Last updated on February 14, 2003
Except for Mariannah who is obviously my own creation, all the other characters here belong to J.K. Rowling.
This chapter was revised! :-) Please check out the news on "Author's Notes & News updated every now and then" (which is usually the last chapter of this story).
I'd like to thank the Harry Potter Lexicon () for all the invaluable resource, which helped me make this fan-fic. I'd also like to thank John Williams for creating such an excellent score for the Harry Potter movies. They were fuel for my imagination as well. Finally, thanks to all the other song artists and fan-fic authors. Without them, this story wouldn't materialize at all.
Saves and Taunts
The students were startled as Mariannah walked into the classroom banging the door behind her. "There will be no foolishness in this class now," she said as she strode towards the front of the class. She turned to face her students with a stern glare. Double classes with the Gryffindors and Slytherins. What a wonderful way to start the year, she thought.
The students were looking at her with a sense of awe, foreboding and a little bit of dejavu. "She sounds exactly like Snape! With that kind of attitude I don't think she's related to you at all," whispered Ron to Harry. Harry nodded, still looking at the professor's cloak. It was the same one she wore on the night of the Sorting Ceremony.
"I assure you Mr. Weasley that I am not like Professor Snape," said Mariannah, glaring at Ron so intensely that the boy felt he was about to shrink. "Though I do admit that we agree on a particular... teaching style." Ron gulped. "The reason I gave you all fair warning is because if you don't pay attention I might end up killing all of you." Mariannah saw the shock on her students' faces. Mariannah raised an eyebrow. "Well, this IS Defense Against the Dark Arts, is it not? This isn't Lockhart's Dueling Club. As such I am here to teach you how to defend yourselves. If you fool around in my class, you might miss something. So it's either you pay attention to what I teach or end up at Madam Pomfrey's for the rest of the year. Is that understood?" She gave a small smile as she saw her students nod.
Mariannah continued her lecture with a friendlier tone of voice. "Now, this will be a very special class. I'm one who would rather do practical than theoretical teaching. I leave the theories as your homework. Each of you will be taking a more active part in learning about the dark arts and how to defend yourself against them. I think Professor Lupin tried a similar approach as well?" Everyone nodded. "Good. So, it will almost be like that." She paused a bit before continuing. "Albeit, with a bit more injuries than you would expect. Which is why the hospital wing will be on alert during all my classes. Don't worry. I will try not to hurt you... much." Ron gulped again at the thought of the risk of major injury during the Defense classes.
"I don't like to teach inside the classroom so we'll all be going out on the grounds, preferably the Quidditch field. We'll only be meeting here for written and oral exams. Is that clear?" Everyone nodded their confirmation. "All right then, any questions?"
Silence. "All right then. I think some of you have questions regarding my... history."
Draco Malfoy immediately raised his hand. "Is it true that you were in the Slytherin house when you were still studying here?" Mariannah eyed Draco intently. "Mr. Malfoy, weren't you listening to Professor Dumbledore when he introduced me after the Sorting ceremony?" Her tone was cold and cutting. Draco started stammering an explanation. "Five points to be deducted from the Slytherin house, for your classmate's lack of attention."
Draco scowled. "And another ten points for swearing, Mr. Malfoy!" "What?" exclaimed Draco. "But I didn't say anything!"
"Oh, I'm sorry," said Mariannah in a very sarcastic tone. "I forgot to mention. I am telepathic. So keep your thoughts in rein." Mariannah then turned to Longbottom. She stared at Neville, amused at how his face was all scrunched up in utter concentration. "Mr. Longbottom," said Mariannah. Neville opened his eyes to look at the Defense professor. "Only very extreme thoughts catch my attention. Otherwise, it would take some concentration on my part to intentionally read one's mind," she said warmly to the boy. Everyone noticed how her expression had softened while she spoke to Neville. She then laughed lightly, surprising everyone. "Oh, I'm sorry. I mean... yes... Professor Snape in your grandmother's dress does have some possibilities. No, you won't be deducted for that, Mr. Longbottom. But I do think he would look better in yellow. " Neville blushed while some of the Gryffindors laughed.
Hermione raised her hand. "Why were you in the Slytherin house when you're the Gryffindor Guardian?"
Mariannah smiled. "Excellent question, Miss Granger. Let me just tell you this. I never chose to become a Guardian. It chose me. As for my being sorted to the Slytherin house, the hat wasn't supposed to put me there." She looked straight into Hermione's eyes and said in a dangerous voice, "I made it put me in Slytherin."
There were still a few minutes to spare in between classes. Harry decided to approach Mariannah right after the Defense class finished. Mariannah was sitting behind her desk writing something. He stayed behind and waited until he was the only student left in the room with the professor. He was very hesitant on approaching her. From what transpired during the whole class, her emotions change faster than you can say "Quidditch". He had so many questions and he didn't know where to begin. One being...
"Yes, Harry, I am your aunt." Harry just stood open-mouthed. "You... you read that?" "Of course. You were practically screaming the question in your head." She looked up at Harry, putting down her quill. Mariannah looked at Harry for a while, then smiled. "You look so much like James, you know that?" she said softly. She was smiling now but Harry noticed a sadness in her eyes.
Mariannah got up and approached her nephew. "You have so many questions right now. But I don't think you have time to find out the answers at this point. Suffice to say it's quite a long story and telling it to you now would mean the wrath of your potions professor." Mariannah led Harry out of the classroom. "So I'll tell you what. Let's have a one-on-one talk during lunch, hm?" She smiled at Harry. This time she was really happy. Harry somehow felt like a warm blanket had been wrapped around him. She made him feel so at ease. Harry nodded.
"Right then," said Mariannah. "Off you go. See you at lunch."
"OK," said Harry. "See you." Then he started walking towards the dungeons. Mariannah followed Harry with her eyes as he disappeared around the stairs. Then looked at the clock. A sudden realization overcame her and she frowned. "Oh dear..."
"Mr. Potter! You're late!" shouted Professor Snape. Harry looked at the Potions Master. The professor had his usual look of loathing again. "I'm sorry, sir," apologized Harry. "But I had to speak to Professor Potter."
Severus was about to deduct points from the Gryffindor house because of Harry's tardiness when he suddenly stopped. Right behind Harry was Mariannah, shaking her head and wagging her finger from side to side. None of the students noticed that she was there. "Don't you dare..." she mouthed at Severus. Severus was obviously irritated by this. With Mariannah there, he couldn't have his daily dose of putting the Gryffindor students down by deducting points due to Harry. Severus just let out a long sigh of resignation. "Well, what are you waiting for, Potter? Halloween?" he snapped at Harry. "Go take your seat!"
The whole class was aghast at the turn of events. Harry quickly went to his seat before the professor could change his mind about deducting from the house. Severus turned his attention to the blackboard behind him when he heard Mariannah's voice in his head. "Careful," she said. "We don't want to be mindlessly deducting points from the houses now, do we?" Severus turned around only to find that Mariannah had already disappeared.
"Blasted Guardian," muttered Severus under his breath as he marched towards the door and slammed it shut.
Mariannah calmly looked up as Severus banged open her office door.
"What was that all about? How dare you stop me from doing my job!" said Severus, anger seething in every word.
"I was only protecting my nephew," said Mariannah in a matter of fact manner. Mariannah looked at Severus innocently, giving a small smile.
"You're supposed to protect him when he is in danger," Severus pointed out. "And he was," said Mariannah, holding her gaze with Severus. "You were about to do psychological harm to the boy with your snide remarks and put-downs, weren't you?" Her smile widened now.
Severus' face contorted with fury. Still Mariannah smiled. Mariannah then returned to her reading. "You can keep getting madder, Sev," she said. "Or you can accept the usual defeat and leave my office quietly." She looked at Severus again, watching his reaction. Mariannah knew how much he hated being called anything but Severus. "You know you've never won a verbal sword fight with me yet. What makes you think you can get lucky now?" Severus opened his mouth to say something, and then closed it immediately realizing it was a losing battle. He turned around and swiftly walked out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
Mariannah just shook her head and went back to her reading. I missed taunting him like that.
To be continued...