Disclaimer: As we have already established that I do not own Harry Potter or anything else recognisable from this story, apart from my own twisted imagination put into words, I'm going to have a bit of fun with this. After all, I don't think you want to read a boringly ordinary disclaimer every time you start a chapter, do you. Do you? You'll have to leave a review and let me know. *hint*hint*
Why is this thus? What is the reason for this thusness?
Artemus Ward
Chapter four
Ally had really been looking forward to the Defence Against the Dark Arts class. She had been helping Professor Alba to organise her lesson plans over the last few weeks of the summer holiday. She was a young professor, only 31. She was an attractive woman who kept her light brown hair pulled into a loose ponytail and preferred to wear more fitted robes than those commonly chosen by the other staff. Professor Alba and Professor Flitwick had been the ones to start teaching Ally how to duel over the last weeks of the holiday break before she sat for her exams. In this lesson, Ally knew, the Professor had plans to start a class duel that would last a few lessons. A few days ago she had helped to transfigure a duelling platform in the larger classroom they would be using.
So after lunch the group including the Marauders, Lily and Ally entered the room and took their seats. The professor came in with a roll of parchment in one hand, a hat full of small pieces of parchment in the other and a pencil behind her ear and stood in front of the class. "Good morning class. For the first few lessons this year we're going to be doing a bit of practical duelling. I want to get to know what stage each of you is at in terms of defending yourself. It is no secret that outside of the walls of Hogwarts there is a danger brewing." She looked solemnly at the students. "It is part of my duty as your Defence Professor to prepare you for what awaits you out there. I need to know that you will be able to defend yourselves."
"But professor, the death eaters and the dark lord; how can we possibly hope to win in a fight against them?" Asked one girl.
"That is what I hope to teach you this year." said the Professor. She looked at her seventh-years; a class made up of a mix from all four houses and continued. "Something you will hopefully learn in this class is how to work with each other. Later in the year I hope to get you to the point where you are able to defend against two or more attackers at the same time and to use teamwork; watching each other's backs. There is also quite a bit of material we need to cover to get you ready for your NEWTS. I'll warn you now that I expect each and every one of you to do some background reading on each subject that we cover. You never know when there will be a surprise test. Now for today's lesson we are going to need to move to the room next door. You can leave your bags in here just be sure to bring your wands." With that the Professor stood and led them out to the other classroom.
"Now, I have put each of your names in this hat so that the draw of duellists will be random. When I call your name you will step up on this platform, bow to your opponent and assume a duelling stance. On my count of three you will begin the duel. Please, nothing that will cause lasting damage. I don't want to have to send anyone to the hospital wing today." She leant over and puled two slips of parchment from the hat she had placed on the desk. "The winner of each match will go back into the hat to face someone else at a later stage and I will be making notes on everyone's performance. Emily Fritz and Frank Longbottom, you are up first."
"Good luck Frank." Alice whispered to him as he let go of her hand and walked up to the platform.
"On three!" called the Professor. "Ready…one…two…three!"
Frank struck first with 'Expelliarmus' but Emily blocked his attack using a well-cast shield. He struck out again with an 'Expelliarmus' but this time he also aimed a jelly-legs jinx under the shield she created to stop the first spell. With Emily on the ground unable to control her legs, Frank easily disarmed her and was announced the winner.
"Alright, up next are Severus Snape and Peter Pettigrew. Duelling positions please," called Professor Alba as she quickly jotted down a few notes about the first duel. "On my count, one, two...three!"
Peter was shaking so badly that he was disarmed in the first second and a scowling Snape was the pronounced the winner as he stalked over to his seat and sat down ignoring the glares from James and Sirius. From her seat behind Snape and two other Slytherins, Ally was able to overhear a comment made by a boy to Snape. "That was pathetic Snape. The squib couldn't even cast a shield quick enough. It's not like you didn't give him plenty of time to do it either." She wasn't very used to the kind of talk where people said one thing but meant another but she was still able to see that this boy was insulting Snape's duelling skills as much as he was Peter's. Snape seemed to know what he was saying to because he clenched his fists and a little colour showed on his pallid cheeks.
The next several duels were similar to that of Frank and Emily's in which, though the duel didn't last long, very few people used anything other than a shield and 'Expelliarmus'. Then it was Ally's turn.
"Ah Miss Page. You will be duelling Jeremiah Flint." Ally stood noting that her opponent would be none other than the Slytherin boy who had been mocking Snape and Peter. "Ready; one, two…three!"
Ally cast a basic shield that easily blocked the poorly aimed 'Expelliarmus'. Without retaliating she calmly blocked or sidestepped each of his attacks. After what was only a minute, she slowly raised her wand and cast an Expelliarmus at him. Flint blocked her spell but as he removed the shield a well-placed stunner to the chest knocked him out. After the Professor had called out that she had won she walked over to where Flint was laying sprawled out on his back, his wand a metre to his right where it had rolled after he had fallen.
"Enervate." Flint just lay there looking at the hand she had offered him before he rolled onto his hands and knees and stood up ignoring her offer of assistance. "You know next time you should try using a shield. It's not like I didn't give you plenty of time to do it either." She threw his words from before back at him but quietly enough that no one else would hear it before walking off the stage and taking her seat.
"Very good work Miss Page, Mr Flint. Now who is next?" asked Professor Alba as she pulled two more names from the hat.
Two more duels later, the first between two Hufflepuffs and the second between a Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, the class was dismissed and everyone started heading towards the great hall for dinner.
"I can't wait until tomorrow!" Sirius was grinning. "I hope we get to go first!"
"Yeah. It's too bad that Snape's already been. I suppose we might fight him next round though." James was only slightly paying attention to what he was saying as Lily had most of his attention. Peter's face flushed and he put his head down at the mention of Snape and the duel.
"Don't worry Peter," said Sirius, as he threw an arm around the smaller boy's shoulders, "we'll get Snivillus back for that duel."
"You most certainly will not Sirius Black" Lily had turned away from the whispered conversation she'd been having with James to glare at Sirius.
"Lily's right Sirius; He won that duel fairly." Ally had stopped and was now looking him in the eye.
Sirius looked shocked, probably because someone other than Lily had defended Snape in front of him. "Since when have Slytherins played fairly?"
"And he didn't even give Peter a chance to defend himself." James was siding with Sirius.
Inwardly amused at how James had said the exact opposite as the Slytherin boy, Flint, Ally continued. "In a duel if you can't defend yourself fast enough you are going to lose." Here she turned to Peter. He's not a murderer yet and likely not a death eater; Just as Snape doesn't seem to be a totally evil bastard yet either. She reminded herself. "You just need to work on it a little." She told him, and then with a smile and wink she added. "And with a bit more practice I'm sure you'll be able to disarm these over-confident idiots in your sleep." Here she sat down next to Lily at the Gryffindor table.
"Over-confident!" exclaimed Sirius, causing a few heads to turn their way. James looked as though he wanted to say something as well.
"You did great against that Slytherin though Ally." Put in Remus as he tried to avoid the boys' egos causing a scene in the great hall.
"Great? I used a stunner, a shield and a disarming spell. It was hardly great. A death eater could have taken me out no problem."
"But you did so well in your duel!" exclaimed Peter.
"Perhaps, but it was against someone who didn't seem to have had a lot of prior experience and his ego wasn't helping him much either. I read a book on duelling when Professor Alba first mentioned that she was planning on a duel for class. In a proper duel what I did would not be considered good form; the whole sidestepping bit and letting him cast all the spells."
"Then why did you do it?" asked Peter.
"Well, and I know it wasn't the best course of action, but everyone I saw was only using disarming spells and shields. I had no real reason to think that he would do anything different-"
"He was a Slytherin! You're lucky he didn't use any dark curses on you!" Sirius sent a dark look towards their table.
"Sirius, if you interrupt me to say something like that again you'll be lucky if don't use a dark curse on you." Ally snapped at him. "That wasn't the reason I duelled like that either."
Now everyone looked confused. Peter asked her again why she did do it, which was lucky (or unlucky, depending on how you look at it) for them because Ally was getting so frustrated with Sirius' prejudiced comments that she would likely have left it there and not continued without being asked.
With a sigh she put down her fork and looked at the boys, Sirius was still glancing darkly toward the Slytherins. What have I gotten myself into? She thought to herself, then she spoke aloud to the others, "I was sitting behind that boy and after Severus finished the duel with Peter and sat down next to him. Flint wasn't it? Yes, well he started saying things about the duel. About how Peter couldn't raise a shield properly," here the boys all glared at the Slytherin table trying to locate Flint. "Oh stop it already. He insulted Peter I know but his remarks were actually directed at Severus." This got their attention.
"What do you mean? He couldn't have been insulting him. Snape doesn't let those kinds of things drop." Remus said.
"It wasn't as though it was subtle and he wasn't exactly quiet when he said it, but I got his meaning and I'm certain Severus did too from the look he gave the boy. He was implying that Severus had poor duelling skills. I'm not sure that he was even aware that he'd insulted Peter." She gave the boy mentioned a brief smile before turning back to the others and resuming what she had first started to say. "That's why I didn't take him out in the beginning of the duel. He basically said that Severus was pathetic because it took him so long to win. I just showed him that he wasn't any better and at the end I got to throw his words back in his face, which was strangely satisfying." Ally smiled slightly at the thought.
"Where did you learn to duel like that? Surely that old lady wasn't much help?" asked James.
"Hey! Mrs Lester was a great teacher." Ally exclaimed, using the name of her favourite primary school teacher. "She may not have been able to teach me how to duel, but she showed me how to do a lot of great spells."
"Then who did teach you?" asked Sirius.
Still feeling a little defensive over her made up old neighbour, Ally answered him shortly, "Professor Dumbledore gave me a few lessons whenever he came to visit and Professor Alba helped me with it a little when she came to the school last month." With that she picked up her fork and continued to eat.
"What do you want Snivillus?" Ally looked up and turned around at Sirius' remark and saw that all four of the marauders had their hands on their wands, as did Snape.
"I wish to talk to Page. Not that it is any of your business, Black," sneered Snape.
"She's busy and I highly doubt she'd want to speak with you." Sirius had started to rise from his seat and Ally looked at Lily incredulously, her look asking whether she had just heard right.
At Lily's nod of acknowledgement, she turned to Sirius and with a huff said, "I am right here Sirius and am perfectly capable of speaking for myself. All of you put your wands away before you do something stupid. That goes for you lot as well." She said as she spotted that some of the Gryffindors sitting closest to them had also reached for their wands. "Honestly!" she gave them all a good glare until they put their wands down, though Snape, James and Sirius seemed rather reluctant. "Now what did you want to talk to me about Severus?" She asked as she gave him most her attention, still watching the boys' movements out of the corner of her eye.
"I'd rather we talked somewhere more private about this Page, if you don't mind?" He asked glancing at the marauders who had stiffened slightly at his request.
"Anything you want to say to her you can say in fr-" started Sirius but he was quickly interrupted by Ally response.
"Sure Severus, just give me a sec'." As she stood up Ally grabbed some of the chocolate covered biscuits that had been served for desert and, telling Lily that she would see her in the common room later, followed Snape down the aisle between the tables and out into the entrance hall.
"So what did want to talk to me about?" She asked after he had led her to a spot away from the door where they wouldn't be overheard. Ally chewed on one of the biscuits as she waited for him to say something. "You want one?" She asked as she offered one.
"Thanks." He took the biscuit and looked it over for a moment. "You should be careful around them." He said without looking up from his study of the biscuit. "You might catch something."
"Like what?" Ally asked as she bit the head off what looked like an owl.
"Well, Lupin disappears a lot. Everyone says that he's ill or visiting a family member who is suffering from something."
"What are you talking about Severus?" He looked up at her.
"You won't have noticed it yet, I know, but strange things happen when he's not here." Ally raised an eyebrow.
"Like what?" Best let him do most of the talking, she decided.
He paused and bit off part of his biscuit. "Just don't go outside at night. Especially when he's sick."
Ally didn't say anything for a moment. Well. That was different to what I was expecting. No mention, at least, of things going bump in the night. Taking a deep breath she handed him another of the biscuits. "At least you can do subtle." He looked at her, confusion flitting across his features before he replaced his mask of indifference. "Well, better than Flint anyway. His point was quite obvious the assh-…well, hem, if I hadn't known what you were talking about it would have taken me ages to work it out, if I even could." He still looked quite puzzled so Ally elaborated for him "I'm well aware of Remus' affliction, but I'm sure that wasn't the only thing you wanted to talk to me about?"
"You knew…but…how…did he-" Snape couldn't seem to think straight. I think the poor boy is in shock. Ally thought and she couldn't help but laugh slightly. Scary Professor Snape at a loss for words? Oh, that was good.
"Did he tell me?" She finished the sentence for him. "No, he didn't. Uncle Albus told me once that one of his students was a..." she paused to glance around the hall "well, uh, you know...and that he was about my age. I figured the rest out for myself. It was the little things that did it and mainly because I was looking for them. He is awfully pale, is covered in scars and has such lovely amber eyes. Albus also told me a little about why you all don't like each other, though I don't think it was the whole story." Ally smiled at him. Just please don't ask what I know. She willed him silently. I don't remember much of that bit in the book and am likely to add things from fanfiction that might be wrong. "Now what else did you want to tell me?"
"Uncle Albus?"
"Long story. Short version is that he's an old friend of the family." She saw over Snape's shoulder that the Marauders and Lily had left the great hall and she pulled him slightly further into the shadows, nodding towards the group at his shocked expression. Sirius was red faced and talking in a low voice to James and Peter while Remus and Lily walked behind them talking to each other. Remus was the first to notice Ally and Snape and when Lily turned her head and saw them as well, Ally held her finger to her lips motioning for them to keep quiet. Lily nodded and pulled Remus along with her as she went up the stairs following the boys.
"Right. Well that was close." At a look from Snape she continued. "Last thing I feel like right now is listening to you lot argue about nothing in particular. Besides, you were going to tell me something remember?"
"I was going to ask if you were still interested in testing my potions." He said it quickly as though embarrassed and then looked away from her.
"I'd love to Severus." He looked at her and nodded.
"Just please keep it to yourself for now though Page." He told her.
"Don't want your friends to know you're working with a Gryffindor? I get it. But they shouldn't be allowed to dictate what we can and can't do based on what house we're in. And call me Ally." Ally looked away from him for a moment, thinking I can't change how a whole house thinks but if I can just get Snape to understand it'll be worth it. He seems like he might actually be a nice person.
"I wonder if the professor might even let us try something from the restricted section. Albus let me look through some of the books over the holidays. Something called an animagus. It sounded really interesting. I know it needs to be used with self-transfiguration," here she gave Snape a big smile, "but wouldn't it be so cool to be able to turn into an animal. I know professor McGonagall can turn into a cat." At his amused expression she paused. "I'm getting ahead of myself a bit aren't I?" She grinned sheepishly. "I guess I should be getting back to the common room anyway. Goodnight Severus. I'll see you in Defence tomorrow." With a last smile she turned and headed toward the marble staircase.
"Wait!" he called out to her as she reached the top of the stairs. Ally turned and gave him a confused look. He shook his head, "never mind," and turned towards the dungeons. Ally couldn't help the giggle that escaped as she continued towards the Gryffindor common room. This could actually be fun.
After giving the fat lady the password to the common room Ally walked in fully intending to go straight up to bed and settle down with a good book. The lack of homework for today made her feel less guilty about calling it an early night rather than studying. When she walked through the portrait hole and into the common though, Ally realised that she would need to modify her plans. The Marauders and Lily had been sitting around the fire while Sirius, red faced and pacing in front of them, was muttering under his breath. When Ally had entered the common room they had turned to look at her and Sirius had stopped his pacing to glare in her direction.
"Where have you been? Off snogging with that snake? How can you betray your house like that?" Sirius was growling at her now. Shocked at what he had just said, Ally stood there for a moment looking at him as he glared right back at her, then at the others. Remus and Lily looked embarrassed but it appeared that James and Peter were siding with Sirius again. "What? Surprised we figured out what you and your little friend were up to?" She couldn't help it, she burst into laughter.
When she could breathe again she turned to Sirius "No. I'm actually just surprised that after 24 hours of having met me, you think you have the right to tell what I can and can't do and more insultingly, that you think I'm the kind of girl who would do that with a boy I'd just met." Ally snapped at him, thinking about what she had told Severus only minutes ago. "You are not my keeper Sirius Black and you would do well to remember that." Hoisting her bag further up on her shoulder she turned towards the girl's staircase only to find that Sirius had vaulted over the back of the lounge that had been separating them and was now standing in front of her, blocking the way up the stairs.
"What were you and Snivillus talking about that took so long. How can you be interested in someone like him?" He demanded.
"Uh-huh, now I think I see, you mean over someone like you. I've been warned about your reputation by several portraits and let me remind you again Sirius, you are not my keeper and I don't need to explain my actions to you. I decide who I talk to, not you. And what Severus and I talked about is none of your business. Now, please move, you are blocking the stairs."
"My reputation? What would you know about it?" He was still quite angry and Ally could see that he was aiming for a fight, he wanted to vent his anger and if he thought yelling at her would help he was going to do it. I could just back down, but there is no way in hell he's going to get away with treating me like this. He wants an argument. Fine. I'm going to bring him down a peg or two.
"I know enough. That every time a portrait sees you, you're with another girl. Now move, you're creating a scene." And indeed everyone in the common room was now watching them in awkward fascination. Ally tried to side-step him but he grabbed her arm and pulled her closer to him.
"We're not finished talking." He growled at her.
"Oh yes we are!" And with a resounding slap across his face, Ally pulled her arm from his grasp, pushed passed him and calmly walked up the stairs to the girl's dorm. She'd be damned if she let him get to her. The audience in the common room was silent until they heard a door close, all attention now swivelling from the staircase to Sirius.
"I think you may have gone a bit too far this time Pads," said Remus, as he walked up to his friend. "This will take one big apology mate."
"Why should I apologise? She's the one who hit me!" Sirius was glaring at the stairs to the girls' dormitory.
"I doubt she'd even listen to an apology from you at the moment much less accept one. You were way out of line Sirius and I think you deserved what you got." With that said Lily brushed past him and headed up the stairs as well.
With a growl and last glare up the stairs, Sirius turned and stormed back over to the lounge. Flopping down on it he did the only thing he could think of in this situation: plot revenge against Snape, a prank to out-do all the others he had ever done. Snape would regret the day he turned Ally Page against him.
Meanwhile, upstairs in the seventh year girls' dorm room, Ally and Lily were trying to remove a large scorch mark from the wall. It had been scorch free until Ally vented her anger on it with a steady stream of flames. When they finally succeeded, Ally flopped backwards across her bed and pulled the pillow over so that it was covering her face.
Lily sighed and sat on the bed next to her. "Sirius isn't all bad. He just doesn't handle rejection very well." Ally pulled the pillow away from her face, instead hugging it against her chest and looked over at Lily, motioning for her to continue. "He didn't have what one would call a loving home environment growing up. He actually ran away and has been living at James' parents' house since he was fifteen."
"That doesn't excuse how he acted Lily. He had no right to tell me what to do." Ally said sadly, turning her head away from Lily.
"I know. I'm just worried about what he'll do to Snape now." This made Ally sit up quickly and look at her.
"What do you mean? What would he do something to Severus for?" Ally remembered reading a conversation Sirius was having with someone about how they pranked Snape 'just because' and that Snape's breathing or being there was more than enough of a reason.
"Well Sirius, as you pointed out, is jealous of the fact that you are on familiar terms with Snape. I suppose he is also not quite sure how to handle someone being nice to the person he has hated for his whole time at Hogwarts. You didn't even seem to notice that Gryffindors and Slytherins are rivals and when you defend Snape and the other Slytherins it probably causes him no end of confusion. He was raised with this rivalry between the houses and with his brother now in Slytherin like the rest of his family, he hates everything about the house."
"And what about you?" she asked Lily. "You weren't raised with this rivalry, so why aren't you and Severus close friends anyone?" Lily looked shocked.
"How did you know about that? Did he tell you?" She blurted out quickly.
"No. One of the portraits in the library was telling me that you used to always study together and would laugh and talk about things that had happened when you were younger. The painting said that the house rivalries ended up pulling the two of you apart."
"Yes, well, we were friends when we were younger. He lived not far away from where I did. He actually caught me doing accidental magic when I was about eight years old. We were fine together at Hogwarts for the first few months but then we started to drift apart. Neither house could tolerate our friendship. It finally ended for me in fifth year after our OWL exams. James and Sirius played this nasty prank on Snape and, when I offered him help, he called me a filthy mudblood. I rarely even speak to him now." Ally lent over and gave Lily a brief hug.
"I'm sorry Lily. I still can't see what any of this has to do with why they would prank Severus just because we were talking?" Ally stood up and headed over to her trunk to retrieve some pyjamas.
Lily sighed. "I'm sure the professors have warned you about the Marauders. I fear that their pranks are going to become legendary. Anyway, Sirius is probably sitting somewhere planning a prank to use against Snape. You'd better be careful in case he decides to include you as well."
"Thanks Lily, if you find out what he plans to do or when, could you let me know and I'll warn Severus?" Lily smiled.
"Sure thing. I'll see you in the morning." Lily picked up a book and was opening the door to the dorm room when she was stopped by the sound of Ally's voice.
With a smile Ally said, "Could you let Sirius know that he may now grovel and beg for my forgiveness?" Lily just laughed and nodded before heading back down to the common room.
Getting out a book on becoming an animagus, Ally curled up on the bed and settled in for an hour or two of quiet reading, thinking as she did about what Albus and Professor McGonagall had told her a few days ago.
(Flashback)
"About your request to become an animagus," Dumbledore was saying. "I have discussed it with Minerva and she has agreed that if you are coping well with your courses and your grades are good she will start teaching you next month. I am a little concerned that you feel you need to do this and not register with the ministry though you have explained some of your own concerns about Voldemort."
"Yes sir. I know I should register, and I'm not saying that I never will, it's just that until Voldemort is gone I'm going to be a target. I know too much about him and the future, things he wouldn't want known to others, it's just that I'm going to be in danger should he ever find out. I just want to have something I can use to slip away unnoticed if I need to."
"Very well. As long as you promise that you will register after Voldemort's defeat," at her nod he continued, "and of course your grades must be suitable, then I will give my permission as your guardian for you to study with Minerva."
"Thankyou Albus."
"Not a problem my dear. Now, here is a pass for the restricted section, Madame Pince will be able to find you some books on animagi that you might be interested in." Eyes twinkling, he handed her the piece of parchment then shooed her out of his office.
Ally had then gone straight to the library and found Madam Pince stocking the new books that had been ordered from Flourish and Blots. After helping Madam Pince finish putting the books away and another ten minutes locating the animagus books she wanted, Ally had left the library and headed back to her room to begin reading.