Alesco
Chapter Twenty-Three---Wicked Power
*
Ron thought it would be funny. Why not try to make Professor Binns do something? After all, he was dead. What could Ron possibly make a ghost do?
The moment Ron started to push a command to Binns, Ron's body became stuck. He felt cold all over, and then he heard a tremendous screech of pain in his mind.
He struggled to break the cold bond holding him to the ghost.
It took a little effort, and then Binns shrieked at him. The professor told him to leave.
Ron was only too happy to oblige.
Once he stepped into the hall, still hearing the ghost's moans inside the room, Ron didn't know where to go. Should he talk to Professor Forester? What good would that do? Ron thought all of this with anger. She'd only sit there and pretend to be worried, maybe pull out a book, or possibly make him do a session. None of those options appealed to him. Anyway, she was probably teaching a class.
What, in fact, had he done to Professor Binns? All he had asked was that the professor shut it. Instead of results, he'd felt that tremendous scream rattling his skull. Professor Forester had never told him ghosts could be effected by Siren's powers.
That's when it hit him. He stopped walking, and then leaned against the wall. What if he could hurt other creatures? What if he could repel acromantulas, with only his mind? The thought made him smile.
He started walking again, and soon found himself climbing the high tower to the owlery. He shrugged, and figured that would be a great place to sit and think about this new skill.
Before he could move another muscle, he felt darkness cross over his vision. The feeling was dreadfully familiar.....
*
"It's settled, then. You're not sending that letter." Professor Forester was gazing at Snape in the owlery, a heated look in her eyes.
Snape shook his head. "Yes, my dear, I am certainly posting this letter. Headmaster Dumbledore is in London. I think it's best he know, and I can't leave Hogwarts in the middle of the day. It's bad enough that I've been called to leave tonight."
"Don't you think it'll look suspicious? What can Dumbledore do?" Professor Forester asked scathingly. "You can't guarantee the letter won't be intercepted."
"None of that matters, don't you see? I think I'm ALREADY under suspicion." Snape moved closer to the professor, so close his lips were near her own. "You know what that means, don't you, my dear Ivy?"
Professor Forester looked at Snape's lips....and then into his eyes. "No, Severus, I don't."
Snape took a forefinger and sliced it across his neck with a swift motion.
Professor Forester laughed, loudly and coldly. Snape inched back from her, and began to laugh as well.
"You're delectable, Miss Forester." He said silkily, and clucked at an owl perching above.
Professor Forester grabbed his arm, and then turned him back toward her. "No, Severus!" She shouted, just as her eyes grew large. She stared hard at Snape, and then his posture relaxed. She grabbed the letter from his hand and ripped it to shreds. Snape simply stood there, looking forward blankly. With a flick of her wand, she made the bits of letter at her feet burst into flame. Giving one more last stare at Snape, she walked toward the stairwell.......
*
Ron felt the blackness fade from his vision, before he looked up the stairs. He knew what he would find above.
Just as he had suspected, he witnessed the very last of Professor Forester's destruction of Snape's letter. He hid in the shadows, making sure he wouldn't be seen. Before he could be caught on the stairwell, he tiptoed down, and watched Professor Forester's retreat. She was heading, apparently, back to her classroom.
What the devil? Ron shook his head, trying to understand what had just transpired. He moved out of the shadows, just in time to be intercepted by the one and only Severus Snape.
"Weasley, what are you doing in the hall at a time like this? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Snape spat at him.
Ron was about to push out at Snape to leave him alone. Something inside told him not to.
"Yes, sir. Professor Binns told me to leave." He said it reluctantly, hoping Snape would lay off him just this once.
Snape pulled himself up and looked closely toward Ron. "Well then...maybe you should use this time wisely. You have...." He pulled a pocketwatch out of his robes. "...exactly twelve minutes to scourgify the owlery. I'm sure Filch would appreciate your assistance."
Before Ron would allow Snape to walk away, he bit his tongue, and risked saying, "Professor...have you seen Professor Forester recently?" Ron said it weakly, and gulped. "I mean...I need to speak with her about an assignment...."
Snape glared at Ron for a brief moment before saying scaldingly, "No, I haven't. Maybe you should try the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom...instead of the fourth floor corridor?"
He eyed Ron coldly, and then shuffled toward a stairwell that let to the dungeons.
Ron exhaled. He had been lucky...no points from Gryffindor, and scourgifying the owlery would be a piece of cake with magic. It was a fairly decent punishment, considering the others Snape usually doled out.
What had the conversation between the professors meant? Why did Professor Forester refuse to let Snape send the letter, and why had she made Snape forget? Ron would wager anything that Professor Dumbledore wouldn't be too pleased to know she'd done that to a fellow teacher.
He ran up to the owlery, hoping a remnant of Snape's letter was still readable. Nothing of it was left.
Using the scourgify spell on the owlery, Ron was very impressed with his skills when he departed.
He realized he was going to Defense Against the Dark Arts next; and he knew he would be facing Professor Forester. Something about the encounter with Snape told him he shouldn't ask her about it. There was something not right about it. He wanted to get to the bottom of it, but how was he going to do that?
He decided to speak with Hermione about it that night.
He nodded, and headed toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The least he could do was ask Professor Forester what he had done to Professor Binns.
*
When he reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, rather early, there were only a few students sitting at tables and talking excitedly. When Ron walked through the classroom past them, a few got up and asked him what he had done to Professor Binns. Most of the students thought it was terribly funny; others had concerned expressions on their faces.
Ron was just about to get past them, and climb up to Professor Forester's quarters, when Harry and Hermione ran in.
"There you are, Ron! We went all the way back to the common room. Where have you been?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"I'll explain later, now I need to--" Ron muttered, gesturing toward the professor's spiral staircase. Before he could finish, he was slapped on the back by Harry.
"How did you do that, Ron?" Harry was apparently trying to hold back a laugh. Hermione turned to look at Harry with a undisguised look of disgust. Harry continued, as if un-phased. "Professor Binns spent the rest of the class, talking about Grindlewald, and then every now and then he would moan and rub his forehead."
Ron didn't know whether to smile or frown. His intention was to be funny....but the results had been rather scary.
"I don't know how I did that, Harry. I was going to ask Professor Forester..." Ron said quietly, but was cut off. The professor was walking down her stairs, and calling class to order.
Without any other choice, the three students sat at their normal table. Ron stared at the professor, who was now giving him an intense look.
Ron could feel waves of irritation (and possibly fear) washing over him. He knew those feelings came from the professor. The familiarity of knowing how she was feeling was very unusual, but he'd come to expect it every time he was in close proximity with her. He knew what she was feeling....but not necessarily what she was thinking.
Unfortunately, that was what he most wanted to know at the moment.
Hermione was next to him, whispering in his ear. "What happened?" Her voice was thick with worry.
"I'll tell you tonight." He turned and whispered in her ear. She looked at him, and opened her mouth as if to respond, but the professor was talking. Hermione closed her mouth, and then reached down and grabbed his hand.
She couldn't hold it long, since it was the hand he needed for writing. Ron tried to concentrate on class, and push aside the feelings coming to him from the professor.
*
The class was a practical one. They practiced a new hex called "torpeo illico" which would render an opponent temporarily numb; thus allowing their capture.
Ron was glad when the class was over. As he tried to ease his aching body (Hermione had been rather enthusiastic with the spell during their practice), he told Hermione and Harry to meet him in the Great Hall, as lunch was next. Hermione shot him a concerned look, before the two walked out of the room.
Ron was pleased that the classroom was empty. He walked up behind the professor, who was tidying up the classroom.
"Yes, Ron?" She said softly, and then turned around to look at him. He could feel waves of concern and a little curiosity pouring off her.
"Professor....I was in History of Magic before this class." Ron muttered, glancing around. He was afraid to look into the professor's eyes..she might be able to tell he'd been hiding something.
But what if she can feel it anyway? Her eyes had narrowed now, when he dared look up at them. He continued on. "I tried my power on Professor Binns, and he must have been in pain. Anyway...he told me to leave class."
The professor let out a little snort, and said irritatedly, "I told you to try your powers responsibly, Ron. And don't think you can get away with denying that little stunt you pulled on Professor Snape at the meal the other day." Now Ron could feel real anger flowing off the professor, and he backed up, stunned.
Ron didn't hold anything back. He narrowed his eyes and shouted, "Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? You asked me to practice my powers, and so I did. You didn't give me any other instructions, other than to be "responsible." So...I didn't do anything too terrible to Snape!"
The professor put her hands on her hips and glared. "PROFESSOR Snape. What I meant by responsible was to do things that wouldn't harm or humiliate anyone. You should have learned from MY experiences what I meant." She bit out the last several words.
Ron was furious. How could she stand there and tell him that, while he'd witnessed her forcing Professor Snape to do something he didn't want to? Before he could reply, the professor said sharply, "Trying to make ghosts do anything only pains them, and gives you a rather nasty headache if you keep at it for too long. So I suggest you not try anything out on the ghosts of Hogwarts." She gave him an arch look, then turned around, as if to dismiss him. "I'll explain more at our session tonight."
Ron stood there, and glared at her back for a few more moments. Then, he blurted, "Why can't I just practice my powers on you? After all--"
She turned around again, looking exasperated. "Ron, will you learn nothing?" She was definitely irritated. "You know that trying to control me won't work. Siren power cancels itself out. I thought I taught you that."
Ron pulled back, and said in a deep, angry voice, "So, I continue to force everyone I know to do things they don't want to. Brilliant. What if I do something to someone I love? What will happen then?" Ron shot her what he hoped was his most furious look.
The professor let out a long breath. Then, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them, Ron thought he felt she was trying to calm her emotions. "You won't, Ron. If your feelings are true, you won't ever try to harm them. It'll come as second nature."
Ron looked down, and then back up again. "That means you're telling me what you had with Bill didn't mean anything to you." He was more angry then ever.
The professor turned around, and he couldn't see her expression. Even so, he knew how she felt. She felt terrible.
"You're right, Ron. I only desired Bill. That's why it's so hard to....why I have to....he has....." She let out a choked sigh.
Ron shook his head. Everything was becoming more and more confusing. Frankly, he didn't want to listen to any more of it right now.
"Fine. I'll see to tonight." He said it angrily, and rushed out of the empty classroom without looking back.
Chapter Twenty-Three---Wicked Power
*
Ron thought it would be funny. Why not try to make Professor Binns do something? After all, he was dead. What could Ron possibly make a ghost do?
The moment Ron started to push a command to Binns, Ron's body became stuck. He felt cold all over, and then he heard a tremendous screech of pain in his mind.
He struggled to break the cold bond holding him to the ghost.
It took a little effort, and then Binns shrieked at him. The professor told him to leave.
Ron was only too happy to oblige.
Once he stepped into the hall, still hearing the ghost's moans inside the room, Ron didn't know where to go. Should he talk to Professor Forester? What good would that do? Ron thought all of this with anger. She'd only sit there and pretend to be worried, maybe pull out a book, or possibly make him do a session. None of those options appealed to him. Anyway, she was probably teaching a class.
What, in fact, had he done to Professor Binns? All he had asked was that the professor shut it. Instead of results, he'd felt that tremendous scream rattling his skull. Professor Forester had never told him ghosts could be effected by Siren's powers.
That's when it hit him. He stopped walking, and then leaned against the wall. What if he could hurt other creatures? What if he could repel acromantulas, with only his mind? The thought made him smile.
He started walking again, and soon found himself climbing the high tower to the owlery. He shrugged, and figured that would be a great place to sit and think about this new skill.
Before he could move another muscle, he felt darkness cross over his vision. The feeling was dreadfully familiar.....
*
"It's settled, then. You're not sending that letter." Professor Forester was gazing at Snape in the owlery, a heated look in her eyes.
Snape shook his head. "Yes, my dear, I am certainly posting this letter. Headmaster Dumbledore is in London. I think it's best he know, and I can't leave Hogwarts in the middle of the day. It's bad enough that I've been called to leave tonight."
"Don't you think it'll look suspicious? What can Dumbledore do?" Professor Forester asked scathingly. "You can't guarantee the letter won't be intercepted."
"None of that matters, don't you see? I think I'm ALREADY under suspicion." Snape moved closer to the professor, so close his lips were near her own. "You know what that means, don't you, my dear Ivy?"
Professor Forester looked at Snape's lips....and then into his eyes. "No, Severus, I don't."
Snape took a forefinger and sliced it across his neck with a swift motion.
Professor Forester laughed, loudly and coldly. Snape inched back from her, and began to laugh as well.
"You're delectable, Miss Forester." He said silkily, and clucked at an owl perching above.
Professor Forester grabbed his arm, and then turned him back toward her. "No, Severus!" She shouted, just as her eyes grew large. She stared hard at Snape, and then his posture relaxed. She grabbed the letter from his hand and ripped it to shreds. Snape simply stood there, looking forward blankly. With a flick of her wand, she made the bits of letter at her feet burst into flame. Giving one more last stare at Snape, she walked toward the stairwell.......
*
Ron felt the blackness fade from his vision, before he looked up the stairs. He knew what he would find above.
Just as he had suspected, he witnessed the very last of Professor Forester's destruction of Snape's letter. He hid in the shadows, making sure he wouldn't be seen. Before he could be caught on the stairwell, he tiptoed down, and watched Professor Forester's retreat. She was heading, apparently, back to her classroom.
What the devil? Ron shook his head, trying to understand what had just transpired. He moved out of the shadows, just in time to be intercepted by the one and only Severus Snape.
"Weasley, what are you doing in the hall at a time like this? Aren't you supposed to be in class?" Snape spat at him.
Ron was about to push out at Snape to leave him alone. Something inside told him not to.
"Yes, sir. Professor Binns told me to leave." He said it reluctantly, hoping Snape would lay off him just this once.
Snape pulled himself up and looked closely toward Ron. "Well then...maybe you should use this time wisely. You have...." He pulled a pocketwatch out of his robes. "...exactly twelve minutes to scourgify the owlery. I'm sure Filch would appreciate your assistance."
Before Ron would allow Snape to walk away, he bit his tongue, and risked saying, "Professor...have you seen Professor Forester recently?" Ron said it weakly, and gulped. "I mean...I need to speak with her about an assignment...."
Snape glared at Ron for a brief moment before saying scaldingly, "No, I haven't. Maybe you should try the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom...instead of the fourth floor corridor?"
He eyed Ron coldly, and then shuffled toward a stairwell that let to the dungeons.
Ron exhaled. He had been lucky...no points from Gryffindor, and scourgifying the owlery would be a piece of cake with magic. It was a fairly decent punishment, considering the others Snape usually doled out.
What had the conversation between the professors meant? Why did Professor Forester refuse to let Snape send the letter, and why had she made Snape forget? Ron would wager anything that Professor Dumbledore wouldn't be too pleased to know she'd done that to a fellow teacher.
He ran up to the owlery, hoping a remnant of Snape's letter was still readable. Nothing of it was left.
Using the scourgify spell on the owlery, Ron was very impressed with his skills when he departed.
He realized he was going to Defense Against the Dark Arts next; and he knew he would be facing Professor Forester. Something about the encounter with Snape told him he shouldn't ask her about it. There was something not right about it. He wanted to get to the bottom of it, but how was he going to do that?
He decided to speak with Hermione about it that night.
He nodded, and headed toward the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. The least he could do was ask Professor Forester what he had done to Professor Binns.
*
When he reached the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, rather early, there were only a few students sitting at tables and talking excitedly. When Ron walked through the classroom past them, a few got up and asked him what he had done to Professor Binns. Most of the students thought it was terribly funny; others had concerned expressions on their faces.
Ron was just about to get past them, and climb up to Professor Forester's quarters, when Harry and Hermione ran in.
"There you are, Ron! We went all the way back to the common room. Where have you been?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"I'll explain later, now I need to--" Ron muttered, gesturing toward the professor's spiral staircase. Before he could finish, he was slapped on the back by Harry.
"How did you do that, Ron?" Harry was apparently trying to hold back a laugh. Hermione turned to look at Harry with a undisguised look of disgust. Harry continued, as if un-phased. "Professor Binns spent the rest of the class, talking about Grindlewald, and then every now and then he would moan and rub his forehead."
Ron didn't know whether to smile or frown. His intention was to be funny....but the results had been rather scary.
"I don't know how I did that, Harry. I was going to ask Professor Forester..." Ron said quietly, but was cut off. The professor was walking down her stairs, and calling class to order.
Without any other choice, the three students sat at their normal table. Ron stared at the professor, who was now giving him an intense look.
Ron could feel waves of irritation (and possibly fear) washing over him. He knew those feelings came from the professor. The familiarity of knowing how she was feeling was very unusual, but he'd come to expect it every time he was in close proximity with her. He knew what she was feeling....but not necessarily what she was thinking.
Unfortunately, that was what he most wanted to know at the moment.
Hermione was next to him, whispering in his ear. "What happened?" Her voice was thick with worry.
"I'll tell you tonight." He turned and whispered in her ear. She looked at him, and opened her mouth as if to respond, but the professor was talking. Hermione closed her mouth, and then reached down and grabbed his hand.
She couldn't hold it long, since it was the hand he needed for writing. Ron tried to concentrate on class, and push aside the feelings coming to him from the professor.
*
The class was a practical one. They practiced a new hex called "torpeo illico" which would render an opponent temporarily numb; thus allowing their capture.
Ron was glad when the class was over. As he tried to ease his aching body (Hermione had been rather enthusiastic with the spell during their practice), he told Hermione and Harry to meet him in the Great Hall, as lunch was next. Hermione shot him a concerned look, before the two walked out of the room.
Ron was pleased that the classroom was empty. He walked up behind the professor, who was tidying up the classroom.
"Yes, Ron?" She said softly, and then turned around to look at him. He could feel waves of concern and a little curiosity pouring off her.
"Professor....I was in History of Magic before this class." Ron muttered, glancing around. He was afraid to look into the professor's eyes..she might be able to tell he'd been hiding something.
But what if she can feel it anyway? Her eyes had narrowed now, when he dared look up at them. He continued on. "I tried my power on Professor Binns, and he must have been in pain. Anyway...he told me to leave class."
The professor let out a little snort, and said irritatedly, "I told you to try your powers responsibly, Ron. And don't think you can get away with denying that little stunt you pulled on Professor Snape at the meal the other day." Now Ron could feel real anger flowing off the professor, and he backed up, stunned.
Ron didn't hold anything back. He narrowed his eyes and shouted, "Well, what the hell am I supposed to do? You asked me to practice my powers, and so I did. You didn't give me any other instructions, other than to be "responsible." So...I didn't do anything too terrible to Snape!"
The professor put her hands on her hips and glared. "PROFESSOR Snape. What I meant by responsible was to do things that wouldn't harm or humiliate anyone. You should have learned from MY experiences what I meant." She bit out the last several words.
Ron was furious. How could she stand there and tell him that, while he'd witnessed her forcing Professor Snape to do something he didn't want to? Before he could reply, the professor said sharply, "Trying to make ghosts do anything only pains them, and gives you a rather nasty headache if you keep at it for too long. So I suggest you not try anything out on the ghosts of Hogwarts." She gave him an arch look, then turned around, as if to dismiss him. "I'll explain more at our session tonight."
Ron stood there, and glared at her back for a few more moments. Then, he blurted, "Why can't I just practice my powers on you? After all--"
She turned around again, looking exasperated. "Ron, will you learn nothing?" She was definitely irritated. "You know that trying to control me won't work. Siren power cancels itself out. I thought I taught you that."
Ron pulled back, and said in a deep, angry voice, "So, I continue to force everyone I know to do things they don't want to. Brilliant. What if I do something to someone I love? What will happen then?" Ron shot her what he hoped was his most furious look.
The professor let out a long breath. Then, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them, Ron thought he felt she was trying to calm her emotions. "You won't, Ron. If your feelings are true, you won't ever try to harm them. It'll come as second nature."
Ron looked down, and then back up again. "That means you're telling me what you had with Bill didn't mean anything to you." He was more angry then ever.
The professor turned around, and he couldn't see her expression. Even so, he knew how she felt. She felt terrible.
"You're right, Ron. I only desired Bill. That's why it's so hard to....why I have to....he has....." She let out a choked sigh.
Ron shook his head. Everything was becoming more and more confusing. Frankly, he didn't want to listen to any more of it right now.
"Fine. I'll see to tonight." He said it angrily, and rushed out of the empty classroom without looking back.