"YOU ATTACKED ME ! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND, ALBUS !" yelled Severus as he stomped into Albus' office uninvited . Minerva was already in the office , her nose buried in an official looking parchment . The sudden outburst of a yelling Severus startled her. She let out a little moan . Albus' reaction was opposite from that of Minerva , a horseplay smile crept over his thin lips as if he was expecting the young Professor to appear with that mood .
" I didn't do anything, my dear Severus, " his plain reply came from behind the table as if no one had yelled or stomped into his office .
" DON'T. LIE. TO. ME. NOW OLD MAN I READ THE MESSAGE YOU SENT, AND WHY THE HELL ON THIS EARTH DID YOU SEND SERAPHINA TO MY CHAMBER? " he asked, calming down himself down, but his tone remained the same .
" Oh, that message !" Albus squeaked " I thought maybe you needed a bit of caring after being 'injured,'" he continued , the emphasis on the word injured was dipped in heavy sarcasm.
" Oh my God, Severus, are you all right Did you go to Poppy ?" Minerva cried in horror interrupting the quarrel between the two Wizards .
" I am fine Minerva! " he snapped at her .
Looking back at Albus, he sneered. " Then who attacked me in the dungeons and how did you know about it? " Severus demanded , his teeth clenching with anger .
" Well, I didn't know about the attacker, but you can say I have some trusted sources who told me about you, " said Albus .
" But why did you send Miss Barclay down? I want to know that more, " said Severus , his tone softened at her name . Albus sensed that .
" Oh, Seraphina? She just happened to cross my path so I gave her the message to deliver it to you " he lied , both Minerva , Severus and he himself knew that .
" But then why did you wrote, 'I hope she is a good nurse?' " mimicked Severus .
" Oh did I write something like that? I thought I invited you to my office for tea. I remember that, " Albus lied again . " Well, nice weather outside right?" He continued trying to change the topic .
" Albus, don't try to change the topic now answer Severus' question " ordered Minerva .
Severus took out the crumbled piece of parchment from his frock coat's pocket passing it to Minerva . She skimmed through it thoroughly and passed Albus a look of disappointment .
" Ok , I sent her to your chamber " confessed Albus in a defeated tone .
" But why..." snapped Minerva and Severus together .
" You needed some assistance, and I knew you wouldn't have gone to Poppy . So I sent her, " said Albus .
" You could have sent anyone else on this damned earth, Albus. , Why did you send a student? " yelled Severus in frustration .
" I agree with Severus, Albus. You could have sent a House-elf for help. What was the need to send a student " asked Minerva , the disappointed look still on her face .
" Don't ignore the fact that Seraphina is a lot more than just a student for you Severus, " said Albus in a deadly serious tone . The twinkle from his eyes faded . " Your future--her own future--depends on both of your relation. I just wanted you both to spend some time with each other in solitude , where you are not her teacher, and she is not your student, because, Severus, if she doesn't feel anything for you , this will end up just like things ended up between Lily and you . She will find someone else, and you will be left all alone, all of this being in vain, and I fear this wouldn't end up good for you this time because of the curse, " he continued with sincerity . Every word he spoke was true .
All three of them stayed silent , rooted to their place . Severus and Minerva absorbed every word that slipped out of Albus' thin lips . It was the hardest for Severus. Truth is always hard to swallow. and it is true . A aghast look overhauled His lean , slender face looked aghast . His body felt numb as he fell down into the armchair .
" But how..." mumbled Severus weakly " how can... I love... a student, " he continued mumbling more to himself .
" Everything has to start at a certain point Severus. Maybe you can build a friendship with her this to start it , and I can say she will surely accept your friendship, " Albus said with superiority in his voice .
" But she... she is just a little girl, Albus " Minerva said .
" Yes, she is just a 16 year-old but..."
" But what, Albus? She is a sixteen- year-old girl; I am her teacher and years older than she . She is beautiful and intelligent. Why would a girl like her even look at me? " Severus snapped, cutting off Albus halfway through his sentence .
" She looks up to you and thinks very highly of you, Severus, " said Albus, ignoring Severus's anger .
" She does?" asked Severus timidly .
" You know when she came to my office for the first time, she told me she was more excited to meet you than actually studying here at Hogwarts, " Albus said ." She sees a warrior in you. She sees a man who killed the Dark Lord himself , in you . "
" Listen, Albus, this curse forced me to imprint on her but I won't force her in any way . She is just 16, and I cannot tell her that she will have to spend her whole life with me . And the curse had forced me to love her but she has no such compulsions . Let her live her life. I will get over it somehow " begged Severus.
" Lily left you and you killed The Dark Lord. I am not very sure how you will get over this one Severus . And I hope you remember what Ms. Angelina said 9 years ago , the curse caused a long , painful death to the lady, and I don't want you to die when such an admirable girl has come into your life, Severus, " said Albus .
" But why did The Dark Lord chose a girl like her for me to imprint upon? Wasn't the curse supposed to cause pain and suffering?" asked Severus in a dead tone.
" It baffles me, too, Severus. For years I feared the person who you would imprint on because you had already seen enough pain to last a lifetime, but when it turned out to be Seraphina I felt relieved, " said Albus .
" You were relieved that a 16 year-old girl had been imprinted upon by a man like me? " grunted Severus .
" No, I was relieved to know you imprinted on Seraphina because she can understand the complexity of this situation, and I am sure she will only be a help to you, " said Albus with a assuring smile .
" Nonetheless, now Seraphina has been imprinted upon, and there is nothing that can change it . So, what are you going to do now , Severus? " asked Minerva .
Her eyes were locked on the fire glowing in the fireplace . Her question silenced the two men. She had a good point. What would they do now ?
A long and awkward moment came over the Headmaster's office . No one spoke a word . They didn't knew what was to be said .
" Don't do anything, Severus. Just try to built a friendship with her know her more , understand her . You are right that she is a student of your while she is in the school , but one thing is to our advantage in that it's her last year . I will offer her a job here so she could be here and stay near to you, and then maybe something would spark up between you two, " said Albus with a superior tone .
Severus blushed a little as Albus talked about things sparking up between Seraphina and him . He never thought his personal affairs would be discussed in the Headmaster's office and that Albus would ever think so hard about it . He liked her but he liked her as a student . She was serious with her potions and was always helpful towards everyone .
ልረልክ
The first snowfall of the season arrived in the middle of November . The castle was covered with white snow, making a breathtaking view . The heavy snowfall cancelled Seraphina's Care of Magical Creatures and Flying classes that day . Most of the people were in the vicinity of the warm castle , but Seraphina had different plans to spend her day . Grabbing the book she'd borrowed from the restricted area of the library, she snuck out of the prefects' dorm and went to the Whomping Willow . Stepping out of the castle, the sunlight fell on her face . That day she wore her Muggle jeans , two layers of sweaters , a brown overcoat and a pair of black boots to seal her body heat inside . Her Ravenclaw muffler wrapped around her neck and a pair of yellow mittens she was wearing to cover her hands stood out against her dark outfit . Sitting on the outgrown roots of the Whomping Willow, she comfortably leaned on its trunk and buried her nose in the book , drifting off to world of her own .
ልረልክ
Today the dungeon felt more gloomy than it did everyday . It had snowed outside, and most of the students were near the fireplaces warming themselves . His last hour was free, and he couldn't take the gloominess of dungeons anymore, so he marched towards the courtyard for some fresh air . A few students were in the courtyard chatting and strolling around . Leaving the courtyard behind he thought about taking a long walk , so he walked away from the castle . His eyes fell on the Whomping Willow and the small figure leaning against its trunk . The aggressive Willow stood there calmly in the vicinity of a person . It would have been normal for it to attack anyone coming near it , but it stood so calmly, supporting the small figure . He marched towards the Willow to ensure that the person was all right or not . As his proximity to the Willow grew, he saw the small figure's face . It was Seraphina's petite face which had turned red due to the coldness . She looked completely unharmed. Actually, she looked comfortable sitting under the aggressive Willow .
ልረልክ
" Miss Barclay, are you all right? " a deep , grave voice tugged her out of her own world .
But the Whomping Willow wasn't amused by the visitor as it shrugged violently , trying to warn the visitor to back off . Seraphina sensed the disapproval of the old tree . She instantly jumped up at her place and started stroking the rough trunk of the tree with her hands , calming it down .
" Shhhhhh...it's nothing Willi., It's just Professor Snape . He means no harm, " said Seraphina in a melodious voice . She calmed the old tree like it was a small child . Her words soothed the Willow but it was still reluctant . She turned towards her professor giving him a hand to take .
Severus looked at her hand and then at her face with an arched eyebrow . He didn't know why she was asking for his hand.
" Sir, you need to gain his trust so he knows you don't mean any harm, " said Seraphina softly .
Severus slipped his hand in hers . She raised his hand towards the rough trunk and stroked his long and slender hand on the old tree . Her hand was over his , holding it and directing him how to stoke . The Whomping Willow finally calmed down completely . Seraphina quicky snapped her hand back leaving Severus hand dangling mid-air .
" What are you doing here, Miss Barclay? I assume you know students are asked to stay away from the Whomping Willow," advised Severus .
Seraphina walked past him, ignoring his question . Seeing that her professor wasn't coming she turned back, facing him .
" I suppose we both shouldn't be here Professor , the Willow doesn't trust you completely " she said .
They both walked silently towards the courtyard which was unoccupied by now .
" Now, I would like to get an answer form you, Miss Barclay. You could have been injured; the Willow could have attacked you!" He groaned, stepping in front of her .
" Sir, I am completely fine. , The Willow don't harm me, and I should say, you shouldn't have come near it. He was angry with your visit , and you could have gotten harmed, sir. " The cunning reply came from Seraphina.
" But why didn't the tree attacked you, Miss Barclay? " questioned Severus, baffled .
" Because it doesn't want to, " she said plainly .
" What? " Severus asked . He didn't understood her reply .
" The Willow is just like a human, sir. He also has some people he doesn't harm. "
" And you are one of them? " asked Severus, trying to understand her statement .
" Yes. "
" But how? " grumbled Severus .
" It's something even I don't know, sir, " she replied in a defeated tone , she didn't know the reason herself . She was a smart witch who knew the answer to almost every question in the world , but there were still some questions she had to leave unanswered .
" Ok , but I would like you stay away from the tree from now on, " demanded Severus .
" But may I know the reason, sir? " begged Seraphina .
" Because it might attack you. You can't trust an old, crazy tree, Miss Barclay, and I don't want any of my students injured, " he said .
" I appreciate your concern, sir, but I can say that Willow will never hurt me," she said with a reassuring smile .
" How can you be so sure ?" he asked in pretended frustration .
" You are sometimes sure about things just because your heart says so, and my heart is sure about Willi that he will never hurt me, " replied Seraphina .
" You know, sometimes you Ravenclaws are just too hard to understand, " Severus playfully groaned .
" Thanks for the compliment, Professor Snape, " she replied, reciprocating his playfulness . She turned to leave when Batman called for her again .
" Wait, Miss Barclay. "
" Yes, Professor? " she replied, facing him .
" I advise you to grab a hot chocolate from kitchen because you look too pale . Tell me, for how many hours you have been sitting under that crazy tree ? " questioned Severus.
He sounded concerned about the young Ravenclaw . He was right, her skin had turned pale , the tip of her nose had turned cherry red from cold .
Looking at her Muggle watch wrapped around her wrist and replied in a casual manner .
" Oh , maybe like three and a half hour "
" Three and a half hours outside in weather like this ! Please don't say now that you were busy reading a book and lost track of time yet again," he groaned ." You are going down to the kitchen with me and drinking a cup of hot chocolate and then you will be going straight to your dorm . Did I make myself clear?" declared Severus .
Turning towards the stairs of the castle, he marched towards it .
" There is no need for that, Professor. I will be going straight to the library anyway, " she called from behind him .
" I didn't asked you, Miss Barclay; it's my order, and you will be following it, " he said .
" But why do I have to follow this order? "
" Because this is the order of a professor, Miss Barclay, " he said .
Seraphina let out a defeated sigh as she followed her professor silently . She knew it was of no use to argue with Batman; he was too determined to be shoved off .
Severus slowed his speed so Seraphina was walking next to him and not behind him like someone inferior . Making their way through the corridors of the castle, they entered the kitchen where someone was already sitting, carving on a pumpkin tart . He was the last person both Seraphina and Severus were keen to see . It was Gilderoy Lockhart .
" ...Then I punched that vampire and pointed my wand at him, forcing him to surrender ." He was in the middle of another Lockhart Chronicles, busy narrating to the House-elf who listened to it like a baby , getting excited and clapping like an innocent kid . But seeing two people entering, it turned towards them.
" Oh, Professor Snape, after all this time. - Oh Mistress Seraphina , how are you today ?" it greeted them both with a warm smile .
" Tully, what have I told you about calling me Mistress? " asked Seraphina .
" Yes , yes , Tully remember what Seraphina Barclay told her about calling her," it said, bowing a little . " What can Tully serve you two with ?" she asked .
" Oh, Seraphina, Seraphina, Seraphina, I didn't expected to see you . Well, a beautiful snowfall to go on a walk with someone special , right? " asked Lockhart, turning towards them .
" Yes, it's a beautiful scene outside , but sadly I don't have anyone to go on a walk with like Lucifer and Elenore do, " she replied .
" Ah, those love birds! You are talking about that couple who roam around with you all the time," said Lockhart.
" A cup of hot chocolate will do fine for Miss Barclay, Tully, " interrupted Severus , forcing Lockhart to end his conversation . Lockhart passed a displeased look to Severus .
" And for you, Professor Snape ?" asked Tully .
" Nothing , I am fine ," said Severus .
" But why, Professor ? Tully you can make that two, " Seraphina broke in . " You were also outside with me, sir, " she said, turning towards her professor .
Severus didn't protest. After all, a hot chocolate wouldn't do any harm .
" Why aren't you wearing the neck piece I gave to you, Seraphina?" asked Lockhart, taking a big bite of his tart .
" Ah, Actually it is a very precious gift, sir , so I thought I would keep it for special occasions, " explained Seraphina nervously .
" Seraphina, Seraphina, Seraphina, it's not that precious. It would please me if I saw that around your neck quiet often. You know it would remind you of me, " said Lockhart, winking at her .
" It's Miss Barclay's choice what she would wear and what not , so let her choose, Professor Lockhart," snapped Snape .
" Here , your hot chocolate, " said Tully.
Seraphina and Severus sipped their hot chocolate in silence . Tully added marshmallows in Seraphina's cup. She knew Seraphina liked it that way .
" Aahhh... I love you Tully. It's so delicious and perfect. I needed it badly ," cried Seraphina after sipping her first sip .
" Then why did you refused in the courtyard? " asked Severus, sipping from his own cup. A sly, Slytherin smirk crept upon his thin lips .
" Because I didn't want a hot chocolate at that moment, but I realize now that I needed it, " replied Seraphina. She passed him her cheeky Ravenclaw smile .
" Hey, Tully, do you have some chocolate chip cookies? " asked Seraphina . " You know they taste best with hot chocolate. You should try it, too, Professor ," she continued, facing Professor Snape.
Tully brought a serving full of chocolate chip cookies . Lockhart had finished his tart by that time and ordered a hot chocolate for himself, too . The three of them sipped from their cups and ate the cookies in silence .
" Hey, Tully, why don't you treat yourself to a cup of hot chocolate and cookies too? " suggested Seraphina .
" But... " Tully was about to speak when Seraphina placed her cup back on the table, went to the shelf, and started preparing a cup of hot chocolate herself .
" Please, Mistress Seraphina , don't embarrass Tully by doing work, " squeaked Tully in horror .
But she kept on preparing a cup for the House-elf . Severus watched her no one cared for those pathetic creatures, and they were always treated inferiorly by the wizards and witches, but not by this girl .
" Here, take your cup. It's not like you make, but it's the only thing I can make without wrecking the whole kitchen, and I am quite proud of myself for my hot chocolate making skills, " said Seraphina, passing the cup to the house-elf, a warm smile on her face .
" Thanks, Mistress Seraphina, " squeaked the House- elf .
" Ahem, " Seraphina cleared her throat .
" Ah... Thank you, Seraphina, " it corrected itself shyly .
" Well, Seraphina , you know the weather outside is magnificent , so why don't you come and have a nice walk with me across the bridge? " asked Lockhart with a wide grin, leaving his white teeth for great exposition .
" Miss Barclay will be going straight to her dormitory after finishing her hot chocolate , so, sorry Professor Lockhart, she can't take a nice walk with you, " snapped Severus . The emphasis on a 'nice walk' was greatly dipped with sarcasm .
" But why, Seraphina? " asked Lockhart, ignoring Severus .
" She has been outside for more than 3 hours, and in my opinion, that is more than enough time for being outside in this weather, " snapped Severus yet again .
Seraphina and Tully stood there silently rooted in their places listening to the quarrelling professors . Seraphina was happy because she was in no mood for the Lockhart Chronicles. His classes had enough of that . Batman also disliked Lockhart as much as she did .
After emptying her cup, Seraphina stood and moved to leave the kitchen .
" Thanks, Professor Snape and Tully for this amazing hot chocolate . I should leave now , See you at the dinner Professor . Good evening, Professor Lockhart, " she said as she made her exit from the kitchen.
Severus made his exit just after she left because he didn't want to spend another minute with that Lockhart .
ልረልክ
The watch wrapped around her wrist showed that it was five in the morning . She had just completed her homework, and was about to take a bath when a snow-white owl knocked on her window . He had a letter in his dark-brown beak which she took and gave him a nut she kept in her room for Hans . She wasn't expecting any letter from anyone, so it surprised her. The envelope was written with big curvy writing.
" For Seraphina Barclay "
Opening the envelope, she slipped out the letter from within . The letter was written in the same curvy writing .
Dear Seraphina ,
How are you ?
I would be pleased to have you as my assistant for the demonstration of spells for the Dueling club .
Your loving teacher ,
Gilderoy Lockhart , Order of Merlin Third Class, Honorary Member of the Dark Force Defense League and five-time winner of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile Award
A letter from Lockhart in the morning; the day couldn't start any worse . With the quill in her left hand, she sat on the chair , thinking whether or not to answer the letter . She decided to discuss it with Lucifer and Elenore first .
The Great Hall was quite full by the time she entered it . Almost everyone was there . Looking up to the Head table, she noted only a few seats were left unoccupied She walked to the Ravenclaw table, sitting next to Lucifer and Elenore, who were already enjoying their breakfast. Stuffing her mouth with a piece of toast, she went for the jug to fill her goblet with tea .
" Hey , I want to ask something to you both, " said Seraphina .
" Go on, " said Lucifer, stuffing his mouth with the sausage .
She opened her mouth to speak, but before the words would have poured out of her lips, someone called for her from behind .
" Seraphina, Seraphina, Seraphina, here you are. I was looking for you at the prefects' table, " the voice of Gilderoy Lockhart came from behind her.
She turned to face him, masking her irritation with a smile .
" Good morning, Professor Lockhart, " she said with pretended cheerfulness.
" Oh, Good morning, Professor Lockhart , how are you today ?" asked Elenore wiping her mouth with a napkin and facing him . A flattered look came over her beautiful face at the sight of him .
" I am good, Miss Wilson, " he replied to Elenore and turned towards Seraphina ." Good morning, Seraphina. "
" So, what have you thought about being my assistant? " asked Lockhart, a smile plastered on his face .
" I was thinking about that, Professor," replied Seraphina quietly .
" What assistant, Seph? " asked Lucifer nonchalantly at the sight of Lockhart .
" Oh ! I have asked Seraphina to be my assistant for the demonstration of spells in the Dueling club, " said Lockhart .
" Ah ! Seph would love to be your assistant, Professor Lockhart! " flattered cried Elenore .
Seraphina passed her a death glare .
" Well, that's good , then see you here at five , " said Lockhart ." Well, one more thing. Can I have my breakfast with you? " he continued .
Seraphina's didn't understood his use of the word 'you.' Was he referring to the three of them or only her Elenore almost gave a jump at what he said .
" Yes , yes, Professor, why not? " squeaked Elenore before Seraphina's could even open her mouth to speak .
Lockhart slipped down next to Seraphina at the table . Everyone in the Great Hall turned their eyes to them. The Gilderoy Lockhart was sitting among students . Seraphina ate as she usually did, but Elenore only ate some toast and a glass of milk. Dodging all conversations, Seraphina rose and made her exit from the Great Hall.
ልረልክ
" Oh my God ! Lockhart asked you to be his assistant . Can I come with you too Please don't say no . Please, please, please, " begged Elenore as they sat in their Astronomy class . Professor Sinistra had given them a task to write an essay on Jupiter's moons .
" Fine , just tag along . Now let me concentrate on my essay. I don't want bad grades like last time, " whispered Seraphina.
" 8.5 out of 10 is not bad , how many times do I have to tell you that? " teased Elenore .
ልረልክ
Severus was strolling towards the dungeon when he saw two Ravenclaw students in the corridor. A silver badge shone brightly against the black robes of one student . It was Seraphina with her blabbering friend walking next to her .
" I suppose Miss Barclay, you are heading towards the library, but what is Miss Wilson doing inside the castle on a day like this without Mister Jones? " sarcastically commented Severus .
" Good evening, Professor , actually Elenore and I were going to the Dueling club, " said Seraphina .
" But aren't you in the Art's club, Miss Barclay? Then why are going to the Duelling club? And for you Miss Wilson, I supposed you don't seem interested in enhancing any of your extra skills?" asked Severus with an arched eyebrow .
" Professor Lockhart asked Seraphina to be his assistant tonight " snapped Elenore irritatingly . The way she said assistant tonight made it feel more like date tonight .
" Professor Lockhart... I remember you ended up in the hospital last time you were in a duel with Professor Lockhart , am I right, Miss Barclay?" asked Severus .
" Yes, I know that, Professor, but this time I wouldn't dodge the spell his way " said Seraphina her head bowed in embarrassment .
" I suppose it would be very intriguing seeing a teacher duel a student. I shall watch it, too, " said Severus . He walked with them in silence . He didn't want Lockhart to hex her again .
The Great Hall was packed with many first and 2nd year students . A long table was laid in the center around which the students had crowded . Seraphina took off her robes and handed them to Elenore .
" Good evening, youngsters, " announced Lockhart as he climbed the table .
" So, I, Gilderoy Lockhart be demonstrating to you all how to duel like a true wizard now welcome my assistant for this evening Seraphina Barclay " announced Lockhart, pointing his wand towards Seraphina who stood among the crowd . He also made assistant for this evening sound more like date for this evening just like Elenore.
Seraphina climbed the table and walked towards him slowly . Lockhart took of his clock and threw it on girls who fought for it like mad women .
The duelists both walked towards each other , bowed, and walked back to take their position .
" At the count of three, " announced Lockhart.
" One , two , three! "
" Petrificus Totalus, " cried Seraphina . Lockhart barely managed to dodge the curse and was about to trip over the table but maintained his equilibrium .
" Rule number one, never give your opponent the first chance to attack you. Get rid of them as soon as possible, " said Seraphina .
As the Ravenclaw made the cunning remark, the boys clapped with amusement and the girls groaned .
" That was a very Slytherin move for a Ravenclaw , I have to admit, " commented Lockhart with that irritating smile of his plastered on his lips .
" Your opponent won't ask you your House , rule number two, " remarked Seraphina , raising her wand to defend herself from his spell .
" Expellriamus! " shouted Lockhart .
Seraphina avoided the curse fluidly .
They both threw curses at each other for the next 10 minutes . Seraphina kept it light. She was cautious not to use any heavy or harmful curse on her professor . Making a comment or two at times, she was completely into the duel with her full concentration on it . She dueled like a trained witch with precision and accuracy .
Severus stood there in the shadows of the Great Hall watching the duel between the young Ravenclaw and the teacher twice her age . She very effortlessly dodged every one of his spells and threw excellent spells at him .
" Stupefy, " chanted Seraphina . Lockhart was slow to dodge this spell. The curse threw him on the far end of the table . Seraphina ran towards him . Severus saw the Slytherin look on her face fade away as she kneeled down on the table next to Lockhart .
" I am so sorry, Professor. I thought you would be able to dodge that spell, " apologized Seraphina .
" It's ok. I am fine Seraphina, " said Lockhart, sitting up .
Seraphina stood and gave him a hand. He took her hand and stood up . " It's nothing compared to the gash the werewolf gave me on my chest, " he continued .
Seraphina rolled her eyes at that .
" Enough of the demonstration for today. Now it's time for you all to practice yourself . Come on, pair up now, " announced Lockhart .
" Well, who is the winner of this duel ?" Lockhart questioned the crowd .
The girls screamed Lockhart's name and the boys did the opposite .
" Professor Snape you were here the whole time? I didn't see you there . Well, mind announcing the winner of this duel? " asked Lockhart .
Severus stepped out of the shadows just like Batman .
" I propose that , if you consider the confidence , knowledge, and usage of spells, I would declare Miss Barclay the winner of this duel, " said Severus calmly .
The female crowd groaned.
" Thanks, Professor Snape, " Seraphina's thanked her professor .