Chapter four:
Parseltongue
There was talk about the writing on the wall and Mrs. Norris by the next day even though it was the weekend, though Dumbledore stated that it was being taken care of. At least it was the weekend and everyone was able to relax and even go to Hogsmeade. The Gryffindor and Slytherin quidditch teams had practice over the weekend as well for the upcoming match the following week. Victoria hesitated on confronting Snape with additional questions about her sister since Dumbledore had told her that it may have involved her twin's husband James when younger, being bitter rivals - perhaps it was a sensitive subject. Victoria took the weekend to concentrate on the new curriculum for the upcoming week but of course found time to relax after correcting all the work turned in that week. Soon, it was the first quidditch match of the season with Gryffindor versus Slytherin. As everyone gathered in the stands to watch, Victoria took a seat in the staff stands and awkwardly, there was only two open seats; one next to Gilderoy Lockhart and the other was by Severus Snape. Taking a moment to decide, Victoria spontaneously took a sear beside Snape, sitting on his left and kept her gaze on the quidditch field while Snape slowly turned his focus onto the ginger haired professor in slight surprise that she would voluntarily sit next to him.
Victoria found this moment perfect for small talk with Snape and where she would be able to experience quidditch at Hogwarts, besides the fact that she didn't want to sit next to Lockhart who clearly kept pestering her. As Victoria watched the game, of course cheering on her nephew on Gryffindor despite Snape being for Slytherin, Victoria would place her palms on the edge of the bleacher seat. After a moment of clapping from a score, she placed her hands back onto the edge of her seat and accidentally brushing her hand against Snape's hand. Snape noticed immediately before quickly moving his hand onto his lap as Victoria kept her eyes on the match, feeling the touch too but diverting her attention. Snape would never admit it but he kind of liked her touch. The tingling touch. Victoria then brought her focus onto Snape, curiously. "Did Lily like quidditch?" Victoria asked curiously. Snape looked at her from the corner of his eye. "Obviously." Snape replied hesitantly. Victoria sighed, unsure exactly what is making Snape uncomfortable around her besides her sister. "Okay. Did she like potions, any advanced work?" Victoria asked. Snape finally turned to face her. "Yes, she was fair. But as a hobby? Not precisely...it was merely my own personal hobby. Surprised?" Snape replied forwardly, lifting his eyebrows for a second. Victoria shook her head. "Not really. I suppose twins aren't entirely alike after all." Victoria replied. McGonagall was in front of Victoria and Snape, listening with a smile on her expression on their conversation.
"Tell me more about yourself, other than-" Victoria was cut off by the scene that had just occurred on the quidditch field, causing the staff to stand up, including Victoria. A rogue bludger had smashed into Harry's arm before he crashed to the field, causing him pain but he had gotten the snitch. Watching as Lockhart made his way out of the stands, Victoria then left shortly after to the field while Snape watched as she left. Upon arriving, Lockhart had went over to Harry as Victoria made her way over to Harry as well. "What happened?" Victoria asked in concern. Lockhart took out his wand. "There was a bludger and..." Harry saw Lockhart take his wand out and pointed it towards him. "Not to worry, Harry. I'll fix that arm of yours straight away." Lockhart stated. Harry's eyes widened. "No... no... not you." Harry replied in concern, not trusting Lockhart. Victoria sighed. "Poor boy doesn't know what he's saying. This won't hurt a bit..." Lockhart replied. Victoria looked to Lockhart, concerned about the situation. "Gilderoy, let me-" Victoria began to plead before Lockhart continued anyway. "Brackium Emendo!" Lockhart casted. Victoria's eyes widened as she knew what that spell was for. Then there it was, Harry's arm was like flexible rubber. "What did you DO, Gilderoy?" Victoria stated in irritation. Lockhart looked around nervously. "Ah. Yes. Well, that can sometimes happen. The point is, the bones are no longer broken." Lockhart stated. Victoria rolled her eyes. "Brok'n? He doesn't 'ave any bones left." Hagrid pointed out in shock. Victoria began to lift Harry up from the field in order to help him walk. "We need to get him to the hospital wing." Victoria demanded.
Victoria helped her nephew to the hospital wing while Hermione and Ron followed. Entering the hospital wing, Harry was set onto the bed while Pomfrey went to treat him. "What happened here?" Pomfrey asked. Victoria looked to his friends before looking back to the nurse. "I got hit by a rogue bludger on my arm, causing me to fall onto the field." Harry explained. "Then Gilderoy Lockhart tried to outsmart me by trying to heal his arm with Brackium Emendo but failed miserably at the spell." Victoria explained. Pomfrey shook her head. "Obvious by the looks of it." Pomfrey stated as she wrapped up Harry's arm. "He should have been brought straight to me! I can mend bones in a heartbeat - but growing them back..." Pomfrey added. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. "You will be able to, won't you?" Hermione asked. Pomfrey poured the liquid contents from the pitcher and into a glass, then handed it to Harry. "I'll be able to, certainly, but it will be painful. You're in for a rough night, Potter. Regrowing bones is nasty business." Pomfrey explained. Harry took the cup and drank it, grimacing at the bitter and terrible taste. "Well, what did you expect - pumpkin juice?" Pomfrey responded to his facial expression. Victoria then walked over to Harry and placed her hand onto his shoulder. "Get well soon, nephew." Victoria stated before walking out of the hospital wing.
A week passed by and there had been a talk about a duelling club being started from the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Snape had been asked to be an assistant to Lockhart on teaching the students and Victoria noticed his presence upon arriving to the classroom filled with students while Lockhart walked the dueling stage. Lockhart spotted Victoria's attendance in the midst of the students, unable to miss her ginger hair where she stood by the staff that came to watch and truly thought she was there to see him despite Harry taking his class or the interest of duels. "Gather round! Gather round! Can everyone see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent. In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little Dueling Club, to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions - for full details, see my published works." Lockhart announced, arrogantly of course causing Victoria to roll her eyes and Snape to keep his flat expression. "Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape. He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now I don't want any of you youngsters to worry. You'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him, never fear!" Lockhart added. Snape had gotten onto the stage, rather unamused by the arrogant remarks made by Lockhart doubting his skills.
Victoria shook her head as she crossed her arms, listening to the words of underestimation of Snape. "As you can see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position. On the count of three, we will cast our first spells.Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course." Lockhart stated. Victoria watched intriguingly at the two professors, Snape knew that she was of course; he had noticed her efforts of trying to get to know him. Being very confident, Snape remained on the stage, at the ready for the duel. "One-two-three." Lockhart spoke. Suddenly wands pointed, but Snape was quick to cast a spell that shot a scarlet colored light from the wand at Lockhart. "Expelliarmus!" Snape casted, knocking Lockhart to the floor. The students began laughing except some concerned fan girls of Lockhart as Snape stood proud. Victoria flashed a crooked smile at the fact that Lockhart got knocked onto his rear end, shown who was boss and clapped to applaud Snape. Curiously, Snape quickly glanced over at Victoria to spot her applauding the outcome of that duel - applauding him, which boosted his ego a little, not that he would admit it. Lockhart had gotten up from the floor and looked at the students, brushing off his bruised ego. "Well, there you have it. That was a Disarming Charm. As you see, I've lost my wand." Lockhart pointed out to distract from his embarrassment. Hermione had picked up his wand and returned it to Lockhart. "Ah, thank you, Miss Granger. Yes, an excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind my saying so, it was very obvious what you were about to do. If I had wanted to stop you it would have been only too easy." Lockhart added arrogantly.
Victoria had rolled her eyes again at Lockhart's arrogance as ridiculous as it was, but she had no choice but to endure it the entire year along with everyone else. Snape rose an eyebrow at Lockhart's arrogant statement before deciding to respond. "Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Snape suggested in a bold, daring tone. Victoria placed a smirk onto her lips as she continued to watch it play out. "An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, Weasley, how about you?" Lockhart pointed out, making a quick and easy choice as he turned to the two boys. "Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house. Malfoy, perhaps?" Snape clearly explained, suggesting to put the two rivals to face one another. Victoria didn't want her nephew getting hurt but knew this was also a teaching lesson. Watching the two boys get onto the stage, Victoria noticed from a distance that Lockhart had been looking at her which caused her to divert her attention back onto the boys who both were in front of each other. "Scared, Potter?" Draco asked with a taunting expression. "You wish." Harry replied cheekily. Then they split up to position for the duel. "Wands at the ready! When I count to three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent - only to disarm. We don't want any accidents. One, two..." Lockhart instructed. Seconds after Lockhart's speech, Draco casted his spell. "Everte Statum!" Draco casted, causing Harry to twirl in the air and fall onto the floor before he got up, pointing his wand again. "Rictusempra!" Harry casted, getting angry. The spell tickled Draco as it flipped him onto his rear on the stage floor. Snape grabbed him up as Draco was, too, getting angry. "Taranta-" Draco was beginning to cast a dancing spell on Harry when Lockhart cut them off. "I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouted, warning the two.
Snape pulled Draco back forcefully, whispering to him. "Let's surprise Potter and cast Serpensortia." Snape whispered to Draco before forcing him forward. Victoria furrowed her eyebrows, watching Snape whisper to Draco before letting him go, knowing something had been planned. The boys got back into position. "Serpensortia!" Draco casted, producing a black snake from the spell and it hit the floor, everyone gasping in fear of it. Snape began walking over to the scene. "Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it for you." Snape stated in amusement, knowing that Victoria's attention had been mostly on him as he approached the scene. "Allow me!" Lockhart interrupted, causing Snape to halt. Lockhart wanted to show off and pointed his wand at the snake. "Alarte Ascendare!" Lockhart casted, causing the snake to be lifted into the air and fall back onto the floor, making it angry. Watching as Harry began speaking to it in parseltongue, Victoria had no idea what was going on. In the midst of the silence, Snape pointed his wand at the snake. "Vipera Evanesca..." Snape casted, turning the snake into black smoke and it disappeared. Attention was on Harry before Ron went to grab him by the arm and pull him away from the scene. Harry then found out that he had been speaking snake language which confused him. He wondered if it was from either side of his family since Hermione told him it was an uncommon gift. He would have to ask his aunt Victoria when he had gotten the chance.
Later that night, Harry is sent to Dumbledore's office due to the event of finding Justin Finch-Fletchley petrified, causing speculations about him being at the wrong place at the wrong time twice now; however, Dumbledore didn't see the need to bring Victoria into the conversation although she was his relative, she was not his guardian. As the next day came, classes resumed and it was like every regular day besides new subjects and homework to assign. After her last class of the day, Victoria remained at her desk, looking through the papers that her students turned in when she heard footsteps walk into the classroom. Taking her attention from the papers, Victoria looked up to spot none other than her nephew, Harry. Harry had been worried that the incident with the snake the day before may have scared his newfound relative away. "Harry? Is there something i can help you with?" Victoria asked curiously. Harry set his book bag on a table top of a desk before turning his attention to her. "I wanted to talk to you about yesterday. I don't know how i speak parseltongue...apparently its a bad thing." Harry explained, ending in a sigh. Victoria set her pen down on top of the papers as she put her full attention onto Harry. "You've never spoke like this before? In parseltongue?" Victoria asked curiously. Harry nodded. "Yes once, with a snake at the zoo with my cousin Dudley once...is it normal from my mother's side of the family?" Harry asked, hoping for more answers. Victoria honestly had no idea what to tell him, she herself, didn't know much about her biological family. "Not as far as i know. Just like you, I'm trying to figure out what our family was like. I know i never spoke parseltongue, Harry." Victoria replied in honesty. Harry nodded with uncertainty, understanding as well. "Perhaps we both can find out together." he replied before taking his things and leaving the classroom.
Moments later after Victoria looked back to her papers, wishing she had answers for her nephew, she heard footsteps once again. "I told you Harry, I'm afraid i do not know..." Victoria stated as her eyes remained on her desk full of papers, thinking it was Harry returning. The silence was eerie for a minute before a voice spoke to break the silence. "Clearly, Potter has been bothering you." Snape stated, standing feet away inside the classroom in his black robes, having observed Harry speaking with Victoria from a distance. The voice of Severus Snape caused Victoria to look up immediately, placing her gaze onto the potions master. "Not precisely. I just don't know how to answer him about my biological family, when i don't know much about it myself." Victoria explained, ending in a sigh. Snape had approached closer to the desk where she sat, basically peering over it. "Very unfortunate." Snape replied. Victoria then decided to bring her attention back to her papers as she began stacking them back up to organize them. "It's apparent that you know more about my family than i. Which, however, is unfortunate for myself, Severus. Excuse me." Victoria pointed out as she stood up from her desk and took the papers with her to her office. She knew Snape had known a lot about her sister but was withholding it from her for whatever reason, so she wanted to give him space.
Snape watched as Victoria exited the classroom and left to her office, realizing that she didn't attempt to question him in regards to her sister. Victoria didn't know why Snape had visited her classroom but upon setting her stack of papers onto her desk in the office, she realized Snape had followed. "If you must know...from my knowledge there was no parseltongue in the Evans family and Lily's patronus was a doe. She was rather witty and charming, saw the best in others." Snape revealed about Lily. Victoria was surprised to hear him open up a little about her sister, but she was merely curious on why he was closed about what happened between them. "She sounds like she was a good woman. Wish i knew her." Victoria replied with a soft smile. Snape folded his hands over his stomach. "To most. However, i must inform you that the headmaster wished to speak with you." Snape addressed. Victoria nodded. "Thank you, Severus. What i do need to ask is, what happened with you and my sister? I ask because you seem rather closed up when i ask of her." Victoria asked curiously yet slightly forward.
Snape wasn't ready for that response. "I rather not talk about it." Snape replied bluntly. Victoria shrugged. "Okay. I just hope that i would leave a better impression, Severus." Victoria smiled gently. Snape rose an eyebrow as he took that statement in. "Relevant as it is, it seems you left quite the impression on Lockhart." Snape stated. Victoria rolled her eyes. "If that man was in the dictionary, he would obviously be under vanity and arrogance. I cannot stand that man." Victoria replied, speaking of Lockhart in disgust. Snape almost let a chuckle slip his lips but refrained himself profusely although he was moderately amused. He was glad that she had morals like Lily had, well up until she dated his bully, James. "Obviously. However, i must begin grading my own student's work." Snape stated. "Okay. Have a good evening, Severus." Victoria replied before watching Snape leave her office, it was obvious that Snape didn't want to expose what happened with him and Lily. He still blamed himself partially for losing her due to calling her a mudblood, that was what severed the ties with her. If Victoria knew that, he didn't know if it would affect her the same way, being the same blood. She had hoped to have made an impression on Snape, but having him open up to her about her sister to a point was an improvement in her eyes.