Chapter 15: Tranfiguration Further
Harry pulled his cloak off. "How did you know I was here?" he demanded.
Calabrone laughed heartily. "The look of indignant anger on your face is priceless, Mister Potter. However, it is misplaced. You, after all, are the one sneaking around after curfew, in to the teachers' lounge, no less, and with an invisibility cloak, which I do believe is registered by Mr. Filch as being a Dangerous and Untrustworthy item.
Harry looked at his professor to determine whether she was serious or not. Deciding she was only joking, he took a step forward. "Well, can I ask you a question?" he asked.
"Ah getting right to the heart of it, are you? I understand completely. Here, have a seat." she gestured, using her wand to direct a plushy armchair next to the table. She motioned for Harry to sit, which he did, and immediately, a house elf appeared at his left elbow.
"Is there anything Professor is needing?" it squeaked. Calabrone shook her head.
"No, I summoned you for Mister Potter's convenience. Harry?" she asked, looking at him over the rim of her mug.
Harry thought about it and decided some hot cocoa might be nice. Asking the house elf for it, she curtsied low and disappeared quickly. Moments later, she reappeared with a plate of chocolate and lemon biscuits and a mug of steaming hot cocoa. She gave another curtsy and left them alone.
"Drink up, Harry." Calabrone said, pulling a lemon biscuit from the plate. She shut the books in front of her and turned to face Harry. He did so and placed the mug back on the table in front of him.
"Now, what could have pulled you from your bed this evening?" she asked, capping her quill.
Harry had dozens of questions running through his head that he wanted to put to her, but he stuck with the thought that had originally pulled him out of bed. "Why did you bring a book here from headquarters?
She looked at him quizzically. "I don't know what you're talking about, Harry."
"I think you do, Professor." he replied evenly. She raised her eyebrows. Harry continued. "It's a thin red book, with fancy gold script on the cover. It has all sorts of strange symbols on the inside.
When she answered him this time, her voice was cold. "I apologize, Mister Potter, if you have been lead to believe I know what and where this book of yours is, but I honestly have no clue.
Harry bit his lip and looked at her a moment longer. Deciding it would do no good to have a row about it, he sighed and asked his next question, "Where did you and Remus go during the summer?
She laughed. "Mister Potter, that is Order business. Unless I receive orders from Albus informing me otherwise, you are not privy to that information. Next question.
Harry, becoming more irritated by the second at her evasiveness, touched on the next topic to cross his mind. "Why does Snape blame himself for Sirius' death?
"Mister Potter, you and I have already discussed this. But that does touch upon a subject I am curious about. Why do you blame yourself for Cedric Diggory's death?
Harry intook a sharp breath. "I don't." he said too quickly.
"Mister Potter, I remember your face the first time I brought up this subject. You were not truthful then and you are not truthful now." she reprimanded.
"What right have you to know, anyhow?" Harry suddenly erupted at her. "You come barging in here and everyone's just supposed to accept that, and all the orders you give just because you're great buddies with Dumbledore and you went to school with Remus and Snape. That's not right, Professor." he took a breath. "And even if I did feel guilty for Cedric's death, what are you going to do to change that?
Calabrone had sat still during his tantrum, and as the mood in the room calmed, Harry began to feel a little foolish. His eyes swept the room quickly. Harry was horrified to see a stunned-looking Snape standing in the doorway, hand still on the door.
Calabrone turned around to see what Harry was gawking at. Snape opened the door further. "I heard raised voices." he said, showing his right hand clutching his wand, ready to attack.
"I am sure you did, Severus." Calabrone said. "Mister Potter and I were having a discussion that got a little out of hand, I'm afraid."
Snape's eyes narrowed. Harry dropped his gaze, feeling very foolish at his outburst. Calabrone patted his hand and said quietly, so Snape couldn't hear, "No worries, Mister Potter. I am not trying to change anything. I only wanted you to know that I can understand what you are feeling.
Harry looked up at her, but she simply smiled and motioned for him to follow her. "I'll be escorting Mister Potter back to his common room. Excuse me, Severus." she swept by him, pulling Harry with her. Once out in the hallway, Harry realized he'd left both the map and the cloak in the teachers' lounge. Calabrone seemed to reading his mind, because she pulled both out underneath her robes.
"Dead useful for hiding bulky items, don't you agree, Harry?" she said, her eyes twinkling. "The one good thing about British wizards still dressing in the old way.
Harry looked at her, "They don't dress like this in the States?" he asked.
"Oh yes, certainly, some due. But the vast majority dress as muggles. In the States every witch or wizard is able to be identified as a regular member of society. Unlike Europe, magical folk in the Americas are given or create a profile for themselves for the muggles to know. Americans are a suspicious lot, who love a good conspiracy and go digging through things they ought not." Calabrone explained, "As a result, when you reach 18, legal age in the States, you are presented with a file containing pertinent information to maintain a muggle-style existence. I, for instance, worked for a private firm developing potions as well as dabbling in international relations. As far as the muggle government is concerned, I am a chemist and translator. That is what is listed on my form. Once a week, I receive a rabbit detailing any news about my given fields of study so that, if one of my muggle neighbors questioned me, I would be able to give an intelligent sounding reply. It doesn't always work perfectly." she admitted. "but we do try.
Harry looked amazed at her. He'd never thought of the logistical problems of hiding an entire population that wasn't supposed to exist. "When was the last time you regularly wore robes?" he asked.
"My last year at Hogwarts." she replied. "I moved to the States not long after.
"And did you say rabbits?" he asked.
She smiled. "Yes. When the first wizards and witches settled in the new world, they decided they had to be as different from those in Europe as possible and so chose rabbits to carry messages. Well, here we are." she said, stopping in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Have a good night, then, Harry.
Harry bid her goodnight and crawled up the steps to the dormitory. When he checked his watch it read two thirty. What had Calabrone and Snape been doing up anyhow? Harry wondered. Ah well. He wouldn't worry about it right now. Now he had better things to do, like sleep. Turning over onto his side, he feel asleep immediately.
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The next morning Harry awoke only when Ron grabbed his arm and pulled him bodily from bed. "Come on, Harry. We've already missed breakfast. Do you want to be late to miss Transfiguration? Honestly. Come on. McGonagall will skin us alive if we're late the first day of her class.
Harry slipped into fresh clothes and grabbed his glasses from the night stand on his way out the door. The common room was deserted. As they approached the Transfiguration classroom, Harry could hear voices of students waiting outside. Everyone was still there-the doors were not yet opened. Heaving a sigh a relief, Ron slumped against the way.
"Good thing Calabrone told me to come get you, Harry, or you would've missed it." he said. Harry looked at him.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Ron picked up a book and started thumbing through it, "Calabrone called Hermione and me up to the staff table this morning to talk about organizing the dueling club. She noticed you weren't with us yet. She said you'd had a late night and I'd better go check on you. Glad I did, too.
Hermione fought her way through the crowd to join them. Harry saw her reach immediately for Ron's hand and give it a little squeeze before letting go. Harry smiled as the gesture.
"Harry, I'm so glad you made it. Why didn't you get up this morning?" she asked.
"Snape keep you late? I heard somebody cursed Malfoy in the halls last night. Crabbe and Goyle couldn't remember the counter curse, so he tap-danced across the Great Hall, bumping in to the Headmaster and some of the school governors." Ron smiled at the thought.
Harry smiled at the thought as well, but didn't get a chance to to tell them about his talk with Calabrone before McGonagall opened the door and ushered them all in. Once inside, she immediately had them turn to page twelve of their books.
"As you have all now, for the most part, successfully completed your O.W.L. exams, it is time to move on to more advanced Transfiguration. The first type we will be attempting is simple limb transformation. I am sure most of this class will remember the partial transformation Viktor Krum demonstrated during the Triwizard tournament. We will begin with something a little more refined." McGonagall lectured.
At the mention of Krum , both Ron and Hermione turned red. Harry smiled again. Quickly McGonagall went over the steps, along with a new style of wand movement. For the first quarter of an hour they practiced without their wands. Then, with McGonagall repeating words of caution constantly, she let them try the transfiguration on themselves.
Hermione got hers on the first try. Looking down at her left foot, she said clearly, "mano cane". Immediately, her foot, shoe and all, transformed into a paw.
"Wicked." Ron said, admiring her handiwork. Hermione blushed prettily and set herself right. She then motioned to Ron, who tried the same thing. The first try nothing happened. The second time, however, the tip of his foot grew some claws. Harry lifted his shoulders, when Ron looked to him for an opinion.
When it was his turn, Harry cleared his throat and said the spell clearly. He saw some change in his left foot. Hermione muttered the counter-spell so he could try again. His second attempt was almost complete, but still feel a little short.
While McGonagall went around the room, correcting students as she went, Ron and Harry let Hermione practice on all four limbs, even switching her wand hand to practice.
"What do you reckon we could learn how to become animagi with this?" Ron asked Harry. Harry had been thinking along the same lines. Immediately, thoughts of running the grounds like his father, Remus and Sirius had done came to mind. He caught himself smiling.
"We'll need Hermione's help," Harry said seriously.
"No." Hermione said, not looking up.
"Hermione, you don't even know what we're going to ask for help on. It could be schoolwork." Ron said.
"Ronald, I sincerely doubt that." She turned to face them both. "You want to become animagi. Need I remind you that everyone is keeping an eye on you, Harry? It would not only be very difficult, but also extremely stupid, to attempt to become an illegal animagus while Voldemort is still out there.
Harry squared himself off to her. "Come on, Hermione. I know perfectly well that people are looking out for me. I'm not going to do anything stupid."
"No, you're not." she replied shrilly. "Because neither of you could do it without me and I refuse to help.
Harry and Ron spent the rest of the class pouting, though neither of them would admit it. By the end of class they had both managed to get their foot to grow claws, but not fur. Hermione flounced out of the room without a second glance at either of them.
"Sorry if I messed things up with you and Hermione." Harry apologized as they made their way down to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Ah, she's fine." Ron said. "Besides, you don't honestly think this is the first fight we've had? Go on, Harry. We've been friends for six years. How often have Hermione and I fought? Almost constantly. She'll come around. Just give her time. " he said wisely.
But by dinner that evening, she had still not said a word to either of them. Ron was still playing it off, but Harry felt bad. As they passed the Slytherin table, Harry saw Malfoy glare at him.
"I know it was you, Potter." he said quietly. Harry smiled and kept walking. There was no way Malfoy could prove anything.
Dinner was quiet, as Hermione sat at the far end of the table with Ginny and Dean. After enduring several minutes of Ron glowering at them Harry was tired of the whole thing.
"Ron, give it a rest, will you? Ginny's happy being with Dean right now. Okay?" He said exasperatedly.
Ron blinked and looked at him. "I know that. I don't really mind Dean seeing her, it's more what Dean said about Sir...uh, something.
Harry looked at Ron. "What do you mean? What did he say, Ron?
"Nothing. Trust me. Hey, hand me the pitcher, would you. There's a good lad." Ron said, pouring himself a refill of pumpkin juice. Harry knew Ron was keeping something from him, but he couldn't tell what. He figured he'd be able to finagle it out of him sooner rather than later, so turned his attention back t the plate of ribs and potatoes in front of him.
Later, stuffed and quite sleepy, Harry dragged himself off to the dungeons. He and Ron had spent the time between dinner and eight planning on when, where and how to start becoming animagi. They hadn't gotten very far before Hermione came down to apologize to Ron. It hadn't gone well. Hearing they were still considering it, she scolded them again before storming off.
As he approached Snape's door, he felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. Turning instinctually to his left, he shot a shield. A red flash bounced off and ricocheted off the walls. Snape's door flew open, his beady eyes surveying the entire hallway. Walking past Harry, Snape reached a hand out into the shadows and pulled Malfoy into plain view.
Harry watched, wide eyed, wondering whether Snape was going to punish Malfoy. Malfoy seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he immediately started spouting excuses.
"Silence!" Snape hissed. "Do I not lecture at the beginning of every year that we have enough going against us without picking fights, Mister Malfoy. Get back to the common room and stay there for the remainder of the evening. Go!" he barked.
Malfoy scooted down the hall. Snape whirled to face Harry. "Very good reflexes, Potter. Let's put them to more tests, shall we?
Harry followed Snape into the room, curious as to what was going to happen.
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A/N: Oh holy cow...all these chapters. My muse was itching to burst out. This is all due to my wonderful husband who attempted to get our air conditioning running Monday night (it was 89 degrees in our house) and while he struggled with that, I type this little beauty up)
Mano Cane is bad Spanish for dog paw. I don't feel thorough enough right now to correct it with the proper vocab. Somehow, I think you'll all live.
Harry pulled his cloak off. "How did you know I was here?" he demanded.
Calabrone laughed heartily. "The look of indignant anger on your face is priceless, Mister Potter. However, it is misplaced. You, after all, are the one sneaking around after curfew, in to the teachers' lounge, no less, and with an invisibility cloak, which I do believe is registered by Mr. Filch as being a Dangerous and Untrustworthy item.
Harry looked at his professor to determine whether she was serious or not. Deciding she was only joking, he took a step forward. "Well, can I ask you a question?" he asked.
"Ah getting right to the heart of it, are you? I understand completely. Here, have a seat." she gestured, using her wand to direct a plushy armchair next to the table. She motioned for Harry to sit, which he did, and immediately, a house elf appeared at his left elbow.
"Is there anything Professor is needing?" it squeaked. Calabrone shook her head.
"No, I summoned you for Mister Potter's convenience. Harry?" she asked, looking at him over the rim of her mug.
Harry thought about it and decided some hot cocoa might be nice. Asking the house elf for it, she curtsied low and disappeared quickly. Moments later, she reappeared with a plate of chocolate and lemon biscuits and a mug of steaming hot cocoa. She gave another curtsy and left them alone.
"Drink up, Harry." Calabrone said, pulling a lemon biscuit from the plate. She shut the books in front of her and turned to face Harry. He did so and placed the mug back on the table in front of him.
"Now, what could have pulled you from your bed this evening?" she asked, capping her quill.
Harry had dozens of questions running through his head that he wanted to put to her, but he stuck with the thought that had originally pulled him out of bed. "Why did you bring a book here from headquarters?
She looked at him quizzically. "I don't know what you're talking about, Harry."
"I think you do, Professor." he replied evenly. She raised her eyebrows. Harry continued. "It's a thin red book, with fancy gold script on the cover. It has all sorts of strange symbols on the inside.
When she answered him this time, her voice was cold. "I apologize, Mister Potter, if you have been lead to believe I know what and where this book of yours is, but I honestly have no clue.
Harry bit his lip and looked at her a moment longer. Deciding it would do no good to have a row about it, he sighed and asked his next question, "Where did you and Remus go during the summer?
She laughed. "Mister Potter, that is Order business. Unless I receive orders from Albus informing me otherwise, you are not privy to that information. Next question.
Harry, becoming more irritated by the second at her evasiveness, touched on the next topic to cross his mind. "Why does Snape blame himself for Sirius' death?
"Mister Potter, you and I have already discussed this. But that does touch upon a subject I am curious about. Why do you blame yourself for Cedric Diggory's death?
Harry intook a sharp breath. "I don't." he said too quickly.
"Mister Potter, I remember your face the first time I brought up this subject. You were not truthful then and you are not truthful now." she reprimanded.
"What right have you to know, anyhow?" Harry suddenly erupted at her. "You come barging in here and everyone's just supposed to accept that, and all the orders you give just because you're great buddies with Dumbledore and you went to school with Remus and Snape. That's not right, Professor." he took a breath. "And even if I did feel guilty for Cedric's death, what are you going to do to change that?
Calabrone had sat still during his tantrum, and as the mood in the room calmed, Harry began to feel a little foolish. His eyes swept the room quickly. Harry was horrified to see a stunned-looking Snape standing in the doorway, hand still on the door.
Calabrone turned around to see what Harry was gawking at. Snape opened the door further. "I heard raised voices." he said, showing his right hand clutching his wand, ready to attack.
"I am sure you did, Severus." Calabrone said. "Mister Potter and I were having a discussion that got a little out of hand, I'm afraid."
Snape's eyes narrowed. Harry dropped his gaze, feeling very foolish at his outburst. Calabrone patted his hand and said quietly, so Snape couldn't hear, "No worries, Mister Potter. I am not trying to change anything. I only wanted you to know that I can understand what you are feeling.
Harry looked up at her, but she simply smiled and motioned for him to follow her. "I'll be escorting Mister Potter back to his common room. Excuse me, Severus." she swept by him, pulling Harry with her. Once out in the hallway, Harry realized he'd left both the map and the cloak in the teachers' lounge. Calabrone seemed to reading his mind, because she pulled both out underneath her robes.
"Dead useful for hiding bulky items, don't you agree, Harry?" she said, her eyes twinkling. "The one good thing about British wizards still dressing in the old way.
Harry looked at her, "They don't dress like this in the States?" he asked.
"Oh yes, certainly, some due. But the vast majority dress as muggles. In the States every witch or wizard is able to be identified as a regular member of society. Unlike Europe, magical folk in the Americas are given or create a profile for themselves for the muggles to know. Americans are a suspicious lot, who love a good conspiracy and go digging through things they ought not." Calabrone explained, "As a result, when you reach 18, legal age in the States, you are presented with a file containing pertinent information to maintain a muggle-style existence. I, for instance, worked for a private firm developing potions as well as dabbling in international relations. As far as the muggle government is concerned, I am a chemist and translator. That is what is listed on my form. Once a week, I receive a rabbit detailing any news about my given fields of study so that, if one of my muggle neighbors questioned me, I would be able to give an intelligent sounding reply. It doesn't always work perfectly." she admitted. "but we do try.
Harry looked amazed at her. He'd never thought of the logistical problems of hiding an entire population that wasn't supposed to exist. "When was the last time you regularly wore robes?" he asked.
"My last year at Hogwarts." she replied. "I moved to the States not long after.
"And did you say rabbits?" he asked.
She smiled. "Yes. When the first wizards and witches settled in the new world, they decided they had to be as different from those in Europe as possible and so chose rabbits to carry messages. Well, here we are." she said, stopping in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. "Have a good night, then, Harry.
Harry bid her goodnight and crawled up the steps to the dormitory. When he checked his watch it read two thirty. What had Calabrone and Snape been doing up anyhow? Harry wondered. Ah well. He wouldn't worry about it right now. Now he had better things to do, like sleep. Turning over onto his side, he feel asleep immediately.
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The next morning Harry awoke only when Ron grabbed his arm and pulled him bodily from bed. "Come on, Harry. We've already missed breakfast. Do you want to be late to miss Transfiguration? Honestly. Come on. McGonagall will skin us alive if we're late the first day of her class.
Harry slipped into fresh clothes and grabbed his glasses from the night stand on his way out the door. The common room was deserted. As they approached the Transfiguration classroom, Harry could hear voices of students waiting outside. Everyone was still there-the doors were not yet opened. Heaving a sigh a relief, Ron slumped against the way.
"Good thing Calabrone told me to come get you, Harry, or you would've missed it." he said. Harry looked at him.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
Ron picked up a book and started thumbing through it, "Calabrone called Hermione and me up to the staff table this morning to talk about organizing the dueling club. She noticed you weren't with us yet. She said you'd had a late night and I'd better go check on you. Glad I did, too.
Hermione fought her way through the crowd to join them. Harry saw her reach immediately for Ron's hand and give it a little squeeze before letting go. Harry smiled as the gesture.
"Harry, I'm so glad you made it. Why didn't you get up this morning?" she asked.
"Snape keep you late? I heard somebody cursed Malfoy in the halls last night. Crabbe and Goyle couldn't remember the counter curse, so he tap-danced across the Great Hall, bumping in to the Headmaster and some of the school governors." Ron smiled at the thought.
Harry smiled at the thought as well, but didn't get a chance to to tell them about his talk with Calabrone before McGonagall opened the door and ushered them all in. Once inside, she immediately had them turn to page twelve of their books.
"As you have all now, for the most part, successfully completed your O.W.L. exams, it is time to move on to more advanced Transfiguration. The first type we will be attempting is simple limb transformation. I am sure most of this class will remember the partial transformation Viktor Krum demonstrated during the Triwizard tournament. We will begin with something a little more refined." McGonagall lectured.
At the mention of Krum , both Ron and Hermione turned red. Harry smiled again. Quickly McGonagall went over the steps, along with a new style of wand movement. For the first quarter of an hour they practiced without their wands. Then, with McGonagall repeating words of caution constantly, she let them try the transfiguration on themselves.
Hermione got hers on the first try. Looking down at her left foot, she said clearly, "mano cane". Immediately, her foot, shoe and all, transformed into a paw.
"Wicked." Ron said, admiring her handiwork. Hermione blushed prettily and set herself right. She then motioned to Ron, who tried the same thing. The first try nothing happened. The second time, however, the tip of his foot grew some claws. Harry lifted his shoulders, when Ron looked to him for an opinion.
When it was his turn, Harry cleared his throat and said the spell clearly. He saw some change in his left foot. Hermione muttered the counter-spell so he could try again. His second attempt was almost complete, but still feel a little short.
While McGonagall went around the room, correcting students as she went, Ron and Harry let Hermione practice on all four limbs, even switching her wand hand to practice.
"What do you reckon we could learn how to become animagi with this?" Ron asked Harry. Harry had been thinking along the same lines. Immediately, thoughts of running the grounds like his father, Remus and Sirius had done came to mind. He caught himself smiling.
"We'll need Hermione's help," Harry said seriously.
"No." Hermione said, not looking up.
"Hermione, you don't even know what we're going to ask for help on. It could be schoolwork." Ron said.
"Ronald, I sincerely doubt that." She turned to face them both. "You want to become animagi. Need I remind you that everyone is keeping an eye on you, Harry? It would not only be very difficult, but also extremely stupid, to attempt to become an illegal animagus while Voldemort is still out there.
Harry squared himself off to her. "Come on, Hermione. I know perfectly well that people are looking out for me. I'm not going to do anything stupid."
"No, you're not." she replied shrilly. "Because neither of you could do it without me and I refuse to help.
Harry and Ron spent the rest of the class pouting, though neither of them would admit it. By the end of class they had both managed to get their foot to grow claws, but not fur. Hermione flounced out of the room without a second glance at either of them.
"Sorry if I messed things up with you and Hermione." Harry apologized as they made their way down to the Great Hall for lunch.
"Ah, she's fine." Ron said. "Besides, you don't honestly think this is the first fight we've had? Go on, Harry. We've been friends for six years. How often have Hermione and I fought? Almost constantly. She'll come around. Just give her time. " he said wisely.
But by dinner that evening, she had still not said a word to either of them. Ron was still playing it off, but Harry felt bad. As they passed the Slytherin table, Harry saw Malfoy glare at him.
"I know it was you, Potter." he said quietly. Harry smiled and kept walking. There was no way Malfoy could prove anything.
Dinner was quiet, as Hermione sat at the far end of the table with Ginny and Dean. After enduring several minutes of Ron glowering at them Harry was tired of the whole thing.
"Ron, give it a rest, will you? Ginny's happy being with Dean right now. Okay?" He said exasperatedly.
Ron blinked and looked at him. "I know that. I don't really mind Dean seeing her, it's more what Dean said about Sir...uh, something.
Harry looked at Ron. "What do you mean? What did he say, Ron?
"Nothing. Trust me. Hey, hand me the pitcher, would you. There's a good lad." Ron said, pouring himself a refill of pumpkin juice. Harry knew Ron was keeping something from him, but he couldn't tell what. He figured he'd be able to finagle it out of him sooner rather than later, so turned his attention back t the plate of ribs and potatoes in front of him.
Later, stuffed and quite sleepy, Harry dragged himself off to the dungeons. He and Ron had spent the time between dinner and eight planning on when, where and how to start becoming animagi. They hadn't gotten very far before Hermione came down to apologize to Ron. It hadn't gone well. Hearing they were still considering it, she scolded them again before storming off.
As he approached Snape's door, he felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle. Turning instinctually to his left, he shot a shield. A red flash bounced off and ricocheted off the walls. Snape's door flew open, his beady eyes surveying the entire hallway. Walking past Harry, Snape reached a hand out into the shadows and pulled Malfoy into plain view.
Harry watched, wide eyed, wondering whether Snape was going to punish Malfoy. Malfoy seemed to be thinking the same thing, because he immediately started spouting excuses.
"Silence!" Snape hissed. "Do I not lecture at the beginning of every year that we have enough going against us without picking fights, Mister Malfoy. Get back to the common room and stay there for the remainder of the evening. Go!" he barked.
Malfoy scooted down the hall. Snape whirled to face Harry. "Very good reflexes, Potter. Let's put them to more tests, shall we?
Harry followed Snape into the room, curious as to what was going to happen.
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A/N: Oh holy cow...all these chapters. My muse was itching to burst out. This is all due to my wonderful husband who attempted to get our air conditioning running Monday night (it was 89 degrees in our house) and while he struggled with that, I type this little beauty up)
Mano Cane is bad Spanish for dog paw. I don't feel thorough enough right now to correct it with the proper vocab. Somehow, I think you'll all live.