[ Anything that's not blatant is a riddle ]
Please read and review if you can!

Author's penname: Elixa Amethyst
Voices of the Past Part II
Written March 2002 onwards, pre Order of the Phoenix.
All characters and things you recognise, are © JKRowling, no infringement intended.

All references to "mediwizard" mean healer.
Read Part I at ALIGN="center">---------------

Chapter Three

Ministry Warning

"Good evening Mr Weasley." I could commend Severus on greeting the wizard with some respect instead of trying to kill him first.

"Good evening Professor, we were just talking about you." Arthur Weasley said.

"So I could hear. The reason Mr Weasley that your sons only just passed potions is because they put their minds on how to damage the main potions lab more than they applied them to their studies."

"Damage a potions lab?"

"Yes Mr Weasley, I have spent the last two weeks replacing water damaged specimens and books." Severus folded his arms, his black-eyed stare constant on Arthur Weasley's face.

"Surely they bewitched the water Professor...?"

"I found that they paid less attention to their charms studies as well Mr Weasley, as they had failed to bewitch the water correctly."

"If there is damage to pay off I'm sure the two of them will oblige should you send them a bill." Mr Weasley was looking decidedly embarrassed.

"I can tell you that Ronald Weasley is no better than his twin brothers Mr Weasley, he is heading more towards being expelled before he gets a single OWL with his two friends."

"You seem to have a lot of opinions Professor, like the opinion that my son Percy is an idiot too. It has come to my attention that you threatened him not long ago, and threatening a Ministry wizard is an offence which can get you arrested." I stood up and moved to the door, sensing trouble.

"The trouble with my opinions Mr Weasley, is that they've been proven correct in the past." Severus leant forwards slightly. "Percy left my niece open to dark wizards and flew himself into a tree and you're saying I'm wrong to call him an idiot? Ginny, your youngest was foolish enough to befriend Voldemort…"

"That's enough!" Arthur Weasley was red faced as he shouted at Severus.

"I may be cold hearted in your opinion, but I do not fail students because of it!"

"Cold hearted and a death eater." Weasley muttered. I saw Severus's reach for his wand, and saw Weasley doing the same. The wizards around were backing off.

"Big mouthed, arrogant Weasleys, all the same…" Snape stepped forwards, still glaring at Mr Weasley. The Ministry wizard stepped forwards too. I took action.

"Expelliarmus!" I shouted, drawing my own wand. Seven inches of swishy willow with dragon heartstring extracted two wands from the hands of Severus and Arthur and gave them to me.

"Who…?" Arthur Weasley started, looking at me.

"Elixa- give them back." Severus said between gritted teeth.

"No. I don't want either of you getting into trouble. You've both said enough, so I demand you settle your differences before you disgrace yourselves further."

"Is this-?" Weasley asked.

"My niece, yes." Severus replied.

"Trying for the front page again Elixa?" Peterson had entered the Leaky Cauldron again. He came up behind me. "I don't honestly think that these two could ever shake hands really. They're as bad as each other. Come on Arthur, I've just had Molly sticking her head through the fireplace asking if you're here." Peterson plucked Mr Weasley's wand from my hand and marched the red faced Ministry wizard from the Leaky Cauldron. I walked back into the room where we'd been eating, handed Severus back his wand and sat back down to the food. We finished in silence; I guessed he was still smarting from the fact I'd disarmed him.

Severus remained completely silent until we reached our room overlooking Diagon Alley.

"Alright, have a go at me." I said, sitting down on the chair beside the window.

"Have a go at you?" Severus asked. "I am glad now that you did do that, the repercussions should I have done something would have been a large problem for us and for Dumbledore." I looked pleasantly surprised. There was a tapping at the window, and I opened it to let a small owl fly in. It landed on the desk and Severus took the parchment from it and handed me the owl.

"It's exhausted, give it a drink and some food." I nodded, and poured some water into a bowl from the pot jug beside me and then retrieved some owl pellets from my belongings. I'd had to buy some to reward the owls who sent any letters I had written, otherwise the school owls often got very funny about taking letters. The tiny owl was relieved to have a meal in the warm. Outside rain began to fall, blurring the sunset. Severus hadn't spoken. I looked round at him and saw a very angry look on his face.

"Bad news?" I asked. He held the letter out to me to read. It was from the Ministry.

Professor Severus Snape,

The Ministry has received a report of a disturbance at the premises named: The Leaky Cauldron at around nine PM this evening between yourself and a Ministry wizard. We are hereby giving you an official warning, that any further disturbances will authorise any ministry wizard to arrest you on the spot.

"Is this because of my father still?" I asked. Severus nodded.

"Weasley…"

"No, Peterson." I said, pointing out the letterhead. It had come originally from the department of potions, via the department of misuse of magic. Severus nodded, crossed over the room and glared out into the rain.

"I don't think we'll be letting you out tonight little one, think you might be drowned if we did." I told the little bundle of feathers. It pecked affectionately at my finger.

"Mind it doesn't draw blood, don't want you to turn into an owl, but I suppose you'd be more useful than a cat." I gave a smile.

"Well, we'll just have to be a bit more careful now, both of us." I said quietly, almost covered by a break of thunder as the storm arrived. The room darkened and I watched my uncle's silhouette against the window each time the lightning flashed.

"Mum used to be scared of storms." I remembered.

"I don't remember her ever being scared." Severus replied, watching with his black eyes. I drew my wand and gently lit the lamps around the room so I could see the furniture without the lightning having to light the room instead.

"What of storms or anything?"

"Storms, but she was pretty unflappable your mother, a lot like you."

"Unflappable, yeah right, the harmless creature in the lab wasn't found by unflappable Elixa."

"Unflappable Elixa survived the cruciatus curse, and being turned into a cat."

"Touché." I replied.