It was the Yule Ball in an exceptional year. The first Triwizard Tournament in hundreds of years, and the famous wizard band, Weird Sisters, was honored to play in Hogwarts.
Lemmy, the lead guitarist, was hauling equipment off the van when a small voice piped up from behind him. A thin blond boy was staring at him.
"I said, excuse me." The boy tapped his foot impatiently.
"Can I 'elp you, lad?" Lemmy asked. His hair was frizzy and black, and was currently pulled back in a ponytail lest his curls get caught under the many pounds of gear in the van.
"I just wanted to know, you are a wizard, right?" The boy looked at him with contempt and a bit of suspicion.
"Of course, m'boy! I was one of the worst in my class," Lemmy said. "I miss failing those exams. They were great fun." Lemmy trailed off, lost in nostalgia. "I remember some pretty wild time." His accent put about three extra syllables in both 'wild and 'time'. "Yeah, I miss that place like all 'ell sometimes."
"What I wanted to know," the boy's cutting voice jerked Lemmy back to the present, "was why on earth you were pulling the equipment off the van like a Muggle."
"Ah, and not wizarding it off?" The boy nodded. "Well, m'lad, a man has a very special relationship with 'is equipment." He paused and blushed. "'Is, er, band equipment. 'Is gear. Uh,y'know," h said, changing tack, "it's really a matter of natural laws. There exist certain natural laws and, um, one is that a musician 'as to be seen taking 'is gear out. I mean, 'is equipment. I mean." He turned his back to the boy and waved him away. "Get on with ya lad. You shouldn' be messing about back 'ere." The boy just stood and stared. "Well, go on! Get out o' 'ere." The boy walked off, and Lemmy could hear him say, "Musicians are crazier than I thought" in a prim little voice.
Cindy looked at Lemmy funny as he walked in. "What took you so long?" Cindy asked, draping his snake around his neck.
"Just some brat. Asking dumb questions."
Cindy hissed at his snake. "Did you find your wand yet? Moving will be a lot quicker once you stop carrying all your crap in."
Lemmy whipped around. "Just bloody shut up!" He then ran off.
Cindy shrugged and turned back to his snake, hissing at it gently. The band manager, Theo, walked into the room. Her long blond hair covered her shoulders, obscuring a variety of tattoos. "What's Lemmy's prob?"
Cindy stopped hissing. "Some kid was bugging him. I dunno." He hummed their hit song "Where Do You Think This Wand Is Going?" and patted his snake absentmindedly.
Theo stared at him for a few minutes. "It never gets any less weird." Cindy cocked a heavy eyebrow. "Watching a Gryffindor snuggle a snake."
"I suppose," replied Cindy noncommittally. He wandered off to go set up with the other band mates.
Theo walked through the piles of equipment not yet set up. "Bonovox amplifier, check. Edge(tm) brand guitar tuner, check. Mullen sticks for Ginj, check. Clay charm strings-crap, these weight a ton-for bass, check. All our wizard stuff is here. What's with all this Muggle crap?" Theo bent down and began sorting boxes. Gingie came in, twitching a little. "Ginj, what is it with you nuts and Muggle gear? You can get a better sound with charms and magic."
"Its not as honest sounding." Gingie twitched a little more. "Got any coffee? I'm feeling a little stimulant deprived."
Theo bewitched a nearby cup, which filled with hot fresh coffee. Gingie gulped it down in one go. "Thanks Theo!" He ran off at full tilt.
"Slow down Ginj, speed kills, you know." Cindy wandered into the room. "Have you seen my black eyeliner? I can't find it anywhere."
Theo waved her wand. "Glamorus totale." A black pen popped in Cindy's hand.
"Look, Theo, this is great for emergencies, but I need something better..."
Ginj walked in. "Guys, I just ran into the wall and I think I hurt my wrist and..."
Lemmy stumbled into the back room as well. "I'm sorry. One of the kids was making fun of me mole and I'm just really upset and..."
The clamor and din of their whining voices rose around Theo and she slumped down onto one of the boxes. "I cannot wait until this night is over," she thought to herself.
A few hours later, after sending Professor Flitwick to Hogsmeade to buy the right kind of eyeliner-surprisingly, he was a huge fan; after getting Madam Pomfrey to heal Ginj's wrist and give him yet more coffee to stop his withdrawal jitters; after holding a small meeting on tolerance with the rude child and Dumbledore; the band was onstage and rocking up a storm. Theo relaxed, but only slightly. She watched, from backstage, the awkward couples dance. She saw the famous Harry Potter, sulking a bit off to one side. The equally famous Viktor Krum danced with a remarkably beautiful young woman in blue. She watched as Severus Snape and Boris Karkaroff stormed back into the hall. Karkaroff made a rude gesture to Snape and went off again outside. She watched Snape steam.
Theo remembered Snape pretty clearly. He was a seventh year when she was a first year. Even back then, he was a black-wearing brooding ball of anger. His lip curled back as he stared at the Weird Sisters, with Cindy writhing and singing in front. Theo watched him cut through the hall, headed back to his quarters, probably. He'd have to walk by the stage exit, thought Theo.
"Hello, Severus," she said as he stomped by. He turned quickly, on his heel.
"Do I know you?" he asked curtly.
Theo smiled. "Yes, you tutored me in your seventh year. I needed help in Potions. How are you doing?"
"I'm surprised you ended up managing a rock band, you seemed smarter than that. Currently I'm busy." Severus walked off, but not before Theo caught hold of his long black cape. In her boots she topped two meters, and consequently stared down into his eyes rather than up.
"Why so rude to an old mate, Severus?" He sneered at her and she licked the tip of his ear with a pierced tongue. "Want to see some neat tats?"
His eyebrow raised, a little intrigued. "I'm sure they're well done," in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "but I'm also sure that whatever you have planned I won't enjoy." His voice quavered, just a little.
"I do love the rebel type," and with that she tossed him onto the floor backstage and followed his fall.
On the drive home Theo kicked back in the back seat and smoked calmly.
"Was it good to see old Hogwarts again, Theo?" Cindy asked. His snake was in its carrying case next to him.
She stared off into the distance and blew a smoke ring. Turning her head quickly, she grinned briefly at Cindy. "It was great." She turned back to the view outside, Hogwarts fading in the distance. "Really great."
The next morning Snape taught his Potions class with much more gentleness than any student had ever seen. "Cauldrons can be replaced, Longbottom. You can borrow another."
"Sorry Professor Snape. My wand just kind of-poof!-pierced the bottom," Neville said. He looked tense, as if he were expecting the punishment to be sprung unexpectedly.
"Piercings are more than adequate. I value them highly, as should we all," said Snape absently. Hermione, Ron and Harry exchanged glances. Ron leaned over and whispered something to Hermione, who blushed and whispered to Harry who stifled a giggle. He looked at Ron who nodded knowingly. The three made faces of disgust and began giggling softly behind their hands. Hermione pointed out an odd bruise on Snape's neck and they laughed harder.
Snape put the new cauldron down in front of Neville and noticed the trio snickering to themselves. Awkwardly, he pulled the neck of his robes higher and held his hand in front of his throat, where it remained for the rest of the class.
Lemmy, the lead guitarist, was hauling equipment off the van when a small voice piped up from behind him. A thin blond boy was staring at him.
"I said, excuse me." The boy tapped his foot impatiently.
"Can I 'elp you, lad?" Lemmy asked. His hair was frizzy and black, and was currently pulled back in a ponytail lest his curls get caught under the many pounds of gear in the van.
"I just wanted to know, you are a wizard, right?" The boy looked at him with contempt and a bit of suspicion.
"Of course, m'boy! I was one of the worst in my class," Lemmy said. "I miss failing those exams. They were great fun." Lemmy trailed off, lost in nostalgia. "I remember some pretty wild time." His accent put about three extra syllables in both 'wild and 'time'. "Yeah, I miss that place like all 'ell sometimes."
"What I wanted to know," the boy's cutting voice jerked Lemmy back to the present, "was why on earth you were pulling the equipment off the van like a Muggle."
"Ah, and not wizarding it off?" The boy nodded. "Well, m'lad, a man has a very special relationship with 'is equipment." He paused and blushed. "'Is, er, band equipment. 'Is gear. Uh,y'know," h said, changing tack, "it's really a matter of natural laws. There exist certain natural laws and, um, one is that a musician 'as to be seen taking 'is gear out. I mean, 'is equipment. I mean." He turned his back to the boy and waved him away. "Get on with ya lad. You shouldn' be messing about back 'ere." The boy just stood and stared. "Well, go on! Get out o' 'ere." The boy walked off, and Lemmy could hear him say, "Musicians are crazier than I thought" in a prim little voice.
Cindy looked at Lemmy funny as he walked in. "What took you so long?" Cindy asked, draping his snake around his neck.
"Just some brat. Asking dumb questions."
Cindy hissed at his snake. "Did you find your wand yet? Moving will be a lot quicker once you stop carrying all your crap in."
Lemmy whipped around. "Just bloody shut up!" He then ran off.
Cindy shrugged and turned back to his snake, hissing at it gently. The band manager, Theo, walked into the room. Her long blond hair covered her shoulders, obscuring a variety of tattoos. "What's Lemmy's prob?"
Cindy stopped hissing. "Some kid was bugging him. I dunno." He hummed their hit song "Where Do You Think This Wand Is Going?" and patted his snake absentmindedly.
Theo stared at him for a few minutes. "It never gets any less weird." Cindy cocked a heavy eyebrow. "Watching a Gryffindor snuggle a snake."
"I suppose," replied Cindy noncommittally. He wandered off to go set up with the other band mates.
Theo walked through the piles of equipment not yet set up. "Bonovox amplifier, check. Edge(tm) brand guitar tuner, check. Mullen sticks for Ginj, check. Clay charm strings-crap, these weight a ton-for bass, check. All our wizard stuff is here. What's with all this Muggle crap?" Theo bent down and began sorting boxes. Gingie came in, twitching a little. "Ginj, what is it with you nuts and Muggle gear? You can get a better sound with charms and magic."
"Its not as honest sounding." Gingie twitched a little more. "Got any coffee? I'm feeling a little stimulant deprived."
Theo bewitched a nearby cup, which filled with hot fresh coffee. Gingie gulped it down in one go. "Thanks Theo!" He ran off at full tilt.
"Slow down Ginj, speed kills, you know." Cindy wandered into the room. "Have you seen my black eyeliner? I can't find it anywhere."
Theo waved her wand. "Glamorus totale." A black pen popped in Cindy's hand.
"Look, Theo, this is great for emergencies, but I need something better..."
Ginj walked in. "Guys, I just ran into the wall and I think I hurt my wrist and..."
Lemmy stumbled into the back room as well. "I'm sorry. One of the kids was making fun of me mole and I'm just really upset and..."
The clamor and din of their whining voices rose around Theo and she slumped down onto one of the boxes. "I cannot wait until this night is over," she thought to herself.
A few hours later, after sending Professor Flitwick to Hogsmeade to buy the right kind of eyeliner-surprisingly, he was a huge fan; after getting Madam Pomfrey to heal Ginj's wrist and give him yet more coffee to stop his withdrawal jitters; after holding a small meeting on tolerance with the rude child and Dumbledore; the band was onstage and rocking up a storm. Theo relaxed, but only slightly. She watched, from backstage, the awkward couples dance. She saw the famous Harry Potter, sulking a bit off to one side. The equally famous Viktor Krum danced with a remarkably beautiful young woman in blue. She watched as Severus Snape and Boris Karkaroff stormed back into the hall. Karkaroff made a rude gesture to Snape and went off again outside. She watched Snape steam.
Theo remembered Snape pretty clearly. He was a seventh year when she was a first year. Even back then, he was a black-wearing brooding ball of anger. His lip curled back as he stared at the Weird Sisters, with Cindy writhing and singing in front. Theo watched him cut through the hall, headed back to his quarters, probably. He'd have to walk by the stage exit, thought Theo.
"Hello, Severus," she said as he stomped by. He turned quickly, on his heel.
"Do I know you?" he asked curtly.
Theo smiled. "Yes, you tutored me in your seventh year. I needed help in Potions. How are you doing?"
"I'm surprised you ended up managing a rock band, you seemed smarter than that. Currently I'm busy." Severus walked off, but not before Theo caught hold of his long black cape. In her boots she topped two meters, and consequently stared down into his eyes rather than up.
"Why so rude to an old mate, Severus?" He sneered at her and she licked the tip of his ear with a pierced tongue. "Want to see some neat tats?"
His eyebrow raised, a little intrigued. "I'm sure they're well done," in a voice dripping with sarcasm, "but I'm also sure that whatever you have planned I won't enjoy." His voice quavered, just a little.
"I do love the rebel type," and with that she tossed him onto the floor backstage and followed his fall.
On the drive home Theo kicked back in the back seat and smoked calmly.
"Was it good to see old Hogwarts again, Theo?" Cindy asked. His snake was in its carrying case next to him.
She stared off into the distance and blew a smoke ring. Turning her head quickly, she grinned briefly at Cindy. "It was great." She turned back to the view outside, Hogwarts fading in the distance. "Really great."
The next morning Snape taught his Potions class with much more gentleness than any student had ever seen. "Cauldrons can be replaced, Longbottom. You can borrow another."
"Sorry Professor Snape. My wand just kind of-poof!-pierced the bottom," Neville said. He looked tense, as if he were expecting the punishment to be sprung unexpectedly.
"Piercings are more than adequate. I value them highly, as should we all," said Snape absently. Hermione, Ron and Harry exchanged glances. Ron leaned over and whispered something to Hermione, who blushed and whispered to Harry who stifled a giggle. He looked at Ron who nodded knowingly. The three made faces of disgust and began giggling softly behind their hands. Hermione pointed out an odd bruise on Snape's neck and they laughed harder.
Snape put the new cauldron down in front of Neville and noticed the trio snickering to themselves. Awkwardly, he pulled the neck of his robes higher and held his hand in front of his throat, where it remained for the rest of the class.
