Out of the Darkness

By Trephinia Cealyn

Chapter 3 | Granddaddy Snape

'…walking in a straight line… plunging, falling, dying…'

          "I told you!" Flute said as Tom walked over to sit next to her, "Told you I told you!" She turned to Talon, "Didn't I tell him?!" Without waiting for an answer she turned back to Tom, "I told you I knew you'd get into Slytherin I told you!"

          Ten Weasleys later the sorting was done. There had been a bit of a commotion when a Weasley was sorted into Slytherin but on the whole it had been a relatively quiet sorting.

          "First years follow me," said a seventh year prefect. "I'll take you to the common room."

          Flute barely made it to her dorm awake and in the instant she hit her bed and pulled the covers over her head she was sleeping.

          The next morning Flute groggily rolled out of bed. "Ugh," she moaned making it to the bathroom. She stepped into the shower after shedding her clothes and surprised herself with cold water. Not bothering to warm it up she finished washing and jumped out. She pulled on a clean set of robes, pulled a brush through her soaking hair, dried and pulled her hair up into a tight bun. She tumbled down into the common room and found Tom and Talon falling asleep on one of the couches.

          "Come on," Flute said with a grin, "Let's go get breakfast."

          "Food!" Talon and Tom yelled jumping up and running up the steps and out of the common room. Flute ran after them trying in vain to catch up. The reached the Great Hall and sat at the Slytherin table. Flute sat in between Talon and Tom and reached for the toast.

          Seymour Malfoy strolled into the Great Hall at that moment in time. He sauntered over to a chair next to Tom and poured himself some orange juice.

          "G'day!" Flute said cheerfully and put some burned toast on Tom's plate. "I know you like the burned toast Tom! I could only find one piece."

          Tom picked up the toast and spread some butter on it, "Thanks Flute," he said, his mouth filled with half chewed toast.

          "You're a Potter aren't you?" Seymour asked after taking a careful sip of his orange juice. Tom looked him over suspiciously. He nodded and turned back to Talon and Flute, "Shouldn't you be in Gryffindor with your siblings?" Seymour took another sip of his orange juice.

          "How are you related to me?" Flute said all of a sudden leaning across the table and over Tom's plate, "A second cousin maybe?"

          Seymour smoothed imaginary wrinkles out of his robes and glanced up at the girl, "I would not go so far as to say we are cousins. That would be to hopeful on your part." He gulped down the rest of his juice and returned the girl's stare, "We are blood related somehow. That I know."

          "What do you mean by to hopeful on my part?" Flute asked her eyes narrowing to slits.

          Seymour gave them a half smile and accepted his schedule from the prefect who was passing them out. Flute moved back to her seat grouchily and studied her schedule.

          "Ooh, goody! First class of the day is Potions! With the Gryffindors!" Flute grabbed a piece of toast and ate it hungrily. "We'll have to hurry so we can get good seats!" She finished her toast and grabbed her bag. "Come on let's go."

          "Alright," Talon said grabbing a piece of toast for the short trip to the dungeons. Tom finished his milk and grabbed an apple.

          "Hurry up!!" Flute ordered hopping up and down like a bunny rabbit on steroids.

          Talon rolled his eyes and shouldered his bag, "Calm down Flute." He steered her towards the exit.

          Tom grabbed his bag and almost tripped over a stool, "Wait for me!"

          "Tom, I'll walk with you," Seymour said. Tom waited impatiently and walked with Seymour trying to catch up with Flute and Talon. Flute glared at Seymour as Tom caught up with them. "Why are you in such a hurry to get to Potions?"  He asked, "I've heard that class is horrible, even for Slytherins."

          Flute smiled at him, "You'll see!" She said and quickened their pace. When the reached the correct hallway Flute stopped outside the Potions door and exchanged a few brief whispers with Talon. Talon nodded and motioned her to go first.

          "Granddaddy Snape!" Flute yelled and flung herself at Professor Snape. She hugged him around the middle.

          The Potions Master looked slightly annoyed. However, his expression soon changed to one of childish amusement. Snape pulled out his wand and shouted, "En guard," Flute skipped out of the way just narrowly avoiding the tip of his wand and pulled out her own.

          "Touché!" Flute countered and the duel started, the two using their wands as swords. It ranged all around the Potions room.

"I admit it, you are better than I am." Snape said and blocked another of her attacks.

"Then why are you smiling?" Flute asked, jumping up onto a desk and startling an unsuspecting Gryffindor. 

Snape's smile grew, "Because I know something you don't know."

"And what is that?" Flute asked amused, jumping down from her perch on the desk and advancing on her teacher.

"I am not left-handed."

The professor shrugged off Flute's attack and threw his wand into the air, catching it in his right hand.

            "You're amazing!" The young witch proclaimed and dodged another strike from her grandfather.
            "I ought to be after twenty years," Snape answered pinning Flute to a desk. A few books fell to the ground under the pressure of Flute's shoulder.           
            "There is something I ought to tell you," she said in a strangled voice.
            "Tell me."
            "I'm not left-handed either." The young girl pushed the older man off of her and switched her wand into her right hand.
            The battle continued as the students, having heard nothing about Snape but bad things from their older siblings, watched in awe.
            "My dad told me to watch out for him!" Tom whispered to Talon.
            "What? Snape! He's a good guy! But then again, I am a Malfoy."
            Tom rolled his eyes and chose to ignore the smirk Talon was giving him as he directed his attention to the wand-fight once again.
            Snape was thrashing at Flute, holding his 'sword' with both hands. She quickly dodged his frantic attack and flicked his want out of his hand with her own. The now defenseless professor dropped to his knees and raised his hands in surrender.
            "Kill me quickly"
            "I would sooner destroy a stain glass window as an artist like yourself," she spoke through her giggles, the ridiculousness of the situation finally getting to her.
            Snape knew that at this point she was supposed to knock him out and wisely got up, remembering that he had first years to make enemies of. He brushed his granddaughter aside and gave the first years a cold look.
            Flute slide into her seat next to Talon. 
            "Nice show," her twin congratulated her. Flute merely suppressed her laughter and directed her attention to her 'granddaddy.' She decided to ignore the looks of utter amazement the class was giving her.
            Snape had started roll call and was halfway through the list he had reached the M's, "Malfoy, Flute."
            "Here," Flute cried out smiling at him. He smiled back at her and snapped his attention back to the list.
            "Malfoy, Talon."
            "Here," Talon said in a confident sort of voice.
            Snape gave him a half smile and continued. A few more names and sneers later, "Potter, Lily."
            "Here," Lily said meekly trying under her arm. 
            Snape looked up at the poor girl who had obviously heard horror stories about Snape from her father, "I hope you pay more attention in this class than your father Ms. Potter," he looked back at the list, "Potter, Kalten," Snape's face went a little paler.
            "Here," Kalten said trying his best to return Snape's glare but failing horribly.
            "Potter, Thomas," Snape said.
            "Here," Tom said from his seat. He was across from Flute and next to Seymour. 
            "Why are you wearing a Slytherin emblem on you cloak?" Snape snapped at him angered.
            "That's what house he's in granddaddy. He's a Slytherin," Flute said proudly.
            Snape stared at her in shock, "What?" he managed to choke out before he fell on the floor in a dead faint.