August 10th, 1980

"Have you heard the rumours Severus?" Severus stood with Dumbledore in the astronomy tower.

"What rumours?" He says through the rest of his tears.

"Apparently, Voldemort has an offspring," Dumbledore says, turning back towards the window of the astronomy towers.

"And?" Severus hisses.

"Did you hear anything about this as your time as a death eater Severus?" Dumbledore leans against the window. If Voldemort had a child this could be catastrophic, she would be so powerful she would more than likely never need a wand or even a broomstick, her abilities would be unlimited and who knows just what she would really be able to accomplish.

"No, but I can ask."

"There is no need, you were his right hand, if anyone knew, it would you." Severus nods. "You will start teaching next year, in the meantime, hunt down any of the rumours of this alleged child, figure out who the mother is, get me as many details as possible." Severus nods, he had calmed down now, his tears stained on his face.

"And what would you have me do to the child when I find them?"

"Tracer charm Severus, we must monitor her and keep the ministry informed." Severus nods his head and begins to walk away. "I would start with Scarlette Anderson, she was rumoured to be in love with the dark lord himself, but you should know all about that." Severus could tell Dumbledore still didn't trust him fully, and perhaps he never would. Severus didn't care, what mattered is that he took this position as potions master and began to earn everyone else's trust; he was a double agent now.

He couldn't love anyone; he wasn't allowed to, not without the risk of them finding out what he is actually doing. So, it seemed that he would be forever alone, forever hated.

He had a big heart. Indeed he did, but he wouldn't be allowed to show it, he wouldn't be able to tell anyone exactly how he felt.
If there happened to be some woman that he fancied, it was a trivial matter, Dumbledore, and his bidding and rules always came first.
He would never be able to tell Harry about his mother, about the woman who kept him alive, who kept him going, when he no longer could, when all seemed lost.

Even now, in her death, the reason for helping Dumbledore was her. He wanted revenge for Lilly. He wanted justice.
No. He needed justice, and come hell or high water he was going to get it.

Voldemort will fall.

And he will pay.


September 10th, 1986

"What do you mean you have detention today?" Cas asks Ace, who was sitting in the common room before breakfast.

She had gotten up earlier than anticipated and had seen Cas sitting by the fireplace reading one of his books.

"Well, Snape had decided it wasn't fair to me to have detention on the first day of school, so he moved to this week and then he finally, in all his brooding-ness told me I would serve it today." Cas chuckles at her choice of words.

"Brooding-ness?" He grins, showing his too perfect teeth.

"You never told me your parentage."

"What's the difference? I'm still the same person." He raised a brown eyebrow at her, seeing if she would press further.

"You know mine." She says and gives him a half smile.

"Or lack thereof." He mumbles.

"Please, you're the best friend I have, would it hurt to tell me about yourself?"

"Half-blood." He whispers.

"You're embarrassed for being a half-blood?" She snorts and puts an arm on his shoulder as he nods yes. "Cas, you're the most talented wizard I know, you have nothing to be ashamed of." She says gently, trying to comfort him, knowing full well that most Slytherins were pure-bloods.

"I'm the only wizard you know." She narrows her eyes and turns the corner of her lips flat.

"Be that as it may, you're still the greatest wizard I know, and you're like a brother to me." He rolls his eyes.

"You're just saying that to get in my pants." He grins and winks at her.

"It's eight, should we go?" Cas nods his head and stands up, throwing his cloak over him, just as Ace was doing, and she grabs her bag before they walk out the door.

She hadn't spoken to Bill in a week, it seemed he was actively avoiding her, she never saw him at breakfast, they never saw each other in the hallways, and the only time he paid attention to her or even acknowledged her was in her transfigurations class when McGonagall had told him to help the students.

"How are you and that idiot boy who just went cold as a dementor on you?" Ace looks to the floor and rubs her shoulder with her left hand.
How was she to know how they were? He never said anything past the day Merula changed her hair colour, he just dropped her.

"How would I know, I'm dead to him." She spits, and Cas can hear the resentment and bitterness in her voice, and he knows just how much this is hurting her.

"Ace, what did I tell you at the beginning of the year?" She snaps her head up to look at him.

"I don't know what did you tell me?" She snaps, and Cas takes a small step to the side, he was not expecting this bitterness from her.

"I told you to give them time, they'll come around and see just how great you are." She gives him an apologetic look and nods in agreement,

"I know, but it hurts, and if I am honest, I see everyone's hatred with the Gryffindors, the nerve of him."

"Weren't you the one who asked McGonagall to be switched into Gryffindor?"

"Yeah, well that's before they became a group of headstrong idiots." Cas lets out a quick laugh and shakes his head.

"So quick to turn the tides, ay Ace?" She chuckles and nods.

"Yeah well-" She never finishes her sentence as a blood-curdling scream is let out, and she and Cas look to each other with uncertainty written on their faces.

They rush forward to the scream and see a girl huddled up on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably and murmuring to herself.

She was in Ravenclaw; her underrobes were blue, and so was her tie, her house crest was hidden by her arms.
Cas instantly rushed forward to her, kneeling in front and trying to console her, to figure out her name.

"It's okay, whatever it is it's passed, it's just you and me, and Ace." He says and extends an arm out that he hesitantly lays on her shoulder, and she screams again., terrified still of whatever it was. "Ace, go get the Professor's and Headmaster!" He barks at her, but she was frozen to the spot, still trying to process everything.

Who would attack a student like this, leave them no more than a heap on the ground crying and sobbing and muttering intangible things?
Who was clever enough to attack a student on the grounds at Hogwarts, supposedly one of the safest places in the world.
"Ace, go!" He snaps again, shaking her out of her thoughts, and she looks to him, eyes filled with fear. "Now! He bellows, and she runs off down the corridor and several more before reaching the great hall where Dumbledore and Minerva sat, no other professors, just the two of them.
She runs up to the steps and Dumbledore, sensing her panic had met her there.

"Headmaster," She says out of breath. "A student was frightened to death, in the halls near the Transfiguration classroom." Dumbledore grabs her shoulder, strong but firm.

"Is there anyone with them?" Ace nods hurridly and takes in a giant breath of air.

"Caspian Villin, sir." He looks to McGonagall who had worry in her eyes, and the two rushed out of the great hall with Ace and the rest of the students not far behind.

They had seen the commotion, had heard everything go down, and they wanted to see, wanted to know what was going on.
Dumbledore reached the young woman first, and knelt in front of her, moving Cass out of the way so that McGonagall could see the student too.

"Ms Skotadi, go get Professor Snape, ask him for a calming, be quick about it." She didn't verbally acknowledge the Professor, just nodded her head and ran back to the dungeons.

She ran the fastest she had run in her life; she had never had someone's life in danger before, there had never been an opportunity for it. The only life in danger was hers when her parents would stumble home drunk, and they would raise a hand to her for not doing her chores entirely or in a timely manner.

She took the left further most staircase and came upon Snape's office, had anyone been here before, had anyone bragged in like she was about to, would she get detention again, would she loose house points? Would he yell at her and call her a dunderhead.

She didn't think these thoughts through as she flung open the door and stopped in the doorway, and she saw a shocked Snape looking up at her.
"Professor McGonagall, calming draught, student in danger." Was all she could get out through her pants of breathing.

Somehow the potions professor seemed to know exactly what she meant, as he sprung into action before her very eyes, and was quite literally out the door before her next blink. She hadn't even seen him grab the potion, but she guessed he had with his cat-like reflexes.

She hated the running back and forth, and she wasn't ready for it again, but she couldn't just walk back, she'd seem lazy.

"Please god, no more running after this." She groans out and runs back to the incident.

Caspian was standing amongst the first row of the crowd, and she pushed and shoved her way to him, he wrapped his arms around her shoulder, careful to avoid her chest, but keeping her from approaching the professors.

"They've got this under control, Ace. She's just been properly scared, but she'll be okay." He whispers in her ear.

"Who would do this?" She asks, and her question is left empty, no one dared answered it.

There were many who thought of one single person, one person smart enough, cruel enough to do this, but no one dare say it. Say it, and you're dead.

"Students, please return to your dormitories, the student is well taken care of, there is nothing else to see." She then turns to Cas and Ace, a very stern and pointed look on her face. Disappointment, but for what? "As for you two, my office after classes are over, are we understood?"
"Professor, I have detention after classes." Ace squeaks out, and backs up into Cas even more, terrified of McGonagall.

McGonagall may not have been her head of house, but the word was that McGonagall was properly terrifying when she was angry, some said even more so than Snape. She knew McGonagall had to be at least irritated by this whole event, so she made sure to put as much space between the transfiguration teacher and herself.

"May I ask, with whom?" She raises her eyebrows.

"Professor Snape."

"I'm sure he won't mind if you're a few minutes late, Ms Skotadi, after all, I'm sure he'll be joining us in my office, along with the headmaster." She says, giving Ace a semi-threatening tone, one more meant for a warning, but terrifying nonetheless coming from McGonagall.

"Yes, Professor." She says solemnly and hangs her head, and Cas just squeezes her tighter, trying to comfort her.

"Now, get along, go eat breakfast. They stand there frozen, as the rest of the crowd had begun to work their way to their respective house dormitories, Ace and Cas had forgotten that they hadn't eaten, and the fact the Minerva knew surprised them yet. "Before," She raises her eyebrows at the pair and flattens her lips. "I change my mind." The nod and back out of the way and head for the great hall, heading for food to fill their now rumbling stomachs.

The high had finally subsided, and they realised just how hungry they were, starving.

"Do you think we're in trouble?" Ace asks Cas.

"Well, McGonagall doesn't flaunt it as much as Snape does, but she hates Slytherins more than Snape hates Gryffindors. Any chance she can get to punish a Slytherin, she'll do so. I've seen countless numbers of different houses get detention because a Slytherin walked onto what they were doing, only to report to McGonagall. Needless to say, the Slytherin trying to keep the other students in line would also get detention or at loose house points." She hadn't realised McGonagall was so prejudiced, she had seemed such a sweet, but stern, lady. She seemed to want justice and fairness for all, especially upon her first meeting. So far, Cas hadn't been wrong, and she had to trust him.

"She seemed so nice when I first met her like she was a person who was just and fair."

"Yeah," Cas says, quickly raising his eyebrows. "She wants you to think that." They round the corner and head into the great hall, taking the closest seats near the door at the Slytherin table.

There was still plenty of food items out for them to eat, yoghurt, oatmeal, cereal, pastries and puddings, all food that would get wasted because the house elves made too much.

"Come on Ace, eat up; you're going to need your strength," Cas says, piling amounts of breakfast sweets onto his plate, and Ace grabs the oatmeal and some fruit. "Has Merula bothered you since your hair?" Ace had just taken a mouthful of cereal and only nodded a no at his question. "Good." She nods her head in agreement, swallowing her food.

She remembered Bill saying something of a shapeshifter, how anyone could be one, and Bill said he would tell her more, but he never did.
"Bill and I were talking about transfiguration class, and he mentioned something about an animagus."

"What you wanna know?" He says, taking a bite into a pastry.

"What are they?"

"Shapeshifters, essentially, though you can't choose the animal you change into, in muggle lore they were considered skinwalkers." She had heard of skinwalkers but didn't think they were real, much less wizards that could shapeshift.

"How come not many people are shapeshifters?" Cas laughs through his mouth of food.

"The spell is quite complex, it's something of a tongue twister, you have to be very precise with the spell, not doing it exactly as it says could turn you into half human half animal forever, and the ingredients may seem simple, it's actually hard to find." A pause and he looks over to her.

"You're not interested in becoming one, are you? That spell is too complex for you, especially since you're a first year."

"You don't know what I'm capable of, even I don't know, but I'd like to try."

"Why? Trying to evade the law?" She rolls her eyes at him.

"No, it would help with Merula, prove to her I'm a better witch." Cas sets the rest of his pastry onto his plate and rests his hands on the table.

"If you do that she may make it worse for you."

"Okay fine you're right, I just want to shapeshift, it sounds wicked!" She grins.

"I can get you the materials, but I'll have to get the spell book from McGonagall, in the meantime, during herbology, ask Professor Sprout for a mandrake leaf." She nods in agreement as the bells of Hogwarts chime signalling time for class.

The food and plates and everything else that was left on the tables disappear, back to the kitchens where the house elves were.

She gets up, and Cas follows suit, as they leave heading for their classes.

"If you don't get the mandrake leaf today, just be sure to get it by next Friday."

"What's next Friday?" He looks to her, his face void of any emotion.

"The full moon." She stops dead in her tracks and watches as Cas keeps on walking to his class like everything he had said made sense. She would have to save her questions for break; she didn't have time to pester him with issues now, seeing as how she was going to be late if she didn't get a move on.

She makes it to transfigurations and slides into her seat as the bell rings, and McGonagall enters from the back of the room.
"Open your books to chapter two, we're going to cover more of the rules, and your homework will be to read the various branches of transfiguration." She gets to her desk and turns around sharply, some kids next to her jump, and as she searches the faces in the room, she can't find Bill.

He was nowhere to be seen, and McGonagall didn't seem to be worried that he wasn't here, meaning he was excused for the period or she knew of his whereabouts.

Was he in trouble, did he get caught for something he shouldn't have done? Did he bring in muggle artefacts? Or was it possible he was the culprit behind the petrified student, and she hated to think he was that twisted or cruel, because honestly, he was sweet and warm, and genuinely seemed to care. Or rather, he was all that when he was around; he would make the perfect culprit, no one would suspect him.
Perhaps that's why he disappeared.

"Hey." Someone sitting next to her nudged her, and she looked over to the person, a young girl, younger than what she seemed to be, had brown eyes and brown hair, and with her head motioned towards McGonagall.

"Ms Skotadi, welcome back to Hogwarts." She says, sarcasm dripping from her voice. "Five points from Slytherin." She then turns back to talk to the class, and her fellow Slytherin moans in annoyance.

"Nice going, you git." She hears someone hiss behind her, and she realises just how mucked up everything is.

McGonagall, Dumbledore and Snape, all arrived at the scene of the crime, and who were the only people in hallways during breakfast? Her and Cas.

The teachers must suspect them; they must be furious that they were the only two walking the castles corridors. Snape probably can't wait to punish her for once again lurking about.

It hadn't even been a month, and she was already in trouble twice.

She had begun to worry if her parents had received an owl or a letter from the school stating her detention. If she had gotten anything of the sort, or even a single lousy remark from any of her teachers, her parents would have had her head.

She had learnt to stay quiet and work hard, and lucky for her school always came easy; nothing challenged her enough. She still had the highest marks because it came so easy, people had often told her her brain was developing at a faster rate than most peoples and some of her teachers in the muggle world that she go straight to secondary, primary couldn't teach her anything more.

Once she had gotten the swing of things here at Hogwarts, the same thing had happened, of course, her hardest class was transfigurations, for the sole reason the McGonagall wanted her to practically memorise the whole book, the one thing she failed at. Memorisation.

She had found herself beginning to read a spellbook from the library and had started to practise different spells, trying to occupy her times, to keep her busy. If she didn't stay busy, her grades would slip purely out of boredom.

Transfigurations and charms had passed meticulously slow; she felt that she could feel every second tick by her slowly as if time slowed around her, and she was faster.

The bells finally rang, signalling break, and she was the first out of the charms classroom, but she had begun to become overly cautious of who turned corners, her hand always hidden in her robes, ready to pull it out should Merula slam into her again.

Sometimes, if she moved, she would still feel a sharp splitting pain in her back from the incident.

She could hear footsteps coming closer to the corner she was about to turn, and Ace quickly pressed her back against the wall, and her heart started to beat rapidly, nervous for something bad to happen.

She took her wand out, ready should Merula come around the corner.

Instead, it was her bunkmate, Elara.

"Merlin, Ace, you're acting like you're paranoid." Ace takes a deep breath, glad it wasn't Merula, and trying to settle her heart down.

"I am. Merula is out to get me."

"Is that why you leave class so fast?" Ace snorts and shakes her head, her grey curls waving slightly with the movement.

"No, I'm quite bored, everything comes easy to me."

"Would you be willing to help me then, I'm lost in transfigurations…" Ace groans and rolls her eyes. "What, what was that for."

"I despise transfigurations simply for the fact that she wants to memorise the book!" Ace can feel her face heat up, annoyance radiating off of her. Memorising a book was ridiculous and a complete waste of time, and she would just forget by the beginning of next year.

"Wow," Elara says, her eyebrows raised and eyes wide.

"What?"

"The calmest, collected, quiet, and level headed person I know is absolutely insane over one class, glad to know I'm not the only one." Ace flattens her lips.

"Look, I'm sorry I lost control of my emotions. I can teach you the material, but you'll have to memorise the book by yourself." Elara nods and holds out her hand.

"It's a deal." Ace takes it, and they shake on it. "You want to walk to the commons with me; I need to stop by and grab my books." Ace holds up a hand and shakes her head.

"I don't go there unless I need to, I've started carrying all my books on me, especially since my last run in with Merula, I was just going to head straight down to the potions classroom."

"Okay, I guess I'll see you there," Elara says, a bit disappointed that Ace had refused to go with her to the common rooms every time she offered, and then Ace did something she didn't expect. She winced in pain. "You okay?" Ace nods a simple yes, but she was biting her bottom lip, and there were tears in her eyes, a very clear sign she was not okay.

"Yeah," She squeaks. "Just my back." Elara had already made her way to Ace's back before she could protest, and pushed her cape aside to pull up her shirt.

"No, you're not, I'm taking a look."

"Honestly, I'm fine; it's nothing major, just fell." Elara had already pulled up her shirt and was taking a look. The lower section of her back was black and blue, completely bruised.

"Ace you need to see Madame Pomfrey, this looks bad." She shakes her head no.

"No, I've got potions, I can't miss it, Snape will deduct us even more points, I have to go, I can go during lunch."

"Are you daft? The teachers eat lunch with us too, including Pomfrey."

"Then I'll go after detention tonight." Elara put her shirt down, and grabbed Ace's wrist, dragging her to the hospital wing.

"No, you're going now, I'll explain to the Professor what happened, but you need to get yourself taken care of." Ace was fighting, but Elara had a very tight grip, and she wasn't able to break it.

"Please let me go to potions; I can miss the class after. I can't let them deduct any more house points."

"Stop worrying about points, and worry about your safety." She snaps. She was frustrated with Ace, how could she not have known what had happened to her back, how could she not have seen the bruising or even acknowledged the pain. How could she be so much more concerned with house points. Her safety and health came first; you looked after yourself first. That was a trait of Slytherin, self saving.

No one would be hiding this much pain if it weren't for the fact that it wasn't a simple tumble. Someone had obviously done this to her.

It was probably the same person that had changed her hair ginger too.

"Madame Pomfrey!" Elara called, and the matron came running over to the two of them.

"Come sit," She says, and from a pointed look from Elara towards ace, she guides Ace to a bed. "What happened?"

"Merula did something to her, caused bruising on her-"

"No." Ace cuts in. "I slipped a week ago and fell, my back has been hurting ever since." Ace gives her a pointed look, and Elara just stares back. Madame Pomfrey instantly knew Ace was covering for Merula, not wanting her to get into any more trouble, she would inform Snape and the headmaster that she thought Ace was lying later when she was with them at lunch, in the meantime she had to get her healed.

"Okay, then. Ms Knight, you're free to go, I'll tend to Ms Skotadi and send her back when she's healed." Elara nods and walks out of the room, out of earshot and Pomfrey turns to her, a stern look on her face. "Now, tell me what happened."

"I already told you that I-"

"Fell?" She raises an eyebrow at ace and cocks her head. "Has anyone ever told you that for a Slytherin, you're a very terrible liar?" Ace raises an eyebrow, and the side of her mouth tilts up.

"No, actually, that would be the first."

"Remove your cloak, and lift up the back of your shirt please." She does as instructed, and Pomfrey places a cold hand on her back and gently presses, and Ace almost screams in pain. "Looks as though you have a broken bone, Ms Skotadi." She says and instructs Ace to put her shirt down. "It's a good thing Ms Knight brought you in, and later and you could have been paralysed."

"What?"

"You've got a broken spine, Ms Skotadi; I can only give you so many potions before they stop working, so with the medicine I give you, you must adhere to my rules of bedrest.

"But my classes, and I've got detention tonight, you can't do this Madame Pomfrey, I can't just lay in bed all day, I'll-"

"I will be talking with the headmaster, your head of house and all of your teachers, so there is no need to worry."

"Madame Pomfrey, I'm a muggle-born, I have to keep up with my studies, and I can't skip on Professor' Snape's class.!" She protests in a moan, flinging her arms up in the air.

"Ms Skotadi if you would just settle down-"

"I'm already going to miss his class, I can't miss anyone else today, or I'll miss the homework and fail it." She takes a deep breath and turns her head towards Madame Pomfrey who was pouring a liquid in glass for her, it looked blue, meaning it was probably a calming draught or a sleeping-draught mixed with water. "Please allow me to attend my classes; I can't miss a day."

"Ms Skotadi, I will talk with your teachers and see if there isn't something we can do to have your classes mediated for your, but you'll need to drink the potions I give you and be on bed rest for a weak." She hands her the cup, and without verbally telling her to do so, Ace drinks the concoction.

The minute the cold liquid passed through her throat, she felt calm, like she suddenly realised just how idiotic she sounded. She had actually said that she had detention to get to, as an excuse for being in bed rest, and her classes were another. Merlin, how stupid she was, anyone in the school would rather be on bed rest than in detention or going to class.

"Better?" Ace nods and sighs, her nerves had calmed, logic was now clear. "The safety and well being of a student comes first, and it is my job to make sure you are up and well."

"Could I use a wheelchair, instead o being on bed rest?" Pomfrey sighs, admiring her determination to go back to classes and not miss a single one.

"Let's get you through this first round of medicine, and we can go from there." Ace nods in agreement and lays down on the bed, waiting for Madame Pomfrey to instruct her further.

Snape slammed open the door and hastily made his way to the front of the classroom, stopping only to grab chalk from his desk and then turn to his blackboard to write the ingredients for a potion.

"Can anyone tell me what potion we're going to be making today?" His voice flat and monotone.

He surveys the crowd of students, and they all avoid his look, not one of them meeting his gaze. Usually one of his own students would raise her hand, but she wasn't here, her seat was missing. How could he have missed that, the girl who looked like Lily with her charmed ginger hair the first day, was missing. He had taken to picking on her more than his other students; and why? Because Merula Snyde had changed her hair colour to ginger, and he had accused her of doing it herself when she had no idea what the charm was in the first place. She had the best marks he's ever seen since he started teaching.

How could he deny that she even rivalled his marks from when he went to school.

Muggle-born and quite brilliant, just like Lily.

"No one?" He had said, and even though he said it in a monotone voice, everyone knew it was sarcasm, everyone knew better than to respond to his rhetorical questions. "Pitty." He quickly turns away from the eyes of the students in his classroom and goes to sit in his chair behind his desk, his workload for grading had begun to stack up, and he dreaded having to go through the first years and read their atrocities. "You'll be learning the herbicide potion today, pair up." He says, sitting down in the chair. "And Ms Knight, I would like a word." Elara looks up, horrified that Snape had requested to speak with her, perhaps it was about Ace, maybe that's all it was.

She left her belongings at the desk and scooted her chair back; it echoed loudly in the room of quiet students who were just beginning to brew potions.

Snape glared at her, and it was an unwavering glare, he could tell she was more than nervous, she was a quiet student, and she partnered with her bink mate all the time. She had to know where Ms Skotadi was.

"Tell me, Ms Knight, are you in house Slytherin?" Elara shakes her head.

"Yes, Professor?" She asks, feeling as though the question were some kind of verbal trap.

"It was a question, give me an answer." He growls, and the young girl pales.

"Yes, Professor, I'm in Slytherin."

"And Ms Skotadi is, your, bunk mate correct?" She nods. "Then perhaps, you, can tell me why she isn't in class?" He raised his voice slightly, establishing his dominance bringing attention to her.

"She's with Madame Pomfrey; her back is all bruised, sir."

"How?" He drawls out.

"She claims she fell, Professor." Snape didn't need to look into her mind to understand what she meant; it was simple. She claimed she fell, meaning that someone had done this and that someone was most likely Merula.

Merula may have had all the traits of a Slytherin, except for one. Fraternity. The most important one, look out for yourself first, but if your brother or sister was in trouble, you looked out for them too

"Go, sit, down." He practically whispers, and she nods and turns around going to take a seat.

Merula would get questioned later, but he wouldn't use words he would invade her memories and see just exactly what she had done. She needed to be expelled, but the headmaster had frowned upon his recommendation, perhaps this time he wouldn't, not for what she's done now.
He may have hated Gryffindors, but he hated this Slytherin even more.

Classes passed and Ace had fallen asleep while Madame Pomfrey had begun to administer potions and rubs to her, and soon it was lunch.
Madame Pomfrey made her way to the staff table, and she had pulled McGonagall, Dumbledore, and Snape aside.

"Madame Pomfrey, to what do we owe this pleasure?" DuDumbledore says a faint smile graves his lips.

"That Merula has sent too many students to my infirmary, headmaster. Something must be done." She says in a hushed voice.

"What happened?" McGonagall asks.

"One of your Slytherins was admitted to me today, had she not come any sooner it's quite possible she would have ended paralysed," Pomfrey said directing it at Snape.

"Is this in reference to Ms Skotadi?" Snape asks his voice smooth and his face unchanging.

"Yes. She claims she fell, but the other Slytherin who brought her in had said something about Merula, and I suspect it was her that had to do with Ms Skotadi's back." The headmaster sighs and shakes his head.

"Severus and I will speak to her tonight, and I will personally be writing home to her legal guardians." Snape sneers at the headmaster.
"You should be expelling her headmaster, not writing to her parents." Dumbledore holds up a hand to keep him from saying anything further.
"All in due time, Severus, all in due time."

"What about Ms Skotadi?" McGonagall asks as her fears that she would end up needing a wheelchair for the rest of her life began scaring her.
"She'll need at least a week of bed rest." Pomfrey sighs and shakes her head. "Professor Snape, you've got a very dedicated student on your hands, she refused the weeks rest, saying she had more important things like classes, and detention."

"Obviously." He says, drawing out every syllable.

Someone comes stomping in through the entrance of the great hall, fast-paced and looking ready for a fight. Little whispers that sound like sizzling water starts around the room and the tables.

He was wearing red, a Gryffindor, and his hair ginger.

"Oi!" The boy says, and the Gryffindor table sees it's Bill, the new perfect, making his way down the middle of the rows and over to Slytherin table.

All eyes, including the professor's and headmaster's, go on him. He had the room.

"Cabbage head!" He yells again, trying to grab the attention of a particular Slytherin.

Cas stands up, ready to protect his house and his family, prepared for whatever the young Gryffindor would do. His hand resting on the inside of his cloak, ready to grab his wand, should he need it.

"Weasley, go back to your table," Cas warns, knowing that Ace wouldn't want this. She wouldn't want a fight over her; it wasn't the way to settle things.

"No, not until Snyde is punished." Cas quickly moves in front of him, keeping him from reaching her.

"Back off, Bill. Ace wouldn't want this." Cas says trying to get him to back off, to cool down and think about what he was about to do. But a Gryffindor is a Gryffindor for a reason, head-strong and won't back down from what they believe in.

"What would you know what she wants?" He spits at Cas, his eyes finally off of Merula and onto Cas, and Cas's eyes darken. They get so dark they turn almost black, like little beetles resting in his eyes.

"Because I've proven to be her only friend so far, whereas you have gone and were muckin' bout with your trouble group, leaving her with no friend 'side from me." He spits venom at the ginger fifth year. "Now," He seethes ready to spit that venom in his face. "Back, off."

"No."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Did I stutter or are you off you're head?" He takes a step forward, and their chests are touching, each one puffing themselves up, though Cas did not need to, it was a battle of brains, not brawns, not yet at least. "I said, no." He pulls out his wand and holds up to Cas's jugular. "Now, step aside."

"I may not like Merula, but she's in my house, and if you think I'm just going to step aside peacefully, you're wrong, you'll have to go through me."

"Easy enough," Bill says, and takes a few steps back, making enough room for his outstretched arm to leave a few feet between him and Cas.

"Flipendo!" Cas is thrown back, sliding across the table of food and landing against the wall.

"Enough!" Bellows the headmaster, and Snape is already on his way down to grab Bill, and Madame Pomfrey is behind him to make sure Cas is alright.

"My office," Snape snarls at the Weasley. "Now." He grabs Bill by the ear and pulls him out of the great hall. Meanwhile, Madame Pomfrey is checking Cas. He protests over her nitpickiness and tells her he's fine, but she won't leave him alone.

"Should I just go to the wing with you, I've been meaning to check on Ace." She nods, and helps him to his feet, helping brush off the lunch that had stuck to him.

Snape had let go of the Weasley's ear about halfway to his office, and Bill swears he had almost pulled it off.

He stood in front of Snape's desk, and Snape stood, pacing behind it. He was furious; he was livid, this Gryffindor would be wishing he was dead by the time he was done with him, or at the least begging for mercy.

"Dueling is expressly forbidden unless authorised by the headmaster, and with either myself or Professor Flitwick to supervise!" He yells. "And seeing as how neither of those are in effect here, I should have you expelled. It would look brilliant in your family history." He takes his hand and rubs his chin, obviously in deep thought

"Actually Professor, you were there, you and the headmaster watched." Snape deepened his scowl, his eyes go black, and he approaches the young Gryffindor.

"I don't," He begins in a menacing, even tone. "Take lip, from anyone. Especially students." He places his hand on the desk and leans forward, encroaching into the young Gryffindors space even more. "Especially from a Gryffindors like yourself." Bill scowls, his hatred for the potions master only growing more, how could the Slytherins like him? His greasy hair, his crooked nose, and his sneer were an immediate turn away from liking him, his personality only added to it. "Were it not for the headmaster you would be expelled, but since he does not permit that luxury to me, I will have you learn your lesson some other way." He snarls and pushes himself off the desk to stand up straight. "Six weeks of detention, every day after school, my classroom. You will report to me and me alone, and I will personally see to your detention. Now, leave." Bill runs out of his office, out of the dungeons and up to the main floor and across the courtyard to the see Ace in the infirmary.

"What are you doing here?" Cas spits sitting in a chair next to her bed.

"I came to see her." He gestures with his head, and Cas continues to glare.

"I don't think that's best." He drawls out.

"What do you mean?" Cas rolls his eyes at the oblivious Gryffindor, how could he not understand?

"You abandoned her the third day of school, just stopped talking to her and being a friend to her. You hurt her. If I were you, I'd leave before she wakes up, before she can do something far worse to you, than what you did to me." Bill almost looked hurt by his words, by the fact that he unintentionally hurt someone he cared about. He liked Ace the moment they met in Diagon Alley; they hit it off quite well. Now, he had hurt someone close to him.

The bell for lunch rings and Cas collects his belongings before getting out of the chair.

"Will you at least tell her I want to talk to her when she wakes up?" Cas walks past him, and Bill follows him.

"When she wakes up, she'll be concerned with other things besides you, but I will tell her you stopped by." Cas speeds off, leaving Bill to himself in an empty corridor.

The rest of the day was uneventful, classes passed as they usually did, boringly slow.

But Cas, realising that Ace wouldn't be able to get the mandrake leaf from herbology, had snuck in and gotten her one. He was going to help her become an animagus, yes she was young, and yes she was a first year, but something told him if any first year could do it, it would be her.
Cas found himself walking back to the common rooms when Dean stopped him.

"Caspian," Dean calls, and he turns around to see the Head Boy was following him.

"Dean." He acknowledges, but it wasn't a warm welcome, he and Dean had been competing for head boy last year, and Dean had gotten it through an unfair advantage.

"Headmaster, along with your head of house, and Professor McGonagall are in the infirmary with Morana, your presence is requested."
"She hates being called by her first name, call her that to her face, and she may just hex you." Cas bites as he walks away heading to the infirmary.

He arrived only to see the professors standing around her bed and Dumbledore talking with her.

"Ah, Mr Villin," Dumbledore says, acknowledging his presence. "Thank you for joining us." He nods and takes his seat next to Ace, who looks over to him and smiles. "Ms Skotadi, how is your back?"

"Fine, Headmaster, thank you for asking."

"Of course." He takes a look at the two members of his staff that stood next to him, impatient and waiting to get down to business. They didn't want to worry themselves with the silly notions of students. "We are all wondering if I may inquire, what exactly happened in the hall this morning." Ace looks to Cas, neither of them knowing how to answer, as they hadn't seen what had happened, they just saw her on the floor after she screamed. They didn't even know if it was the student that screamed.

"Honestly, Headmaster, we arrived after whatever happened, happened," Ace says, meeting the Headmasters blue eyes.

"We heard a scream, and rushed over to her, next thing we see, she was lying on the ground, and I sent Ace to get you, headmaster."

"I see." He says, and as headmaster of the school, he already knew what had happened, but he wanted to see if they did. "Very well, we shall take our leave then," Dumbledore says, and McGonagall is right behind him, but Snape, stood there. He was hesitating.

"Severus?" Dumbledore calls to him in a whisper.

"In a moment." He draws out, even and unwavering. He turns to Cas, his dark beetle-like eyes burning into Cas' soul. "Take a walk, Mr Villin." Snape barks at him, and Cas is out of his seat and leaving with the Headmaster and McGonagall. "I will ask you this once, and only once, Ms Skotadi, so answer correctly; and do tell the truth, I will know if you're lying."

"Yes, Professor." Ace says and hangs her head in shame.

"Did you fall, or did Ms Snyde have something to do with your back?" She snaps her head up, and her eyes meet his, and instantly, she scowls at him.

"I fell, Professor." She got short with him, almost sassed him, and Snape's expression deepened, turning into a frown. He hated the students, absolutely despised them, but he hated the lip they gave him even more.

"Don't lie to me, Skotadi. I am a legilimens, and in case your muggle family hadn't informed you, which I'm sure they didn't; Legilimens are mind readers-"

"Fine then, read my mind." She snaps.

"I beg your pardon?"

"If you are so keen on finding out what really happened, then, by all means, read my mind, indulge in my memories, Professor. I've got nothing to hide." He just stares her, neither blinking or daring to move their gaze away from each other. Seconds go by, a silence so thick with tension, if you touched the room with a feather, it would explode.

And then, she sees something register in those black beady eyes of his. A longing, love perhaps; as fast as it had come, it was gone, and he was standing over her, standing at the edge of her bed and his shadow casting down onto her.

"I don't take lip, Skotadi. Especially from an eleven-year-old girl like yourself." He hisses.

"I'm thirteen." She spits back out at him.

"Regardless, I will find out the truth, and when I do, if it comes to light you are lying to me, not even the Headmaster will be able to save you."
"Even if Merula had done it, I wouldn't tell you." More venom coming out of her mouth.

"Why, the school bully, someone who almost paralysed you, and you won't report them, what kind of Slytherin does that make you?"
"A Slytherin who doesn't out someone in her house. I may not like her, but I refuse to help you in your aide of getting her expelled. Also, the next time you address me, be sure to put the proper title in front of my name. Ms, I think, will do just fine." Snape's scowl deepened, and then with a flourish of his cape, he had left the room, leaving Ace to herself, to deal with the aftermath of what she had just done to one of the most feared Professors.

"Ace, what did you do?" Cas asks, standing in the doorway; he had heard the last part of the conversation and seen Snape's disconcerting look.
She was in for a treat after she got back on her feet. She could only imagine what Snape would do, he was Head of House, and she was in his house.

Her life was about to become a living hell.