Ayla frowned as she surveyed the Slytherin table. There was Penny Lane and her crowd, which included Ravina Lucalus, Corina Pollum, and other mindless zombies that kissed the ground she walked on. Further down was Oscar Jungalar, Penny's boyfriend, and his crowd.
Pandora Boxer leaned followed her gaze and sighed. "What I wouldn't give to date Oscar Jungalar."
Ayla blanched. "Pan, you've got to be kidding me. That's disgusting." She reached for the vegetable medley of sorts, sighing. The carnivorous meals at Hogwarts really did not suit one who ate no read meat. Birds and fish were fine, but anything that walked on four legs and said, "Moo," was strictly not kosher with Ayla.
Alexander Pole had a look of similar disgust on his face. "Really, Pandora, that's horrible."
Pandora glared at them. "I've decided that you're a lesbian, Ayla. You have no interest in males what-so-ever!" She spooned some of the disgusting processed cow onto her plate, not noticing Ayla's look of disgust.
"That's not true," Alex pointed out. "Do you remember when Bono got married?"
Pandora rolled her eyes. "God, she was crying for a week."
"I was not crying for a week," Ayla muttered angrily. "Besides, I was twelve! It was one of those childish crushes on your favorite celebrity." She glared at Pandora. "At least I have taste," she said. "Really, Pan, Jungalar?"
She shrugged. "You can't deny that he's incredibly handsome."
"I wouldn't know. Every time I get too close to him I back away from the horrible stench of cruelty."
Alex sniggered as Pandora got red around the cheeks. "That was mean, Landau."
Ayla shrugged. " I speak only the truth."
"Hey," Pandora said suddenly, changing the subject, "who's the hottie at the Head Table?"
Rolling her eyes at her boy-crazy friend, she turned to look at the Head Table. What she saw made her catch her breath.
Pandora had not been lying. The man at the Head Table was indeed quite handsome. He was tall and thin, though not scrawny. He had sleek hair the color of night, and his eyes were dark as well. He wore all black, adding to the effect. He looked good enough to eat.
Alex poked her in the side. "Ayla? Ayla?" He shook his head. "I think we've lost her."
Ayla turned around. "What?" She looked at the teacher again. "Oh, what were you saying about Jungular?"
"Nothing," Pandora said with a smirk. "We were talking about that guy at the Head Table. You know, the one you were drooling over?"
"I do not drool, Boxer. Especially over men." Ayla glared at her. "Who is that?"
"I don't know," Alex said, "but he must be pretty damned special to grab your attention."
Pandora laughed, but Ayla was too busy studying the new teacher to notice. "He looks like Bono," she said, almost dreamily, noticing his dark eyes as they surveyed the room. He looked rather bored, she decided, and unimpressed.
Pandora shook Ayla's shoulder. "Now I'm worried. You never get like this over a man. Ever!"
"What about Bono?" Alex asked, failing to understand what was so special about this new teacher.
"He's a rock star," Pandora said, waving an impatient hand at him, "he doesn't count. This guy is actually someone she could talk to."
"If you two are done discussing the wonders of my non-existent love life," Ayla said loudly, giving them evil looks, "I've no interest in the man up there. He looks far too surly for my tastes. And his nose is too hooked." He had a bit of a Jewish nose---something her mother would love, so he was strictly out of the question.
Pandora and Alex exchanged looks. "Really?"
"Yes, really!" she snapped, glaring at the two. "And I don't want to hear anymore about it!"
Honestly, how could she let herself get so caught up with a man? He was only one man, and not even that handsome…except for his eyes, which were so dark and deep they sucked you in; and his hair, which glistened in the dim candlelight; and his tall, lean figure that made you catch your breath…other than that, he was quite ugly.
Alex and Pandora were still stifling laughs as Dumbledore stood to talk. "Now that you have all eaten your full," he said, old and twinkling eyes looking out over the room, "I have some announcements to make.
"All students should take care to remember that the Forbidden Forest was not named for its friendly rabbits," the Headmaster said, turning his head towards the Gryffindor table, where Charlie was slowly turning red. Charlie had an odd fetish with animals that Care of Magical Creatures alone could not feed, and his nightly excursions into the forest gave him quite a few detentions, much to Molly Weasley's distaste. Ayla had learned to bring earplugs to breakfast on mornings soon after Charlie's breaches of the rules
"Also, there should be no magic in the corridors between classes," he continued, his smile now turned on some other student. "And, due to some---er---unfortunate circumstances, Slytherin House is now without a Chaser and a Seeker. Gryffindor also needs a Seeker and a Keeper. Anyone interested should see Madame Hooch."
"Yeah," Alex whispered to Pandora and Ayla, "unfortunate circumstances that involved Flint and Lucas getting suspended for failing all of their classes."
Penny Lane gave them glares as they sniggered.
"We have a new teacher this year," Dumbledore said, speaking again. "Replacing Professor Liam, who, unfortunately, has to have some work done on his face---"
"Stupid idiot couldn't make a Potion right if all he had to do was stir it," Ayla said under her breath, causing sniggers from Alex and Pandora.
"—and his replacement, I think, will be a marvelous addition to the staff. Please welcome Professor Snape," he said, nodding to the man on his right.
Bono-look-alike stood up and briefly nodded his head before immediately seating himself again. Ayla raised her eyebrow. "He's going to be Head of Slytherin?"
Pandora grinned. "I bet Ayla's going to have some fun this year," she said, nudging her in the side."
Ayla rolled her eyes and looked across the room. She caught Bill's eye and grinned. He smiled back and waved. She yawned.
"Are you coming?" Alex asked, grabbing her shoulder.
"Hmm?" she asked, turning around.
"Let's go, unless you want to sleep in the Great Hall tonight," Pandora said with a laugh, pulling Ayla to her feet.
"Yeah, I figured the tables would be comfortable," she said, following them out of the Great Hall.
"You were looking at that Weasley guy," Pandora said, nudging Ayla. "He's not bad, if you like freckles." They had reached the secret entry into the Slytherin Common room, and Ayla breathed in the musty air and sneezed.
Ayla sighed. "Pandora, believe it or not, I do not rank every male I see on a scale of one to ten. And even if I did, I wouldn't do that for Bill. He's my best friend. I've seen him in his knickers!"
She could never think of Bill that way, could she? After all, they had been friends for so long…she knew nearly everything about him, and vice-versa, to a point. He even knew when she got her monthly, and knew when not to get on her nerves, for Ayla was known to get horrendous PMS.
The point was, Bill was too much like a brother. A brother who happened to be rather cute, with his freckles and all, but a brother no less. Cute in a brotherly sense, that was. Like Charlie was cute, in a little kid away.
"Really?" Pandora grinned. "Well? Don't keep it all to yourself!"
Alex rolled his eyes. "If you two are going to spend the entire night gossiping about Bill Weasley's washboard abs, I'm leaving."
Ayla snickered. "He most certainly does not have washboard abs, the poor scrawny thing. And Alex, I'm actually going to go strum a little, so you and Pandora can talk about whatever you want."
Alex grabbed her arm. "Don't you dare leave me alone with her when she's like this," he whispered. "Last time, she made me listen to the poems she had written for Jungular. There were forty-seven of them. Forty-seven!"
Ayla shrugged off his arm and ran up to her room to get Enkidu. Penny was lying out on her bed, reading the latest Witch Weekly.
"Look at this," she was saying to Ravina, who was next to her on the bed, "a muggle band, getting band of the year! Honestly! And they expect us to buy tickets to their concert? And who would listen to someone who calls himself Bono Vox?"
Ayla froze. "Lane, let me see that magazine."
Penny clutched it to her. "No!" She thought for a moment. "Why?"
"Because I want to wipe my ass with it," she said in frustration. "Just let me see it."
Penny reluctantly handed it over. "Here. But I want it back."
Ayla hurriedly skimmed the article. "Bono Vox, lead singer of the muggle band U2…best band of the year, despite being muggle…the bass guitarist is actually a wizard, who dropped out of school to gain his magical education…tour in the UK soon…dates to be announced…"
Inside was a foldout picture that took up three pages of the whole band. And it was moving! Bono waved to her, and The Edge winked.
Ayla grinned, trying to keep a lid on her emotions. "Lane, can I have this foldout?"
Penny grabbed the magazine. "No!" She thought for a moment. "Why?"
"Because I happen to like the band in question," she said calmly. "Now please, can I just have it?"
Penny scoffed. "You mean you've actually heard of this, 'U2'?" She brandished the magazine at her like a wand.
"Yes, actually." She grabbed Enkidu's case. "And don't worry about, I'll just take Pan's."
It was true. Pandora also read Witch Weekly. It was amazing that Pandora and Penny were so alike, but could never be friends. Their fathers had chosen their paths for them.
As she walked out of the Common Room, she waved to Alex and Pandora, who were sitting near the fire. Pandora waved back enthusiastically, while Alex shot her an evil glare.
She walked into the room in the dungeons she used to practice. She took Enkidu out of its case, set it on her lap, and began tuning it. After it was all tuned up, she just plucked a couple of strings idly.
"What should I play tonight?" she asked herself, still strumming.
"So you say you want a revolution…"
The song, apparently, had chosen her. So she sang. It was a good thing that no one was around, because she did not have the best voice. She could carry a tune, occasionally, but she was no Madonna.
"That sounded horrible," she aloud after she was finished. "Usually I sound better…wonder how Moon Dance will sound…"
As it turned out, Moon Dance sounded fabulous. It was easy to play, though it always sounded better when she convinced Bill to play along with her. Anything sounded better with more than one guitar.
Ayla looked at her watch and yawned. Nearly midnight.
"Bed sounds like a wonderful idea at the moment," she said, putting Enkidu back in its case.
"Oh, but I was enjoying your little session so much," came a male voice from the doorway.
Ayla nearly dropped Enkidu. She turned slowly, praying that it wasn't Oscar Jungular. When she saw who it was, however, she thought she might've preferred Jungular.
It was Professor Snape.
He was leaning against the doorjamb with a small smirk on his face, seemingly enjoying her shock.
"You are a Slytherin, correct?" he asked, walking—no, gliding—into the room. His black hair shone brightly in the dimly light room, and Ayla felt her heart skip a few beats. Calming herself, she nodded, placing Enkidu on the chair she had previously been occupying.
"Sixth year." She gulped.
He nodded. "Name?" His eyes narrowed. "And don't give me a song title. I had some girl earlier try and convince me that she was named after a Beatles hit." He looked down at her with a sneer. "Though I suppose you don't know what I'm talking about."
"Actually, her name really is Penny Lane," she said with a small smile. "And you must have missed my Beatles section."
He did not appear fazed. "So, you know who the Beatles are. I must say, I'm rather surprised. Most people your age are interested in—what's her name again, Madonna?" He most certainly did not look surprised. The sneer had not left his face.
She nodded. "Madonna. Good voice, pretty, but not something I'm interested in. Give me Roger Waters any day."
The professor nodded approvingly. "Pink Floyd as well. Tell me, are you completely stuck in 1967?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Not completely," she said, her voice becoming cold. "I do like the band U2." This Professor was presumptuous, and she didn't like that. Also, she couldn't read him. Most people she could read like a book. She was distrustful of anyone who she couldn't.
He shook his head. "Never heard of them."
"They were featured in Witch Weekly, even if they are a muggle band," she said with a slight chuckle. "Though I don't suppose you read that."
"Most certainly not," he said, a small smile playing across the corners of his sneer. He walked over to Enkidu. "May I?"
She nodded, trying not to appear over-eager. Not only was he handsome, he listened to her music. Amazing! Now, if he had been into U2, she would have collapsed into an Ayla-puddle.
He gently removed the guitar from its case and sat on the chair. He ran his long fingers up and down the neck and raised his eyebrows when he saw the signatures.
"Are these real?" he asked, pointing.
"Yes!" she snapped, trying not to glare at him—he was, after all, to be her teacher. "I checked them with magic."
He nodded and softly played a few chords.
"You play?" she asked with surprise as he handed it back to her.
"Not well," he admitted, standing. "Piano is really my forte. How much did that cost you?" He looked it up and down.
She sighed. "Far too much money. I'm still paying my parents."
He smirked. "How about a job, then?"
She started. "Excuse me?"
He leaned against the wall. "I need an assistant. I'm working on a project that requires vast amounts of time and energy. Would you be interested in helping?" His tone suggested that he really did not need an assistant, but was merely offering as a way for her to make money.
She frowned. "What sort of project? And why me?" She was unwary of this Potions Master. He may have been Bono's twin, but he most certainly was not the type to help third-world countries.
"A rather uninteresting project, actually." He shrugged. "There's been a recent bout of some sort of mutated form of influenza, and they want a cure."
Ayla's eyes widened. "You mean the normal potions and such won't work?"
"If they did, then I wouldn't be staying up until unseen hours of the morning working on a cure then, would I?" he snapped, eyes glittering dangerously.
Ayla merely wiped a bit of spittle that had flown from his mouth off her face. "It's like Penicillin," she mused aloud.
Snape stared at her. "Excuse me?"
She shook her head. "In the 1950's, some muggle scientists thought they had discovered the all-purpose antibiotic—Penicillin. However, the use of Penicillin became so widespread that many viruses built up an immunity to it, or they mutated so that they were unaffected by it. The all-purpose drug became useless."
It was rather helpful, at times, when your mother was a doctor and your father was a chemist. Especially when you had to do Potions homework over the holidays. Besides, Ayla loved Potions. It was the only subject she actually put effort into, which gave her an above-average grade. Her other grades were average enough, so there really was no need to be work her ass off. She wanted to excel at Potions, so she worked hard. She also worked hard at Transfiguration, but only because she couldn't turn a porcupine into a pincushion if you offered her U2 tickets.
Snape nodded. "Interesting. So what did they do about it?"
"Oh!" She thought for a moment. "Well, now there are many antibiotics to fight off diseases."
Snape nodded again. "So, would you like the job? I'd be more than willing to pay you."
She raised her eyebrows. "How do you know I'm not hopeless at Potions?"
He turned. "I know you aren't. I'll expect your answer tomorrow morning, Miss Landau."
And with that, the Potions Master was gone.
A/N: I'd like to thank some people: Thanks to Talia, Jason, Brian, and Matt for coming to visit me when I was sick (and thanks to Matt for the tea!); Thanks to everyone who responded last time and for your wonderful feedback; Thanks to all fellow Earth's Children lovers; Thanks to Roger Waters, Bono Vox, John Lennon, and whoever sings that wonderful Moon Dance song—Van Morrison, I think. And Alice Cooper. Lovely inspirations. And all the new rock artists—Incubus, Staind, Linkin Park, the list goes on…
Disclaimer: Disclaimer: In no way, shape, or form do I wish anyone to recognize any characters found in the Harry Potter books as belonging to anyone other than J.K. Rowling, publishers such as Bloomsbury Books, Raincoast Books, Schoolastic Books, or Warner Brothers, Inc. I do not own characters found in any published works, and can claim only Ayla Landau and Penny Lane at the moment, and some others that will be introduced later. I also do not own any songs/bands/lyrics mentioned in the story, unless specifically stated otherwise.