The Potion Master's Assistant
by ClayPotter
Disclaimer: All characters except "Sienna Kaolin, Carter Kaolin, Hazel Kaolin, Babaji, and Lorenzo Lotus" are based on JK Rowling's Harry Potter Book Series. I have written this as a parallel to Books 4, 5, 6, and 7. Because of the parallel there are times when I recreate J. K. Rowling's dialog word for word, in order to conform to her canon. I am assuming that you have read all 4 of those books before reading my story. This is not an Alternate Universe story. Canon is followed strictly. But I assume that in J. K. Rowling's books we do not find out the names or habits of every student at Hogwarts. Nor do we hear about every minute of Harry Potter's life, or Snape's, which makes it easy to create new characters and weave them into the existing story.
This story was written strictly for fun; no profit has been made in the writing or sharing of this story.
I want to whole heartedly thank my beta reader, JEN for all her help on this monumental project.
Chapter 1
"The New Arrivals Pass the Test, One Stands a Head Above the Rest"
Severus Snape sat at the desk in his office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The new school year was about to start and he looked at his class schedule, noting which students he would have in which time slots. Some students were easier to tolerate than others. His wish was always to start the day with the most annoying ones, to get them out of the way first. The rest of the day would go down hill after that. But since schedules were complex, with many other subjects and teachers to consider, he usually didn't get his wish. Besides, he thought to himself, there is usually at least one bad apple in every class.
This year on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons it was the Weasley twins. They actually hinted at brilliance much of the time, but their antics in class could not be tolerated. He had a feeling that they would go far in whatever they chose to do, but felt certain that their chosen field would be rather unconventional.
Tuesday and Thursday mornings, Potter and his friends were out of the way first, thank Merlin's Beard. But in the afternoon, there was Lorenzo Lotus, a hopeless case. Severus was sure that one would never amount to anything. The best he could probably hope for, if he managed to graduate, was a job as a bar keep or driving the knight bus.
Suddenly, Severus stopped and backed up the roster. Just above the name Lotus, Lorenzo, was a new name he didn't recognize: Kaolin, Sienna. He lifted one eyebrow. A new student coming in as a 5th year? That seems odd, he thought to himself. He could not remember anyone ever transferring from another school as long as he had been teaching. But the Hogwarts Express was on its way, and the staff meeting was about to start. Perhaps I'll find out more about her then, he thought, as he headed down the hall.
The teachers were all settling into the class room for the meeting, as Dumbledore cleared his throat to get their attention. He had several announcements to make, as usual. But the big news was the Tri Wizard Tournament.
"As you all know, after the goings on at the Quidditch World Cup, we will have extremely tight security in place here at the school for the upcoming events. You all will be expected to put in a few extra hours each week patrolling the halls and the grounds." There were groans from the staff. "I am to be notified immediately at the first sign of anything out of the ordinary.
"There will also be Ministry of Magic security in place, but as you must know, with so many additional students from the other schools, we'll need every extra hand we can get.
"Speaking of the Ministry, you all may remember a certain Alistor Moody, who was a very effective Auror in the War against Voldemort." Several members of the staff shifted uncomfortably at the sound of Voldemort's name. Severus subconsciously rubbed his inner left forearm. Moody had almost landed him in Azkaban after Voldemort's downfall. It was only after Dumbledore's timely intervention that he was spared that fate. The thought of Moody here at the school, scrutinizing his every move, made him very uncomfortable.
"One more thing… This year, a young lady will be joining us as a 5th year student. Her father passed away when she was young, but it was his wish that she attend a special Muggle school that would delay her entry to Hogwarts."
So, thought Severus, she's not a transfer student after all.
"Her mother has been home schooling her for the last two years at an accelerated rate, and we tested her over the summer. She passed 4th year exams with flying colors." Severus looked around. The other staff members were nodding their heads in approval. They were so easily impressed. She probably doesn't know a newt's toe from a toad's, he thought sarcastically.
Dumbledore continued, "Her mother has done an exemplary job with her education thus far, but now feels that Hogwarts has more to offer than she can give at home. So, Hagrid, you will bring her across the lake with the first years." Hagrid puffed out his chest with pride at being assigned this important task. "She will need to be sorted."
Hagrid nodded his head and smiled. "What's her name?" he asked.
"Sienna Kaolin. Look for an older girl that you don't recognize. She will no doubt seem a bit out of place. I met her when she was tested. She has long dark curly hair, and pale eyes that seem to change color with her surroundings."
"Got it," Hagrid assured the Headmaster. "I'll take good care of her."
Later that evening the Great Hall was filled with students as they awaited the new arrivals. Severus watched in amusement as the dripping wet first years paraded past the staff table and waited to be sorted. One girl stood a head taller than all the rest. She looked old, even for a 5th year. Her long ebony curls cascaded down her back as the water dripped off. Her eyebrows swept back elegantly, revealing long black lashes over pale grayish green eyes that sparkled in wonder at the vastness of the Great Hall.
Severus watched as her eyes took in all the details of the room and its inhabitants. She seemed to be concentrating very hard, absorbing each and every face, as if committing them all to memory. But she spoke to no one.
Finally, her eyes found his. She raised her eyebrows at him and smiled, as if she already knew him. He raised his eyebrows in return with curiosity, and he didn't look away. After a few moments, she broke the link and continued to observe the scene around her, while she waited her turn to put on the Sorting Hat.
Sure enough, when Professor McGonagall got to the "Ks" she stepped forward to the stool, picked up the sorting hat, and sat down. A long silence followed, apparently indicating indecision on the part of the hat. Finally, it shouted out "Gryffindor!" The Gryffindor table erupted and she walked briskly to join them. Severus groaned. Not another one, he thought. He could see that the other kids were all full of questions for her and wondered if she liked the extra attention.
As the first weeks of school passed, Severus and the students fell into the school routine. The 5th year Gryffindors had double potions with the Slytherns. It was Severus' last class for the day, as well as theirs, and by the end of class time everyone's nerves were usually wearing thin. Some people were frantically trying to get their potions completed on time. The tension always hung heavy in the air. Who would have their cauldron emptied with the swish of his wand and a non verbal spell? Severus relished the feeling of intimidation. At least in his class room, he had the ultimate power to control every aspect of the situation. Each student shook in his or her shoes as he strolled by, glaring down his long nose into each cauldron… except Sienna. She was always calm and never looked flustered. But then again, she never gave him any reason to ridicule her work.
"Dismal attempt, Lotus. You forgot to add the frog spawn in step 17, didn't you?" Severus turned on his heels with a dismayed look on his face. "Did you people forget how to read over the break? It's right here on the board. All you have to do is READ the instructions!" Exasperated and angry, he turned back to poor Lorenzo Lotus. "I don't need a phial to test – I can tell by looking, it will be completely useless. What a waste of perfectly good potion ingredients." He waved his wand and the cauldron emptied. "Zero," he sneered. "Everyone else, times up. Phials on my desk – NOW!"
It's going to be another long year, Severus groaned inwardly. He walked back to his desk and with a flick of his wand, piled the phials up in a basket as they were handed to him. When Sienna brought hers up, Severus immediately noticed that it was the perfect color – not the color it would have been had she followed the instructions to the letter – but better. She had tweaked it, and he had not even noticed how. He made a mental note to watch her more closely. Had she somehow gotten hold of his old textbook? No, he thought. It was right where he had left it in the bottom of a cabinet in the closet. He was sure of it.
Yet, there she was, handing in a perfect potion, and this was not the first time. And unlike Hermione Granger, she did it silently, in the background. If it had only been "by the book," he may not have even noticed her existence at all. She never asked questions, never talked out of turn, never even seemed to socialize with the other students. No, she was definitely NOT an attention hound like Potter, Weasley or Granger. Thank Merlin's Beard! He didn't think he could take another one.
A few days later, Severus caught Dumbledore in the hall after dinner. "May I have a few moments of your time, Headmaster?"
"Of course, Severus. Let's go up to my office." They weren't far, and walked down the hall in silence. Dumbledore could tell that whatever this was about, it was best discussed behind closed doors. "Rum Raisin Ice Cream." The Gargoyle jumped aside.
As they settled themselves in Dumbledore's office, Severus looked around at all the fascinating gadgets whirring and sputtering on the various tables. Fawkes, the Phoenix sat on his perch, preening his magnificent tail feathers. He looked up at Severus and let out a short, melodic greeting. Severus smiled. "Good to see you too, Fawkes," he replied. Then he turned to Dumbledore. "So what's the story on the Kaolin girl?"
Dumbledore looked at him innocently. Severus could already tell he was a wealth of information. The trick was always in how to get him to open up. "What do you mean? I told you at the start of school why she came to us late."
"Yes," Severus' lips and eyes both narrowed, "but I sense that there is much more to her story."
"Oh? Why do you think that?" Severus could see that Dumbledore wasn't going to give up any more information than he had to.
"Well, for one thing, she never asks questions in class, I never see her wandering the halls or the grounds, alone or with other students. She sits at the end of the Gryffindor table at meals, and barely speaks to anyone."
"Do you think she could just be a loner?"
"But she's in Gryffindor! They are, by and large, almost as social as the Hufflepuffs!" Severus definitely felt at this point that Dumbledore was giving him the run around.
"Wouldn't be the first time. After all, the sorting hat did have trouble placing her."
Severus was definitely not satisfied with that answer, but he hadn't divulged all of his information either.
"What else is troubling you about her?"
Yes, Dumbledore always knew. "I'm not troubled as much as amazed," admitted Severus. "She has an uncanny ability to produce the perfect potion. The first couple of weeks she went by the book and her potions were always good, but then she started experimenting with stirring patterns, and ingredient preparation. Sometimes, she even adds items that are not in the recipe. Since then she has turned in a work of art at the end of each class."
"She sounds a bit like a Slytherin boy who used to attend school here." Dumbledore smiled warmly.
"Yes, well, she doesn't have the Marauders to taunt her, lucky girl." Severus wasn't sure he wanted to reminisce about his school days.
"Severus, I'll let you in on a little secret," Dumbledore finally opened up slightly. "Miss Kaolin is already 17 years old, thanks to her stint at the Muggle school, and has already passed her apparition test. The other 5th years are a bit uncomfortable around her because she's older, and the other 17 year olds look down on her because she's a 5th year. So she has become a bit isolated socially. Her mother was afraid this would happen and asked me to keep an eye on her. So Sienna and I have a standing weekly appointment every Friday evening after dinner. We talk about her week and any concerns she has. She has taken to studying in Minerva's office instead of the Gryffindor Common Room. She told Minerva that the Common Room was crowded and noisy, and even the library had too many people in it most of the time."
Severus eyed Dumbledore suspiciously. Somehow he knew that his friend was holding back on him. He decided to go fishing. "That can't be all."
"Oh no," admitted Dumbledore. "There is much more to her than that. But I'm afraid it's not my place to reveal all her secrets. If she wants you to know, she'll tell you."
Severus opened his mouth to object, but was cut off.
"I will tell you this much more," added Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling, "Although she has top grades so far in everything, Potions is her favorite subject. She would love to know more. Perhaps you could talk her into being your assistant one or two afternoons a week. I know you could use the help."
Severus scoffed at this idea. "A student agree to help me? And a Gryffindor no less?" He snorted. "Not likely!"
"Well, suit yourself. It was just an idea." Dumbledore's eyes were still twinkling. Severus knew that look. What was he up to?
October came, and with it the Beaubaton and Durmstrang students. They took classes apart from the Hogwarts students, taught by their own headmasters. Madam Maxime of Beaubaton stood taller than Hagrid, and he took an immediate interest in her. Professor Karkaroff, the headmaster of Durmstrang was well acquainted with Severus, having been a Death Eater who turned states evidence after the fall of Voldemort. During the trial he had tried to convince the folks in attendance that Severus was still loyal to Voldemort. Thank goodness Dumbledore managed to convince them otherwise.
The night was finally upon them when the Tri Wizard Champions would be revealed. To Severus' surprise, as well as everyone else's, Harry Potter's name flew up and out of the Goblet of Fire, to make him the fourth Champion. Severus smelled a rat, and at first assumed it must have been Harry. His father would have been proud to pull a stunt like that, fooling the age line and getting in illegally. But the look of horror that Harry had given him as he walked up to the front of the room, plus the points Moody brought up in the meeting afterwards, made sense to Severus. He began to fear that someone else had planned this, someone with sinister ulterior motives. The rules were clear, however, so Harry was obliged to compete. Severus thought at first that this was a good thing; that as the events unfolded, the culprit could be flushed out into the open. But he knew it was also risky. What if something happened to Harry? Severus shuddered and tried to shake off the thought as he climbed into his four poster bed that night, with the evening's events fresh on his mind.
As he began to drift into a light sleep, he heard a voice…
"Severus," a woman's soft tone filled his lonely ears. "I've been waiting for you."
"Lily," he whispered anxiously. "I'm worried."'
"I know, Sev. Me too."
"Can you tell what has happened? Who's responsible?"
"No. But I do know it's not good. I feel something dreadful will eventually come of this."
Severus gazed into Lily's emerald green eyes. Usually, her face, her voice, her presence had a calming effect, but not this time. She was worried, and her look fed his fears. "What do you think I should do?"
"I don't know if there is anything you can do."
Severus wrapped his arms around her in an effort to comfort her, hoping to find some solace for himself as well. It didn't help much.
"I'll do everything in my power to watch over him, keep him safe."
"I know you will. You always have, even if sometimes you're a bit cruel about it."
"We've been over this, Lily," Severus said, letting her go and walking a few steps away. "You know why I must treat him this way."
"But he has grown to hate you, Severus. I never wanted him to hate you. I feel sometimes that the animosity goes both ways. It's gotten out of hand."
Severus pursed his lips. As he turned to look at her, she crossed her arms and furrowed her brow.
"We both know the Dark Lord is still out there…somewhere. It's only a matter of time before he returns. Harry must be ready. He must be hardened and experienced. I'm giving him a thick skin that will ultimately aid in his survival. You know that."
"Well, I hope it helps him survive this tournament," she said, a hint of desperation in her voice.
"You'll be watching, too, I'm sure."
"As always. Him and you."
"And you'll come to me if there's anything I should know?"
"Of course."
Severus nodded. He walked back over to her and wrapped his long slender fingers around her delicate hands. As he watched Lily fade from view, he drifted into a much deeper, dreamless sleep.
Fall dragged on. Potter survived his first task in the tournament, much to Severus' relief. He couldn't help but be reminded of James, however, with every daring move Harry made on his Firebolt. He got past the dragon on sheer nerve, out running and out maneuvering her with some amazing moves that Severus had to admit were pretty impressive. James had been an excellent flyer in his day, but Severus felt his son could have flown circles around him. He also had to admit, if only to himself, that Harry wasn't nearly as arrogant as James had been. A reckless rule breaker, yes, but he definitely showed much more compassion for people, even misfits and outcasts, than James ever did.
So why did Harry get under Severus' skin? Perhaps it was because as hard as he tried, Severus couldn't squash a desire to follow the rules into the boy. Lily had given her life for Harry, and he repaid her sacrifice with recklessness. And Severus was reminded of that sacrifice, the life that might have been, every time he looked into Harry's intense, emerald green eyes.
It would soon be Christmas break, which also meant that the school would host the Yule Ball, a tradition that accompanied the privilege of hosting the Tri Wizard Tournament. The "Well Mannered Frivolity," as Professor McGonagall put it, was not Severus' idea of a good time, but he reluctantly arranged for a dance instructor to give all the older Slytherins dancing lessons. He didn't think he could stomach it, however, and found some excuse to grade essays in his office. Presently, there came a knock on the door. "Come in," he said, a touch of annoyance in his voice at the interruption.
In stepped Sienna Kaolin. She peaked at him from under the dark locks that framed her face. As she tossed her head to clear them away from her eyes, Severus noticed that she was beaming. Most students didn't beam in his presence, but then again, she wasn't like most students. He raised his eyebrows at her and waited for her to speak.
"I thought you'd be with the Slytherins in their dance lesson. But they told me you were here."
"Yes, well, I know I won't be dancing, so I saw no reason to waste my time. These days it seems I have no time to waste."
"I don't need the dance lessons either. I'm going home to be with my mum. I don't want her to be alone at Christmas."
"Admirable," he offered, with growing impatience.
"Yeah, well, I don't feel comfortable in large crowds anyway."
Somehow Severus didn't think she had come here to talk about dancing. "What do you want? I have a lot of work to do."
"It's about your valuable time shortage… I have an idea that might help your situation."
"Oh?" She had his attention now.
"I would like to offer my services as your assistant. I could learn so much just from how you sort ingredients. And your time would be freed up for more important matters."
"Sorry, but I like to work alone." Severus saw the beaming diminish, but noticed that it wasn't extinguished all together. He decided to test her determination. "Besides, I couldn't stand the constant chattering of a feeble minded teenage girl."
Instead of getting upset, Sienna eyed him suspiciously. "I'm not feeble minded," she said quietly. "I'm already of age, and I would only speak when spoken to, unless I had a very important question." Severus purposefully looked unconvinced. "Do I speak out of turn in class?"
He could tell she wasn't going to be easily discouraged. "Did Dumbledore put you up to this?"
"It was my idea, but he did encourage me to come to you."
Severus pursed his lips. "I had a feeling…" He sat thoughtfully for a moment. "I must admit, you are the quietest student in all of my classes. And your potions so far have been…" he hesitated, searching for a word that would not let on to how impressed he was with her work, "…adequate for a 5th year." She smirked, as if she could see right through his smoke screen.
"So I can start after Christmas?" The beaming was back in full force.
"Tuesdays and Thursdays," he said in a calm and unenthusiastic voice. "Right after class for one hour. We'll see how it goes in January. Then," his words slowed as he added drops of sarcasm, "I'll decide if you are worth the trouble."
"Oh,thank you!" she ran around the desk and hugged his neck. He was inwardly alarmed at her inappropriate behavior, as he scowled and kept his arms relaxed at his side. She didn't seem to notice as she pulled away to look at him. Her eyes sparkled like moonlight on water. He noticed that they looked pale grayish green. Weren't they blue in class earlier?
"Have a Happy Christmas, Professor." As if this revolting display of affection wasn't bad enough she gave him a peck on the cheek, then turned and ran from the room.
Severus looked after her in silent amazement. Had a tornado just touched down in his office? He reached up and gently felt the spot where she had kissed him. Merlin's eyebrows, he thought, what have I gotten myself into?