* * * *
If The Five thought Potions class was going to be any easier for them because Snape was now their guardian, they were very wrong. It was the day before the beginning of their Christmas break and Hermione had been up half of the night before helping Harry and Ron study for the oral test Snape had planned for that day. If anything had changed since the revelation that they were The Five, it had been for the worse. Snape picked on them more, if that was at all possible and he was currently glaring down at Kendra like she was nothing more than a piece of dirt on the dungeon floor.
"Well, Miss Rayne. The entire class is waiting for you to finish your test so they can get on with theirs," he snapped impatiently.
Kendra swallowed hard and stared uncertainly at the concoction Snape had simmering in his cauldron. She remained silent for a moment longer, still inwardly debating the next ingredient in the sleeping draught Snape had demanded that she explain.
"S-six measures of monkshood," she stammered, then mentally slapped herself for stuttering. "No, sorry, I meant to say four measures . . . I think."
"Well, what is it Miss Rayne? Four measures or six?" Snape growled.
"Uh, f-four I believe Professor," she replied, nervously twisting her hands.
"You might want to pick up the pace a bit. If you don't finish before the class is over the other students will have to stay behind in order to finish their tests," Snape said.
Groans were heard around the class and the Slytherins all glared in Kendra's direction. She blocked them out, wondering what exactly they had to glare about, they were all done their tests and had all received top marks.
"Anything else you'd like to add?" Snape asked, stirring in the four measures of monkswood that Kendra had instructed him to.
"Uh, no, nothing more Professor. It must be left standing for approximately five minutes in order for all the ingredients to saturate each other properly," Kendra said.
Snape regarded her cooly. "Very well Miss Rayne, if that's where you wish to end I'll have you test your potion in five minutes."
Kendra nodded and Snape turned to another student from Gryffindor and began to pick on her.
"Tell me I got that right Hermione," Kendra whispered. "Please tell me I got that right."
"You did," Hermione replied in a hushed voice. "That has to be right. That's exactly how I remember it."
"You're sure?" Kendra asked.
Hermione nodded. "Yes, I'm absolutely positive."
"Ten points from Gyffindor for talking during a test," Snape said sharply. "Do you suppose that your sleeping draught is ready to be tested?"
Kendra stared at Snape for a long moment, then nodded. "I suppose it's saturated for long enough."
"Come up here then," he demanded, gesturing to his desk where the potion was still steaming.
Kendra stood shakily and glanced at Hermione again before stepping into the aisle between the tables. She walked slowly, suddenly nervous to be facing Professor Snape. Trying not to smile, Kendra remembered her first day in Potions and remembered feeling just as scared as she did now.
"Hurry up Miss Rayne," Snape said. "We haven't got all day to wait for you."
Kendra tried to suppress her smile again and took another step toward Snape's desk before her face was wiped clear of all emotion. She was only a few steps from her desk, but she stopped in midstride and slowly lowered her foot to the floor.
Snape frowned. "Miss Rayne," he growled. "Games will not be tolerated. I will not sit here and watch you stall because you know your sleeping draught has been mixed in the wrong fashion."
No reply came from Kendra.
"Miss Rayne!" The Potions Master snapped at her.
Kendra's eyes met his just before she opened her mouth and shrieked, "NO!"
She groped for a nearby desk to hold her weight, then sagged against it, her head down. Harry was on his feet in a second, climbing over his own table to get to Kendra.
"Mr Potter, sit down," Snape demanded, striding quickly down to aisle to Kendra's side.
"My parents," she murmured, her head still down.
"What about your parents?" Harry asked, ignoring Snape's instructions.
"Never heard anyone else," she said quietly. "Never, but now I hear my father and my mother. They're so scared, so scared."
Snape grabbed Kendra by the shoulders and lowered her into a chair. Only Harry was close enough to see the fear flashing in Snape's dark eyes.
"What are they scared of Miss Rayne?" Snape asked.
Kendra looked up at him, his own fear reflected in her face. "Voldemort," she whispered.
"He's there?" Harry asked.
"Potter, shut your mouth," Snape growled.
Kendra nodded. "He's there with them." She stifled a sob and put her hand to her mouth. "He's going to kill them, I know he is. When he's done with them he'll kill Ron's parents and then Hermione's." Kendra grabbed Snape's shoulder tightly. "Dumbledore has to warn them, he has to. Ron's parents . . . they can't be killed." Her breath hitched, but she forced the tears from her eyes. "It's too late to save my parents, but you have to save the rest of them. Dumbledore has to keep them safe."
Snape nodded, then glared at the class. "I have to go speak with the Headmaster. Miss Granger will be left in charge and if I come back and she tells me that a single one of you has been out of their seat, that person will have detention with Filch for two weeks!" he growled, then turned and left the classroom.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, rubbing Kendra's arm.
Her wet eyes met his and she shook her head. "I can't hear them anymore. That either means they're dead or the connection was broken. I . . . I can't bear to think that I'll be sent an owl about their deaths, condolences from people who knew them but never even met me. I just . . . oh Gods Harry, I never thought I'd be able to understand a fraction of your hatred for Voldemort but I do. Now, I do." She wiped away the tears that had begun to spill down her cheeks.
"We'll stop him," Harry said. "I promise."
Kendra nodded. "I have to go."
"I'll come with you," Harry said quickly.
"Snape said no one was to move Potter," Draco hissed from his chair, his eyes sparkling.
Hermione glared in Draco's direction as Ron said loudly, "I'm sure Snape will understand. So if you know what's good for you Malfoy, you'll shut your stinking mouth."
Draco looked ready to fight, but saw the eyes of all the Gryffindors on him. He settled for sneering in Ron's direction and crossing his arms huffily over his chest.
"C'mon," Harry murmured, wrapping his arm around Kendra's shoulders and leading her from the classroom. She smiled briefly at him and followed him from the room, leaving the rest of the class to whisper and gossip about what had just happened.
"I'll bet she made it all up to get out of finishing her test," one of the Slytherins said loudly.
That side of the classroom laughed and Draco smiled.
"You want to know what I think?" he asked. "I think that she just made it up to get Snape to touch her. Everyone heard what she said at the dance. She wants him."
"She does not," Hermione said. "You put a spell on us."
Draco laughed. "You're just saying that Granger, because now we all know that you want Snape as well."
Apparently that comment was the last one Ron wanted to hear because he stood and walked over to where Draco was still sitting.
"I told you to shut your mouth," Ron said, glaring at Draco.
The other boy laughed. "And what are you going to do about it Weasley. You're not even a decent wizard, you couldn't curse me if you tried."
"Maybe not," Ron agreed. "But I can do other things."
Draco laughed again. "Like what?"
Ron glared at him. "I've wanted to do this since the first day I met you," he said, then swung his fist at Draco's face. It caught him by the jaw and sent him tumbling off his stool, blood trickling down his chin. Ron stood above him, staring for a long moment, then he turned and went back to his seat.
Draco shook shakily, one hand wiping the blood from his mouth and his other hand clenching angrily into a tight fist.
"You'll pay for that Weasley," he hissed.
Ron snorted. "What're you going to do Malfoy? Tell your daddy on me? You've tried it before, remember? It doesn't work out the way you always seem to think it will."
Draco fell silent, his blue eyes boring into Ron's. The class grew quiet around them and after a few moments Ron began to shift uneasily in his chair.
"You have no idea what I can do to you," Draco said finally. "No idea at all."
Ron stiffened slightly, but Hermione put her hand on his arm and rolled her eyes.
"He's just trying to scare you," she murmured. "Nothing he can do could possibly be worse than what we have to face already."
Ron nodded, then glanced down at his desk. "You think Kendra's all right?"
Hermione's lip quivered, but she ran a hand through her hair and tried to calm herself. "I hope so. Are you scared about what she said?"
"About Voldemort going after our parents?" Ron asked.
Hermione nodded. "Yes, that. Do you really think he'd try to kill our families?"
Ron sighed, then nodded. "Yeah Hermione, I think he really would."
* * * *
If The Five thought Potions class was going to be any easier for them because Snape was now their guardian, they were very wrong. It was the day before the beginning of their Christmas break and Hermione had been up half of the night before helping Harry and Ron study for the oral test Snape had planned for that day. If anything had changed since the revelation that they were The Five, it had been for the worse. Snape picked on them more, if that was at all possible and he was currently glaring down at Kendra like she was nothing more than a piece of dirt on the dungeon floor.
"Well, Miss Rayne. The entire class is waiting for you to finish your test so they can get on with theirs," he snapped impatiently.
Kendra swallowed hard and stared uncertainly at the concoction Snape had simmering in his cauldron. She remained silent for a moment longer, still inwardly debating the next ingredient in the sleeping draught Snape had demanded that she explain.
"S-six measures of monkshood," she stammered, then mentally slapped herself for stuttering. "No, sorry, I meant to say four measures . . . I think."
"Well, what is it Miss Rayne? Four measures or six?" Snape growled.
"Uh, f-four I believe Professor," she replied, nervously twisting her hands.
"You might want to pick up the pace a bit. If you don't finish before the class is over the other students will have to stay behind in order to finish their tests," Snape said.
Groans were heard around the class and the Slytherins all glared in Kendra's direction. She blocked them out, wondering what exactly they had to glare about, they were all done their tests and had all received top marks.
"Anything else you'd like to add?" Snape asked, stirring in the four measures of monkswood that Kendra had instructed him to.
"Uh, no, nothing more Professor. It must be left standing for approximately five minutes in order for all the ingredients to saturate each other properly," Kendra said.
Snape regarded her cooly. "Very well Miss Rayne, if that's where you wish to end I'll have you test your potion in five minutes."
Kendra nodded and Snape turned to another student from Gryffindor and began to pick on her.
"Tell me I got that right Hermione," Kendra whispered. "Please tell me I got that right."
"You did," Hermione replied in a hushed voice. "That has to be right. That's exactly how I remember it."
"You're sure?" Kendra asked.
Hermione nodded. "Yes, I'm absolutely positive."
"Ten points from Gyffindor for talking during a test," Snape said sharply. "Do you suppose that your sleeping draught is ready to be tested?"
Kendra stared at Snape for a long moment, then nodded. "I suppose it's saturated for long enough."
"Come up here then," he demanded, gesturing to his desk where the potion was still steaming.
Kendra stood shakily and glanced at Hermione again before stepping into the aisle between the tables. She walked slowly, suddenly nervous to be facing Professor Snape. Trying not to smile, Kendra remembered her first day in Potions and remembered feeling just as scared as she did now.
"Hurry up Miss Rayne," Snape said. "We haven't got all day to wait for you."
Kendra tried to suppress her smile again and took another step toward Snape's desk before her face was wiped clear of all emotion. She was only a few steps from her desk, but she stopped in midstride and slowly lowered her foot to the floor.
Snape frowned. "Miss Rayne," he growled. "Games will not be tolerated. I will not sit here and watch you stall because you know your sleeping draught has been mixed in the wrong fashion."
No reply came from Kendra.
"Miss Rayne!" The Potions Master snapped at her.
Kendra's eyes met his just before she opened her mouth and shrieked, "NO!"
She groped for a nearby desk to hold her weight, then sagged against it, her head down. Harry was on his feet in a second, climbing over his own table to get to Kendra.
"Mr Potter, sit down," Snape demanded, striding quickly down to aisle to Kendra's side.
"My parents," she murmured, her head still down.
"What about your parents?" Harry asked, ignoring Snape's instructions.
"Never heard anyone else," she said quietly. "Never, but now I hear my father and my mother. They're so scared, so scared."
Snape grabbed Kendra by the shoulders and lowered her into a chair. Only Harry was close enough to see the fear flashing in Snape's dark eyes.
"What are they scared of Miss Rayne?" Snape asked.
Kendra looked up at him, his own fear reflected in her face. "Voldemort," she whispered.
"He's there?" Harry asked.
"Potter, shut your mouth," Snape growled.
Kendra nodded. "He's there with them." She stifled a sob and put her hand to her mouth. "He's going to kill them, I know he is. When he's done with them he'll kill Ron's parents and then Hermione's." Kendra grabbed Snape's shoulder tightly. "Dumbledore has to warn them, he has to. Ron's parents . . . they can't be killed." Her breath hitched, but she forced the tears from her eyes. "It's too late to save my parents, but you have to save the rest of them. Dumbledore has to keep them safe."
Snape nodded, then glared at the class. "I have to go speak with the Headmaster. Miss Granger will be left in charge and if I come back and she tells me that a single one of you has been out of their seat, that person will have detention with Filch for two weeks!" he growled, then turned and left the classroom.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked, rubbing Kendra's arm.
Her wet eyes met his and she shook her head. "I can't hear them anymore. That either means they're dead or the connection was broken. I . . . I can't bear to think that I'll be sent an owl about their deaths, condolences from people who knew them but never even met me. I just . . . oh Gods Harry, I never thought I'd be able to understand a fraction of your hatred for Voldemort but I do. Now, I do." She wiped away the tears that had begun to spill down her cheeks.
"We'll stop him," Harry said. "I promise."
Kendra nodded. "I have to go."
"I'll come with you," Harry said quickly.
"Snape said no one was to move Potter," Draco hissed from his chair, his eyes sparkling.
Hermione glared in Draco's direction as Ron said loudly, "I'm sure Snape will understand. So if you know what's good for you Malfoy, you'll shut your stinking mouth."
Draco looked ready to fight, but saw the eyes of all the Gryffindors on him. He settled for sneering in Ron's direction and crossing his arms huffily over his chest.
"C'mon," Harry murmured, wrapping his arm around Kendra's shoulders and leading her from the classroom. She smiled briefly at him and followed him from the room, leaving the rest of the class to whisper and gossip about what had just happened.
"I'll bet she made it all up to get out of finishing her test," one of the Slytherins said loudly.
That side of the classroom laughed and Draco smiled.
"You want to know what I think?" he asked. "I think that she just made it up to get Snape to touch her. Everyone heard what she said at the dance. She wants him."
"She does not," Hermione said. "You put a spell on us."
Draco laughed. "You're just saying that Granger, because now we all know that you want Snape as well."
Apparently that comment was the last one Ron wanted to hear because he stood and walked over to where Draco was still sitting.
"I told you to shut your mouth," Ron said, glaring at Draco.
The other boy laughed. "And what are you going to do about it Weasley. You're not even a decent wizard, you couldn't curse me if you tried."
"Maybe not," Ron agreed. "But I can do other things."
Draco laughed again. "Like what?"
Ron glared at him. "I've wanted to do this since the first day I met you," he said, then swung his fist at Draco's face. It caught him by the jaw and sent him tumbling off his stool, blood trickling down his chin. Ron stood above him, staring for a long moment, then he turned and went back to his seat.
Draco shook shakily, one hand wiping the blood from his mouth and his other hand clenching angrily into a tight fist.
"You'll pay for that Weasley," he hissed.
Ron snorted. "What're you going to do Malfoy? Tell your daddy on me? You've tried it before, remember? It doesn't work out the way you always seem to think it will."
Draco fell silent, his blue eyes boring into Ron's. The class grew quiet around them and after a few moments Ron began to shift uneasily in his chair.
"You have no idea what I can do to you," Draco said finally. "No idea at all."
Ron stiffened slightly, but Hermione put her hand on his arm and rolled her eyes.
"He's just trying to scare you," she murmured. "Nothing he can do could possibly be worse than what we have to face already."
Ron nodded, then glanced down at his desk. "You think Kendra's all right?"
Hermione's lip quivered, but she ran a hand through her hair and tried to calm herself. "I hope so. Are you scared about what she said?"
"About Voldemort going after our parents?" Ron asked.
Hermione nodded. "Yes, that. Do you really think he'd try to kill our families?"
Ron sighed, then nodded. "Yeah Hermione, I think he really would."
* * * *