~*~
Chapter One
Ron Weasley growled softly under his breath as he realized that Professor Snape was staring over his shoulder. His friend Hermione Granger glanced at him sharply the same time that Harry Potter kicked him under the table. They didn't want to start off their first Potions class by losing any points for the Gryffindor house. Snape had decided to start off their last year with the impossible and on their first Thursday afternoon, they were brewing their very own truth telling serum.
Ron was stuck, angry that Snape had suddenly decided to pay so much attention to him and neither of his friends would dare help him with Snape so close. He wasn't as hopelessly lost as Neville Longbottom always was, but Ron couldn't even create a simple aging potion yet, how was he supposed to create a truth telling serum? Ron squirmed in his chair, a habit he'd never been able to break.
"Confused Mr Weasley?" Snape's icy voice spilt the silent air of the classroom.
Several of the Slytherins snickered, but the Gryffindors of the class glanced backward, eyes wide. Ron and Harry were notorious for angering Snape to the point of taking points from their house. Ron looked at the Gryffindors and caught Parvati Patil's eyes for a second but she glanced away quickly, not wanting to get herself in any trouble.
*What do I add now?* Ron asked himself. *What now?*
*NOTHING!* The word shot through his mind so powerfully that Ron almost fell off his stool. *You have to enchant it now,* the voice continued more softly. *Point your wand at it and say 'Honector'.*
Ron's eyes widened, but he didn't see any other options being offered to him so he slowly reached for his wand.
"Honector," he said, his wand pointed at the cauldron.
Snape grunted softly, then looked toward the front of the classroom. "I may not have the ability to read minds Miss Rayne, but I can tell when someone had been sent a powerful suggestion." He swept briskly to the front of the room and bent over the desk of a tall girl who looked like she was trying to shrink into her chair. All Ron could see from where he was sitting was the back of her black robes and straight, dark hair.
"Ten points from Gryffindor Miss Rayne," Snape growled, then went to his desk.
"She's in Gryffindor?" Harry hissed.
Hermione nodded absently. "Her name is Kendra, I think." She looked over at Ron. "What happened? Did she . . . say something to you?"
Harry frowned. "She's across the room Hermione. How could she-"
"Yes," Ron said. "I thought I was a bit of a nutter, but I heard her tell me to enchant it."
Hermione nodded, looking satisfied. "Lavender and Parvati keep whispering that Kendra can . . . tune in to some people's thoughts. I don't think she can send suggestions to everyone, just certain people."
"Why me?" Ron asked, staring at the back of Kendra's head.
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know."
"Snape knows she can do this?" Harry asked.
"I guess so," Hermione said. "He seems to know a lot about her."
"I didn't even know she was in Gryffindor," Ron admitted.
"She keeps mostly to herself," Hermione told them. "Parvati is kind of friends with her. She keeps trying to talk her into taking Divination." She rolled her eyes. "Kendra keeps refusing, so at least we know she's got some sense."
"Have you ever talked to her?" Harry asked.
Hermione shrugged, then glanced at Snape carefully before answering. "Not very much. Remember when we had the Yule Ball in our fourth year? When I got into the dormitory, she was sitting on her bed crying but I couldn't get her to tell me why. I ended up deciding it had to do with her marks in this class because the only thing she would say was 'Snape'."
Ron frowned. "That's odd."
Hermione nodded her agreement. "I know it's odd. I tried to get her to tell me for almost three quarters of an hour and she would only say Snape's name. I even tried to talk to Dumbledore about it, but he insisted that it was nothing. He said something like 'in time I would understand'. Don't know what there is to understand. Snape was probably just being a-"
"A what Miss Granger?" Snape asked, staring at the three students near the back of the room. "Must I start taking more points from Gryffindor so early in the year?"
Hermione shook her head and her cheeks flushed. "No Professor," she murmured.
"I didn't think so," Snape said, then lowered his head back to his work.
"We'll talk later," Harry decided.
Hermione nodded. "The last thing I need now is a detention."
* * * *
Chapter One
Ron Weasley growled softly under his breath as he realized that Professor Snape was staring over his shoulder. His friend Hermione Granger glanced at him sharply the same time that Harry Potter kicked him under the table. They didn't want to start off their first Potions class by losing any points for the Gryffindor house. Snape had decided to start off their last year with the impossible and on their first Thursday afternoon, they were brewing their very own truth telling serum.
Ron was stuck, angry that Snape had suddenly decided to pay so much attention to him and neither of his friends would dare help him with Snape so close. He wasn't as hopelessly lost as Neville Longbottom always was, but Ron couldn't even create a simple aging potion yet, how was he supposed to create a truth telling serum? Ron squirmed in his chair, a habit he'd never been able to break.
"Confused Mr Weasley?" Snape's icy voice spilt the silent air of the classroom.
Several of the Slytherins snickered, but the Gryffindors of the class glanced backward, eyes wide. Ron and Harry were notorious for angering Snape to the point of taking points from their house. Ron looked at the Gryffindors and caught Parvati Patil's eyes for a second but she glanced away quickly, not wanting to get herself in any trouble.
*What do I add now?* Ron asked himself. *What now?*
*NOTHING!* The word shot through his mind so powerfully that Ron almost fell off his stool. *You have to enchant it now,* the voice continued more softly. *Point your wand at it and say 'Honector'.*
Ron's eyes widened, but he didn't see any other options being offered to him so he slowly reached for his wand.
"Honector," he said, his wand pointed at the cauldron.
Snape grunted softly, then looked toward the front of the classroom. "I may not have the ability to read minds Miss Rayne, but I can tell when someone had been sent a powerful suggestion." He swept briskly to the front of the room and bent over the desk of a tall girl who looked like she was trying to shrink into her chair. All Ron could see from where he was sitting was the back of her black robes and straight, dark hair.
"Ten points from Gryffindor Miss Rayne," Snape growled, then went to his desk.
"She's in Gryffindor?" Harry hissed.
Hermione nodded absently. "Her name is Kendra, I think." She looked over at Ron. "What happened? Did she . . . say something to you?"
Harry frowned. "She's across the room Hermione. How could she-"
"Yes," Ron said. "I thought I was a bit of a nutter, but I heard her tell me to enchant it."
Hermione nodded, looking satisfied. "Lavender and Parvati keep whispering that Kendra can . . . tune in to some people's thoughts. I don't think she can send suggestions to everyone, just certain people."
"Why me?" Ron asked, staring at the back of Kendra's head.
Hermione shrugged. "I don't know."
"Snape knows she can do this?" Harry asked.
"I guess so," Hermione said. "He seems to know a lot about her."
"I didn't even know she was in Gryffindor," Ron admitted.
"She keeps mostly to herself," Hermione told them. "Parvati is kind of friends with her. She keeps trying to talk her into taking Divination." She rolled her eyes. "Kendra keeps refusing, so at least we know she's got some sense."
"Have you ever talked to her?" Harry asked.
Hermione shrugged, then glanced at Snape carefully before answering. "Not very much. Remember when we had the Yule Ball in our fourth year? When I got into the dormitory, she was sitting on her bed crying but I couldn't get her to tell me why. I ended up deciding it had to do with her marks in this class because the only thing she would say was 'Snape'."
Ron frowned. "That's odd."
Hermione nodded her agreement. "I know it's odd. I tried to get her to tell me for almost three quarters of an hour and she would only say Snape's name. I even tried to talk to Dumbledore about it, but he insisted that it was nothing. He said something like 'in time I would understand'. Don't know what there is to understand. Snape was probably just being a-"
"A what Miss Granger?" Snape asked, staring at the three students near the back of the room. "Must I start taking more points from Gryffindor so early in the year?"
Hermione shook her head and her cheeks flushed. "No Professor," she murmured.
"I didn't think so," Snape said, then lowered his head back to his work.
"We'll talk later," Harry decided.
Hermione nodded. "The last thing I need now is a detention."
* * * *