"Clothilde"
Chapter 2 "Playing with fire"
There had been talk at Hogwarts since the beginning of fall semester that Harry would be assigned some form of protection now that Voldermort had returned. Harry had chalked all that up to rumor... until now.
It was a fine December morning, clear and bright, there had been a heavy snowfall the night before when Dumbledore had summoned Harry to his office. It was extremely early, he hoped the Headmaster would have tea set out... he hoped, he hoped this wasn't going to be what he thought. A bodyguard. The talk was that it was bound to happen and that talk had gone on for a very long time, Harry wondered at the delay and secretly hoped it might end up being Sirius by some miracle.
Dumbledore greeted Harry at the door to his office smiling warmly. There was a breakfast set out on an impromptu table and three chairs. It smelled wonderful and nearly pushed all worry from his mind. "Harry, as you know," Dumbledore began and the boy's stomach lurched; it was true. The Headmaster gave him a knowing look. "I have heard the rumors as well and they're true, I have decided to appoint you a guardian.
"Harry Potter, this is Clothilde Corgan." He motioned behind him opening much like a door to reveal a grim figure behind him. Harry moved forward mechanically. The form was much hidden in the shadow, bundled up in the darkness, a sliver of white light ran against the back of her hair, haloing her a bit. She was rather tall for a woman, perhaps it was that which made her seem imposing... or the fact she was wearing armor. Clothilde strode from a darkly curtained corner of Dumbledore's office. He could now see she was wearing a long silken white tabard which had small, silver pentacles embroidered into it, these shimmered magically in the firelight.
She had one hand on the hilt of a short sword, hung low on her hip... the glove her hand was encased in was white doe-skin and it glittered with tiny pointed spikes over the knuckles. He wondered if that was for show or if~ Her face eased from the dark, long dark blonde hair hung haphazardly over one shoulder. Her eyes were dark, deadly serious... and weary.
Clothilde loomed over him for a moment, her hair hanging in her face, she peered at him down her long, crooked nose... the imposing part had little to do with height he realized. But, before he could think much more on the hows and whys of this person, her face warmed and she smiled at him nearly the way a mother might. Well... nearly.
"Hello Harry," she said in a strong and warm alto voice extending her hand.
'Of, of course', he thought foolishly, 'she's here to help me, not hurt me... I think.' He shook her hand.
"Shall we sit?" Dumbledore suggested. "Clothilde used to work as an Auror for the Ministry of Magic Harry. I should tell you that now because a lot of people already possess this knowledge and I'd hate for you to hear it second hand."
"You did?" He said a little too excited to eat now. "What's it like? Why don't you do that anymore?"
"I was asked to resign."
Dumbledore watched the mixed emotions; confusion, fear, uncertainty, quizzical interest; reflected on his face. Clothilde glanced down at her breakfast amused. "Harry, why don't you have a chocolate covered doughnut? They're very good."
"Okay," was all he could think to say as he ate a little.
The breakfast meeting finished in nearly awkward silence with only Dumbledore talking and generally enjoying himself. Clothilde's stony quiet was quite unnerving as she drank several cups of coffee and snatched thoughtful glances at Harry every so often. He wondered if she was going to be attending classes with him, or spending time with the Ron and Hermione and himself... or hanging out in Gryffindor Tower. The possibilities of horrors which lay in store for him were endless. Not to mention what Draco Malfoy was going to say about this newest tabloid moment for the famous Harry Potter. He groaned at the thought. Or Ron, how was Ron going to take this? Why couldn't he just be anonymous? Swallowing down the last of his toast he felt a lump of uncertainty in his stomach... he had a potions class in a short time. First class of the day... Snape, Snape was going to have a field day.
"Well, that was a lovely breakfast but I fear Harry will need to get going to class very soon." Dumbledore said standing up.
Clothilde also stood, her eyes went from Harry's obvious apprehension to Dumbledore in sort of a caring, 'I remember what it was like to be young' sort of way. The Headmaster caught this and looked to Harry again.
"You needn't worry too much, your professors are aware that Miss Corgan is now with us, and that she'll be attending classes with you, at least for a little while."
Harry looked sick. "That's good."
Clothilde followed him out leaving Albus with a fleeting glimpse of amusement.
* * * * *
He was walking rather fast to... the dungeon... potions class? And fast enough to keep her at a distance she guessed. They entered... late. Harry was horrified at the prospect and hurried to a table beside the rest of his 'trio'.
"Who is that?" Ron whispered pointing at Clothilde.
Harry sighed rolling his eyes, "that's my... guard." He looked so pitiful Ron didn't know what to say.
The lecture had begun, and Snape's eyes flashed at him as he scurried into the room but then he suddenly forgot about Potter as he saw Clothilde enter behind the boy. She was so full of herself, swaggering... it made him want to wretch.
"And here is our protector now... in her armor," he added with a sardonic flip.
The entire class turned to see who he was talking to. She felt their eyes on hers but it didn't effect her too much. She was much more shocked at being verbally accosted by the Potions Master. She was not a student after all... but, if this is what he wanted to play at, so be it.
"Ah, Professor Snape, in your usual fifteenth century frock. I have never understood what exactly you see in Italian Ren."
He ignored her and continued. "This class," he gestured at Clothilde, "is a perfect example of Gryffindor at it's finest. Do you think for one moment you look impressive?
"She wears that armor because she thinks it makes her look menacing."
"And you wear that frock because you think it makes you look good."
That stung.
The class was silent. The air so still it could be cut. Snape's eyes flashed at her wordlessly. She had hit the clink in his own armor and driven in with the point of her wit.
'Play with fire....' Her thoughts trailed off. These words were plainly expressed on her face and Snape read it easily enough. She did not back down.
Drumming his fingers on his desk in irritation he turned from her and continued from where he had left off of the potions lesson. She settled herself into a table at the back of the room, not far from Harry, Ron and Hermione.
Ron turned to Harry in shock and whispered harshly, "I think I'm in love."
* * * * *
"No, I do not hate Professor Snape."
"Why not? I can't believe how rude he was to you, that slimy~"
"Ron." Hermione rolled her eyes in displeasure as several Gryffindors and Clothilde headed down the hallway to the great hall for lunch later on that same day.
"Really though, I think he hates you as much as he hates Harry. He was just as horrid."
"That was pretty unusual. I've never seen him act like that toward another adult." Hermione stated plaintively.
"Well... he wasn't overly happy to see me when the Headmaster was introducing us either, but really, none of the staff was."
"Why not?"
She smiled at Ron then said a little dejectedly. "Perhaps because of my past."
Harry was now listening. Prior to this he had been attempting to pretend she wasn't with him, just some bizarre relation to Neville or someone else in Gryffindor.
"What because you were an Auror with the Ministry of Magic removed for being too ruthless?" Ron blurted really not thinking about what he'd just said. Everyone around him perked up, shocked at the magnitude of what they had just discovered.
Clothilde suddenly felt pretty uncomfortable herself. "I wasn't dismissed for being ruthless. I was dismissed due to tardiness."
The trio were looking up at her a bit skeptical.
"That's what's on my file."
"Of course it is. Not like they're going to put 'dismissed do to inflicting horrific torture on the lot of Death Eaters we rounded up yesterday for questioning' is it? No, not likely."
She found herself smiling. "Ron, that's a little before my time... but honestly, I was not ruthless. That's just a rumor."
"Well... if that's the case, then what did you mean when you said the staff wasn't happy to meet you?"
Hermione.
"Oh, I just meant, they have heard the rumors too. And some people believe every rumor they hear without ever finding out the facts. Like some bitter old potions masters I can think of off the top of my head. And then some people never really allow that maybe you did do some things in your past that you aren't particularly fond of remembering yourself, but over the years you've tried to change."
Harry looked over at her, maybe she wasn't going to be so awful to have around. He also wondered what things from her past she wasn't fond of remembering, but wasn't going to push that question right away. Maybe Ron would save him the trouble, he seemed to be on a roll.
"You know that never really crossed my mind before." Neville interjected.
"What?" Harry asked as they rounded the corner into the great hall.
"Well... why does Professor Snape wear that Italian Ren, like Clothilde said? I had never even paid any attention before."
"And why doesn't he ever wear it in red?" Clothilde asked. "It would suit him well."
"Ugh... nothing would help him," Ron muttered.
As they entered the hall they were slightly mortified to find Snape was standing near the doorway talking to Professor McGonagall, and he had heard every word of the conversation from 'Well... why does Professor Snape wear that Italian Ren?'. His face slowly cast into a frown when the lot of them passed, especially while looking at she and Ron... and then menacingly at poor Neville. Minerva pretended she hadn't heard anything that had just been said.
The word 'doh' was on Clothilde's lips but she just smiled politely as they passed. In truth she needed to focus on the task she'd been set to do. She needed to have a look about the great hall while Harry and his friends had lunch, and watch from afar to see what the normal routine of Hogwarts was during this period. Not exactly exciting stuff but, she would be able to break away from the fifteen year old chatter and set herself to work not offending any professors either.
* * * * *
As they entered the hall Clothilde was struck by the grandness of the place she had taken for granted years ago. She had spent so much time living in the muggle world she supposed she forgot the enormity of the hall and the ceiling which was an illusion of the night sky. Clothilde let Harry and his friends go on in ahead of her, she allowed herself to be lost in the bustle of students entering. Moving along with the crowd she watched Harry.
The professors next entered and sat at the head table for lunch. All of the usual suspects; Hagrid, Dumbledore, McGonagal, Flitwick, Pompfrey, Hooch and Snape... entering last. There were several others she didn't recognize from her days at Hogwarts. She had endured Double Potions, History of Magic, and Care of Magical Creatures so far... only a few classes left in this day.
The bodyguard took a place in the entrance of the hall, surveying the area. Food suddenly appeared on the golden plates... it had been forever since she had seen anything quite as impressive as that~ and the roast chicken smelled fantastic. Suddenly she got the sensation she was being watched and glancing up at the head table she found Snape's eyes on her.
She walked out into the hall allowing everyone to see her as she went to Harry's table and stole a drumstick. Now she looked directly at Snape who did not meet her eyes. Clothilde appraised the room from where Harry sat. There were balconies... she had forgotten about that. Saying nothing she strode off.
She reappeared in one of the balconies at the back of the hall, there were five, across from the high table. Clothilde examined this area looking down to find Mr. Potter again and see what sort of view she had of him from there if she was a person who meant to do him harm. She also used that perch to take in the hall from a different perspective noticing the doors around the room. Later, after hours... she would have to return and figure out where all of the doors led~ plus look for any magical entrances... ah, muggle assignments were so much easier than this. She touched her throat absently and remembered it had been in the muggle world she had received that little souvenir.
Just then out the corner of her eye she saw him again~ Severus Snape, and he had been watching everything she was doing. The expression on his face had seemed without malice... merely, interest perhaps? No matter, once again he looked away when she returned his gaze.
Lunch, by then, was nearly over.
* * * * *
"Where did Clothilde go?" Ron asked as he helped himself to more pumpkin pasties.
"Oh, she's lurking around here somewhere." Harry was not quite so anxious to find his bodyguard, actually he had enjoyed a lunch devoid of her presence, however, now that Ron mentioned it... where was she?
* * * * *
Harry began to scour the great hall for any sign of Clothilde, he hadn't been certain why she had left in the first place. Then, just as he was about the decide his search was futile and settle back into conversation with the Gryffindor table he felt Snape's eyes on him but just as abruptly he looked away.
Harry noticed Clothilde at last, she was standing in the doorway behind Professor Snape. She looked as if she was wondering if he was going to finish those lima beans.
Snape, on the other hand, was searching the room obviously desperate to find Clothilde.
She caught Harry's eye and smiled, then glanced at the Potion's Master as if to say 'doesn't he ever give up?'
Snape saw Potter looking over him, grinning. He turned and saw her there, her body half in shadow, arms folded, leaning against the doorframe. She raised an eyebrow as their eyes met... finally, one moving piece on an otherwise impassive face.
He stood and spun away from his chair in one fluid motion. His black robes whirled about him as he brushed past her and out the door.
For a fleeting moment the conversation in Dumbledore's office ran through her mind. Now, it appeared, she had made an enemy.
* * * * *
"I have never seen two people who hated each other more," Ron was saying as they departed the hall.
"Hmm... boys," Hermione uttered.
