The next few weeks passed without much event for Penny. Although she disliked the early start Penny quickly found she enjoyed helping Madam Pomfrey around the hospital wing. They had discussed a great deal about healing magic and various counter-jinxes with Penny informing a bemused Madam Pomfrey about healing in the non-magic world. By the time they got to stitches Madam Pomfrey looked positively bewildered.

'Sounds like they are trying to sow their skin back together' Madam Pomfrey tutted, making noises of disbelief as Penny explained that was precisely the point.

The three weekends came to an end quite soon, and on her last day she promised Mmadam Pomfrey she would return to help occasionally as she wanted to learn as much as possible to become a Healer in future. When asked why she was so set on becoming a Healer Penny had looked away and mumbled inaudibly.

She had continued to meet with Hermione in the library most days and sitting with an increasingly distant Ginny in class. Word quickly spread about this powerful little witch and it wasn't long before the other Slytherins had gravitated towards her power. Whilst she had little time for much of her house, she tolerated it as being surrounded with friends appeared to give her some protection from the Quidditch team, who were still bitter about her attack on them.

During the week leading up to Halloween she had been self praising herself for managing to keep herself out of trouble. Her teachers all still seemed impressed with her work and she had been doing very well, aside from flying lessons, which she still remained abysmal at. Midweek she was sitting in Potions copying down notes from a formula on Potions theory. Snape was lecturing them about the importance of the theory and how deviating from it could have devastating effects.

'For example, the Polyjuice Potion is capable of transforming a person into the physical form of another' He was saying 'However if you ignore the order of the ingredients it can lead to mis-formation and many weeks of potions to undo the damage' He stopped in front of Penny's desk. She could see the darkness of his cloak in her peripheral vision but she continued to look down, not trusting herself not to glare at him. Despite having sat in his class a dozen times Penny still found his eerie movements and his endless knowing smirks extremely irritating. Finally when he didn't move she rose her bluey-green eyes to his black tunnels.

'Can I help you Professor?' She asked with mock politeness. His knowing smirk returned as he looked down at her.

'Did you have knowledge of this Potion before now?' He asked. Penny frowned at him as she shook her head, wondering where he was going with this. 'No? You surprise me, you appear to be permanently in the physical form of your mother' He said, turning away with a smile as Penny's face flushed angrily.

'Are you familiar with Muggle potions, SIR?' Penny asked, trying to keep her voice level.

'A bit, Miss Black' Snape said, raising an eyebrow at the small girl.

'Just I think you ought to look a bit more into one known as 'Shampoo'' Penny finished as students around her paled, looking from her to Snape. His smirk vanished, his lip curling into a slight snarl. Despite her anger, Penny felt adrenaline flood into her system. She had done it again.

'Well, well Miss Black, you do seem to have a love of Detention' Snape said drawing out a piece of parchment from his desk 'You can scrub my spare student cauldrons out, without magic, on Saturday evening.' Penny's eyes widened as she realised what this meant.

'But sir, thats Halloween…the feast' Penny stuttered hopelessly. Snape lip curled further at this.

'Next time perhaps you will learn to keep your cheek to yourself. Class dismissed.'

Penny was fuming as she stomped off the library to hand a couple of the books back in. Before she could leave however she bumped into Harry, Ron and Hermione.

'Oh hi Penny,' Harry said, smiling at her, his smile fading as he got a grumbled 'Hi' in return 'You ok?' He asked concerned.

'Not really' Penny answered 'Got detention with Snape on Halloween, I bet he'll make me stay through the whole feast!' She grumbled.

'Detention?' Hermione squeaked 'Again? Penny!' She signed shaking her head.

'Snape's a git, you know that Hermione' Harry said glancing to her 'What did you do to upset Snape?' Harry asked Penny, who couldn't help but smirk slightly.

'Suggested he looked into a Muggle potion known as shampoo' Penny snickered as Harry and Ron doubled over laughing. Hermione as expected didn't look impressed. Penny said goodbye the three of them heading back to her dormitory to talk to her group, feeling a bit better by the time she got there.

When Halloween arrived however, she felt just as glum. As her friends started heading down to the feast she walked past the delicious waft of smell into the cold dungeon. Knocking on the door she heard a muttered 'Enter'.

Once inside Snape's office he smirked over his desk at her before lowering his quill.

'Ah yes, the girl with the sharp brain and the even sharper tongue' he said mockingly as he rounded the desk. Penny looked up at him, her eyes narrow, remaining silent to avoid more trouble. He lead her out of the office and into the classroom where dozens of cauldrons laid. Handing her some dragon skin gloves Snape gave her instruction to clean out any residue or stains from all the cauldrons so they could be safely used the next day for the sixth form students. He then extended his hand to her, expectant.

'I will take your wand, as you are to do this without magic' He said, a cruel smile forming 'Your wand' he repeated as she put a defensive hand over her robes. Giving him her most intense glare she drew it out and handed it to him. With a final flash of his usual smirk he exited the room. Penny heard a faint click as the door shut, confirming her fear she wouldn't be able to sneak off to the feast.

What felt like hours later he finally returned, inspected her handiwork and appeared satisfied. Handing back her wand, he warned her quietly.

'Now Miss Black, there may come a time when you don't need to mince your words to anyone, but for now you are still young and inexperienced and there are a great deal of more powerful witches and wizards then you. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer Miss Black.' He finished.

'Or I'll end up in Azkaban like my mother right?' Penny signed as Snape didn't answer, but continued to smirk. He simply waved his wand and a plate of food appeared with a jug of pumpkin juice beside it. Leaving he left the door unlocked for her to leave once she had finished. Eating quickly Penny washed it down with a few gulps of pumpkin juice she got to her feet and walked out the potions classroom.

Just as she turned to go further down to the Slytherin common room she heard it.

'rip….tear…kill' ever so faintly she could hear it. A icy voice she immediately recognised as a the serpent's tongue. Turning round to look down the corridor for a small serpent, she was puzzled when she saw nothing. Frowning she turned back down the corridor, curious as to how a serpent got into the castle. Trotting up the stairs she was met by the rush of students leaving the Great Hall. Unable to hear anything above the clamour of noise she gave up and allowed the crowd to carry her back to her dormitory. It wasn't until later she heard the chatter about the writing on the wall, the caretaker's cat and how everybody seemed to think Harry Potter was the Heir of Slytherin. Penny snorted when she heard this, as surely the Heir of Slytherin would BE a Slytherin. Recalling her Hogwarts: A history, Penny's guts twisted uncomfortable as she thought of Slytherin's vendetta against Muggle borns. Although she knew she must have some magical blood via her mother's side at least, she was raised by muggles. Would the 'horror' be able to tell the difference?

For a few days nothing else seemed to occur, and the school become excited for the Qudditch match between Slytherin and Gryffindor. Penny couldn't share the enthusiasm even without the Slytherin team being so arrogant with their new brooms. As the rest of the school headed down to the match, Penny slipped down to the Hospital Wing to help Madam Pomfrey, who smiled at Penny's dislike of Quidditch, agreeing it was an unreasonably dangerous sport. It wasn't long until Harry was brought into the ward. Penny watched in fascination as his arm flopped uselessly at his side. Taking the arm in her hands Penny began knotting the fingers, a bemused look on her face.

'Having fun at Harry's expense?' Grumbled Ron, pulling the arm out of her grasp. 'He is a bloody idiot' he continued shaking his head at the arm.

'He is not an idiot! He made a mistake!' Hermione squealed.

'Lockhart?' Penny enquired, Harry groaned in confirmation as Madam Pomfrey pushed between them to hand Harry some liquid. Penny moved to help Madam Pomfrey, leaving late to return to her dormitory. Just as she reached the dungeon corridor she heard it again.

'This time…this time…kill…kill' Frozen to the spot, Penny turned back and raced back up to the main castle. As she reached the wing that lead down to the ward she fell flat on her face as she tripped over something solid. Looking down she gasped.

Holding his camera to his face, Colin Creevey was laying rigid at her feet, apparently dead. Looking about her, Penny saw nobody around. Not wanting to be found here she ran as fast as she could away from the scene back to her dormitory. Shaking she climbed into bed, ignoring the looks from her dorm mates. As she calmed down she felt guilt starting to spread within her. I should have done something to help, she thought as she lay there. Like what? A different voice argued, what can you do to help the dead? But what if he wasn't dead?

Penny tossed and turned as her conscience warred within itself.