Days became weeks. Willow never spoke to Snape about his past again. She would respect his privacy. Pansy was still horrible, so she continued playing tricks on her. It was an activity like others. Draco and her were tolerant toward each other. They weren't friends, but they weren't enemies either. They were only housemates. Willow still sat next to Hermione in potions and Harry and Ron were still not sure if they should trust her or not. Not that she could blame them. Slytherins had done horrible things to them before.
Around middle of October, the redhead started to notice people getting nervous, students *and* teachers alike. She soon discovered that every year, some event always happened on Halloween, disturbing peace at Hogwarts. That year wouldn't be an exception.
October 31st - Defense Against the Dark Arts class
Willow sat with Hermione, just like in potions. The teacher, Mr. Potvin, was freaky, but a good teacher nonetheless, almost as good as Remus Lupin had been. Of course, Mr. Potvin wasn't a werewolf, not that Willow cared. She had met quite a few werewolves in Sunnydale and most weren't as bad as anyone makes them seem to be.
Teams had been made to practice counter curse. Hermione and Willow stood in a corner of the class, Harry and Ron beside them. Naturally, the two girls were doing pretty well and rolled their eyes when the Boy Who Lived almost burned his red haired friend's hair. They burst out laughing when they started cursing each other like toddlers fighting over candies.
The class was going well... until It happened.
Everyone froze when suddenly, Willow screamed her head off. She slammed back into the wall, holding her head in her arms, barely standing on her shaking legs. Her eyes were wide open in alarm. Harry tried coming closer to her but she screamed some more.
Hearing her, Draco ran to the end of the class, where the redhead was. "Willow!" He tried getting to her, but she scrambled back trapping herself in a corner. She then fell on her knees when another wave of pain washed over her. She yelled in pain.
Hermione watched, helpless. When someone was approaching her, it seemed like she was in more pain, making her panic. She turned toward Professor Potvin. "Do something!" she yelled at him, scared about her friend's condition.
Willow couldn't believe the pain she was in. Everything was fine until suddenly, all her muscles seemed to contract at once. A burning pain made its way inside her veins. The vision of the dark mark over the mansion from her dreams invaded her sight for a couple of seconds. She could feel her instincts coming forth. And that was bad. Her Sunnydale defense mechanism being operational was a *very* bad sign.
When Harry tried to go to her, she screamed and backed away quickly. She was starting to lose control and she didn't want to hurt him. Same thing when Draco rushed to her. She was scared shitless and the pain still racked her body. She finally fell on her knees when it became too much. She just wished it would stop.
Draco couldn't stand still. His housemate was on the floor, screaming in pain, and the only thing he could do was stay away because it seemed to make her panic. [Well, tough luck! I'm going to her!] He rushed forward and ignored the teacher's warning. He gently took her in his lap and stroked her hair. "Willow," he said softly. "Look at me." He gasped when two onyx eyes fell on him. "Bloody hell!" She then shut them again and convulsed in Draco's arms. He looked up at the teacher. "What are you waiting for! Get Ms. Pomfrey!" he yelled. [Hang on, Willow.]
Willow was oblivious to everything that happened around her. She was stuck in her painful world and only Draco's soothing voice seemed to help her focus. She knew her eyes were black. She could feel the energy flowing inside her. She wouldn't be able to control it much longer. She needed help. Fast.
Gathering all her strength left, she concentrated, building a shield around the pain and creating a telepathic link with Sunnydale's coven. Soon enough, she felt warmth surrounding her and she knew help was there.
Draco let go of her when her skin glowed. "What the...?" He watched with round eyes when she levitated. The redhead's body was reeking of power. A blinding light enveloped Willow's body and the students heard whispering voices.
Ms Pomfrey, Professor Potvin and Professor Dumbledore burst in the room at the moment the light disappeared and Willow fell from the ceiling. Draco caught her in her fall. She was unconscious. "What the hell happened?" he asked Dumbledore in panic.
"I'm not quite sure Mr. Malfoy," the Headmaster answered. "Perhaps we should bring her up to the hospital wing."
"Right." Draco exited the class, Ms Pomfrey and Dumbledore following him. Professor Potvin quickly dismissed the class and the students scrambled out to their common rooms, dying to tell what they had just witnessed.
* * *
Sitting in an armchair near the fire, Severus Snape relaxed, entertaining himself by reading a muggle novel he found quite interesting : Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde. He had free afternoon every Thursday and he tried to enjoy it as much as he could... even more so when he's been called in the first hour or so. He'd ignored it as usual. Nobody disturbed him during his free time.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when a green head appeared in the fireplace. "Severus, I need you in my office right away."
Grumbling, the potion master headed toward the exit of his chamber and went up the stairs two at a time, walking quickly to the Headmaster office. He stopped in front of the gargoyle. "Jelly worms," he muttered. He stomped past the gargoyle and entered the office.
"Ah, Severus. Take a seat please. Lemon drop?"
"What is it, Albus?" he sighed pitifully.
"An incident happened in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class this afternoon. One of your student, Miss Rosenberg, had an attack of some sort."
"I understand that she's a Slytherin, but what does it have to do with me?"
The Headmaster stood up and his face became quite serious. The sparkle had disappeared from his eyes. "Professor McGonagall and I believed it best to hide something from everyone. It concerns Miss Rosenberg past and... rather special abilities. You see, she's a wandless witch. She has great power in her and she comes from one of the darkest cities of the world : Sunnydale, a Hellmouth. She's no ordinary witch, Severus. She has great potential for darkness in her and she dabbled in the dark arts in the past. If Voldemort gets his hands on her, it would be catastrophic."
"But how could he ever be interested in her if nobody knows about her powers?"
"That's where I'm getting at. As you told me earlier, you've been called after lunch. Several minutes later, I got a call from Professor Potvin, telling me to get downstairs. We found Miss Rosenberg floating above the class, her skin glowing. Apparently, she called for help."
Snape sat straight in his chair. "Help against what, Albus?"
"Mr. Malfoy told us she suddenly started screaming, as if in intense pain. Her eyes even turned black once. We brought her up to the hospital wing. Ms. Pomfrey found something rather disturbing. She had a mark burned into her flesh, on her forearm."
Realization dawned on Snape. "The dark mark," he whispered. "How come?"
"We don't know. When Poppy healed it, it disappeared. There's no trace of it. The only connection we could make was that *you* got called this afternoon and somehow, miss Rosenberg felt your pain."
"But that's impossible!"
"Is it?" The twinkle came back in the Headmaster's eyes. "She's quite a surprising young woman and I don't doubt that she hide's many secrets, Severus. Perhaps you ought to talk with her. She's in the hospital wing right now. Mr. Malfoy keeps her company." Dumbledore pointed the door.
Understanding the little chat was over, Severus Snape left the office, a multitude of questions left unanswered. He headed toward the hospital wing. It was his responsibility to make sure his two prime students were alright.
[Well, there goes my quiet afternoon.]
Around middle of October, the redhead started to notice people getting nervous, students *and* teachers alike. She soon discovered that every year, some event always happened on Halloween, disturbing peace at Hogwarts. That year wouldn't be an exception.
October 31st - Defense Against the Dark Arts class
Willow sat with Hermione, just like in potions. The teacher, Mr. Potvin, was freaky, but a good teacher nonetheless, almost as good as Remus Lupin had been. Of course, Mr. Potvin wasn't a werewolf, not that Willow cared. She had met quite a few werewolves in Sunnydale and most weren't as bad as anyone makes them seem to be.
Teams had been made to practice counter curse. Hermione and Willow stood in a corner of the class, Harry and Ron beside them. Naturally, the two girls were doing pretty well and rolled their eyes when the Boy Who Lived almost burned his red haired friend's hair. They burst out laughing when they started cursing each other like toddlers fighting over candies.
The class was going well... until It happened.
Everyone froze when suddenly, Willow screamed her head off. She slammed back into the wall, holding her head in her arms, barely standing on her shaking legs. Her eyes were wide open in alarm. Harry tried coming closer to her but she screamed some more.
Hearing her, Draco ran to the end of the class, where the redhead was. "Willow!" He tried getting to her, but she scrambled back trapping herself in a corner. She then fell on her knees when another wave of pain washed over her. She yelled in pain.
Hermione watched, helpless. When someone was approaching her, it seemed like she was in more pain, making her panic. She turned toward Professor Potvin. "Do something!" she yelled at him, scared about her friend's condition.
Willow couldn't believe the pain she was in. Everything was fine until suddenly, all her muscles seemed to contract at once. A burning pain made its way inside her veins. The vision of the dark mark over the mansion from her dreams invaded her sight for a couple of seconds. She could feel her instincts coming forth. And that was bad. Her Sunnydale defense mechanism being operational was a *very* bad sign.
When Harry tried to go to her, she screamed and backed away quickly. She was starting to lose control and she didn't want to hurt him. Same thing when Draco rushed to her. She was scared shitless and the pain still racked her body. She finally fell on her knees when it became too much. She just wished it would stop.
Draco couldn't stand still. His housemate was on the floor, screaming in pain, and the only thing he could do was stay away because it seemed to make her panic. [Well, tough luck! I'm going to her!] He rushed forward and ignored the teacher's warning. He gently took her in his lap and stroked her hair. "Willow," he said softly. "Look at me." He gasped when two onyx eyes fell on him. "Bloody hell!" She then shut them again and convulsed in Draco's arms. He looked up at the teacher. "What are you waiting for! Get Ms. Pomfrey!" he yelled. [Hang on, Willow.]
Willow was oblivious to everything that happened around her. She was stuck in her painful world and only Draco's soothing voice seemed to help her focus. She knew her eyes were black. She could feel the energy flowing inside her. She wouldn't be able to control it much longer. She needed help. Fast.
Gathering all her strength left, she concentrated, building a shield around the pain and creating a telepathic link with Sunnydale's coven. Soon enough, she felt warmth surrounding her and she knew help was there.
Draco let go of her when her skin glowed. "What the...?" He watched with round eyes when she levitated. The redhead's body was reeking of power. A blinding light enveloped Willow's body and the students heard whispering voices.
Ms Pomfrey, Professor Potvin and Professor Dumbledore burst in the room at the moment the light disappeared and Willow fell from the ceiling. Draco caught her in her fall. She was unconscious. "What the hell happened?" he asked Dumbledore in panic.
"I'm not quite sure Mr. Malfoy," the Headmaster answered. "Perhaps we should bring her up to the hospital wing."
"Right." Draco exited the class, Ms Pomfrey and Dumbledore following him. Professor Potvin quickly dismissed the class and the students scrambled out to their common rooms, dying to tell what they had just witnessed.
* * *
Sitting in an armchair near the fire, Severus Snape relaxed, entertaining himself by reading a muggle novel he found quite interesting : Dr. Jekyll and Mister Hyde. He had free afternoon every Thursday and he tried to enjoy it as much as he could... even more so when he's been called in the first hour or so. He'd ignored it as usual. Nobody disturbed him during his free time.
He nearly jumped out of his skin when a green head appeared in the fireplace. "Severus, I need you in my office right away."
Grumbling, the potion master headed toward the exit of his chamber and went up the stairs two at a time, walking quickly to the Headmaster office. He stopped in front of the gargoyle. "Jelly worms," he muttered. He stomped past the gargoyle and entered the office.
"Ah, Severus. Take a seat please. Lemon drop?"
"What is it, Albus?" he sighed pitifully.
"An incident happened in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class this afternoon. One of your student, Miss Rosenberg, had an attack of some sort."
"I understand that she's a Slytherin, but what does it have to do with me?"
The Headmaster stood up and his face became quite serious. The sparkle had disappeared from his eyes. "Professor McGonagall and I believed it best to hide something from everyone. It concerns Miss Rosenberg past and... rather special abilities. You see, she's a wandless witch. She has great power in her and she comes from one of the darkest cities of the world : Sunnydale, a Hellmouth. She's no ordinary witch, Severus. She has great potential for darkness in her and she dabbled in the dark arts in the past. If Voldemort gets his hands on her, it would be catastrophic."
"But how could he ever be interested in her if nobody knows about her powers?"
"That's where I'm getting at. As you told me earlier, you've been called after lunch. Several minutes later, I got a call from Professor Potvin, telling me to get downstairs. We found Miss Rosenberg floating above the class, her skin glowing. Apparently, she called for help."
Snape sat straight in his chair. "Help against what, Albus?"
"Mr. Malfoy told us she suddenly started screaming, as if in intense pain. Her eyes even turned black once. We brought her up to the hospital wing. Ms. Pomfrey found something rather disturbing. She had a mark burned into her flesh, on her forearm."
Realization dawned on Snape. "The dark mark," he whispered. "How come?"
"We don't know. When Poppy healed it, it disappeared. There's no trace of it. The only connection we could make was that *you* got called this afternoon and somehow, miss Rosenberg felt your pain."
"But that's impossible!"
"Is it?" The twinkle came back in the Headmaster's eyes. "She's quite a surprising young woman and I don't doubt that she hide's many secrets, Severus. Perhaps you ought to talk with her. She's in the hospital wing right now. Mr. Malfoy keeps her company." Dumbledore pointed the door.
Understanding the little chat was over, Severus Snape left the office, a multitude of questions left unanswered. He headed toward the hospital wing. It was his responsibility to make sure his two prime students were alright.
[Well, there goes my quiet afternoon.]
