Chapter 4
Disclaimer on opening note
For then next couple weeks she found it hard not to spend time reading in Dumbledore's office. Harry, Ron and Hermione were always off to Hagrid's, Fred and George were "studying" for their O.W.L.S., and when none of that was going on, Oliver was making them practice. Ginny and Ruby would talk every night, because it was hard for them to catch each other during the day.
She loved her new reading space. Dumbledore never bothered her. They would talk on occasion, but it was mostly Ruby lost in her fictional world.
One day, well into the term, Professor Snape came to talk to Dumbledore.
"Hello, Severus."
"Hello, Head...," he trailed off. He noticed Ruby, sprawled out on the floor, reading.
"She's just reading, Severus. She probably doesn't even know you're here," Dumbledore laughed. They looked at Ruby who hadn't stirred. "Ruby, you ok?" She answer in incoherent mumbles. "You see? Now what do you need?"
"I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do with her in Potions Mastery."
"Ah, well, what did you learn?"
"Just about everything."
Dumbledore smiled. "Then that is what you will teach her."
"But, sir, I'm not sure how much to teach her."
"Because she is a Gryffindor? That should have nothing to do with it." He looked over at Ruby who briefly looked up from her book, her concentration broken. "Ruby, where are you at in your book?" Snape turned around and realized that he had just made a fool of himself. "When did you start hearing the conversation," Dumbledore asked.
"I heard, 'Because she is a Gryffindor.' and on. What's going on?"
"We were just discussing your lessons in Potions Mastery."
"Oh, do you need me to leave?"
"No, I think Professor Snape has plenty to think about. Am I correct?"
"Yes, Headmaster." He turned and sneered at Ruby as he walked out.
* * *
The weeks flew by with the winter wind that was moving in. The first Hogsmeade weekend was coming and Ruby was looking forward to being in a quiet castle.
"You're not coming with us," asked George.
"I have so much to do." Truth was she just wanted to read.
"That's not stopping Hermione," said Fred.
"I'll come next time, ok?"
"Don't worry. I'll bring you something back," said Oliver from behind as he hugged Ruby. This was the most relaxed she had seen him in weeks.
"See," Fred said, "Even Oliver knows when to take a break."
"I'm sorry."
"You're the one missing out."
"I'll see you later," Oliver whispered to her as Percy called for the Gryffindors to gather for Hogsmeade.
Ruby sat with Harry for a while to be polite, but the conversation was going no where. "Umm, Harry, I need to go to the library for potions, you know O.W.L.S."
"Oh yeah." Harry seemed relived for an end to the conversation..
Ruby stopped off at the bathroom on her way to the library. As she washed her hands she looked at her reflection, almost daring the mirror to speak. To her surprise it did.
"Ruby." "Who are you?" Oh please don't let it be him, her thoughts pleaded. A liquidy face protruded from the mirror.
"You know who it is." Her heart jumped and he smiled. "I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten me."
"Leave me alone. I haven't done anything."
"I know that. I've watched." She stepped back from the mirror. "Don't look so surprised. I told you. I've watched you all summer and ever since you returned to Hogwarts."
"No! Stop, just leave me alone."
"But I can't, don't you understand. You belong to me. You are a part of me. I can give you every thing you desire."
"No," was all that came out.
" 'If you need me, just whistle like this,'" he put two liquidy fingers to his lips. Like Tidus from Final Fantasy Ten she thought. Then she remembered the mirror behind her in the family room where she played the game. He had watched her, how else could he know? "'I'll coming running,'" he finished the quote.
"Stop it!" She ran from the bathroom and to the library as fast as she could.
She found herself in the Transfiguration section in search of anything about mirrors, but she really didn't know where to start.
"Lost, Miss Kennedy?" The familiar voice pieced Ruby's ears.
"No, Professor Snape, I'm trying to locate a book on mirror communtication." He gave her a strange look.
"Mirror communication is considered a Dark Art, Miss Kennedy."
"Oh."
"It was considered one after the Dark Lord used it to spy on his prey."
"Oh." She had a hard time looking him in the face.
"I need to speak with you on the matter of Potions Mastery. Follow me to my office."
They walked quietly down the empty halls, their pace echoed through out. Ruby wished she could tell him what she saw, but what would he think of her: a new follower of Voldermort? She didn't want her reputation tainted by a lie or misunderstanding.
"Sit," he said when they were in his office. "Now, I need to know, are you planning to stick with this class for the rest of your Hogwarts career?"
"Yes, sir."
"I need to know, seriously."
"I understand, sir. I am ready for the challenges of this study,"
"I can teach you many wonderful, deadly, lifesaving things about potions."
"I want to learn them." They locked eyes. He was searching deep into her eyes for some doubt.
"I can teach you the dark magic in potions, along with the light. I can give you knowledge of things most teachers in this school don't know."
"Just a piece of your knowledge would enlighten me."
"No one else will know what you know."
"Except you." He smiled at this remark.
"Exactly. Good, we will begin on real projects next lesson. No more research."
"Awesome."
"And, Miss Kennedy, there is no book in that library on mirror communication." She looked at him perplexed. "No book has been written. No one dares to write it."
"How do you know about it?"
A weak twitch came over his face. "I can not tell you all of my secrets."
* I really enjoyed this chapter. Not much else to say about. Yeah Snape isn't really to mean, but I need this to set up what happens in the rest of the story. Deal with it, hehe!
Disclaimer on opening note
For then next couple weeks she found it hard not to spend time reading in Dumbledore's office. Harry, Ron and Hermione were always off to Hagrid's, Fred and George were "studying" for their O.W.L.S., and when none of that was going on, Oliver was making them practice. Ginny and Ruby would talk every night, because it was hard for them to catch each other during the day.
She loved her new reading space. Dumbledore never bothered her. They would talk on occasion, but it was mostly Ruby lost in her fictional world.
One day, well into the term, Professor Snape came to talk to Dumbledore.
"Hello, Severus."
"Hello, Head...," he trailed off. He noticed Ruby, sprawled out on the floor, reading.
"She's just reading, Severus. She probably doesn't even know you're here," Dumbledore laughed. They looked at Ruby who hadn't stirred. "Ruby, you ok?" She answer in incoherent mumbles. "You see? Now what do you need?"
"I'm having a hard time figuring out what to do with her in Potions Mastery."
"Ah, well, what did you learn?"
"Just about everything."
Dumbledore smiled. "Then that is what you will teach her."
"But, sir, I'm not sure how much to teach her."
"Because she is a Gryffindor? That should have nothing to do with it." He looked over at Ruby who briefly looked up from her book, her concentration broken. "Ruby, where are you at in your book?" Snape turned around and realized that he had just made a fool of himself. "When did you start hearing the conversation," Dumbledore asked.
"I heard, 'Because she is a Gryffindor.' and on. What's going on?"
"We were just discussing your lessons in Potions Mastery."
"Oh, do you need me to leave?"
"No, I think Professor Snape has plenty to think about. Am I correct?"
"Yes, Headmaster." He turned and sneered at Ruby as he walked out.
* * *
The weeks flew by with the winter wind that was moving in. The first Hogsmeade weekend was coming and Ruby was looking forward to being in a quiet castle.
"You're not coming with us," asked George.
"I have so much to do." Truth was she just wanted to read.
"That's not stopping Hermione," said Fred.
"I'll come next time, ok?"
"Don't worry. I'll bring you something back," said Oliver from behind as he hugged Ruby. This was the most relaxed she had seen him in weeks.
"See," Fred said, "Even Oliver knows when to take a break."
"I'm sorry."
"You're the one missing out."
"I'll see you later," Oliver whispered to her as Percy called for the Gryffindors to gather for Hogsmeade.
Ruby sat with Harry for a while to be polite, but the conversation was going no where. "Umm, Harry, I need to go to the library for potions, you know O.W.L.S."
"Oh yeah." Harry seemed relived for an end to the conversation..
Ruby stopped off at the bathroom on her way to the library. As she washed her hands she looked at her reflection, almost daring the mirror to speak. To her surprise it did.
"Ruby." "Who are you?" Oh please don't let it be him, her thoughts pleaded. A liquidy face protruded from the mirror.
"You know who it is." Her heart jumped and he smiled. "I'm glad to see you haven't forgotten me."
"Leave me alone. I haven't done anything."
"I know that. I've watched." She stepped back from the mirror. "Don't look so surprised. I told you. I've watched you all summer and ever since you returned to Hogwarts."
"No! Stop, just leave me alone."
"But I can't, don't you understand. You belong to me. You are a part of me. I can give you every thing you desire."
"No," was all that came out.
" 'If you need me, just whistle like this,'" he put two liquidy fingers to his lips. Like Tidus from Final Fantasy Ten she thought. Then she remembered the mirror behind her in the family room where she played the game. He had watched her, how else could he know? "'I'll coming running,'" he finished the quote.
"Stop it!" She ran from the bathroom and to the library as fast as she could.
She found herself in the Transfiguration section in search of anything about mirrors, but she really didn't know where to start.
"Lost, Miss Kennedy?" The familiar voice pieced Ruby's ears.
"No, Professor Snape, I'm trying to locate a book on mirror communtication." He gave her a strange look.
"Mirror communication is considered a Dark Art, Miss Kennedy."
"Oh."
"It was considered one after the Dark Lord used it to spy on his prey."
"Oh." She had a hard time looking him in the face.
"I need to speak with you on the matter of Potions Mastery. Follow me to my office."
They walked quietly down the empty halls, their pace echoed through out. Ruby wished she could tell him what she saw, but what would he think of her: a new follower of Voldermort? She didn't want her reputation tainted by a lie or misunderstanding.
"Sit," he said when they were in his office. "Now, I need to know, are you planning to stick with this class for the rest of your Hogwarts career?"
"Yes, sir."
"I need to know, seriously."
"I understand, sir. I am ready for the challenges of this study,"
"I can teach you many wonderful, deadly, lifesaving things about potions."
"I want to learn them." They locked eyes. He was searching deep into her eyes for some doubt.
"I can teach you the dark magic in potions, along with the light. I can give you knowledge of things most teachers in this school don't know."
"Just a piece of your knowledge would enlighten me."
"No one else will know what you know."
"Except you." He smiled at this remark.
"Exactly. Good, we will begin on real projects next lesson. No more research."
"Awesome."
"And, Miss Kennedy, there is no book in that library on mirror communication." She looked at him perplexed. "No book has been written. No one dares to write it."
"How do you know about it?"
A weak twitch came over his face. "I can not tell you all of my secrets."
* I really enjoyed this chapter. Not much else to say about. Yeah Snape isn't really to mean, but I need this to set up what happens in the rest of the story. Deal with it, hehe!
