Author: ~*SerenityMoon*~
Title: When All Hope Is Lost
Chapter: 2
Disclaimer: I don't own nuttin! I don't own the places, I don't own the people, I don't own Jack! I don't even own Harry I I do own the story idea, not the original one, but this one. (The beginning might sound like someone else's to you, but it was born purely from my tiny brain. I really haven't been on ff.net in nearly two months so I wouldn't know.)
Sorry my other stories took so long, but my Internet got disconnected for like , two months because my house is being remodeled. All I had left to do was to start a new fic. I would have up dated at school, but in case you haven't noticed school computers suck.
NOTE: Harry, Ron, Hermione = 14 years of age. All the third years are 14 or 15.
Fourth years = 15 or 16
Fifth = 16 or 17
Sixth = 17 or 18
Seventh = 18 or 19
Second = 12 or 13
First = 11 or 12
Snape is a bit younger that what he looked in the movie. Lets say: 36?
Everyone else same age.
______________________________________________________________________________
HERBOLOGY
"Please students, be careful. The Minicht seed grows on water contact.", Professor Sprout called over seeing the students projects.
Serenity carefully removed the seeds from the jar, with a pair of white potting gloves.
She drooped a few seeds in the dirt and dropped a few drops of water, and voila`! A beautiful flower grew in it's place. It was a dark shade of blue with green pollen. Serenity turned around to grab another jar of seeds, when she slammed into Ron head on.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Ron, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going.", she apologized afraid he would be angry with her.
"It's all right, accidents happen.", Ron replied picking up her jar, and handing it to her.
Serenity smiled in gratitude then went back to her potting.
'Herbology, is pretty easy.', Serenity thought dropping water on the seed.
Then the nozzle of the watering can fell off and more than the needed amount of water fell onto the plant.
"Uh, oh.", Serenity whispered as the table began to shake.
A huge green pod shot of of the flower pot, breaking it. The pod was followed by a thick green stem, that grew twice her height, and then the pod opened. A monstrous looking flowed bloomed, with green serrated teeth, where the pollen used to reside. The plant looked down and snapped at her, lightly scratching her arm.
"Radicus Platonis!", Hermione called out pointing her wand at the plant.
The plant glowed green then shrunk down to normal size.
"What happened?", asked Professor Sprout making her way towards the girls.
"The nozzle fell off the water can......", Serenity murmured crestfallen.
She had only been there a day, and she was already loosing house points.
"And the Minicht mutated.", Professor Sprout finished for her knowingly.
"And you two girls fixed it without my help?", the professor asked poking at the now harmless plant.
"I didn't do anything Professor, Hermione-----.", Serenity started protesting, she didn't want credit for something she didn't do.
"No matter, you kept your head.", Professor Sprout interrupted," Five points to Gryffindor."
Serenity's eyes widened and she gave a small smile.
"Thank you, Professor.", Hermione replied giving Serenity a nudge and a wink.
As soon as class let out they went to go find a snack, then quickly went to the dungeons.
______________________________________________________________________________
DOUBLE POTIONS: SLYTHERIN vs. GRYFFINDOR
"What is the cure for a spouting Figeralider's bite?", Professor Snape questioned sharply tapping on Harry's desk with his wand.
"Eh ...... If you were bitten by a male, let a female bite you and vise versa, so the poison cancels out.", Harry replied positively sure the answer was correct.
"Correct Potter, but this is potions, and I need a formula.", Snape snapped back ignoring Hermione's upraised hand.
"I don't know what the formula is Professor.", Harry replied his cheeks flaming after a moment.
"That's what I thought, five points from Gryffindor, as it is obvious you did not complete your summer homework.", Snape sneered giving Harry the loathing glare he reserved for Harry alone.
'He's in a particularly foul mood this year.', Ron mused feeling sorry for his friend.
Serenity sat next to Harry, who at breakfast had offered to show her the ropes. So far she understood what was going on, but she didn't understand her uncle's attitude. It was as if he went out of his way to embarrass Harry, and to make Malfoy look good. She had quickly learned who Malfoy was, and already she took a disliking to him. She felt a bit sorry however, that she had taken out all of her anger on him. Normally she wouldn't have exploded, but with the turn of events........ she couldn't control it. Besides, mudblood IS a horrible word.
FLASHBACK
'Well, well, well if it isn't Potter and his motley crew.', Malfoy drawled the moment they entered the classroom.
'Just ignore him you guys.', Hermione whispered sitting in her seat. Then the boy did an overly dramatic scene of fainting and crying.
'What's that all about?', Serenity asked Ron with a frown.
She would have asked Harry, but he was turning a particular shade of angry red.
'A Dementor came on the school train, and Harry fainted.', Ron replied sourly, equally unhappy with Malfoy and his cronies.
'Why in the world is he teasing Harry? I've seen those things, I know what they can do, it's nothing to laugh over.', Serenity replied angrily placing a death glare frighteningly similar to Snape's on the blonde boy.
'Oooo I'm big scary dementor, I'm coming to get you Potter!', called Pansy Parkinson, a girl with a face like a pug.
'I don't know who you are, but do me a big favor and shut-up!', Serenity called angrily rising from her seat.
'Look, if it isn't the Slytherin gone good.', Malfoy sneered turning to face her.
'Malfoy, leave her out of this, she's done nothing to you.', Harry stated standing up in front of her, shielding her tiny figure from his view.
'Potter, go stick your head in the potty with Weasel over there.', Malfoy shot back.
'Malfoy, you are such a ... a kono yaro, baka, bakana, kusottare, bakayaro!', Serenity hissed at him her blue eyes flashing a dangerous silver.
'Serenity, those weren't very polite.', Hermione scolded slightly. Slightly.
'I know.', Serenity replied staring hard at the ignorant young man.
'If you don't have the guts to tell me what that meant in English, don't say anything at all mudblood.', Malfoy snarled while Goyle and Crabbie cackled away.
'I dare you to call her that again.', Serenity snapped her eyes a dark dangerous silver. Overhead thunder boomed and lightening crackled, as the light showed through the dungeon window. As her anger increased she felt her forehead begin to burn angrily.
'Granger you are a dirty, good for nothing, mudblood.', Malfoy replied smirking as Ron's ears went red in anger and Harry clenched his jaw tightly, fists balled at his sides.
Hermione looked on the verge of tears, and it was then than Serenity jumped at him. Her hair that had been in a loose bun flew out behind her, as she raced forward, hopping around Goyle. She landed a good hit in the eye and, kicked him in the shin. She had managed to give him a brutal roundhouse to his stomach before Harry could restrain her. He pulled her arms down and wrapped his arms tightly around her to keep her still. Seconds later while Malfoy was cradling his ribs Snape walked in.
'Professor, that, that GIRL attacked me!', Malfoy hollered as Snape turned around, 'She tried to kill me!'.
Snape stared at him for a moment, then looked at Serenity who was still spitting mad, being restrained by Harry.
'Are you implying that my niece was able to beat you senseless, and Potter had to stop her from killing you?', the professor asked a cruel smirk on his face.
'N-No.', Malfoy sputtered eyes wide.
'I didn't think so. Ten points from BOTH houses.', Snape snarled peering at Serenity who was standing up with her arms crossed, glaring at Malfoy and all of the slytherin's that had laughed at Hermione or Harry. Ron and most of the Gryffindor's gaped at the fact that he took away points from his own house.
'Serenity, come up here a moment.', Snape requested, finally getting a good glance at her crescent moon mark, that was barely hidden by her bangs.
Harry let her go, and she stalked up to his desk.
'Go outside, get a drink, calm down. Your moon is showing.', he whispered to her, causing her to blanch.
'Gomen.', she replied sadly, afraid her Uncle was angry with her.
'Don't leave your hair down you'll trip.', he stated coldly tapping her nose with his wand. In a fizz of blue sparkles, her hair was up in an elegant french twist. Serenity gave a slight smile as she noticed the underlying tone in his voice, symbolizing that he wasn't angry.
END
At the end of class, they packed up their things and walked out. Serenity hoisted her bag over her shoulder and walked out with Hermione, who was busy fumbling with something on her neck.
SLAM!
She was slammed against the wall, her feet off the ground. A burst of light hit her vision as her head came in contact with the dungeon wall.
"No one makes a fool out of me. No one.", Malfoy stated angrily, dropping her after squeezing her shoulders tightly.
'That's going to leave marks.', she winced fingering her sore shoulder.
"Malfoy......", trailed off Ron angrily helping Serenity stand straight.
"Malfoy, I can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. If you continue to act as you are, you will have made an enemy, an enemy that does not rely on empty threats to frighten her victims. If you continue as you are you will find out exactly how closely related to Professor Snape I am. ", Serenity hissed, eyes flashing, leaning on Ron.
Malfoy smirked and waltzed away, seemingly ignoring her words, though they still weighed heavily on his mind.
"Are you all right?", Hermione asked worriedly while Harry carried her bag, and Ron lent her a shoulder.
"I'm fine.", Serenity sighed to Hermione, when she realized that the girl was no longer there.
"Hermione?", Harry called turning around, and spotting Hermione at the bottom of the stairs.
"Where did you go, one minute you were here the next ......", Ron trailed off.
"I just dropped something.", Hermione replied hastily stuffing something down the front of her robes.
Serenity frowned, but didn't say anything. The use of magic was at hand, but she decided not to pressure. Instinctively her hand flew up to her necklace, and clutched the blood red and forest green gems.
'Insight, and spirit from Mars. Strength and sincerity from Jupiter.', she thought as the two little stones glowed slightly.
She listened to what her newfound friends were saying carefully, sensing their personalities. After a few moments she was positive why she felt so protective over them. They reminded her of her friends, in certain things they said, or certain actions that took place. Hermione most frequently resembled Ami, due to her unlimited intelligence, while Ron reminded her oddly enough of Minako for his bright cherry disposition, while Harry reminded her of Haruka, strong and protective.
"Students please listen closely to the following announcements, a few of the teachers have caught a bit of a cold, thus classes will be canceled for the rest of the day!", Came McGonagall's voice from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
Ron and Harry simultaneously looked at each other and yelled,"YES!!!", slapping each other a high five. Serenity chuckled as Hermione's face turned a bit red.
"How can you two be so happy?We'll fall behind all the other schools, and receive a less proper education ---", she sputtered flustered as Harry and Ron looked at her strangely.
"Hermione, loosen up. Fred and George found a way for the giant squid in the pond to---", Ron started, but Hermione cut him off.
"I'm leaving, right now, before you two find a way to get us killed. Or worse expelled!", Hermione declared with selfindignation, turning on her heal and stalking, no doubt to the library.
"She needs to get her priorities in order.", Ron muttered causing Serenity to giggle.
"This conversation is starting to feel familiar.", Harry murmured remembering their exploits in first year.
"Does that happen often?", the silver hared girl asked an elegant eyebrow raised.
"All the time, you see Hermione seems to think our exploits are, well, dangerous.", Harry replied breezily, putting on an innocent facade.
"Well are they?", Serenity asked now walking comfortably on her own.
"Oh, most definitely.", Harry replied cheekily, flashing her a grin.
"Let's go drop our things off, get changed, then go see that squid, or possibly even Hagrid.", Ron suggested hoisting his bag to his other shoulder.
"Wait a second, Ron, we aren't allowed to leave the castle.", Harry stated suddenly, his eyes downcast.
"Why can't we go outside?", Serenity asked her brow furrowed.
"It's because of the new guards we have on the school grounds.", Ron replied sullenly shoulders slumped.
"Well, why do you have guards?", Serenity asked confused as to why such a powerful wizarding school would need guards.
Ron cast an uneasy glance at Harry, who in turn looked at Ron the same way. Harry caught the unsaid question, and nodded slowly. Serenity noticed the look shared between the two and began to get somewhat suspicious. He looked around him and noticed all the people that didn't need to know the new plight in his life, and thought of a place to converse quietly.
"We can't exactly explain it here. Meet us back in the common room after you've changed your clothes, we can go to the Ravenclaw Window to talk.", Harry told her finally, noting her arched eyebrow.
"All right.", Serenity replied slowly stating the password to enter the common room. Harry handed her, her bag, and she took it with a grateful nod, and a small smile.
The portrait of the fat lady in the pink dress swung open for the trio, and they went to their respective dorms.
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE BOYS DORMS
"Do you think we should tell her everything?", Ron asked Harry who was in the restroom changing out of his robes.
Ron was in the process of throwing on his own clothes, though due to the one restroom, he locked the dorm door and changed in the bedroom area.
"We really have to don't we? I mean it wouldn't be right if we didn't tell her.", came Harry's muffled reply.
"True, but what if she doesn't want to hang around with us anymore.", Ron reasoned his attitude dampened by the thought that they might loose a friend.
"It's not you she wouldn't want to be friends with.", Harry replied wryly pulling the forest green sweater over his head.
He was glad he had stopped to buy some new clothes in Diagon Alley. The hand-me-downs he had received from Dudley were far to big and much to ratty to be worn in public.
"Come on Harry, you know as bloody well as I do that when ever you're in danger, Hermi and I will always be there.", Ron replied sensing his friends cynicism.
"Are you done yet Ron?", Harry asked, tying his sneaker on the toilet seat. "I'm done I just can't find my other shoe-- bugger!", Ron called from underneath one of the four poster beds.
"Do you mean this shoe?", Harry asked Ron opening the restroom door and holding up the shoe he had found next to the bathtub.
"That's it! I wonder how it got in the loo?", Ron asked himself shrugging and putting it on.
"Hey, where's Scabbers?", Harry asked not seeing the usual shivering lump under Ron's sheets.
"I'm not sure, I haven't seen him. He's probably under one of the beds.", Ron replied carelessly.
He knew his rat wouldn't go far, it wouldn't be able to defend itself from Crookshanks, let alone get it's own food. It depended on Ron for that.
"Are we ready to go?", Harry asked by the door.
For some reason he didn't want to tell Serenity about Voldermort, or the Dementors. It wasn't as if he didn't trust her, because he did. She unlike her uncle was a person that easily gained a persons trust and friendship. He especially gave her his trust after the stunt she pulled in potions. She had defended Hermione, Ron ,and himself without a second thought, not even thinking of what punishment might have been bestowed upon her. Maybe Hermione was right. Maybe Snape did have a soft spot for his niece, after all he had taken points from BOTH houses. The fact that he took points away from Slytherin house at all was a major accomplishment. For some reason he just had a sinking feeling that if they told Serenity they'd hurt her in some way. 'That's silly.', he mentally berated himself while becoming aware of Ron shaking his shoulders.
"Harry ........... Come on, snap out of it!", he heard Ron call worriedly.
Harry blinked a few times, and grabbed Ron's wrists to stop the incessant shaking.
"Did you have a premonition, was your scar hurting, do you need Madame Pomfrey?", Ron asked worriedly searching his best friends face for signs of pain.
"Ron I just spaced out, I was only thinking.", Harry replied with a grin.
He felt a burst of happiness overcome him at the fact that his friend looked out for him so much. That someone cared enough to look out for him.
"Are you sure?", Ron asked suspiciously, giving Harry a once over.
"I'm positive, let's go.", Harry replied with a boyish grin on his face.
As he opened the door to the dorm, he heard a ruckus from the main common room. With worried eyes he hurried down the stairs and gaped at what he saw.
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE GIRLS DORM
"Hello Serenity.", came a bright voice to Serenity's left.
"Hey Rachel, you haven't seen Hermione have you?", Serenity greeted and asked seeing the bushy hared girls robes folded neatly on the middle bed.
"Nope, sorry, I just got here, and the robes where here when I walked in.", Rachel replied and applied a bit of lip gloss, she had a spur of the moment date with Dean Thomas, and there was bound to be a bit of snogging.
"Oh, I see.", came Serenity's muffled reply as she dug through her closet.
"Where are you headed?", Rachel asked brushing out her sun bleached hair.
"I'm just off to talk with some friends.", Serenity replied sighing in aggravation.
"Then why are you so worried about your clothes?", Rachel asked slyly turning around to look at Serenity.
"I-I'm not.", Serenity replied flustered as she unhooked her choice of clothing out of the closet.
"Sure, who are you 'conversing' with.", Rachel shot back returning to the vanity.
'You look wonderful dearie!', crowed out the mirror happily.
"Thank you.", Rachel replied politely.
"Um, Ron Weasely and Harry Potter.", came Serenity's slightly muffled reply.
"Oooo, Harry Potter? Tell me which one your interested in later, I've got to go meet Dean now.", Rachel called as she set her brush down, grabbed her purse and opened the dorm door.
"I'm not interested in either of them!", Serenity replied hotly pulling her socks on.
"Keep telling yourself that girl, I'll find out who it is sooner or later. Bye!", Rachel replied walking out the door.
Serenity walked out of the restroom, and stood infront of the mirror.
"Does it look all right?", she asked the mirror who gave her a good look over.
Serenity wore a clingy navy blue turtle neck, minus the sleeves, with black pleather pants, and black ankle boots. She had a matching pleather jacket tied around her tiny waist, and her hair was pulled back into a tight french braid.
'That looks beautiful hime.', the mirror replied softly.
"Hey I told you not to call me that, it's supposed to be a secret.", Serenity mock scolded, wagging her finger.
'Good luck , h--- dearie!', the mirror called as Serenity went towards the door.
"With what?", Serenity asked a bit confused.
'With the man your interested in.', the mirror replied seriously.
Serenity heaved an aggravated sigh and traipsed down the stairs and headed towards the main common room. Just as she was about to sit down on a plush red couch, her air supply was cut off.
______________________________________________________________________________
FROM HARRY AND RON'S P.O.V.
"Fred, George, let her go she can't breathe!", Ron scolded prying his older twin brothers off the silver hared girl.
The two twins let go of Serenity as they came to realize that their younger brother was correct.
The silver hared girl flopped onto the couch trying to catch her breath.
"We're sorry old girl, but we just heard the news!", Fred exclaimed plopping down on his knees infront of Serenity.
"It was...... amazing!!!!! We almost didn't believe it until we saw Malfoy's shiner!", George continued dropping down next to Fred.
"And Snape took away points from both houses! Oh that's rich!", Fred chortled.
"And I quote: "Are you implying that my niece was able to beat you senseless, and Potter had to stop her from killing you": un-quote.", George continued his eyes glowing in merriment.
"It was utterly smashing!", Fred stated happily, as if on cloud nine.
"Sheer brilliance!", George added in, a dreamy look appearing on his face.
"We just wanted to say............", Fred started giving George a look.
"We're not worthy! We're not worthy! High and mighty goddess of all that's good! We're not worthy!", they both cried out in unison, on both knees hailing her, attracting a bit of a crowd.
"Please, boys stop!", Serenity cried out desperately, looking at Ron and Harry for help.
Ron and Harry shrugged and continued laughing as the twins continued their chant.
"We'll stop, only if you'll answer us one tiny question....", George trailed off a devilish grin spreading across their faces at the same time.
"Anything.....", Serenity replied relieved.
"Can you do it again?", they both blurted out at the same time, hands in a begging position.
"I could but ----", Serenity started trying to tell the boys that she had no desire to fight Malfoy.
She tried not to fight with people who were weaker than herself. It wasn't a hobby to beat up nearly defenseless ingrates. However if provoked ...........
"Did you hear her? She said she could!", Fred whispered to George conspiratorially.
"Praise the lord!", George replied happily taking it as a sign of god.
Fred and George both picked up one of Serenity's hands and kissed the back of it.
"Milady we are always and forever indebted to you.", Fred called standing up.
"If there's any way we can ever help you, just give us a call!", George called out walking towards Ron and Harry with Fred.
"Harry old boy, why in the name of god did you restrain her?", Fred asked exasperated, throwing his arms in the air.
Harry started to answer but George hushed him, and Fred threw a sugar quill at him.
"We've both decided that you've been suffering from lack of sugar. It could happen to any one you know.", George stated thinking about it and popping a sugar quill in his own mouth, for fear he might end up rational like Harry.
"Bye, Bye now, we're off to, well, we're off!", Fred stated a sugar quill in his mouth as well, following George's example.
As the two rambunctious twins left the common room Serenity sighed in relief.
"Serenity are you ready?", Ron asked giving her a hand up.
"Let's LEAVE!", Serenity retorted grabbing both boys hands and stalking out of the common room, at a rapid pace. Her face flushed bright red, as she unconsciously tightened the jacket around her waist.
"Serenity, where are you going, you don't know the way!", Harry called as Serenity turned around a bit startled.
"I just want to get as far away as soon as possible!", Serenity replied as she slowed her pace and brushed a strand of silver hair out of her face.
The red faded from her face and she returned to look as if she had spent most of her life in the deepest darkest reaches of space, where the sun never touched. Her skin was pale, but it was a milky pale, not sallow. They walked though a few secret passage ways, and up towards the astronomy tower. When they got to the astronomy tower window, Ron surprisingly stepped through the window.
"Wow.", Serenity stated a bit awed as she placed a hand on the seemingly solid window.
"Just go through, it doesn't hurt. It kind of tingles.", Harry replied from behind her taking her hand and slipping through, pulling her with him.
"Ron did you press the occupied button?", Harry replied sitting down in a comfortable glass chair. Ron nodded silently and continued to press a few buttons.
The entire room was made out of glass. Although the sun was still up, Ron had pressed the simulation of the stars and moon.
"It's beautiful.", Serenity murmured sitting next to Harry.
It was like they were floating in space, everywhere you looked there was stars. The ceiling, the floor, the walls, it was all incredibly like space.
"Why is it called the Ravenclaw Window?", Serenity questioned fingering the arm of the chairs.
"Well the Ravenclaw students are the brainy bunch, so this is kind of like an easy way to observe the night sky, during the day. It's just named after Ravenclaw because people figured only ravenclaws would ever use it.", Ron explained seriously.
"Although it's become one of my favorite places, and mostly Gryffindors use it.", Harry continued, looking up at the ceiling, peering at the small sliver of the moon.
"So we are here to discuss, the new guards?", Serenity questioned flicking her eyes towards Harry.
"Fourteen years ago my parents and a man named Sirius Black were the best of friends. Voldermort---", Harry started when he saw Ron flinch.
Serenity stared at him seemingly unfazed.
"You do know who he is don't you?", Ron asked looking at her queerly.
"Of course.", Serenity replied softly looking back at Harry, she had a feeling that Harry's story was going to be much like her own, and very much so unpleasant.
"Sirius Black was the secret keeper to keep my parents in hiding, Black told Voldermort, and my parents ........... were murdered.", Harry stated his own eyes getting a bit foggy.
"Voldermort tried to kill me too, but the curse reflected off of me, and destroyed Voldermort. Well, almost anyway, that's where this scar came from.", Harry continued his fingers entwined together as e leaned on his knees head bowed.
"I can tell her if you don't want to.", Ron offered seeing his friends pain.
"No thank you Ron, I've got to tell her myself.", Harry replied heaving a huge sigh.
"Black was sent to Azkaban, and somehow escaped the guards, and is now trying to kill me.", Harry started but Ron interrupted.
"They say Black is mad, but he can't be to off his rocker is he escaped Azkaban.", Ron stated with a wry smile.
"So the Dementors are guarding the school, trying to get Black.", Harry finished looking up at Serenity to see her stricken face.
"Serenity?", Harry questioned worriedly while Ron looked at her strangely.
Harry stood up and dropped to one knee grasping her hands, which were ice cold.
"Serenity? Serenity? please answer me!", Harry cried out afraid he had hurt her.
"D-dementors?", Serenity asked shakily looking at his emerald green eyes, searching for unwanted truth.
"Yes, Dementors.", Ron replied slowly watching the fear creep into Serenity's eyes.
"Those things are here? Outside?", Serenity asked a frightened bunny look crossing her face.
"Yes, they're only looking for Black though.", Harry reassured a bit frightened at the haunted look in Serenity's blue eyes.
"Those things are heartless killers. They're the reason I came here. They took their souls, all of them.", Serenity rasped.
Dementors. Voldermort, she knew of him, and he didn't scare her nearly as much.
"What are you talking about?", Harry asked confused.
Ron had moved his chair next to hers to try and comfort her, she looked so afraid and heartbroken.
"In Japan, the Dementors came. They destroyed my friends, my guard, my koibito.", Serenity murmured brokenly. The last thing that she would trust to save a person from being killed would be a Dementor.
Harry had no idea what koibito meant, but he bet that it was important to her. Thank goodness for Hermione, who was quite fluent in multiple languages.
"They all had their souls taken. Nine of them, all of them were lost, destroyed .......... all to save me.", She cried out hoarsely slipping out of the chair as tears fell down her face.
Harry caught her somewhat surprised, but caught her nonetheless.
"Please don't cry.", Harry murmured unsure of what to do.
Ron caught his eye and wiggled his eyebrows at Harry suggestively. Harry mouth, 'No way.', to Ron as Serenity's tears came pouring down her face. Unable to stop herself from crying she sobbed heartbrokenly. Even the comforting glow of the stones on her necklace did not reassure her. It was all too much for a fourteen year old girl. Sure, she had lived to be eighteen in her previous life, but that really didn't count.
"What's done is done, there was nothing you could have done. If they chose to save you by giving up their souls, don't disgrace them by your sniveling.", called a voice from the entrance.
It was professor Snape, glaring hard at Harry for touching his niece. Then again he always glared at Harry, now it was just .......... worse.
"Professor Snape tha---", Ron started furious, if his friends had been soul stripped by the dementors, he would have cried too.
Although he would never admit it aloud.
"Your a-absolutely right Uncle Severus.", Serenity replied seriously drying her tears away.
"I'm sorry Harry, R-ron, I shouldn't have done that.", Serenity stated quickly noting that her Uncle was obviously waiting for her to follow him.
"I'll see you two later, thanks for showing me the window. And Harry?", Serenity stated just before she followed Snape.
"Yes?", Harry asked confused at her sudden change in attitude.
"I'm sorry...... for everything.", she stated walking out.
"That was odd.", Ron commented playing with the simulations.
"Very odd, if I were her I would have bit Snape's head off, but I guess they have some kind of understanding between them. I guess it's a family thing.", Harry replied with a shrug.
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE HALL
"I was informed by your mother, that I was to train you.", Snape commented leading her though the halls.
"When was that?", Serenity asked wiping away the last signs of her tears.
'I can't believe I did that.', she mused shaking her head.
"Last night.", he replied stoically.
"Why does Dumbledore allow Dementors here?", Serenity asked suddenly.
The question had being weighing on her mind ever since she heard Harry said that the Dementors were guarding the school.
"It's either the Dementors, or Black comes and kills your little friend Potter.", Snape sneered seriously wishing that Dumbledor had refused the dementors.
"Uncle Severus, that's a horrible thing to say!", Serenity chastised.
"But it's true.", Snape replied opening a portrait.
"And, that was the second time I've seen you in that boys arms today. What am I to think?", Snape continued realizing that both times Serenity had went emotionally haywire.
"Uncle Severus, I have no interest in Harry at all! At least the way your insinuating!", Serenity replied hotly, glaring slightly at her uncle.
'Yup that's it, he's worse than Haruka.', she murmured in her mind. The navy blue gem on Serenity's necklace glowed angrily.
"Well, then watch who's arms you fall in to.", Snape snapped entering another corridor.
"Excuse me if Draco Malfoy is a jerk!", Serenity replied aggravated as Severus turned and smirked at her.
"That's not funny.", she grumbled, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Don't glare at me young lady.", Snape stated with out turning around.
Serenity blinked, stopped glaring and stuck her tongue out.
"Don't do that either.", he continued turning around to look at her.
"Do you have eyes in the back of your head?", Serenity demanded as light filled the room they just entered.
"No. You're just predictable.", Severus replied crossing his arms.
His pitch black cloak covered his body when he stood as so, leaving only his head, all in all a ghastly sight.
Serenity finally took sight of the room they were in and her eyes widened.
'A room full of weaponry.', she mused eyeing a long jewel encrusted sword, much like Haruka's.
This time the navy blue jewel glowed softly as if in agreement.
"Where shall we start?", Severus asked her cocking his head to the side.
"Could we work on a few spells first? I want to make sure I'm not getting rusty.", Serenity replied her brow crinkled in frustration.
"I will say the spell, you will complete the deed. Tell me what it is then do it.", Snape replied as his consent.
Serenity nodded confidently, and threw her jacket on the table. She pulled her long wand out of her sub-space pocket, and waved it experimentally. It was eleven inches of solid oak wood, mixed with phoenix tears, moon rock, and angel feathers.
'Arigatou, Okassan.', she thought as the large crystal on her necklace glowed softly.
"Lumos!, called out Snape looking hard at her.
"Light. Lumos!", she called as the tip of her wand lit up.
"Alohomara!", Snape shot out.
"Used to unlock doors.----", Serenity started. Snape waved his hand and the door locked.
"Alohomara!", Serenity called out unlocking the door.
"Wingardium Leviosa!", Snape called out.
"Makes things levitate. Wingardium Leviosa!", Serenity cried out a bit of sweat forming on her brow. The chair on the other side of the room began to float.
"Petrificus Totalus!", Severus continued inwardly proud of his niece who had never had any wizarding school before that day.
"Used to scare stiff, people, animals, objects ...... you get the idea. Petrificus Totalus!", she called out pointing to a rose in a vase which immediately froze over and broke.
"Sunificus Tecnicus!", he continued a bit surprised that she had petrified the rose. He had expected her to aim in at him.
"Used to create fire or assimilate sunlight. Sunificus Tecnicus!", she called out and a ray of sunlight shot out from the tip of her wand.
"Waddiwasi!", he continued conjuring a chair out of nowhere and sitting in it.
"Used to make this move at an accelerated rate, to the speed of a bullet. Waddiwasi!", she called and the flower vase shot to one side of the room, then shot back, in merely a few seconds.
"What's a bullet?", Severus asked a little confused. He had never heard of a 'bullet' before.
"It's a part of a muggle weapon that can kill someone.", she replied carefully, trying not to have to go into the details of the workings of a gun.
"I don't think I want to know after all.", Snape replied slightly confused.
"Is that enough of a review?", he asked thinking that most students wouldn't be to far ahead of those spells anyway.
"I believe so.", Serenity replied wiping her forehead from perspiration. Doing that many different spells consecutively took a lot out of you. Especially when you're nervous and haven't done them in awhile.
"Now we practice with swords.", Snape continued walking towards the wall, with his usual confident walk. He lifted the jewel encrusted sword off the wall and examined in carefully.
"When you fight with a sword always know that's it's your sword you pick up.", Snape started tossing her the sword. The moment it touched her fingers it seared her skin and she dropped it immediately.
"Oww!", she cried out as her fingers began to blister.
"Because that sword was not yours, and you tried to use it, it burned you. That sword is mine, and it was customized and enchanted to only be used by me.", Severus explained picking up the sword.
He knew a minimal amount of medical magic, but enough to heal the wound he had just given her. He waved his wand and her skin healed, returning to it's pale color.
"Thank-you.", Serenity replied looking at her fingers which had burned so angrily before.
"Don't thank me just yet. Any wound inflicted by the blade of this sword cannot be healed by magic. It must heal over time, like a muggle wound.", Snape continued.
Serenity took his last statement as a bit of a warning and decided to stock up on bandages and such.
"Take out the crescent moon wand.", Snape instructed looking at her intently.
With a flick of her wrist the pink and yellow wand appeared in her hand.
"With that wand you will create your own weapon. It will become a weapon that suits you. Concentrate on the wand, and think of it forming a weapon you can use for defense and offense.", he instructed carefully making sure she understood. If she didn't do it right she could probably hurt herself.
Serenity closed her eyes and concentrated on the small pink wand. It was just over a foot long. She imagined a weapon that would help aid her in future battles, and that would better suit her personality. She understood why she had silver hair. It was born from the fact that a traumatic event had taken place, with an aftermath that little Usagi couldn't solve. Instead of being Usagi, she had matured into Serenity, while her age was still fourteen, she had the attitude of the past Serenity. Almost always calm, cool, quiet, and collected. The color pink no longer suited her, it was a color for a young girl, the color yellow reminded her of the bright blonde hair she used to sport, but that remained no longer, thus neither would the yellow.
'Yellow and pink must go, black and silver shall remain.', she thought carefully, as she envisioned the wand changing colors.
When she opened her eyes she was holding a long scythe. It was taller than she with a wickedly curved silver blade. The blade took the form of a crescent moon, however was sharper than a readied knife. The moon and the handle connected together so that the crescent was directly facing the west. The handle was of the darkest of blacks, and at the bottom of the handle was a pointed spike, which would no doubt pierce nearly anything.
"Are you ready then Serenity?", Severus asked a bit crossly, she had closed her eyes nearly an hour ago, and had just now opened them. Sure he knew that it takes time to remodel something that's become a part of yourself, but a whole hour is ludicrous.
"For what?", Serenity asked confused.
"For this.", Snape replied swinging his blade at her.
Serenity's eyes widened as she blocked his swing, and ducked the next.
Swing
Block
Swing
Block
Swing
Duck
Swing
Block
Swing
Hop
"Counter attack, it's the only way to win. You can't be on defense for the rest of your life!", Severus yelled swiping at her head.
Serenity nodded quickly breathing hard. After blocking his next swing, she swung her own scythe down with amazing accuracy.
"Good.", Snape muttered darkly, blocking her swing effortlessly.
'This isn't so bad.', Serenity thought blocking, dodging, and swinging.
3 HOURS LATER
"That was your first lesson, maybe next time you'll scratch me.", Snape sneered, hanging his sword back up.
Serenity did nothing but groan. She felt sore all over. Her hands were cut up from the numerous times Serenity had missed Snapes sword, and he had knocked the scythe out of her fingers by scratching her hands. She had received a slash on her arm and it was throbbing angrily now.
"When you want your scythe to return to wand size, just say 'Return'. When you want it to become the scythe just will it to be the scythe with your mind.", Snape instructed picking up her discarded jacket.
"Return.", Serenity stated wearily. Her scythe glowed yellow, and it shrunk in her hand. The crescent was a brilliant silver, and the handle was the darkest of blacks.
"Is it supposed to stay that color?", Serenity asked looking at it suspiciously.
"Of course. The wand is a part of you, as it changes just like you.", Severus replied handing her a little package, and her jacket. "We will train every Wednesday night, at eight o'clock.", he continued looking at his watch. "You've missed dinner, if you're hungry you can accompany me to a late dinner.
", he stated with a small smirk.
"I'd love to but, I'd like to clean up first. I really must look like death warmed over.", she replied finally throwing her wand in her space pocket.
"I'll walk you to your common room.", Snape replied as a consent to her cleaning up. "Open the package when your in the loo, it will help with your wounds.", he instructed at they walked out the door.
They walked through numerous corridors, out of two portraits, and up the winding staircase to get to Gryffindor tower.
"How do you know where the Gryffindor tower is?", Serenity asked as they stood outside the portrait of the fat lady.
"All the teachers know all the passwords, and where all the common rooms are.", he started."Pig snout.", he finished and the portrait swung open.
"I'll be back in a few minutes.", she replied hurrying through the passage way.
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE LIBRARY
"Hello you two.", Hermione called over her book she was reading in the comfy overstuffed chair.
"Hi Hermione.", Ron stated flopping into the adjacent chair with a huge sigh. Harry came and sat between Hermione and Ron with a similar sigh.
"Aren't you two just a bright and cherry lot.", Hermione stated sarcastically putting a bookmark in her place.
"Hermione what does 'Kibito' mean?", Ron asked looking hard at her.
"Kibito? I haven't the faintest idea---", Hermione started, but Harry cut her off.
"No, no that's because Ron said it wrong. She said 'Koibito'.", Harry corrected looking around for any way ward ears.
"Oh, well in Japanese it means, technically, well. When you call someone that they're your a.... Boyfriend, fiancée, husband, and vise versa. Although the word literally means lover.", Hermione explained giving them both a questioning look. 'Why would they want to know that word?', she wondered to herself as Harry's and Ron's eyes both widened.
"All right, what's going on?", Hermione asked suspiciously, shifting in her chair.
Harry and Ron both explained that they had told Serenity exactly why Hogwarts was being guarded.
"Then when Harry told her about the Dementors being the guards, she went into bloody shock!", Ron stated conspiratorially.
Anyone that knew them that would have taken the time to look at them would think that they were up to something by they way they talked in hushed whispers.
"Then she just fell right into Harry's arms crying, because she said they took all nine of her friends souls, including her koibito's.", Harry continued watching Hermione's eyes widen slightly.
"Then Snape came in and, I guess her friends got their souls taken to protect her, well he said not to disgrace them by her crying. Serenity agreed with him, then they both left.", Harry stated leaning back in the chair.
"We tried to look for her, and we couldn't find either of them anywhere!", Ron exclaimed leaning back in the chair.
"Well, maybe they don't want to be found.", Hermione stated shifting her book to her otherside.
"Maybe.", Harry replied reading the cover on the front of the book. Arithmacy.
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE DUNGEONS
"Thank-you.", Serenity stated with a smile to a small humble house elf.
The little creatures had caught her interest almost immediately. They were so strange, they were never truly happy unless they were serving someone else.
"You're quite welcome miss, it was my pleasure.", replied the elf, it's green cheeks staining red. Very few people ever took the time to thank them besides Dumbledore.
"You speak quite well for a ...... house elf.", Snape sneered his goblet in hand.
"Thank-you very much sir, my old master taught me.", the elf replied mistaking his insult for a complement.
"Just ring the bell if you require anything else.", it finished straightening it's new looking pillowcase for clothing. Snape nodded, the little house elves were some of the only creatures that were no fun to insult. When dismissed the elf ambled away slipping down to the kitchens from behind a gargoyle.
"We need to work on your social skills.", Serenity stated eyebrow raised at his attitude.
"I find nothing wrong.", Snape replied making a sour face and adding salt to his dinner.
"You wouldn't.", Serenity replied mocking his sour face.
"Don't mock me.", He growled glaring at her.
"I wasn't mocking I was simply ...... imitating?", she replied in an aristocratic voice, pointing her nose in the air.
Snape cracked a small twisted grin, and Serenity gasped.
"You smiled, however evil looking it was, you smiled!", she pointed out gleefully, hopping from her stool to dance around the room.
"I did not!", Snape called out putting a purposeful frown on his face.
"I saw it, you did!", she shot back laughing happily.
"I thought you were becoming mature Serenity.", Snape replied observing her sudden burst of happy craziness.
"Oh, I am. It's just that Serenity really isn't that much different, unless you're talking about battle or school work.", She answered sitting down again, finishing her dinner.
Snape merely shook his head amused. For a few seconds he debated on weather she was pregnant or not because of her sudden mood swings. Then in the end he just blamed it on the fact that she was female.
Around forty-five minutes later they finished and Serenity excused herself yawning tiredly. The days events were beginning to put a toll on her. She looked at her watch. It was nearly ten o'clock.
"I'll walk you to your common room.", Snape replied standing up with her.
"You don't have to, I can manage.", Serenity replied wincing as she brushed her injured arm against the door frame.
"If you're sure........", Snape trailed off a flicker of unwanted worry in his eyes.
He knew that you-know-who was after her, her blood was about a million times more precious than a unicorn. She contained more purity than a new born, and that was something the Dark Lord desperately wanted. By taking her blood, he would receive her power, her longevity, but the purity would not exist, whereas only darkness would remain.
"Aww, you actually look worried. It's not like I'm going to die or something.", Serenity replied giving her uncle a brief hug, which he loosely returned.
"Good-bye.", Serenity called waving her hand jauntily, walking out the door.
Her gray night cloak billowed out silently behind her as she walked past paintings of various wizards. She wore baggy drawstring sweatpants, and a light blue tank top, while her arms were covered by the night cloak. She brushed the strings of the hood away from her face, listening carefully as her own sneakers made noise on the polished wood staircase.
"Pretty little princess!", chortled a ghostly figure to her right.
"Hello Peeves!", Serenity started smiling to the mischief making apparition.
"Why is the little princess out so very late? Late, late LATE!", asked Peeves looking at Serenity from between his fingers.
"Shhhhh!! Do want want to wake up the whole castle?", Serenity hushed in a stern tone.
"Peeves apologizes.", Peeves replied quite unlike himself, his head bowed.
"Don't look so sad Peeves, I'm not angry.", Serenity replied spying his down trodden look.
"You're not? I bet you are and you just don't know it.", Peeves replied stopping floating beside her to sit down on the stair. For some reason the thought of the little princess being angry with him, made him sad.
"I'm really sorry I yelled, but I'm not angry. Why don't you come walk with me to the tower?", Serenity offered it softly, feeling sadness float from it's ghostly soul.
"I'd love to walk the pretty little princess to the pretty little tower!", Peeves replied floating back up again joyfully, in his old spirits.
"All right then, you can scare away any bad people on the way.", Serenity replied walking next to him down the hall.
Peeves hummed commando music all the way to the tower looking around every corner and replying,"all clear."
When they finally reached the tower they were surprised to find Harry, Ron, and Hermione coming down the opposite hall.
"Where in bloody, Hades have you been?", asked Ron looking at Peeves who was floating next to her.
"With Professor Snape.", Serenity replied unconsciously touching her injured arm.
"Permission to leave, mon capitan!", Peeves requested pronouncing the French word captain wrong.
"Permission granted.", Serenity called out a small twinkle of humor in her eyes.
Peeves saluted her, then did a backflip through the wall, and then to goodness knows where.
"He's such a playful thing.", Serenity mused chuckling slightly.
"Playful? What were you doing with Peeves anyway?", Harry asked an eyebrow raised at the fact that someone actually got along with the little poltergeist.
"Well, he seemed a bit down, so I offered him to keep me company on the way upstairs from the dungeons.", Serenity replied while Hermione stated the password.
"Do you mean to say that he didn't do anything obnoxious?", Ron asked incredulously.
"No, not at all.", Serenity replied stepping through the passage.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all exchanged looks that told exactly how many times Peeves had done something to them. With little chit chat the group parted ways, and the two groups disappeared to their dorms, then went to bed.
______________________________________________________________________________
THE NEXT DAY
"Could you pass the marmalade?", asked Hermione looking over her schedule with a satisfactory smile. She had memorized all her classes that day very carefully.
"Hermione, didn't you notice they've messed up your schedule?", Ron started looking over her shoulder,"You've got about ten subjects a day!".
"I'll manage, it's all been fixed with Professor McGonagall.", Hermione replied still attempting to get the marmalade.
"But look, you've got Divination, Muggle Studies, AND Arithmancy all at nine o'clock! I know you're good, but you're not that good. How can you be in three classes at once?", Ron continued sitting down between Hermione and Serenity.
"Don't be silly Ron, I won't be in three classes at once.", she replied shaking her head at him sadly.
"Well, then ---"
"Pass the marmalade.", Hermione asked again, and was completely ignored.
"But ----"
"What's wrong if my schedule is a little full? It's been taken care of!", Hermione snapped.
Hermione's harsh tone had taken it's desired effect and sent Ron into silence. Serenity and Harry both gave each other the upraised eyebrow, when Harry cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
"We'd better go, Divination's at the top of North Tower, it'll take us ten minutes to get there........", He trailed off looking at Serenity for support.
"Yes, we should get going, we don't want to be late.", Serenity added gathering her things.
Five minutes later they were all noticeably lost. Two years at Hogwarts hadn't taught them everything, and they had never been to the North Tower. Just before class they met a rather mad painting, which first challenged them to a duel, but in the end ended up showing them to class.
"So how do we get up there?", Ron asked staring at a trapdoor in the ceiling.
Suddenly, as if to answer his question a silvery ladder dropped at Harry's feet, and everyone got quiet.
"You first.", muttered Ron giving the ladder the evil eye. As they climbed up the ladder they entered the oddest classroom they had ever encountered. It looked like someone's old attic that got turned into a tea shop. The room had bunches of chintz armchairs, and little fat poufs.
Professor Trelawney greeted them kindly and began to explain about the basics of Divination. Harry, Hermione ,Ron ,and Serenity all sat themselves on little poufs infront of a small round table.
"Books will only take you so far in this field of magic....", Professor Trelawney announced leaning back in her winged chair by the fire.
Harry and Ron both looked at Hermione at the same time, who was looking quite shocked at the professor's statement.
"Some wizards who excel in other subjects, may not excel here, only because it is a Gift granted to few. The Inner Eye is a very special gift indeed.", the insect looking Professor stated in a misty voice.
"You, Is your grandmother well?", the teacher continued looking at Neville.
"I think so.", Neville replied shakily.
"I don't think so dear .", the professor replied the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings.
She them informed them that they would be reading tea leaves first, then they would do crystal gazing next term. Although during the process of telling them about crystal gazing, she also stated that around Easter one of them would leave forever, and she herself would loose her voice.
When asking a shaken Lavender Brown to pass the silver teapot, she also told the fair hared girl that the thing she was dreading was to happen on the sixteenth of October. Lavender began to tremble as she handed over the pot.
She then divided them into pairs, and told them how to read the tea leaves by using 'Unfogging the Future'.
Harry and Ron worked together, not getting very far except for making snide comments.
"What do you see in mine?", Ron asked drowsily from the perfumed room.
"A load of soggy brown stuff.", Harry replied trying to make himself focus.
In the end Harry decided that Ron was going to suffer greatly, but be very happy.
"You need your Inner Eye tested if you ask me.", Ron replied looking into Harry's cup.
After believing the blobs in Harry's cup to be a bowlers hat, an acorn, a hippo, and a sheep Professor Trelawney abducted the cup and muttered, "Oh, dear."
"The falcon ...... you have a deadly enemy.", the professor stated in her most mistiest voice.
"Every one knows THAT.", Hermione stated in a loud whisper with a frown. Professor Trelawney stared at her with her big eyes unblinking.
"Well, they do! Everyone knows about Harry and you-know-who.", Hermione defended with a frown on her face.
Harry and Ron looked at Hermione in amazement and a bit of admiration. She had never talked back to a teacher like that before.
The Professor said nothing, but turned back to the cup. A few seconds later she fell back and screamed.
"What is it Professor?", asked Dean Thomas at once worried.
"You have the Grim! The omen ........ the symbol of death!", the distraught teacher cried out dramatically.
As the class tried to get a look at the cup, the teacher basically told Hermione that she had very little power in Divination.
"You will die by battle, by your deadly enemy.", the Professor told Harry her eyes going misty.
"It looks like nothing!", Hermione called indignantly, a bit angry at the Professor.
"It looks like a Grim if you do this.", Seamus Finnigan stated with his eyes squinted shut. "But like this it looks like a donkey.", he continued opening his eyes and flipping the cup over.
"When you've all finished deciding weather I'm going to die or not!", Harry snapped suddenly at his wits end. He surprised everyone including himself that he spoken so harshly, now no one seemed to want to look at him. No one except Serenity who sidled over to him slowly. She placed a comforting hand on his arm and said," Remember you make your own future.". Harry gave her a small smile in thanks when suddenly Professor Trelawney screamed again.
"Oh, what now.....", muttered Hermione who was in a very foul mood.
"Who's cup is this? Who's? I must know!", she asked looking at each student carefully.
"It's mine.", Serenity stated softly standing up, ready for whatever the Professor might say to her.
"You poor, poor child. You have the Grim as well, but you have the Soul as well.", started the teacher clutching the cup close to her bosom.
Serenity glanced down at the Soul in 'Unfogging the Future', and saw it to be the outline of someone with a robe on, wearing a cross that had a loop instead of a rectangle on the top.
"You also have the Moon, and indeed you have the Sword.", the professor finished with sad eyes.
"I'm very sorry, but unlike you, I don't believe I have this Eye so could please tell us what what that meant!", Hermione stated getting just a little more than angry because the woman was predicting all her friends deaths.
"You, my dear, have the death omen by the soul. A pure soul, killed by war.", Professor Trelawney stated her eyes watering.
As Serenity heard this she flinched, as each word left the woman's lips.
"ENOUGH! That's quite enough Professor.", Serenity stated her eyes flashing angrily. She dropped down suddenly to put away her things, hastily. She wanted to get out of the room as soon as possible.
"Yes, I do believe Miss Moon is right. That is quite enough for today.", Professor Trelawney agreed sinking down into the chair to study the two death prescribed cups once more.
As soon as Serenity was done she hoisted her bag over her shoulder and walked out. She was furious, beyond furious. All the teachers were informed of her recent encounter with the dementors, and how it had turned out. Professor Trelawney was heartlessly implying that she was going to be soul stripped in the heart of battle.
"Serenity wait up!", called Harry from down the hallway.
"Remember what you said you make your own future.", Harry reminded catching up with her, as Ron was still making his way down the ladder.
"Yes, you can make your own future, but I would bet any money mine is already set in stone.", Serenity replied with a slightly bitter tone, though the tone was not directed at him.
'Set in stone?', Harry mused as she continued on her way to their next class, while he waited for Ron and Hermione.
______________________________________________________________________________
TRANSFIGURATION
Although they had left Divination early, they barely made it to class on time. Harry choose a seat next to Serenity in the far back, wishing to be out of everyone's sight. Besides Serenity looked miserable enough, she needed someone to cheer her up. Harry sighed at he caught the rest of the class glancing at the two of them every so often. He sighed while Serenity paid no heed, as she had her arms folded around her head. He was so absorbed in what Professor Trelawney had said he was barely listening to what Professor McGonagall was saying. He even almost missed her turning herself into a very adorable tabby cat.
"What has gotten into you all today? Did you have a bad nights sleep?", Professor McGonagall stated turning back into herself with a small audible pop. "Not that it matters, but this it the first time my transformation hasn't gotten applause from a class."
Everyone looked at Harry and Serenity, though no one said a word. Slowly Hermione raised her hand.
"Professor, we've just had out first Divination lesson, and we were reading tea leaves, and -----", Hermione started talking faster by the second.
"Of course, there's no need to say any more Miss Granger. Tell me, which one of you is dying this year?", Professor McGonagall asked with a frown.
Everyone stared at her a bit shocked because she had hit the problem on the head.
"We are.", Harry and Serenity stated at the same time, Serenity straightening in her seat.
"Although I'm not going to die right away you see. First I'm going to have my soul sucked out, then I'm going to die.", Serenity started sarcastically her eyes flashing angrily. "And Harry is going to die in battle, with is DEADLY enemy.", she continued her voice dripping with untold sarcasm.
"I see.", Professor McGonagall stated staring at them both with her beady eyes.
"You both should know that Silbyll Trelawney has predicted the death of at least one student since she arrived here. No one has died yet. Seeing grotesque death omens is her favorite way of greeting her class. If it wasn't for the fact that I don't speak ill of my colleagues.......", the gray hared woman trailed off, and everyone saw that her nostrils had turned white.
"Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I have very little patience with it. True Seers are VERY rare, and Professor Trelawney.......", started the angry Professor. Although she didn't finish her sentence, everyone could fill it in for themselves.
"Well, you both look in excellent health to me, so excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die you need not hand it in.", the professor finished.
Serenity and Harry both smiled, and Hermione laughed. the rest of the class gave chuckles, and Ron was brought back to a cheery mood.
______________________________________________________________________________
AT LUNCH
"Harry," Ron started in a low voice," You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere have you?"
"Yeah, I have. I saw one the night I left the Dursley's.", Harry replied spooning some food into his mouth. Ron dropped his fork and looked like he was going to faint.
"Probably a stray.", Hermione replied coolly.
Ron looked at her as if she had gone mad.
The two then began to get into an argument on weather it was a coincidence or not.
"Serenity have you seen a Grim?", Hermione asked logically.
"Oh no I'm not getting into this, leave me out of it!", Serenity replied scooting down on the bench.
"Grims scare the daylights out of most wizards!", Ron stated starting to get angry.
"There you are then. Wizards see the Grim and they die of freight. The Grim is not an omen it's the cause of death! Harry's still alive because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better go kick the bucket then!", Hermione replied hotly already frustrated with the day.
Ron opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, staring openly at the smart girl.
"I think Divination is just a bunch of guesswork, very woolly.", Hermione stated opening her Muggle studies book.
"There was nothing woolly about a Grim in the cups!", Ron shot back seething His face was beginning to flush an angry red.
"You weren't so confident when you thought it was a sheep!", Hermione shot back just as furious as Ron.
"Professor Trelawney said you don't have the right aura for Divination. You just can't handle being bad at something.", Ron retorted crossing his arms.
That statement apparently hit a nerve, and Hermione stood up so quickly she could have given those next to her whiplash.
"If being good in that class means I have to make up things from soggy tea leaves, I don't think I'll be in that class much longer. That lesson was utterly rubbish compared to my Arithmancy class.", Hermione yelled stalking away, as people began to stare.
"What's she talking about? She hasn't been to Arithmancy yet,", Serenity pointed out with a slight frown. Once again she had a strange feeling that someone knew something she didn't.
______________________________________________________________________________
And that's the second chapter!
I hope you like!
Much Love Serenity Moon
Title: When All Hope Is Lost
Chapter: 2
Disclaimer: I don't own nuttin! I don't own the places, I don't own the people, I don't own Jack! I don't even own Harry I I do own the story idea, not the original one, but this one. (The beginning might sound like someone else's to you, but it was born purely from my tiny brain. I really haven't been on ff.net in nearly two months so I wouldn't know.)
Sorry my other stories took so long, but my Internet got disconnected for like , two months because my house is being remodeled. All I had left to do was to start a new fic. I would have up dated at school, but in case you haven't noticed school computers suck.
NOTE: Harry, Ron, Hermione = 14 years of age. All the third years are 14 or 15.
Fourth years = 15 or 16
Fifth = 16 or 17
Sixth = 17 or 18
Seventh = 18 or 19
Second = 12 or 13
First = 11 or 12
Snape is a bit younger that what he looked in the movie. Lets say: 36?
Everyone else same age.
______________________________________________________________________________
HERBOLOGY
"Please students, be careful. The Minicht seed grows on water contact.", Professor Sprout called over seeing the students projects.
Serenity carefully removed the seeds from the jar, with a pair of white potting gloves.
She drooped a few seeds in the dirt and dropped a few drops of water, and voila`! A beautiful flower grew in it's place. It was a dark shade of blue with green pollen. Serenity turned around to grab another jar of seeds, when she slammed into Ron head on.
"Oh, I'm so sorry Ron, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going.", she apologized afraid he would be angry with her.
"It's all right, accidents happen.", Ron replied picking up her jar, and handing it to her.
Serenity smiled in gratitude then went back to her potting.
'Herbology, is pretty easy.', Serenity thought dropping water on the seed.
Then the nozzle of the watering can fell off and more than the needed amount of water fell onto the plant.
"Uh, oh.", Serenity whispered as the table began to shake.
A huge green pod shot of of the flower pot, breaking it. The pod was followed by a thick green stem, that grew twice her height, and then the pod opened. A monstrous looking flowed bloomed, with green serrated teeth, where the pollen used to reside. The plant looked down and snapped at her, lightly scratching her arm.
"Radicus Platonis!", Hermione called out pointing her wand at the plant.
The plant glowed green then shrunk down to normal size.
"What happened?", asked Professor Sprout making her way towards the girls.
"The nozzle fell off the water can......", Serenity murmured crestfallen.
She had only been there a day, and she was already loosing house points.
"And the Minicht mutated.", Professor Sprout finished for her knowingly.
"And you two girls fixed it without my help?", the professor asked poking at the now harmless plant.
"I didn't do anything Professor, Hermione-----.", Serenity started protesting, she didn't want credit for something she didn't do.
"No matter, you kept your head.", Professor Sprout interrupted," Five points to Gryffindor."
Serenity's eyes widened and she gave a small smile.
"Thank you, Professor.", Hermione replied giving Serenity a nudge and a wink.
As soon as class let out they went to go find a snack, then quickly went to the dungeons.
______________________________________________________________________________
DOUBLE POTIONS: SLYTHERIN vs. GRYFFINDOR
"What is the cure for a spouting Figeralider's bite?", Professor Snape questioned sharply tapping on Harry's desk with his wand.
"Eh ...... If you were bitten by a male, let a female bite you and vise versa, so the poison cancels out.", Harry replied positively sure the answer was correct.
"Correct Potter, but this is potions, and I need a formula.", Snape snapped back ignoring Hermione's upraised hand.
"I don't know what the formula is Professor.", Harry replied his cheeks flaming after a moment.
"That's what I thought, five points from Gryffindor, as it is obvious you did not complete your summer homework.", Snape sneered giving Harry the loathing glare he reserved for Harry alone.
'He's in a particularly foul mood this year.', Ron mused feeling sorry for his friend.
Serenity sat next to Harry, who at breakfast had offered to show her the ropes. So far she understood what was going on, but she didn't understand her uncle's attitude. It was as if he went out of his way to embarrass Harry, and to make Malfoy look good. She had quickly learned who Malfoy was, and already she took a disliking to him. She felt a bit sorry however, that she had taken out all of her anger on him. Normally she wouldn't have exploded, but with the turn of events........ she couldn't control it. Besides, mudblood IS a horrible word.
FLASHBACK
'Well, well, well if it isn't Potter and his motley crew.', Malfoy drawled the moment they entered the classroom.
'Just ignore him you guys.', Hermione whispered sitting in her seat. Then the boy did an overly dramatic scene of fainting and crying.
'What's that all about?', Serenity asked Ron with a frown.
She would have asked Harry, but he was turning a particular shade of angry red.
'A Dementor came on the school train, and Harry fainted.', Ron replied sourly, equally unhappy with Malfoy and his cronies.
'Why in the world is he teasing Harry? I've seen those things, I know what they can do, it's nothing to laugh over.', Serenity replied angrily placing a death glare frighteningly similar to Snape's on the blonde boy.
'Oooo I'm big scary dementor, I'm coming to get you Potter!', called Pansy Parkinson, a girl with a face like a pug.
'I don't know who you are, but do me a big favor and shut-up!', Serenity called angrily rising from her seat.
'Look, if it isn't the Slytherin gone good.', Malfoy sneered turning to face her.
'Malfoy, leave her out of this, she's done nothing to you.', Harry stated standing up in front of her, shielding her tiny figure from his view.
'Potter, go stick your head in the potty with Weasel over there.', Malfoy shot back.
'Malfoy, you are such a ... a kono yaro, baka, bakana, kusottare, bakayaro!', Serenity hissed at him her blue eyes flashing a dangerous silver.
'Serenity, those weren't very polite.', Hermione scolded slightly. Slightly.
'I know.', Serenity replied staring hard at the ignorant young man.
'If you don't have the guts to tell me what that meant in English, don't say anything at all mudblood.', Malfoy snarled while Goyle and Crabbie cackled away.
'I dare you to call her that again.', Serenity snapped her eyes a dark dangerous silver. Overhead thunder boomed and lightening crackled, as the light showed through the dungeon window. As her anger increased she felt her forehead begin to burn angrily.
'Granger you are a dirty, good for nothing, mudblood.', Malfoy replied smirking as Ron's ears went red in anger and Harry clenched his jaw tightly, fists balled at his sides.
Hermione looked on the verge of tears, and it was then than Serenity jumped at him. Her hair that had been in a loose bun flew out behind her, as she raced forward, hopping around Goyle. She landed a good hit in the eye and, kicked him in the shin. She had managed to give him a brutal roundhouse to his stomach before Harry could restrain her. He pulled her arms down and wrapped his arms tightly around her to keep her still. Seconds later while Malfoy was cradling his ribs Snape walked in.
'Professor, that, that GIRL attacked me!', Malfoy hollered as Snape turned around, 'She tried to kill me!'.
Snape stared at him for a moment, then looked at Serenity who was still spitting mad, being restrained by Harry.
'Are you implying that my niece was able to beat you senseless, and Potter had to stop her from killing you?', the professor asked a cruel smirk on his face.
'N-No.', Malfoy sputtered eyes wide.
'I didn't think so. Ten points from BOTH houses.', Snape snarled peering at Serenity who was standing up with her arms crossed, glaring at Malfoy and all of the slytherin's that had laughed at Hermione or Harry. Ron and most of the Gryffindor's gaped at the fact that he took away points from his own house.
'Serenity, come up here a moment.', Snape requested, finally getting a good glance at her crescent moon mark, that was barely hidden by her bangs.
Harry let her go, and she stalked up to his desk.
'Go outside, get a drink, calm down. Your moon is showing.', he whispered to her, causing her to blanch.
'Gomen.', she replied sadly, afraid her Uncle was angry with her.
'Don't leave your hair down you'll trip.', he stated coldly tapping her nose with his wand. In a fizz of blue sparkles, her hair was up in an elegant french twist. Serenity gave a slight smile as she noticed the underlying tone in his voice, symbolizing that he wasn't angry.
END
At the end of class, they packed up their things and walked out. Serenity hoisted her bag over her shoulder and walked out with Hermione, who was busy fumbling with something on her neck.
SLAM!
She was slammed against the wall, her feet off the ground. A burst of light hit her vision as her head came in contact with the dungeon wall.
"No one makes a fool out of me. No one.", Malfoy stated angrily, dropping her after squeezing her shoulders tightly.
'That's going to leave marks.', she winced fingering her sore shoulder.
"Malfoy......", trailed off Ron angrily helping Serenity stand straight.
"Malfoy, I can either be your best friend or your worst enemy. If you continue to act as you are, you will have made an enemy, an enemy that does not rely on empty threats to frighten her victims. If you continue as you are you will find out exactly how closely related to Professor Snape I am. ", Serenity hissed, eyes flashing, leaning on Ron.
Malfoy smirked and waltzed away, seemingly ignoring her words, though they still weighed heavily on his mind.
"Are you all right?", Hermione asked worriedly while Harry carried her bag, and Ron lent her a shoulder.
"I'm fine.", Serenity sighed to Hermione, when she realized that the girl was no longer there.
"Hermione?", Harry called turning around, and spotting Hermione at the bottom of the stairs.
"Where did you go, one minute you were here the next ......", Ron trailed off.
"I just dropped something.", Hermione replied hastily stuffing something down the front of her robes.
Serenity frowned, but didn't say anything. The use of magic was at hand, but she decided not to pressure. Instinctively her hand flew up to her necklace, and clutched the blood red and forest green gems.
'Insight, and spirit from Mars. Strength and sincerity from Jupiter.', she thought as the two little stones glowed slightly.
She listened to what her newfound friends were saying carefully, sensing their personalities. After a few moments she was positive why she felt so protective over them. They reminded her of her friends, in certain things they said, or certain actions that took place. Hermione most frequently resembled Ami, due to her unlimited intelligence, while Ron reminded her oddly enough of Minako for his bright cherry disposition, while Harry reminded her of Haruka, strong and protective.
"Students please listen closely to the following announcements, a few of the teachers have caught a bit of a cold, thus classes will be canceled for the rest of the day!", Came McGonagall's voice from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
Ron and Harry simultaneously looked at each other and yelled,"YES!!!", slapping each other a high five. Serenity chuckled as Hermione's face turned a bit red.
"How can you two be so happy?We'll fall behind all the other schools, and receive a less proper education ---", she sputtered flustered as Harry and Ron looked at her strangely.
"Hermione, loosen up. Fred and George found a way for the giant squid in the pond to---", Ron started, but Hermione cut him off.
"I'm leaving, right now, before you two find a way to get us killed. Or worse expelled!", Hermione declared with selfindignation, turning on her heal and stalking, no doubt to the library.
"She needs to get her priorities in order.", Ron muttered causing Serenity to giggle.
"This conversation is starting to feel familiar.", Harry murmured remembering their exploits in first year.
"Does that happen often?", the silver hared girl asked an elegant eyebrow raised.
"All the time, you see Hermione seems to think our exploits are, well, dangerous.", Harry replied breezily, putting on an innocent facade.
"Well are they?", Serenity asked now walking comfortably on her own.
"Oh, most definitely.", Harry replied cheekily, flashing her a grin.
"Let's go drop our things off, get changed, then go see that squid, or possibly even Hagrid.", Ron suggested hoisting his bag to his other shoulder.
"Wait a second, Ron, we aren't allowed to leave the castle.", Harry stated suddenly, his eyes downcast.
"Why can't we go outside?", Serenity asked her brow furrowed.
"It's because of the new guards we have on the school grounds.", Ron replied sullenly shoulders slumped.
"Well, why do you have guards?", Serenity asked confused as to why such a powerful wizarding school would need guards.
Ron cast an uneasy glance at Harry, who in turn looked at Ron the same way. Harry caught the unsaid question, and nodded slowly. Serenity noticed the look shared between the two and began to get somewhat suspicious. He looked around him and noticed all the people that didn't need to know the new plight in his life, and thought of a place to converse quietly.
"We can't exactly explain it here. Meet us back in the common room after you've changed your clothes, we can go to the Ravenclaw Window to talk.", Harry told her finally, noting her arched eyebrow.
"All right.", Serenity replied slowly stating the password to enter the common room. Harry handed her, her bag, and she took it with a grateful nod, and a small smile.
The portrait of the fat lady in the pink dress swung open for the trio, and they went to their respective dorms.
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE BOYS DORMS
"Do you think we should tell her everything?", Ron asked Harry who was in the restroom changing out of his robes.
Ron was in the process of throwing on his own clothes, though due to the one restroom, he locked the dorm door and changed in the bedroom area.
"We really have to don't we? I mean it wouldn't be right if we didn't tell her.", came Harry's muffled reply.
"True, but what if she doesn't want to hang around with us anymore.", Ron reasoned his attitude dampened by the thought that they might loose a friend.
"It's not you she wouldn't want to be friends with.", Harry replied wryly pulling the forest green sweater over his head.
He was glad he had stopped to buy some new clothes in Diagon Alley. The hand-me-downs he had received from Dudley were far to big and much to ratty to be worn in public.
"Come on Harry, you know as bloody well as I do that when ever you're in danger, Hermi and I will always be there.", Ron replied sensing his friends cynicism.
"Are you done yet Ron?", Harry asked, tying his sneaker on the toilet seat. "I'm done I just can't find my other shoe-- bugger!", Ron called from underneath one of the four poster beds.
"Do you mean this shoe?", Harry asked Ron opening the restroom door and holding up the shoe he had found next to the bathtub.
"That's it! I wonder how it got in the loo?", Ron asked himself shrugging and putting it on.
"Hey, where's Scabbers?", Harry asked not seeing the usual shivering lump under Ron's sheets.
"I'm not sure, I haven't seen him. He's probably under one of the beds.", Ron replied carelessly.
He knew his rat wouldn't go far, it wouldn't be able to defend itself from Crookshanks, let alone get it's own food. It depended on Ron for that.
"Are we ready to go?", Harry asked by the door.
For some reason he didn't want to tell Serenity about Voldermort, or the Dementors. It wasn't as if he didn't trust her, because he did. She unlike her uncle was a person that easily gained a persons trust and friendship. He especially gave her his trust after the stunt she pulled in potions. She had defended Hermione, Ron ,and himself without a second thought, not even thinking of what punishment might have been bestowed upon her. Maybe Hermione was right. Maybe Snape did have a soft spot for his niece, after all he had taken points from BOTH houses. The fact that he took points away from Slytherin house at all was a major accomplishment. For some reason he just had a sinking feeling that if they told Serenity they'd hurt her in some way. 'That's silly.', he mentally berated himself while becoming aware of Ron shaking his shoulders.
"Harry ........... Come on, snap out of it!", he heard Ron call worriedly.
Harry blinked a few times, and grabbed Ron's wrists to stop the incessant shaking.
"Did you have a premonition, was your scar hurting, do you need Madame Pomfrey?", Ron asked worriedly searching his best friends face for signs of pain.
"Ron I just spaced out, I was only thinking.", Harry replied with a grin.
He felt a burst of happiness overcome him at the fact that his friend looked out for him so much. That someone cared enough to look out for him.
"Are you sure?", Ron asked suspiciously, giving Harry a once over.
"I'm positive, let's go.", Harry replied with a boyish grin on his face.
As he opened the door to the dorm, he heard a ruckus from the main common room. With worried eyes he hurried down the stairs and gaped at what he saw.
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE GIRLS DORM
"Hello Serenity.", came a bright voice to Serenity's left.
"Hey Rachel, you haven't seen Hermione have you?", Serenity greeted and asked seeing the bushy hared girls robes folded neatly on the middle bed.
"Nope, sorry, I just got here, and the robes where here when I walked in.", Rachel replied and applied a bit of lip gloss, she had a spur of the moment date with Dean Thomas, and there was bound to be a bit of snogging.
"Oh, I see.", came Serenity's muffled reply as she dug through her closet.
"Where are you headed?", Rachel asked brushing out her sun bleached hair.
"I'm just off to talk with some friends.", Serenity replied sighing in aggravation.
"Then why are you so worried about your clothes?", Rachel asked slyly turning around to look at Serenity.
"I-I'm not.", Serenity replied flustered as she unhooked her choice of clothing out of the closet.
"Sure, who are you 'conversing' with.", Rachel shot back returning to the vanity.
'You look wonderful dearie!', crowed out the mirror happily.
"Thank you.", Rachel replied politely.
"Um, Ron Weasely and Harry Potter.", came Serenity's slightly muffled reply.
"Oooo, Harry Potter? Tell me which one your interested in later, I've got to go meet Dean now.", Rachel called as she set her brush down, grabbed her purse and opened the dorm door.
"I'm not interested in either of them!", Serenity replied hotly pulling her socks on.
"Keep telling yourself that girl, I'll find out who it is sooner or later. Bye!", Rachel replied walking out the door.
Serenity walked out of the restroom, and stood infront of the mirror.
"Does it look all right?", she asked the mirror who gave her a good look over.
Serenity wore a clingy navy blue turtle neck, minus the sleeves, with black pleather pants, and black ankle boots. She had a matching pleather jacket tied around her tiny waist, and her hair was pulled back into a tight french braid.
'That looks beautiful hime.', the mirror replied softly.
"Hey I told you not to call me that, it's supposed to be a secret.", Serenity mock scolded, wagging her finger.
'Good luck , h--- dearie!', the mirror called as Serenity went towards the door.
"With what?", Serenity asked a bit confused.
'With the man your interested in.', the mirror replied seriously.
Serenity heaved an aggravated sigh and traipsed down the stairs and headed towards the main common room. Just as she was about to sit down on a plush red couch, her air supply was cut off.
______________________________________________________________________________
FROM HARRY AND RON'S P.O.V.
"Fred, George, let her go she can't breathe!", Ron scolded prying his older twin brothers off the silver hared girl.
The two twins let go of Serenity as they came to realize that their younger brother was correct.
The silver hared girl flopped onto the couch trying to catch her breath.
"We're sorry old girl, but we just heard the news!", Fred exclaimed plopping down on his knees infront of Serenity.
"It was...... amazing!!!!! We almost didn't believe it until we saw Malfoy's shiner!", George continued dropping down next to Fred.
"And Snape took away points from both houses! Oh that's rich!", Fred chortled.
"And I quote: "Are you implying that my niece was able to beat you senseless, and Potter had to stop her from killing you": un-quote.", George continued his eyes glowing in merriment.
"It was utterly smashing!", Fred stated happily, as if on cloud nine.
"Sheer brilliance!", George added in, a dreamy look appearing on his face.
"We just wanted to say............", Fred started giving George a look.
"We're not worthy! We're not worthy! High and mighty goddess of all that's good! We're not worthy!", they both cried out in unison, on both knees hailing her, attracting a bit of a crowd.
"Please, boys stop!", Serenity cried out desperately, looking at Ron and Harry for help.
Ron and Harry shrugged and continued laughing as the twins continued their chant.
"We'll stop, only if you'll answer us one tiny question....", George trailed off a devilish grin spreading across their faces at the same time.
"Anything.....", Serenity replied relieved.
"Can you do it again?", they both blurted out at the same time, hands in a begging position.
"I could but ----", Serenity started trying to tell the boys that she had no desire to fight Malfoy.
She tried not to fight with people who were weaker than herself. It wasn't a hobby to beat up nearly defenseless ingrates. However if provoked ...........
"Did you hear her? She said she could!", Fred whispered to George conspiratorially.
"Praise the lord!", George replied happily taking it as a sign of god.
Fred and George both picked up one of Serenity's hands and kissed the back of it.
"Milady we are always and forever indebted to you.", Fred called standing up.
"If there's any way we can ever help you, just give us a call!", George called out walking towards Ron and Harry with Fred.
"Harry old boy, why in the name of god did you restrain her?", Fred asked exasperated, throwing his arms in the air.
Harry started to answer but George hushed him, and Fred threw a sugar quill at him.
"We've both decided that you've been suffering from lack of sugar. It could happen to any one you know.", George stated thinking about it and popping a sugar quill in his own mouth, for fear he might end up rational like Harry.
"Bye, Bye now, we're off to, well, we're off!", Fred stated a sugar quill in his mouth as well, following George's example.
As the two rambunctious twins left the common room Serenity sighed in relief.
"Serenity are you ready?", Ron asked giving her a hand up.
"Let's LEAVE!", Serenity retorted grabbing both boys hands and stalking out of the common room, at a rapid pace. Her face flushed bright red, as she unconsciously tightened the jacket around her waist.
"Serenity, where are you going, you don't know the way!", Harry called as Serenity turned around a bit startled.
"I just want to get as far away as soon as possible!", Serenity replied as she slowed her pace and brushed a strand of silver hair out of her face.
The red faded from her face and she returned to look as if she had spent most of her life in the deepest darkest reaches of space, where the sun never touched. Her skin was pale, but it was a milky pale, not sallow. They walked though a few secret passage ways, and up towards the astronomy tower. When they got to the astronomy tower window, Ron surprisingly stepped through the window.
"Wow.", Serenity stated a bit awed as she placed a hand on the seemingly solid window.
"Just go through, it doesn't hurt. It kind of tingles.", Harry replied from behind her taking her hand and slipping through, pulling her with him.
"Ron did you press the occupied button?", Harry replied sitting down in a comfortable glass chair. Ron nodded silently and continued to press a few buttons.
The entire room was made out of glass. Although the sun was still up, Ron had pressed the simulation of the stars and moon.
"It's beautiful.", Serenity murmured sitting next to Harry.
It was like they were floating in space, everywhere you looked there was stars. The ceiling, the floor, the walls, it was all incredibly like space.
"Why is it called the Ravenclaw Window?", Serenity questioned fingering the arm of the chairs.
"Well the Ravenclaw students are the brainy bunch, so this is kind of like an easy way to observe the night sky, during the day. It's just named after Ravenclaw because people figured only ravenclaws would ever use it.", Ron explained seriously.
"Although it's become one of my favorite places, and mostly Gryffindors use it.", Harry continued, looking up at the ceiling, peering at the small sliver of the moon.
"So we are here to discuss, the new guards?", Serenity questioned flicking her eyes towards Harry.
"Fourteen years ago my parents and a man named Sirius Black were the best of friends. Voldermort---", Harry started when he saw Ron flinch.
Serenity stared at him seemingly unfazed.
"You do know who he is don't you?", Ron asked looking at her queerly.
"Of course.", Serenity replied softly looking back at Harry, she had a feeling that Harry's story was going to be much like her own, and very much so unpleasant.
"Sirius Black was the secret keeper to keep my parents in hiding, Black told Voldermort, and my parents ........... were murdered.", Harry stated his own eyes getting a bit foggy.
"Voldermort tried to kill me too, but the curse reflected off of me, and destroyed Voldermort. Well, almost anyway, that's where this scar came from.", Harry continued his fingers entwined together as e leaned on his knees head bowed.
"I can tell her if you don't want to.", Ron offered seeing his friends pain.
"No thank you Ron, I've got to tell her myself.", Harry replied heaving a huge sigh.
"Black was sent to Azkaban, and somehow escaped the guards, and is now trying to kill me.", Harry started but Ron interrupted.
"They say Black is mad, but he can't be to off his rocker is he escaped Azkaban.", Ron stated with a wry smile.
"So the Dementors are guarding the school, trying to get Black.", Harry finished looking up at Serenity to see her stricken face.
"Serenity?", Harry questioned worriedly while Ron looked at her strangely.
Harry stood up and dropped to one knee grasping her hands, which were ice cold.
"Serenity? Serenity? please answer me!", Harry cried out afraid he had hurt her.
"D-dementors?", Serenity asked shakily looking at his emerald green eyes, searching for unwanted truth.
"Yes, Dementors.", Ron replied slowly watching the fear creep into Serenity's eyes.
"Those things are here? Outside?", Serenity asked a frightened bunny look crossing her face.
"Yes, they're only looking for Black though.", Harry reassured a bit frightened at the haunted look in Serenity's blue eyes.
"Those things are heartless killers. They're the reason I came here. They took their souls, all of them.", Serenity rasped.
Dementors. Voldermort, she knew of him, and he didn't scare her nearly as much.
"What are you talking about?", Harry asked confused.
Ron had moved his chair next to hers to try and comfort her, she looked so afraid and heartbroken.
"In Japan, the Dementors came. They destroyed my friends, my guard, my koibito.", Serenity murmured brokenly. The last thing that she would trust to save a person from being killed would be a Dementor.
Harry had no idea what koibito meant, but he bet that it was important to her. Thank goodness for Hermione, who was quite fluent in multiple languages.
"They all had their souls taken. Nine of them, all of them were lost, destroyed .......... all to save me.", She cried out hoarsely slipping out of the chair as tears fell down her face.
Harry caught her somewhat surprised, but caught her nonetheless.
"Please don't cry.", Harry murmured unsure of what to do.
Ron caught his eye and wiggled his eyebrows at Harry suggestively. Harry mouth, 'No way.', to Ron as Serenity's tears came pouring down her face. Unable to stop herself from crying she sobbed heartbrokenly. Even the comforting glow of the stones on her necklace did not reassure her. It was all too much for a fourteen year old girl. Sure, she had lived to be eighteen in her previous life, but that really didn't count.
"What's done is done, there was nothing you could have done. If they chose to save you by giving up their souls, don't disgrace them by your sniveling.", called a voice from the entrance.
It was professor Snape, glaring hard at Harry for touching his niece. Then again he always glared at Harry, now it was just .......... worse.
"Professor Snape tha---", Ron started furious, if his friends had been soul stripped by the dementors, he would have cried too.
Although he would never admit it aloud.
"Your a-absolutely right Uncle Severus.", Serenity replied seriously drying her tears away.
"I'm sorry Harry, R-ron, I shouldn't have done that.", Serenity stated quickly noting that her Uncle was obviously waiting for her to follow him.
"I'll see you two later, thanks for showing me the window. And Harry?", Serenity stated just before she followed Snape.
"Yes?", Harry asked confused at her sudden change in attitude.
"I'm sorry...... for everything.", she stated walking out.
"That was odd.", Ron commented playing with the simulations.
"Very odd, if I were her I would have bit Snape's head off, but I guess they have some kind of understanding between them. I guess it's a family thing.", Harry replied with a shrug.
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE HALL
"I was informed by your mother, that I was to train you.", Snape commented leading her though the halls.
"When was that?", Serenity asked wiping away the last signs of her tears.
'I can't believe I did that.', she mused shaking her head.
"Last night.", he replied stoically.
"Why does Dumbledore allow Dementors here?", Serenity asked suddenly.
The question had being weighing on her mind ever since she heard Harry said that the Dementors were guarding the school.
"It's either the Dementors, or Black comes and kills your little friend Potter.", Snape sneered seriously wishing that Dumbledor had refused the dementors.
"Uncle Severus, that's a horrible thing to say!", Serenity chastised.
"But it's true.", Snape replied opening a portrait.
"And, that was the second time I've seen you in that boys arms today. What am I to think?", Snape continued realizing that both times Serenity had went emotionally haywire.
"Uncle Severus, I have no interest in Harry at all! At least the way your insinuating!", Serenity replied hotly, glaring slightly at her uncle.
'Yup that's it, he's worse than Haruka.', she murmured in her mind. The navy blue gem on Serenity's necklace glowed angrily.
"Well, then watch who's arms you fall in to.", Snape snapped entering another corridor.
"Excuse me if Draco Malfoy is a jerk!", Serenity replied aggravated as Severus turned and smirked at her.
"That's not funny.", she grumbled, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Don't glare at me young lady.", Snape stated with out turning around.
Serenity blinked, stopped glaring and stuck her tongue out.
"Don't do that either.", he continued turning around to look at her.
"Do you have eyes in the back of your head?", Serenity demanded as light filled the room they just entered.
"No. You're just predictable.", Severus replied crossing his arms.
His pitch black cloak covered his body when he stood as so, leaving only his head, all in all a ghastly sight.
Serenity finally took sight of the room they were in and her eyes widened.
'A room full of weaponry.', she mused eyeing a long jewel encrusted sword, much like Haruka's.
This time the navy blue jewel glowed softly as if in agreement.
"Where shall we start?", Severus asked her cocking his head to the side.
"Could we work on a few spells first? I want to make sure I'm not getting rusty.", Serenity replied her brow crinkled in frustration.
"I will say the spell, you will complete the deed. Tell me what it is then do it.", Snape replied as his consent.
Serenity nodded confidently, and threw her jacket on the table. She pulled her long wand out of her sub-space pocket, and waved it experimentally. It was eleven inches of solid oak wood, mixed with phoenix tears, moon rock, and angel feathers.
'Arigatou, Okassan.', she thought as the large crystal on her necklace glowed softly.
"Lumos!, called out Snape looking hard at her.
"Light. Lumos!", she called as the tip of her wand lit up.
"Alohomara!", Snape shot out.
"Used to unlock doors.----", Serenity started. Snape waved his hand and the door locked.
"Alohomara!", Serenity called out unlocking the door.
"Wingardium Leviosa!", Snape called out.
"Makes things levitate. Wingardium Leviosa!", Serenity cried out a bit of sweat forming on her brow. The chair on the other side of the room began to float.
"Petrificus Totalus!", Severus continued inwardly proud of his niece who had never had any wizarding school before that day.
"Used to scare stiff, people, animals, objects ...... you get the idea. Petrificus Totalus!", she called out pointing to a rose in a vase which immediately froze over and broke.
"Sunificus Tecnicus!", he continued a bit surprised that she had petrified the rose. He had expected her to aim in at him.
"Used to create fire or assimilate sunlight. Sunificus Tecnicus!", she called out and a ray of sunlight shot out from the tip of her wand.
"Waddiwasi!", he continued conjuring a chair out of nowhere and sitting in it.
"Used to make this move at an accelerated rate, to the speed of a bullet. Waddiwasi!", she called and the flower vase shot to one side of the room, then shot back, in merely a few seconds.
"What's a bullet?", Severus asked a little confused. He had never heard of a 'bullet' before.
"It's a part of a muggle weapon that can kill someone.", she replied carefully, trying not to have to go into the details of the workings of a gun.
"I don't think I want to know after all.", Snape replied slightly confused.
"Is that enough of a review?", he asked thinking that most students wouldn't be to far ahead of those spells anyway.
"I believe so.", Serenity replied wiping her forehead from perspiration. Doing that many different spells consecutively took a lot out of you. Especially when you're nervous and haven't done them in awhile.
"Now we practice with swords.", Snape continued walking towards the wall, with his usual confident walk. He lifted the jewel encrusted sword off the wall and examined in carefully.
"When you fight with a sword always know that's it's your sword you pick up.", Snape started tossing her the sword. The moment it touched her fingers it seared her skin and she dropped it immediately.
"Oww!", she cried out as her fingers began to blister.
"Because that sword was not yours, and you tried to use it, it burned you. That sword is mine, and it was customized and enchanted to only be used by me.", Severus explained picking up the sword.
He knew a minimal amount of medical magic, but enough to heal the wound he had just given her. He waved his wand and her skin healed, returning to it's pale color.
"Thank-you.", Serenity replied looking at her fingers which had burned so angrily before.
"Don't thank me just yet. Any wound inflicted by the blade of this sword cannot be healed by magic. It must heal over time, like a muggle wound.", Snape continued.
Serenity took his last statement as a bit of a warning and decided to stock up on bandages and such.
"Take out the crescent moon wand.", Snape instructed looking at her intently.
With a flick of her wrist the pink and yellow wand appeared in her hand.
"With that wand you will create your own weapon. It will become a weapon that suits you. Concentrate on the wand, and think of it forming a weapon you can use for defense and offense.", he instructed carefully making sure she understood. If she didn't do it right she could probably hurt herself.
Serenity closed her eyes and concentrated on the small pink wand. It was just over a foot long. She imagined a weapon that would help aid her in future battles, and that would better suit her personality. She understood why she had silver hair. It was born from the fact that a traumatic event had taken place, with an aftermath that little Usagi couldn't solve. Instead of being Usagi, she had matured into Serenity, while her age was still fourteen, she had the attitude of the past Serenity. Almost always calm, cool, quiet, and collected. The color pink no longer suited her, it was a color for a young girl, the color yellow reminded her of the bright blonde hair she used to sport, but that remained no longer, thus neither would the yellow.
'Yellow and pink must go, black and silver shall remain.', she thought carefully, as she envisioned the wand changing colors.
When she opened her eyes she was holding a long scythe. It was taller than she with a wickedly curved silver blade. The blade took the form of a crescent moon, however was sharper than a readied knife. The moon and the handle connected together so that the crescent was directly facing the west. The handle was of the darkest of blacks, and at the bottom of the handle was a pointed spike, which would no doubt pierce nearly anything.
"Are you ready then Serenity?", Severus asked a bit crossly, she had closed her eyes nearly an hour ago, and had just now opened them. Sure he knew that it takes time to remodel something that's become a part of yourself, but a whole hour is ludicrous.
"For what?", Serenity asked confused.
"For this.", Snape replied swinging his blade at her.
Serenity's eyes widened as she blocked his swing, and ducked the next.
Swing
Block
Swing
Block
Swing
Duck
Swing
Block
Swing
Hop
"Counter attack, it's the only way to win. You can't be on defense for the rest of your life!", Severus yelled swiping at her head.
Serenity nodded quickly breathing hard. After blocking his next swing, she swung her own scythe down with amazing accuracy.
"Good.", Snape muttered darkly, blocking her swing effortlessly.
'This isn't so bad.', Serenity thought blocking, dodging, and swinging.
3 HOURS LATER
"That was your first lesson, maybe next time you'll scratch me.", Snape sneered, hanging his sword back up.
Serenity did nothing but groan. She felt sore all over. Her hands were cut up from the numerous times Serenity had missed Snapes sword, and he had knocked the scythe out of her fingers by scratching her hands. She had received a slash on her arm and it was throbbing angrily now.
"When you want your scythe to return to wand size, just say 'Return'. When you want it to become the scythe just will it to be the scythe with your mind.", Snape instructed picking up her discarded jacket.
"Return.", Serenity stated wearily. Her scythe glowed yellow, and it shrunk in her hand. The crescent was a brilliant silver, and the handle was the darkest of blacks.
"Is it supposed to stay that color?", Serenity asked looking at it suspiciously.
"Of course. The wand is a part of you, as it changes just like you.", Severus replied handing her a little package, and her jacket. "We will train every Wednesday night, at eight o'clock.", he continued looking at his watch. "You've missed dinner, if you're hungry you can accompany me to a late dinner.
", he stated with a small smirk.
"I'd love to but, I'd like to clean up first. I really must look like death warmed over.", she replied finally throwing her wand in her space pocket.
"I'll walk you to your common room.", Snape replied as a consent to her cleaning up. "Open the package when your in the loo, it will help with your wounds.", he instructed at they walked out the door.
They walked through numerous corridors, out of two portraits, and up the winding staircase to get to Gryffindor tower.
"How do you know where the Gryffindor tower is?", Serenity asked as they stood outside the portrait of the fat lady.
"All the teachers know all the passwords, and where all the common rooms are.", he started."Pig snout.", he finished and the portrait swung open.
"I'll be back in a few minutes.", she replied hurrying through the passage way.
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE LIBRARY
"Hello you two.", Hermione called over her book she was reading in the comfy overstuffed chair.
"Hi Hermione.", Ron stated flopping into the adjacent chair with a huge sigh. Harry came and sat between Hermione and Ron with a similar sigh.
"Aren't you two just a bright and cherry lot.", Hermione stated sarcastically putting a bookmark in her place.
"Hermione what does 'Kibito' mean?", Ron asked looking hard at her.
"Kibito? I haven't the faintest idea---", Hermione started, but Harry cut her off.
"No, no that's because Ron said it wrong. She said 'Koibito'.", Harry corrected looking around for any way ward ears.
"Oh, well in Japanese it means, technically, well. When you call someone that they're your a.... Boyfriend, fiancée, husband, and vise versa. Although the word literally means lover.", Hermione explained giving them both a questioning look. 'Why would they want to know that word?', she wondered to herself as Harry's and Ron's eyes both widened.
"All right, what's going on?", Hermione asked suspiciously, shifting in her chair.
Harry and Ron both explained that they had told Serenity exactly why Hogwarts was being guarded.
"Then when Harry told her about the Dementors being the guards, she went into bloody shock!", Ron stated conspiratorially.
Anyone that knew them that would have taken the time to look at them would think that they were up to something by they way they talked in hushed whispers.
"Then she just fell right into Harry's arms crying, because she said they took all nine of her friends souls, including her koibito's.", Harry continued watching Hermione's eyes widen slightly.
"Then Snape came in and, I guess her friends got their souls taken to protect her, well he said not to disgrace them by her crying. Serenity agreed with him, then they both left.", Harry stated leaning back in the chair.
"We tried to look for her, and we couldn't find either of them anywhere!", Ron exclaimed leaning back in the chair.
"Well, maybe they don't want to be found.", Hermione stated shifting her book to her otherside.
"Maybe.", Harry replied reading the cover on the front of the book. Arithmacy.
______________________________________________________________________________
IN THE DUNGEONS
"Thank-you.", Serenity stated with a smile to a small humble house elf.
The little creatures had caught her interest almost immediately. They were so strange, they were never truly happy unless they were serving someone else.
"You're quite welcome miss, it was my pleasure.", replied the elf, it's green cheeks staining red. Very few people ever took the time to thank them besides Dumbledore.
"You speak quite well for a ...... house elf.", Snape sneered his goblet in hand.
"Thank-you very much sir, my old master taught me.", the elf replied mistaking his insult for a complement.
"Just ring the bell if you require anything else.", it finished straightening it's new looking pillowcase for clothing. Snape nodded, the little house elves were some of the only creatures that were no fun to insult. When dismissed the elf ambled away slipping down to the kitchens from behind a gargoyle.
"We need to work on your social skills.", Serenity stated eyebrow raised at his attitude.
"I find nothing wrong.", Snape replied making a sour face and adding salt to his dinner.
"You wouldn't.", Serenity replied mocking his sour face.
"Don't mock me.", He growled glaring at her.
"I wasn't mocking I was simply ...... imitating?", she replied in an aristocratic voice, pointing her nose in the air.
Snape cracked a small twisted grin, and Serenity gasped.
"You smiled, however evil looking it was, you smiled!", she pointed out gleefully, hopping from her stool to dance around the room.
"I did not!", Snape called out putting a purposeful frown on his face.
"I saw it, you did!", she shot back laughing happily.
"I thought you were becoming mature Serenity.", Snape replied observing her sudden burst of happy craziness.
"Oh, I am. It's just that Serenity really isn't that much different, unless you're talking about battle or school work.", She answered sitting down again, finishing her dinner.
Snape merely shook his head amused. For a few seconds he debated on weather she was pregnant or not because of her sudden mood swings. Then in the end he just blamed it on the fact that she was female.
Around forty-five minutes later they finished and Serenity excused herself yawning tiredly. The days events were beginning to put a toll on her. She looked at her watch. It was nearly ten o'clock.
"I'll walk you to your common room.", Snape replied standing up with her.
"You don't have to, I can manage.", Serenity replied wincing as she brushed her injured arm against the door frame.
"If you're sure........", Snape trailed off a flicker of unwanted worry in his eyes.
He knew that you-know-who was after her, her blood was about a million times more precious than a unicorn. She contained more purity than a new born, and that was something the Dark Lord desperately wanted. By taking her blood, he would receive her power, her longevity, but the purity would not exist, whereas only darkness would remain.
"Aww, you actually look worried. It's not like I'm going to die or something.", Serenity replied giving her uncle a brief hug, which he loosely returned.
"Good-bye.", Serenity called waving her hand jauntily, walking out the door.
Her gray night cloak billowed out silently behind her as she walked past paintings of various wizards. She wore baggy drawstring sweatpants, and a light blue tank top, while her arms were covered by the night cloak. She brushed the strings of the hood away from her face, listening carefully as her own sneakers made noise on the polished wood staircase.
"Pretty little princess!", chortled a ghostly figure to her right.
"Hello Peeves!", Serenity started smiling to the mischief making apparition.
"Why is the little princess out so very late? Late, late LATE!", asked Peeves looking at Serenity from between his fingers.
"Shhhhh!! Do want want to wake up the whole castle?", Serenity hushed in a stern tone.
"Peeves apologizes.", Peeves replied quite unlike himself, his head bowed.
"Don't look so sad Peeves, I'm not angry.", Serenity replied spying his down trodden look.
"You're not? I bet you are and you just don't know it.", Peeves replied stopping floating beside her to sit down on the stair. For some reason the thought of the little princess being angry with him, made him sad.
"I'm really sorry I yelled, but I'm not angry. Why don't you come walk with me to the tower?", Serenity offered it softly, feeling sadness float from it's ghostly soul.
"I'd love to walk the pretty little princess to the pretty little tower!", Peeves replied floating back up again joyfully, in his old spirits.
"All right then, you can scare away any bad people on the way.", Serenity replied walking next to him down the hall.
Peeves hummed commando music all the way to the tower looking around every corner and replying,"all clear."
When they finally reached the tower they were surprised to find Harry, Ron, and Hermione coming down the opposite hall.
"Where in bloody, Hades have you been?", asked Ron looking at Peeves who was floating next to her.
"With Professor Snape.", Serenity replied unconsciously touching her injured arm.
"Permission to leave, mon capitan!", Peeves requested pronouncing the French word captain wrong.
"Permission granted.", Serenity called out a small twinkle of humor in her eyes.
Peeves saluted her, then did a backflip through the wall, and then to goodness knows where.
"He's such a playful thing.", Serenity mused chuckling slightly.
"Playful? What were you doing with Peeves anyway?", Harry asked an eyebrow raised at the fact that someone actually got along with the little poltergeist.
"Well, he seemed a bit down, so I offered him to keep me company on the way upstairs from the dungeons.", Serenity replied while Hermione stated the password.
"Do you mean to say that he didn't do anything obnoxious?", Ron asked incredulously.
"No, not at all.", Serenity replied stepping through the passage.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all exchanged looks that told exactly how many times Peeves had done something to them. With little chit chat the group parted ways, and the two groups disappeared to their dorms, then went to bed.
______________________________________________________________________________
THE NEXT DAY
"Could you pass the marmalade?", asked Hermione looking over her schedule with a satisfactory smile. She had memorized all her classes that day very carefully.
"Hermione, didn't you notice they've messed up your schedule?", Ron started looking over her shoulder,"You've got about ten subjects a day!".
"I'll manage, it's all been fixed with Professor McGonagall.", Hermione replied still attempting to get the marmalade.
"But look, you've got Divination, Muggle Studies, AND Arithmancy all at nine o'clock! I know you're good, but you're not that good. How can you be in three classes at once?", Ron continued sitting down between Hermione and Serenity.
"Don't be silly Ron, I won't be in three classes at once.", she replied shaking her head at him sadly.
"Well, then ---"
"Pass the marmalade.", Hermione asked again, and was completely ignored.
"But ----"
"What's wrong if my schedule is a little full? It's been taken care of!", Hermione snapped.
Hermione's harsh tone had taken it's desired effect and sent Ron into silence. Serenity and Harry both gave each other the upraised eyebrow, when Harry cleared his throat, breaking the silence.
"We'd better go, Divination's at the top of North Tower, it'll take us ten minutes to get there........", He trailed off looking at Serenity for support.
"Yes, we should get going, we don't want to be late.", Serenity added gathering her things.
Five minutes later they were all noticeably lost. Two years at Hogwarts hadn't taught them everything, and they had never been to the North Tower. Just before class they met a rather mad painting, which first challenged them to a duel, but in the end ended up showing them to class.
"So how do we get up there?", Ron asked staring at a trapdoor in the ceiling.
Suddenly, as if to answer his question a silvery ladder dropped at Harry's feet, and everyone got quiet.
"You first.", muttered Ron giving the ladder the evil eye. As they climbed up the ladder they entered the oddest classroom they had ever encountered. It looked like someone's old attic that got turned into a tea shop. The room had bunches of chintz armchairs, and little fat poufs.
Professor Trelawney greeted them kindly and began to explain about the basics of Divination. Harry, Hermione ,Ron ,and Serenity all sat themselves on little poufs infront of a small round table.
"Books will only take you so far in this field of magic....", Professor Trelawney announced leaning back in her winged chair by the fire.
Harry and Ron both looked at Hermione at the same time, who was looking quite shocked at the professor's statement.
"Some wizards who excel in other subjects, may not excel here, only because it is a Gift granted to few. The Inner Eye is a very special gift indeed.", the insect looking Professor stated in a misty voice.
"You, Is your grandmother well?", the teacher continued looking at Neville.
"I think so.", Neville replied shakily.
"I don't think so dear .", the professor replied the firelight glinting on her long emerald earrings.
She them informed them that they would be reading tea leaves first, then they would do crystal gazing next term. Although during the process of telling them about crystal gazing, she also stated that around Easter one of them would leave forever, and she herself would loose her voice.
When asking a shaken Lavender Brown to pass the silver teapot, she also told the fair hared girl that the thing she was dreading was to happen on the sixteenth of October. Lavender began to tremble as she handed over the pot.
She then divided them into pairs, and told them how to read the tea leaves by using 'Unfogging the Future'.
Harry and Ron worked together, not getting very far except for making snide comments.
"What do you see in mine?", Ron asked drowsily from the perfumed room.
"A load of soggy brown stuff.", Harry replied trying to make himself focus.
In the end Harry decided that Ron was going to suffer greatly, but be very happy.
"You need your Inner Eye tested if you ask me.", Ron replied looking into Harry's cup.
After believing the blobs in Harry's cup to be a bowlers hat, an acorn, a hippo, and a sheep Professor Trelawney abducted the cup and muttered, "Oh, dear."
"The falcon ...... you have a deadly enemy.", the professor stated in her most mistiest voice.
"Every one knows THAT.", Hermione stated in a loud whisper with a frown. Professor Trelawney stared at her with her big eyes unblinking.
"Well, they do! Everyone knows about Harry and you-know-who.", Hermione defended with a frown on her face.
Harry and Ron looked at Hermione in amazement and a bit of admiration. She had never talked back to a teacher like that before.
The Professor said nothing, but turned back to the cup. A few seconds later she fell back and screamed.
"What is it Professor?", asked Dean Thomas at once worried.
"You have the Grim! The omen ........ the symbol of death!", the distraught teacher cried out dramatically.
As the class tried to get a look at the cup, the teacher basically told Hermione that she had very little power in Divination.
"You will die by battle, by your deadly enemy.", the Professor told Harry her eyes going misty.
"It looks like nothing!", Hermione called indignantly, a bit angry at the Professor.
"It looks like a Grim if you do this.", Seamus Finnigan stated with his eyes squinted shut. "But like this it looks like a donkey.", he continued opening his eyes and flipping the cup over.
"When you've all finished deciding weather I'm going to die or not!", Harry snapped suddenly at his wits end. He surprised everyone including himself that he spoken so harshly, now no one seemed to want to look at him. No one except Serenity who sidled over to him slowly. She placed a comforting hand on his arm and said," Remember you make your own future.". Harry gave her a small smile in thanks when suddenly Professor Trelawney screamed again.
"Oh, what now.....", muttered Hermione who was in a very foul mood.
"Who's cup is this? Who's? I must know!", she asked looking at each student carefully.
"It's mine.", Serenity stated softly standing up, ready for whatever the Professor might say to her.
"You poor, poor child. You have the Grim as well, but you have the Soul as well.", started the teacher clutching the cup close to her bosom.
Serenity glanced down at the Soul in 'Unfogging the Future', and saw it to be the outline of someone with a robe on, wearing a cross that had a loop instead of a rectangle on the top.
"You also have the Moon, and indeed you have the Sword.", the professor finished with sad eyes.
"I'm very sorry, but unlike you, I don't believe I have this Eye so could please tell us what what that meant!", Hermione stated getting just a little more than angry because the woman was predicting all her friends deaths.
"You, my dear, have the death omen by the soul. A pure soul, killed by war.", Professor Trelawney stated her eyes watering.
As Serenity heard this she flinched, as each word left the woman's lips.
"ENOUGH! That's quite enough Professor.", Serenity stated her eyes flashing angrily. She dropped down suddenly to put away her things, hastily. She wanted to get out of the room as soon as possible.
"Yes, I do believe Miss Moon is right. That is quite enough for today.", Professor Trelawney agreed sinking down into the chair to study the two death prescribed cups once more.
As soon as Serenity was done she hoisted her bag over her shoulder and walked out. She was furious, beyond furious. All the teachers were informed of her recent encounter with the dementors, and how it had turned out. Professor Trelawney was heartlessly implying that she was going to be soul stripped in the heart of battle.
"Serenity wait up!", called Harry from down the hallway.
"Remember what you said you make your own future.", Harry reminded catching up with her, as Ron was still making his way down the ladder.
"Yes, you can make your own future, but I would bet any money mine is already set in stone.", Serenity replied with a slightly bitter tone, though the tone was not directed at him.
'Set in stone?', Harry mused as she continued on her way to their next class, while he waited for Ron and Hermione.
______________________________________________________________________________
TRANSFIGURATION
Although they had left Divination early, they barely made it to class on time. Harry choose a seat next to Serenity in the far back, wishing to be out of everyone's sight. Besides Serenity looked miserable enough, she needed someone to cheer her up. Harry sighed at he caught the rest of the class glancing at the two of them every so often. He sighed while Serenity paid no heed, as she had her arms folded around her head. He was so absorbed in what Professor Trelawney had said he was barely listening to what Professor McGonagall was saying. He even almost missed her turning herself into a very adorable tabby cat.
"What has gotten into you all today? Did you have a bad nights sleep?", Professor McGonagall stated turning back into herself with a small audible pop. "Not that it matters, but this it the first time my transformation hasn't gotten applause from a class."
Everyone looked at Harry and Serenity, though no one said a word. Slowly Hermione raised her hand.
"Professor, we've just had out first Divination lesson, and we were reading tea leaves, and -----", Hermione started talking faster by the second.
"Of course, there's no need to say any more Miss Granger. Tell me, which one of you is dying this year?", Professor McGonagall asked with a frown.
Everyone stared at her a bit shocked because she had hit the problem on the head.
"We are.", Harry and Serenity stated at the same time, Serenity straightening in her seat.
"Although I'm not going to die right away you see. First I'm going to have my soul sucked out, then I'm going to die.", Serenity started sarcastically her eyes flashing angrily. "And Harry is going to die in battle, with is DEADLY enemy.", she continued her voice dripping with untold sarcasm.
"I see.", Professor McGonagall stated staring at them both with her beady eyes.
"You both should know that Silbyll Trelawney has predicted the death of at least one student since she arrived here. No one has died yet. Seeing grotesque death omens is her favorite way of greeting her class. If it wasn't for the fact that I don't speak ill of my colleagues.......", the gray hared woman trailed off, and everyone saw that her nostrils had turned white.
"Divination is one of the most imprecise branches of magic. I have very little patience with it. True Seers are VERY rare, and Professor Trelawney.......", started the angry Professor. Although she didn't finish her sentence, everyone could fill it in for themselves.
"Well, you both look in excellent health to me, so excuse me if I don't let you off homework today. I assure you that if you die you need not hand it in.", the professor finished.
Serenity and Harry both smiled, and Hermione laughed. the rest of the class gave chuckles, and Ron was brought back to a cheery mood.
______________________________________________________________________________
AT LUNCH
"Harry," Ron started in a low voice," You haven't seen a great black dog anywhere have you?"
"Yeah, I have. I saw one the night I left the Dursley's.", Harry replied spooning some food into his mouth. Ron dropped his fork and looked like he was going to faint.
"Probably a stray.", Hermione replied coolly.
Ron looked at her as if she had gone mad.
The two then began to get into an argument on weather it was a coincidence or not.
"Serenity have you seen a Grim?", Hermione asked logically.
"Oh no I'm not getting into this, leave me out of it!", Serenity replied scooting down on the bench.
"Grims scare the daylights out of most wizards!", Ron stated starting to get angry.
"There you are then. Wizards see the Grim and they die of freight. The Grim is not an omen it's the cause of death! Harry's still alive because he's not stupid enough to see one and think, right, well, I'd better go kick the bucket then!", Hermione replied hotly already frustrated with the day.
Ron opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water, staring openly at the smart girl.
"I think Divination is just a bunch of guesswork, very woolly.", Hermione stated opening her Muggle studies book.
"There was nothing woolly about a Grim in the cups!", Ron shot back seething His face was beginning to flush an angry red.
"You weren't so confident when you thought it was a sheep!", Hermione shot back just as furious as Ron.
"Professor Trelawney said you don't have the right aura for Divination. You just can't handle being bad at something.", Ron retorted crossing his arms.
That statement apparently hit a nerve, and Hermione stood up so quickly she could have given those next to her whiplash.
"If being good in that class means I have to make up things from soggy tea leaves, I don't think I'll be in that class much longer. That lesson was utterly rubbish compared to my Arithmancy class.", Hermione yelled stalking away, as people began to stare.
"What's she talking about? She hasn't been to Arithmancy yet,", Serenity pointed out with a slight frown. Once again she had a strange feeling that someone knew something she didn't.
______________________________________________________________________________
And that's the second chapter!
I hope you like!
Much Love Serenity Moon