Astra awoke with a start as someone pounded on her door. She rubbed her eyes and allowed them to focus before she swung herself out of bed and answered her door. "What!" Astra muttered annoyed.
"Don't you take that tone with me young lady!" Molly Weasley stood over Astra with her hands on her hips. Astra blushed. "Sorry Mrs. Weasley." She muttered
"Well you should be! I am here to ensure that you get to your classes on time each day." Mrs. Weasley reminded her. "And I don't take kindly to being talked to in that manner. Now I'm sure father's attitude has rubbed off on you with regards to everything but I demand to be treated with more respect than that!"
Astra could feel her ears burn as she muttered. "Yes ma'am."
Mrs. Weasly carried on as if she hadn't heard Astra's reply. "And further more you had better get dressed and come down for breakfast. Then we'll go over your schedule and run over the rules that you must follow while attending school by using floo powder."
Astra nodded. Mrs. Weasley turned and left closing the door behind her.
'Wow!' Astra thought. 'What crawled up her nose and died? She is one strict woman.' Astra got dressed and quickly made her way down to the kitchen.
"Sit!" Mrs. Weasley told her sternly as she sat down a plate of food. Astra sat down and ate quietly as Fred and George came into the kitchen rubbing their eyes.
"Morning mum!" George said cheerfully. "Morning George." She said as she sat down their plates. "Fred. Sit down and eat your breakfast."
She then turned to Astra. "Now, here are the rules that you are to follow to continue to go to school using floo." She told Astra in a monotone voice. "Number one- you must never let anyone see you arrive or leave when using the floo. You are to arrive before any of the students arrive and leave after they have all left the room. Got that?"
Astra rolled her eyes. "For the hundredth time yes!"
"Look. You are being given a privilege to do this. You must learn the rules and follow them to the last letter!" Mrs. Weasley told her sternly. "That means that if I have to drill it into your tiny stubborn head the that is exactly what I will do!"
"Hey mum. Give her a bit of a break will you." Fred muttered.
"NO! She needs to learn to do what she is told without giving cheek!" Mrs. Weasley growled. "She thinks she knows everything and that we're some sort of annoyance!"
"Now mum, I can understand that you are upset but honestly." George added "She's not her father!"
Molly gaped at her son. "Well I know that! Don't you think I know that?"
"Actually mum, no. I don't think you do. I see you treating her like she was Snape and is going to defy every word you say. But mom look at her! She's not even his biological daughter. Sure she was raised by him but she was also raised by her own mum and I'm sure that Serena has been able to counteract most of Snape's personality from taking hold." George told her. "in fact mum I'm sure of it! Or else she would not have been able to pull the pranks she did!"
Molly paled and turned back to Astra. "Number two-" she squeaked. "You are to never tell anyone about the fact you are using floo powder to attend classes."
Astra nodded.
"Number three- you are to return here for lunch and when classes are over for the day. You are to never roam the halls at all. If you need to use a library then you may use the one that is provided here." Molly told her. "Any questions?"
"No ma'am."
"Very well. You need to go and get your school things." Molly told her eyeing the twins.
Astra knew a dismissal when she heard one. She got up and ran from the kitchen as Mrs. Weasley turned on the boys. She was to the stairs when she heard Mrs. Weasley shouting at them.
'Poor Fred and George.' She thought as she climbed. 'I'll have to make it up to them later.' Astra quickly made her way to her room and gathered up her school books for potions and transfiguration. She was a bit nervous but atleast she wouldn't have to see Malfoy out side of class. Plus there was only one class that she would have to see him in at all. Newt level potions. Astra was not too sure that she really wanted to go to that class anymore. Not just for the fact that Malfoy would be there but that her father would not be the teacher anymore. She solemnly made her way back to the kitchen. When she entered the door she noticed that Mrs. Weasley was still red in the face but had started on the dishes so she didn't have to face her.
"Fred and George will be accompanying you to school and home for lunch. They will be there to protect you but otherwise they won't interfere." She told Astra but never turned around. "They will also be there on Dumbledore's orders to stay invisible but should you need them. Well... Ok now I'm just rambling." Molly mumbled to herself.
"Well, you ready Astra?" she heard a voice beside say. Astra looked around but saw no one. "Fred? George?" she started to fell around for them. "Okay this is not funny!"
"Were not here to be funny!" George said from over by the fire place. "Well, not this time anyway." Fred added as he grabbed Astra's arm and led her to George.
"Who's invisibility cloaks have you got on?" she asked. "Well the one that I am wearing is Harry's and George has got on old Moody's cloak." Fred told her.
"Alright you lot get a move on! She has to be there before they arrive!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.
"Right-o mum!" George saluted and dodged a well aimed spoon as it came flying towards his head.
He then took a pinch of floo powder from the canister by the fire and threw it in. the he took Astra's other arm and they stepped into the fire. They turned to see Mrs. Weasley shaking another spoon in George's direction. He smiled a wicked smile and quickly muttered "Hogwarts potions master's office!" as he saluted his mother once more. With a flash of green light Astra watched as the Black house left her view. The next thing she knew they were standing in the fire place of what used to be her father's office. She knew that it was attached to the potions class room. They stepped out of the fire place and brushed themselves off.
"Well it's about time!" A stern voice said from behind. "Do you have any idea of the time Miss. Jensen?" Astra spun around to face a very stern looking woman.
"You just got here before the other students. You had better get into a seat before they enter the room." The woman told her.
Astra gulped and nodded. She quickly left the office and sat down at her normal seat. She had just taken out her potions books and ingredients as the other students came into the room. Most of the students looked very surprised to see Astra. Some Gryffindor's and all of the Slytherin's stopped at the sight of her.
"Alright students, take your seats!" the professor said above the chatter that had quickly started. The students reluctantly made their way to seats and sat down. All of their eyes however remained on Astra.
"Is there something that we need to discuss here?" the professor asked looking at all of the students. One student raised her hand.
"Yes miss...?"
"Please professor. Why is Astra Snape still here while all of her family is in hiding?" the girl Astra had known as Pansy Parkinson asked.
"And your name?"
"Parkinson." The Slytherin girl beamed.
"Well, Miss Parkinson I do believe that is for Miss Snape to discuss. If she wishes to tell you then I'm sure she will." The professor told Pansy.
"Well?" Pansy turned to Astra.
Astra tisked annoyed. "If you must know Parkinson." She spat at Pansy. "I have rebuked my family. I have learned that Mr. Snape is not my real father and that he was a death eater until recently. I have no love for someone that lies to me for his own personal gain." Astra told them struggling to fill her voice with venom. "I am going to be living with my true father starting this summer and have even taken back my true name of Jensen."
"No wonder you became a Gryffindor!" Draco sneered. "I knew that you couldn't be a true Snape and be In Gryffindor."
"Very good Draco. Did you figure that out all by your little self?" Astra chided. "Very, very good for you."
Draco blushed but wisely kept quiet. It would not do him any good to start anything in front of the professor. "Alright. Now that it has been settled as to Why Astra is still with us shall we get on with the lesson?" the professor walked to the board and turned it over. She turned back around and was bombarded by hands. "Yes? What is it now?" she asked annoyed.
"Excuse me professor but you haven't told us your name yet." Hermione spoke up. The professor raised her eyebrows. "I haven't?" and with everyone's head shaking negatively she sighed. "Very well. I am Professor Valisia Bloom. I come from America and I am your new potions master." She told them. "Now, Start on that potion!" she barked.
They all jumped slightly and started to make the potion she placed on the board. Astra made quick work of the potion and had already cleaned up well before professor Bloom had said "Stop!"
Professor Bloom went up and down the aisle's to survey the students work. She was as meticulous as Snape was when he scrutinized a potion. When she reached Astra's cauldron she tested her potion. She was pleasantly surprised that Astra had done it accurately. She turned to her.
"How old are you Astra?" she asked. "Just turned twelve." Astra answered.
"Really?" Bloom looked at her looked at her shocked. "And your in Newt level potions? Well, of course I can understand why with Snape being the one to teach you and all. But have you taken your owls on this subject yet?"
"No professor. I'm just a first year. They won't let me take my owls for another four years." Astra explained. "So I'll be in Newt level potions until my seventh year most likely."
The professor looked taken aback. "What potions can you do?"
"All of them." Astra beamed.
"Even Wolfsbane?" Bloom asked. Astra nodded.
The professor's jaw dropped. 'This child can make a Wolfsbane potion at the age of twelve!' she thought 'Merlin above! She could even surpass Snape with the right training. But who could train her to be the best but Snape? He even surpasses me!' Valisia closed her mouth with a snap and nodded. she would have to talk with Dumbledore later. She knew that Snape would have taught her most of the potions he knew. But Wolfsbane? That was a very complicated potion and until now there had been only two wizards in the world that knew how to make it. One was Snape himself and the other resided somewhere in America. Not even Bloom knew of his exact where abouts. But now there were three and one wasn't even a full witch yet! The bell rang and Bloom dismissed the class.
Astra stayed in her seat as the students left and had to chuckle as she heard Ron mutter. "Think there's any chance of us getting Snape back?"
Harry and Hermione stopped cold and looked at Ron in amazement. "Have you gone daft?" Harry asked Ron.
"What?" Ron shrugged. "Better the devil you know then the devil you don't. Snape may a git but we know him and his temper."
Hermione looked at Ron in amazement. "You know, your actually making sense for once." She told him. "Okay. Who are you and what have you done with Ron?"
They finally left the room as they continued their discussion. Astra picked up her bag and ran to the office where Fred and George were waiting for her.
"You know, I don't think I have ever seen Draco that red before!" George gasped as he tried to catch his breath. "That was brilliant Astra absolutely brilliant!"
"Well we best get a move on so that your not late for Transfiguration." Fred smiled. Astra nodded and Fred threw in some floo powder into the fire. They stepped in and he muttered. "Transfiguration office, Hogwarts."
The next thing they knew they were in professor McGonagall's office. They quickly brushed Astra off as McGonagall came in. They wanted it to seem as if she had been talking to the professor if there were any students in the classroom when they entered. Luckily this time no one had arrived as of yet. When the students did finally arrive no one even looked at Astra. Transfiguration went much smoother than potions had and before she knew it lunch time was upon them. They arrived on time back at Grimmauld place for lunch. Lupin was there and he smiled as they arrived.
"Hello Astra." Lupin said cheerfully.
"Hello Mr. Lupin." Astra smiled as she sat down for lunch. "How was your first day back at school?" he asked.
"It was okay I guess." She shrugged her shoulders.
"She gave Malfoy a what for!" Fred beamed.
"Oh?" Lupin looked at her with intrigue.
Astra rolled her eyes. "He said that he knew something was off about me. He said that I couldn't be a Snape and be in Gryffindor."
"Yeah and she said. And I quote: "very good Draco, figured that out all by your little self? Very, very good for you!" George rolled.
Lupin chuckled a bit. "Just be careful when you cross a Malfoy." He warned.
"Don't worry about that. I've learned to never push him too far!" Astra winced.
"What do you mean?" Fred asked.
"Ron never told you?" she asked. Fred shook his head. "Well mainly because a few month's back after my first prank of the year that included Malfoy and his two goons, well they attacked me." She told them "they nearly killed me too."
Lupin looked at her shocked. "You're joking right?"
"Why would I ever joke about something like that?" she growled.
"Calm down Astra." George put a hand on her shoulders.
"I just never expected them to attack you." Lupin told her.
"Why?" Astra raised an eyebrow. "Because of who my father is?"
"Well." Lupin muttered. "Yeah actually."
"I wish!" she snorted. "My father's name only gave me a small amount of protection when it came to school and I foolishly tried to take advantage of that fact!"
"Well at least you learned from it though.' Lupin said encouragingly.
"Yeah, but I had to learn it the hard way!" she scoffed.
"At least you lived through it though Astra" Fred pointed out.
"Yeah and look where that's gotten me!" she shouted. "I'm in hiding and my father is on the run with the rest of my family! Just what is supposed to be good about that!"
For once the table fell silent. Lupin snapped his mouth shut and became very interested in his food. The twins looked about to say something but they both shook their heads and finished lunch.
Astra looked about her for the time. She knew it was almost time for the classes to resume so she left her forgotten lunch and went to get her school things for the next two classes. Charms was Astra's least favorite class and she dreaded going to that class today. But she knew that Mrs. Weasley would never believe that Astra had suddenly become sick this late in the day. Astra made her way back into the kitchen.
"Well shall we be off then?" she smiled weakly. They nodded and put the invisibility cloak's back on and then they took her by the arms and floo'd her to charms class.
Only after classes were over and Astra back at the order's headquarters did the twins relax. Molly Weasley was busy making dinner when they arrived.
"Hello mum!" George said cheerfully as he took off the cloak. "Dinner will be in an hour! Go and get cleaned up you two!" she told her boys then she turned to Astra. "I want to apologize for how stern I was with you this morning."
Astra stared blankly at Mrs. Weasley for a moment before stating. "There's no need to apologize."
"No dear I must! I have been seeing to much of Snape in you and have been taking that fact out on you!" Mrs. Weasley told her. "I have not been very fair to you and I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry too ma'am." She blushed. "I shouldn't have been so stubborn."
"Well dear, you can't help it. It's genetics but anyway." Molly beamed as she held out her hand. "Truce?"
Astra took Mrs. Weasley's hand. "Truce."