Title:
The Pit
Summary:
Severus Snape takes great pride in his house. The children there are his own and that makes them precious. So he guards them with stunning ferocity, he has them for seven years. For seven years he guards childhood for those destined for greatness.
Notes:
The story basically revolves around Severus and the relations hips with his students, cannon and OC.
I remember reading somewhere Sirius was the only black to not be in Slytherin. I figure that even if her last name is Tonks Nymphadora is still in blood a black and because of that I'll deny she was a puff and put her into Slytherin.
~O~
Grace was in all her steps. Heaven in her eye. In every gesture. dignity and love.
~John Milton
~O~
"And now we welcome to the stage the our top students from each." The head master gestured to the four students standing to his left. "Arrisa McNish of Ravenclaw—with Eight NEWTS—Five of them Os. Ms McNish is also the leader of our school's Gobstones club and is going on to start an apprentice ship under Apothecary Vern Clouse."
The head master paused for the traditional hoots and applause to flare up as the girl received her diploma.
"Our top student May Nexutis.—" Severus surveyed the crowd. It was always pleasant to see how many people came each year to celebrate. Usually he spent most of the graduation trying to link students to relatives in his head and see how many were related.
"From Gryffindor house; William Weasly- with Eight NEWTS, five of them of them Os and the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
Applause whistles and shouts erupted from the stands as the eldest Weasly child flushed red and crossed the raised platform He paused to shake the hand of the head master.
"Our top student of the 1990 class; with Eight NEWTS O's straight through is Nymphadora of Slytherin."
Severus' dark eyes followed the valedictorian up the three steps of the platform. He couldn't have been more pleased if she had decided to make her hair a respectable color for the occasion, as opposed to the cotton candy pink she was so fond of.
"Aren't you happy Severus?" Pomona spout asked in a hushed whisper. "She's one of the first you've had all the way through out."
Severus gave no indication that he heard her, and watched eyes locked on the girl that would leave for the last time. She would be the first of his nest to leave for good. All in all the thought was rather depressing—but he was proud none the less.
It had taken seven years of, 'Watch where you are going!', 'Nymphadora— It is your given name don't make that face at me.' a heart to heart about why all boys are stupid and why she shouldn't date until she was thirty and countless trips to the hospital wing. To produce the young lady that had passed Flitwick with bright amber eyes that were focused so intently on the head master.
She had come along way from the shy little thing that hid behind the sofas of the dungeon common room to escape the teasing of her distant cousins and tripped over her own fee—
There was a loud thump when she slammed into the wooden floor beneath her some how managing to knock over the podium as well.
It seemed he was ahead of himself.
The stadium was dead silent.
As Pomona and the other heads began to rise the Potions Master snarled, "leave her be." The others froze in their actions and settled back down when their once student pinned them all with a sharp glare.
The girl pushed her self up and stood on her feet. Her hair was a dark brown just like her swimming eyes. Her hands quivered as she straightened her robes, just as she was about to turn on her heel and shoot leave he spoke smoothly levelly in the voice that his students knew better than to disobey.
"Nymphadora. I do believe you have to make a speech."
She didn't move at all only grit her teeth and spoke as best as she could with out moving her lips "You cannot be serious."
"I was hung from my ankle and pants in front of three fifths of the school when I was in fifth year and the girl who I incidentally smitten with." He cleared his throat quietly and continued. "Its not that bad. You tripped-- it happens. So get your wits together and do what you must."
The teenager let out a huff and walked the rest of the three strides to the center of the stage. She righted the podium and papers with a flick of her wand and took a step behind it.
"Um… hi 'm Tonks—Um well Nymphadora Tonks really." She looked into the audience and saw one red haired child frown. "Yeah, I know, I can't tell you what my mother was thinking, but that's not the point. Well I'm valedictorian and, uh, well I never really expected it… I was so terrible in my classes at the start. Especially potions…"
Some of the other graduating students chuckled at this. Until one of them called out to her. 'You still owe me a new pair of boots from that spill.'
The brown hair began to lighten then change hue to a colbalt as she frowned at the boy. "Oh, Cig come on now! I told you already I'm not payin' for those shoes the swelling solution made it the perfect size for your head! Be frugal, Use it as a hat."
The crowd snickered at the obvious jab at the Gryffindor.
Some one cleared their throat loudly and the girl flushed and smiled bashfully. "Well, on to my point. I was a walking disaster—Pandora, that's what some people called me. Well after a while I was so put out and depressed that it effected my magic. I couldn't do a single spell!
I hid in the dorm room all the time after a while I didn't go to classes. I had thought I lost my magic… and then my head of house came and dragged me out of the girls dorm and started throwing spells at me."
Every eye turned to Severus, who just crossed his arms and glared at his now ex-pupil as she spoke all the while trying his best to fight the redness creeping up his neck.
"They weren't bad or anything just stupid little spells. Tickling hexes—he turned me red --cheering charms—um I think there was even this really cool spell that made me sing limericks in Portuguese.
But the point is he kept going until I was so annoyed that I started to hex back. Then I realized my magic hadn't gone after all… I just had stopped it because I kept worrying about what I couldn't do and everyone else.
After that I hit the books twice as hard. Because if I could stun a professor I could do anything I wanted. And what I want is to be an Auror…. Oh Mummy don't make that face! I know my coordinatin leaves much to be desired but I wont be that bad!
So, err yeah that's my speech." Nymphadora took three steps away from the podium before sprinting back —her hair changing to bright green in the process—she smiled and leaned close to the mike and with a gigantic grin she proudly shouted. "I GRADUATED!"
Severus leaned back in his chair and tipped his head back so that he could look up at the sky and avoid anyone who was sending a questioning glance in his direction.
Well… that's what he told himself anyway.