A/N Reviews! Reviews! Reviews! I love Reviews! People like my story. Yay!
Yes, names are important indicators of a person's character. That and I
like the name. I am sorry the chapters are so short so far but they don't
seem to want to be longer. Besides I couldn't resist for that last chapter.
As to where the story's going, how should I know? I just write the thing!
By the way does anyone have any ideas for a better story title?
A Dilemma
The weeks went on much like the first day. Longbottom seeming to manage a spectacular failure every other week, students despising me and leaving class as soon as possible, the usual. There was just one thing I couldn't figure out. Make that one person. Goldstone. She usually arrived a few minutes early and gave me an abominably cheerful greeting, ignored all her class mates with their teasing (and they teased her a lot), was the last one done but produced an excellent potion, and stayed behind a minute or two afterwards. She usually tried to talk to me but I seldom responded. I didn't plan on today being an exception.
The class had just finished up a simple variant of the Pepper-up Potion. Three people had done it perfectly. Everyone rushed to their next class but Goldstone was still putting her stuff away. "Professor Snape?"
"Hmm?" I vocalized without looking up. If I didn't respond at all she either assumed I didn't hear or acted like I couldn't hear.
"What's a mudblood?"
That startled me. I instantly sat up straighter and looked at her. If she was startled by my reaction or understood the word at all she didn't show it. "Where did you hear that word?" I demanded.
"Oh, someone called me that and I wondered what it meant." She shrugged it off. Typical Gryffindor. She wouldn't even say who it was. Than again it was probably a Slytherin and if so I would have to punish them so perhaps it's just as well.
"It is an extremely rude term for some witch or wizard who is muggle-born." She shrugged. Perhaps she didn't understand the significance yet. "It is one of the worst insults you can give a person." Again not much response. "Anyone calling another student that would be immediately assigned a week of detentions." She said nothing. "Who called you that?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm not upset by it or anything. I am muggle-born and see nothing wrong with it."
I stared at her. However if she wasn't going to tell I couldn't force her.
"When did this occur?"
"Recently."
"In this class, today?" I didn't think it would be. After all that would have caused a reaction by all who heard it so I should have known.
She hesitated. "Yes, but it wasn't the first time."
"I see. You had better get going or you will wind up late to your next class."
"I don't have another class for an hour."
I raised my eyebrows. "Yes but at the rate you move it could take that long." She was almost insufferably slow.
She laughed. I hadn't meant it as a joke. My mouth started to twitch. Oh No, I am not going to smile! I ended up with a semi-twisted scowl. She only laughed harder. Sometimes she gave me the uncomfortable feeling that she could see inside me and through every action I made. Especially at times like this, she seemed to know that I was trying to hide a smile. Her eyes twinkled a bit.
"Even if you don't have class, I have work." I sounded a bit gruffer than I intended to. I had a bit to think about. She smiled and wished me a good day as she left. She was the only one in the school including the teachers to ever verbally wish me a good day. She couldn't be trying to suck up because she certainly did well enough in Potions without it. She also couldn't just be naturally friendly because she didn't appear to have any friends in the students. Those good in school seldom have friends. I realized she was being teased but not to that extant. Regardless of house I couldn't let any student insult any other in that way. I made up my mind to take away twenty points from the offender's house (regardless of house) if I heard any one call anyone else a mudblood. That couldn't be tolerated.
Anyway onto grading papers… I was only vaguely surprised that her paper was on top of the pile. She couldn't spell and her handwriting was atrocious but I could read it and she knew what she was talking about. The girl practically devoured books. Probably easier dealing with books than people. Any way take off a few points each for spelling and handwriting and she still had a 90%. I wasn't surprised that none of the others were doing so well until I got to the bottom. As I started reading the last one I couldn't help feeling I had read it before. Suddenly I remembered. I took Goldstone's and this new scroll and held them side-by-side. They were practically identical. Either they had both copied directly from the same source or one had copied the other. I checked the name on the second scroll. Jorn Malvont. A distant cousin of the Malfoys. He was a clever boy but not as far as essays go. Besides, if Goldstone had copied him, she wouldn't have so many spelling errors. Also if she had copied from a book there wouldn't be so many errors. Now, what? If I side with a Gryffindor over a Slytherin… I don't even want to imagine everyone's reaction. Finally I wrote on the top of both papers, "See me after class."
Now I had a week before dealing with them.
A Dilemma
The weeks went on much like the first day. Longbottom seeming to manage a spectacular failure every other week, students despising me and leaving class as soon as possible, the usual. There was just one thing I couldn't figure out. Make that one person. Goldstone. She usually arrived a few minutes early and gave me an abominably cheerful greeting, ignored all her class mates with their teasing (and they teased her a lot), was the last one done but produced an excellent potion, and stayed behind a minute or two afterwards. She usually tried to talk to me but I seldom responded. I didn't plan on today being an exception.
The class had just finished up a simple variant of the Pepper-up Potion. Three people had done it perfectly. Everyone rushed to their next class but Goldstone was still putting her stuff away. "Professor Snape?"
"Hmm?" I vocalized without looking up. If I didn't respond at all she either assumed I didn't hear or acted like I couldn't hear.
"What's a mudblood?"
That startled me. I instantly sat up straighter and looked at her. If she was startled by my reaction or understood the word at all she didn't show it. "Where did you hear that word?" I demanded.
"Oh, someone called me that and I wondered what it meant." She shrugged it off. Typical Gryffindor. She wouldn't even say who it was. Than again it was probably a Slytherin and if so I would have to punish them so perhaps it's just as well.
"It is an extremely rude term for some witch or wizard who is muggle-born." She shrugged. Perhaps she didn't understand the significance yet. "It is one of the worst insults you can give a person." Again not much response. "Anyone calling another student that would be immediately assigned a week of detentions." She said nothing. "Who called you that?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm not upset by it or anything. I am muggle-born and see nothing wrong with it."
I stared at her. However if she wasn't going to tell I couldn't force her.
"When did this occur?"
"Recently."
"In this class, today?" I didn't think it would be. After all that would have caused a reaction by all who heard it so I should have known.
She hesitated. "Yes, but it wasn't the first time."
"I see. You had better get going or you will wind up late to your next class."
"I don't have another class for an hour."
I raised my eyebrows. "Yes but at the rate you move it could take that long." She was almost insufferably slow.
She laughed. I hadn't meant it as a joke. My mouth started to twitch. Oh No, I am not going to smile! I ended up with a semi-twisted scowl. She only laughed harder. Sometimes she gave me the uncomfortable feeling that she could see inside me and through every action I made. Especially at times like this, she seemed to know that I was trying to hide a smile. Her eyes twinkled a bit.
"Even if you don't have class, I have work." I sounded a bit gruffer than I intended to. I had a bit to think about. She smiled and wished me a good day as she left. She was the only one in the school including the teachers to ever verbally wish me a good day. She couldn't be trying to suck up because she certainly did well enough in Potions without it. She also couldn't just be naturally friendly because she didn't appear to have any friends in the students. Those good in school seldom have friends. I realized she was being teased but not to that extant. Regardless of house I couldn't let any student insult any other in that way. I made up my mind to take away twenty points from the offender's house (regardless of house) if I heard any one call anyone else a mudblood. That couldn't be tolerated.
Anyway onto grading papers… I was only vaguely surprised that her paper was on top of the pile. She couldn't spell and her handwriting was atrocious but I could read it and she knew what she was talking about. The girl practically devoured books. Probably easier dealing with books than people. Any way take off a few points each for spelling and handwriting and she still had a 90%. I wasn't surprised that none of the others were doing so well until I got to the bottom. As I started reading the last one I couldn't help feeling I had read it before. Suddenly I remembered. I took Goldstone's and this new scroll and held them side-by-side. They were practically identical. Either they had both copied directly from the same source or one had copied the other. I checked the name on the second scroll. Jorn Malvont. A distant cousin of the Malfoys. He was a clever boy but not as far as essays go. Besides, if Goldstone had copied him, she wouldn't have so many spelling errors. Also if she had copied from a book there wouldn't be so many errors. Now, what? If I side with a Gryffindor over a Slytherin… I don't even want to imagine everyone's reaction. Finally I wrote on the top of both papers, "See me after class."
Now I had a week before dealing with them.