Disclaimer

see chapter 1

Annie

Chapter 8

Minerva noticed that her first year Gryffindors looked a tad downcast as they entered her classroom. She also noticed that the Slytherins looked pretty happy with themselves, and they kept shooting smug looks at her lions.

"Must have been potions," she thought, as they all took their seats, "Severus is going to have a lot to answer to when I get my hands on him."

"Today you will be having a go at turning matches into needles," Minerva explained, as she handed a box of matches to Annie for her to hand out. Annie walked up and down the rows, giving each of the Slytherins a frown as she passed them. They had only been here one day and she hated them already. It turned out that Professor Snape was Head of Slytherin House, and he had great pleasure in belittling Gryffindor House. Whilst Professor McGonagall was strict, at least she treated each house the same, and already Annie looked up to her with great respect.

"I'm never going to get this," Annie grumbled, as for the umpteenth time she tried to turn her match into a needle. None of them seemed to be having any luck.

"I don't think any of us will," said Duncan Colby, one of the Gryffindor boys sitting behind her. Annie sat down in her chair with a huff, and rested her chin in her hands.

"Maybe there's something wrong with our wands?" said Felicity, also known as 'Flic'.

"Maybe there's something wrong with you?" one Slytherin girl sneered. The Gryffindors slyly poked their tongues out at her, while Professor McGonagall wasn't looking. Annie turned back to the others.

"That man in the wand shop told me that my wand was perfect for Transfiguration, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything."

"Transfiguration is a hard subject Miss Clareight," Minerva said, making Annie, Isabelle (who was sitting next to her), Flic and Duncan (who were sitting behind) jump. "Practice makes perfect, so for your homework, I want all of you to practice turning matches into needles. I don't expect many of you to be able to do it, but all of you need practice." Minerva directed the majority of this sentence to the whole class.

"What's next?" Isabelle asked Annie.

"Break," Annie replied, consulting their timetable as they made their way to the classroom door, "and then it's History of Magic, I think."

"My brother says History of Magic is dead boring, and that Professor Binns is dead, and boring too," said Sophie, frowning at the timetable.

"Does he go here too?" asked Annie.

"Who?"

"Your brother."

"Yeah, he's in Ravenclaw though, and he's a seventh year, so he'll be gone next year."

"How come you're in Gryffindor then?"

"My family's always been like that. Either your in one or the other. Besides, he is cleverer than me. He managed to turn his match in a needle by the third lesson. And I mean a proper needle, not just a shiny and pointy match. They say that's some kind of a record."

"My little sister's only five, so we don't know whether she'll be a witch too," said Isabelle, as the three sat down on a stone bench in the sun. "What about you Annie? Were your parents magical?"

"I told you earlier, I don't know. I wish I did though."

"What were your parents like?"

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?"

"I can't remember. All I remember from when I was little was going to the orphanage when I was six, and some woman telling me who I was and that my parents were dead. Oh, and that I was an orphan."

"Why did she have to tell you who you were?"

"Don't know. It was too long ago."

"But don't you think it's strange you can't remember anything before you were six? I mean, it's like you had some kind of amnesia, but you can remember what happened afterwards."

"Perhaps someone placed a memory charm on you," said Sophie, "but it would have to be a very strong one, it wouldn't have been an accident. I've heard you can break them; I bet any of the teachers here could do it, but I think it hurts...a lot."

"How do you mean?" asked Annie.

"They have to put a spell on you, I think, and then they try to break through the barrier, but you kind of have a fit all the way through."

All three girls pulled faces at this.

"Well, thank you for that lovely image Soph," said Isabelle. "Come on, we have ten minutes of break left and I want to get my books for our next classes..."

"Severus Snape! Could you please refrain from doing whatever it is you do to my Gryffindors! I've had enough."

"Professor, I haven't a clue about what you mean."

"You know full well what I mean." Minerva practically threw herself into her chair near the fireplace, which happened to be the furthest away from Severus'. "It's the same every time they have potions before my class. They come in looking like the world is about to end and your Slytherins look like Christmas has come early for them."

"I was just bringing some of them down a peg or two."

"A peg or two, yes, but not down the whole bloody ladder!"

At this the rest of the staff stopped talking and stared at Minerva. She rarely ever swore, and when she did it was because she was very, very angry. Snape however, took no notice.

"I treat them no differently than I do the rest of the houses. It's just they can't take criticism well."

"And that's no excuse to belittle them so much they can't concentrate on their next lessons, especially when those damn students of yours take your lead and bully them even further!" At this Minerva flung open the staff room door, stepped out, and slammed it behind her, leaving the rest of the staff a little shaken. Severus sat there as calm as ever.

"She really must learn to control her temper. That's no example to set to the students," and with that, Severus left the staff room, leaving his colleagues astonished.

"Calm down Minerva, it's only the first day of term. There's still God knows how many weeks to go..." Having made it safely back to her office, Minerva was now sat at her desk with her head in her hands. Ever since Snape had become Head of Slytherin house, he had done the same thing each year; bully and punish the Gryffindors unnecessarily until they became all nervous and twitchy around any teacher. It was all Minerva could do to stop herself from cursing him into next week, and instead she had to think of ways to build her lion's confidence up without appearing as though she was favouring them. But today she had had enough. A gentle knock at the door brought her back to her senses, and she realised that break had ended.

"It's a good job I have a free period now," she thought, before calling, "Come in."

Albus poked his head around the door.

"Is it safe to come in? There's a rumour going around that you left the staff room in rather a fluster. You're not going to bite my head off are you?"

Minerva fixed him with such a glare that he flinched.

"No, I won't," she said, now with a smile. "I can assure you that I have now calmed down, so long as I don't have to see him again anytime in the near future." It didn't take a genius to work out who Minerva was referring too.

"Well that is going to make Head of House meetings very difficult."

"The near future as in before lunch, Albus."

"What I'm curious to know," said Albus, as he sat in the chair facing Minerva, "is what you were arguing about in the first place?"

"We were not arguing."

"Really?"

"Yes. I was arguing and he was just sitting there. Like nothing had happened. And he knows damn well that what he's doing is wrong!" Minerva buried her face in her hands again.

"You know I could help a lot more if you told me what is going on," Albus said quietly, afraid that any wrong words would set his deputy's venom flying. Minerva looked up again and sighed.

"I'm sorry Albus. It's just he's driving me mad. Every year I have to put up with him terrifying my lions, and every year I don't find out until the summer, by which time the damage has already been done."

"Yes, but they all turn out right in the end."

"Having become immune to his...his, there are no words for what he does."

Albus felt something click in his mind.

"This is about Anni, isn't it?"

Minerva frowned. "What makes you think that?"

"Because the last time you acted like this was over five years ago, when you swore that you were fine, but we all knew that wasn't the case. You were as prickly as a bush."

"Well, that's one way you could put it. I guess, it is a bit about Anni. But only a little bit. I'm still not happy with how Severus treats my pupils."

"Yes I think the all the staff are aware of that..."

AN: wow, thats a pretty long chapter, even for me...