With Much Thanks to Just Silver who again gives the nicest comments :) to peopole like @*@*@*@* please read True Dragon before making comments, then the story will make sense, unless of course you want to leave your mail address and talk about it with me?
She could see the darkness of the dungeons. It sounded more than strange but it was true, it was the sort of darkness that clings and holds. A conjured gloom. In the centre of it all stood Dumbledore, she had been expecting Lupin, so of course he was a surprise, but not too bad a one.
Harry and Hermoine were warm presence's at her back as she looked into shadowed blue eyes, she wondered sometimes if she was the only one that saw the shades there. Memories, the depths of darkness to which one can sink and still believe in good.
"Amaris, I need to talk to Harry"
Her brow rose but she stepped aside
"Of course, if you need me I shall be warming up"
She crossed the floor in a fluid movement and began a flashing series of gymnastic rhythms that drew the eye almost irresistibly. Harry turned to Dumbledore the question written in his eyes, it was answered before he even spoke it.
"I need you to do something for me Harry"
He didn't even have to think, he nodded, even if Ama didn't trust Dumbledore he could, the man had saved his life before this. Dumbledore smiled, it touched the depths of his eyes bringing a twinkle to life there that had been absent for some time.
"It has to be either you or miss Granger, and I feel that she isn't best equipped to search for the person I need you to find"
Hermoine, not best equipped, good thing she was stretching against one of the walls or he could have been in for an implosion of temper later, instead he let a smile creep onto the corner of his mouth before nodding. If there was one thing you learnt from being around Ama it was the value of silence.
"The person I need you to find Harry is the apparent to Salazar Slytherin"
He felt the muscles around his eyes tighten as they widened behind his glasses before he flicked his gaze to Ama.
"Sir, wouldn't Ama be the best person to ask"
Dumbledore's eyebrows lifted in surprise, well perhaps not real surprise but it was well feigned.
"And why would I do that Harry?"
He blushed at the slight edge of irritation in the headmasters tone, but carried on regardless of disapproval.
"Well the last Heir of Slytherin was Tom Riddle, who is Lord Voldemort. Who's her dad, which would make her logically the heir of Slytherin"
A smile spread across the headmasters cherub like countenance, and the twinkle in his eyes became more pronounced.
"Excellent logic Harry, if this wasn't so serious I'd give points to Gryffindor for such an answer, why don't you ask her? There'll be a pass for the Knight Bus on your bed though, just in case you need to leave the school grounds to look"
Then the headmaster was gone, no puff of smoke or sound of movement he was just gone. If he hadn't known that dissaparating within the grounds of Hogwarts was impossible he would have suspected Dumbledore of doing so. With a shake of his head he moved over to join the other two as Professor Lupin bounded down the stairs.
"Sorry I'm late, Serverus had to see me about something"
Ama nodded as if she'd expected such a thing, there were lines of strain around her mouth that at nearly eighteen no one should possess.
"He was warning you to stay out of the woods at full moon"
Lupin looked slightly surprised, and worried at her flattened tone before he nodded, then he gestured to the stone circle that had in ages past been worked into the bedrock of Hogwarts for the purpose of formal duelling.
"Harry, I want you an Hermoine to work out against each other, we'll watch and shout tips as best we can, then I think Ama's actually convinced Serverus to work through a duel with her for instructional purposes, god knows how."
He had to smile, after Ama had miscalculated a shot and scorched off Lupin's eyebrows he had been more reluctant to work through instructional duels with her. Professor Snape would either be in for a shock or would shock them.
'Moine was waiting for him in the centre of the circle, frizzy hair fastened back into a French braid, he knew Ama had to have helped her with that, their clothes were identical, black tee shirts and black jeans. Ama had explained it to them when they had watched her workouts and asked for lessons.
' My form of duelling is about staying alive, not prissy points of honour, or wizardly showing off, it also keeps you moving, keeps you alert. Its why the Sorceresses clothes are so different, you can't, move, in robes.' He caught Hermoines eye and made a short bow, all that was proscribed before holding her eyes, watching the dark depths for her first move, today they were using, live rounds, real wands and real curses, if they didn't move fast enough they were going to get hurt.
***
She watched them circle with a slight feeling of satisfaction, they had a studied wariness that showed respect for the power they were handling. Power should always be granted respect. A presence at her shoulder, Serverus, she acknowledged her uncle with an inclination of her head but kept her eyes on Harry.
Hermoines bolt hit him on the shoulder of his wand hand, she saw him wince but he didn't drop his wand, she gave him positive points for that, negative for not getting out of the way. Hermoine moved in a flash, she was pleased but only slightly, she was grading Harry not Hermoine and neither of them were as fast as she would have liked.
Lupin had told her that she was too harsh, expected too much, but that was the way she had learnt, to be soft was to die. She didn't want either of her friends to ever duel in earnest, but if they did she wanted them to win.
Harry moved, snake strike fast, and kicked Hermoines legs out from under her and put his wand and hers to either side of her throat, before looking up, she raised her eyebrows.
"Very good, now what would you curse her with if you really were out to kill her, Hermoine stay still and silent, you're dead"
Harry's eyes were blanked with consideration and then something flashed in them, a germ of an idea, that apparently agreed with the part of him that made him a Gryffindor.
"I'd use Imperius"
She raised her eyebrows, it was a good answer but had be given it for the right reasons,
"Why?"
He didn't even have to stop to consider.
"She obviously wants me dead for some reason, I could find that out, and unlike murder by duelling suicide isn't a crime"
She grinned and started to clap even as he helped Hermoine up from the floor.
"Perhaps you should have been a Slytherin, that was a rather brilliantly self serving answer"
He bowed, there was mockery there as Hermoine started to heal his shoulder with a muttered apology.
"I've been listening to your lectures Ama"
She smacked his shoulder and motioned to her uncle.
"Shall we?"
***
He could see from the way the pair of them moved into the circle that this duel was going to be different from the one he'd just fought with Hermoine, he looked at professor Lupin who looked more than a little concerned and then back to the circle.
Professor Snape had pulled his robe off over his head to reveal dark coloured jeans, not black but a deep shade of grey and a white silk shirt, Ama was smiling as if in memory, he actually looked clean. His hair was tied back and didn't have its normal oil slick complexion and there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth even as they completed their ritual bows.
It seemed that Ama was having a good affect on her uncle, even if he was just as hard on her as the rest of them in class. Ama moved like greased lightning on roller skates, watching her always explained to him why she got so impatient with him and Hermoine, she wanted them to be fast, what surprised him was that Snape was just as fast.
It could be a family thing, the thought crossed his mind as Snape fended off a variant of the full body bind, something Ama did wrapped it around one of the stones, she stopped dead still for a moment and murmured something under her breath before making a throwing gesture with her hand.
A whirlwind sprang out of nowhere, he could feel the air pressure around them dropping rapidly, from the strain on the faces in the circle they were both battling for control of the air mass, then their eyes met and a smile flashed simultaneously across both faces and the miniature tornado disappeared.
Snape crossed the room and pulled Ama into a hug which she returned and they looked across at him and Hermoine, but it was Snape that spoke.
"and that's how you concede a truce"
Ama nodded and stepped out of the circle walking slightly stiffly, she wasn't sweating but their was a wild look in her eyes as if the nearness of the full moon had rocked her control. He thanked professor Lupin, Snape had already disappeared in his normal way, Ama was waiting on the stairs, she looked at Hermoine.
"Shower?"
Hermoine nodded enthusiastically and he spoke quickly.
"After can I speak to you both? Its important"
Hermoine looked intrigued Ama just looked slightly tired
"Okay, my room, its private"
He had no problem with that and nodded, before turning for the prefects bathroom, Ron had given him the password for Christmas, part of his present. The time alone would let him think on how to ask his questions.
She could see the darkness of the dungeons. It sounded more than strange but it was true, it was the sort of darkness that clings and holds. A conjured gloom. In the centre of it all stood Dumbledore, she had been expecting Lupin, so of course he was a surprise, but not too bad a one.
Harry and Hermoine were warm presence's at her back as she looked into shadowed blue eyes, she wondered sometimes if she was the only one that saw the shades there. Memories, the depths of darkness to which one can sink and still believe in good.
"Amaris, I need to talk to Harry"
Her brow rose but she stepped aside
"Of course, if you need me I shall be warming up"
She crossed the floor in a fluid movement and began a flashing series of gymnastic rhythms that drew the eye almost irresistibly. Harry turned to Dumbledore the question written in his eyes, it was answered before he even spoke it.
"I need you to do something for me Harry"
He didn't even have to think, he nodded, even if Ama didn't trust Dumbledore he could, the man had saved his life before this. Dumbledore smiled, it touched the depths of his eyes bringing a twinkle to life there that had been absent for some time.
"It has to be either you or miss Granger, and I feel that she isn't best equipped to search for the person I need you to find"
Hermoine, not best equipped, good thing she was stretching against one of the walls or he could have been in for an implosion of temper later, instead he let a smile creep onto the corner of his mouth before nodding. If there was one thing you learnt from being around Ama it was the value of silence.
"The person I need you to find Harry is the apparent to Salazar Slytherin"
He felt the muscles around his eyes tighten as they widened behind his glasses before he flicked his gaze to Ama.
"Sir, wouldn't Ama be the best person to ask"
Dumbledore's eyebrows lifted in surprise, well perhaps not real surprise but it was well feigned.
"And why would I do that Harry?"
He blushed at the slight edge of irritation in the headmasters tone, but carried on regardless of disapproval.
"Well the last Heir of Slytherin was Tom Riddle, who is Lord Voldemort. Who's her dad, which would make her logically the heir of Slytherin"
A smile spread across the headmasters cherub like countenance, and the twinkle in his eyes became more pronounced.
"Excellent logic Harry, if this wasn't so serious I'd give points to Gryffindor for such an answer, why don't you ask her? There'll be a pass for the Knight Bus on your bed though, just in case you need to leave the school grounds to look"
Then the headmaster was gone, no puff of smoke or sound of movement he was just gone. If he hadn't known that dissaparating within the grounds of Hogwarts was impossible he would have suspected Dumbledore of doing so. With a shake of his head he moved over to join the other two as Professor Lupin bounded down the stairs.
"Sorry I'm late, Serverus had to see me about something"
Ama nodded as if she'd expected such a thing, there were lines of strain around her mouth that at nearly eighteen no one should possess.
"He was warning you to stay out of the woods at full moon"
Lupin looked slightly surprised, and worried at her flattened tone before he nodded, then he gestured to the stone circle that had in ages past been worked into the bedrock of Hogwarts for the purpose of formal duelling.
"Harry, I want you an Hermoine to work out against each other, we'll watch and shout tips as best we can, then I think Ama's actually convinced Serverus to work through a duel with her for instructional purposes, god knows how."
He had to smile, after Ama had miscalculated a shot and scorched off Lupin's eyebrows he had been more reluctant to work through instructional duels with her. Professor Snape would either be in for a shock or would shock them.
'Moine was waiting for him in the centre of the circle, frizzy hair fastened back into a French braid, he knew Ama had to have helped her with that, their clothes were identical, black tee shirts and black jeans. Ama had explained it to them when they had watched her workouts and asked for lessons.
' My form of duelling is about staying alive, not prissy points of honour, or wizardly showing off, it also keeps you moving, keeps you alert. Its why the Sorceresses clothes are so different, you can't, move, in robes.' He caught Hermoines eye and made a short bow, all that was proscribed before holding her eyes, watching the dark depths for her first move, today they were using, live rounds, real wands and real curses, if they didn't move fast enough they were going to get hurt.
***
She watched them circle with a slight feeling of satisfaction, they had a studied wariness that showed respect for the power they were handling. Power should always be granted respect. A presence at her shoulder, Serverus, she acknowledged her uncle with an inclination of her head but kept her eyes on Harry.
Hermoines bolt hit him on the shoulder of his wand hand, she saw him wince but he didn't drop his wand, she gave him positive points for that, negative for not getting out of the way. Hermoine moved in a flash, she was pleased but only slightly, she was grading Harry not Hermoine and neither of them were as fast as she would have liked.
Lupin had told her that she was too harsh, expected too much, but that was the way she had learnt, to be soft was to die. She didn't want either of her friends to ever duel in earnest, but if they did she wanted them to win.
Harry moved, snake strike fast, and kicked Hermoines legs out from under her and put his wand and hers to either side of her throat, before looking up, she raised her eyebrows.
"Very good, now what would you curse her with if you really were out to kill her, Hermoine stay still and silent, you're dead"
Harry's eyes were blanked with consideration and then something flashed in them, a germ of an idea, that apparently agreed with the part of him that made him a Gryffindor.
"I'd use Imperius"
She raised her eyebrows, it was a good answer but had be given it for the right reasons,
"Why?"
He didn't even have to stop to consider.
"She obviously wants me dead for some reason, I could find that out, and unlike murder by duelling suicide isn't a crime"
She grinned and started to clap even as he helped Hermoine up from the floor.
"Perhaps you should have been a Slytherin, that was a rather brilliantly self serving answer"
He bowed, there was mockery there as Hermoine started to heal his shoulder with a muttered apology.
"I've been listening to your lectures Ama"
She smacked his shoulder and motioned to her uncle.
"Shall we?"
***
He could see from the way the pair of them moved into the circle that this duel was going to be different from the one he'd just fought with Hermoine, he looked at professor Lupin who looked more than a little concerned and then back to the circle.
Professor Snape had pulled his robe off over his head to reveal dark coloured jeans, not black but a deep shade of grey and a white silk shirt, Ama was smiling as if in memory, he actually looked clean. His hair was tied back and didn't have its normal oil slick complexion and there was a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth even as they completed their ritual bows.
It seemed that Ama was having a good affect on her uncle, even if he was just as hard on her as the rest of them in class. Ama moved like greased lightning on roller skates, watching her always explained to him why she got so impatient with him and Hermoine, she wanted them to be fast, what surprised him was that Snape was just as fast.
It could be a family thing, the thought crossed his mind as Snape fended off a variant of the full body bind, something Ama did wrapped it around one of the stones, she stopped dead still for a moment and murmured something under her breath before making a throwing gesture with her hand.
A whirlwind sprang out of nowhere, he could feel the air pressure around them dropping rapidly, from the strain on the faces in the circle they were both battling for control of the air mass, then their eyes met and a smile flashed simultaneously across both faces and the miniature tornado disappeared.
Snape crossed the room and pulled Ama into a hug which she returned and they looked across at him and Hermoine, but it was Snape that spoke.
"and that's how you concede a truce"
Ama nodded and stepped out of the circle walking slightly stiffly, she wasn't sweating but their was a wild look in her eyes as if the nearness of the full moon had rocked her control. He thanked professor Lupin, Snape had already disappeared in his normal way, Ama was waiting on the stairs, she looked at Hermoine.
"Shower?"
Hermoine nodded enthusiastically and he spoke quickly.
"After can I speak to you both? Its important"
Hermoine looked intrigued Ama just looked slightly tired
"Okay, my room, its private"
He had no problem with that and nodded, before turning for the prefects bathroom, Ron had given him the password for Christmas, part of his present. The time alone would let him think on how to ask his questions.