one hitting Gryffindor squarely from behind, he stumbled forward, the color draining from his face. When he looked up, it was with a befuddled expression.
“Heh…” He laughed nervously at the crowd, blinking as if he’d just woken up, “Um…hallo…”
“Why, he’s been obliviated!” someone exclaimed.
It didn’t take long after that for the audience to figure out something was wrong. The illusion faded and they were once again in the bright light of the open Quidditch pitch, the waiters and waitresses were attempting to stop the stampede to the doors. Justin and Dean jumped out of their seats but Harry grabbed Justin’s arm. “We’ll be trampled to death. We need to move as a group.” He looked over to Malfoy, who had a panic stricken look on his face, “Ready everyone? Alright, now!” They huddled in unison, many of the DA members had their wands drawn as Harry had.
“Move, Potter!” Malfoy shoved Harry hard, causing him to stumble forward, a spell missed Harry’s head by inches. If Malfoy hadn’t shoved him…
They made their way through the throng of frightened people to the interior of the castle, trying not to get separated. All had their wands drawn now, and were making sure that they kept their backs to the wall.
Another spell almost hit Ginny, she squeeked and backed away just in time.
The throng had managed to shove them down a fairly deserted passagway, they were in a long, columned hallway, which, harry hoped led the way out of there.
"Harry Potter," A voice called to him from somewhere ahead, "So we meet again!" Harry thought he knew that voice, but couldn't quite place it.
"Harry, Harry, Harry..." it tisked from somewhere in a completely different direction now, "Pity you don't have a good Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with you, eh?"
Another beam crossed the path Harry was about to take, he jumped back, just in time.
"You might have been able to avoid your fate," The voice continued.
Draco suddenly whispered something, and six cobras shot out of his wand, hissing mad. The DA club jumped back.
"Control them." Draco whispered to Harry.
"What!?"
"You're a Parselmouth, you might as well use it to your advantage. Control the snakes."
"Do it, Harry." Ginny whispered.
The voice had gone silent and Harry wondered where it would turn up next. Harry licked his lips, quietly whispering in Parseltongue to the cobras. He didn't like this plan of Draco's one bit. What if the snakes didn't obey and turned on them?
But they didn't. They slithered off in all directions, as Harry had instructed them to do.
Suddenly Harry was no longer Harry. He was somewhere else, slithering along the floor. He saw a cowled figure, waiting crouched in the darkness. And then he was somewhere else, he saw an exit. There was a shaft of light that peeked it's way out of a slightly ajar door.
And then he was Harry again. He shook himself, visibly shaken by what he had just accidentaly done. But he didn't have time to think about that now, he knew where the man was, and he knew where the exit was.
"This way." He whispered to the group, keeping an eye on where the hooded figure was crouched. Harry said something to the retinue of snakes and they formed a protective formation around the group.
"Need more of them?" Draco asked
"Could you?"
"Piece of cake." Draco made another motion, and seven more serpents slithered their way from his wand and joined the others in the growing retinue.
They inched their way along the corridor, hiding behind the stone pillars as often as they could.
Harry slipped in and out, almost subconsiously, of his serpentine protectors point of view, this disturbed him, but there wasn't any time to think about that now. One of the serpents was hit with a charm and fell, dazed, to the ground, docile.
Finally, they were at the door, only one more pillar to go, but Harry's heart sunk when he saw, through the eyes of the cobras that the figure made to cut him off.
Draco must have sensed the same thing, because he cleared his throat and began to speak, "You'd better watch out, Harry here's a Parselmouth. One word from him and these deadly cobras will attack you so fast your mother will feel it."
"Ah, but Mr. Malfoy, Harry wouldn't do something like that. He hasn't got that...killer instinct."
"Neither have you!" Shouted Ginny, "Otherwise you wouldn't have obliviated those people back there."
The voice was silent for a moment, "Tisk, tisk, Miss Weasely, is it? Must there be so much bloodshed?"
It wasn't Voldemort, Harry thought, with a mixture of relief and fear. But who was it? He had to keep him talking, so he could slip a snake through the door. He said something in Parseltongue and one of the cobras broke rank, heading stealthily towards the open door.
"They might as well be dead." Harry said flatly, "They can't remember their own names now."
"Oh, they might remember eventually, there's still a chance."
"Who are you?" Harry shouted, the whole group moving as one unit.
"Now there's an interesting question!" The voice said cheerfully, as if it was a topic he was very fond of, "Who am I! Now let me see if I can remember. Hmmmm....." They were close enough to the door, it was time to make a break for it. Harry hissed forcefully and the serpents galvanized into action, quick as lightening, they attacked the cowled man, and he cowered in fear.
"Run!" Harry commanded, this time in english. And they did. Draco threw out a few more serpensortias for good measure, as the originals were being picked off, one by one. Harry had commandad the Snakes to distract but not bite. He didn't want any more death on his conscience.
They were outside and they could hear the man yelling in surprise and frustration as the remaining serpents kept wrapping around his wrists, hissing furiously.
They didn't stop running until they reached the main thoroughfare.
--------------------------------------------------
“I swear! I had nothing to do with it!”
“And I’m supposed to believe you?” Harry spat at Draco as they burst through the door of the Three Broomsticks.
“Yes! Because I’m telling the truth! How was I supposed to know some lunatic was going to pick off the entertainment?”
“Gee, I don’t know Malfoy, maybe because you paid them to do it? And they weren’t picking off the entertainment, clearly they were aiming for me.”
“Not everything is about you! I can’t believe this! I try to do something nice, extend an olive branch of peace, and what do you do? You trample all over it! I saved your life! Or at least your memory…not that it’s worth anything.” Malfoy scowled.
“That’s right…” Harry said slowly, “You did save my life.”
Malfoy looked up hopefully.
“You set me up.”
“What!?”
“You set the whole thing up, not to kill me, but to save my life. So it would make you look good. I’m not falling for that one.”
“I DID NOT DO A DAMN THING!” Draco thundered, red faced, “All I’ve been is nice to you, I invite you to lunch, pay for it, even. Let you invite whoever the hell you want, and then, when some nut job decides to crash the place and target you, -and that’s a big surprise there, because you know they’d rather target nameless actors rather than the famous Harry Potter, no you’re not a magnet for this sort of thing…not at all- And then I save your bleeding life. But no good deed goes unpunished… does it, Potter.” All through this speech, Malfoy had not once drawn his wand, even after Harry had drawn his.
“Take it back!” Both Draco and Harry turned to see Crabbe had Eustace in a headlock while Eustace had caused part of Crabbe’s hair to be singed off.
Draco scowled and cursed Crabbe. At first Harry had thought he’d missed, but Draco didn’t try for another shot. Crabbe fell to the floor in pain, allowing Eustace to wiggle out of his grasp. Harry wondered if it was just him, or did Draco improve his wandmanship dramatically?
“Get up Crabbe!” Malfoy ordered and he obeyed immediately, “What do you think you’re doing!”
“What were you doing?” Harry asked Eustace.
“He was talking about Hermione in a lascivious manner.” Eustace said through clenched teeth.
“Was he?” Both Draco and Hermione Snape pointed their wands menacingly at Crabbe. He shrank away from them.
“Apologize.” Draco ordered. Crabbe looked like he’d been smacked in the face, “Well? I’m waiting.”
“Imsorry.” He mumbled quickly to Hermione Snape’s feet.
“Louder, so she can hear you.” He jabbed his wand forward at Crabbe.
“I said I’m sorry!”
“And you,” Draco turned to Eustace, “This brute didn’t hurt you, did he?” Eustace was too dumbfounded to speak, but somehow he managed to shake his head.
“Good,” He turned to Potter, “ I’ll see you around. Crabbe, Goyle… we’re leaving.”
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:52:44 GMT -5
The sound of contented purring filled Raven's living room, as Thorne licked the cream from several sticks of pocky that he held tightly between his paws.
Raven gave him an amused glance, then returned her eyes back to the book that layed spread across her lap. She had been breaking in her new sketchbook all afternoon, and hiding out from Dumbledore, in case he decided to throw her a 'surprize' birthday party.
Raven smudged her fingers across the page, blending the lines made in charcoal. She absentmindedly pushed away a lock of hair from her face, leaving a small smudge of black across her cheek, as she surveyed her finished work. Peering back up at her was the smiling face of Dumbledore. Since he was the one who had given her the sketchbook she thought it was fitting that he was the first person she drew in it.
A slight noise caused both Raven and Thorne's heads to snap up. She watched her door slowly open, with a cocked eyebrow. Snape stepped into the room holding a package, but instantly froze when he saw her sitting there.
"Um, er.. Hello Raven," he stammered, moving the package quickly behind his back.
"Hello, Severus," Raven replyed, her eyebrow still raised.
"I aaah, just dropped by to say hello, but you appear to be busy, so I'll just come back later.." he turned quickly, ready to flee out of the room, but Raven's tone of voice stopped him.
"Severus.." He turned to see that she was already standing, her arms crossed in front of her and her eyebrow was still raised, but the beginings of a smile tugged at the edges of her lips. "You obviously didn't expect me to be here, so may I ask why you are sneaking in my room?"
"I.. I ah.." he blushed beet red, before stepping forward and then holding out the package to her. "Here.." he mumbled.
Raven took the package with a puzzled look. "What is.." she began, then her eyes widened in astonishment. "You.. You got me a present..?"
"I didn't have time to buy you anything.. So I made you something... I was going to leave it here, because I know you didn't want anyone making a fuss about you're birthday.."
"You didn't have to get me anything," she said softly, but her smile clearly stated that she was quite pleased with the surprise.
"You can open it you know," he said with a bit of a smile. Raven blushed, realizing that she was just standing there, clutching the gift tightly to her chest and grinning like an idiot. She ripped the wrapping off the package, to reveal five bottles of ink, in red, blue, yellow, white and black.
"It's magical paint," Snape said, "You can use it to make living pictures..."
Raven looked up at him and gave him a brilliant smile, "Oh Severus," she said softly, "It's absolutly perfect."
Snape suddenly found himself in Raven's embrace, as she wrapped her warms around his neck. "Thank you so much, Severus," she said before kissing him on the cheek.
a-hem..
Raven whirled around, to see Thorne regaurding her and Snape with a rather amused expression on his whiskered face.
i'm sorry, did i interupt something? he asked, in an innocent tone.
"No," Raven scowled at him, unable to hide the flush of color that infused her cheeks.
i think i'll go see if eustace is back, Thorne stated as he sauntered past them, towards the exit. He pawed opened the door, but paused, casting a look at them over his shoulder. i'll leave you two to your privacy... he sent with a cheshire grin before leaving the room.
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Post by Demonic Neko on Aug 5, 2005 23:53:42 GMT -5
“It had to be a set up, Harry, it just had to be.” Ron said for the millionth time on the way back to Hogwarts. “I know…” Harry responded for the millionth time, “but Malfoy seemed pretty surprised himself. Did you see the horrified look on his face? There’s no way Malfoy’s that good an actor.” “Yeah, but this is Malfoy we’re talking about… Mal – foy .” “I’m with you Harry,” Colin said quickly, “I think it was some kind of freak accident, Malfoy’s not that smart, is he?” Colin Creevy had been silent for most of the time. Thankfully, he’d stopped hounding Harry with his camera (although he was on the year book committee). Harry thought that the novelty of wizard life must have worn off for him by now. “Maybe.” Harry said dismissively. A thought had just occurred to him. A sickening, horrible thought. If Malfoy did save his life, did that mean he owed him a life-debt? “I wonder who the nutter was.” Hermione Snape though out loud. “Could be just about anyone,” Ron mused, “although they had to be able to do a really good memory charm. Did you see the distance that thing got? I saw where the spell was coming from the second time, and it wasn’t very near the actors. And plus they had to be good at hiding. I’d say it had to be an obliviator. I’ve seen them when I’ve gone to work with Dad, you’ve got to be really stealthy so the muggles don’t see you.” “Like some sort of memory sniper.” Dean said. “What’s a sniper?” “A guy with a gun..that’s sort of like..well I suppose it’s like a wand that shoots metal things called…” “I know what a gun is.” “Well it’s a guy with a gun that can shoot someone from far away and not be seen.” "Do you think they'll come after you again?" "I don't know, Ron." Harry said irratably. If he did come after him again, he hoped he wasn't within a thousand miles of a snake. He shivered. They had avoided talking about his speaking in Parseltongue so far on the journey. But Harry could tell they were shaken by it as much as he was. And they didn't know about the possession.... Harry shivered again and thought of when he was inside the snake that attacked Mr. Weasley last year. He never, ever wanted to do that again. * * * * * * * * * * * * As Eustace was making his way to the Great Hall with the others, he was startled by a small furry body landing on his head. He let out a startled squawk and nearly fell over. Large green eyes peered down in his face. hullo!Eustace grabbed Thorne off his head, holding him by his scruff, and gave him a disgruntled look. Thorne just gave him an unrepentant, cheshire grin. "Don't do that!" Eustace hissed, "You nearly gave me a heat attack!" Months ago, if someone had told Eustace he'd be scolding a Draven cat while holding it as one would a naughty kitten, he would of thought they were barking mad. He set Thorne on the ground and gave him another scowl. raven wants to see you, Thorne sent as he casually licked his paw. "Now?" Eustace whispered, not wanting to draw attention to the fact he was having a conversation with a cat. Thorne shrugged, whenever you can, he replied, she got a package from japan with lots of treats... but if you don't want any, that means more for me.. Throne grined as his eyes glazed over slightly at the prospect of having more Pocky to himself. Eustace debated for a moment, and decided that he could skip out on the feast for the lure of an exotic treat. Knowing Thorne, there would not be anything left if he went to dinner first. Eustace gave Thorne a sly grin, "I think I'll go now.. and if you're lucky I might leave some left over for you." With that Eustace bolted towards Raven's quarters, leaving Thorne blinking in surprise behind him. The Draven cat shook himself out of his daze and let out a yowl of displeasure before tearing off after Eustace. Little did they know someone was watching them both with an intense intrest... * * * * * * * “What are you doing here, Malfoy?” Harry said with a sigh. “I’m visiting. There’s no rule against visiting other tables, is there.” Draco’s cool gaze flicked over to Hermione Snape and he took a seat at the Gryffindor table, “You have to believe me when I say that I didn’t have anything to do with that attack today. It’s important to me that you believe that.” “What do you care if I believe you or not? It wouldn’t be the first time you’ve laid claim to someone else’s handiwork. Second year you were hinting that you were the Heir of Slytherin.” “I did no such thing!” If possible, he turned paler. “Yeah… you threatened all the muggle borns.” “That doesn’t mean I was trying to look like the Heir of Slytherin. If you got that impression, that’s not my fault.” He looked exasperated, “Listen, I’ve acquired some… questionable habits from my father… it took him getting sent to Azkaban for me to realize it. Don’t look at me that way Potter, this isn’t exactly a walk in the park for me to discuss, especially with you. All I’m asking for is a clean slate.” “We already tried that today or did you get hit with a memory charm?” “Maybe… you should give him another chance.” Hermes, who had been waiting for Eustace to return, had been edging closer to Harry and Draco, “I mean, what if he really didn’t have anything to do with what happened today? If that’s the case, then you’d be denying an innocent person a second chance.” “Thank you!” Malfoy said triumphantly. Harry scowled, “You almost sound like my Hermione.” “How is she, anyway?” “What do you care Malfoy?” Harry snapped. “With an attitude like that, one wonders how you keep friends, Potter.” “Yeah? Well with friends like you, who needs enemies, Malfoy.” “Stop it! The both of you!” Hermes glared at them. “Sorry.” They muttered simultaneously. “Hey, have you guys seen my roll of film?” Colin said too quickly…it took a second for Harry to realize what he’d said. “No, haven’t seen it Colin.” “The year book committee’ll want pictures of the feast…” He said nervously, “I hope I didn’t leave it in Hogesmead… I better go get a new roll from my trunk...” He said as he stood from the table… but Harry wasn’t really listening. “I’m going to go see what’s taking Eustace.” She stood up from her place, “If I find you two have been fighting…” She gave them a stern, very snapelike look. "I'll help you Hermione." Draco stood up. "Me too." Harry stood up. There was no way Harry would leave Malfoy alone with her, not after what happened during Quidditch tryouts. Malfoy scowled and looked to Hermione, who didn't seem to object. Malfoy said nothing. |
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