Of Hogwarts and Inheritances
Chapter 9: Not Everyone is Who They Seem
Toby rubbed the back of his neck a little self-consciously as he stepped into the Great Hall, where a long platform was set up in the middle of the room. The rest of the hall was a sea of black-robed Hogwarts students, all clamouring up to the edge of the duelling walkway to get the best look. Toby could see Sarah on the other side of the room, looking a little bored as she leaned against the wall, also clothed in a black robe. There were bags under her eyes, and he figured she must've stayed up all night trying to learn the Muggle Studies curriculum. He didn't see why she was rushing; her classes didn't start until after the holidays.
Toby turned his attention back to the platform when Ginny tugged excitedly on his robe, whilst Luna continued to sway gently, humming under her breath. Professor Lockhart was climbing onto the stage, his purple robes a stark contrast to the mist of black. Beside him was Professor Snape, who was looking distinctively bored. Toby soon found out the reason for that, as the Defense teacher began an introductory speech explaining the club and how he would be contributing to it.
"Professor Snape has graciously accepted to help me demonstrate a duel, and the lovely Professor Williams," he paused here, gesturing to Sarah who rolled her eyes discreetly, "has agreed to be the referee in our match." Toby stifled a snicker when Sarah grudgingly pushed off the wall, the students parting for her as she took her place in the centre of the room, beside the platform. She ignored Snape's harsh glare, standing bored as she waited for the two wizards to get into position.
"Bow," she intoned monotonously, staring straight ahead and not bothering to look as the two bowed to each other. They were still bent at the waist when Sarah called out, "Duel!" and Snape's wand flashed out, quickly stunning the Defense professor.
Sarah didn't even bat an eyelash.
"Snape wins." With that said she turned around and walked back to her wall, leaving Lockhart lying dumbfounded on the platform. He seemed at a loss for the briefest moment, before laughing jovially and standing up with a swish of his ostentatious purple robes, straightening them. Toby tuned him out as he went on about letting Snape win the match, or something. It didn't really matter much to Toby; one of his most hated professors was just annihilated, but the professor who won was still someone he hated. It was a lose-lose situation for him.
"So! Now that there has been a demonstration, what say we call up some of you to duel for us?" he asked, and the students started chattering excitedly. Toby scratched his head, wishing he was anywhere but here. Who wanted to see a bunch of fail matches anyways? But Ginny had dragged him and Luna, her eyes bright with the prospect of seeing Harry Potter in a duel. Toby almost asked her why she was so sure he'd be picked to duel, but wisely shut his mouth after remembering that Harry Potter was famous (for whatever reason Toby can't recall) and Professor Lockhart was famous (for whatever reason Toby can recall even less) and obviously Lockhart would be eager to put a fellow celebrity in the spotlight.
Yay.
As Toby yawned, already thoroughly bored, he was oblivious to Lockhart's eyes spotting him out in the crowd, narrowing in on his bored, half-asleep expression. You see, if there was one thing that rivalled Toby's abhorrence of the glittering goat that was Gilderoy Lockhart, it was Lockhart's abhorrence of the smart-mouthed, devil-may-care teen that was Tobias Robert Williams. And since said teen was looking decidedly ripe for the picking to be trounced in a fight against one of his betters, Lockhart jumped at the chance.
"How about… you, Mr. Williams?"
Toby blinked, dumbfounded. Beside him, he could hear Ginny gasp and Luna hum nonchalantly under her breath. "Oh, why not Toby?" she went on in her dreamy voice. "It sounds like fun." Toby grimaced, though, when he spotted Sarah's stormy expression across the hall. If he decided to go, he would be undoubtedly falling into Lockhart's trap (because really, if anyone knew how the two interacted with each other they would know this was definitely a trap) and getting Sarah majorly pissed off. But if he didn't go, he would look like a total wimp, and Lockhart would get full bragging rights about showing that kid with the smart-aleck attitude.
Hmm, decisions, decisions. Good thing this particular one wasn't so hard.
"Sure why not?" Toby shrugged, weaving through the crowd to jump onto the platform. He could feel Sarah's glares digging into the back of his brain, but ignored them. She always worried way too much anyways.
"And for his opponent… how about you, Ms. Granger?"
The entire crowd gasped, whispers breaking out everywhere. Pitting the smartest witch in Hogwarts against a simple, ickle first year? Everyone in that crowd felt the slightest bit of sympathy for the Slytherin kid. He was going to be crushed. Maybe literally, maybe figuratively. Probably both.
But Toby just stood up on that duelling platform, tapping his toes impatiently, waiting for the smartest witch at Hogwarts to join him. When she did, she looked a bit uncomfortable, probably because her Gryffindor peers wanted her to obliterate the Slytherin but she was more content to let it end quickly and as least humiliatingly as possible. It didn't matter to Toby either way; he was determined to make this the flashiest display of prowess possible.
"Bow," Lockhart said, disgustingly smug. Toby twirled his wand in his hand idly, keeping his ice blue eyes locked on the top of Hermione's head as they both bent forward at the waist. Obviously, alongside being a total idiot, Lockhart wasn't so original either, because just as Toby was about to rise from his bow, Lockhart gleefully shouted, "Duel!" and Hermione's wand came flashing out, a Jelly-Legs Jinx already on her tongue, and flying right at him.
Calmly, Toby took a single step back and let the curse rebound off the floor and fly into the ceiling, past the enchanted sky. His arm was stretched out, wand dancing nimbly on his fingers as he said monotonously, "Bat-bogey." (He was so glad Ginny finally taught him that spell.) The spell flew out of the tip of his wand in a blindingly bright light (Ginny was still trying to figure out how he did that) and shot towards Hermione at a dizzying speed unheard of from a first year. It knocked into her nose, and the two bogeys came out like growling monsters.
Her eyes narrowed (she had obviously misjudged his talent) and she finite incantatemed the two bogeys, causing them to fall in a disgusting mess in front of her. The students around her backed away, simultaneously chorusing "ewwww!" and prompting Hermione to roll her eyes. She quickly recovered, blasting a rictusempra to Toby, who stepped to the side and retaliated with a cheering charm. Hermione was ready for that, though, and quickly ducked, letting it sail over her head as she cast an everte statum at him. The crowd oohed when it slammed into him, sending him flying back. Poor bloke never stood a chance.
Except he suddenly disappeared in midair with a blinding flash of light, reappearing in his starting spot for only the slightest second before charging into a run straight at his opponent. Hermione squeaked in fear, raising her own wand and firing another everte statum at him, only for it to sail past his head as he tackled her to the ground, snatching her wand in the process.
"Ha!" Toby shouted triumphantly, holding her wand in the air away from her, only for Hermione to push him off of her with surprising power, scowling at him. "What? Sore because I won?" he asked cheekily, twirling her wand between his fingers. She rolled her eyes again, snatching it back as Lockhart entered the arena with an incredibly smug grin.
"Mr. Williams, you are disqualified," he said. "Only magical means may be used in a duel; Ms. Granger wins by default."
Toby's mouth dropped open, and his eyes narrowed. From the corner of his eye, he saw his goblins and Sarah standing by the edge of the platform, watching and listening as he blurted out harshly, "Who the hell made that stupid rule?"
Sarah started to smile, and his goblins tittered in amusement as their young master rose onto his feet, as graceful as the wind. Lockhart was anything but, turning red and sputtering angrily, "A rule is a rule, Mr. Williams!"
"Well rules are meant to be broken, aren't they?" Toby countered, eyes narrowing. "I'm not gonna bow to some Dull Muncher who wants to off me the first chance he gets. And I'm sure as hell not gonna keep my hands to myself if I got an opening to sock him in the face." Most of the people were confused by his slang, and even more confused by his mention of a 'Dull Muncher'. Hermione, who was following this conversation quite closely, caught on the quickest.
"Erm, don't you mean Death Eater?" she said, correcting him like she was good at doing to everyone. Toby turned half-heartedly to her, shrugging nonchalantly.
"Death Muncher, Dull Eater, it's all the same to me. Case in point: your duelling rules are schmuck. Make new ones." That said, Toby hopped off the duelling platform, leisurely making his way to the doors. The crowd readily parted for him, staring as though he were some anomaly dropped upon their heads to be marvelled at, but not touched. (Which is to say, they're right.)
Harry Potter, in particular, was closely examining the new student of Hogwarts. There was an unmistakable expression on his face that conveyed his confusion regarding Toby Williams. But there was interest, too, because what wizard scoffed at Death Eaters and forgot their names?
Toby Williams, apparently, who stopped momentarily at the doors to declare, "By the way; I totally won that match."
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"Merlin's beard~"
"Oh sweet baby Merlin's beard~"
"Where have you gone?"
"Oh you precious, precious thing,"
"You, sweet baby Merlin's beard~!"
Gred and Forge ambled down the hall, arms slung over each other's shoulders, singing at the top of their ungodly, off-pitch, cat-dying voices. They had been quite bored the past few weeks, pulling small pranks to abate their prankster appetites and making up nonsensical songs to annoy lots of people with. There was really no one to annoy in the empty hallways, however, but they were sure they would stumble upon someone soon.
They were right.
"What the bloody hell are you trying to do; mimic Nanny Fran?" (1)
The twins brightened with devilish glee.
"Prince!" they crowed, their free arms slinging around Toby's body, crushing him in a (manly) hug. Toby grimaced under their hold, feeling a little claustrophobic.
"Please don't break my spine," he asked politely. They let go, still grinning from ear to ear. The two of them were bright red suns, sparkling and shining and blinding in the empty hallway as they jumped on their feet with excitement. The Prince usually didn't go to them unless he had a big prank in mind, and with the way he was grinning back at them, the twins were sure it was going to be big and funny as bloody hell.
"Lockhart?" the twins chorused, seeing the 'I'm-going-to-get-revenge-on-someone' expression on Toby's face. Toby nodded grimly.
"Lockhart."
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Hermione strolled down to the Great Hall happily for breakfast, hugging her DADA essay to her chest with barely restrained excitement. Professor Lockhart had complimented her so greatly after her match with Professor Sarah's litter brother! It made her blush up to the roots of her hair; she was currently the envy of so many girls in the school. She couldn't wait to give him her essay! He was going to burst with pride! She had made sure to include every one of his exploits in her points, and all the medals and acknowledgements he had received mentioned in every one of their points. It wasn't easy, mind you; there were a lot!
What's best, her plan seemed to be going along. The potion was just about ready, and she managed to snag some of Millicent Bullstrode's hair from that extra duel she had (Professor Lockhart said it was because she was so good that he was sure she could take on another opponent!). She just wished Harry and Ron could be like that a little more. It wasn't easy looking after them, especially Harry! Sometimes she felt more like a mother than a friend.
Surreptitiously, Hermione snuck a glance behind her to observe her two boys chatting about quidditch, or something or other. They were woefully oblivious to her, striding confidently ahead of them, following like little puppies. And although most people would enjoy a leader role, Hermione thought it was kind of a lonely place to be. That's probably why she wished to be walking beside them, as opposed to in front of them.
Sighing a little, Hermione entertained her thoughts with more of Professor Lockhart and his impeccable sense of style (according to Witch Weekly, because Hermione didn't really know that much about the fashion of Magical Britain) as she pushed the doors of the Great Hall, entering at a most horrifying site.
Faintly, the bookworm could hear uproarious laughter echoing at the Gryffindor table, and would later wonder what beast would laugh at this clearly heartbreaking scene! The crushing of a smitten young girl's heart was nothing to laugh at, she would assure you. Especially if said crushing involved Professor Lockhart in hideous hot pink, lacy, ruffled robes, sprawled on top of Headmaster Dumbledore in the middle of the Great Hall, kissing him!
"Oh!" Hermione squeaked, dropping her bag and books and wonderfully crafted DADA essay onto the floor. Her face was burning red, a stark contrast to Professor Lockhart's blinding white one as he scrambled onto his feet, backing away, jaw open in complete shock.
"Well," Headmaster Dumbledore mused in joviality as he sat up, "at least we all know why you seem to have no particular interest in women, Gilderoy."
Hermione promptly fainted.
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Harry saw Hermione going down before her knees started buckling. Quickly, he shot forward, Ron a second behind him but a second too late as Hermione fell into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her stomach, taking her weight onto him, slowly easing them to the floor. Gradually, Harry worked his arms upward until he could gently lay Hermione's head (and all her bushy hair) onto the floor of the Great Hall. Ron was still in too much shock to do anything after Hermione was okay, staring at the white-faced Lockhart and the benignly smiling headmaster.
Harry wanted to shuffle forward and grab all of Hermione's homework (Merlin knows she would freak if she saw them sprawled ungainly all over the floor like that) but decided it was probably best to remain still, waiting for the totally and completely awkward situation to die down before he did so. It was kind of hard, however, when that Slytherin kid and Fred and George kept laughing like hyenas at the Gryffindor table.
"Toby Williams!" Sarah screeched, flying out of her seat, her dark hair static in the room, giving her a frightening appearance as she thundered down the Great Hall. There was already a reprimand on her tongue that everyone could hear before she even started saying it. Toby could hear it too, but he was unique in the fact that he knew how to weather it before it landed him in load of trouble. Sort of.
"I take full credit for the robes, but that kiss was all Lockhart," Toby snickered, the twins laughing harder behind him at the mentioned kiss. A bunch of other boys started snickering, the sheer hilarity of the situation suddenly dawning on them. And also the opportunity. Especially since it was breaking about all the hearts of the witches in the Great Hall. (And if they had broken hearts, they needed someone to come along and mend them, right?)
It was at this point that Lockhart whirled around, face now red with rage, stomping towards Toby. "You!" he exclaimed. Toby grinned innocently.
"Hello professor. Is there something I can do for you?" he asked. Sarah stepped forward, to try and intervene.
"Professor Lockhart," Sarah started, ready to apologize. As much as she didn't like this man, common courtesy called she ask for his forgiveness in lieu of her brother, who was sure to just make the situation worse. But it seemed like that was unnecessary, as she was cut off by the very man she was trying to apologize to.
"Get out of my way, stupid muggle, I have no time for your daft idiocies," he rattled off, not really aware of what he was saying until he had said them. By then, it was too late. There was something very scary that appeared in the air, simmering menacingly. It was coming from the little boy in front of him and the old, respected wizard behind him, but most prominently from the "stupid muggle" at his side. And before he knew it, Gilderoy Lockhart found himself pressed against the edge of the Gryffindor table, Sarah Williams only a hairs breath away from his face, her green eyes glittering dangerously. Their position was quite provocative, taken at face-value, but that was because no one could see past Lockhart's voluminous pink robes and to Sarah's hand, which was slowly, torturously, painfully, squeezing his testicles.
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice soft and sweet, breath puffing tantalizingly against his face, "I didn't quite hear you. Would you say that again, please?"
Lockhart wheezed in reply. Sarah smiled.
"I thought that's what you said."
She released him, letting him double over and curl up in a fetal position on the floor, scaring a bunch of the students. Sarah herself was nonchalant about her violent actions, casually stepping over the DADA professor and making her way to a still comatose Hermione. She had only taken a few steps though, before Lockhart had dug out his wand, pointing it at her and wheezing out, "Alarte Ascendare!" Sarah's eyes widened, not exactly sure what that spell did, but squeezing her eyes shut and waiting for the impact, knowing it was probably something horrible.
What actually happened, however, was someone leapt in front of her, taking the spell full on. The spell catapulted them into the air, and Sarah (not to mention every single person in the Great Hall) watched them sail in a mess of black to the other side of the hall. The person crash landed into the staff's table, upsetting the empty plates and platters, making them clang noisily in the room. "Severus!" the Headmaster cried, and Sarah's mouth dropped open. (Her and every other person in the entire school.)
Snape?
Toby looked at his sister, her face mirroring his own. Why would the Head of the Slytherins want to protect a muggle? Especially after he just had that horrible screaming match with her the other day?
"I'm fine," Severus grunted out tersely, standing up. His fierce, cold gaze was trained on one eyesore of a professor, who blanched. Sarah watched him closely, until he turned his scathing glare on her. She blinked, refusing to flinch and show weakness, but turning her face away in shame. That seemed to make Snape angrier, but Sarah was preoccupied with her gaze suddenly falling on an unconscious Hermione.
"Is she alright?" Sarah asked Harry, who nodded as she walked over to him.
"I think she just fainted from shock. Should we take her to Madame Pomfrey's?" Sarah tried to ignore the frosty glare tainting her back, nodding to Harry.
"Yeah, she'll be a little disoriented when she wakes up. It'll be better for her to wake up in someplace quiet." And the Great Hall was definitely not that place, as Sarah struggled to talk over the hushed whispering. Dumbledore was standing idly by, smiling gently and watching McGonagall and the other professors attempting to calm the chaos.
Harry nodded, reaching out for Hermione again to pick her up. Sarah stopped him, smiling kindly. "I can do it, Harry," she told him. He seemed a bit surprised, but shrugged and tottered off to pick up her books. It took a little more prodding for Ron's eyes to be extracted from the quivering Lockhart, but he quickly followed them out of the hall and to the infirmary, leaving the infantile mess of panic behind them.
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The next time Sarah saw Hermione, it was in her Muggle Studies office the next day. The young girl was pink with embarrassment, clutching the strap of her book bag as she stood awkwardly in the doorway.
"Hello Hermione," Sarah greeted, stopping in the middle of shuffling papers. Hermione bobbed her head.
"Hello Professor Sarah," she replied in kind. Sarah sighed exasperatedly.
"Hermione I'm not a prof—wait, yes I am," she corrected, cutting herself off as she stared at her desk. A hearty laugh burst forth from her lips as she dropped her pen on her desk, running a hand through her long dark hair. "Never thought it would happen, but here I am," she giggled, before sweeping her hand towards the seat in front of her desk. "Why don't you sit down? Was there something you needed?"
Hermione shuffled forward, still a bit pink in the cheeks as she plopped onto the seat, cradling her book bag in her arms. "Yes, I just wanted to thank you for… for yesterday." Sarah looked up from observing one of the curriculum papers, mildly surprised. Hermione blushed. "For carrying me to the hospital wing." A look of realization dawned on Sarah's face, and she chuckled.
"You don't have to thank me; I was happy to do it," Sarah informed her, turning her green eyes fully on the young girl. Hermione fidgeted in her seat, still playing with the strap of her book bag. Sarah smiled in interest, tilting her head in curiosity. "Was there something else you needed me for, Hermione?" she asked, and Hermione stiffened. Her lips pursed, and Sarah leaned forward in her seat. "I promise I won't get mad."
Hermione relaxed at that, brushing some of her hair behind her ear. She looked a bit nervous, but there was a determination in her face that Sarah admired. "I was… I was wondering what your… your feelings regarding Professor Lockhart are."
Sarah paused. Hermione shifted uneasily in her seat.
The dark-haired woman sighed tiredly, running another hand through her long locks and relaxing back in her chair. Hermione could see a slight tenseness in her shoulders, though, betraying her own unease with the subject. "Would you like the truth or my horrible attempt at politeness?" she asked finally, tapping her fingernails on the desk. Hermione sat up in her chair, eyes flaring.
"The truth, naturally," she replied. Sarah grinned and decided that one day, Hermione Granger was going to make one hell of a lawyer.
"I think he's a fraud," Sarah stated simply, shifting her gaze to the window, watching the blue skies. She didn't see the shocked expression on the young girl's face; she didn't need to.
"But… but why? All of his travels are documented in his books! All the evidence matches!" Hermione exclaimed, shooting out of her seat. Sarah spared her a cursory glance.
"Anyone can write a book; especially about another person's life."
"But…"
"He's a fraud, Hermione. He can't do anything except tote that big, inflated head of his around. He can't teach, he can't cast worth a damn, he can't duel; do I really need to go on?" she asked, looking at Hermione, who was white. She shook her head, slowly, disbelievingly. Her hands were tightened in a terrifying grip on the strap of her satchel.
"No… no, I'm… I've gathered everything I need here, Professor. Thank you." Stiffly, she nodded her head, turning around and walking out the doors. Sarah watched her go a bit sadly, knowing that she was smart enough to realize who Lockhart really was. But it didn't hurt any less; deception never went over well with any person. I went over even less once feelings were involved.
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Sarah sighed, walking back up from the dungeons to head back to her room. She was currently on the fourth floor, listening to the echoing of her shoes on the stone floor, feeling a bit uneasy in the huge, empty castle. Well, maybe not empty, since it was housing about a thousand students, but definitely it felt deserted to an extent. But she wanted to walk Toby back to his dorm, giving him some reassurance that she was there before he dove into the Snake's Den. (Or the Slytherin Common Room; whichever title you preferred.)
She was heading up to a corner when there were sounds of scuffling close by. Sarah stopped, listening closely to a low voice cursing gently, and the high pitched laughter of Peeves that indicated he had successfully annoyed someone's day.
"PEEVES!" the pranked person snarled, and Sarah rushed towards the voice, which was just around the corner.
"Hee hee haa!" Peeves giggled. "Ickle Snivellus can't handle the pouty poltergeist?" he asked, and Sarah was taken back for a moment by the hurtful nickname. Especially when it made Snape turn that unhealthy shade of red.
"Peeves, get out of here!" Sarah exclaimed, stomping towards the poltergeist. Peeves turned his devilish grin to her, fingering his empty bucket of water. He had already doused it all over Snape, whom Sarah had chosen to stand in front of; protect. "I mean it Peeves; if you don't leave I'm going to sic the Bloody Baron on you tomorrow!" Peeves danced around in the air for a bit, mimicking a worried damsel in distress before cackling and flying up into the ceiling. Sarah breathed a sigh of relief when he left, turning her gaze to a huddled Snape. "Are you okay?" she asked. He glared at her.
"I do not need your petty sympathy," he told her curtly, standing up and grimacing at his wet robes. Sarah flushed.
"I'm not offering it," she told him harshly. "This is just payback; I owe you from yesterday." There was a pause here as she contemplated something, tilting her head at him. Snape was nervous under her bright green gaze. She took a step closer to him; he took a step back. "Why'd you do it?"
"Do what?" Her eyes narrowed at him.
"You know what." He adjusted the sleeves of his long shirt.
"I don't believe I follow, Ms. Williams," he insisted, prompting Sarah to roll her eyes.
"Don't give me this devil-may-care attitude, Snape. You protected me in that hall, in front of the entire school, when everyone sees you as a stick-in-the-mud with a vendetta for every single stinking mudblood in the world."
"Not all—" he started, only to realize what he was saying and snap his jaw shut. Sarah blinked in surprise. He flushed red, ducking his head and letting his greasy hair cover his face. The potions master looked oddly vulnerable like that, and Sarah's heart gave out to him. A lot of children covered up their fragile hearts with nasty attitudes; maybe Snape was just another big baby.
Sarah smiled gently at the thought and stepped forward, reaching under Snape's hair to lay her hand on his cheek. He backed away quickly, eyes wide with shock. Her hand was left hanging in the air, caressing a ghost; a shadow of a man who cried silent tears. It was powerful.
"Thank you for protecting me," she whispered softly, letting the echoes strengthen her voice. Snape stared at her through his glittering dark eyes, breathing harshly in the night air. He seemed torn, but between what Sarah couldn't figure out.
"I had to," he told her, looking away when he felt as though his eyes gave too much of himself to the woman. His best friend had always told him his black eyes bore his soul, but she was the only one able to read them as clear as day. "The headmaster did not want your… immunity to be revealed so early on."
Sarah froze. "You… you know?" she breathed. Her body tottered back. Snape turned his gaze back on her, sensing her weakness and composing himself because of it. Sarah turned her face away, covering her hand with her mouth. That information was confidential! No on was supposed to know about it except her and the headmaster. Why… why did Snape—
"The Headmaster tells me everything," Snape said, as if that made it okay. Sarah snapped her gaze to him, a glare forming over her face. He remained expressionless at her anger; her rage.
"How wonderful for you," she snapped at him. "Like best buds, are you? Huddling under unicorn blankets and whispering secrets to each other; I'm sure it's all very informing!" Not wanting to explode in a fit of rage and attempt a mutilation right in that hallway, Sarah turned on her heel and stalked back to her bedroom, where she flung herself on her bed and let her anger simmer into her sleep, never realizing the raw, unadulterated pain that raged on in Snape's fathomless dark eyes.