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Chapter Five
A Wishful Student
Sarah spent the remainder of the day in her rooms reading. By the time dinner rolled around she was starving having not even lefts her rooms for lunch.
Before heading down to dinner she garbed her brown leather bag that had all her mage supplies stashed inside. As she opened the door she almost ran into the Headmaster. "Grandfather, what are you doing standing outside my door?" She gave him a skeptical look. She new he was up to something she just couldn't figure out what.
"Actually my dear I wasn't standing out side you door I was merrily come to bring you down to dinner, you just opened the door before I could knock." He looked her up and down, for what reasons he did so Sarah had no idea.
She looked back at him with a questioning expression that was somewhere between a glare and a stare. "What do you want?"
Dumbledore just smiled and said, "My dear what ever gave you the idea I wanted something from you?"
"My eighty year old grandfather just offered to walk me down to dinner in his own what you might call house. Also I left you and Professor Snape alone in the same room. No doubt their is something you want to talk to be about or have him talk to me about."
"My, my, you are so very receptive, and actually their is something. Both Severus and I feel that you should be included in the decisions made about his teaching."
Sarah gave him a skeptical look, "Both you AND Severus?"
He nodded. "After some convincing he did. So will you accompany me to dinner and then bake to my office after?"
"Of course."
When they entered the Great Hall through the Staff door in back of the head table Sarah noticed that everyone else was already here. As soon as the Headmaster sat down, the food appeared. She took the seat on his left and Severus was already sitting two places over. This meant that the only boundary between them was Professor Moody, who was pocking and stabbing a piece of ham a is expecting it to blow up. Somehow Sarah didn't find this the most reassuring and her power forcefully sent out a weapon scan of the room. Both Moody and Snape still had their hilt knives tucked into their socks. This too did little to calm her nerves. She had no desire to sit and listen to Snape yell at her again especially with her grandfather watching.
She took a few deep breaths trying to calm herself the last thing she wanted was for her power to slip again. Then she took some ham, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin juice for herself.
When she was finish she looked to Dumbledore. He seemed to be in deep conversation with Professor Mcgonagal. So instead of interrupting she just walked out hoping he would soon fallow.
She made her way down to the office, upon reaching the gargoyle she relayed the password, "Frizzing-Wisbees". The stairs began to rotate as she stepped onto them. Once she reached the top her opened the door to the Headmasters office and to her great surprise she found her grandfather sitting a his desk. He was offering Snape- who was standing beside the desk -a lemon drop. Snape declined as Sarah entered the room.
"Ah, good evening my dear, so glade you could join us." said her grandfather.
Snape gave her an evil glare, "About time."
Both Dumbledore and Sarahantifany ignored the comment. Sarah was to interested to find out how they had gotten here so fast, because she had left the hall before them both. She made a mental note to find out some of the secret passage ways around Hogwarts for future reference.
Sarah took a seat in front of the desk and declined the box of lemon drops Dumbledore offered her. Then she looked up at Severus expectantly. He gave a rather rude grunt than took the seat next to hers.
Dumbledore was smiling at them both. "Well, now that Sarah is hear, can I begin?" Both parties nodded so Dumbledore pressed on. "Sarah, both Severus and I fell it is only right that any lessons that he is given should be done in private. Mainly because if we wish to keep news of Severus' powers from Voldimort we must also keep it from the students as well."
"Agreed, Headmaster." Replied Sarah.
"Good, very good. Now the times these lessons be held in the only problem left unsolved. Sarah how much time do you require with Severus a week do you suppose?"
Sarah gave Severus a look of utter dislike then turned bake to Dumbledore. "I suppose that I shall need a set hour of the day in which I can teach him to meditate. This must not run into any of his class time for if he is to learn control he must meditate the same time every day. As for actual lessons I suppose about ten hours a week since he is so much older and set in his ways, I imagine he will be rather hard to train."
Snape gave Sarah an evil glare. "And what if I cannot spare that much time." He asked.
"Then you run the risk of having another more severe accident than before."
Snape frowned, he definitely didn't want another mishap, but he didn't think that he could trust his anger being alone with her for five minutes let alone roughly seventeen hours a week. "What times?" He asked. The question was directed towards Sarahantifany, however it was Dumbledore that answered.
"I believe that should be left up to you Severus for you are the one in need of training. What do you suggest?"
Snape grimaced, he made it sound as if Snape were some sort of misbehaving school boy. "I can only do meditation in the early mornings or late evenings if it has to be the same time every day. After all some of us have more teaching to do than 'others'."
"I can't do it in the mornings that when I have the students." Sarah replied. "After all I do teach unlike some who feel that writing detentions and yelling at students for making mistakes less that the ones they make themselves is the way of the world."
Dumbledore took a hard look at them both. "How about in the evenings from six to seven right after dinner?" When Sarah nodded and Severus said nothing Dumbledore continued, "As for classes the hour after that each night as well as one through four on Sundays seems good. That way Severus will be out of class and you teach the students on Saturday."
Sarah looked from her grandfather to Snape, "Make it one though five if that is the only extend time period we are to have, for it will take him some time to get settled into lesson each day."
"That sounds good." Said the headmaster. "Of course it really isn't my opinion that matters... What do you think Severus?"
"Fine."
"Very well then I shall see you both at breakfast tomorrow."
Severus and Sarah both rushed out of the room as if the office was on fire. 'I wonder if they can do it.' thought Dumbledore. 'Are they truly the right pair for the job.'
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After leaving the Headmasters office she headed back towards her rooms. Once she arrived their she pressed her hand to the door- it voluntarily opened. She threw her worn theater bag into her office chair and proceeded into her library. There she snatched the book list she had made before from it's place on the fireplace mantel. She pressed her hand hard onto the first page, "Potions Magery Magic!" she shouted.
Seven books from around the room zoomed off their shelves to a pile on the worktable. Sarah now more calmly placed the listed bake on the mantel. Then she walked over to the table to the newly piled books.
The first was titled, Potions for the Mage, the next was, Bubble, Brewing, Mages. Sarah continued to flip threw the books, looking at the different kinds of magery potions magic. She found little for beginners, however it wasn't like Severus had never seen a cauldron before either. Maybe that was why she was so upset. He was so unwilling to be taught. He would probably be the hardest student she had ever to teach and he should have been the easiest... shouldn't he. He should had already had a grasp of his magic as well as how to deal with it. That way she would just have to teach him how not to kill himself with it and her job would be done. Although he doesn't, which means I'm stuck with him.
'Luckily Lark didn't hear me say that.' She thought to herself. Lark and Rosethorn had been the heads of Discipline Cottage a small house where she and her four friends had spent about five years of their lives. Some of which had been shorter than others. 'Lark would have told me I should be happy to have a student. That it is my privilege to teach Severus. Especially because he already knows his craft.'
'But she doesn't know the Severus I know, the mean, nasty, snarling, Slytherin snake!'
It hurt her to remember her old home as well as all the things that had happened their. Bad things, evil things... 'Why did you steal the people I loved most you blood sucking, earrings wearing, boat sailing, home wreaking, PIERATES!'
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Sarah awoke at four the next morning. After quickly getting dressed in a white dress shirt and tan-brown animal skin pants and walked into her office. The wide open space of the room was perfect for staff exercises. She called the wooded staff she hard forgot in her room to her. Once she felt it float into her hands she began. 'Left mid strike, left mid block, left lower strike, left lower block, left high strike, left high block. Now with the right.' Next she did a series of complex foot patters in time with her strikes and blocks.
When finished she sent the staff back to its place by her bed. Threw on a black habit with a rope-belt over the clothes she already had on. By now it was a quarter to five which meant she had fifteen minutes before the students arrived for morning meditation.
Arriving at her classroom a few stories below her office she saw Harry and the bushy-harried girl Hermione standing out side her locked door. "Harry what brings you hear early again?"
"Harry looked away from the bushy-harried girl to his professor, "Hermione wanted to ask you a few questions because apparently I am not smart enough to now what she talking about...but I seems to be that I'm smart enough to be consider worthy of being woken up extra early to come down here and wait for you ma'am." Harry and the girl traded gruesome scowls. Sarah let out a slight laugh. Indeed being around these two had put her in a better mod than her had been since last night.
"Well, Hermione is it? If you and Mr. Potter would please fallow me we shall see if I am myself smart enough to answer your so complexes of questions."
The girl gave Sarah a questioning look as if wondering weather that was meant as a joke or an insult, but in the end she steeped in the door after Sarahantifany. "Professor Merloom, this will just take a few minutes of your time. I read this book you loaned Harry for me and he doesn't seem to know what I'm talking about when I asked him what-"
"Oh, good I'm not late," said Neville as he came bustling into the class room, "I thought for sure I had over slept."
"Hermione looked back at the professor, "I'm sorry, I should go, could I stop by another time?" She asked looking at Sarah with hopeful eyes.
'Gods if only Severus was as eager to learn as her.' Sarah thought to herself.
"Of course you may Miss Granger-"
"It's Hermione Professor, only my teachers call me that and unfortunately I was not found with mage magic so I'm not technically your student. No disrespect intended ma'am."
"None taken," said Sarah, "how about do you have any free periods today?"
"Yes!" replied the girl looking exited, "I'm off this after noon from three-thirty on."
"Good, then if you will meet me back here at four we shall have the hour before dinner to talk. Dose that sound like enough time for your questions?"
"Yes," was the girls reply, "thank you Professor." And she scurried out the door.
Meditation had gone better that day. They had only stopped once when Neville had gotten a cramp in his right leg which caused him to fall side ways into Harry creating a sort of domino effect. Soon Sarah was the only one still sitting upright as she watched her stiff and burley-eyed class pull themselves out of the tangled mess on the floor.
Sarah spent the entire remainder of the day in her class room working on the lesson plans for her students. Including, to her dislike, Severus. She had just been startled out of her work by the sound of the four o'clock chime from the clock tower when she heard a soft knock on the door.
"Professor?"
"Oh, hello Hermione, right on time I see. Please come in and sit down." Sarah gestured towards the chair she had placed in front of her desk earlier. With a wave of her hand a the papers scattered on the desktop formed into a nice neat pile. This Sarah placed into her leather bag.
Hermione looked at the papers slightly intimidated. "I still think it's amazing how you can do such magic without a wand." She said.
"Yes well that makes two of us for I find it hard to believe that one can perform magic using a piece of wood, and I've bee doing it for the past fourteen or so years."
The girl smiled as she took her seat. "Professor, if you don't have anything like a wand then is it true that no one can disarm you with a spell like wizards can to other wizards?"
"Well actually Hermione that isn't true for if it was left without a wand I would still have my mage power yes, but if someone were to extract all writing and weapons though out the room I would be almost powerless."
"Almost?"
Sarah smile this girl truly was inquisitive. "Yes, you see I have the power to imagine things an through things can trigger senses." She closed her eyes and took in a slow deep breath. A ruff copy of Hermione appeared beside the girl and with in seconds disappeared. "However, they cannot do any real physical harm."
"Was...was that supposed to be me?" The young girl looked absolutely panic stricken.
"A rather bad imitation but yes it was."
"But yours can't hurt right?"
"Oh no, they can if I imagine them doing a something to case pain, but it won't really happen. Also it take a lot of magic to do that if I was in some sort of battle it would not be wise to waste so much energy on something so small."
"Wow..." was all the girl could say. "That amazing can you copy anything like that?"
"For the most part."
Hermione must have realized that her mouth was open for she immediately shut it. Then regaining some composure she looked bake upon Sarah. "What of academic mages. Their power is from within and most don't need other objets to use it. Like the ones that have a certain color magic and they glow a certain color while they use it as well as the things that are effected by it."
Sarah was indeed stunned. "You only read the book once and you gathered all that. McGonagall was right you truly are the brightest witch of the age."
This made Hermione blush. "She really said that about me?"
"Yes and I am sure that she was underestimating you. You are very bright Hermione it truly is a shame that you were not found to have mage magic. Of course this just means that their might be hope for the rest of use magical beings that someone may one day outsmart you."
Sarah saw the girl blush as she got up from the table and walked over the small book shelf in the corner behind her desk. From it she withdrew two rather thick leather bound books. "You may return these when ever and as for the other book I want you to keep it. I am holding you personally responsible for making sure Harry is the best most informed student in my class. This book here is called Modern Day Mage Guild." She said pointing to the bigger of the two volumes. "It's a book that has many of the different types on mages then has a page or so description on them. Of course these are only the more basic ones. You will not find Writing magic's in there at all and weaponry Mage was a sentence included in the Harrier Mage profile. This other one," she said holding it out toward Hermione is Numair Salmalin Student Journal. Its about her last student Daine who was a Wild mage like Harry and her lesson plans as well as progress all written down. Also it's a direct copy I made from the actual so the handwriting is a little sloppy."
"You mean you mage this book like you made the other one you gave to Harry for me?"
"Yes and I want you to read it because you no Harry much better than I do. I want your input on what lesson he might find interesting... Or at least be able to say awake though."
"I promise, Harry will be the best student you ever had." Hermione had a look of both honor and utmost joy in her eye Sarah could tell she had made the right decision.
"I have no doubt whatsoever."
The rest for the hour was spent answering more questions. When it came time for dinner Sarah was both sad and grateful. She was mad that a girl who wanted this power so much didn't have it. However she was grateful that the girl hadn't managed to talk her ears off although she would have sworn that the noise as she entered the Great Hall was quieter than usual.
As Sarah took her usual seat next two Dumbledore she noticed that Snape who had been talking or more like listening against his will, suddenly found the roast on his plate rather interesting. Although it wasn't like she cared he would be her prisoner for two hours after dinner and she'll be dammed if she was just going to let him walk all over her.
After putting a rather small portion of food on her plate she felt a slight tap on her right shoulder. She looked up into her grandfathers smiling eyes, however the last thing she felt like doing was smiling back.
"My dear, do you have everything ready for his lesson?" he asked while making a slight jester toward Severus.
"Of course Headmaster Mr. Filth helped me polish all the shackles and chains earlier today. I'll I need now is a victim."
Her grandfather gave her a disapproving look, "Let me know if you require any help... However I don't polish weapons."
Sarah looked at him straight faced although she had a small urge to smile. "I'm sorry and there is nothing you can do to help me but I appreciate the offer."
He smiled again, "Well in that case the lest I can do is make sure you eat. I have a feeling your going to need the strength." They both smiled as Sarah began to eat.
Fifteen minutes later she had said her goodbye to Dumbledore and was walking towards her classroom. Severus had already left the Great Hall, Sarah hoped that she had remembered to lock her class room door. She didn't want him snooping around in her things. However she soon learned that she needn't worry about that. A tall lean black figure stepped out in front of her, giving her just enough time to stop so that she didn't run smack into it. The figure turned around to revel the pale faced Severus Snape.
"We shall be meeting in your classroom I presume." He said in a deep drawing voice.
"Correct." She said purposely making it sound as if he were a small child how had just answered a teachers question.
He grimaced, "Good, this way Professor."
She didn't like him talking to her as if she were stupid enough to forget were her classroom is, but she didn't let it show on her face. This was going to be the longest and most wasted two hours of her life.
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Sorry to cut it off here. (wicked grin)
Anyway Next Chapter Severus first lesson. Clue: It ain't gonna be pretty.
YOU GOT QUESTIONS AND YOU KNOW I'VE GOT ALL THE ANSWERS 1. Harry's snake did make it and wassent backinto the forest.
2. Sarah and Sev's power is connected because Severus's power found Sarah's by seeking the control it needed. (This will come in handy later.) HINT
3. A beta reader is A kind of L. A. and grammar check person. They also give ideas for parts theyed like to see, stuff they hated, if something should be added here... Catch my drift?
ross and rachel - Tally: You are currentlybeta this for me and I look forward to reading and posting the EDITED version instead of this grammar death trap.
Polly: A answered you question above. If you have any other fanfic questions there's a link to my E-mail address in my profile page. (Oh and thanks for joining the site it's nice to see I'm not the only idiot on hear!)
topps : So SORRY I believe I forgot to thank you earlier... Anyway thanks and I love TP too! (again I'm REALLY REAY SoRrY!!!)
If Ididn't thank you for your reviewI'm really sorry...fell free to yell at me.