Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. The plot, I believe, is original, and mine. Please don't take it.
A/N: Well, here's the fifth chapter. I don't know how many there will be, it all depends on how much Timia wants to tell ... and whether Harry, Ron, and Hermione cooperate with my shameless manipulation of their lives. I enjoyed writing this one, hopefully you'll enjoy reading!
The teachers all sat at the High Table, looking out at the chatting students. "So many..."
"Excuse me, Minerva, what was that?"
"So many, Albus! So many troubles already- my desk is still brilliantly colored! Flitwick's cushions, Hagrid's biggest blast-ended skrewt - not that I don't think color isn't good for them, maybe give us a little warning when it gets on one of its rampages..."
"And it will only get worse," Dumbledore sighed. "Just remember, Hogwarts has withstood it all so far."
Minerva looked very sharply at the headmaster. "What does this Timia have to do with this?"
He smiled sadly. "That is an interesting question. I know more of her than she has told me, and I know that she is not to be the biggest player in this game. There are clearer targets."
"Not- Harry?" she gasped.
"Not Harry, though he would probably prefer it..." he said, still with that slight sad smile. "No, Professor, I must admit that I fear most for our Miss Granger."
* * * * *
Timia looked up to the high table. They would meet directly after lunch, delaying classes as little as possible, and discuss the growing problem. Who knew that Voldemort would choose to strike so soon, so soon after the new moon... Poor Professor. He knows. He knows, and knows what it is only safe to do, but then he can't do it... Poor Professor.
Her train of thought was interrupted by Harry, who had asked if she was okay. "I'm fine... Just thinking."
"The fact that you have any capacity for thought after meeting with that old ... witch .... is amazing," Hermione said.
"Well, I didn't really complete my meeting. I left it somewhat precipitately."
"You walked out on Trelawney? I bet that she didn't see that coming..."
Speculations as to how much Trelawney actually saw, visionary or not, were picked up, and Timia was once again left with her thoughts.
So much to lose. So very much to lose.
* * * * *
At Dumbledore's announcement that the teachers would be at least five minutes late to class because had a quick meeting to attend, Hermione, Harry, and Ron said that they had more than enough time to show Timia to the astronomy tower.
"You shouldn't have any trouble completing your meeting with her, she's nice enough and knows what's going on," Hermione added as the came to the final set of stairs.
"Yeah, we probably should leave you here though... We'll get to class earlier than Dumbledore said was necessary, but then, one never really knows that Snape can't be in two places at once."
Timia smiled her understanding at Ron, then said, "I'll just wait here for Professor Sinistra to arrive. I wouldn't want to go up when she isn't there."
"Good- and we'll see you at dinner!"
With that the three left her to sit at the bottom most step of the stairway, quickly losing herself in her thoughts yet again.
* * * * *
Snape had not reached the dungeons by the time that the trio got down to the classroom, to everyone's great relief.
"I wouldn't have put it past that bastard," Ron muttered, "but I guess that Dumbledore was right."
It was only as they took their seats that Hermione started to worry. "What if my wand doesn't work, still? If that was what the teachers were meeting for? What if Snape forces us to do a spell, and I turn something else 'razzmatazz'? It would probably be one of his beloved ingredients, or something on his desk that would get hit. I seem to have the worst luck," she commented bitterly.
Harry smiled. "We've never before done spells in Potions, so I think that there's pretty good odds that nothing will turn red, least of all anything of Snape's. He probably has spells very carefully set against color-changing spells, or Fred and George would have told us about it."
Ron looked over at him. "I think they actually mentioned something about color-protection spells. They certainly tried, at least once. I think that the protection is strongest on his robes, after a bad incident on one of his first Valentine's that Bill told me about."
"See," Harry said to Hermione, "Nothing's going to happen."
Hermione didn't look so sure, but Snape walked in, silencing any objections she might have had.
"Well, well, well. Yet another class of Gryffindors and Slytherins. I have heard some of what has occurred in other classes, to other teachers, and," he said, glaring equally at everyone, "I am certain that none of it will happen here. Make sure that you are certain of it, too.
"Today we will be completing quite a deceptively simple potion, as it requires a great deal of precision," he said coldly, clearly implying that the degree of precision required would be more than difficult for some of them. "Partner up with whomever you are sitting with, and begin. The instructions are on page one hundred seventeen." He glared once more, then left them to their own devices.
Harry and Hermione got to work quickly, as Lavender and Ron did the same in front of them. "Page seventeen, page seventeen... This isn't that bad. A- an alertness potion," Hermione muttered.
" 'Allows you to remain alert for four times as long as you have slept if taken soon after awakening, or, will increase alertness for up to three hours.' I can't see that Snape would like this one, much too imprecise. It is more difficult than it seems, though not by much, and very addictive. Worse than coffee... That's probably why we haven't learnt it before."
"Do we have all the ingredients?" Harry asked, looking over the list quickly before answering himself, "Yes, so let's get to the brewing."
"Wait a second, Harry," Hermione said as he made to start the heat under their cauldron, then double-checked the items in front of them against the list. "We're missing essence of cocoa nut. I'll go get some."
She walked over to a table where Snape had extra ingredients, and picked up a glass vial of a very brown liquid.
Neville hurried over to the ingredients table after Hermione. He had been partnered with Parvati Patil, who had been forced to sit with him when she came in too late to get an empty desk. Neville was taking this opportunity to try to be as controlled as possible, and not knock anything over. He couldn't possibly melt another cauldron, not with Parvati there- she would laugh harder than anyone, after she had finished yelling at him. Parvati had never really like him.
Hermione turned around, perhaps a bit more quickly then she should have, and tripped over Neville's over-long robes. Oh, no! The vial went flying, and she immediately drew her wand, all other things out of her mind, casting the spell that froze the fall of the glass.
It was only as the spark left her wand that Hermione realized that it might have been better to let the vial fall, and risk Snape's wrath for her clumsiness.
The entire class watched, Slytherins with amusement and Gryffindors with dismay, as the spark flew around the classroom, finally hitting the inevitable.
"MISS GRANGER!" Snape positively roared, gesturing wildly at his robes. "WHAT IS THIS!?!"
Hermione could hardly keep a straight face, though she knew that she would be in terrible trouble, very soon. The spell, or whatever it was that caused her wand to behave so strangely, had obviously diversified, or gained power, or something. Not in her worst nightmares would Hermione have dared to think of this, for Snape's robes were not the only thing to have changed color.
Seeing that Hermione wasn't going to be able to answer any time soon, Harry, Ron, Lavender and the rest of the Gryffindors heroically controlled their laughter to help her out. They all looked at each other, collectively shrugged at the points that were sure to be lost, then unanimously rang out, "Razzmatazz!" With that they all collapsed into laughter.
The Slytherins were speechless. Their normally dark and brooding professor looked now more like a circus clown. His robes, boots, and shirt being such a brilliant pink were bad enough, but ... oh, Lord, his hair!
As he began ranting at the class, Snape happened to catch a glimpse of his reflection in a silver cauldron. "GET- GET OUT!" He blew up, and no one, not even Draco Malfoy, stayed a second.
Hermione was the first one out. She stopped only after getting five corridors away from the room, and then only when Harry and Ron pulled her back forcibly. They were no help, still laughing hysterically, even as Hermione repeated "Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God." again and again.
Harry finally gathered himself, and put an arm around her. "It could have been worse."
"How?!"
"Okay, maybe it couldn't have been. But it was funny. And Snape will get over it- it wasn't even your fault! Your wand has been acting up of its own volition."
Ron chimed in, " It was even better than Draco, the Flying Ferret!"
Hermione closed her eyes, as if trying to shut out the world. She had calmed down, but only a little. "I heard the teachers talking about this. McGonagall's desk, and something in charms. They haven't been able to reverse the spells. Snape is stuck like this, at least for now." She shook her head. "He is not going to be happy."
* * * * *
Sinistra arrived soon after the three left, to Timia's relief. Her thoughts were not very good company, at least whilst she was is this sort of mood.
The astronomy professor swept her up the stairs to the tower, with a briskness that was quite refreshing after Trelawney's awful fake sweetness- like the artificial sugar offered at restaurants for health-conscious people to put in their coffee, it would always be terrible.
"So, you're here about that project? Dumbledore told me that you were looking for topic ideas and, seeing as I didn't think that you'd get much help from Trelawney, I came up with a few." The tall, red-haired woman tossed her a list of five possibilities.
The five were all good, but one jumped out at her immediately. "There are centaurs at Hogwarts?" she asked with great enthusiasm.
Sinistra smiled broadly. "I liked that one myself. A fair number of centaurs live in the Forbidden Forest, a good number of whom are friendly with Hogwarts. Harry's met a few, I believe. From what they've told me there are enough to make that project work- if you put enough time in."
Timia smiled right back at her. "Of course. The centaur's form of Divination is so different from any other, even though horoscopes are based on alignments of planets. They do something entirely different. I can't believe they're willing to try this- no one's yet been able to find out what makes their prophecies so true."
"You will need to gain permission from Professor Dumbledore and Professor Trelawney. I give you mine now. Just remember that even if you do get their good will you will have to be diplomatic at all times with the centaurs. I've worked at Hogwarts for a few years now, and haven't gained their confidence. I was kind of surprised that they so willingly agreed to this- perhaps yet another prophecy, foretelling of a girl come to study?"
The last was meant as a joke, but Timia realized that it might well be the truth. No one's ever been allowed to find out anything about their methods... If they've seen me, who I am, what I've prepared for... It's all coming to be far too soon. I'll have to tell her.
Sinistra, unaware of where Timia's thoughts were going, glanced at the hourglass. "I've got students in a few minutes- can you find your way out of here?"
The girl nodded, agreed to another meeting after talking with the other professors, and said her goodbyes. The stairs seemed to be twice as long now. Figures. I only have time to meet her, and then have to go telling her things that would shock Dumbledore. Tonight. It can wait for tonight.
Whatever she expected to find in the Hogwarts corridors, it was not a pale Hermione being comforted by Ron and Hermione. Uh-oh. "I thought that you all had potions- you look worse than you did at lunch, Hermione! What happened?"
This time Ron answered. "The same thing, sort of. Except in potions. And it didn't turn Snape's desk red." Timia could tell from his look that it had been far worse. "It hit- it hit him. His robes. And-"
"Spit it out, Ron!"
"His hair. His hair is now a brilliant, bloody red. Permanently, Hermione thinks, according to something that the teachers said." He started laughing again.
A look at Hermione's face confirmed what Ron had just said. Uh-oh, uh-oh, uh-oh... Timia put her arm around Hermione as well. "It's not permanent, just... long-lasting. They'll have it off in a week. You'll be fine. Dumbledore will see it as a hilarious joke, and won't let him do anything too terrible to you- and would you please stop laughing!" she ordered Ron.
"Hermione?"
"Yea." she mumbled.
Timia sighed. "Let's get you some tea. Actually, let's get you some pepper-up potion. Where's the hospital wing?"
* * * * *
Considering the fact that Madame Pomfrey didn't seem too surprised to see Hermione, and that she understood Ron's explanation, which lost something when he had to stop to laugh every other word, Timia summarized that Snape had been there before them.
"Could you fix it?" she asked as Ron subsided.
Madame Pomfrey looked at her sharply, then said, "No. I couldn't. There will be an irate Professor Snape at dinner, if he goes at all. I have an idea that Albus- Professor Dumbledore- will force him."
"Timia, how did you-" Hermione started, then looked over at Pomfrey, standing attentively by the door. "How did your meeting with Professor Sinistra go?"
Well, at least she didn't ask me how I knew... That is not about to become public access info. "I've got a wonderful topic, one that Dumbledore's certain to approve- Trelawney, too, I hope. The centaurs in the forbidden forest have agreed to help me discover the differences between their forms of divination, and ours."
This caught Hermione's attention, even though the conversation wasn't as necessary since Pomfrey had gone back to her office. "Really? I thought that they never had before ... they haven't, have they?"
"No, they haven't. I'm the first. I believe I have been seen in one of their many prophesies, which is why they are allowing me entrance to their secrets. And that ties into a lot of other things that are going on, like your trouble with the wand, the recall of all Rowan wands that Dumbledore will feel forced to make, my odd appearance into your lives, and your friend Lupin's increasingly difficult transformations.
"It will all culminate with the next full moon, just as Voldemort planned- and you, Hermione, not Harry, will be his main target." That was easier than expected.
The three others stared, Hermione sitting up straighter in the hospital bed that she was forced to remain in for at least one hour, Ron and Harry both sitting down rather abruptly. None of them were smiling, but then, neither was Timia. It's not a joke. Whatever it is, they can't think that it's a joke. She looked at the shock in Harry and Ron's faces, and the bit of understanding in Hermione's.
"I think that we need an explanation," the girl said softly.
Now for the fun stuff.
A/N: Well, I got slightly into the more serious stuff. Just had to do the whole pinkish-reddish Snape thing. Popped into my mind and would not get out...
There will be more fun with Snape (Dumbledore won't let him off too easy), HP/HG fluffiness, and an explanation of what so shocked the magnificent trio, hopefully in the next chapter.
Thank you so much for your reviews, I haven't decided yet whether to go back and change Dumbledore's password; if I do, it will be the only thing changed.
Please review with any comments or criticism, reviews make me very happy.