It's No Firebolt
Obi-Wan had taken Hermione to the archives (finally!). Harry imagined that she was already busy slaving away over some new and interesting bit of information. Ron had not been very good company since their adventure last night, so he'd left his friend to his sulking. Harry, wondering what was around every corner, eventually found himself in the top of one of the towers, looking through a large window at the many lanes of sky traffic.
What a wondrous thing to be able to fly anywhere you wanted to go! Harry would love to be able to just hop onto his Firebolt and soar to any destination he could imagine, but such things were not allowed back home. Muggles would not be able to handle the knowledge of magic being used in such an open fashion. For the peace of mind of all, wizards continued to live in secret, apart from the Muggle world.
If he closed his eyes, Harry could almost imagine being up in the air on his Firebolt, seeking out the Golden Snitch in a Quidditch game, his friends and fellow Gryffindors cheering him on. The wind was whipping through his wild hair, his robes flailing in the breeze. Draco Malfoy would be disgraced as he, Harry Potter, yet again grabbed the Snitch right out from underneath him, winning the game and the Quidditch Cup.
"Fond memories you have."
Harry turned to see Master Yoda approach, gliding silently on a cushioned disk. He had noticed that the tiny Jedi walked with his gimmer stick, but his pace was slow and appeared painful. It gave him some measure of relief that someone had thought to see to his comfort by giving him a way to avoid walking.
"Fragile, I am not. Still, privileges age does have." He laughed a wry little chuckle, and Harry found himself grinning at the Jedi. "Miss flying, do you?"
"Terribly."
"Feeling of freedom, it gives you."
"Complete freedom. My life, before Hogwarts, was horrible." He turned his head back toward the window. "After Voldemort killed my parents, I was sent to live with my mother's sister and her husband. They hated me, hated magic. They swore to rid me of my gift, but it didn't work. Dumbledore still found me, still managed to get me to Hogwarts so that I could learn." A sad smile crossed his face. "At Hogwarts I could learn why odd things happened around me. I could sit down at a table and finally eat my fill instead of having to go to bed starving. I have friends now. I'm no longer alone."
"And flying gives you joy."
"Yes, flying gives me joy. At home, back at Hogwarts, I have a Firebolt. It's the fastest racing broom ever! I'm the Quidditch Team Seeker for my house, I was the youngest in over a century to win that spot."
Harry realized that he must sound as though he was bragging, and quickly fell silent. The Jedi was chuckling, eyes lit with merriment. "So many like to fly." He leaned forward to look closely at the young wizard. "A solution, I may have."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Hermione had enjoyed her time in the Archives. There was so much to learn! She didn't find anything that told her how to build a light saber, though. She didn't really need one, but it would be nice to have one. Besides, she was certain wands were better. After all, what could you do with a silly old light saber except slash at things? With a wand, you could do magic.
Still, the Jedi were fascinating. They could levitate objects without using a charm spell. They could perform amazing feats of strength with the help of this Force they held so dear. It was the same as the magic she used, she knew this because it gave her the same sensation on the back her neck as she got when a spell was being cast near her. They simply had learned to use it with only their thoughts.
'It must be nice, to be so attuned to magic. I don't think even Voldemort is that powerful.'
If she, Harry and Ron could learn to use magic like the Jedi, then they would have a better chance of holding their own against the dark lord. Still, from what she had learned so far, it took years to become a Jedi. Obi-Wan had been with Qui-Gon for twelve years now, and he had been at the Temple a good twelve years or more before that. She had learned that gifted infants were usually taken from their families before they were a year old and brought here to the temple. She certainly wouldn't have been willing to give up that particular bit of her life, but the logic set forth as to why made sense. By doing so, the Jedi avoided strong bonds between parent and child that would weaken resolve and cloud thinking. Reading some of the histories on how some Jedi would fall to evil, much like Lord Voldemort had fallen, she could see their side of things.
But still. to have no mother or father. What a truly lonely childhood that must be. Then again, if you were that young you weren't as likely to miss it as someone who had everything. Actually, she should amend that. Harry had never known his parents, but he still missed not having a mother and father, and the closest he had, his god-father Sirius Black, he couldn't be with because the wizard had been falsely accused of horrible crimes. Perhaps it was that all of the children here at the Temple were in the same situation. All of them were raised without parents, so they didn't fully realize what they were missing. From what she could tell, the connection between Master and Padawan was very much like that of parent and child. Obi-Wan looked upon Qui-Gon as something of a father figure as well as a mentor. In return, Qui-Gon clearly held a warm, secure place in his heart for his apprentice.
'That would be something, to have such close one-on-one instruction. If we did the same at Hogwarts, I'd want to be Professor McGonagall's apprentice. No doubt Dumbledore would choose Harry, but where would that leave Ron?' The vision of Ron being stuck with an ever rotating master because the school could never manage to keep a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher made her giggle softly.
She shook her head to clear it of the silly scene now inhabiting it, but it was no use. She continued to see Ron trying to mimic Mad Eye Moody's stern expression, but unable to copy the man's magic eye as it rolled around in the craggy face. Besides, there weren't enough competent witches and wizards to entrust with the education of young student. It took a rare and special individual to be a good teacher. She sighed and was just about to call up the next file when the sound of laughter floated through the hall outside the archive door.
The doors opened and Harry and Ron appeared, hovering on a pair of floating disks that looked suspiciously like Master Yoda's hover pad. "See, I told you she'd still be here." Ron grinned, always happy when he was right.
"I never questioned you." Harry ignored the somewhat put-upon attitude of the Temple's librarian and floated over towards a bemused Hermione. "Come on. Master Yoda gave us all one of these hover pads to use. It's not as agile as a broomstick, but it's a lot of fun."
"And just *why* would I want to go flying around on a hover pad?" Honestly, didn't the boys ever spend any time being serious? Or even behaving like the nearly-adult fifteen-year-olds that they were? Of course, girls did mature more quickly and therefo.
"Because it's fun, it's the closest we're likely to a broomstick until Dumbledore brings us back to Hogwarts, it will annoy Snape and," Ron paused, trying to think of something else, "because Master Yoda wanted to test us in something."
"Master Yoda?" That got her attention. She had read no fewer than six books already on the tiny Jedi, and she found that he was, here at least, held in even higher esteem that their own beloved Dumbledore. It would be rude of her not to join in. "Why didn't you say so?"
Both boys grinned as she began to put away her data crystals. The third pad was hovering behind them, as though patiently for its rider. Ron smiled broadly, and then made a grand show of bowing, offering a hand to Hermione in order to help her up onto her hover pad. She blinked, and then blushed shyly as she accepted the offer. She often forgot just how charming Ron could be, when he wasn't bristling like a hedgehog.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Snape was not in a good mood. He didn't like this place, with its constant run of buildings. How could these people live without rolling hills, open skies, ancient trees!? He missed the grounds of Hogwarts fiercely and found himself fervently hoping that Dumbledore would get rid of that tiresome creature soon. He would be all too happy to bid a fond farewell to these Jedi and their endless questions.
They had let the children pretty much go their own way, he noted with a sneer. Snape, however, had spent most of his free time being interrogated by one or more of the higher ranking Jedi Masters. They quizzed him on everything, from the construction of a wand to the various methods of casting spells and charms. He could tell that the Jedi didn't fully trust him, and when he had asked the bald one, he believed they called him Windu, he had been told that it was because the "Dark Side" clung to him. Well of course it did! He used to be Death Eater, and that wasn't something you just washed away with soap and water. The taint he had gained at the side of Voldemort would always be with him, no matter how dedicated he was to Dumbledore now.
In truth, he hated the darkness that still radiated from him. With the exception of Dumbledore, no one would ever fully trust him. At least not until Voldemort was gone for good. As long as the dark lord was still slinking around, causing mischief, Severus Snape would be considered just one half of a step above being an enemy.
Damn! If only he could have a cauldron and a few potion ingredients, he would at least be able to keep himself busy while he was trapped here. In truth, Ron could use some extra work in his potions, and there wasn't anything else important for the boy to be doing. Hermione, every studious and clever, was ahead of her fellow fifth years and Harry could probably soar through his class without even studying if he cared to. Weasley was more of a charms master than a potions master. Still, if he insisted on following Potter around into whatever dangerous adventure that lay just around the next corner, he needed a well rounded set of skills.
'You're becoming soft, Severus. If you don't watch yourself, those children may discover you're not the heartless bastard you try so hard to be.'
In truth, he didn't hate the students at Hogwarts. Quite the opposite. Though he would never go so far as to say he loved any of them, he would admit (at least to himself) that he held a warm place in the very darkest corner of his heart for them. He worried for them more than he would like to admit. Dumbledore knew this, but he kept it to himself, respecting his privacy. The truth behind his façade was far too dangerous.
He didn't want anyone to be close to him, didn't want to run the risk of some innocent being used against him. Not like before. Not like when Voldemort had discovered he had betrayed him. He hadn't needed to kill Lily or Harry. He had done so only because he knew how much it would have pained Severus. That was why he was so cold to the boy. That was why he had to continue to pretend to hate the very sight of him when in truth he wanted nothing more than to watch over Lily's child as though he were his own.
'Who are you trying to fool, Severus? Yourself? What kind of father could you ever be? What would you know about raising a son? James was a far better choice for such a position.'
He was still brooding on this when he rounded a corner and nearly had his ear taken off by a speeding sphere of some shiny metal. He jerked in surprise and watched as the ball twisted and turned around various columns that acted as supports for a large, open hallway.
A blur came zipping around the same posts, black robes flying as Ron soared on a flying disk, chasing the ball. It was larger than a snitch, and not quite as fast, but the boy's intent on catching it was just the same. Snape watched in stunned silence and the boy drew closer. closer. closer.
Another blur of black robes zoomed past Ron and grabbed the sphere. "You'll have to be faster than that!" Harry laughed over his shoulder at his friend as he wove his way around the imposing columns.
"Leviosa!" Of course, Harry was already in the air, but the charm did manage to buck the hover pad enough that he nearly went flying off of it. Hermione was on the other side of the great hall, and quickly sought cover behind the matching row of pillars. Snape could have sworn he heard her giggle.
Or perhaps it was the laughter that was coming from above him that he heard. He raised his head and saw the tiny, green Jedi Master who seemed to lead the Council watching the children with glee. Flanking him were many of the other higher ranking Jedi he had been forced to suffer during their questioning. Each seemed to be taking his or her turn at throwing some challenge or another at the three students. It was obvious that the Jedi were busy putting the students through their paces, trying to see just how much they were capable of.
Snape glared and moved to walk forward and address the Jedi, when a slender hand touched his shoulder. "I wouldn't. Besides, they are in no danger." He whirled around to glare at the person, and then found himself looking upwards at the tall, ever imposing Qui-Gon Jin. "The Council merely seeks to understand more about them and how they tap into the Force."
"My answers to their questions weren't enough?" He allowed the venom to drip from his words, affecting his best disdainful glare. To his surprise, the tall man merely chuckled.
"It is no use trying to pretend you hate all living things. At least not around me. I can read you as easily as a book, Professor. You would lay down your life for your students, just as I would lay down my own for my Padawan." The Jedi turned his gaze to the three students who were currently trying to see who could urge their hover pads to go the fastest. On their own, the levitation disks could only go so fast, it was the use of their innate Force talents that urged them to break their programmed limitations. "You should be proud of them, Professor. They are all three possessed of good and noble souls, and the Force has graced each. I foresee that they will accomplish a great many deeds in their lifetime."
Snape turned his beady eyes back to the children, watching them for a long moment. "Yes, I know. We all know, even our enemies. Harry. there are always prophesies. That boy has a long, hard road before him, and should he fail. a great many will suffer."
"You think he will fail?" The Jedi turned his wizened gaze to the other man, ignoring the taint of Darkness that clung to him, and instead focusing on the warmer, more trustworthy feelings there. He watched as the teacher seemed to weigh the boy's heart in his mind.
"No, he will not fail. He has his mother's cleverness and skill, and he has his father's strength of will and hunger to strive. Nothing short of death will chain that boy down to mediocrity."
"Then do not fear letting him know how you feel about him, Professor. Do not fear showing him when you approve. I made that mistake for a long time with Obi-Wan, and nearly crushed the spirit right out of him." The master grinned a sort of half grin. "If he is anything like my Padawan, and I'm wiling to hazard a guess that he is, then he routinely pushes you to distraction and leaves you wanting to rip out your hair at the roots."
Snape rolled his eyes skyward. "If only you knew. That boy seems bound and determined to spend his entire scholastic career in the infirmary. I believe Madame Pomfrey even has bed linens with his name embroidered on them. If he isn't being pummeled by a bludger in a Quidditch match, then he's being hunted by some monster or another determined to have his blood. I'm surprised my hair is still black. I should be as white headed as Dumbledore himself. I even thought to have him expelled once, just to keep him safe."
"Expulsion. I've never considered that tactic before. Perhaps a year or two banned from the Order may do Obi-Wan some good." The Jedi searched the crowd of older Padawans that had now gathered on the uppermost railing and found his apprentice. He noted the young man was closely watching Hermione, who had decided to torment Ron by animating about one half dozen wooden practice blades and setting them to chasing the boy about the hall. The tactic was met by the amused laughter of the Council members, even Master Windu. "I fear that being around your students has brought out a mischievous streak in him. I can sense that he's plotting some elaborate scheme involving the young lady and your Mr. Weasley."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Ron Weasley is suffering from classic denial in regards to Miss Granger. I do hope he doesn't come to his senses anytime soon. I'm not too sure that he's good enough for her. He may be from a wizarding family and she Muggle born, but settling down with a Weasley and playing mother to a small army would stifle her potential. Your Jedi sight is serving your well when it comes to that girl. There is no one bri."
The discussion was cut off abruptly as Harry's voice yelped out suddenly. Snape whirled his head around to see what had happened. The boy had brought his hover pad to a stop and was rubbing the lightening shaped scar on his forehead, eyes clouded in concern. Both Ron and Hermione had stopped as well, upon seeing their friend's action.
"H. Harry?" Hermione's voice was barely more than a whisper, but it traveled to Snape's ears as clearly as a morning church bell.
"M. my scar. It's burning." The boy sounded uneasy. Qui-Gon frowned, noting the fine tension that had invaded the four visitors. From the corner of his eye, he saw the teacher pull his polished wand from the depths of his cloak.
"What does it mean?"
Snape swallowed hard as the three children, willing to forget any fears or animosities they held for the potions master, hurried to his side when he but simply nodded his head towards them. "It means that Voldemort has arrived."
Obi-Wan had taken Hermione to the archives (finally!). Harry imagined that she was already busy slaving away over some new and interesting bit of information. Ron had not been very good company since their adventure last night, so he'd left his friend to his sulking. Harry, wondering what was around every corner, eventually found himself in the top of one of the towers, looking through a large window at the many lanes of sky traffic.
What a wondrous thing to be able to fly anywhere you wanted to go! Harry would love to be able to just hop onto his Firebolt and soar to any destination he could imagine, but such things were not allowed back home. Muggles would not be able to handle the knowledge of magic being used in such an open fashion. For the peace of mind of all, wizards continued to live in secret, apart from the Muggle world.
If he closed his eyes, Harry could almost imagine being up in the air on his Firebolt, seeking out the Golden Snitch in a Quidditch game, his friends and fellow Gryffindors cheering him on. The wind was whipping through his wild hair, his robes flailing in the breeze. Draco Malfoy would be disgraced as he, Harry Potter, yet again grabbed the Snitch right out from underneath him, winning the game and the Quidditch Cup.
"Fond memories you have."
Harry turned to see Master Yoda approach, gliding silently on a cushioned disk. He had noticed that the tiny Jedi walked with his gimmer stick, but his pace was slow and appeared painful. It gave him some measure of relief that someone had thought to see to his comfort by giving him a way to avoid walking.
"Fragile, I am not. Still, privileges age does have." He laughed a wry little chuckle, and Harry found himself grinning at the Jedi. "Miss flying, do you?"
"Terribly."
"Feeling of freedom, it gives you."
"Complete freedom. My life, before Hogwarts, was horrible." He turned his head back toward the window. "After Voldemort killed my parents, I was sent to live with my mother's sister and her husband. They hated me, hated magic. They swore to rid me of my gift, but it didn't work. Dumbledore still found me, still managed to get me to Hogwarts so that I could learn." A sad smile crossed his face. "At Hogwarts I could learn why odd things happened around me. I could sit down at a table and finally eat my fill instead of having to go to bed starving. I have friends now. I'm no longer alone."
"And flying gives you joy."
"Yes, flying gives me joy. At home, back at Hogwarts, I have a Firebolt. It's the fastest racing broom ever! I'm the Quidditch Team Seeker for my house, I was the youngest in over a century to win that spot."
Harry realized that he must sound as though he was bragging, and quickly fell silent. The Jedi was chuckling, eyes lit with merriment. "So many like to fly." He leaned forward to look closely at the young wizard. "A solution, I may have."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Hermione had enjoyed her time in the Archives. There was so much to learn! She didn't find anything that told her how to build a light saber, though. She didn't really need one, but it would be nice to have one. Besides, she was certain wands were better. After all, what could you do with a silly old light saber except slash at things? With a wand, you could do magic.
Still, the Jedi were fascinating. They could levitate objects without using a charm spell. They could perform amazing feats of strength with the help of this Force they held so dear. It was the same as the magic she used, she knew this because it gave her the same sensation on the back her neck as she got when a spell was being cast near her. They simply had learned to use it with only their thoughts.
'It must be nice, to be so attuned to magic. I don't think even Voldemort is that powerful.'
If she, Harry and Ron could learn to use magic like the Jedi, then they would have a better chance of holding their own against the dark lord. Still, from what she had learned so far, it took years to become a Jedi. Obi-Wan had been with Qui-Gon for twelve years now, and he had been at the Temple a good twelve years or more before that. She had learned that gifted infants were usually taken from their families before they were a year old and brought here to the temple. She certainly wouldn't have been willing to give up that particular bit of her life, but the logic set forth as to why made sense. By doing so, the Jedi avoided strong bonds between parent and child that would weaken resolve and cloud thinking. Reading some of the histories on how some Jedi would fall to evil, much like Lord Voldemort had fallen, she could see their side of things.
But still. to have no mother or father. What a truly lonely childhood that must be. Then again, if you were that young you weren't as likely to miss it as someone who had everything. Actually, she should amend that. Harry had never known his parents, but he still missed not having a mother and father, and the closest he had, his god-father Sirius Black, he couldn't be with because the wizard had been falsely accused of horrible crimes. Perhaps it was that all of the children here at the Temple were in the same situation. All of them were raised without parents, so they didn't fully realize what they were missing. From what she could tell, the connection between Master and Padawan was very much like that of parent and child. Obi-Wan looked upon Qui-Gon as something of a father figure as well as a mentor. In return, Qui-Gon clearly held a warm, secure place in his heart for his apprentice.
'That would be something, to have such close one-on-one instruction. If we did the same at Hogwarts, I'd want to be Professor McGonagall's apprentice. No doubt Dumbledore would choose Harry, but where would that leave Ron?' The vision of Ron being stuck with an ever rotating master because the school could never manage to keep a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher made her giggle softly.
She shook her head to clear it of the silly scene now inhabiting it, but it was no use. She continued to see Ron trying to mimic Mad Eye Moody's stern expression, but unable to copy the man's magic eye as it rolled around in the craggy face. Besides, there weren't enough competent witches and wizards to entrust with the education of young student. It took a rare and special individual to be a good teacher. She sighed and was just about to call up the next file when the sound of laughter floated through the hall outside the archive door.
The doors opened and Harry and Ron appeared, hovering on a pair of floating disks that looked suspiciously like Master Yoda's hover pad. "See, I told you she'd still be here." Ron grinned, always happy when he was right.
"I never questioned you." Harry ignored the somewhat put-upon attitude of the Temple's librarian and floated over towards a bemused Hermione. "Come on. Master Yoda gave us all one of these hover pads to use. It's not as agile as a broomstick, but it's a lot of fun."
"And just *why* would I want to go flying around on a hover pad?" Honestly, didn't the boys ever spend any time being serious? Or even behaving like the nearly-adult fifteen-year-olds that they were? Of course, girls did mature more quickly and therefo.
"Because it's fun, it's the closest we're likely to a broomstick until Dumbledore brings us back to Hogwarts, it will annoy Snape and," Ron paused, trying to think of something else, "because Master Yoda wanted to test us in something."
"Master Yoda?" That got her attention. She had read no fewer than six books already on the tiny Jedi, and she found that he was, here at least, held in even higher esteem that their own beloved Dumbledore. It would be rude of her not to join in. "Why didn't you say so?"
Both boys grinned as she began to put away her data crystals. The third pad was hovering behind them, as though patiently for its rider. Ron smiled broadly, and then made a grand show of bowing, offering a hand to Hermione in order to help her up onto her hover pad. She blinked, and then blushed shyly as she accepted the offer. She often forgot just how charming Ron could be, when he wasn't bristling like a hedgehog.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ Snape was not in a good mood. He didn't like this place, with its constant run of buildings. How could these people live without rolling hills, open skies, ancient trees!? He missed the grounds of Hogwarts fiercely and found himself fervently hoping that Dumbledore would get rid of that tiresome creature soon. He would be all too happy to bid a fond farewell to these Jedi and their endless questions.
They had let the children pretty much go their own way, he noted with a sneer. Snape, however, had spent most of his free time being interrogated by one or more of the higher ranking Jedi Masters. They quizzed him on everything, from the construction of a wand to the various methods of casting spells and charms. He could tell that the Jedi didn't fully trust him, and when he had asked the bald one, he believed they called him Windu, he had been told that it was because the "Dark Side" clung to him. Well of course it did! He used to be Death Eater, and that wasn't something you just washed away with soap and water. The taint he had gained at the side of Voldemort would always be with him, no matter how dedicated he was to Dumbledore now.
In truth, he hated the darkness that still radiated from him. With the exception of Dumbledore, no one would ever fully trust him. At least not until Voldemort was gone for good. As long as the dark lord was still slinking around, causing mischief, Severus Snape would be considered just one half of a step above being an enemy.
Damn! If only he could have a cauldron and a few potion ingredients, he would at least be able to keep himself busy while he was trapped here. In truth, Ron could use some extra work in his potions, and there wasn't anything else important for the boy to be doing. Hermione, every studious and clever, was ahead of her fellow fifth years and Harry could probably soar through his class without even studying if he cared to. Weasley was more of a charms master than a potions master. Still, if he insisted on following Potter around into whatever dangerous adventure that lay just around the next corner, he needed a well rounded set of skills.
'You're becoming soft, Severus. If you don't watch yourself, those children may discover you're not the heartless bastard you try so hard to be.'
In truth, he didn't hate the students at Hogwarts. Quite the opposite. Though he would never go so far as to say he loved any of them, he would admit (at least to himself) that he held a warm place in the very darkest corner of his heart for them. He worried for them more than he would like to admit. Dumbledore knew this, but he kept it to himself, respecting his privacy. The truth behind his façade was far too dangerous.
He didn't want anyone to be close to him, didn't want to run the risk of some innocent being used against him. Not like before. Not like when Voldemort had discovered he had betrayed him. He hadn't needed to kill Lily or Harry. He had done so only because he knew how much it would have pained Severus. That was why he was so cold to the boy. That was why he had to continue to pretend to hate the very sight of him when in truth he wanted nothing more than to watch over Lily's child as though he were his own.
'Who are you trying to fool, Severus? Yourself? What kind of father could you ever be? What would you know about raising a son? James was a far better choice for such a position.'
He was still brooding on this when he rounded a corner and nearly had his ear taken off by a speeding sphere of some shiny metal. He jerked in surprise and watched as the ball twisted and turned around various columns that acted as supports for a large, open hallway.
A blur came zipping around the same posts, black robes flying as Ron soared on a flying disk, chasing the ball. It was larger than a snitch, and not quite as fast, but the boy's intent on catching it was just the same. Snape watched in stunned silence and the boy drew closer. closer. closer.
Another blur of black robes zoomed past Ron and grabbed the sphere. "You'll have to be faster than that!" Harry laughed over his shoulder at his friend as he wove his way around the imposing columns.
"Leviosa!" Of course, Harry was already in the air, but the charm did manage to buck the hover pad enough that he nearly went flying off of it. Hermione was on the other side of the great hall, and quickly sought cover behind the matching row of pillars. Snape could have sworn he heard her giggle.
Or perhaps it was the laughter that was coming from above him that he heard. He raised his head and saw the tiny, green Jedi Master who seemed to lead the Council watching the children with glee. Flanking him were many of the other higher ranking Jedi he had been forced to suffer during their questioning. Each seemed to be taking his or her turn at throwing some challenge or another at the three students. It was obvious that the Jedi were busy putting the students through their paces, trying to see just how much they were capable of.
Snape glared and moved to walk forward and address the Jedi, when a slender hand touched his shoulder. "I wouldn't. Besides, they are in no danger." He whirled around to glare at the person, and then found himself looking upwards at the tall, ever imposing Qui-Gon Jin. "The Council merely seeks to understand more about them and how they tap into the Force."
"My answers to their questions weren't enough?" He allowed the venom to drip from his words, affecting his best disdainful glare. To his surprise, the tall man merely chuckled.
"It is no use trying to pretend you hate all living things. At least not around me. I can read you as easily as a book, Professor. You would lay down your life for your students, just as I would lay down my own for my Padawan." The Jedi turned his gaze to the three students who were currently trying to see who could urge their hover pads to go the fastest. On their own, the levitation disks could only go so fast, it was the use of their innate Force talents that urged them to break their programmed limitations. "You should be proud of them, Professor. They are all three possessed of good and noble souls, and the Force has graced each. I foresee that they will accomplish a great many deeds in their lifetime."
Snape turned his beady eyes back to the children, watching them for a long moment. "Yes, I know. We all know, even our enemies. Harry. there are always prophesies. That boy has a long, hard road before him, and should he fail. a great many will suffer."
"You think he will fail?" The Jedi turned his wizened gaze to the other man, ignoring the taint of Darkness that clung to him, and instead focusing on the warmer, more trustworthy feelings there. He watched as the teacher seemed to weigh the boy's heart in his mind.
"No, he will not fail. He has his mother's cleverness and skill, and he has his father's strength of will and hunger to strive. Nothing short of death will chain that boy down to mediocrity."
"Then do not fear letting him know how you feel about him, Professor. Do not fear showing him when you approve. I made that mistake for a long time with Obi-Wan, and nearly crushed the spirit right out of him." The master grinned a sort of half grin. "If he is anything like my Padawan, and I'm wiling to hazard a guess that he is, then he routinely pushes you to distraction and leaves you wanting to rip out your hair at the roots."
Snape rolled his eyes skyward. "If only you knew. That boy seems bound and determined to spend his entire scholastic career in the infirmary. I believe Madame Pomfrey even has bed linens with his name embroidered on them. If he isn't being pummeled by a bludger in a Quidditch match, then he's being hunted by some monster or another determined to have his blood. I'm surprised my hair is still black. I should be as white headed as Dumbledore himself. I even thought to have him expelled once, just to keep him safe."
"Expulsion. I've never considered that tactic before. Perhaps a year or two banned from the Order may do Obi-Wan some good." The Jedi searched the crowd of older Padawans that had now gathered on the uppermost railing and found his apprentice. He noted the young man was closely watching Hermione, who had decided to torment Ron by animating about one half dozen wooden practice blades and setting them to chasing the boy about the hall. The tactic was met by the amused laughter of the Council members, even Master Windu. "I fear that being around your students has brought out a mischievous streak in him. I can sense that he's plotting some elaborate scheme involving the young lady and your Mr. Weasley."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me. Ron Weasley is suffering from classic denial in regards to Miss Granger. I do hope he doesn't come to his senses anytime soon. I'm not too sure that he's good enough for her. He may be from a wizarding family and she Muggle born, but settling down with a Weasley and playing mother to a small army would stifle her potential. Your Jedi sight is serving your well when it comes to that girl. There is no one bri."
The discussion was cut off abruptly as Harry's voice yelped out suddenly. Snape whirled his head around to see what had happened. The boy had brought his hover pad to a stop and was rubbing the lightening shaped scar on his forehead, eyes clouded in concern. Both Ron and Hermione had stopped as well, upon seeing their friend's action.
"H. Harry?" Hermione's voice was barely more than a whisper, but it traveled to Snape's ears as clearly as a morning church bell.
"M. my scar. It's burning." The boy sounded uneasy. Qui-Gon frowned, noting the fine tension that had invaded the four visitors. From the corner of his eye, he saw the teacher pull his polished wand from the depths of his cloak.
"What does it mean?"
Snape swallowed hard as the three children, willing to forget any fears or animosities they held for the potions master, hurried to his side when he but simply nodded his head towards them. "It means that Voldemort has arrived."