Chapter 6

Several weeks later...

"Do I look ok?"

"Why are you so nervous?"

"Because I haven't been in a classroom setting since I student taught in college," Isabelle said, hurrying down the hallway. "Not that I really consider that dungeon a proper classroom, anyway." The entrance hall was filled with nervous, chattering first-year students. "Oh, good. I thought we were late."

Harry looked up from the Gryffindor dining table, and saw Isabelle and Snape walk in together, lost in conversation. He remembered for the first time that his aunt was at Sirius' trial with Snape. I wonder what the connection is between the two of them? he puzzled.

Halfway through the Great Hall on their way to the faculty table, Isabelle stopped dead in her tracks, right in front of Harry. Snape nearly ran over her, and muttered something, but she didn't hear him. She was focused on a tall, blonde man standing across the table.

"Andrew Patil?" she whispered.

The man looked up. "Isabelle Evans?"

She nodded. "Do you remember me from school?"

"How could I forget?" He grinned.

"What are you doing here?"

"Well, after I left school, I became a charm breaker for Gringotts' bank. Dumbledore asked me to come help with practical applications of the Ancient Runes class, so I took a leave of absence to teach. What are you doing here?"

"Same thing. Well, not the same thing, but teaching. Wow," she breathed. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"I never thought I'd see you again, either."

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked up at Isabelle and this Andrew person staring at each other, moony eyed. Isabelle started making shooing motions behind her back at Snape. He cleared his throat to say something, but turned around and walked to the faculty table. After a minute of staring at each other, they must have realized that other people were in the room, because they both looked away, embarrassed.

"Um, Isabelle, this is one of my nieces, Parvati." He pointed to the pretty girl seated in front of him. "My other niece, Padma, is in the Ravenclaw house."

"Just like you, huh? Oh, this is my nephew, Harry." Harry and Parvati rolled their eyes at each other. What was going on here? After a minute, Professor McGonagall announced that the sorting was about to start, so Isabelle and Andrew quickly took spaces at the faculty table. They were so engrossed in conversation that they did not notice that the sorting ceremony had finished until Professor Dumbledore stood up to make the yearly announcements.

"Good evening, professors and students. Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts. Before we begin tonight's feast, I would like to make a few announcements. First, the banners in the Great Hall will remain black throughout the school year, as a memorial to Cedric Diggory." Many students sniffled as murmuring erupted throughout the hall. Dumbledore held up his hand for silence. "Also, I would like to remind students that the Forbidden Forest is completely off limits to all students, and will be strictly enforced, considering today's dark times. On a lighter note, I would like to welcome many new faculty members to Hogwarts. For many required classes, I have asked additional witches and wizards to team-teach subjects with our existing teachers. You are to give all faculty members the same amount of respect and courtesy, no matter what their age or reputation is. Assisting with charms class is Fleur Delacour. Since Hagrid is still on a leave of absence, Charlie Weasley will teach Care of Magical Creatures class. Andrew Patil will help teach Ancient Runes, and Remus Lupin and Arabella Figg will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Viktor Krum will serve as a teaching assistant to Isabelle Evans, who will team teach Potions with Professor Snape. Professor Evans will also teach Muggle Studies. Finally, Sirius Black will assist with Transfiguration class."

As soon as Dumbledore mentioned Sirius Black, all eyes in the Great Hall turned to Hermione, who stared down at the table. Harry smiled at her in support.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to it," he said reassuringly.

"I hope so," she replied.

Professor Dumbledore continued. "Before schedules are passed out tomorrow, I need to explain a new policy. Some students have been selected by the faculty to participate in an advanced magic program. The selected students have had their schedules altered to include an additional seminar. Because we wish those students to remain anonymous, no student is permitted to discuss whether he or she has been selected. Doing so breaks wizarding law, and will be punished accordingly. Thank you." He made a gesture with his hands, and food magically appeared on the tables.

"What do you think that seminar is all about?" Ron asked.

"I have no idea," Hermione replied.

Across the room, Sirius and Remus stared at Isabelle flirting with a tall, blonde man at the other end of the faculty table.

"Is that the same Andrew Patil that almost got her kicked out of Hogwarts?" Sirius asked Remus, shaking his head in disbelief.

"The very same."

"Excuse me, Professor Black, is it?" came a heavy French accent from Sirius' left. He looked over at the young blonde witch. "Do you know that woman over there?" she asked, pointing to Isabelle.

"Yes, I do. Why do you ask?" he inquired.

"Is she the same woman who danced with the Remizov ballet company?" He nodded. The young witch burst into a grin, and jumped up. "Isabelle!" she hollered across the table.

She looked up, and saw the blonde witch waving at her. "Fleur!" she yelled back, running over to her and giving her a huge hug. They started talking wildly in French. After a few minutes, she turned to Sirius and Remus, who were looking as if she had lost her mind. "Sirius, Remus, this is Fleur Delacour. She was my best student at the ballet."

"Only because I had the best teacher." They smiled at each other, and began speaking in French again. Fleur walked with Isabelle back to the other end of the table, where they continued eating dinner.

A few minutes later, Hermione walked up to them, with Viktor Krum in tow. "Papa, I'd like for you to meet Viktor," she said.

Sirius looked up, and saw Isabelle glaring at him from across the table, mouthing "Be nice". I don't want to be nice, he thought. What I'd like to do is ask him why he's so interested in a fifteen-year old. Then, I'd like to threaten his life if he does anything to hurt my little girl. But, he looked at the hopeful expression on his daughter's face, and melted. "Nice to meet you," he said, shaking Viktor's hand. Pushover, he thought to himself, as Hermione smiled happily.

"I'll see you tomorrow in class, ok?" she told him, giving him a hug.

"Have fun tonight," he called after her. Not too much fun, though, he thought, standing up from the table.

He and Remus walked home, discussing various lesson plans. An hour later, Isabelle burst in the living room, grinning from ear to ear. She fell dramatically on a living room chair.

"What a night!" she breathed to no one in particular. After daydreaming for a minute, she went to the kitchen and came back with a glass of water in her hand.

"Isabelle, I don't want to interrupt your daydream or anything, but..." Sirius realized that she was paying zero attention to him. "Isabelle Rose!" he thundered.

She jerked up. "What?"

"I need to talk to you about the seminar."

"What about it?" she asked.

"Well, I thought we had decided on a class of thirteen, but I was reading the roster, and there are fourteen students. Do you know why?"

She looked a little guilty. "I added a student at the last minute."

"I know. Neville Longbottom," he sputtered angrily.

"He's from a very talented family," she said defensively.

"He's one of the worst students in his class! This is supposed to be an advanced seminar."

"Kids react in different ways to problems in their lives. You're used to children like Hermione and myself, who become over achievers because they feel like they have to prove themselves. Some kids, like Neville, become under achievers. I really think he has the raw talent to be in this seminar. Trust me on this one, Sirius."

"I don't have a choice. The schedules are printed already."

"I agree with Isabelle," Remus said. "Neville has self-confidence problems, not talent problems. I think he would be an excellent wizard if he believed in himself. And if Snape didn't belittle him constantly."

"Snape's just frustrated, because Neville doesn't work to his potential," Isabelle said.

"Why are you defending him?" Sirius snapped.

"For the exact same reason that I've defended you to him for the past fourteen years. Because I care about him. He's been my only family for half of my life, and he's good to me. He always has been."

"Fine. I'd like to hear about this softer side of Snape, wouldn't you, Remus?"

"I am actually a little curious, Isabelle."

"Fine. Let me start at the beginning, when he rescued Grace and I from the Death Eaters. After everything went down that night, and you were sent to Azkaban, well, there was nowhere for me to go. There was also nowhere for Snape to go, either, because no one would hire a known Death Eater. So, Dumbledore made him a deal. If he would take me to America, and ensure that I became a fully qualified witch, he would ensure Snape a job at Hogwarts after I passed my N.E.W.T.'s. He took Gracie to the Grangers, and we set off for America."

"Sounds like a mercenary to me."

"I thought so, too, at first. He did let me go to James and Lily's funerals, although I had to stand in the far back, away from everyone else. After everyone left, I walked to their graves, and had a complete breakdown. It just didn't seem real until that moment. Everyone I loved – they were all gone forever. At least I thought so at the time. I remember what Snape said then. He said that if you really loved someone, they were always there with you, no matter where you were. That was comforting, considering that I was leaving everything I knew for a foreign country. With a stranger that I knew that neither you nor James liked. So, I boarded my very first plane, and flew to Williamsburg, Virginia."

"Isn't Williamsburg the center of wizarding activities in America?" Remus asked.

"Yes, because it was the earliest wizarding settlement. The Salem settlement was founded right around that time, but the Virginia wizarding community wasn't repressed like the Salem community was. He figured that we would have an easier transition into American society in a large wizarding community. And perhaps Snape could find a job. Anyway, Snape made up this whole identity for me–birth certificates, social security numbers, driver's license–the whole works. I became pure-blood Isabelle Randolph because Virginia society is worse than Slytherins when it comes to discriminating against Muggle-borns like myself. He registered me in the Spotswood Academy for the upcoming school year."

"The Spotswood Academy? The incredibly prestigious one?" Sirius whistled.

"That one. So, I started my sixth year at Spotswood. On the very first day, all anyone talked about was what had happened to our family over the past month. About how Harry was the only one who lived. When someone said something horrible about you, Sirius, I would burst into tears, and run out of the classroom. The office would call Snape, and he would pick me up from school. After two weeks of this, he pulled me out of school entirely."

"How did you become a qualified witch, then?"

"I'm getting to that part, Sirius. Patience is not your strong point, is it? By that time, Snape hadn't gotten a job anywhere, and I wasn't learning a thing in school. One day, he came home, and I was staring at a map of America. He asked me why I was staring at a map, and I said because until we came to Williamsburg, I had only been to Dover, London, Sheffield, and Hogwarts. I wanted to travel. So, Snape bought a car, and we set off to see America, hoping that things would be cooled off by the time we got back. Just imagine a sixteen-year old with Snape, who was twenty-seven. It was wild. If you ever want to get to know someone, go on a road trip with them. In the beginning, the only thing we had in common was that we liked to travel. But, as the year passed, we really began to get along. Especially since he let me drive the Corvette. That thing flew. It still does."

"So, did you go back to Spotswood?"

"Nope, Remus, I didn't. When we got back to Williamsburg, Snape gave me two options. One was to go back to Spotswood. The other was to enroll in the local Muggle high school, and have him tutor me at night. Well, I couldn't be a part of a wizarding community that condemned an innocent man, so I started Muggle high school that fall. I remember how nervous I was that first day. But, as soon as I walked through the door, I felt at home. I was always out with friends, and Snape never cared how many of them came over, or how loud they were. Just as long as I got all of my work done. He surprised me with a portkey to the Julliard School of Dance in New York City so that I could keep dancing. I graduated from high school, then took my N.E.W.T.'s so that I could get my degree from Hogwarts. Snape and I worked so hard to bring me to the level that I would've been if I had stayed at Hogwarts. You know what? I had higher marks than the head girl that year, but didn't get any credit for it. I'm still mad about that. So, I went to Muggle college, and Snape came here. But, he always came to see me if I ever needed him. Which proves that he's not a heartless mercenary."

"How often was that?"

"Well, at least every Christmas and Easter holiday. Oh, and he always took me on a vacation for my birthday. Every year since our first road trip, he's taken me somewhere. When I turned twenty-one, we went to Las Vegas and gambled all night. We charmed the machines and made a fortune," she finished, laughing.

"Where did he take you this year?"

"He took me to you, Sirius."

"Oh," he said lamely.

"Oh, is right. I thought we were going to Tahiti. There's always next year, I guess." She flashed him a wicked grin, and headed upstairs for bed.

-----

Hermione woke up early, quietly dressed, and slipped off to the Great Hall for breakfast before the rest of the students woke up. The endless staring and whispering unnerved her, and she just wanted to be alone before people started asking questions again. Tears stung her eyes as she buttered a piece of toast. She took a bite out of the toast, and chewed it thoughtfully. What she really wanted was her mother. While she loved her father, and had become quite close with him over the past month, it just wasn't the same. A single tear ran down her cheek.

"I know toast is awful, but it's nothing to cry over." She looked up at Isabelle, who was holding a rectangular box. "The first day is always rough, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded. "What's that?" she asked quietly.

"Heaven in a box. I got up early and walked over to Hogsmeade, where I disapperated back home to Virginia. These are Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Usually, I just get plain glazed, but I figured that we'd need some chocolate icing for fortitude."

"How'd you know I'd be here?"

"Lucky guess." Guesswork, my foot, Isabelle thought. She's so much like her father that it scares me–when upset, go off somewhere to brood over it.

Four doughnuts later each, Hermione smiled. They really were incredible, and her nerves had calmed considerably. By that time, the Great Hall was filled with chattering students, anxiously awaiting their schedules to see if they had been selected for the special seminar. Harry and Ron plopped down across the table from Hermione and Isabelle, and eyed the doughnuts hungrily. Isabelle passed them the box, which became empty in short order.

"Excuse me, Professor Evans?" She looked up at two identical redheads. "I'm Fred Weasley, and this is my brother George. We're Ron's brothers, and just wanted to let you know that the Marauder's Map hasn't gone to waste all of these years."

"Really," Isabelle drawled. "Did you nick it?" Identical evil grins spread over their faces. "Ok, sit. You have to tell me what mischief you created with it." Fred and George began an animated description of all the pranks they pulled throughout the years, making Isabelle laugh hysterically. In the middle of telling her about the time that they snuck into the Slytherin common room and removed all the furniture, Professor McGonagall reached their part of the table, and distributed schedules.

Ron and Harry opened their schedules first. "Ugh," Harry said. "Potions with the Slytherins first thing." He scanned the schedule, seeing nothing out of the ordinary, except for the unusual amount of professors listed. A minute later, a line appeared at the very bottom – "Advanced Magic Seminar, Tuesday, 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m., Classroom 10-A, Professors Black and Evans." Just as quickly as the line appeared, it vanished without a trace. Harry looked up, and several students were staring at their schedules oddly.

"What's wrong?" Isabelle asked them, with a bit of amusement. After all, she and Sirius did hand-pick the class themselves, so she knew exactly why they had funny looks on their faces.

"Uh, nothing," Ron swallowed. "Just not looking forward to having Divination after lunch. It's hard enough to stay awake as it is."

"Ooooh, the inner eye, it is a rare gift indeed," Isabelle said in a spooky voice. "Trelawney told me that she's never seen a student less gifted in Divination. She said that after I told her she was a crock."

"Well, I guess we share the honors, then, because she said the exact same thing to me," Hermione said, laughing. She looked over at Isabelle, thinking about how nice it was for her to bring her breakfast.

"I heard an ugly rumor that you got Krispy Kreme this morning, and didn't save me a doughnut."

"Sorry, Sirius. You snooze, you lose," Isabelle said, smiling at the look of mock hurt on his face.

"Ready for class this morning?" Sirius asked Hermione.

She was so lost in thought that it was a minute before she realized that she was supposed to be answering a question. "Oh, yes, totally ready," she said distractedly. She studied her father critically as he chatted with Isabelle, giving her a crooked, boyish grin. Before she arrived in our lives, Hermione realized, my father rarely smiled, or took any interest in himself. There was little resemblance between the worn, broken man two months ago and the smiling, self-assured person standing beside her. And that most of the credit of the changes in her father's life were thanks to Isabelle. In fact, it was really her strength that brought the family together. She eyed Isabelle with a new-found respect as she stood from the table.

"Well, I'm off to the dungeon," Isabelle said, hurrying out of the Great Hall.

A few minutes later, Hermione stood from the table with the excuse of stopping by the library before class. But, she headed to the dungeon, hoping to see Viktor for a minute before class began. As she approached the doorway, she heard two voices, arguing.

"I don't see why I have to be here. You're not leaving me, so there's no need for me to know how your class works because I'll never have to teach it by myself."

"Stop being irrational. You know, as well as I do--"

"You're not going to them." The female voice became wobbly. "Please tell me that you're not going to them."

"I have to." Snape's voice said hollowly.

"When?" Isabelle sounded as if she was on the brink of tears. Hermione flattened herself against the wall, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping on this conversation.

"Halloween."

Hermione looked up as Viktor rounded the corner. He couldn't stop staring at her. She looked so different than when she visited him this summer. Not that she wasn't pretty before, but she was absolutely beautiful now. The once-bushy hair was flat, and framed her face perfectly. And those eyes – those huge grey-brown eyes surrounded by what seemed like hundreds of lashes. She smiled at him as he walked up to her, and his stomach flipped.

"Good morning, Professor," she said coyly, her grin widening.

He was at a total loss for words. "Morning," he managed to choke out. By this time, students began to fill the hallway, filing into the dungeon classroom. A minute later, they walked into the dungeon, Hermione saving seats for Harry and Ron, and Viktor walking to the front, where he began talking to Snape and Isabelle.

"Of all the classes to start the year off with, we get stuck with this one," Ron complained, sitting down and giving Draco Malfoy an evil look. Not that Draco noticed, because he and every other boy in the classroom were gawking at Isabelle.

"I don't think it's all that bad," Hermione said dreamily. Ron rolled his eyes.

Harry looked at the front of the classroom, as Snape gave him his usual look of loathing. Apparently, whatever connection he had to Isabelle did not make him feel any better towards Harry. This was going to be a long year.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter. I trust that you won't expect any special treatment in this class, although your aunt is my assistant professor. Pity you don't share her talent at potion making," he said through narrowed eyes. "And, you, Miss Black," he practically spat the last word, "please keep your hormones in check during my class."

Hermione clenched her teeth together in anger, as Snape walked back to the front of the room. "At least I have use for my hormones, unlike you, you slimy git," she muttered underneath her breath.

A voice sighed behind their table. "Five points from Gryffindor, for your cheek." Harry, Ron, and Hermione whipped around in disbelief. Did Isabelle just defend Snape, and take away house points? From her own house? Her eyes were kind, but she spoke firmly. "You do not insult a professor, Hermione, no matter how much he deserves it. Also, you should not make a judgment about a person's private life. And, if you choose to do either, at least look around you to make sure a professor isn't listening."

"Alright," she continued, loudly so the entire classroom could hear, "welcome back, class. For this week, and next, I am your primary teacher. Feel free to ask Professor Snape, Krum, or myself if you have any questions with the lessons." She turned to the desk, picked up a stack of papers, and began passing the copies around the class. "This is today's potion. After you are finished, please leave your cauldrons on your desk, so that it can be disposed of properly. Once you receive your assignment, you may begin."

Snape picked up a piece of paper, and ran his finger down the list of ingredients and directions. Once he realized what the potion was for, he had to turn away from the class so that they didn't see him laughing. Isabelle saw the look on his face, and walked over to where he was standing.

"What? I think it's a rather useful potion, myself," she said, defensively.

"I don't doubt that. Only you would teach a room full of teenagers how to cure themselves from the effects of drinking a little too much. I assume that you have plans to dispose of their efforts personally?" he said with a smirk.

"Absolutely. Can't waste a good potion, Severus. You taught me that."

Across the room, Harry watched Hermione angrily chop her herbs into tiny pieces. She couldn't decide what made her more irate–Snape's comment, or the way Isabelle defended him. It was simply disloyal. Everyone knew that Snape did not get along with the Blacks or the Potters. She dumped water into her cauldron, and stirred, brooding.

"What's the matter, mudblood?" Draco whispered so that only Hermione, Ron and Harry could hear.

"She is not a mudblood," Harry said through clenched teeth. "Not that being Muggle-born is insulting, anyway."

"Isn't that sweet? Being defended by your ex-boyfriend. I mean, your cousin. Isn't that ironic – just as soon as Krum steals her, you find out that you're related. You Potters are a sick lot. Maybe that's why you keep dying off. It's only a matter of time before both of you join the rest of your pathetic family, in Blandford Cemetery. I told you--" Harry interrupted Draco's words with a crushing blow to the face.

Isabelle and Snape turned around, their eyes widening at the fight in front of them. Snape took a step to break up the fight, but quickly stepped back after receiving an accidental punch to the nose.

"He's your nephew. You handle it," he said, trying to stop the bleeding of his nose. By this time, the entire classroom was in an uproar. Isabelle shouted a barely audible incantation, and Harry and Draco immediately stopped, unable to move. She didn't know what to say. On the one hand, she was a professor, and it was her duty to punish bad behavior accordingly. But, she remembered many unpleasant evenings with the Malfoy family during her marriage, and really enjoyed seeing her nephew give Draco a piece of his own medicine. Snape sensed her indecision, so he began to speak.

"I have never seen such an utter lack of manners and decorum in a classroom," he began coldly. "One hundred points from Gryffindor and two weeks of detention, Mr. Potter. As for you, Mr. Malfoy, I expected better of a student from my own house. Seventy-five points from Slytherin, and two weeks of detention. Please return to your assignment." Both Harry and Draco were still livid, but returned to their cauldrons.

"Oh, and Mr. Malfoy," Isabelle said in an icy tone. "Fifty points from Slytherin for insulting my family. If I ever hear another derogatory comment about any member of my family come out of your mouth, trust me, the consequences will be much more severe. Do I make myself clear?" Draco turned white and nodded. How could she possibly have heard what he had said? "Go to the hospital wing, both of you. Report for detention tonight at 8:00." They limped out of the classroom, as the lesson continued uneventfully until the bell rang.