Wow, it's suprising how fast the summer has actually been going by, and how many times I had to write this chapter before I was sick enough of it to finally give up and post. So, here it is, Chapter 10, where the plot finally starts to develop a bit. I'm sorry it took so long, but I have a small case of writers block, that and I got just a wee bit addicted to Solitare, so that may have something to do with it. Please enjoy, and as always, review. -Pentagon Merlin

The Reason

Ch. 10: Smoke Alarms

"You know, I found out some very interesting things from reading your descriptions of symbols, such as a clown is an evil symbol. However, Ms. Granger, you did not need to give me 5 feet of parchment discussing evil symbols throughout the ages. You're not going to be graded down for it, but please, please, please make my work easier and don't write such a long paper!" Liz said to the class. October was just starting and they had got through the rest of September without much incident. Despite the looks she'd been given by students walking by in the hallway after the announcement of her parentage, Liz had been accepted relatively well.

Liz walked over to the chalkboard and grabbed a piece of chalk. She speedily wrote on the board "Muggle Monsters: Fantasy and Reality." "All right, here is our next section. Please note, I know that you've already gone into this during your third year, and I've discussed this subject with both Professor Lupin and Professor Hagrid, in order to grasp what you've learnt and will learn if you're taking Care of Magical Creatures," Liz stated, trying to not stumble through her words as she thought of what to say next. "So, I was going to cover werewolves in this section, but as you've already learnt that, we will be discussing pogrebins, dementors, and vampires. Mr. Macmillan, please stop staring at the back of Ms. Bones' head, I'm sure she doesn't appreciate the look your giving her, and if she does, ask her out after class. Now, I know you probably already have learnt this, but the people who decide what I teach you have decided that reviews are a good thing, so here we go.

"A dark creature is not alive per say. They normally don't have full life cycles, such as being born, growing up, reproducing, and then growing old and dying. Instead, they're born fully grown, reproduce, and then die. They're only purpose in life is to cause evil, and being a predator does not make something evil. A predator would kill something, which would be sanctioned as evil if it weren't for the fact that the predator is killing it in order to eat, ergo survive. A dark creature would kill something and then leave it to rot, simply because they could. Often, dark creatures are created by spells gone wrong; however we don't know how most were created in the beginning. Because of these things, dark creatures are not considered animals.

"The lines can blur sometimes when it comes to-"Liz was cut off by a loud blaring sound, and a voice echoing through the room.

"Please walk quickly and quietly to the nearest exit. Please leave all doors open and vacate the building," the voice said, repeating itself over and over. As the students filed out into the hall they found smoke filling the halls below them and filtering out the windows that had thrown themselves open in attempts to let the smoke out. The pictures that lined the walls were hacking through the smoke and it was difficult to see 5 feet in front of yourself.

"Pull your shirts up to cover your mouths and walk calmly to the exits!" Liz yelled, making sure all the sixth years that had decided to stay in Defense Against the Dark Arts were there and walking toward the exit, and not trying to pull some stunt as she had heard some tended to try. When they had reached the lawn in front of the school Liz counted again, and when she discovered that all her students were present, she looked down to see Locke curled up around her wrist.

"Does this remind you of any fire drills back home?" Locke hissed as soon as he caught her eyes on him.

"You had to bring that up, didn't you?" she hissed back. "I didn't set off any smoke bombs here, and you know it."

"I wasn't saying it was you. I was just suggesting that perhaps it was a student attempting to get out of class."

"Nice try Locke. I have to go report as a teacher anyway. You want to tag along?"

"Where else do I have to go?"

"Professor Riddle, are all your students accounted for?" Dumbledore asked when Liz came up on him.

"Yes sir. They're all present. Is everyone else?" Liz responded.

"Yes, it would appear so."

"Does anyone know what caused it yet?" Professor Snape asked.

"It would appear that the restricted section in the library was set aflame and one of the books had a defense mechanism of blowing up with a great deal of smoke," the head mistress informed them as she turned around from counting her students for a fifth time.

"It was probably Peeves, sir," Mr. Filch said, watching his cat, Mrs. Norris, hiss at Liz's wrist. "What's wrong my sweet?"

"She probably just doesn't like Locke," Liz offered, slipping the boomslang into a pocket in her robes, just in case. It wasn't Locke she was worried about, it was Mrs. Norris. "With all due respect to them, sir, couldn't it have been a student?"

"No, all students have been accounted for, and no one seems to have been in the library, meaning the person had to be invisible, making it most likely a ghost," Professor McGonagall said in her uptight British voice.

"Was anyone hurt?" Madam Pomfry asked, ever the nurse.

"Despite the fact that the portraits now have smoke inhalation, everyone is fine. Madam Pinch, will we need to be replacing a large section of the library?" Dumbledore asked, a glint coming back into his eyes.

"No, most of the books have damage shields on them and will be fine," the worried librarian said.

"Sonorus." Dumbledore mumbled, pointing his wand at his throat. "ATTENTION STUDENTS," he boomed, "THERE HAS BEEN A SMALL FIRE IN THE LIBRARY. NO ONE WAS HURT, AND NOTHING BUT TIME HAS BEEN WASTED, SO IF YOU ALL WOULD BE SO KIND AS TO REPORT TO YOUR NEXT CLASS, IT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. VERY NICE JOB WITH THIS ALARM. THANK YOU. QUIETUS. There will be a staff meeting tonight at 9:30 in the Great Hall. Unless you have patrolling duty or a lesson with a student, you will be expected to be there and prompt. Please go teach," Dumbledore finished, watching them all go.

As Liz headed back to her classroom, she realized that she was the one with the private lesson tonight. Harry had been unable to come to one of the lessons because it was the first quiddich practice of the season. Judging from their past sessions, she'd be able to only be about half an hour late to the meeting.

"Hey, Harry," Liz said in Parseltounge as soon as the messy haired boy walked into her office that evening.

"If it isn't my favorite teacher... You're rubbing off on me," he replied, finally reaching full Parseltounge at the end of the sentence.

"Glad my language is rubbing off on you. How were the rest of your classes?"

"Good, except I had Potions with Snape," he said, this time fully in the language snakes use. "And Ron and Hermione are really cozy during breaks, if you know what I mean."

"Ooh, sorry about that. I guess it's my fault, what with the whole advising and all. Why do you and Snape hate each other so much?"

"Oh, typical, he and my father didn't get along, and now he's taking it out on the son. Do you know why we had that alarm today?" Harry asked, reverting back to English as soon as Locke slithered onto the desk.

"Very nice. It was apparently because someone lit a bunch of books in the restricted section on fire. One decided to start smoking profusely as soon as it lit. Theory is Peeves did it, but we have a meeting after this lesson to discuss it."

"That's bloody odd. Peeves doesn't normally put stuff aflame."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Either way... Should we get started?" As Harry nodded, she continued, "Tonight I actually was wondering if you would mind helping me with a Patronus?"

"Sure," Harry said happily. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A brilliant white stag sprung forth from his wand and looked around the room, then disappeared as Harry lowered his wand. "Basically the happy memory I use is from a point during third year when my godfather asked if I'd like to come live with him. He died last year, but the thought of leaving the Dursley's was really exciting."

"Okay, so all you do is point and think of the happiest memory you have?"

"No, you have to let the memory fill up every fiber of you being first. It has to be strong too. Why do you want to know?"

"I have to teach it to y'all next week, and quite frankly every time I get in front of you guys I swear you'll burst out laughing."

"We won't. Or at least most of us won't. I promise. You want to try?"

"Brilliant memory?" Liz said as Harry laughed at her use of the British slang. She thought for a moment and then pointed her wand at the blank spot in the middle of the room. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" A sparkly blue shield bigger then the one she normally cast appeared in the middle of the space and slowly turned into a large snake. "Figures it would be a snake," she mumbled as soon as it had vanished.

"Here," Harry said handing her a piece of chocolate. "That was good. Bloody good. Anything else we need to work on tonight?"

"Yeah, actually there is. A shield that's used to deflect most curses. The charm is forza protezione (protection force in Italian). You say it with a flick then a lift of your wand, and it will cast a lovely shield of light will surround you from all sides. Note though, it's extremely draining, that's why they don't normally teach it, and the un-forgivables can go straight through, as well as some other dark magic, but it will keep most things off for a decent amount of time. Got it?" Seeing Harry nod, she continued, "A wizard who is extremely capable will have heard of it before and can probably prevent it. Voldemort most definitely can, but the majority of his followers can't. Try it."

She watched Harry try and fail. "Try again. You'd be really lucky to get it the first time." This time when he tried, a small circle of light surrounded him. "Good." Another dozen times and he was able to form an orb of light that surrounded both him and whatever was within three feet of him. "Very good, Harry. I'm impressed. I suggest bed, you should be pretty tired by now, and I have to get to my meeting. I'll see you at breakfast."
As they split up and Liz walked down to the Great Hall, Liz glanced at her watch. She had expected it to be ten at the latest, however the hour hand was edging toward 11, and the meeting was just wrapping up as she walked into the large room.

"If only one book was destroyed, there is no reason to expel Peeves from the grounds. No other damage was done. Besides, we don't even know if it was him!" Madam Hooch said with great passion.

"May I also add that we can not be sure that he did it," Firenze added, looking over at Liz, who was just pulling up a seat at the table.

"The book that was destroyed was Dark Enchantments, Deadly Languages, and Curses of the Old. It is not a replaceable book," Madam Pinch argued.

"Professor Riddle, it would appear as though you have the urge to say something," Dumbledore stated.

"As no one was seen setting the books aflame, it would be suggested that the person was invisible. This we already know, as well as it was not a student as they were all accounted for, but Peeves is one for simple pranks, such as dropping dung bombs on students, not the destruction of priceless literature," she said, glad she had discussed it with Harry earlier.

"Are you suggesting it was another ghost?" Professor Snape droned.

"It's possible," Liz replied.

"You're too young to see what's really going on," Professor Vector stated, and Liz had always liked her too.

"Perhaps it is through the eyes of the young that this matter will be reviled. However I do believe we will all have eyes that look far older then they are if we don't adjourn this soon. We all do have class in the morning. Good night," and with that note from Dumbledore, the teachers turned and left, leaving an almost empty hall.

"Why do I get the feeling that you know exactly how this is going to end?" Liz asked the old professor.

"Perhaps it's the beard. It does give me a very knowledgable look," Dumbledore answered. With that, Liz turned and left the great hall, leaving the old man by himself. "She really is her father's daughter," he mumbled to himself before going to bed himself.