Don't own anything recognisable from JK Rowling's Harry Potter books.
Chapter 3
Gryffindor vs. Slytherin.
She was looking at him again.
It had been the fifth time that morning that Severus had caught her looking at him.
It wasn't as if he was particularly attractive and she was staring in awe at him.
Her eyes were narrowed in disapproval when she looked at him. He glared in her direction again and caught her eyes; she shifted in her seat and continued the conversation with Flitwick.
Severus mumbled something inaudibly, but equally as derogatory.
"What did you say Severus?" Professor McGonagall turned to him.
"Nothing of any importance to you Minerva." He narrowed his eyes at the new Professor again as he caught her glance.
"She seems interested in you. Do you know her?"
Severus looked at her. She had brown hair and bright blue eyes. Her sky-blue robes didn't quite fit her, they were a bit on the large size, but he could still make out her shapely curves under them. She seemed familiar but he wasn't going to admit that. He had seen a lot of people in his life, and her face wasn't unlike most of the girls he had known.
"No. I don't know her."
McGonagall started to say something more but he cut her off with a sharp glare.
"I said I don't know her. I have no interest in knowing her. I would like it if I could just sit here in silence. Understand?"
McGonagall shrugged and moved away from him.
Dumbledore started the meeting. In respect Severus kept half an ear on it, the other half was in deep concentration for what punishments he would deal out today.
Neville's class would be given a exceptionally hard potion to do. Maybe something to do with reversing a spell… maybe he would turn Neville into a pig and see if his reversal potion would work….
"…Don't you think Professor Snape?" Dumbledore intruded on his thoughts.
Severus looked up at him and glared slightly. He still owed Dumbledore his life so he was indebted, but he didn't consider Albus to be a friend.
"… Lets continue." Dumbledore coughed and went on with his speech. "Lastly I would like to welcome Professor Katrina Phaon. She will be here for a year while Sirius is away."
Flitwick smiled heartily and tapped Professor Phaon's shoulder, Sprout and Hooch waved enthusiastically, McGonagall smiled, and Lupin, who had remained the DADA teacher, nodded and mouthed, "Welcome". (Dumbledore sent out a letter saying any parent who complained could come in and have a parent-teacher meeting with him. (Who wanted a parent-teacher meeting with a werewolf?) Or their kids could be taught DADA by Snape. (Needless to say many students convinced their parents that they could cope with Lupin!)). Severus was the only person not to take action.
Professor Phaon glared at him. She obviously noticed that he wasn't greeting her.
"Who cares!" He muttered to himself and glared back. He invented the glare, and he wasn't about to get beaten by his own creation.
Dumbledore, noticing the tension between them coughed again. "Yes… well we've welcomed Katrina, so lets get to work."
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Katrina's first class was hell. The Slytherins couldn't be controlled, and the Gryffindors were almost as bad. The Slytherins started to pelt the Gryffindors with paper, and the Gryffindors – being proud retaliated with force. In the end she resorted to violence. Of the magic variety.
The students only realised that she had done anything when they started to float.
Their chairs slowly left the floor leaving the tables behind them. Many of the students had to put their hands on the ceiling to stop them from banging their heads.
She wasn't usually prone to violence, but after the events of yesterday she was willing to give cruelty a try.
"Right! I don't care about what you've been taught here, but I expect you to know manners!! Now am I going to leave you up there or are you going to calm down and we'll continue teaching!" She yelled at them in an rare show of emotion.
"Is everything okay in here?" The silky snarl floated through the door.
Katrina didn't need to turn and look who was in the door.
'Typical, just typical. It had to be him didn't it.' She fumed in her head.
"Professor Snape… Everything is fine. Thankyou for asking." Turning to face him she jutted her chin out and glared at him, daring him to say anything. "If you don't mind I have a class to teach. Goodbye!"
His facial expression didn't change at all, but somehow she could tell that he was insulted by the concise way she had dismissed him. She couldn't give a damn, and that's exactly what her expression showed him momentarily.
Her attention returned to the class and she put them back on the floor.
"Now lets get back to learning, shall we?… The great war…"
~ ~ ~ ~ * ~ ~ ~ ~
"I'm afraid that you cannot go around using magic on students."
Katrina was in Dumbledore's office. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.
Obviously Professor Snape had told on her! The creep!! Pushing her rage into a tight ball inside her she spoke politely to Dumbledore.
"I'm sorry, I had no idea. I should have known you would have had a policy on this. It will not happen again."
She left the office in a rage.
Snape stalked down the corridor past her and Katrina marched after him.
"Professor Snape!" She said tersely. Snape whirled and faced her.
Severus' face turned into a grotesque kind of smirk. He was enjoying seeing this new woman squirm, but he didn't know why.
"I would appreciate it if in the future you would confront me first without running behind my back like a coward. Understand?"
She turned around and started marching in the other direction.
He grabbed her wrist to stop her from leaving. Her hand went white through the lack of blood with the forceful grip. "Coward?!?" His eyes narrowed dangerously at her as she spun round. "I did not go behind your back! If you knew some of the stuff I have done!" He started in a deadpan, but deadly tone of voice.
She looked at him dead in the eye. "What stuff?"
He stopped dead.
"I said what stuff?" She confronted him.
"I wouldn't ask that if I were you. I might tell you one day, and it will give you nightmares." He turned around and continued to stalk down the corridor, his black robes trailing behind him like a cape.
She growled after him.
"Wow! That was tense!" A small voice came from behind a painting. She spun around to see Ron's face peeping from behind a painting of some fruit.
"How did you….?" Katrina watched as Ron, Harry, and Hermione all appeared from behind the painting.
Harry grinned at her. "We know if Snape catches us its at least 50 points from Gryffindor for sure! There are loads of hiding places like this all around Hogwarts. Didn't you go here?"
Katrina shook her head and watched amused as Ron jumped up and down.
"I can't believe you just confronted Snape!" He continued his frenzied dance. "Did you see her? Wow! That'll be in my head in every potion class from now on!"
Katrina frowned at the kids. "Why wouldn't I?"
Hermione looked around to check that no one else was around. "Hasn't anybody told you?" She whispered.
Ron stopped dancing and looked serious, Harry looked at her intently.
"Told me what?" She responded. Maybe they knew about his past. If they knew then Dumbledore would know.
"He…" Hermione sent Harry and Ron to check down the corridor before she continued. "He was a Death Eater."
"Really?" So they did know. "They still let him teach here then?"
Harry was behind Katrina and looked at her in horror. Hermione shrugged and continued.
"Yes, you see… He acted as a spy for Professor Dumbledore. They informed the ministry when anything was about to happen. They…"
Katrina was so shocked by this information that she didn't hear what else Hermione said. This was unlike the Severus Snape she had met all that time ago.
"Are you okay Professor Phaon?" Harry was talking to her.
"Yes.. I'm fine Harry. You should probably be in class, or something." She focussed on the outside world for a change.
They looked at her strangely then ran off. A chorus of "See you!" echoed down the hall.
So Severus betrayed Voldemort did he? Dumbledore had forgiven him. But he couldn't forgive her.
Could he?
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Author's NotesLittle message from Squirrel (of Martha and Squirrel) who is uploading this chapter:
Sorry that it took a long time to upload this chapter but I've only just got the message from Krusty, my sister, to do it! I hope we haven't traumatised you too much! ;-)
Special Thanks to:
My partner in crime Martha, the queen of rotten reviews! Sorry, mate. Krusty loves you too.
Mrs Grim – we love you too! When are you going to post the next chapter of 'Like the Books'? L
I promise I will try and post more regularly for Krusty.
Love,
Squirrel. xxx.