Chapter 2: Wakey Wakey...

Shadows flitted across the walls of the mirrored room, eerily reflected in numerous surfaces. The redwood wand hung on the wall, abandoned and silent.

But not for much longer...

The wand shuddered. It rattled on its perch, faintly glowing as a shapeless cloud spewed from its tip. The cloud took on its dim light, intensifying it as if of its own accord, and took the shape of –

A lightbulb.

"Alright, alright, I'm up already! Yeesh!" Talia swatted her alarm clock irritably away. The bubble nearby seemed to snicker as the wand light went out.

A half-hour passed. Talia, awake, stretched and washed, riffled about her room for something to wear. The bubble took a wary peek from its calla-shaped perch, then darted into the lily's cup as a few scarves flew past. The dim rays of summer morning light filtered into her room, triggering thoughts of... Mmm... Bacon... and steamed rice with fried eggs... and black te

a with lemon. She paused. I wonder what time that is. She referred to the daily schedule she'd made up earlier.

Breakfast – 7 a.m.

She checked her wand – 7:05. "GYAAAH!" She ran for the door, forgetting the myriad results of her unpacking still lying about her room.

The ceiling graced the room with a warm golden light. Professor Snape had just finished his fifth cup of Earl Grey. He'd allowed himself an extra piece of toast this morning – something about that name struck a chord. A pensive Severus Snape let himself lean back in his chair. Gable... Gable... where have I heard that name before?

And then it hit him.

One problem with the Earl as a companion was that damn influence on his bladder.

7:15 a.m.

After hastily tossing her bedclothes more or less into place, Talia had dashed to the Great Hall, nervously tugging a tiny down feather out of her hair. Good thing Peeves had been looking for an early morning food fight or she'd never have found the place. She got there just in time to catch a very surly-looking silhouette sweeping away down another hallway, and spared a moment to admire the flowing material of – his? – dark robes. Oh well – no time to think of that now. Talia slipped through the closing doors into an empty dining hall. Puzzled, she dug into her sleeves and slipped out another schedule Professor McGonagall sent her.

Breakfast – 8 a.m.

During all school days.

"Well, doesn't it bloody figure." She shrugged, slipping onto a bench at one of the student tables when a chair at the head table cleared its throat loudly. Oh – oh yeah. She slipped into the seat labeled for her. A plateful of bacon, eggs and toast appeared before her, followed closely by a goblet of pumpkin juice. Two outta four... ah well. She leaned an elbow on the table, idly sipping at the goblet.

"Eew... Maaaa!"

"Now, drink it up – it's good for you."

Samantha Gable smirked a tiny big-sister smirk behind her mug of milk. "Hear that, brat?"

"Sit up straight, Sam."

"But it's all – lumpy – and stuff!"

Alcea Gable gave her youngest daughter her best motherly glare. "Your sister made it for all of us. Drink it."

Grumbling something that sounded awfully like 'coulda done better,' Talia braced herself before gulping down the glass she'd been handed. Her eyes were so tightly shut she didn't see her elder sister watch her expectantly behind her slowly disappearing milk.

Talia set the glass down quickly, a splash landing on her oatmeal. (Okay, so it tastes good. Doesn't mean I'll tell her – it's still wayyy too lumpy.) She frowned as she set herself to separating the orange chunk from her breakfast. Eyes crumpling in defeat, Samantha stood and fled the room with a quick "See ya."

Their mother turned briefly from the lunches she was making, tossing her eldest a finished one in a red tin. "Until later, dear – and don't forget your lab goggles. Well," she turned to the guinea pig. "How was it?"

After popping the orange lump into her mouth, Talia flashed a quick grin at her mother. "Not bad."

Talia had tilted the goblet nearly vertical before she'd realized it was empty. Slightly disappointed, she looked at her plate. She'd managed to clear that too. How many refills have I gone through?

"Gah." Breakfast had been long since digested by the time Talia Gable next entered her rooms. She breathlessly turned to the bubble, which had been dithering happily by the window. 'Guh-good to see you again.'

'You too... what happened?'

'General map of Hogwarts interior.' She thunked down onto the bed.

'Done.'

'Onscreen, Cale.' A popply snicker, and a glowing network of lines appeared in midair. 'Thank you – now superimpose it on the memory of my wild ride through the halls, please?'

'Ah, I see.' The bubble neared, and the little blue fish within seemed to consider its human's condition. 'Do you need-'

'Not yet, thanks. Just the image for now.' Talia growled in frustration. 'My kingdom – such as it is – for a Smash-Peeves spell.' She cracked her back and replayed the morning's run with distaste.

"Dammit, Peeves –"

"Weeny baby girly prof, had a bit too much taken off!" Playback-Peeves zipped through the halls with unholy glee, looping back now and then to catch the new teacher unawares on a loose carpet.

"THAT DOES IT -" The image pulled her skirts back into place. "YOU ARE DEAD, F-" she corrected herself hastily – "SUCKER!"

Hold – back it up a bit – so that's the library. Talia rubbed a sore elbow unhappily. Two bruises down and a little to the left. Go on.

Tape-Talia ran down the stairway past the fruit still life, through many a darkening hallway. She grimaced in cold as she ran through Peeves, who had stopped short after rounding a sharp corner... into the dungeons.

"NYAAH!" taunted the poltergeist, who made to flee toward the courtyard stairs.

Talia stopped abruptly, causing her robes to spring and seethe wildly around her. She whipped out her wand, careless of the creaky door opening behind her. "Disera Risonorate!"

Silence.

After a puzzled pause, Peeves attempted another slur at Hogwarts' newest addition... who smiled as her spell took effect, as each bit of spite echoed for his ears only. He clapped his hands over them, now shrieking in silent terror, mutely zigzagging from wall to wall through the dungeon.

Talia laughed in grim amusement as she walked upstairs alone.

'Okay, so it wasn't a Smash-Peeves spell,' she grinned evilly at her fish, 'but it'll do.'

Severus Snape shut his office door very carefully as the girl left, knuckles white at the handle. Oh damn...

A.N. di SE ra ri SO no ra TE. (Amendment: 9/28/04 - Sorry to remove the note on the spell's effect; I changed it slightly, and you'll see it again in a future chapter. It's a lot more painful now - in the psychological sense - and works better within the story, so stay tuned!)

Anyway, I don't own a thing, yada. So, Madam R and owners of anything else I make references to can look to someone else to sue.