A/N: As a reward for everybody's patience, I am releasing another chapter today. I know, two chapters in one day, it's a miracle! Hey, if I'm feeling particularly generous, you might get a third, possibly fourth chapter today as well. This chapter, as well as the next, is dealing with the remaining half of the chosen ones. Chapter five will bring some Harry/Severus satisfaction. By the way, in case you haven't figured it out—this is SLASH, so if you don't like, don't read.
Chapter 4: Stella's First Day- Defense Against the Dark Arts
Stella Longbottom sat quietly in Potions class, waiting for the bell to ring, and wondering what the infamous Professor Snape was doing to her newfound friend, Lilian. He had seemed so mean to her, commenting about her father, amongst other things. Her deskmate seemed to notice her anxiety, because he leaned over to her.
"Hey, don't worry about Lily. Uncle Severus might've seemed like he was angry, but I could tell he was really impressed with how much she knew. And really, he won't hurt her because of who her dad is. He still l-mmph," Orion Weasley's voice was cut off by a small hand that had clamped over his mouth. With his eyes, he followed that hand to an arm, and then finally back to his sister, who had turned around in her seat to face her twin and Stella.
"Don't finish that thought, Orion Weasley. Remember what Mum and Dad said about us knowing things about the rest of the teachers and their private lives, just because we grew up here?"
"If it's not something the student populace knows in general, then its not to be talked about." Orion echoed his mother perfectly, then went pale with the thought of what he almost revealed. He didn't want to hurt his Uncle Severus; his godfather was one of his heroes.
"Sorry, Stella. My brother can be a bit of a moron sometimes. But he's quite right about Lily. She'll be fine. I think that girl can take care of herself, no matter who her father is or isn't."
"I guess you're right. Its just that my dad told me so many stories about his Potions classes with Professor Snape, and how he was so mean to both my dad and Harry Potter. Dad said it seemed like it was his favorite thing to do—yell at Dad, or take points off of Harry. Then to see him lay into Lily like that, well it seemed like he was starting on the new generation. He automatically seemed to think that Lily was like her Dad, and maybe he'll assume I'm like my Dad too. Even though, I'm not. Everyone tells me, I'm like my mother, without the ditziness."
"Nah, don't worry. He knows now that Lily is nothing like her Dad in Potions, so he'll probably reason that you, too, are different than your father. So what class do you look forward to, since I know now, its not Potions?" Orion asked his Slytherin housemate.
"Defense Against the Dark Arts. Dad and Mum said they really enjoyed the subject, especially after Harry Potter formed the DA. They said that Remus Lupin was the best Defense teacher they ever had, and I saw him this morning at the Head Table. He's going to be teaching us this year, right?"
The twins nodded in unison. "Yeah, Uncle Remus is really great. I wonder if he know about Lily yet, seeing as how his furry little problem left him indisposed last night?" Emma mused.
Just then, Professor Snape swept back into the class, with Lily trailing behind him. Stella looked closely at her new friend, but she didn't seem to be upset or scared. In fact, she was smiling as she walked over to the desk she was sharing with Emma. The bell rang, and as the class gathered their things to leave class, she stole a quick glance at her schedule. Defense Against the Dark Arts was next. The day certainly seemed to be going all right so far. She had survived a double period of Potions, and now had what was sure to be her favorite class, Defense Against the Dark Arts, with Professor Lupin.
The four students walked through the halls on the way to class, with Stella and Lilian getting plenty of stares and people pointing at them and muttering. Stella supposed she'd have to get used to it, and Lily looked as if she expected it. 'But then, she probably is, considering who her father is.' Stella thought.
They arrived in the DADA classroom, just before the bell rang to begin class. Professor Lupin came into the class from his office and smiled at them all, and proceeded to take attendance.
"Let's see here. You all are the first year Slytherins and Ravenclaws, correct?" Professor Lupin asked.
"Yes, Professor Lupin," the class chanted in unison.
"Last night, I was unable to be at the Welcoming Feast, but I heard a bit about what happened last night, at breakfast this morning. Something about Merlin's House, and heirs to Hogwarts, I believe it was? Well, who is the magical heir to Slytherin and who is heir to Ravenclaw? Please stand and introduce yourselves. I hear based on what is known of the prophecy, we'll probably work together in the future."
Stella glanced at Lily, and saw that the girl really didn't want to draw attention to herself, so she decided to go first.
"My name is Stella Longbottom, and I was told that I am the magical heir of Slytherin House. I am very pleased to make your acquaintance Professor Lupin, and look forward to learning under you. My parents have told me so much about you and I've been looking forward to Defense classes for as long as I can remember."
"Thank you, Miss Longbottom. I, too, am pleased to make your acquaintance, and I am glad to hear about your enthusiasm for my class. Hopefully, you'll still be as enthusiastic, even after I give your homework assignments tonight?" Remus kidded with the bold Slytherin.
"Alright, so who is heir to Ravenclaw? Is it you Miss Weasley?" Remus asked, seeing the direction of the other children's stares.
With that, Lily heaved a sigh, stood, and said, "No sir. I am the magical heir to Ravenclaw. My name is Lilian Grace Potter. I too am honored to make your acquaintance. My father has often spoken of you with fondness. He said you saved his life many times, and that you were the one who taught him the Patronus charm when he was a third year." Lily then got a mischievous look in her eyes that reminded Remus of James Potter at the height of his Marauder days, as she continued speaking. " I hope you don't mind that DADA is not really my thing. I prefer a softly simmering cauldron to dodging Unforgivable curses. My dad says he's done that enough for the both of us."
Lupin was floored as he realized that this child was Harry's daughter. He had wondered what had happened to Harry when he disappeared. Harry was the last part of his original pack and it had hurt when he left. Now, the young man he'd always thought of as his cub had a cub of his own. He definitely was going to question Ron, Hermione, and Severus about this latest development, but now he had a class to teach.
"One of the most important spells a witch or wizard can use to defend themselves is the Disarming Spell. The incantation is 'Expelliarmus' and the wand movement is like so" and he swished his wand through the air gracefully. I am going to divide you into pairs and I want you to practice disarming each other. The only spell out of your mouths should be the one I just taught you. Any others, and you'll have to face the consequences."
Remus paired Stella with Orion Weasley and the two set to work disarming each other. Stella was able to immediately disarm Orion, but it took him four tries before he was even able to make her wand tremble in her hand. She walked over to him and was trying to correct his movements, when out of the corner of her eye she noticed a spell that definitely wasn't 'Expelliarmus' flying towards Lily and Emma. Without thinking, she raised her arm and threw out a spell she had read about in one of her Dad's old textbooks.
"Protego," she shouted, and a shield formed around her new friends just in time, as the spell bounced off the shield and ricocheted into the wall. A snake landed dazed at the base of the wall. Stella couldn't believe that someone had cast 'Serpensortia', after being specifically told to disarm only. And to cast that spell at fellow students.
Lily and Emma looked over at her gratefully, before Lily calmly walked over to the snake and started hissing at it. The snake looked up at her, hissed something back, and then slithered over to the open window and out of the classroom.
The class was in an uproar. Not only had somebody disobeyed their teacher, but then Stella had cast a highly advanced shield on other classmates, and to top it off, Lily Potter seemed to take after her famous father as a Parselmouth.
Remus couldn't believe the turn his class had taken. He wasn't really surprised that his 'disarm only' warning hadn't been heeded—that happened every year. He wasn't even that surprised that yet another Potter was a Parselmouth—considering her father was Harry, it was almost expected. What was surprising was that a first year student was able to correctly incant, aim, and achieve one of the most complicated forms of the 'Protego' shield—that which protects others, rather than yourself, and he was amazed. He also recalled how the Slytherin girl had instantly picked up on the Disarming Spell.
Remus had been looking to apprentice a student in DADA for a few years, but he never came across a suitable candidate. Until now. He pondered that perhaps Miss Longbottom might be the perfect candidate for apprenticeship. However, he wanted to talk to the Headmaster first, to see if this could any way tie into the Founders' prophecy. He decided to talk to the Headmaster right after classes were done for the day, and then he would talk to the Weasleys and Severus about the young Lilian Potter.
The bell rang to end the class and the students filed out past him. As Lily Potter went by, he thought he saw her hair and eye color change, but when he looked again, she had the same nondescript hair and icy blue eyes as before. He caught a whiff of her scent, though, and his eyes widened. He definitely needed to talk to Severus. 'What in Hell is going on here?' he thought.
