Disclaimer: See Chapter 1
Chapter 13
Arguments
Snape heard the sound of choking and turned to see Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode on their knee choking and trying desperately to breath. He was half way there when he saw Madam Pomfrey also running towards the girls from the other direction. She was in such a hurry that she bumped into Curania, knocking the girl to the ground. Just as Curania hit the ground Pansy and Millicent stopped choking but still looked extremely pale.
Curania picked herself up off of the ground "What happened?" she asked.
"We could ask you the same thing." Snape snapped.
"We were just walking up to the school, Professor. When we heard Pansy say something and we turned around. Then they just started choking." Mêlée explained knowing that out of all of them she was the only one he'd bother believing.
"Lets get them to the Hospital Wing." Poppy said. She helped Pansy to her feet and escorted her to the Hospital Wing. Draco had come running from the other side of the lawn when he had heard them choking.
"What did you do to them, Potter?" he demanded.
"I didn't do anything, Malfoy!" Harry snapped.
"THAT IS ENOUGH! Malfoy, help Bullstrode to the Hospital Wing while I have a talk with Potter and his gang." Snape instructed.
Draco gave Harry a look before helping Millicent to her feet and escorting her to the Hospital Wing.
"NOW TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!" Snape demanded.
"we told you, sir." Mêlée answered.
"It was not a very good answer, Miss Black." He said and when no one spoke up otherwise he added.
"There's nothing to tell, Professor." Cleo added.
"You all did something! I know you did. Now tell me or I'll start deducing points!" he threatened.
"Sir you can't!" A'lira exclaimed.
"Ten points from Hufflepuff."
"But."
"Another ten points."
"Sir, we told you everything." Hermione said.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger."
"Sir, we're telling the truth." A'lira tried.
"Another ten points from Hufflepuff!"
Suddenly the moon moved in front of the sun and blocked out all of the light. Everyone was thrown into darkness. Then the earth began to tremble. Only a little at first but the intensity steadily increased. Soon everyone was knocked off their feet. Snape was knocked flat on his face. The earth began to crack under him. Harry and Ron looked up at the only one still standing; A'lira.
She stood still, though not in a trance, staring at Snape as he tried to move away from the ever-growing crack in the Earth.
"A'lira!" Ron cried. "What are you doing?"
"Teaching him a lesson." She answered plainly.
"A'lira, no!" Cleo yelled.
Mêlée started crawling toward Snape in an attempt to save him from the opening Earth. The Earth gave another violent lurch and the crack opened even further. Mêlée suddenly lost her balance and fell over the side. She dangled from the side by her fingertips. Snape crawled quickly to where she was dangling. He grabbed her arms and struggled to get her back to safety.
"Mêlée!" her sisters cried and tried to get to the crawl to help her.
"A'lira! Stop this! You're going to kill someone!" Hermione exclaimed and began tugging on her arm.
A'lira suddenly realized that she had nearly killed her sister and the earthquake stopped. Snape, Harry, and Ron helped Mêlée back away from the crack and A'lira closed the Earth back up. It wasn't long before Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Pomfrey came running out of the castle.
"What happened?" Pomfrey asked. She had never seen Snape so shaken nor had she ever seen A'lira look so hateful.
"I'd rather not talk about this here, Poppy." Dumbledore said. "Was anyone hurt?" he asked.
Snape started to say something but Dumbledore cut him off. "I asked if you were hurt not almost hurt or anything. Just true physical injury." Snape closed his mouth and shook his head.
"Alright. Then lets proceed to my office." They followed him to his office and sat down in chairs that he conjured.
"Now tell me what happened." He said calmly.
"Well, er, sir, we, um." Hermione started unsure where to begin.
"From the beginning please." He said and trying to calm them he added. "Anyone for a toffee."
Harry, Ron, Cleo, Mêlée, Madame Pomfrey, and Curania took one but Hermione, A'lira, and Snape refused.
"Okay, how did the whole thing start?" he asked again.
"You see, Professor, we were out by the lake just hanging out and talking." Ron started.
"Then Pansy and Millicent came over to where we were sitting." Cleo added.
"They started to make fun of Curania." Harry added.
"So we decided to go back into the castle." Ginny interjected.
"To avoid any trouble." Mêlée put in.
"But they followed us, still making fun of Curania." Ron added.
"Next thing we knew, they were choking." Hermione explained.
"Which one of you made them choke? I know one of you did it!" Snape demanded.
"Easy, Severus. Please continue." Dumbledore said.
"Well then Professor Snape and Madame Pomfrey came over and Madame Pomfrey help them to the Hospital Wing." Hermione added.
"Then Professor Snape started to yell at us." Cleo explained.
"We tried to explain that we had nothing to do with it but he wouldn't listen." Ron snapped.
"Every time we tried to say something he would deduct points." Ginny explained.
"I happen to be a professor. It is my right to deduct points from incompetent students!" Snape yelled at the students. "One point you have failed to mention is the earthquake and the opening earth caused by HER!" he pointed to A'lira. A'lira sank deep into her seat. "She ought to be expelled."
"Now, Severus. I do not believe that Miss Black, any of them, purposely meant to put anyone in danger. Now," Dumbledore said as he looked out over the entire group assembled, " I think it is time that I explain everything to you."
Chapter 13
Arguments
Snape heard the sound of choking and turned to see Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bullstrode on their knee choking and trying desperately to breath. He was half way there when he saw Madam Pomfrey also running towards the girls from the other direction. She was in such a hurry that she bumped into Curania, knocking the girl to the ground. Just as Curania hit the ground Pansy and Millicent stopped choking but still looked extremely pale.
Curania picked herself up off of the ground "What happened?" she asked.
"We could ask you the same thing." Snape snapped.
"We were just walking up to the school, Professor. When we heard Pansy say something and we turned around. Then they just started choking." Mêlée explained knowing that out of all of them she was the only one he'd bother believing.
"Lets get them to the Hospital Wing." Poppy said. She helped Pansy to her feet and escorted her to the Hospital Wing. Draco had come running from the other side of the lawn when he had heard them choking.
"What did you do to them, Potter?" he demanded.
"I didn't do anything, Malfoy!" Harry snapped.
"THAT IS ENOUGH! Malfoy, help Bullstrode to the Hospital Wing while I have a talk with Potter and his gang." Snape instructed.
Draco gave Harry a look before helping Millicent to her feet and escorting her to the Hospital Wing.
"NOW TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!" Snape demanded.
"we told you, sir." Mêlée answered.
"It was not a very good answer, Miss Black." He said and when no one spoke up otherwise he added.
"There's nothing to tell, Professor." Cleo added.
"You all did something! I know you did. Now tell me or I'll start deducing points!" he threatened.
"Sir you can't!" A'lira exclaimed.
"Ten points from Hufflepuff."
"But."
"Another ten points."
"Sir, we told you everything." Hermione said.
"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger."
"Sir, we're telling the truth." A'lira tried.
"Another ten points from Hufflepuff!"
Suddenly the moon moved in front of the sun and blocked out all of the light. Everyone was thrown into darkness. Then the earth began to tremble. Only a little at first but the intensity steadily increased. Soon everyone was knocked off their feet. Snape was knocked flat on his face. The earth began to crack under him. Harry and Ron looked up at the only one still standing; A'lira.
She stood still, though not in a trance, staring at Snape as he tried to move away from the ever-growing crack in the Earth.
"A'lira!" Ron cried. "What are you doing?"
"Teaching him a lesson." She answered plainly.
"A'lira, no!" Cleo yelled.
Mêlée started crawling toward Snape in an attempt to save him from the opening Earth. The Earth gave another violent lurch and the crack opened even further. Mêlée suddenly lost her balance and fell over the side. She dangled from the side by her fingertips. Snape crawled quickly to where she was dangling. He grabbed her arms and struggled to get her back to safety.
"Mêlée!" her sisters cried and tried to get to the crawl to help her.
"A'lira! Stop this! You're going to kill someone!" Hermione exclaimed and began tugging on her arm.
A'lira suddenly realized that she had nearly killed her sister and the earthquake stopped. Snape, Harry, and Ron helped Mêlée back away from the crack and A'lira closed the Earth back up. It wasn't long before Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Pomfrey came running out of the castle.
"What happened?" Pomfrey asked. She had never seen Snape so shaken nor had she ever seen A'lira look so hateful.
"I'd rather not talk about this here, Poppy." Dumbledore said. "Was anyone hurt?" he asked.
Snape started to say something but Dumbledore cut him off. "I asked if you were hurt not almost hurt or anything. Just true physical injury." Snape closed his mouth and shook his head.
"Alright. Then lets proceed to my office." They followed him to his office and sat down in chairs that he conjured.
"Now tell me what happened." He said calmly.
"Well, er, sir, we, um." Hermione started unsure where to begin.
"From the beginning please." He said and trying to calm them he added. "Anyone for a toffee."
Harry, Ron, Cleo, Mêlée, Madame Pomfrey, and Curania took one but Hermione, A'lira, and Snape refused.
"Okay, how did the whole thing start?" he asked again.
"You see, Professor, we were out by the lake just hanging out and talking." Ron started.
"Then Pansy and Millicent came over to where we were sitting." Cleo added.
"They started to make fun of Curania." Harry added.
"So we decided to go back into the castle." Ginny interjected.
"To avoid any trouble." Mêlée put in.
"But they followed us, still making fun of Curania." Ron added.
"Next thing we knew, they were choking." Hermione explained.
"Which one of you made them choke? I know one of you did it!" Snape demanded.
"Easy, Severus. Please continue." Dumbledore said.
"Well then Professor Snape and Madame Pomfrey came over and Madame Pomfrey help them to the Hospital Wing." Hermione added.
"Then Professor Snape started to yell at us." Cleo explained.
"We tried to explain that we had nothing to do with it but he wouldn't listen." Ron snapped.
"Every time we tried to say something he would deduct points." Ginny explained.
"I happen to be a professor. It is my right to deduct points from incompetent students!" Snape yelled at the students. "One point you have failed to mention is the earthquake and the opening earth caused by HER!" he pointed to A'lira. A'lira sank deep into her seat. "She ought to be expelled."
"Now, Severus. I do not believe that Miss Black, any of them, purposely meant to put anyone in danger. Now," Dumbledore said as he looked out over the entire group assembled, " I think it is time that I explain everything to you."