A/N: Thanks, Diablo!

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. Not the important stuff, anyway

Unseen Progressions

Dear Diary,

Well. Today was interesting. Great, though- I love it here. Paintings talk, owls aren't just pets, and floor plan is always changing. I love Charms, Herbology, and - but this last is a secret- potions.

Professor Snape is a complete git, though- thinks we're incompetent. I'm a lot more competent than some of his precious Slytherins, any day (namely, one Louise Allan-grrr!) Not that I would tell him that- scariest teacher in the school, hands down- he seems to especially hate Lupin, the Defence teacher. I think he's just jealous because people actually like Lupin- but I digress. (That's not something a Slytherin would say, now! Well, maybe some of them- definitely not all!) The thing I hate most is that he acts as if he knows something I don't, like the first day in his class he did the register, looked at me, raised his eyebrow, and said "Hmm…"

O.K., I'm not telling you this right, am I? (Back to today, I think.)

Well, today, Persia, O'Reilly and myself received detention- and before you say anything, diary, it was not my fault! Persia and I were working innocently together at our bench, he was in front of us with his mate. He heard Snape get on at Persia for having the heat at the wrong temp. ("It'll ruin the whole texture of the potion, you silly girl!") And decided to have a go-"It's all right, Millie," he said "I know you were depending on that potion to cure you from your horrendous scars and boils. You can use mine, so don't cry now, will you?"

"Bite me." snapped Persia.

He didn't have a comeback, and went back to whispering with his little friend. Tee hee!

All was going fine until Persia and I went to the sink to wash our hands. There we were, innocently washing, when all of a sudden there was an almighty "BOOM" from the direction of our cauldron. Our cauldron!

"O'REILLY!" bellowed Snape. "HOW DARE YOU drop a firework into that cauldron! Detention, boy, and 10 points from Slytherin!"

Persia choked wildly and had to stay at the sink to control her laughter. I stayed with her, as the surrounding vicinity was covered in our bogus boil cure potion. Oops.

Students were screeching and running around, until Snape yelled for silence. As he administered the antidote to the poor boil covered people, he ranted at our general crapness as human beings, and about scrapping this lesson from the curriculum ("Every year!" he kept saying.) He looked really rattled, a sure sign things were about to get worse. Sure enough, he rounded on us. "Why" he uttered in a voice of forced calm "did you provoke him? Could your tiny, stupid little brains not cope with the fact he would try to retaliate! Tell me how this came about- NOW!"

I was petrified. It was a good thing that Persia still had the ability to talk. "Sir," she began "O'Reilly was planning this all a long, - he hates me. I don't think he would have done it, though, if you hadn't got on at me about-"

"So it's my fault is it? Detention, Miss Macmillan. And if I here another word out of any of you…" Snape glared around the class and let the statement trail off threateningly.

I thought this was extremely unfair. My inner sense of justice had been ignited, and I couldn't leave it. "But, Sir…" I began.

"What did I just say, Miss Carmichael?"

"I…"

"Congratulations Miss Carmichael, you have just succeeded in joining your friends in detention. No get out of my classroom before you make things worse for yourself," snapped Snape.

I hate him. HATE HIM. Insufferable git.

Well, diary, I need to leave you. Persia has just called me, so I need to go and prise frog brains from the dungeon ceiling. Joy.

Signed, Danielle C.

The silence in the dungeon was stony. Dani ventured a question. "So. When did this vendetta between you two begin, then?"

Her friend shrugged noncommittally. Ciaran's eyes flicked toward Persia. "There was an Incident." He said shortly, and went back to scrubbing slime from the wall. She reflected that a lot of the things between the two of them were capitalised.

Silence fell again. Dani couldn't bear to meet anyone's eyes, and was mentally writhing in awkwardness when Snape's voice was heard out along the corridor. "They're along here Professor Dumbledore. I am sure they will be thrilled to make your acquaintance." It was a soft but malicious tone he used, making the hairs on her arms prickle.

Their Headmaster dismissed Snape and entered the dungeon alone.

Danielle's first impression was a projection of great energy from the man. He was very tall and very thin. His robes were midnight blue with silver clouds embroidered on them, and when he spoke, Danielle felt instinctively he approved of them; indeed this assessment was backed up when he said candidly: "You seem to have given Professor Snape quite a turn!" The three inmates shared a sheepish smile. It was going to be all right. "It was lucky I was passing through," he serenely said, eyes twinkling behind his glasses "as I am at liberty to now release you from your detention. Three hours of an evening is quite enough time to spend in this sort of task-but I regret to inform you" O'Reilly let out a ragged cheer. Dani's spirits soared "Cool!" She exclaimed happily.

"Quite so, Miss Carmichael," agreed Dumbledore amiably. Dani wondered fleetingly how he knew her name before Persia linked her arm through hers and dragged her off, leaving O'Reilly behind in their wake.

Severus was right, mused Dumbledore. There is something there…but what is it?

Dumbledore sat in his office later that evening musing over a puzzle. It had been running through his mind all evening, and he felt the answer was in front of his face, tantalisingly near but still out of his reach.

As his clock chimed eleven, an idea suddenly struck him. He grabbed his Floo Powder and prepared to fire call. He had a hunch, and he knew the perfect person to bounce his ideas off…

A/N: I am evil, I am.

There is an idea for the "Incident" in my mind. It doesn't really figure in the plot but if anyone is interested I could post it as a one shot.

Review and tell me your thoughts! Anything is welcome!