It was Friday evening, and Rosie was feeling physically worn out from her training session with Romulus earlier in the afternoon. He had made a new rule that she wasn't permitted to use any offensive spells - only defensive spells, which meant that more often than not, she found herself feeling the brunt of the golem's attacks and Romulus's jinxes.
For nearly the entire day, her link to Harry was blacked out, but to her frustration, she couldn't seem to discover anything useful about Harry. Luna was slowly teaching her the steps to the circular runic pattern that she intended to place in front of the Gryffindor common room, but things that seemed obvious to Luna were challenging for Rosie to grasp. Despite the difficulties, she was making progress, and she was able to craft more than half of the circle on her own. Once she was able to definitely establish that Harry was possessed, she knew the next steps she needed to take.
Rosie was on her way to the infirmary for her lessons with Madam Pomfrey, and had wanted to ask the matron about spells that could send potions directly to a person's stomach. While there weren't too many potions that could be used to detect possessing spirits, potions were involved in most of the spirit expulsion rituals. And considering that she had seen Romulus reading the book related to possessions, she knew that he would likely be more than willing to brew the potions for her if she needed them. Even if she didn't ask, she could imagine Romulus wanting to brew the potions just for the fun of it.
As she was climbing down a flight of stairs, she caught sight of Toby one of the hallways, and frowned. He seemed to be speaking to someone, and as the person turned and she saw his profile, she realized it was Harry. She froze in place, staring in surprise, and Toby seemed to have noticed her because a mocking smile crossed his lips. Flushing angrily, Rosie turned a corner so that she was no longer in their line of sight. She was tempted to take out her invisibility cloak and backtrack, so that she could hear what the two of them were talking about. This was the second time she had caught Harry talking to Toby. Admittedly, the first time, she wasn't a hundred percent certain that it had been Toby, but this time, it was definitely Toby. And she was almost entirely certain that it was Harry he was talking to. She had gotten a pretty good look at the dark haired boy's profile, and it looked just like Harry - surely, she knew her own brother's face.
Feeling like she couldn't let the opportunity pass, she pulled the invisibility cloak out of her bookbag and draped it over herself. Quietly, she crept back around the corner towards the hall where she had seen Toby and Harry speaking. To her disappointment, both of them had left. Rosie sighed in frustration. She wandered further up the hall, but there was no sign of either of the boys. Taking off the invisibility cloak, she stuffed it back into her bag, and headed back towards the infirmary. Not wanting to spend the whole evening in a state of restless agitation, she mentally repeated her mantra of blank and empty, blank and empty until she was reasonably calm and centred.
When she arrived at the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey was with a patient. The matron gave Rosie a warm smile as she entered, and then returned her attention to the student, who sat on the edge of one of the hospital beds. Casting a charm to disinfect her clothes and hands, Rosie walked up to Madam Pomfrey and the student, who was a Slytherin third-year. As Madam Pomfrey's pre-apprentice, Rosie was a familiar face to many of the students who frequented the infirmary, so the Slytherin did not regard her with too much suspicion as Rosie drew near.
"Hello Miss Potter. Miss Accrington, this is my pre-apprentice. She is helping me out," the matron informed the Slytherin girl. "Miss Potter will cast a diagnosis charm on you while I get you your potion."
The Slytherin nodded and then looked over at Rosie. The girl's gaze was guarded, but that seemed to be a normal Slytherin expression. In general, Slytherins were rather untrusting of others, and they never felt comfortable allowing unfamiliar people to cast spells on them.
"Hello. I'm Primrose. I'm going to cast the spell now." Miss Accrington nodded hesitantly in response.
As Rosie cast the charm, she felt the familiar sensation of the other student's emotions at the back of her head and neck. She could see a dark, greyish haze in the student's mind. Rosie knew that grey as well as silver usually meant that the patient was dealing with a mental illness. She wouldn't have been able to discern more, but since she could feel the other girl's emotions, she was aware of the deep sense of melancholy, and hopelessness that the girl felt. Immediately, Rosie was sure that Slytherin was troubled by depression.
Though Rosie knew nothing about Miss Accrington, she felt an intense wave of empathy. In the same way that she didn't like seeing animals suffering, she also didn't like seeing the suffering of witches and wizards. Moreover, Rosie's own unhappiness regarding her situation with Harry meant that she was especially sensitive towards the unhappiness of others. Without realizing what she was doing, her magic reached towards the greyness, and Rosie found herself deeply wishing to alleviate Miss Accrington's unhappiness. Oddly, the grey seem to clarify in to well defined shapes. Rosie didn't know what the shapes meant - it took years of learning to be able to read the shapes in a basic diagnosis charm. However, her magic seemed to intuitively weave around the shapes, fitting in place like the pieces of a puzzle. Even stranger, the greyness began to fade away, even though Rosie knew that effects of the diagnosis charm were still lingering.
A curious look came over Miss Accrington's face. "What did you do?"
The question snapped Rosie back to the present moment, and she looked down at her wrist, where her bracelet was giving off a cold, tingly feeling. What had just happened?
"Erm - I just cast a basic diagnosis charm," Rosie replied, feeling a bit dazed, and curiously more tired than ever before.
"Are you sure?" Miss Accrington asked. "I feel different. I feel -" The corners of Miss Accrington's lips turned up, and the girl shook her head. "This is weird."
They were interrupted by the return of Madam Pomfrey, with a potion in hand. "Here you are dear." The matron handed the tall phial to the Slytherin.
"I - I think she did something to me," Miss Accrington said to Madam Pomfrey. The matron looked at Rosie curiously before turning back to the Slytherin.
"She cast a basic diagnosis spell. You shouldn't have felt anything. You didn't cast anything else, did you Miss Potter?" The matron gave Rosie a searching look.
"No, of course not! I only casted Egritudo. But - something happened, and my bracelet went cold," Rosie looked back at her wrist. Despite her tiredness, she got the impression that she had drained the charge that she had been storing up in the stones. It was hard to believe how quickly the charge disappeared. Infusing the stones with magic had taken such a long, long time. Madam Pomfrey seemed baffled by this. She looked back at Miss Accrington and cast another diagnosis charm. The matron's eyes widened in surprise.
"It's - it's almost entirely gone!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed. "Could - could I have made a mistake the first time? But no - you told me your symptoms, so it can't have been a mistake."
"What's going on?" Rosie asked.
"So, did she actually do something to me?" Miss Accrington asked. "I feel so - so, light. Am I okay?" Despite her questions, there was a strange brightness in the Slytherin girl's eyes.
"I don't know what happened," the matron admitted. "But it seemed that Miss Potter did you no harm. If anything, she seems to have caused your depressiveness to almost entirely dissipate. The only explanation I can think of is that she healed you with some sort of accidental magic."
"She - cured me?" Miss Accrington's voice was almost a squeak of surprise. A smile kept tugging at the edge of the girl's lips, as though an irrepressible happiness was bubbling up within her. The Slytherin looked at Rosie with shining eyes.
Pursing her lips, Madam Pomfrey cast the diagnosis charm once more. "Yes, it seems like it has cleared up. It's - well, it's remarkable. Even the potion would have only provided a temporary measure at best." Madam Pomfrey looked at Rosie consideringly before looking back at Miss Accrington. "I suppose you won't need the potion anymore."
The Slytherin girl grinned, and then tried to force back her expression into a semblance of calmness. It wouldn't do to wander back into the Slytherin dungeon with a dopey grin on her face. She'd never hear the end of it.
"Thank you," Miss Accrington said to Madam Pomfrey and Rosie. The matron nodded, and the girl sprang up and dashed out of the infirmary. When the Slytherin was gone, Madam Pomfrey glanced over at Rosie.
"Are you alright Miss Potter?"
"I feel a lot more tired," Rosie admitted. She was ready to crawl into bed.
"I believe you're magically drained. Whatever you did took a lot of magical energy. It's best you head back to your room for the night," the matron said gently. "We can discuss it next time."
"Oh - alright." Rosie turned to leave before she remembered that she wanted to ask Madam Pomfrey about the charm that spelled potions into a person's stomach. After questioning Madam Pomfrey about it, the matron gave an exasperated sigh before going into her office and finding a relevant book for Rosie to bring back to her room.
"Take these as well," Madam Pomfrey said, handing Rosie a couple of extra books that related to mind healing. Her eyes widened with intellectual excitement as she noticed the titles.
Rosie grinned tiredly. "Thank you!"
"Off to bed now!" The Matron shooed her away affectionately.
Saturday was a relatively uneventful day. Rosie spent most of it in the Ravenclaw Nest or the library, working on her assignments. She also read about the process of using a charm to put a potion in a person's stomach. Unsurprisingly, it was quite a difficult spell - after all, it involved putting something external inside another person's body. There was a great deal that could go wrong with the spell, and the risks were very high for the patient. It was generally not advised to use the spell on a person who was mobile. Even in cases, where the patient was suffering seizures or were in some other way impaired, it was recommended that the person first be immobilized before attempting to put potions in their stomachs.
Rosie also spent more time with Luna in the Come and Go room, trying to master the next steps of the runic circle which detected multiple spirits in a single body. Luna had a very extensive understanding and strong grasp of runes. However, she was far from being the typical sort of tutor or teacher. Rather than explaining concepts in a straight-forward manner, Luna tended to use metaphors or stories to illustrate ideas. She had a way of describing the concepts so that it sounded as though she were talking about something entirely unrelated, however, once you deciphered her meaning, the concept suddenly became clear.
With Luna, one had to really think about everything she said, and absorb all her words. Her lessons felt like navigating through a mental maze. Yet, once Rosie understood what Luna was trying to say, she found that the runes and their related configurations remained in her memory better than if she had heard a straight-forward explanation.
Sunday was the fourteenth, and Rosie would have completely forgotten that it was Valentine's day however, when she and the other Ravenclaws made their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, their eyes were assailed with every conceivable shade of pink. The walls of the great hall were covered were large pink flowers, that could only be described as gaudy. The long tables were edged with pink and white streamers. From the sky-like ceiling fell heart-shaped confetti, which twinkled as it caught the light, and also had the unfortunate effect of coating every surface that it landed on. All through the Great Hall, students were brushing the sparkly hearts off their food, or out of their hair.
Since it was a Sunday, many students had chosen to sleep in, and when Rosie glanced towards the Head Table, she noticed many of the professors were absent. If Rosie had known what she would have had to face upon entering the Great Hall, she probably would have stayed away as well. She liked the colour pink, but frankly, this was just too much pink. Only a few professors were at the Head Table, such as Professor Flitwick, Professor Sheppard, and Professor Sprout. Their expressions clearly spelled out their consternation. Evidently, none of them were responsible for the garish decorations.
It wasn't until lunch that Rosie (and the rest of the students) learned who was responsible. At the Head Table, Professor Lockhart was dressed in pink dueling robes that were clearly picked out to match the decorations. Once all the students were seated, Professor Lockhart stood up, and gave the students his signature smile.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart called out. "I'd like to thank the fifty-one students who have sent me cards so far. I have taken the liberty of arranging this surprise for all of you. But this isn't all! I'm sure you're wondering why I have chosen to wear such dashing dueling robes today. Well, behold!"
Professor Lockhart raised his arm up to direct the student's attention to the pink and red banner that was unfurling across the back wall of the Great Hall. The banner read: Lovers & Fighters.
"Lovers and Fighters! That is to be the theme of our lovely Valentine's. Think of Arthur and Guinevere, or Tristan and Iseult. Consider Diarmuid and Grainne or Odysseus and Penelope." Lockhart paused dramatically, and swept his gaze across the room. Rosie looked across the table at Sakiko and Edine who were gazing at the Professor with rapt and adoring expressions. Romulus seemed completely determined to ignore the foppish professor, while Luna was busy collecting a pile of heart shaped confetti. What she meant to do with it, Rosie couldn't begin to guess.
"Well!" Lockhart continued. "I'd like to announce that this evening, we shall be having the first meeting of our new dueling club! Yes, yes, I know it is rather late in the term to begin a new club, but the romance of the season has inspired me. All students are welcome to join, and it will be at 8 o'clock, here in the Great Hall. Of course, there's no reason to hesitate if you want to come and watch me display my immense and commendable skills. Professor Snape here has graciously volunteered to help."
Lockhart gestured to Professor Snape with a wide sweeping movement that caused his cape to billow dramatically. "I imagine that few of you would have ever guessed that therein beats the heart of a true romantic!" Professor Snape's expression was decidedly unromantic. If anything, he looked like he would prefer to be ripping hearts out, than making them flutter, starting with Lockhart himself.
Professor Lockhart's announcement caused a flurry of excitement and bewilderment throughout the Great Hall. The idea of a dueling club was undoubtedly enticing for many, but for every student that was enamoured with Lockhart, there were just as many who found him to be mortifyingly incompetent. Aside from a Quidditch match later in the month, there wasn't really all that much to do in February or March. A new club would certainly draw a lot of students who would go simply to sate their curiosity.
Rosie looked over at Romulus and he caught her eyes. Silently, she gave him a look that said: 'What do you think?' Romulus shrugged. The pair of them had spent a few months honing their fighting skills, but the idea of being able to duel other students rather than golems was enticing. As much as they both disliked Lockhart, it was still a good opportunity to try their new found skills on real people.
Rosie turned to Luna. "Do you want to go?"
Luna's expression was thoughtful before nodding. "It will be interesting to see Professor Lockhart trying to smile his way out of a duel with Professor Snape."
Rosie grinned. "Well, Lockhart did win Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award. Maybe if he smiles hard enough, Professor Snape will just stun him, instead of killing him." Rosie peeked over at the Head Table towards the Potions Master. "If he ever looked at me like that, I'd run, or fly, or floo as far as I could possibly go."
It was far from being a peaceful Sunday. Somehow, Professor Lockhart had managed to hire a bunch of dwarfs, dressed as cupids to deliver romantic messages. All throughout the school, one could hear poems being read in tones of surly announce, or even the occasional off-tune melody, accompanied by a lyre. Rosie had long given up the idea of getting a moment's peace in the library, and was about to head back to the Ravenclaw Nest, when she unexpectedly ran into Harry right outside the library.
She had not been expecting to see her brother at all. Their link had been blacked out for nearly the entire day, and her experiences with observing him under the invisibility cloak had turned up nothing useful. Rosie had been spending more energy on trying to learn the runic circle, which made her feel like she was making progress.
As soon as Rosie's saw Harry, her eyes widened in surprise. He looked like he was carrying a bright red book, but upon closer inspection, Rosie saw that it was a stack of Valentines. Apparently, her brother's newfound popularity translated to receiving a great deal of cards. Her first thought was: 'he doesn't have the same intensity as the last time when the link was black' which was followed by relief. She didn't think she could deal with that - at least, not without first steeling her nerves.
"Hi Rosie!" Harry said cheerfully.
"Hey, Harry." It was strange that he suddenly seemed normal again, except that their link was blacked out. Who was this Harry? What had happened to all of that strange intensity that she felt before?
"I've been meaning to speak to you. Do you have a moment?" her brother asked. His expression showed the warm, familiar face she was used to. But at the same time, the black out in her link reminded her to act with caution. Her stomach flip flopped. It was hard to stay calm, when she just wanted her brother back.
"Sure."
"Let's go talk somewhere quiet. The dwarves are kinda out of control, aren't they?" Harry chuckled with amusement.
Rosie smiled weakly. "Yeah - I'm guessing by that stack of cards that you've been stalked by cupids all day?"
Harry looked down at the stack of cards in his hand, and his ears pinkened. He gave Rosie a sheepish smile.
'Merlin, why doe he have to seem so normal?' Rosie thought with dismay. 'If he's possessed, shouldn't he be acting weird and intense like last time? And where's his entourage of Gryffindors?'
"Let's go to our normal spot," Harry said, referring to the alcove where they usually called Sirius. Rosie nodded in agreement, and let her brother lead the way.
Once they were settled, Harry looked at Rosie with an earnest expression. "Listen - Rosie - I'm really sorry about last time. I - well, I was stressed about things, and I shouldn't have taken it out on you like that."
Rosie had considered many possibilities of what Harry might say to her. And yet, out of all the possibilities that Rosie had imagined, this was not one of them. She was stunned into silence. Some dark, cynical part of herself wondered if he was somehow lying. After all, this was black out Harry - she couldn't feel what he was feeling. Was it all an act? And yet, Harry looked so genuinely regretful.
"I know I've been distant lately. I didn't mean to push you away. I - well, you're my sister. And you know me in a way that no one else does," Harry continued. "It would be nice if we could hang out more together. Although, if I've completely bungled things up, I can understand if you don't want to be around me." Harry bit his lower lip, and looked at her.
'Is that - is he really giving me the puppy dog look?' Rosie thought. 'Surely, he knows that I never fall for it.' Yet, there seemed to be a twinkle in Harry's eyes, as though he did know, and it was all a playful joke. The expression was so familiar, that she wanted to throw all her worries to the wind, and believe what Harry was saying. Instead, she forced herself to maintain her distance. Her Ravenclaw personality told her to watch and observe (and take notes later).
"It's not that I don't want to be around you, Harry," Rosie began hesitantly. "Of course I like spending time with you. But - well - you say you've been stressed and distant lately, but the thing is, you've been strange for months. Half the time, I feel like I don't even know you."
Harry looked hurt by her words. He opened his mouth, as if to speak, but then seemed to change his mind.
"I mean, with our link, I keep getting these black outs. Even now, the link is blacked out. It doesn't feel normal, Harry. And I know it wasn't there before. I didn't start feeling anything strange in our link until late September, and it seems like you started to change at the same time. And don't tell me it's all in my head. I know it's not." Rosie's expression was stubborn as she spoke.
"What do the black outs feel like?" Harry asked. Rosie had not expected the question at all. She thought he would perhaps come up with some sort of rationalization or brush off the issue. In her frame of mind, she kept waiting for the worst to happen. To be met with Harry's open curiosity threw her off balance, when she was already feeling off balance.
"Erm - well - it feels like a blackness. It feels like something that's there, like - a foreign presence maybe. It's nothing like how the link feels when you're asleep. When I try and explore the blackness, it feels like it goes on forever. I went into it once - that is, I sat down, and mentally made an effort to explore the blackness. I thought it had only been a few minutes, but Luna woke me and told me I had been sitting there for two hours."
"Really?" Harry asked. "That's - weird. And kinda scary."
"Yes! It is weird and it's definitely scary. Harry - I really think something is wrong. Don't you remember when I did that diagnosis spell on you, and you said it hurt? It's not supposed to hurt. And - well - I also saw the actual blackness."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean - well, the basic diagnosis charm works by showing colours, and I saw blackness. It means - you're cursed." Rosie examined Harry's face, trying to gauge his expression. He looked bewildered and troubled.
"You mentioned that last time, didn't you? When I was being a total arse." Harry was looking down at his hands, looking regretful. He emitted a weak laugh but it was a nervous gesture. "I'm almost scared to find out. But - well - I think I need to hear it. Tell me about the curse."
"Apparently, your scar is cursed. And Professor Dumbledore knows about it," Rosie began.
There seemed to be a flicker of something in Harry's eyes when she mentioned the headmaster, but as quickly as it came, it disappeared. "Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"I don't know. I didn't find out until fairly recently. I don't even know what the curse does!" Rosie huffed. "But I've been trying to find out. Harry - I know I asked you some weird questions last time, but is the thing is, there's a chance you might be possessed. Have you noticed anything different? Do you do have any gaps in your memories or anything?
"Possessed!" Harry exclaimed. "I - well, no, I don't think I've noticed anything strange. But it's been a weird year - I mean, with students being petrified, and then the snake bite prank, and then that whole hex fight. A lot has been going on." Harry shook his head. "Possessed. Wow. What - what led you to think that?"
"I don't know for sure. Not yet, anyway."
"Not yet?"
"I'm planning to find out. The thing is - well, I've been doing it behind your back, since you've been so different lately, but I'm working on a way to detect whether or not you actually are possessed," Rosie explained.
Harry seemed interested. "Really? Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe if you tell me what you're working on, I can help you with it."
"Really? You want to help?" Rosie was stunned. Harry was so nice all of a sudden! And yet - and yet the link was still blacked out. But if Harry was possessed, wouldn't he try to hinder her efforts? Maybe he intended to sabotage her? She felt guilty for thinking this way about her brother, and yet, she felt like she had good reason to.
"Yeah, I'll help however I can," Harry replied with bright eagerness. Rosie bit her lip thoughtfully. It would be easier of Harry participated, but she didn't trust him to create the runic framework, or cast any of the spells himself.
"Well, Luna and I almost have it entirely figured out. But, once we've made the runic circle, will you come and stand in it?" Rosie thought that sounded safe enough. She would treat it as some sort of test. If he was possessed, then surely, the spirit wouldn't want to risk detection.
"Sure," Harry agreed easily. Rosie had no idea what to make of his quick assent. At this point, she had no idea of what to make of Harry in general. She had thought the conversation had ended, but to her surprise, Harry suggested a call to Sirius. Over the Christmas break, Harry had never blacked out while they were in Grimmauld Place, so Sirius had never spoken to Harry like this. During the call, Harry continued to act with mundane normality, and Sirius did not notice anything amiss. However, Sirius did tease Harry about his new popularity ("It's like you don't have time for your old godfather anymore, pup!")
After the rather long call, and just as Harry was about to leave, something occurred to Rosie. She reached out and grabbed on to the sleeve of his robe.
"Harry - would you be willing to come down to the infirmary and let Madam Pomfrey do a diagnosis spell on you? With the whole curse thing - well - you know -" Rosie trailed off uneasily. Whether he agreed to this or not was an unspoken test. What would Harry say? Rosie watched her brother's face carefully. Something that she couldn't identify flashed across his eyes, but as quick as it came, it was gone, and he smiled.
"Sure! What about this evening? After the dueling club."
"Really?" She asked. "Okay. Yes! Yes, That works." Rosie found herself grinning, and she released her hold on his robe. "See you later then!"
Harry grinned. "Looking forward to it. I can't wait to see what Snape does to Lockhart." Rosie wholeheartedly agreed.
Since it was Sunday, Rosie still had a training session in the Come and Go Room with Romulus that afternoon. She usually liked the sessions, but ever since Romulus stopped allowing her to use offensive spells, she found it much more challenging. She didn't know why defensive spells were so difficult for her - perhaps it was just because some part of her thought that physically dodging was so much easier, and she wanted to save her magical energy for attacks.
She was in the Ravenclaw Nest, about to head towards the Come and Go Room when the common room door opened, catching her unaware. Toby and his friends entered, and Toby's gaze alighted upon Rosie.
"Ah, just the person I was looking for," Toby said as soon as he saw her. Though she was tempted to scowl, Rosie pasted a smile on her face instead. She flicked a glance at Samir, who gave her a small sympathetic shrug, before looking back at Toby. As much as she wanted to avoid the fourth year boy, he made it near impossible to do so. Yet, every time he spoke to her, Rosie knew that he was further fueling Marietta's and Sarah's hatred for her. The end result was that she could never truly relax anywhere, unless there were other people around.
"Hello, Tobs. Happy Valentine's Day," Rosie said, with saccharine sweetness. As she glanced at the dark, cat-like face, she couldn't help but wonder how he would have treated her, if he hadn't been 'warned off.' Who was powerful enough to be looking out for her? Could it be one of the teachers?
"Happy Valentine's Day to you, little one." He held out his hand and conjured a stem with three blooming yellow and white flowers on the end of it. "A primrose for my little Primrose."
"Erm - thanks, Tobs," Rosie took the stem, looked at the flowers as though wondering whether or not they would bite. "Oh - actually, there was something I wanted to ask you." Rosie debated whether or not to ask for a moment in private. She wanted to know why Toby was speaking to Harry, but at the same time, she really didn't want to be alone with Toby. Seeming to guess her dilemma, Toby waved off his friends, and then led her aside so that they weren't standing directly in front of the common room entrance.
"Well?" he asked. Away from his friends, the mocking expression on his face intensified. The dark, predatory gleam in his eyes made a chill run down her spine. Steeling her nerves, she tilted up her chin.
"I saw you talking to my brother," Rosie said, replacing the sugariness in her voice with a flat, calmness. "Why were you speaking to him?" She didn't reveal that she wasn't a hundred percent sure whether they had actually spoke or not. Rosie had no desire to show more weakness than was necessary.
Toby's lips curled in dark amusement. "How odd that you're asking me this, and not your dear brother. One would think that he would be the first person you'd ask."
"I did ask Harry," Rosie replied. She crossed her arms, and looked at Toby expectantly.
Toby smirked, and leaned his side against the wall of the common room. He seemed to be deliberating, and watching her expression. Then, with a light sigh, he looked away from her, and examined his nails, as if bored.
"Harry's an interesting person. I happen to like interesting people. They're very rare." Toby shrugged lightly.
Rosie frowned. Toby's answer told her exactly nothing. Before she could ask him another question, Toby spoke: "You know, he did mention you." Looking away from his nails, Toby pinned her down with his dark eyes. "He said that you have a very rare ability. But he wouldn't tell me what it was. Have I ever mentioned how much I like rare things? Perhaps it's a family thing - we have a history with handling the rare and mysterious."
Toby's words brought back a memory of something that Mathilda had once said, which had stuck in her mind - that is, that Toby's father was rumoured to work in the Department of Mysteries. Rosie had filed away that piece of information, and Toby's comment suddenly made her wonder if it was indeed true.
"I'm not really anything special," Rosie said. From her readings and research, she knew that empathic abilities were extremely rare, but she had no desire for Toby to know that. She didn't think he could use it against her, but then again, this was Toby. If half of what Samir said was true, then it was better to remain cautious.
"Hm. I don't expect you to tell me." Toby suddenly straightened, and then bent over, so that his face was all too close to her own. The proximity of it was disturbing. It reminded her of their first encounter, and just as before, it took a great deal of willpower not to flinch or back away.
"I prefer discovering such things on my own. It's much more fun that way. Anyway, it's nearly 3 o'clock. Don't you have somewhere you need to be?"
Rosie's eye's widened. She was supposed to be meeting Romulus! Scowling, she turned away from Toby, and dashed out of the common room. Behind her, she could hear his soft, mocking laughter.
Rosie was huffing and out of breath by the time she made it to the Come and Go Room. Romulus, who was standing in the seventh floor corridor, raised his eyebrows, as Rosie hunched over, trying to catch her breath. Consider what had happened the last time she failed to show up to one of the training sessions, he had been about to go looking for her, expecting the worse. However, as he gave her a look over, she seemed to be fine. Though he did not openly express it, he was relieved to see her safe.
"Just give a moment," Rosie said. After so many flights of stairs, she wasn't quite ready to spend an hour running from golems, and being jinxed by Romulus. Romulus shook his head and sighed. In a real crisis, one might not have the opportunity to catch one's breath, but he didn't reprimand her about it.
"I looked over those potions," Romulus said.
Rosie looked up at him, and straightened up. She was trying to think of what he might be referring to, when she remembered that she had mentioned potions in relation to possessions. Though, considering how ambiguous the statement was, maybe he was talking about something he was working on with Professor Snape. It seemed like a good idea to clarify.
"Do you mean the one's related to possession?" Rosie asked. Romulus nodded.
"Oh. I spoke to Madam Pomfrey about the spell that lets you send potions directly to someone's stomach. It's an extremely dangerous and risky spell. Though -" She paused and thought. "Though I guess almost all the spirit banishing rituals require potions."
Romulus shrugged. He was tempted to just make the potions for fun, but some of the ingredients were costly. It would be better to wait and see what Primrose actually needed before he attempted to brew anything. Though, if cost were no object, he'd brew them all. Since she seemed to be close to breathing normally, he summoned the training room, and opened the door into the maze-like setting. He glanced at Rosie who smiled weakly, causing Romulus to smirk. She was still terrible at defensive magic, and he with silent amusement, he knew he was going to enjoy jinxing her.
After an hour had passed, in which Rosie was bruised from being tripped so many times, she asked Romulus if he intended to go to the dueling club meeting that evening.
Romulus frowned slightly. He wanted to practice his skills against others, but at the same time, he really did not enjoy being around other people. Yet, it was a rare opportunity that could prove useful in increasing his skills. He nodded.
Rosie grinned. "Great! I can't wait to duel something other than golems. See you there?" Romulus nodded.
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Severus Snape had decided that his new least favourite colour was pink. He had also come to the decision that his new least favourite person (at the moment) was Gilderoy Lockhart. Of course, Lockhart didn't rank as his least favourite person of all time. That illustrious title went to James Potter, followed closely by Sirius Black. It was unnerving, but Harry Potter seemed to no longer rank very high in terms of people he disliked. Of course, he still disliked Potter, but not with the simmering antipathy that he once felt.
Many people would have seen this as a good thing. Perhaps they might think that he was letting go of the past, or that it was a sign of maturity. However, this was not the case. The fact of the matter was that he was just confused by Harry Potter. Was he the only one who thought that there was something wrong with the boy? He had spoken to Minerva a few more times about Potter's behaviour. But after hearing her wax lyrical on how proud she was of the boy coming out of his shell, and bringing all the Gryffindors together, he soon gave up on that endeavour. Nothing made him lose his appetite faster than seeing the old tabby's eyes shine as she went on, and on about the boy wonder.
And as for Potter's sister, it was evident that she had no incentive to reveal any information about her brother to him. He supposed that he shouldn't have been surprised or disappointed by that. Still, he had hoped to glean some sort of information. Speaking to any of the Gryffindor students was out of the question, of course. Though they were the ones who spent the most time with him, they would also be the most protective of one of their own. Not to mention the fact that they had started treating him like some sort of idol.
James Potter had been similar in many ways. He and his friends had been wildly popular and well liked by the student population. One would think that this parallel between father and son would have fueled Severus's dislike of the boy, but this was not the case. It was strange, but despite the Potter boy's newfound popularity, he reminded Severus less and less of James. There was something about Potter's mannerisms that was familiar, but Severus could not pinpoint what it was. James had come across as cocky, with that wholesome, Gryffindor charm. On the other hand, the boy was magnetic and beguiling.
Both James and his son were arrogant, but while it was a maddening characteristic in James, with the boy, it came across as almost believable. The younger Potter seemed to radiate with power. Severus could think of very few people who gave off that impression of power. That air of dominance could easily be what attracted the Lions to him. Considering all that had happened thus far in the school term, it would make sense that someone with a bearing of confidence would be highly alluring.
So why didn't Severus hate the boy? Maybe it was because there was something dark about the younger Potter. The darkness that he sensed made the boy almost relatable. Not that Severus knew anything about being magnetic or popular. He did know a great deal about darkness though. It was curious, because nothing in the boy's behaviour hinted at darkness. This led Severus to believe that it might be something magical. But could the Boy Who Lived really be aligned towards the Dark? It struck Severus as inconceivable, yet, what other conclusion was there? Unless it was all in his head. Perhaps the nitwits he had to teach had finally driven him to madness. Well, if that were the case, maybe he could be placed in the same ward as Lily. Wouldn't that be something.
As for the young Miss Potter, she was a surprise as well. The girl appeared to be calm and collected - especially for one so young. There was nothing about her that suggested that she might be a target of bullying. Yet, somehow, she had been attacked with enough severity to end up in the Hospital Wing. And the things that had been written across her face - thinking of it brought a growl to Severus's throat. He wished that Miss Potter had revealed the names so he could make certain to torment those students in and out of the classroom. Unfortunately, that pleasure was to be denied to him.
What could have brought on such an attack? Severus was no stranger to being picked on, and he recognized malice when he saw it. Whoever it was that attacked Miss Potter had a deep hatred for her. It was unfortunate to already have enemies in her first year at Hogwarts. Severus couldn't help thinking that his own enemies had made his life hell while he was in school. For some reason, it made him feel protective of the girl. Feelings of protectiveness struck him as being rather foreign. Generally, the only things he ever felt like safeguarding were rare potions ingredients.
It was fortunate that there appeared to be no more incidences to upset the student body. Even the Weasley twin's antics were limited to tormenting their elder and younger brothers. Of course, that didn't mean that his life was peaceful and untroubled. There was still Gilderoy to deal with, and the horrifying decor in the Great Hall. Severus could feel his hand twitch in anticipation of knocking that obnoxious twit on his arse. It would be more satisfying if he could use a real curse - a dark curse. But alas, dark magic was not permitted in the halls of Hogwarts. It was a shame, really.
That evening, Severus opted to have his dinner in his own rooms. It was Sunday after all - he felt like he deserved a break from the horrible little monsters that he had to teach. Furthermore, it was better for his health. In all likelihood, he would pop a vein if he had to spend more time immersed in all the pinkness. The dungeons of Hogwarts were often described as the bowels of the school, but at the moment, the term seemed more apt when applied to the Great Hall.
Soon, it was close to 8 o'clock, and Severus steeled his nerves and calmed his mind so that he could tolerate the company of Gilderoy and his idiotic admirers. He swept through the halls, and his black cloak billowed behind him. The description of a great bat was more than fitting.
The Great Hall had been cleared of all the long tables, and a stage had been set up along one of the walls. Of course, the stage was golden in colour, as though chosen to to match Gilderoy's wavy hair. Students were still filing into the Hall - it was early yet. Severus had left most of the preparations to Gilderoy. This was his little pet project after all. But since it was unlikely that the foppish idiot would be able to control a crowd of students, it was only natural that another teacher would volunteer. While it was true that Filius Flitwick was a masterful dueller, Severus could not pass up the chance to try and crush Gilderoy's overweening pride. That, and he also felt that it would be a good idea to keep watch on his Snakes. They did know some rather nasty hexes, and it wouldn't do to be putting other students in the infirmary. Though of course, a bit of pain now and then wasn't too bad.
"Severus!" an annoying voice called out. It took all his effort not to sneer, as Gilderoy came running up to him. The man was still wearing his pink dueling robes, and under the candlelight, one could see shimmering golden threads embroidered throughout.
"There you are! It wouldn't do to have a dueling demonstration without my noble assistant! Not all battles can be won with smiles and charm!" Gilderoy beamed. Severus felt a deep shudder running through him, and his expression was black. However, Gilderoy had turned around and was leading him towards the stage.
Severus stood to the side, as Gilderoy walked to the centre of the platform. As Severus looked out towards the Hall, he could see more students filing in. It looked as though almost all of the student body had showed up for this 'little' club. It was hardly a surprise. There wasn't very much to do in February after all. While there were many rapt and adoring faces, Severus was cheered to see just as many incredulous expressions as well. Most of his Snakes were sneering at the foppish idiot. The sight filled Severus with a cold satisfaction. Many of the Ravenclaws seemed skeptical as well, and when he caught the eyes of some of the more studious children, they gave him a respectful nod.
Severus caught sight of the young Potter, who was standing near to the Slytherins. The positioning surprised Severus - he would have thought that Potter would be well enveloped by the adoring Lions. Potter's eyes glittered with an unusual iciness as he looked up at Gilderoy. It was that iciness that made Severus think of Darkness when he thought of Potter. It wasn't a look that one usually saw on a Gryffindor. The Lions were known for their hot rages, not for cold calculation. And while it was odd, there was a look of deliberation in the boy's eyes. He looked right at home amidst the Slytherins. Moreover, he looked like he was planning something. Immediately, Severus was on his guard.
When it seemed as though most of the students had arrived, Gilderoy waved his arm to get the students' attention.
"Gather round, gather round! Can everyone see and hear me? Excellent! Now, those of you who were there for lunch will know that I have been given permission by Professor Dumbledore to start this little dueling club. And as you know, our theme for this evening is Lovers and Fighters! And believe me, once I've trained you in the noble art of dueling, you'll be winning hearts, left and right, as I myself have done on countless occasions. Of course, I don't kiss and tell, so you won't find those tasty little tidbits in my published works, but as for all my battles? Well! You'll have to buy my books and see, won't you?" Gilderoy winked. Severus scowled.
"As you also know, Professor Snape will be my assistant. We'll be showing you a little demonstration. Oh! This calls for a touch of drama - all for the sake of our theme, of course. Now, I want you youngsters to imagine that the two of us will be fighting for the heart of a noble maiden. She has declared that only one of us can have her hand in marriage, and we must prove ourselves in a duel." As Gilderoy expounded on the theme, Severus imagined casting the Entrail-Expelling curse on the man. Though he wasn't aware of it, several students were giving him nervous glances.
Gilderoy turned to him, to indicate that they were to begin. The fop walked to one end of the stage, while Severus stood on the other. He shrugged of his cloak - it would impair his mobility, and Gilderoy did the same with his bright pink cape. Gilderoy gave a dramatic, courtly bow, while Severus could only manage to jerk his head. That in itself was more than the man deserved.
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. On the count of three, we will cast our first spells - and hopefully win the beloved lady's heart." Gilderoy winked at the crowd again, while Severus narrowed his eyes. He was thinking about all the places he would like to slice, to turn that pink dueling robe into a nice crimson.
"Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course," Gilderoy added. "One - Two -Three!"
Severus was thinking of the Sectumsempra curse, which was a slashing curse when he uttered the word: "Expelliarmus!" The force of his intense animosity towards the man caused Gilderoy to be blasted right off the stage and into the wall as the scarlet light slammed into him. The force of the spell knocked the air out of Gilderoy's lungs, and he ended up sprawled on the floor. Severus found it only mildly gratifying. He could hear some of the students, including his Snakes, cheering. It would have been nice of Gilderoy could have stayed down. But, the man was soon up on his feet, though he was rather unsteady. He climbed back up on the platform, giving the students a tremulous smile.
"Well, there you have it!" Gilderoy announced. "That was the Disarming Charm - as you see, I've lost my wand - ah, thank you Miss Brown. An excellent charm to start with Professor Snape. Naturally, I could have stopped you - it would have been easy enough, but when one is trying to win the heart of a lady, it doesn't hurt to put on a bit of a show! And, erm -"
At that very moment, Gilderoy happened to look over at Severus, as there was no disguising the murderous gleam in his eyes. He really should have just gone with Sectumsempra. True, he would have lost his job, but it would have been a satisfying way to be fired.
"Enough demonstrating! I'll be coming amongst you now and putting you in pairs. Professor Snape, if you'd like to help me -"
Severus worked through the crowd, deliberately pairing Slytherins off with Gryffindors. After the two pranks in the late fall, here was still a lot bad blood between the Houses. It was clear that the Lions and the Snakes were hungry for blood. Severus could hardly deny them their wish for revenge. It would be interesting to see which house came out on top. Gilderoy was making some sort of announcement about disarming only. However it was evident that most students were ignoring him. The Gryffindors only had eyes for the Slytherins. Meanwhile the Slytherins were wearing their cold, vengeful sneers.
Gilderoy was heard, saying "One - two - three -" and soon after, chaos ensued. None of the Gryffindors or Slytherins were casting disarming charms. It seemed as though only the Hufflepuffs and some of the Ravenclaws had listened to the blockheaded professor.
Draco Malfoy, who had been paired with one of the Weasleys, were still throwing hexes at one another. Malfoy appeared to be dancing angrily, while Weasley's face was covered in pimples. Potter had been paired against Theodore Nott, and whatever Potter had done had knocked the boy out cold. Miss Granger and Miss Bulstrode seemed to have dropped their wands and were engaged in a wrestling match. Though Miss Bulstrode had a thick build, Miss Granger fought like a wildcat, and Severus was mildly impressed by the girl's spirit.
"Stop! Stop!" Gilderoy was screaming, but none of the students paid him any heed.
With a sigh, Severus called out: "Finite Incantatem!" The various jinxes were put to an end, and the Gryffindors and Slytherins were giving each other angry glares. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were watching the scene with curious, and even excited expressions. Many of them seemed disappointed when the action ended. Miss Granger and Miss Bulstrode were still fighting, but their friends managed to pull the two girls apart.
Gilderoy was weaving his way between the students, trying to regain some of his authority, and helping students who had been knocked over.
"I think we'd better start with teaching you how to block unfriendly spells," Gilderoy said. He flicked a glance at Severus. Severus's eyes glittered with the anticipation of being able to blast Gilderoy across the room again. Unfortunately, Gilderoy seemed to lack the heart for it, and suggested a volunteer pair.
"How about Potter and Finch-Fletchley," Gilderoy was saying, but Severus cut him off.
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart, Severus drawled. "Our little celebrity will have the other students fawning all over him before they'd ever think to cast an offensive spell. You'd be sending your students off swooning, and not just the ones on the stage. How about - Malfoy and Weasley?" Severus knew that there was a lot of bad blood between Malfoy and the Weasleys. Malfoy had suspected them of the prank against him in the Great Hall back in December, and Severus was inclined to agree with that suspicion.
As for Potter - well, there was something off about him. He might look normal, and even act normal, but there was that underlying dark power. Severus was not sure that the other students could handle it. Though Theodore Nott had been awoken from his unconsciousness, the boy was still looking dazed, and it made Severus uneasy. Severus cast a quick glance at Potter, and the boy's eyes seemed to glitter with some unspoken knowledge, but the boy quickly glanced downwards, resuming his 'humble' act.
Gilderoy had shepherded Malfoy and Weasley to the middle of a hall where a large circle was cleared for them. Gilderoy seemed to be giving instructions to the red-headed boy, and Severus felt a momentary stab of pity. If Weasley were to attempt to follow Gilderoy's instructions, he was more likely to harm himself than Malfoy. Whatever Gilderoy was saying caused him to drop his wand, and Severus smirked.
Though Severus knew that Malfoy could hold his own, it was hardly fair for Gilderoy to give instruction, while the Slytherin got none. Besides, it would be nice to see the Lions squirming with a bit of fear. They were too arrogant and unruly by far. Severus bent down, and whispered the snake summoning charm in Draco's ear. Let those Lions see what a serpent could really do. Malfoy smirked in gratification, while the Weasley boy looked pale. However, when Malfoy taunted him, the Weasley boy stood taller, and snapped a retort.
"One - two - three - go!" Gilderoy called out.
"Serpensortia!" Malfoy called out, with his wand pointed straight at Weasley. The end of his wand exploded and in immense black snake shot out, landing on the floor at the centre of the circle. It was evident that the snake was angry. It raised it's head, hissing and poised to strike. Weasley had lost all colour - in fact, most of the Gryffindors were looking horrified, and Severus felt a glow of vindication. Was there anything better than seeing the Lions cower?
"Don't move, Weasley," Snape said lazily. It was hard to hide his pleasure at seeing the Gryffindors so afraid of the black, powerful snake. "I'll get rid of it."
"Allow me!" Gilderoy called out in a cocksure manner. He waved his wand at the snake. Severus could hear him say something like Evanesco which was the vanishing charm, but Gilderoy had emphasized the first syllable instead of the third. Severus winced - it would probably annoy the snake, but it shouldn't really do much damage.
There was a loud bang, and instead vanishing, the snakes multiplied and soon there were ten, immense, black, and very angry snakes. Severus was shocked. Even if the intonation had been incorrect, there was no way that the Evanesco could have multiplied the snakes. What the devil was going on?
Students were screaming in panic. All around, there was pushing and shoving. Some of them were throwing off hexes at the snakes, and the snakes were darting forth, biting the students. To his surprise, he heard Potter hissing at the snakes. All ten of the snakes appeared to stop and look at Potter with intent black eyes. Potter tilted his head towards one of the walls, and the snakes slithered off in that direction, and coiled in neat little circles against the wall. The other Slytherins were looking at him in shock. But all the other students were still in a panic. Amidst the fray, they could not see what had happened, and many of them were blindly shooting hexes. Instead of hitting snakes, they were hitting each other as they tried to shove their way out the hall. Gilderoy was trying to gain control, but no one was listening to him.
As for Potter, he seemed to leap into action. First, he checked on the students who had been bitten. "Quick! Somebody, get bezoar!" His eyes were on Severus. Shocked into action, Severus nodded, and dashed off to get his store of bezoar. Behind him, he could hear Potter issuing more orders. "We need to get these students to Madam Pomfrey! Hermione! Turn Justin over on his back. Neville! Go check Hannah's head. I think she knocked it when she fell. Are you okay Susan? It looks like it's just a cut. Episkey!"
As Severus dashed off to get the bezoar, he found himself thinking that it was strange that he would ever take an order from Harry Potter.
A/N: I think I kinda lost control of this story (since maybe December in the story's timeline). It's one of the major reasons I haven't wanted to finish it - plot holes and inconsistencies and such