I Am Dansmesyeux Riddle
Chapter 7
SEVEN: Pranks and New People
Response To Reviews:
Sue Falkenkralle: There will be more James torture in this fic *grins evilly*. I just have to figure out the meanest thing they can do to him.
SilverKnight7: OK! OK! See? Look I updated!
Emma Ackroyd: Lol. Nice.
Marauder1prongs: Didn't we just talk on the phone? Cool! (Sorry, Prongs, I swear it's the ice tea!)
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Previous Chapter: "Ok," Dan said though he would rather go home. His father was right. The world outside of the castle was different and even scary.
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And so it was Violet, Pansy, Gregory, Vincent, Draco, Jane, Blaise, Theodore, and Dan were up in the early hours of the morning. Their goal was to wait inside the Great Hall for the first person to enter. Dan was holding a rope that was connected to a bucket hanging over the doorway and if it was released it would fall on the head of the unsuspecting victim that was coming to eat breakfast. The last part to the prank was having Gregory and Vincent throw the pillow sack full of feathers at him or her. At first Dan was reluctant to take the job for he couldn't see if the door opened but Draco had assured him that he would be able to hear the person coming and if he couldn't then the others would shout it to him.
"How much longer do we have to wait?" whined Pansy. "I wanna see Uncle Sev get soaked with the sticky stuff!"
"I wanna see him get feathered!" added Blaise. "Well actually the chance of our victim being Uncle Sev is low considering the possibility is merely one out of however many people are here," Violet said. "Argh, Violet!" snapped Draco. "No one asked you to get all super smart on us! If we wanted to be confused we could have had my father explain the business world to us!" Gregory and Vincent snickered but Dan sighed at their display. "Someone's coming!" squealed Jane. "How do you know?" asked Gregory stupidly. Jane growled at him (literally) and said, "Because I can actually hear things, moron! Now get ready, Dan!""I am ready," assured Dan, loosening his grip on the rope. The nine children fell silent, waiting for the door to open and th4e second it did Draco nudged Dan and the blind child let go of the rope. Gregory and Vincent threw the pillowcases and then they tried to get a better look at their victim. At that moment all the children's gleeful faces fell and they ran past the man, screaming as they made their way down the hall.
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Severus Snape was not, in the least to say, a morning person. For one he hated getting up and leaving his private chambers only to be annoyed by the students of this blasted school. Two: he couldn't stand sitting in the Great Hall having Albus attempted to make conversation with him while he tried to block out the thousands of conversations going on around him.
He emerged from his chambers and strolled toward the Great Hall with the usual scowl on his face. He wasn't all to happy to find that Dan and his many, many friends were gone when he had awoken but then he realized that they were used to getting up early to study in their home-castle's library. But it did surprise him to find that two of his pillows were missing from where he had put them for decoration.
"Heaven knows what they plan to use those for," he remembered muttering to himself as he changed.
Severus looked to his left and saw James Potter emerging from a flight of stairs. He yawned and raised an eyebrow at Severus before saying, "What's up, Snivellus?" Severus turned around in a flash and glared at the Gryffindor with his malicious, cold eyes.
"Need help finding the stuck up convention?"
Severus sneered at him. Potter's hazel eyes reduced to slits in anger and he replied, "Well you would know where it is." He then stormed past Severus and when he reached the Great Hall's doors he glared at him one last time. Severus gave a mock bow and Potter turned back around, opening the doors.
What happened next came so fast that all Severus could do is laugh as Potter turned back to him, spitting out feathers and a gooey material. Severus felt the corner of his mouth tug upwards as Dan, Draco, and their gang ran past Potter, yelling and screaming until they were out of sight.
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It wasn't that Severus was angry with Dan, Draco, Pansy, Violet, Gregory, Vincent, Jane, Blaise, and Theodore, quit the contrary he had loved every second of seeing James Potter standing before him looking like an overgrown, molting chicken but nevertheless he couldn't afford to lose his reputation as the short-tempered Potion's Master of Hogwarts and he therefore had to punish each and everyone of them. He had them aliened against the back wall of his classroom, standing tall with their arms at their side.
Severus paced before them all, his arms crossed behind his back. He was making sure that they knew that, however funny their clever prank was, it was still considered punishable behavior. Draco gulped when his and Severus's eyes met but because Dan couldn't see what was going on so he didn't know what to make of the situation. Finally the professor spoke.
"You got up in the early hours of the morning to cause trouble, in the process you destroyed two very expensive pillow that were school property, you feathered-(he could see the children stifle a few involuntary giggles)-a very important Order member that was visiting the Headmaster with his family, and you planned it all. What on earth do you have to say for yourselves?"
"Ididnotdoit!" Draco exclaimed in so fast that it came out as what seemed like one word.
Severus rolled his eyes at the heavens and replied, "Don't even try it." Draco grinned at Theodore and the Nott heir shrugged in response. "I was going to have you all clean my classroom," Severus started and the kids groaned loudly, "but just for Draco's comment I think I'll have you all see if any other staff member can think of a room that needs attention." All eyes turned to Draco and the only thing the blonde could think to do was say, "Oops."
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Severus sat at his during his second class that day, grading yesterday's essays as he supervised his class. It was so quiet that had a piece of paper dropped it could have been heard. About all that told him that the students were working was the quiet scratching of many black-feather quills on parchment. Instead of assigning his seventh years to just do a potion he wanted them to read up on and understand the consequences of just a minor mess up while brewing it could result in death.
It took him awhile to notice but when he looked up he saw that Charlie Weasley was raising his hand. Severus sighed to himself. Just when he thought that he was going to relax this period. "Yes, Mr. Weasley?"
"Umm.sir, I think that there's something at the door," Charlie said and several students shifted to take a look. Severus glanced at the door and saw that there were indeed two small claws, scratching at the bottom of the door. With just one glare at the class they jumped back to work and Severus made his way over to the door and opened it.
The fairly large brownish-orange owl landed on his shoulder and it dropped a letter that Severus caught. He opened it and found that all it said was:
Meet us in the Three Broomsticks at 10 o'clock tonight.
Aware that some of his students were watching he pocketed the letter and returned to his desk, not having the slightest guess of who could want to talk to him so soon.well except for one of the Death Eaters.
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Sure enough, at 9: 35 that night he left for Hogsmeade to make sure that he would make it on time. With his brilliant luck it was raining and when he walked into his chosen destination he was soaked to the bone.
"Hello, Professor," Madam Rosmerta said, smiling as she walked toward him. "Your associates are waiting for you in one of the back compartments so follow me." Severus was a bit grateful that he was able to get straight down to business but the night still could be improved in many ways. The owner of the Three Broomsticks held the door open for the Hogwart's Professor and closed after as he walked into the small room. The first thing that he noticed were two men warring long, black robes were sitting at a table in the corner of the room. One stood up and turned to him as the large, orange colored owl that had delivered the letter earlier landed his shoulder.
"Severus." the man said in a wheezy voice that the Potion Master recognized immediately so he decided to play along. "Do you know what we do to traitors?"
"Do you buy them a few butterbeers?" Severus asked, not the slightest sing in his tone that he was joking. The Death Eater removed his robes to reveal the messy, straw colored hair of Barty Crouch, jr. The younger man grinned at Severus and they shook hands just as two best friends should.
"Long time so see," Barty said, running a hand through his hair. Severus wasn't surprised to see that he was warring his usual muggle sunglasses to hide the crystal color of his eyes.
Severus nodded and commented, "Dan will be pleased to know that the Order didn't catch you."
Barty snorted. "As if. You really think that the Order can catch me?"
"Well no, but that doesn't stop Dan from worrying," Severus pointed out.
"True," agreed Barty. "But hell, Sev, it's great to see yah even if I come just on Voldy's command." Severus raised an eyebrow at the Dark Lord's new nickname as Barty continued, "Nick Cougar here-" he jerked in the direction of the other man in the room-"thinks he may have found a solution to Dan's eyesight problem."
"Let's here it then," said Severus to the unfamiliar person. Nick stood up and lowered his hood to reveal that he was a teenager, no older than seventeen, and he had light blue eyes that could almost rival Barty's. His handsome face was masked into a glare of some sort.
"My brother, Jamie, is blind in one eye and I found that this little invention helps him quite well," Nick explained as he pulled a pair of what looked like regular glassed out of his pocket. He handed them to Severus who looked them over but could find a single thing special about them.
"What do they do?" Severus asked.
"They allow the person warring them to see perfectly no matter how bad their eyesight," answered Nick.
"How old are you?" Severus found himself inquiring. He knew that because Nick was most likely new at this business he felt obligated to answer and prove himself worthy.
Nick shrugged and replied, "I'm turning eighteen this June."
"And you're all ready evolved in this war?" Severus questioned him.
Again Nick shrugged. "My mother and father died defying Dumbledore's side. Instead of being thrown in Azkaban they were killed. I think that that right there is an obligation to care. Plus I want what's best for my little brother."
"How old is your brother?"
"Twelve."
"Of course," Severus said with a sigh. Why was it always the young that were corrupted by the war? Barty cleared his throat and Severus turned his attention to him once again. The owl on Barty's shoulder jumped to the ground and before his eyes it transformed into a human, a very recognizable human.
"Aaron O'cean? You delivered the letter to me earier?" Severus said unbelievably. Aaron was Lily Potter's nineteen-year-old half brother who she had never met for he worked for Voldemort. He had bright orange hair and ocean blue eyes that made him look almost innocent but the grin that appeared on his face didn't help that appeal to stand.
Aaron held out his hand and Severus shook it. "How many years has it been, Severus?"
"I'd say the last time I saw you I was still your babysitter," Severus replied with a smirk. He could still remember when Aaron was no more than twelve and he had been forced by Voldemort to watch after him, tech him the ropes.
"I remember that," Aaron said almost stupidly. Severus rolled his eyes and Barty pushed his way into the conversation. Little did Severus know that he would have to deal with more than nine children soon.