CHAPTER 2:
"First class is Potions," Severus told Rath. It was now time for classes to start; the Slytherins has passed the time by thinking up brilliant pranks to inflict upon the Gryffindors. Only Severus and Rath were taking potions, the two Malfoy's complete idiots when it came to the subject. They had decided to take Arithmancy, which Harry had never taken and Severus had absolutely hated. "Aren't you lucky? Professor Raseleane is a real bitch. Absolute witch."
"No, really?" Rath said sarcastically. "I thought a muggle was going to be teaching potions."
"You know what I mean," Severus said, rolling his eyes. "Now come on. She's bitter against the world and will take off a million points if we're even a second late."
"So that explains why you're walking so slow," Rath said grinning.
"Yep!" Severus said cheerfully. "You need to make a good impression the first day. I on the other hand am known for being the thorn in Raseleane's side, the pain in her ass, bur in her saddle, nail in her foot, eyelash in her eye…"
"Now you're just making up the phrases," Rath said, snorting. "And doing a spectacularly bad job of it." Severus shrugged.
"Not a problem," he said cheerfully. "Now that you're here you can come up with my brilliant remarks and I'll just copyright them!"
"Thanks," Rath said dryly. But their conversation ended there for a moment as they entered the dungeons. Raseleane stood at the front of the class. She had long, wavy black hair, sharp, alert green eyes and pale skin. Severus and Rath took seats near a cauldron in the back.
"But only this once," Severus told Rath in a fierce whisper. "It's so much harder to get her ticked off from back here." Rath rolled his eyes but silently agreed. It would be funny to watch Severus and the teacher going at it with each other. He looked over to see if he could recognize anyone in the class, but he wasted his time.
"That's Lupin," Severus whispered. "One of the miserable Gryffindors in the class." Sev sniggered. "How sad." Remus was sitting right up front. "There's Frank Longbottom and Alice Fletcher, two other Gryffindors. Over there's Macnair and Avery, it's an on going bet in the dorm to see how much longer it is until they get together. From Ravenclaw you've got Ian Boot and Tracy Macnam, they've been going out since fourth year, and David Chang and Brianna Miller, couple as of beginning of last year, and Richard Goldstein and Hidy West who just got together at the end of last year. Next row up there's Cornelius Fudge, resident Hufflepuff with his two-year girlfriend Betty Springer. Hmm, that's odd."
"What?" Rath asked.
"There's someone missing, Lupin's working by himself currently," Severus replied. At that moment the door opened again and in stormed a red-haired girl who walked over and plopped down next to Remus, giving him a quick hello kiss.
"That's Lily Evans, she's muggle born and been dating Lupin since third year, longest standing couple so far," Severus informed a gaping Rath. At that moment the newest Slytherin felt his heart give out on him completely. Oh good God! That meant, no freakin' way!
"Oh shit," Rath whispered.
"What?" Severus asked, concerned at his friend's antics.
"Um, what do you know about werewolves?" Rath asked, trying to remain calm.
"Enough," Severus said bitterly. Belatedly Rath remembered the prank Sirius had pulled on Severus last year.
"Sorry, but I gotta ask," Rath said hurriedly. "Do werewolves' children inherit their, erm, condition?"
"Hey," Remus said, kissing Lily.
"Hey yourself," she said back, smiling. "Who's that kid back there, he seems a bit freaked out?" Remus turned back and saw Rath staring at them, extraordinarily pale. Severus seemed to be saying something to him.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Rath suddenly shrieked. Now everybody was looking at him.
"Mr.?" Raseleane asked.
"Granger," he mumbled.
"Mr. Granger, what seems to be the problem?"
"N-nothing," he stammered, blushing.
"Then may I start class?" Raseleane asked sweetly.
"Do you really need my permission?" Rath shot back, the blush fading. Raseleane glared at him.
"Five points from-"
"I'm in Gryffindor," Rath said without blinking.
"Then five points from Gryffindor," Raseleane said. "Now everyone open your books to page twenty and get started on the Shrinking Solution. Now!" she barked out the last order.
"But!" came a strangled cry from Remus.
"Unless you'd like to make the total ten points, I suggest you get started on your potion Mr. Lupin," Raseleane said coldly.
"But he's-"
"Stop," Lily hissed. "It's not worth it." Remus glared at Rath then started on the potion. Severus looked at Rath admiringly.
"You're a god," he said, amazed.
"I know," Rath said, smiling as though at a lowly subject of his kingdom. "Now let's get started."
"Why did you freak out?" Severus asked his partner.
"Because, remember what I said about having to find out who my father was?" Rath asked very, very quietly. Severus nodded
"Well-"
"No," Severus said, stunned.
"I think so. I can understand if you don't want to be my friend anymore," Rath said softly.
"Don't worry, it doesn't come into affect until your seventeen and besides, I'm already friends with a vampire and dating a half-veela, so what should you being a half werewolf matter?" Severus asked, putting a comforting hand on Rath's shoulder.
"Lucius is a veela?" Rath said, amazed.
"Half," Severus corrected. "But yeah. Anyway, let's start working."
"Good idea," Rath said, Raseleane was looking at them in a nasty sort of way.
"He just freaked out?" Prongs said, semi-curious. Maybe the new guy was a complete nut.
"Yeah," Moony said, nodding. "But then he got five points taken off from Gryffindor! It was so frickin' stupid. You would think head of Slytherin would know who was in her house a bit better."
"Well, he did just get here like last night," Wormtail pointed out.
"Still," Moony tried to argue. "He didn't seem so bad this morning, a bit like Sirius really. But in class he was a complete asshole!"
"I can't wait," Padfoot said dreamily. "It will be so wicked awesome!"
"Wait for what exactly?" Prongs questioned.
"He's gonna get caught," Padfoot said sensibly. "I just hope I'm there when he is." The other three snickered, all hoping the same thing.
"New subject," Padfoot announced a moment later. "Let's talk about Moony's love-life. How are things with Lily?" Moony scowled at him but before he could say anything the teacher came in.
"Welcome to DADA, I expect most of your have gotten a pretty good education in this area from your previous teachers while some of you…haven't," said Professor Thatz (who refused to be called by his last name, saying it made him feel old: Remember, he's really Sirius from Harry/Rath's time!) looking at Rath who grinned in reply.
"Anyway, what you'll be doing this year is learning how to duel," Thatz continued. "And how to cope in dangerous situations you may or may not find yourself in later in life." No one but Rath could see the haunted look come into Thatz's eyes as he remembered everything that he had had the misfortune of living through.
"Today, I'm afraid, will be very dull. I need all of you to write out all the jinxes, curses and counter-curses you know, legal or not," he added. "So I can get an idea of what level you're all at and see where I need to start teaching. Everyone take out a piece of parchment and began, you have until the end of the class." Thatz sat down behind his desk and took out his lesson planner for the rest of the year, or at least that's what it looked like. Hidden in it was a copy of Gravitation (it's a manga book, a Japanese comic, though his edition of it has been translated into English.) that he quickly began reading while the students scribbled away.
An hour later class ended and the students got up and handed in their parchment. The Slytherins (well, Severus, Lucius, Leon and Harry) snickered softly as they saw Thatz hurriedly stash Gravitation in his desk as they walked over and handed in their papers.
"Good book?" Rath said quietly, smirking.
"Yeah," Thatz answered very, very quietly. "Ever read it?"
"Nah," Rath said, shaking his head. "I'm more of a Dragon Knights fan myself."
"What about you three?" Thatz asked Severus and the two Malfoys.
"I've read it," Severus said. "Those two refuse to touch it. But we're all with Rath, Dragon Knights is better."
"Get out!" Thatz said a bit over-dramatically. "You ones with no taste! Never darken my doorway again, er, well at least until the next class. See ya at lunch." Rath and the others left and walked to the great hall.
"Seems like a nice bloke," Lucius commented.
"A bit off his rocker," Severus continued.
"Horrid taste in reading," Lykouleon said.
"But all right," the three finished together. Rath laughed at their weird way of finishing each other's sentences.
"You know sometimes I wonder if you all have different brains or really just function off the same one," Rath told them. "Cause you make it so hard to tell."
"We've wondered the same thing," Severus said sadly.
"Unfortunately we can't find out," Lucius said sorrowfully.
"Cause we've realized that if we go to St. Mungo's and ask they'll lock us all up," Leon finished, wiping away an imaginary tear. Rath snorted and they entered the great hall and found seats next to a couple of girls and Nott.
"Rath," Severus said by way of introduction. "This here is one of us magnificent sixth years, Cesia Lestrange and next to her is her fifth year sister Einah Lestrange. On the other side of us is Nott, Cesia's loyal boyfriend. Poor sap."
"So, do any guys in Slytherin have first names or is it just you three?" Rath asked dryly.
"Good point, only thing is I seem to have forgotten their names. Oi, Nott!" Severus said. "What's your name?"
"Tetheus, but if any of you call me it you will be far too dead to say it again," Nott said cheerfully. "Now do I get to sit next to my girlfriend?"
"No," Severus said.
"All right then," Nott said, still cheerful. "Then I guess you'll have to pass our kisses along, Severus."
"On second thought, here, I perfectly fine with moving over," Severus said quickly and pushed Rath over while Nott got up and took his place. (Okay, here's the seating order, on this side of the table: Einah, Cesia, Nott, Severus, Rath and on the other side: Macnair, Avery, Lucius, and Lykouleon).
"So, who's the newest son of a bitch?" Einah asked bitingly as the food appeared. "Which one of you shall he being screwing around with so I can laugh now and make fun of later?"
"Well, we were thinking of putting him with you," Severus said. "But since you apparently think he's too good for you, how do you feel about dating him, Leon?"
"I'm game," Leon said, digging in, not really hearing Severus. Rath choked on his pumpkin juice.
"Your so gay it's scary," Einah told Severus.
"Thank you," he replied, piling food onto his plate in a startling resemblance of Ron who wouldn't be born for at least a good two years. Seeing Rath's stricken expression. "Don't worry, you don't really need to date him. Einah just needs a good lie now and again."
"Why, she seems so polite," Rath said sarcastically.
"Bastard," Einah said not even looking up from her plate.
Bows her head humbly Oh hail the wonderful reviewers, rulers of this land made of pathetic authors like myself and their bad attempts at literary works. So what do you think of Einah? Nice girl, huh? Well, you'll be seeing more of her as she tries to make- oh no, not saying- her own and gets a nasty shock. Evil laughter Anyhow, PLEASE REVIEW!
And yes, my story is a bit strange, isn't it? That's what I'm going for! All hail odd and weird!