Disclaimer: I would just like to say that all characters which are in this fiction belong to JK Rowling and not me.... Only a few of the characters belong to me and even they dislike me.. *sobs* The scenery isn't even mine.. *Balls her eyes out!*

Author's Note: I write far too many of these but what the hell! I don't care.... mOOf! Everyone has got to use that word man! It's just silly! A cross between a moo and a woof! WOOF! Yes you'd be right if you thought I was completely barking.. hehhehe..

But then

I'd have to be.

The plot thickens..

::~::~::

The dark clouds settle.

Darkest of the Dark Arts

There was a quiet time amongst the two Professors after the incident in Raine's office. She kept her distance from him and he likewise did the same. A red tint would appear in her cheeks when she bumped into him and when she walked away from him he scolded himself for looking at her. She would feel slightly silly when she went to breakfast and dinner, they stopped talking to each other for a few days before trying to resume the hateful relationship they had once had.

Raine wandered into the Great Hall one morning amidst the buzz created when there was to be a house Quidditch match; Slytherin vs. Gryffindor promised to be a good match, it usually was. The teachers however didn't look quite so happy, Madam Hooch was ill and getting a replacement referee was proving rather difficult since McGonagall and Snape were both squabbling about doing it themselves, the animosity between them at peek.

"What's going on here?" Raine said looking up at the two bickering 'teachers', then to Dumbledore who was just ignoring them shaking his head in disapproval.

"There isn't a referee for the match this afternoon!" Snape snapped. "Minerva," he drawled. "Thinks she should be the one to do it! Over my dead body!" He barked at her. This was the height of amusement for the morning as Snape and McGonagall continued to fight like cat and dog, cat being McGonagall of course.

"What do you think Sir?" Raine asked Dumbledore who continued to act oblivious to the situation.

"I've already decided," he said calmly and McGonagall and Snape stopped arguing to listen like hawks as to what one of them would be the referee.

"Oh, who?" Minerva asked looking at Snape smugly.

"Raine? Would you be kind enough to cover for Madam Hooch?" Dumbledore asked and McGonagall and Snape both adopted an expression of disgust. It seemed that they were going to team up against her.

"But I can't fly one of those things! They wobble!" Raine protested trying not to encore the wrath of both Professors Snape and McGonagall.

"Do you like Quidditch?" He asked and her expression wavered to a smile. She liked the sport but it didn't mean that she could play it.

"Of course but it doesn't mean that I can fly one of those blasted contraptions. I broke my arm when I last played," she said trying to make him change his mind, still having nightmares about the bludger that hit her in the arm when she was fifteen. She had plummeted fifty feet, not a pleasant experience for any one.

"Then you can fly if you've played. Good then that's sorted. See you at the pitch Professor, the weather looks like it is going to be exceptional," he said leaving the Great Hall and Raine looked at McGonagall and Snape with an expression that definitely said help me.

"Good luck Stark," Snape said bitterly. "You'll be doing a lot of moving; the beaters like using the referee as a target."

"That's only when you're the referee Snape. Non of the students like you!" Raine snapped in retaliation, his expression dropped from the sneer. "Flaccid old wind bag!" She spat, Snape's eyes widened though the shock of being so blatantly insulted by a member of staff, and McGonagall lifted her eyebrows wondering how Raine might think such a thing. "I'm going to find a broom with a repellent to bludgers."

"You do that, but make sure it doesn't repel you, you're such an obnoxious character you remind me of a bludger. It might decide to throw you off, or not let you on at all, you never know what's going to happen out there," he said dangerously. Raine shook her head and walked out of the Great Hall after allowing some words that made Snape's mouth drop pass her lips. McGonagall looked at her extremely shocked, and dropped the goblet that was in her hand to the floor causing it to smash.

::~::~::~::~::~::

"This is going to be interesting, Stark is going to be the referee, I didn't think she was the kind of person to leave the ground," Harry said to Ron who was finally put on the Quidditch team last year as Keeper.

"Oh I've heard that she isn't, Dumbledore asked her to do it when McGonagall and Snape argued over whom was going to cover Madam Hooch. She's not happy about it though... Did you notice her expression when she left the Great Hall this morning?"

"Well I thought she always got that after sitting near Snape to try to eat, I mean I would be!" Harry said, he and Ron both laughed. "Let's just hope she's fairer on the Quidditch pitch than she is in her lessons, otherwise she is going to be merciless," he added getting to his feet and collecting his Firebolt. "Ready?" He asked Ron who was also now collecting his broom.

"Yeah," was Ron's reply and Harry knew what he must do.

"Right team... You all know the plans that we learned in practice, now it's time to put them into action. Are you ready?" The Gryffindor headed out of the changing rooms and headed towards the Quidditch pitch.

::~::~::~::~::~::

It wasn't often that Raine felt happy but she had always had a kinship with the sky but she had never mastered it. She wore fine black Quidditch robes that made her unbelievably comfortable on the broom. The black swished out around her as the gusts of wind caught the flowing fabric for once in ages she was wearing trousers but they too were black and were loosely fitting. Sensible shoes were a wise choice she thought as she left the floor her normal slip-ons would have fallen straight off, she wouldn't be able to concentrate with cold toes, maybe it was just the way she was. She turned on her broom to start the match when a gust of wind swept past her face causing her hair ties to fall out, her black hair shot out behind her back and out of her face in the direction of the wind that was opposing her face.

The match went to a flying start and points were scored equally, she couldn't hear the commentary she wasn't really interested she was too busy trying to keep an eye on everything. Malfoy and Potter were flying around above her looking for the snitch and she got the feeling that Malfoy was trying to spit at her from a great height. She flew uncertainly around the pitch watching the game to start with until something else caught her eye; the wobbling stopped when she forgot about the great height she was at, her mind became distracted and she was no longer interested in the game.

A dark hooded figure stalked the edge of the Quidditch and even though she was supposed to be keeping an eye on the game and refereeing this one figure kept her attention as she watched it like a hawk ready to strike. It looked to her like this figure had remained unnoticed by all in the stands and all of the players. She narrowly missed a bludger twice when a beater got in the way and hit it at the beater on the opposite team but she hadn't noticed too busy watching the solitary figure looming in the corner of the pitch.

Malfoy was sticking to Harry like he normally did watching to see if he had spotted the snitch ready to try and pounce in on what ever Harry had seen. Harry believed that he had seen the snitch and flew at break neck speed towards the golden object fluttering near the Slytherin goal post. Malfoy shot after him and they were so close that they were neck and neck flying at the goal post the crowd was going wild when Raine spotted the hooded figure reveal it's wand and shoot a bolt of glittering red light at the two seekers.

"Stop!" She yelled but to no avail, one of them was hit and flying towards the ground minus the broom. She couldn't tell who it was but she could tell that they were in a lot of pain, a shouting sound of extreme agony was ripping the atmosphere apart. She flew on her broom at it her mind elsewhere not thinking of everything around her but getting to the seeker before he hit the floor. She aligned herself to the broom so she was practically led on it her spine in line with the handle and began to start to turn the broom slowly the other way around so that she was upside down. She didn't have time to consider if she was going to fall off the broom or not even to realise what she was doing. She got close to him about twenty feet from the floor by which time everyone though who ever it was, was not going to be around much longer the intensity of the howls of pain. Ten feet from the floor she managed to make a firm grip on the boy's chest and begin to rise from the floor slowly. She slowed the broom down and landed it while still the wrong way up dropping the boy to the floor before flipping herself the right way up and blindly reaching inside her pockets for her wand. She pointed the wand at the boy and without a word a sapphire jet of light shot out the end of it soothing the boy and silencing him and lifting the curse placed upon him, while she could just about made out the sounds of other people approaching.

"What happened?" Someone called but she didn't bother to listen instead she ran to where she had seen the hooded figure run into the forest racing as fast as she could by foot clasping the broom in one hand and her wand in the other.

"Where are you going?" Someone shouted as she disappeared into the woods. There was nothing to be heard for a while as everyone was rushing around trying to see what had happened to the seeker. There was about three hours before anyone saw Raine again.

The Great Hall was buzzing, nothing like this had ever happened to the Slytherins before. Malfoy had been the one hit with the Cruciatus curse while trying to get the snitch.

"Shut up!" Was a loud yelling sound from outside the Great Hall as Professor Stark burst in pointing her wand at the back of the neck of a Death Eater, his hood still raised and shouting in protest as the Professor marched him in looking livid. Harry thought Snape looked frightening when he was mad but Professor Stark was something else. She kicked the cowering man to the floor using a drop kick she had taught them to bring people to their knees. Then snapped the second wand in her hand in two over her knee, it must have been a good sturdy wand as well since it was quite wide and made a very loud cracking sound as she brought it down over her thigh. The broom in her left her beat him round the head with so hard he hit the floor almost instantaneously after it. She yanked the hood off the unconscious man and ripped the left sleeve wrenching up his left arm for everyone to see the Dark Mark burning black.

"This is what we have in our midst!" She shouted so that the whole hall went silent looking completely blind with rage.

"Professor Stark I don't think this is the time!" McGonagall shouted looking horrified that one of Voldemort's servants was within the school.

"They need to know!" Raine shouted in reply silencing McGonagall with a murderous glare.

"Mad-eye Moody I believe taught you all to remain constantly vigilant! Did any of you spot this maggot?!" She shouted kicking the Death Eater in the stomach as she held up his left arm. Snape flinched looking at her face so filled with rage and to believe she had actually caught one of them he felt the Mark burn on his own arm he winced. "This is Dark Arts at its most sinister!" She roared and everyone in the hall looked completely terrified except Dumbledore who looked quite impressed that he had a Dark Arts teacher ho actually knew what she was doing and that the perpetrator had been caught so quickly. "Anything suspicious you spot you tell a member of staff and we will check it out! Students are not to chase any of these men! If any of you so much as consider it I can guarantee you'll be back on that train sooner than you can shout Constant Vigilance! They are highly dangerous! Anyone taking them on has a death wish, and before you ask yes I do!" She barked continuing to scour the hall before the Death Eater began to stir. She elbowed him sharply on the head again knocking him out cold. "Mr. Malfoy? Mr Potter? Could I enquire which one of you got hit by this slimy excuse for a human worm!" She said lightening the tone but not spotting Malfoy anywhere on the Slytherin table. "Mr. Potter you were very lucky! This goes to show that no one is safe from these men, no one!" She snapped before motioning to Dumbledore to come and join her out of the hall.

"Raine that was a very gallant thing you did today," Dumbledore said as she walked out of the Great Hall dragging the Death Eater behind her still looking beyond rage.

"Who is this?" She asked as she sprawled him out on the floor.

"Matthew Brody, a student here about five years back. Very sad to see him fall in with such a bad crowd, he was an intelligent young man, Slytherin as well, but such is life I guess. He must have been aiming for Harry knowing his ambitious nature.. Out to impress Voldemort the best way he could. This will only anger Voldemort however. We shall let the ministry know of this capture, I'm sure there will be a space in Azkaban for him now," Dumbledore said him eyes showing deep sadness.

"He deserves all he gets!" She spat bitterly tying him up. "I leave him in your care Sir, I must find out how Mr. Malfoy is." She said slowly sweeping out of Dumbledore's office.

::~::~::~::~::~::

Raine walked to the Hospital wing very quickly to discover Severus already there discussing what had happened with Madam Pomfrey who was standing over Malfoy taking his pulse as he groaned a little.

"He's not too badly hurt I trust," Raine said walking up to the bed and looking down at him as he lay wincing each time Madam Pomfrey touched him.

"Raine..... I don't know what to say..." Snape stuttered thinking of what to say to her. "I was wrong about you. I apologise whole heartedly for the way I reacted this morning, it was completely uncalled for.... If it had been me he would have been dead," Snape spluttered looking down at Malfoy his eyes wide, shocked a little.

"Dead is not a good word from Hospitals Mr. Snape," Raine said not bothering to make eye contact with him, he felt a little silly.

"You're one hell of a flyer," he added trying to get her to at least look at him trying to compliment her but he realised that his behaviour did make him the most liked person by with her.

"Are you okay Draco?" Raine asked looking at him finally when he was able to see her properly as Madam Pomfrey walked away muttering something about Quidditch being dangerous and how it should be stopped, Raine smiled.

"I'm fine....." He uttered still in a lot of pain. "Thank you Professor," this was a moment for Raine that meant a lot, he had actually called her Professor without trying to make it sound like a dirty word when used to describe her and she smiled again. He had also thanked her that was unusual for him.

"That's okay, I'm glad I caught you in time, you nearly became magic pizza," She said softly looking into his silver eyes that occasionally closed when he felt a sudden rush of pain. "I would also like to tell you that the maggot that did this to you has been caught. Professor Snape can fill you in. I have a class to prepare for tomorrow," she said turning to Snape who felt in awe around her, she had the guts to try and rescue a student falling from a broom from a great height at great speed when he wouldn't have and she had bothered to catch the one who exacted the curse.

"Raine could I have a word please," he said offering a smile.

"I've been running around the forest for three hours Severus and I have to change all my lesson plans as you can appreciate I haven't the time to have 'a' word," she said coldly still hurt by his words from the morning.

"It won't take long," he pleaded walking around her opening the door and standing in her way.

"Quickly then," she said standing her arms crossed.

"I'm sorry," he said and she could feel the warmth within her grow, he apologised and she was quite happy with that but didn't bother to show it.

"Okay, can I go now," She said pushing past him a smile creeping up her face as she walked sternly down the corridor he wasn't able to distinguish her face with her back to him, maybe it was better for her that way.

::~::~::~::~::~::

The next morning was some what unusual for Raine, she had gone to the hospital wing to try to see if Malfoy was any better when she discovered he was so well he was able to return to the normal school day after such a short length of time. Madam Pomfrey beamed at her when she entered the Hospital wing smiling broadly when Raine enquired about the patient. She then walked to the Great Hall only to receive awestruck glances from all the students. Entering the Great Hall was extremely unusual when the whole hall applauded her as she entered.

"Great Flying Miss!" Some students from the Gryffindor table roared as she passed them, she went bright red. She looked around, they were all smiling at her and Harry and Draco especially were clapping loudly as she looked at them, Malfoy and Potter had finally found something that could agree on. She walked up to the staff table blushing furiously.

"Good morning Raine, I see everyone was impressed by yesterday's events," Dumbledore said joining in the applause. The Hufflepuffs were impressed by her rescue the Ravenclaws were impressed by the skill she executed in capturing the villain the Slytherins were impressed she had rescued someone they all thought she despised with the whole of her being. The Gryffindors were impressed because they thought she wouldn't have done that for anyone.

"I did what I had to Sir; nothing more," she said trying to shrug off the unnecessary attention she was receiving.

"Surely Raine you wouldn't refer to that as nothing...... That was amazing... I didn't know what to expect. I thought I was going to lose a student from my house had you not been so quick to act," Snape said hurriedly trying to get his piece in as all the other members of staff flooded her with praise, his however was the only bit of praise she was interested in.

::~::~::

Author's Note: Yes I know I'm a motor mouth but hey I have the right to be, it doesn't mean that you have to listen to me.. That is your right deduce what you will.. I hope that was interesting enough for you... Is it over done? I thought that was okay.. She saved his butt! Or ARSE.... Mrs. Norris that was for you... mOOf! lol! Thank you to all my loverly reviewers.... Yes I know I spelt 'lovely' wrong.. it's an English country bumpkin thing.. lol! not that I am one just felt like typing that... heeheehee... Any thoughts as to what will happen next? hummm? You'll never guess! You won't unless you have four legs and oink a lot.... Yes Green_Pig that means you... I must confess she knows all.... Never mind hey? Anyway as always if you want to email me.... silver_shadow54@hotmail.com btw is what you use.. I will reply! I love email! Yay! Anyway I better go now...

Ciao

I.C. Fire

silver_shadow54@hotmail.com