CHAPTER FOURTEEN: The Test
The sun was still well below the horizon when Roxanne was dressing, her hair still damp from the shower. Professor McGonagall would be expecting her for her morning transfiguration session in a few minutes. These days she looked forward to transfiguration. They were putting the refining touches on a new project that Dumbledore had suggested. Still, she preferred not to be late, as Professor McGonagall would only be more terse and demanding than usual.
She pulled a loose shirt over her head and, hearing a knock at the door, quickly clipped her hair out of her face.
"Who is it?" she called.
But no one answered.
"Who is it?" she called again, louder. Still nothing.
A shiver of uncertainty jolted through her body. She snatched her robes from the chair and threw them on, checking for her wand, then crept to the door and listened carefully. She heard no sound. Nothing. She shivered again, harder this time and scanned the room looking for something to help her.
Finding nothing that she knew of that could help her see through the solid wood of the door, she stepped back and drew her wand.
"Who's there?!" she demanded.
Still nothing.
She was beginning to think she'd imagined the knock, when it came again. Hiding would be pointless. Her mind raced. They were at war. Could this be a new attack? Had Lucius Malfoy come to finish her off? Or maybe her grandfather? But her sneakoscope stood perfectly still.
She retreated to the window and looked out. The wide wedge of landscape outside her window was empty. There were no signs of disturbance in or around the castle. Everything was quiet. Very quiet. Too quiet.
Returning to the door, she listened again. Then gulping and gritting her teeth she slowly turned the knob and pulled the door open, keeping it between her and whoever lay outside.
Something hit the door hard, pushing her against the wall and pinning her there.
"You'll have to do better than that from here on in if you expect to pass, Miss Stewart." It was Professor Moody. "You can lose your life to more than just a wave of the wand remember."
He lifted his weight from the door and Roxanne stepped out massaging her shoulder, checking her wand for damage.
"This is my exam? I thought I'd at least get to eat breakfast first."
"Only the beginning. You didn't really expect me to give you a 'Ready, set, go,' did you?" he growled.
"It might have been nice," she said sarcastically.
"Nice, but unproductive. The dark arts are not 'nice' Roxanne. You must be constantly on the alert. Constant vigilance, Miss Stewart."
"Yes. I've heard," she smirked, straightening her robes.
"You've heard, but not done a very good job up to now of practicing it. Now, your task awaits. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore are acting as observers only. Trust no one else. Act only when acted upon. Use defensive maneuvers first. Attack offensively only when you must." He looked at his watch, then at her with his enormous eye. "I'll give you 30 seconds head start. GO!"
Roxanne didn't need to be told twice. She bolted for the door and started down the corridor, counting under her breath. Professor Moody grumbled something at 'seven' and she felt her legs lock beneath her. She tumbled to the ground, her wand spinning away across the floor.
She could hear Moody's footsteps behind her. He was coming quickly. Twisting her body around, she rolled as fast as she could in the direction of her wand. But he reached her first. The wand was tantalizingly close, but he blocked her from getting at it, standing over her, wand drawn.
"I said trust no one, Miss Stewart. You can never trust a Death Eater to keep his word." Moody raised his wand slowly. Roxanne's mind raced for a solution.
It struck her suddenly. She smiled up at his scarred face, then grabbed him by the ankles and swung her still-locked legs up, pitching Moody over onto the stone floor. One, two rolls and she had her wand.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" she shouted, pointing her wand at Moody as he struggled with his tangled robes. His wand flew toward her, but she ignored it as she muttered the leg-lock counter-curse and scrambled to her feet. Moody was up now, too.
"Much better," he growled, a crackled smile playing at his lips.
"ACCIO WAND!" Roxanne commanded, and caught Moody's wand as it sped toward her from its resting place on the floor. "I'm sorry, Professor. I can't have you following me."
"Do whatever you feel you must," he said, sounding pleased.
"PETRIFICUS TOTALIS!" she called. And Moody fell stiff, to the floor.
She dragged him by his feet into her room, where she changed her heavy- healed school shoes for a light pair of sneakers, shut the door on her way back out and stashed Moody's wand inside a nearby suit of armor.
The castle was silent again, the corridor empty. The dark shadowed hallways became filtered with gray light as the sun outside began to rise. Roxanne kept a tight grip on her wand, took a deep breath and started off toward the kitchen to see if she could grab something portable for breakfast. She didn't expect to be able to join the others later.
She suspected Moody had gone easy on her. She thought Lupin might do the same. No doubt Sirius Black would be as ruthless as Moody would allow. There was also Flitwick and Fletcher to worry about, as well as who knew how many other wizards, witches and dark creatures lurking in the shadows. Roxanne hoped she wouldn't run into Fletcher. After his humiliating chess loss there was no telling what he might try to do to her.
The castle seemed deserted. Likely everyone was hiding, out of the line of potential fire, or since it was still very early, asleep. The route to the kitchen was clear. Several house elves were bustling about, preparing for breakfast that was still over an hour away. But they stopped when she came in, their large bulging eyes peering at her curiously.
"Excuse me, could I get something to take with me for breakfast? A couple of apples maybe?" she asked uncertainly.
One elf came forward. The others went straight back to their duties.
"Miss Stewart will not be joining the others for breakfast this morning?" he squeaked.
"I doubt it," she said looking the elf up and down. He was different from the others. His clothes were an odd mish-mash of style and color. A bright fuscia sock had fallen and bunched around one ankle, the other (acid green with purple polka-dots) was pulled up as high as it would reach. He wore a bright orange 'Chudley Cannons' t-shirt and a long red knitted stocking cap with tassels that hung nearly to his knees.
He poured her a large goblet of orange juice and set toast and sausage to browning over the fire.
"Miss Stewart needs her strength today. Dobby will be making her a lovely breakfast. Please, sit," he said leading her to a table.
She looked around quizzically, then took a seat near a wall, covering her back against the possibility of attack. Moody had said to trust no one-she assumed that meant house elves as well. "Dobby. Is that your name?" she asked.
The elf nodded politely, then placed the goblet and a large, heaping plate in front of her. As she cut into the sausages, Dobby smeared a thick layer of blackberry preserves on her toast for her, then sat back and watched quietly as she ate.
"Have you worked here at Hogwarts long, Dobby?" she asked, trying to ease her anxiety and escape Dobby's morose stare with some conversation.
"Not as long as most. After the great Harry Potter freed Dobby, Dobby tried to find work. No one wants to be paying house elves for work. Dobby wants paying. But Dumbledore-a great man-he gave Dobby a job," he squeaked, watching Roxanne carefully as she bit into her toast.
"Freed you? Was Harry your master?"
"No! Harry Potter tricked Dobby's wicked master into giving Dobby a sock. Now Dobby is free-and Dobby works for wages," he said proudly, his eyes not moving from her face as she finished her first piece of toast.
"You know about my exam, eh?" she said through a mouthful of sausage.
Dobby nodded solemnly, his expression suddenly mixed with pity and despair. Roxanne's stomach gave a lurch. "Can you give me any clues?" she asked hopefully. "What am I up against?"
"Dobby swore he would not say!" and he burst into violent sobs. A second elf timidly removed Roxanne's now empty cup and plate. A third took the bottle of jam and dumped the remaining contents into the fire where it sputtered and hissed and smoked darkly.
Roxanne watched stupefied, as the realization took hold. She gasped. "POISON!"
Dobby's sobs exploded, so loud now the pots and kettles hanging from the rafters vibrated. She jumped from her seat and bolted for the door, running blindly through the castle, ignoring the possibility of attack, as her throat began to burn and her eyes to water. By the time she reached the potions classroom her hands and feet were numb, and she fumbled clumsily with a cauldron and the ingredients she'd need. She struggled to keep a tight grip on the jars, knocking others crashing to the floor.
It seemed to take forever to light the fire. Her hands trembled as she fought for the necessary control to measure the ingredients accurately. Finally she dropped in a bezoar and sat down, shaking uncontrollably to wait for the boil.
She heard footsteps behind her, but didn't care. She knew a confrontation would only speed the poison and sap the strength she would need to get the antidote to her lips.
"Roxanne?" It was Dumbledore.
She heaved a sigh of relief, but did not move or respond.
"Are you all right?"
"Poison," she whispered.
"Yes. I know. I am only allowed to interfere if you become unable to help yourself."
She nodded. "I really screwed up, didn't I."
"It is fortunate this is only an exam," he agreed. "Better for you to learn from your mistakes here than to die by them later. I believe your potion is boiling."
Under Dumbledore's careful watch, Roxanne sat up groggily and just managed to get a spoonful of the steaming mixture to her mouth without tipping the cauldron onto the floor.
"A bit more, I think," urged the Headmaster.
Fighting the temptation to let the poison do its work, she took another spoonful and another. Her hands began to tingle as the blood began flowing through them again. A searing pain shot through her temple, but her mind slowly cleared, her racing pulse slowed. She slumped back into her chair, resting her head and breathing deeply. Despite Dumbledore's soothing, she was deeply disappointed in herself and frowned darkly.
"You must not lose heart-not yet," said Dumbledore. "The test will not end because you are discouraged, Roxanne. Professor Moody has prepared you, quite masterfully, for what lies ahead. Pick yourself up by your bootstraps-that is a common phrase in America, is it not?"
She smiled and nodded.
"That's better." He turned and strode for the door. "Perhaps a nice rejuvenating potion might help," he said without stopping, and disappeared through the door.
***********
The rejuvenating potion did wonders, restoring Roxanne's sapped strength and lifting her spirits. And the brewing time was well spent, organizing her thoughts, planning tactics, reviewing counter-curses, jinxes and hexes. She lay on her back, head resting on her hands, on one of the worktables, as she listened for the telltale hiss that would announce when the potion was finished.
She could smell breakfast as she came out of the dungeons and decided a quick glance into the Great Hall might tell her who she'd be up against next. The only ones missing were Moody, whom she hoped was still locked safely in her room, and Lupin. But Sirius spotted her, and wiping his mouth with his napkin, rose quickly and stole through a side door.
Roxanne sprinted for the stairs and leaped up them two and three at a time for several flights, her sneakers padding quietly on the smooth stone. She stopped on the fourth floor landing, struggling to control her panting, straining to hear signs of pursuit from below.
She froze. The sound of footsteps from behind caught her off guard and she spun around, drawing her wand.
"Professor!" she gasped. It was Snape. A twinge jolted through the scar on her back at the sight of him, and she shuddered almost imperceptibly. He stopped suddenly, hands up, a look of fierce surprise on his face.
"What is going on?" he hissed.
Roxanne blinked stupidly for a moment, before lowering her wand. "You- You're here."
"Excellent deduction, Miss Stewart," he drawled, rolling his eyes. "What is going on here?"
"Sirius Black is after me," she said, scanning the stairs for any sign of Black. At Snape's look of alarm, she quickly explained about the exam. Snape grasped her elbow and led her into an empty classroom nearby.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
She sighed. "Not that well. Moody leg-locked me, and Dobby poisoned me, and-"
"No. Not the exam." He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "How are you?"
She looked at him puzzled. She'd become so focused on the test it took a moment to understand what he was asking. "Oh, you mean-- I'm fine. Mostly. The Mark-it's still-"
"I know." Snape turned away, massaging his forehead. For the first time, Roxanne noticed how tired he looked.
"Professor?" she began hesitantly. "Are you back? To stay?"
"No," he said heavily. "I've come to see Dumbledore. It's best," he said, eyeing her sternly, "if no one else know I've been here."
"I understand. But I wish you could stay."
He looked at her, puzzled.
"I'm making a mess of your potions classes," she said dejectedly. "I don't know what I'm doing. How Dumbledore expects me to have the fifth and seventh years ready for their exams is beyond me. I don't even know what I'm supposed to be teaching them."
"I imagine you're learning a great deal," Snape reassured. He fumbled in a pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. "Here, take these. They're the keys to my office. You should find everything you need in there. Mind you don't lose those, or I'll have your hide when I do return."
Roxanne nodded gratefully and stowed the keys safely in her jeans pocket.
"I'm relieved to see you're well," Snape said quietly. "The sneakoscope- you wear it always?'
She grasped the device that hung hidden beneath her shirt and nodded.
"Not much help today, I imagine."
"Why not?" she asked. She'd been wondering about it all morning.
"Moody is not out to deceive you. He's helping you. The sneakoscope detects intent as well as deception. It will work perfectly for you when the deception is accompanied by malice. Today, you will be better served to rely on your intuition. Use it as you would your eyes and ears. If you had done that on Halloween night-" He stopped suddenly, then shook his head.
"I might have escaped?" she suggested.
"No. You would not have escaped. You might have managed to take one of them to hell with you. But you would not have escaped." Snape sat heavily in a chair, rubbing at his temples as if trying to force thoughts from his head.
"Professor, what is it?"
"I will not ask you for what I do not deserve." He spoke quietly.
"What don't you deserve?"
"As long as the sight of me fills your mind with visions of that night, I do not deserve forgiveness." He had seen her shudder, then-seen the flicker of fear in her eyes.
"Why did you-" Roxanne began.
"I am working with Dumbledore. I've rejoined the Death Eaters, hoping to discover Voldemort's plans-"
"No. I know all that."
He looked at her quizzically.
"Dumbledore explained it to me, when I was still-still in the infirmary. Why did you save my life?"
Snape looked at her for a long time, but would say nothing, and finally stood and strode slowly toward the door. Refusing to meet her eyes, he said, "I need to see Dumbledore," and swept out, leaving the door swinging open. Roxanne stared after him, watching until he disappeared around a corner.
**********
For the next hour Roxanne wandered the castle, seeing no one, hearing nothing, trying to practice her sixth sense as Snape suggested. But the thoughts of their conversation kept interfering, distracting her. She found it impossible to focus on the task that still loomed ahead and eventually wandered to Professor Dumbledore's office, spoke the password that opened the hidden staircase and knocked on his door.
"Come," she heard the Headmaster call from within. Inside she found Professor Moody.
"I hope you don't mind," Dumbledore began. "I needed to speak with Alastor. You may continue to consider him effectively neutralized. He will not interfere with your exam."
Roxanne nodded and looked around the office. She could see no one else.
"Severus has left, Miss Stewart," the Headmaster said, accurately reading her thoughts and beckoning for her to sit. "I assured him you are doing a more than adequate job of teaching for him. He seemed pleased."
She remained on her feet. "I asked him why he saved my life. He wouldn't tell me."
"I will not tell you either," said Dumbledore.
"You know, then?"
"Yes. I know. But that question is not mine to answer-it is his."
She nodded again and took the offered seat, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.
Moody eyed her. "Your task still awaits, Miss Stewart," he said firmly.
She groaned. "I'm sorry. I can't get Professor Snape out of my mind."
"Danger will not give you time to catch your breath or organize your thoughts. You must carry your burdens with you and do the best you can. After all, often the best way to learn to fly is to jump," Moody growled, smiling encouragingly.
Roxanne gave in to Moody's urging with a slow nod and stood wearily. He came to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Trust your instincts. And don't hesitate to do harm. Madame Pomfrey can fix whomever you manage to break." He winked and scooted her out the door.
**********
As Dumbledore's door clicked shut behind her, she took a deep determined breath, straightened her robes, gritted her teeth and set off. She wandered, unsure where she would need to be to meet her next challenge. She found herself at the library door and stepped inside. It was dark and silent. Madame Pince had gone away for the holiday-although where Roxanne couldn't imagine. Perhaps she had a twin sister somewhere, and they'd sit scowling nastily at each other all week.
Roxanne wandered through the stillness, careful to look up and down each long row of bookshelves before passing. She was nearly to the far end when she heard the door crash open behind her. She whirled around, wand raised.
Lucius Malfoy stood, silhouetted against the light streaming in from the corridor. The blood drained from her face. He came at her resolutely, drawing something shiny from his robes. As he neared, she could see the undulating blade and the green eyed serpent-handle of a dagger-the dagger.
"I'm going to cut your heart out, you filthy mudblood bitch!" he hissed, raising the dagger to throw.
Roxanne stumbled backward a few steps before remembering the wand in her hand.
"ST-STUPEFY!" she shouted. Nothing happened and the knife shot through the air. She tried to spin out of its path, but it caught her on the shoulder, neatly slicing through her robes and cutting into her flesh as it passed. The dagger crashed against the bookshelves and fell to the floor. Malfoy cursed and came after her, reaching for his wand.
"IMPEDIMENTA! STUPEFY!" Roxanne shouted in a high panicked voice. Still nothing happened. Malfoy kept coming, was nearly on her.
"RIDDIKULUS!" she bellowed loudly, the answer dawning on her suddenly-a boggart. A loud explosion, a puff of smoke and Lucius Malfoy was gone. The dagger as well. The wound was not.
Roxanne clamped her hand over it, felt the warm stickiness of blood, felt the sting of pain as the adrenaline subsided. She tore long strips of cloth from the bottom of her robes and bound herself up as best she could, not knowing if she'd be able to make it to the hospital wing before meeting her next challenge, but deciding to try.
The corridor outside the library was empty. Roxanne thought she heard the shuffle of feet, but the sound did not last long enough for her to be certain, and silence settled in again.
"Intuition," she thought. "Trust your intuition." Since Halloween, every molecule of instinct seemed to have been telling her to get the hell out of there-to fly away from Hogwarts, leave the wizard world. But somewhere deep down, she felt a growing calm, a strength of purpose that kept her there and now calmed her, clarifying her mind, stiffening her wobbly knees. So when she turned a corner and saw Remus there waiting for her, she was ready for him.
He was leaning against a wall, biting into a large yellow apple. He spotted the tear at the shoulder of her robes. "Are you all right?" he asked, taking a step toward her.
She pointed her wand at him. "Just a scratch," she lied.
"Was it Sirius?" he asked, frowning. "No. The boggart."
Lupin frowned again. Roxanne held her wand ready.
"Malfoy?"
She nodded once.
"I tried to keep Moody from using it. I-"
"Are you going to make your move or not, Remus?" she said coldly, waving her wand impatiently.
He laughed and took another bite of apple, savoring its sweetness and grunting with satisfaction as he swallowed.
"MMM. Hungry?" he asked.
Roxanne ignored him, ignored her hunger, eyed the apple jealously. She'd eaten nothing since the poisoned jam some eight or nine hours ago.
"I think I have another here somewhere," he said, feeling around in his pockets. "Yes. Here it is."
Roxanne stiffened, ready to defend herself. But the only thing to come from Lupin's pocket was, indeed, another apple, which he held up temptingly. Roxanne glared at him. "Do I look like Snow White?"
"Come on, Roxanne. It's only an apple. Here you go." And he tossed it in a high arch toward her. Roxanne watched the apple for a moment, but a sudden movement caught her eye and she looked down to see Remus, wand drawn.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" he shouted. But Roxanne dove to the side, rolling onto the floor, wand still in hand. The spell hit a suit of armor instead and a heavily spiked mace soared through the air straight at Remus.
She pointed her wand and shouted "STUPEFY!" Lupin froze. The mace struck him in the chest with a dull thwack and he fell heavily, striking his head on the stone wall, and slumping like a broken marionette, to the floor.
Roxanne sprang to her feet, wand still raised, and paced cautiously toward his lifeless body. His robes were badly torn, and Roxanne could see splotches of blood. She kicked his toe. "Remus? Remus, are you all right?"
Stowing her wand, she knelt down beside him and gently slapped his cheeks. "Remus?"
In a flash he had her wrists and flung her on her back, smacking her head on the floor and knocking the wind out of her. He held her down as she forced herself to suck in a lungful of air.
"You should have finished me off when you had the chance," he whispered.
"I-I thought-I-had," she gasped.
"You thought wrong. I learned that little trick from my dad. Worked quite nicely, don't you think?" he boasted, pinning her down with a knee on her chest.
But Roxanne saw her chance and acted quickly. With all her strength she brought up one knee, striking him squarely between the legs. Remus gasped and rolled onto the floor, doubled up and groaning. She stood up, brushed off her robes and pulled her wand out, pointing it at him.
"I learned that little trick from an old boyfriend. Worked quite nicely, don't you think?" she taunted.
Professor McGonagall appeared at her shoulder.
"Well done, Miss Stewart. You've successfully dispatched Mr. Lupin," she said tartly. "Now put away your wand and help me get him to the hospital wing."
Roxanne did as she was told, helping Remus gingerly to his feet and supporting him as he limped painfully along.
He collapsed onto a bed, doubled up again, and groaned weakly as Madame Pomfrey shooed Roxanne away and surrounded the bed with screens. Professor McGonagall sat Roxanne on another bed and examined her shoulder.
"Nothing serious," she said poking at the cut, making Roxanne wince. "It will only take a few minutes to fix up. You'll need to be in good shape for your final challenge. Is there anything you need.?"
"I'm starving. Is there any way-"
"I'll have something sent up from the kitchen."
Roxanne's eyes widened.
"I assure you, it will be perfectly safe," Professor McGonagall said, smiling slightly.
**********
Roxanne refused to leave the hospital wing until she was certain Remus would be all right. Madame Pomfrey finally relented and allowed her to come behind the screen and speak to him. He lay, bare-chested, with a large bandage over the area where the mace had wounded him.
"It looks like I owe you some new robes," she said pointing to the heap of cloth on the floor.
"No. You don't have to-"
"I want to," she insisted.
"If I were you," said Madame Pomfrey to Remus, examining beneath the bandage, "I wouldn't argue with her."
"Will you be up for Diagon Alley tomorrow?"
Remus looked at Madame Pomfrey who nodded knowingly.
"Looks like it," he said. "After breakfast?"
Roxanne smiled and nodded.
**********
A full stomach can go along way toward lightening one's mood, Roxanne discovered-although the thought of spending tomorrow with Remus helped as well-and she fairly floated through the castle in search of Sirius Black.
She entered the Great Hall through a side door behind the Head Table after fruitlessly searching much of the castle. As the hour grew late, Roxanne grew impatient to have the exam finished. She would not miss another meal over it-especially for the sake of Sirius Black.
She climbed onto the Hufflepuff table and began to walk its length.
"SIRIUS BLACK!" she shouted loudly when she'd reached the table's center, the sound echoing through the castle. "I'M HERE! I'M WAITING FOR YOU!" And she sat, cross-legged, pulled her wand from her robes, set it on the table in front of her, and waited.
But not for long. Sirius appeared in the main doorway, his arms folded, his wand resting in the crook of his arm, a smug grin on his face.
She sat perfectly still, hands on her knees as if meditating, staring at him keenly.
"I understand you defeated the boggart," he said
She remained silent.
"And Remus," he continued.
Still she did not respond.
"You think you're ready for me, do you?" And he hopped lightly to the top of the table and strode slowly toward her.
"Give it your best shot," she hissed, a playfully sinister smirk on her face.
Black laughed. "It seems there's more to you than I believed. You know, I've been looking forward to this all day." And moving too quickly for Roxanne to have any hope of countering, he swished his wand bellowing "PETRIFICUS TOTALIS!"
Black's wand burst into a large bunch of long-stemmed red roses. He stood, staring at them, too stunned to speak.
Roxanne picked up her wand, stood slowly, savoring the moment, and took the roses from him.
"For me? Why thank you, Mr. Black," she cooed sarcastically. "Now turn around and march!" she commanded, her voice suddenly threatening.
He raised his hands high and did as he was told, still too numb with shock at the turn of events to come up with a defense, let alone a nasty retort. Roxanne stayed several paces behind him-far enough to keep him from getting to her before she could jinx him-and marched him outside and across the snow covered grounds. Black began searching around him, looking for a way out, something he could use to attack her with.
As they approached the lake, he grew desperate, until he finally decided his only chance was to run for it. He leaped to the side and sprinted madly toward Hagrid's cabin, but Roxanne's aim had been expertly perfected under Professor Flitwick's careful tutelage, and she had him easily.
"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" she called, almost lazily, and Sirius floated lightly into the air, swinging up and up and out over the lake. With a dramatic flourish, Roxanne cut the spell, dropping Black twenty feet into the cold black water.
**********
Dear Fred and George, The trick wand worked beautifully. Be sure to ask Sirius all about it when you get the chance. Moody even gave me extra credit!
Roxanne P.S. Thanks for the roses and Merry Christmas!
The sun was still well below the horizon when Roxanne was dressing, her hair still damp from the shower. Professor McGonagall would be expecting her for her morning transfiguration session in a few minutes. These days she looked forward to transfiguration. They were putting the refining touches on a new project that Dumbledore had suggested. Still, she preferred not to be late, as Professor McGonagall would only be more terse and demanding than usual.
She pulled a loose shirt over her head and, hearing a knock at the door, quickly clipped her hair out of her face.
"Who is it?" she called.
But no one answered.
"Who is it?" she called again, louder. Still nothing.
A shiver of uncertainty jolted through her body. She snatched her robes from the chair and threw them on, checking for her wand, then crept to the door and listened carefully. She heard no sound. Nothing. She shivered again, harder this time and scanned the room looking for something to help her.
Finding nothing that she knew of that could help her see through the solid wood of the door, she stepped back and drew her wand.
"Who's there?!" she demanded.
Still nothing.
She was beginning to think she'd imagined the knock, when it came again. Hiding would be pointless. Her mind raced. They were at war. Could this be a new attack? Had Lucius Malfoy come to finish her off? Or maybe her grandfather? But her sneakoscope stood perfectly still.
She retreated to the window and looked out. The wide wedge of landscape outside her window was empty. There were no signs of disturbance in or around the castle. Everything was quiet. Very quiet. Too quiet.
Returning to the door, she listened again. Then gulping and gritting her teeth she slowly turned the knob and pulled the door open, keeping it between her and whoever lay outside.
Something hit the door hard, pushing her against the wall and pinning her there.
"You'll have to do better than that from here on in if you expect to pass, Miss Stewart." It was Professor Moody. "You can lose your life to more than just a wave of the wand remember."
He lifted his weight from the door and Roxanne stepped out massaging her shoulder, checking her wand for damage.
"This is my exam? I thought I'd at least get to eat breakfast first."
"Only the beginning. You didn't really expect me to give you a 'Ready, set, go,' did you?" he growled.
"It might have been nice," she said sarcastically.
"Nice, but unproductive. The dark arts are not 'nice' Roxanne. You must be constantly on the alert. Constant vigilance, Miss Stewart."
"Yes. I've heard," she smirked, straightening her robes.
"You've heard, but not done a very good job up to now of practicing it. Now, your task awaits. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore are acting as observers only. Trust no one else. Act only when acted upon. Use defensive maneuvers first. Attack offensively only when you must." He looked at his watch, then at her with his enormous eye. "I'll give you 30 seconds head start. GO!"
Roxanne didn't need to be told twice. She bolted for the door and started down the corridor, counting under her breath. Professor Moody grumbled something at 'seven' and she felt her legs lock beneath her. She tumbled to the ground, her wand spinning away across the floor.
She could hear Moody's footsteps behind her. He was coming quickly. Twisting her body around, she rolled as fast as she could in the direction of her wand. But he reached her first. The wand was tantalizingly close, but he blocked her from getting at it, standing over her, wand drawn.
"I said trust no one, Miss Stewart. You can never trust a Death Eater to keep his word." Moody raised his wand slowly. Roxanne's mind raced for a solution.
It struck her suddenly. She smiled up at his scarred face, then grabbed him by the ankles and swung her still-locked legs up, pitching Moody over onto the stone floor. One, two rolls and she had her wand.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" she shouted, pointing her wand at Moody as he struggled with his tangled robes. His wand flew toward her, but she ignored it as she muttered the leg-lock counter-curse and scrambled to her feet. Moody was up now, too.
"Much better," he growled, a crackled smile playing at his lips.
"ACCIO WAND!" Roxanne commanded, and caught Moody's wand as it sped toward her from its resting place on the floor. "I'm sorry, Professor. I can't have you following me."
"Do whatever you feel you must," he said, sounding pleased.
"PETRIFICUS TOTALIS!" she called. And Moody fell stiff, to the floor.
She dragged him by his feet into her room, where she changed her heavy- healed school shoes for a light pair of sneakers, shut the door on her way back out and stashed Moody's wand inside a nearby suit of armor.
The castle was silent again, the corridor empty. The dark shadowed hallways became filtered with gray light as the sun outside began to rise. Roxanne kept a tight grip on her wand, took a deep breath and started off toward the kitchen to see if she could grab something portable for breakfast. She didn't expect to be able to join the others later.
She suspected Moody had gone easy on her. She thought Lupin might do the same. No doubt Sirius Black would be as ruthless as Moody would allow. There was also Flitwick and Fletcher to worry about, as well as who knew how many other wizards, witches and dark creatures lurking in the shadows. Roxanne hoped she wouldn't run into Fletcher. After his humiliating chess loss there was no telling what he might try to do to her.
The castle seemed deserted. Likely everyone was hiding, out of the line of potential fire, or since it was still very early, asleep. The route to the kitchen was clear. Several house elves were bustling about, preparing for breakfast that was still over an hour away. But they stopped when she came in, their large bulging eyes peering at her curiously.
"Excuse me, could I get something to take with me for breakfast? A couple of apples maybe?" she asked uncertainly.
One elf came forward. The others went straight back to their duties.
"Miss Stewart will not be joining the others for breakfast this morning?" he squeaked.
"I doubt it," she said looking the elf up and down. He was different from the others. His clothes were an odd mish-mash of style and color. A bright fuscia sock had fallen and bunched around one ankle, the other (acid green with purple polka-dots) was pulled up as high as it would reach. He wore a bright orange 'Chudley Cannons' t-shirt and a long red knitted stocking cap with tassels that hung nearly to his knees.
He poured her a large goblet of orange juice and set toast and sausage to browning over the fire.
"Miss Stewart needs her strength today. Dobby will be making her a lovely breakfast. Please, sit," he said leading her to a table.
She looked around quizzically, then took a seat near a wall, covering her back against the possibility of attack. Moody had said to trust no one-she assumed that meant house elves as well. "Dobby. Is that your name?" she asked.
The elf nodded politely, then placed the goblet and a large, heaping plate in front of her. As she cut into the sausages, Dobby smeared a thick layer of blackberry preserves on her toast for her, then sat back and watched quietly as she ate.
"Have you worked here at Hogwarts long, Dobby?" she asked, trying to ease her anxiety and escape Dobby's morose stare with some conversation.
"Not as long as most. After the great Harry Potter freed Dobby, Dobby tried to find work. No one wants to be paying house elves for work. Dobby wants paying. But Dumbledore-a great man-he gave Dobby a job," he squeaked, watching Roxanne carefully as she bit into her toast.
"Freed you? Was Harry your master?"
"No! Harry Potter tricked Dobby's wicked master into giving Dobby a sock. Now Dobby is free-and Dobby works for wages," he said proudly, his eyes not moving from her face as she finished her first piece of toast.
"You know about my exam, eh?" she said through a mouthful of sausage.
Dobby nodded solemnly, his expression suddenly mixed with pity and despair. Roxanne's stomach gave a lurch. "Can you give me any clues?" she asked hopefully. "What am I up against?"
"Dobby swore he would not say!" and he burst into violent sobs. A second elf timidly removed Roxanne's now empty cup and plate. A third took the bottle of jam and dumped the remaining contents into the fire where it sputtered and hissed and smoked darkly.
Roxanne watched stupefied, as the realization took hold. She gasped. "POISON!"
Dobby's sobs exploded, so loud now the pots and kettles hanging from the rafters vibrated. She jumped from her seat and bolted for the door, running blindly through the castle, ignoring the possibility of attack, as her throat began to burn and her eyes to water. By the time she reached the potions classroom her hands and feet were numb, and she fumbled clumsily with a cauldron and the ingredients she'd need. She struggled to keep a tight grip on the jars, knocking others crashing to the floor.
It seemed to take forever to light the fire. Her hands trembled as she fought for the necessary control to measure the ingredients accurately. Finally she dropped in a bezoar and sat down, shaking uncontrollably to wait for the boil.
She heard footsteps behind her, but didn't care. She knew a confrontation would only speed the poison and sap the strength she would need to get the antidote to her lips.
"Roxanne?" It was Dumbledore.
She heaved a sigh of relief, but did not move or respond.
"Are you all right?"
"Poison," she whispered.
"Yes. I know. I am only allowed to interfere if you become unable to help yourself."
She nodded. "I really screwed up, didn't I."
"It is fortunate this is only an exam," he agreed. "Better for you to learn from your mistakes here than to die by them later. I believe your potion is boiling."
Under Dumbledore's careful watch, Roxanne sat up groggily and just managed to get a spoonful of the steaming mixture to her mouth without tipping the cauldron onto the floor.
"A bit more, I think," urged the Headmaster.
Fighting the temptation to let the poison do its work, she took another spoonful and another. Her hands began to tingle as the blood began flowing through them again. A searing pain shot through her temple, but her mind slowly cleared, her racing pulse slowed. She slumped back into her chair, resting her head and breathing deeply. Despite Dumbledore's soothing, she was deeply disappointed in herself and frowned darkly.
"You must not lose heart-not yet," said Dumbledore. "The test will not end because you are discouraged, Roxanne. Professor Moody has prepared you, quite masterfully, for what lies ahead. Pick yourself up by your bootstraps-that is a common phrase in America, is it not?"
She smiled and nodded.
"That's better." He turned and strode for the door. "Perhaps a nice rejuvenating potion might help," he said without stopping, and disappeared through the door.
***********
The rejuvenating potion did wonders, restoring Roxanne's sapped strength and lifting her spirits. And the brewing time was well spent, organizing her thoughts, planning tactics, reviewing counter-curses, jinxes and hexes. She lay on her back, head resting on her hands, on one of the worktables, as she listened for the telltale hiss that would announce when the potion was finished.
She could smell breakfast as she came out of the dungeons and decided a quick glance into the Great Hall might tell her who she'd be up against next. The only ones missing were Moody, whom she hoped was still locked safely in her room, and Lupin. But Sirius spotted her, and wiping his mouth with his napkin, rose quickly and stole through a side door.
Roxanne sprinted for the stairs and leaped up them two and three at a time for several flights, her sneakers padding quietly on the smooth stone. She stopped on the fourth floor landing, struggling to control her panting, straining to hear signs of pursuit from below.
She froze. The sound of footsteps from behind caught her off guard and she spun around, drawing her wand.
"Professor!" she gasped. It was Snape. A twinge jolted through the scar on her back at the sight of him, and she shuddered almost imperceptibly. He stopped suddenly, hands up, a look of fierce surprise on his face.
"What is going on?" he hissed.
Roxanne blinked stupidly for a moment, before lowering her wand. "You- You're here."
"Excellent deduction, Miss Stewart," he drawled, rolling his eyes. "What is going on here?"
"Sirius Black is after me," she said, scanning the stairs for any sign of Black. At Snape's look of alarm, she quickly explained about the exam. Snape grasped her elbow and led her into an empty classroom nearby.
"How are you doing?" he asked.
She sighed. "Not that well. Moody leg-locked me, and Dobby poisoned me, and-"
"No. Not the exam." He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "How are you?"
She looked at him puzzled. She'd become so focused on the test it took a moment to understand what he was asking. "Oh, you mean-- I'm fine. Mostly. The Mark-it's still-"
"I know." Snape turned away, massaging his forehead. For the first time, Roxanne noticed how tired he looked.
"Professor?" she began hesitantly. "Are you back? To stay?"
"No," he said heavily. "I've come to see Dumbledore. It's best," he said, eyeing her sternly, "if no one else know I've been here."
"I understand. But I wish you could stay."
He looked at her, puzzled.
"I'm making a mess of your potions classes," she said dejectedly. "I don't know what I'm doing. How Dumbledore expects me to have the fifth and seventh years ready for their exams is beyond me. I don't even know what I'm supposed to be teaching them."
"I imagine you're learning a great deal," Snape reassured. He fumbled in a pocket and pulled out a ring of keys. "Here, take these. They're the keys to my office. You should find everything you need in there. Mind you don't lose those, or I'll have your hide when I do return."
Roxanne nodded gratefully and stowed the keys safely in her jeans pocket.
"I'm relieved to see you're well," Snape said quietly. "The sneakoscope- you wear it always?'
She grasped the device that hung hidden beneath her shirt and nodded.
"Not much help today, I imagine."
"Why not?" she asked. She'd been wondering about it all morning.
"Moody is not out to deceive you. He's helping you. The sneakoscope detects intent as well as deception. It will work perfectly for you when the deception is accompanied by malice. Today, you will be better served to rely on your intuition. Use it as you would your eyes and ears. If you had done that on Halloween night-" He stopped suddenly, then shook his head.
"I might have escaped?" she suggested.
"No. You would not have escaped. You might have managed to take one of them to hell with you. But you would not have escaped." Snape sat heavily in a chair, rubbing at his temples as if trying to force thoughts from his head.
"Professor, what is it?"
"I will not ask you for what I do not deserve." He spoke quietly.
"What don't you deserve?"
"As long as the sight of me fills your mind with visions of that night, I do not deserve forgiveness." He had seen her shudder, then-seen the flicker of fear in her eyes.
"Why did you-" Roxanne began.
"I am working with Dumbledore. I've rejoined the Death Eaters, hoping to discover Voldemort's plans-"
"No. I know all that."
He looked at her quizzically.
"Dumbledore explained it to me, when I was still-still in the infirmary. Why did you save my life?"
Snape looked at her for a long time, but would say nothing, and finally stood and strode slowly toward the door. Refusing to meet her eyes, he said, "I need to see Dumbledore," and swept out, leaving the door swinging open. Roxanne stared after him, watching until he disappeared around a corner.
**********
For the next hour Roxanne wandered the castle, seeing no one, hearing nothing, trying to practice her sixth sense as Snape suggested. But the thoughts of their conversation kept interfering, distracting her. She found it impossible to focus on the task that still loomed ahead and eventually wandered to Professor Dumbledore's office, spoke the password that opened the hidden staircase and knocked on his door.
"Come," she heard the Headmaster call from within. Inside she found Professor Moody.
"I hope you don't mind," Dumbledore began. "I needed to speak with Alastor. You may continue to consider him effectively neutralized. He will not interfere with your exam."
Roxanne nodded and looked around the office. She could see no one else.
"Severus has left, Miss Stewart," the Headmaster said, accurately reading her thoughts and beckoning for her to sit. "I assured him you are doing a more than adequate job of teaching for him. He seemed pleased."
She remained on her feet. "I asked him why he saved my life. He wouldn't tell me."
"I will not tell you either," said Dumbledore.
"You know, then?"
"Yes. I know. But that question is not mine to answer-it is his."
She nodded again and took the offered seat, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.
Moody eyed her. "Your task still awaits, Miss Stewart," he said firmly.
She groaned. "I'm sorry. I can't get Professor Snape out of my mind."
"Danger will not give you time to catch your breath or organize your thoughts. You must carry your burdens with you and do the best you can. After all, often the best way to learn to fly is to jump," Moody growled, smiling encouragingly.
Roxanne gave in to Moody's urging with a slow nod and stood wearily. He came to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Trust your instincts. And don't hesitate to do harm. Madame Pomfrey can fix whomever you manage to break." He winked and scooted her out the door.
**********
As Dumbledore's door clicked shut behind her, she took a deep determined breath, straightened her robes, gritted her teeth and set off. She wandered, unsure where she would need to be to meet her next challenge. She found herself at the library door and stepped inside. It was dark and silent. Madame Pince had gone away for the holiday-although where Roxanne couldn't imagine. Perhaps she had a twin sister somewhere, and they'd sit scowling nastily at each other all week.
Roxanne wandered through the stillness, careful to look up and down each long row of bookshelves before passing. She was nearly to the far end when she heard the door crash open behind her. She whirled around, wand raised.
Lucius Malfoy stood, silhouetted against the light streaming in from the corridor. The blood drained from her face. He came at her resolutely, drawing something shiny from his robes. As he neared, she could see the undulating blade and the green eyed serpent-handle of a dagger-the dagger.
"I'm going to cut your heart out, you filthy mudblood bitch!" he hissed, raising the dagger to throw.
Roxanne stumbled backward a few steps before remembering the wand in her hand.
"ST-STUPEFY!" she shouted. Nothing happened and the knife shot through the air. She tried to spin out of its path, but it caught her on the shoulder, neatly slicing through her robes and cutting into her flesh as it passed. The dagger crashed against the bookshelves and fell to the floor. Malfoy cursed and came after her, reaching for his wand.
"IMPEDIMENTA! STUPEFY!" Roxanne shouted in a high panicked voice. Still nothing happened. Malfoy kept coming, was nearly on her.
"RIDDIKULUS!" she bellowed loudly, the answer dawning on her suddenly-a boggart. A loud explosion, a puff of smoke and Lucius Malfoy was gone. The dagger as well. The wound was not.
Roxanne clamped her hand over it, felt the warm stickiness of blood, felt the sting of pain as the adrenaline subsided. She tore long strips of cloth from the bottom of her robes and bound herself up as best she could, not knowing if she'd be able to make it to the hospital wing before meeting her next challenge, but deciding to try.
The corridor outside the library was empty. Roxanne thought she heard the shuffle of feet, but the sound did not last long enough for her to be certain, and silence settled in again.
"Intuition," she thought. "Trust your intuition." Since Halloween, every molecule of instinct seemed to have been telling her to get the hell out of there-to fly away from Hogwarts, leave the wizard world. But somewhere deep down, she felt a growing calm, a strength of purpose that kept her there and now calmed her, clarifying her mind, stiffening her wobbly knees. So when she turned a corner and saw Remus there waiting for her, she was ready for him.
He was leaning against a wall, biting into a large yellow apple. He spotted the tear at the shoulder of her robes. "Are you all right?" he asked, taking a step toward her.
She pointed her wand at him. "Just a scratch," she lied.
"Was it Sirius?" he asked, frowning. "No. The boggart."
Lupin frowned again. Roxanne held her wand ready.
"Malfoy?"
She nodded once.
"I tried to keep Moody from using it. I-"
"Are you going to make your move or not, Remus?" she said coldly, waving her wand impatiently.
He laughed and took another bite of apple, savoring its sweetness and grunting with satisfaction as he swallowed.
"MMM. Hungry?" he asked.
Roxanne ignored him, ignored her hunger, eyed the apple jealously. She'd eaten nothing since the poisoned jam some eight or nine hours ago.
"I think I have another here somewhere," he said, feeling around in his pockets. "Yes. Here it is."
Roxanne stiffened, ready to defend herself. But the only thing to come from Lupin's pocket was, indeed, another apple, which he held up temptingly. Roxanne glared at him. "Do I look like Snow White?"
"Come on, Roxanne. It's only an apple. Here you go." And he tossed it in a high arch toward her. Roxanne watched the apple for a moment, but a sudden movement caught her eye and she looked down to see Remus, wand drawn.
"EXPELLIARMUS!" he shouted. But Roxanne dove to the side, rolling onto the floor, wand still in hand. The spell hit a suit of armor instead and a heavily spiked mace soared through the air straight at Remus.
She pointed her wand and shouted "STUPEFY!" Lupin froze. The mace struck him in the chest with a dull thwack and he fell heavily, striking his head on the stone wall, and slumping like a broken marionette, to the floor.
Roxanne sprang to her feet, wand still raised, and paced cautiously toward his lifeless body. His robes were badly torn, and Roxanne could see splotches of blood. She kicked his toe. "Remus? Remus, are you all right?"
Stowing her wand, she knelt down beside him and gently slapped his cheeks. "Remus?"
In a flash he had her wrists and flung her on her back, smacking her head on the floor and knocking the wind out of her. He held her down as she forced herself to suck in a lungful of air.
"You should have finished me off when you had the chance," he whispered.
"I-I thought-I-had," she gasped.
"You thought wrong. I learned that little trick from my dad. Worked quite nicely, don't you think?" he boasted, pinning her down with a knee on her chest.
But Roxanne saw her chance and acted quickly. With all her strength she brought up one knee, striking him squarely between the legs. Remus gasped and rolled onto the floor, doubled up and groaning. She stood up, brushed off her robes and pulled her wand out, pointing it at him.
"I learned that little trick from an old boyfriend. Worked quite nicely, don't you think?" she taunted.
Professor McGonagall appeared at her shoulder.
"Well done, Miss Stewart. You've successfully dispatched Mr. Lupin," she said tartly. "Now put away your wand and help me get him to the hospital wing."
Roxanne did as she was told, helping Remus gingerly to his feet and supporting him as he limped painfully along.
He collapsed onto a bed, doubled up again, and groaned weakly as Madame Pomfrey shooed Roxanne away and surrounded the bed with screens. Professor McGonagall sat Roxanne on another bed and examined her shoulder.
"Nothing serious," she said poking at the cut, making Roxanne wince. "It will only take a few minutes to fix up. You'll need to be in good shape for your final challenge. Is there anything you need.?"
"I'm starving. Is there any way-"
"I'll have something sent up from the kitchen."
Roxanne's eyes widened.
"I assure you, it will be perfectly safe," Professor McGonagall said, smiling slightly.
**********
Roxanne refused to leave the hospital wing until she was certain Remus would be all right. Madame Pomfrey finally relented and allowed her to come behind the screen and speak to him. He lay, bare-chested, with a large bandage over the area where the mace had wounded him.
"It looks like I owe you some new robes," she said pointing to the heap of cloth on the floor.
"No. You don't have to-"
"I want to," she insisted.
"If I were you," said Madame Pomfrey to Remus, examining beneath the bandage, "I wouldn't argue with her."
"Will you be up for Diagon Alley tomorrow?"
Remus looked at Madame Pomfrey who nodded knowingly.
"Looks like it," he said. "After breakfast?"
Roxanne smiled and nodded.
**********
A full stomach can go along way toward lightening one's mood, Roxanne discovered-although the thought of spending tomorrow with Remus helped as well-and she fairly floated through the castle in search of Sirius Black.
She entered the Great Hall through a side door behind the Head Table after fruitlessly searching much of the castle. As the hour grew late, Roxanne grew impatient to have the exam finished. She would not miss another meal over it-especially for the sake of Sirius Black.
She climbed onto the Hufflepuff table and began to walk its length.
"SIRIUS BLACK!" she shouted loudly when she'd reached the table's center, the sound echoing through the castle. "I'M HERE! I'M WAITING FOR YOU!" And she sat, cross-legged, pulled her wand from her robes, set it on the table in front of her, and waited.
But not for long. Sirius appeared in the main doorway, his arms folded, his wand resting in the crook of his arm, a smug grin on his face.
She sat perfectly still, hands on her knees as if meditating, staring at him keenly.
"I understand you defeated the boggart," he said
She remained silent.
"And Remus," he continued.
Still she did not respond.
"You think you're ready for me, do you?" And he hopped lightly to the top of the table and strode slowly toward her.
"Give it your best shot," she hissed, a playfully sinister smirk on her face.
Black laughed. "It seems there's more to you than I believed. You know, I've been looking forward to this all day." And moving too quickly for Roxanne to have any hope of countering, he swished his wand bellowing "PETRIFICUS TOTALIS!"
Black's wand burst into a large bunch of long-stemmed red roses. He stood, staring at them, too stunned to speak.
Roxanne picked up her wand, stood slowly, savoring the moment, and took the roses from him.
"For me? Why thank you, Mr. Black," she cooed sarcastically. "Now turn around and march!" she commanded, her voice suddenly threatening.
He raised his hands high and did as he was told, still too numb with shock at the turn of events to come up with a defense, let alone a nasty retort. Roxanne stayed several paces behind him-far enough to keep him from getting to her before she could jinx him-and marched him outside and across the snow covered grounds. Black began searching around him, looking for a way out, something he could use to attack her with.
As they approached the lake, he grew desperate, until he finally decided his only chance was to run for it. He leaped to the side and sprinted madly toward Hagrid's cabin, but Roxanne's aim had been expertly perfected under Professor Flitwick's careful tutelage, and she had him easily.
"WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!" she called, almost lazily, and Sirius floated lightly into the air, swinging up and up and out over the lake. With a dramatic flourish, Roxanne cut the spell, dropping Black twenty feet into the cold black water.
**********
Dear Fred and George, The trick wand worked beautifully. Be sure to ask Sirius all about it when you get the chance. Moody even gave me extra credit!
Roxanne P.S. Thanks for the roses and Merry Christmas!
