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Wizards Honour
Part 14
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"Any other issues?" Snape asked imperiously, the Slytherin House Head Teacher was in his element chairing the two person staff meeting.
"I've had to strengthen the anti-boy wards on the girl's dormitory twice this week." Sinistra handed a piece of parchment to Snape. "Those are the wards that were damaged."
"They were attacked from both inside and out?"
"Yes." Sinistra pointed to a ward halfway down the list. "This one was only slightly disabled by a badly miscast counter spell. Which," she grinned, "I suspect explains why Mr Goyle now has green hair."
"I will deal with Mr Goyle." Snape returned the parchment to Sinistra.
"I haven't discovered the identity of the girl but," Sinistra replied, sarcastically, "as there are only four girls in the dormitory at the moment and three of them can't stand him, I have a strong suspicion I know who it is."
"Let me know instantly if you find any more damaged wards." Snape was amazed at how stupid some of the students could be. They didn't even have enough sense to wait until all the students are back at school so they could hide their identities.
Sinistra put the parchment into a pocket in her robes and dug another list out of the top of her boot. She opened the parchment, leant towards Snape and whispered, conspiratorially, "Any ideas?"
Snape gazed for a moment at Sinistra's copy of Moody's new list of odds. The ex-Auror had done just what Snape had guessed he would. Moody had reasoned that Dumbledore hadn't banned him from running a betting ring, only from using one particular list. So, Moody had restarted his book as soon as he'd handed everyone's money back and created a new list of odds. The only differences between the new and old lists were the order of the odds and the colour of the ink and parchment.
The same Slytherin Prefect who had given Snape the first list had provided Snape a copy of the second one on Boxing Day. That evening, Sinistra had managed to suggest to one teacher and two students that she had attempted to kill Snape, which was why he had to spend Christmas night in the Hospital Wing. Moody had paid out on two '3 to 1 Sinistra kills him' bets before he realised that Aurora was joking.
The look on Moody's face was priceless when he realised not only had he given away money but the two winners didn't want to return their winnings.
In the four days since then, the two Slytherin teachers had been avoiding each other in public and biding their time; waiting for the right moment to strike again.
Snape steepled his fingers and pondered the list. There were so many possibilities on the list for a bit of mayhem and revenge.
"Number nine?" Snape suggested.
"One of them elopes with someone else," Aurora read silently. 'That could be interesting,' she thought, 'but whom would they use?'
"If you're going to suggest Hagrid and I-" Aurora said mischievously.
The disdainful sneer on Severus' feature briefly slipped into a smirk. The insane idea of the small and wiry Sinistra eloping with the gigantic Care of Magical Creatures teacher was so amusing that Snape almost laughed.
"Perhaps," the Potions Master said oilily, "Sirius Black would be more your style?" Snape hadn't told Sinistra the identity of the Harry's dog although he'd been sorely tempted when Aurora had mentioned how the dog had licked her leg. He wanted to be present when she eventually discovered Snuffles' identity; Snape had a suspicion that it would be Black who would be spending some time in the Hospital Wing then.
"An unwashed, half-mad, homicidal Gryffindor?" Aurora shuddered. "Ugh! I'd rather elope with Flora Sprout!"
Snape smirked again and Aurora decided he was having too much fun at her expense.
"How about you and Sybill Trelawney?"
The Potions Master paled and spluttered, "No!" Severus shuddered inwardly at the thought of spending any amount of time with the insect-like Professor Trelawney. The Divination teacher was clingy, indirect and transparently manipulative, far from Snape's image of the ideal woman.
"No?" Sinistra asked overly innocently, knowing full well that Trelawney spent half her time downstairs trying to convince Snape that the stars had decreed their romance and battering her mascara-drenched eyelashes at the Potions Master.
"Imagine all the fun you could have discussing your fates?" Sinistra grinned wickedly.
"Forget number nine. We will use that one." Snape stabbed a long finger at the list then wiped his warm forehead with his hand.
"Where and when, Sev?" Aurora asked calmly. She saw him scowl and added, "-erus." Snape suggested a time and place for the start of their ruse and a few basic details of how they would make it work.
"Eeep!" said Aurora, when she glanced at her watch. "I've got to run, Sev, if I'm going to make my next class in time." She stood up and patted him on the shoulder in a sisterly fashion before she hurried out of the room.
Severus stared after her then felt his forehead again. He pulled a potion bottle from his pocket and drank deeply from it. The cool liquid ran down his throat, leaving him with a calm feeling that was shattered moments later by a loud hiccup.
He was scowling at the bottle when he realised something. The annoying woman had shortened his name again.
~~~~~~~
"Shoo!" Sinistra waved her hands at the huge dog that stood on the staircase between the third and fourth floors. "Come on, you're not supposed to be in here. Out!"
The dog stood its ground and stared unblinkingly at her.
"Look," Sinistra said in a sweet, gentle tone, "I have to get to class you stupid, ugly mutt and I need to get past you." She smiled encouragingly and tried to guide the dog off the stairs.
"Move your backside or I'll hex you," she added in a saccharine sweet tone. Aurora knew the dog couldn't understand her. It didn't matter what words she used to the dog so long as the tone was right.
Snuffles sat down on the stairs and ignored her.
"Have it your way!" Aurora muttered. She cast a levitation spell on the dog and floated it out over the edge of the staircase. The dog did not seem to be happy to be floating four floors above the ground.
"Next time, move when I tell you to," said Sinistra as she lowered the dog onto the second floor landing. She jogged up the staircase, which moved once she'd stepped off it, stopping the growling dog from following her.
"Serves you right, Sirius," whispered a voice. "You have to learn when to give way."
Snuffles turned to see Nearly-Headless Nick floating out of the wall. 'Ha,' thought Sirius, 'if anyone in Hogwarts didn't know how to give way it was Sir Nicholas. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.' Snuffles sniggered, 'Or should that be the ghost calling the dog Black?'
"The Grey Lady and I," said Sir Nicholas, patently ignoring the strange doggy laughter, "are working to ensure Professors Snape and Sinistra do not marry. Would you like to help us?"
Snuffles grinned.
"I thought you might." Sir Nicholas smiled.
To be continued
Authors Note - Thank you again to everyone who commented. I appreciate the comments and the encouragement. Sorry this part took so long. The next part should be up tomorrow.
If any of you remember the 'Wacky Races' cartoon, Snuffles laughter sounds just like Muttley's wheezy laugh.
Wizards Honour
Part 14
--------------------------------
"Any other issues?" Snape asked imperiously, the Slytherin House Head Teacher was in his element chairing the two person staff meeting.
"I've had to strengthen the anti-boy wards on the girl's dormitory twice this week." Sinistra handed a piece of parchment to Snape. "Those are the wards that were damaged."
"They were attacked from both inside and out?"
"Yes." Sinistra pointed to a ward halfway down the list. "This one was only slightly disabled by a badly miscast counter spell. Which," she grinned, "I suspect explains why Mr Goyle now has green hair."
"I will deal with Mr Goyle." Snape returned the parchment to Sinistra.
"I haven't discovered the identity of the girl but," Sinistra replied, sarcastically, "as there are only four girls in the dormitory at the moment and three of them can't stand him, I have a strong suspicion I know who it is."
"Let me know instantly if you find any more damaged wards." Snape was amazed at how stupid some of the students could be. They didn't even have enough sense to wait until all the students are back at school so they could hide their identities.
Sinistra put the parchment into a pocket in her robes and dug another list out of the top of her boot. She opened the parchment, leant towards Snape and whispered, conspiratorially, "Any ideas?"
Snape gazed for a moment at Sinistra's copy of Moody's new list of odds. The ex-Auror had done just what Snape had guessed he would. Moody had reasoned that Dumbledore hadn't banned him from running a betting ring, only from using one particular list. So, Moody had restarted his book as soon as he'd handed everyone's money back and created a new list of odds. The only differences between the new and old lists were the order of the odds and the colour of the ink and parchment.
The same Slytherin Prefect who had given Snape the first list had provided Snape a copy of the second one on Boxing Day. That evening, Sinistra had managed to suggest to one teacher and two students that she had attempted to kill Snape, which was why he had to spend Christmas night in the Hospital Wing. Moody had paid out on two '3 to 1 Sinistra kills him' bets before he realised that Aurora was joking.
The look on Moody's face was priceless when he realised not only had he given away money but the two winners didn't want to return their winnings.
In the four days since then, the two Slytherin teachers had been avoiding each other in public and biding their time; waiting for the right moment to strike again.
Snape steepled his fingers and pondered the list. There were so many possibilities on the list for a bit of mayhem and revenge.
"Number nine?" Snape suggested.
"One of them elopes with someone else," Aurora read silently. 'That could be interesting,' she thought, 'but whom would they use?'
"If you're going to suggest Hagrid and I-" Aurora said mischievously.
The disdainful sneer on Severus' feature briefly slipped into a smirk. The insane idea of the small and wiry Sinistra eloping with the gigantic Care of Magical Creatures teacher was so amusing that Snape almost laughed.
"Perhaps," the Potions Master said oilily, "Sirius Black would be more your style?" Snape hadn't told Sinistra the identity of the Harry's dog although he'd been sorely tempted when Aurora had mentioned how the dog had licked her leg. He wanted to be present when she eventually discovered Snuffles' identity; Snape had a suspicion that it would be Black who would be spending some time in the Hospital Wing then.
"An unwashed, half-mad, homicidal Gryffindor?" Aurora shuddered. "Ugh! I'd rather elope with Flora Sprout!"
Snape smirked again and Aurora decided he was having too much fun at her expense.
"How about you and Sybill Trelawney?"
The Potions Master paled and spluttered, "No!" Severus shuddered inwardly at the thought of spending any amount of time with the insect-like Professor Trelawney. The Divination teacher was clingy, indirect and transparently manipulative, far from Snape's image of the ideal woman.
"No?" Sinistra asked overly innocently, knowing full well that Trelawney spent half her time downstairs trying to convince Snape that the stars had decreed their romance and battering her mascara-drenched eyelashes at the Potions Master.
"Imagine all the fun you could have discussing your fates?" Sinistra grinned wickedly.
"Forget number nine. We will use that one." Snape stabbed a long finger at the list then wiped his warm forehead with his hand.
"Where and when, Sev?" Aurora asked calmly. She saw him scowl and added, "-erus." Snape suggested a time and place for the start of their ruse and a few basic details of how they would make it work.
"Eeep!" said Aurora, when she glanced at her watch. "I've got to run, Sev, if I'm going to make my next class in time." She stood up and patted him on the shoulder in a sisterly fashion before she hurried out of the room.
Severus stared after her then felt his forehead again. He pulled a potion bottle from his pocket and drank deeply from it. The cool liquid ran down his throat, leaving him with a calm feeling that was shattered moments later by a loud hiccup.
He was scowling at the bottle when he realised something. The annoying woman had shortened his name again.
~~~~~~~
"Shoo!" Sinistra waved her hands at the huge dog that stood on the staircase between the third and fourth floors. "Come on, you're not supposed to be in here. Out!"
The dog stood its ground and stared unblinkingly at her.
"Look," Sinistra said in a sweet, gentle tone, "I have to get to class you stupid, ugly mutt and I need to get past you." She smiled encouragingly and tried to guide the dog off the stairs.
"Move your backside or I'll hex you," she added in a saccharine sweet tone. Aurora knew the dog couldn't understand her. It didn't matter what words she used to the dog so long as the tone was right.
Snuffles sat down on the stairs and ignored her.
"Have it your way!" Aurora muttered. She cast a levitation spell on the dog and floated it out over the edge of the staircase. The dog did not seem to be happy to be floating four floors above the ground.
"Next time, move when I tell you to," said Sinistra as she lowered the dog onto the second floor landing. She jogged up the staircase, which moved once she'd stepped off it, stopping the growling dog from following her.
"Serves you right, Sirius," whispered a voice. "You have to learn when to give way."
Snuffles turned to see Nearly-Headless Nick floating out of the wall. 'Ha,' thought Sirius, 'if anyone in Hogwarts didn't know how to give way it was Sir Nicholas. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.' Snuffles sniggered, 'Or should that be the ghost calling the dog Black?'
"The Grey Lady and I," said Sir Nicholas, patently ignoring the strange doggy laughter, "are working to ensure Professors Snape and Sinistra do not marry. Would you like to help us?"
Snuffles grinned.
"I thought you might." Sir Nicholas smiled.
To be continued
Authors Note - Thank you again to everyone who commented. I appreciate the comments and the encouragement. Sorry this part took so long. The next part should be up tomorrow.
If any of you remember the 'Wacky Races' cartoon, Snuffles laughter sounds just like Muttley's wheezy laugh.