Chapter 14
As the day wore on, whispers continue to run around the school, whispers going about two things, one the giant; which was the most talked about and then the hair change for the three Slytherins. Of course the trio didn't bother paying attention to that fact as it didn't really both them.
As lunch came though, letters arrived for all members of both the Slytherin and Gryffindor team, asking for their presents in the Headmasters office before supper and so after her final class of the day, Rowena left her friends to head towards the office. As she walked there, she met up with Fred and George Weasley who soon pulled up conversation.
"So red hair huh you wanted to be an honorary Weasley so badly?" Fred joked causing her to snort.
"Then I would have turned my hair flaming red, no this was my mother's hair color, wanted to know what it felt like to look like her for a change." She lied easily, plus Professor Snape would have killed me if I did die my hair that color."
"OH but Snape loves us!" George exclaimed a look of hurt on his face that had her snorting.
"OH yes positively loves you." She laughed before they arrived at the statue of the gargoyle that blocked entrance to the Headmasters office. "Lemon drop."
As the statue moved aside, the three walked in and began to walk up the steps, Rowena at the front. When they arrived, they found the door opened and most of the other students already there. Walking into the office, she swiftly made her way towards the Slytherin Quidditch team and sat in the only open seat left, beside Flint.
It didn't take long for the rest of the Gryffindor team to arrive and the moment the last member entered the door shut and everybody fell silent and looked towards the three teachers. The Headmaster sat at his desk a calm look on his face while both Head of Gryffindor and Slytherin stood on either side of him, facing their teams. When Rowena looked at her Head of House and met his eyes, she could clearly see well hidden anger bowling behind it and withheld a wince. He knew of her little free fall she supposed.
"Now then," began the Headmaster. "Although your well-meant acts of bravery saved the student population, I must remind you all that you put your lives in great peril by doing what you were doing. If I hear that any one of you puts their lives in danger in such a way again while you are students at this school you will be severally punished am I understood?" He asked.
"Yes sir." They whispered.
"Well then, you will serve a detention each with your heads of house. One detention will do but for what you did for this school you will each earn fifty points and Miss Potter for saving the life of miss Marisa you will gain another twenty five points and another detention." He stated making Rowena blush. "We have received full reports on what you did Miss Potter and plunging out of a train such as you did was not only dangerous but foolish. Yet your foolishness saved the life of a first year and for that you should be very proud of yourself."
"Yes sir." She whispered yet she did not look at her Head of House. She knew he would be angry with her for so clearly disrespecting her own life, or at least that's what he would say.
"Now then I am sure you are all starving I have asked the house elves to send us all some well deserved food here to my office. I am sure this can count as a punishment as you would say." The Headmaster chuckled causing some to look at him in shock. "You shall all be eating dinner with us." He announced in a far too cheerful manner.
As a table appeared in the office, covered in food, they soon gathered some and began to eat. As Rowena sat in a comfortable chair, a plate on her lap she was soon joined by Fawkes the phoenix who butted its head against her own.
"Ah Miss Potter it seems like Fawkes has taken a liking to you." The Headmaster remarked while taking a seat beside her. "Do you know about Phoenix'?"
"Yes sir, they are very loyal, and have an amazing life span because of their burning days. There have magical tears that can heal almost everything and can carry great waits. Phoenix' are some of the most impressive magical creatures of our world with many mysterious still to be discovered. He is beautiful by the way." She answered causing Fawkes to croon softly at her compliment.
"Indeed, indeed." The Headmaster murmured yet just as though he was about to continue Professor Snape interrupted a firm look on his face as he looked at Rowena who blushed and looked down at the phoenix.
"Headmaster I think it's best if I speak with Miss Potter for a moment." He stated earning a humming sound from the Headmaster.
"Very well Severus, lemon drop Rowena?" He asked while extending a bag to her.
Blinking she gave a nod before taking one and popping it in her mouth causing the headmaster to smile brightly.
"Well then Rowena, I shall bid you a good evening and might I add that I do enjoy your new hair color, admittedly it looks very good on you." He stated before rising and leaving them causing Rowena to smile before she rose causing Phoenix to fly away, although not before nipping at her ear for a moment.
With not even a word Professor Snape spun on his heal and began to walk out of the office, Rowena trailing behind him. It took them several minutes to arrive at the Professors office but at last they did and Rowena was ushered inside.
"Now, it seems as though my own students do not seem to trust me with information as crucial what was revealed to me this evening. Would you care to explain to me why, Miss Potter, you say fit to not inform me that you recklessly threw your life away?" He asked his voice low and even, not a good combination when it came to Professor Snape.
"She would have died." Rowena whispered, hands clenching. "She would have died and nobody would have tried to save her. I took a chance to save her and I don't regret it. If you are going to be angry with me for saving a life of another then so be it, I don't care! I'll serve my detention with you, do whatever it is you want me to do but it won't make a difference. If given the chance to do it again I would do it over and over again because I won't let somebody die or get hurt when I could have stopped it!" She screamed before bolting from the office, not even letting her Head of House have the chance to answer back. She heard his shouts for her to return yet ignored them.
She didn't want to go back to the Common room, he would find her there. She needed a place to hid and cool off and just think!
Running passed Moaning Myrtles bathroom she froze before bolting into it. Hissing the password to enter the Chamber of Secrets she slid down making sure it closed behind her. Arriving at the bottom, she took a deep breath. She couldn't believe she had just blew up in her Head of Houses face. She had just screamed and run off.
"He is going to kill me when he sees me next." She whispered while burying her face in her hands. "I can't believe it, what came over me. Only moments ago I wasn't about to scream somebodies ear off and he asked one question and I just snap. Maybe… maybe I need sleep."
Standing she slowly made her way through the debris before finally arriving in the true Chamber. Walking towards Salazar's face, she whispered the words for it to open and walked in. She was grateful that Salazar had told her about his personal chambers the year before. It made for a great place to run and hid from everybody, especially after a practically hard night. Going to the single bed in the corner of the room, she curled onto it, pulling the covers up. The fire of the office burned bright, heating the room perfectly and allowing Rowena to fall into a soft sleep.
…
The next day arrived fast for the student population and as Hermione and Ron hurried to the Great Hall for breakfast they both wondered where Rowena was. Taking a seat at Slytherin they began to eat and it was only five minutes before breakfast ended that Rowena made an appearance, hurrying to the edge of the table to grab some toast before hurrying out, just as their Head of House rose to his feet.
"Something tells me their talk didn't go as planned." Ron remarked causing Hermione to frown.
"We should go after her." She whispered before standing and leaving the hall, Ron not far behind her.
It took them a few minutes but finally they did find Rowena, hurrying towards their first class. Catching up with her, they pulled her into a hidden passageway causing her to squeak.
"Hermione, Ron, what was that for!" She exclaimed causing them to smile.
"We wanted to talk. You didn't came back to the dorm last night and this morning you almost missed breakfast. What happened Row?" Hermione asked causing Rowena to blush.
"I… I blew up yesterday, blew up at Snape. I didn't mean to scream I guess its just… past few nights haven't been the most peaceful at the moment." Rowena answered earning sighs of understanding.
"Those murders are horrible." Ron whispered knowing what his friend was really going through seeing as he had greeted those souls at the door of death. It had been a really nasty murder.
"We don't blame you, but he doesn't know about that. For now we'll just have to find a way to vent our frustration or anger a bit more. Maybe dueling or something, we have the rooms for it." Ron suggested earning a nod of agreement from his friends.
"Well for now I guess we avoid Snape." Hermione remarked making Rowena laugh before they hurried to leave their hiding place and make their way to class.
As the day went by normally, the trio hid as much as possible from their Head of House yet they could hid no more as their third period was Potions. Making their way down to the dungeons they waited outside with everybody else, until the door was opened.
"Everybody in but Miss Potter." He ordered causing Rowena to gulp softly.
Doing as they were told, the scurried inside, Rowena staying back to the pitying looks of her classmates. When the last student walked in the man closed the door and turned to glare at her.
"Detention Miss Potter, for leaving my office before we were finished with our conversation, you will be hosting your first detention this evening, with me am I understood?"
"Yes sir." She agreed.
"Good and the next time you see fit to scream at a Professor, think before you do. Now enter that classroom and I want to hear nothing from you until the end of class." He ordered, urging her to nod in agreement before hurrying into the classroom.
Staying at the back, she moved to the farthest corner of the classroom, still on the Slytherin side yet far enough from everybody to be left alone. Setting her things up she looked to see what potion they might be doing that day only to find that it was the Shrinking Solution. It was the same potion they had brewed at the beginning of the year meaning he was testing them.
Getting her ingredients out she began to prepare them so that they would be ready. Then she began to make her potion. First step was to juice two shrivelfigs and add their ruby blood to her cauldron then she had to stir slowly.
Concentrating on her potion she did not look up or speak to anybody when class ended she bottled her potion and handed it to her Professor before returning to her seat to clean everything up.
"As today was a test of sorts you all will be testing your own potions." He announced an evil smirk on his lips.
Looking down at her potion she was happy to note that her potion was the right color and consistency but looking at Longbottom who was the closest to her, she saw that his potion was almost certain his was to pale and runny.
"Now one by one you will come forward and I will deem if you potion is ready to be tested, from there you will take a vial." He stated causing some to sigh in relief.
"Potter!" He ordered causing her to sigh before she took her vile and walked down to the front of the classroom. She handed the potion to her Professor who inspected it before handing it back with a nod showing that she could drink her potion.
Taking a deep breath, she gulped down the potion before wincing at the horrible taste yet she didn't have much to think about that as moment later she felt herself shrinking as her eyes were closed. When she stopped shrinking, she opened her eyes and blinked. Looking up she cocked her head to the side before looking up. She was way too short for her liking and as she looked up at her Professor who was looking down at her with slightly wider eyes.
"Well Miss Potter it seems like you're potion was very potent." He remarked causing her to blink as she looked down at her body only to squeak as she noticed just how young she looked. She looked to be four years old if not five! "The potion will wear off sometime today Miss Potter." The man remarked before doing something so that her uniform fit her better. "Your uniform will change with you as well."
Glaring sorely, she hurried as fast as her little form could until she arrived at her chair and grabbed her bag that was much heavier than before. Pouting she took her wand and cast a feather light charm on it before hopping on her chair.
Leaving the classroom a few minutes later she was the only one who had been shrank to such a size, the others were at least looking to be only nine or so.
"You are so freaking cute Rowena!" Daphne squealed while looking down at her causing her to blush. "Do you want me to carry you to Defense?"
"no." She grumbled while hurrying off as fast as her little legs could go.
It took her a good five minutes until finally Blaise picked her up causing her to squeak before a pout formed on her lips. When they arrived at their class, she squirmed out of Blaises hands only to shriek as she lost her footing on a step. Thankfully, nothing bad happened as somebody caught her before she fell down the steps.
"Um, perhaps a potion incident of sorts?" Came the calm voice of one of her favorite Professor.
Looking up she saw Professor Lupin looking down at her with a soft smile that had her pouting. It was clear he was finding it amusing.
"Shrinking solution." She muttered sadly causing him to smile as he picked her up causing her to blush furiously before he brought her to the front of the class.
"No need to worry Miss Potter. You're statue will not impair you today. You can sit here so that you have a view of the lesson though." He remarked making her pout as she was placed on a desk, instead of a chair, as she was too small to sit on the chair.
"Thank Merlin this is the last class of the day." She muttered causing the man to chuckle.
"Now then shall we begin our lesson. Today we will be learning about something very interesting today. Most would think it would have to do with History but the Headmaster has asked that it be part of Defense Against the Dark Arts because of their history of battles and amazing abilities." He informed them causing many to pip up and for Rowena to pull out a notebook and a self-inking quill.
"What are we going to be talking about Professor?" Somebody asked looking rather hopeful that it was actually interesting.
"We shall be speaking about the three Grand Guardians of our world, something most muggle-borns don't know about." He stated causing Rowena to look up, eyes wide along with Ron and Hermione. "The Guardian of the Door of Death, the Guardian of Dreams and the Guardian of Souls."