Pronunciation of Sarahantifany:
Sar-ann-tif-ann-E

The first syllable of Sarah or some may spell it Sara then ann-tif-ann-E as in the letter (E)

Iknow it's confusing. (SORRY)

Half of all of the good parts of this story belong to JK. All the stuff you have questions on belongs to me (happy to answer questions). All Mage stuff and the rest of the other half belongs to (TP She's so cool.)

Chapter Seven Severus Meets Quill

Sarah awoke the next morning with an idea in mind, she new how she was to teach Snape. After doing her normal morning routine, staff exercises and such, she walked into her library. There she found the book she would use. She slipped it into her bag and headed off towards her class room.

No students had arrived yet so she took the opportunity to flip through the book in her bag. It was full of nothing but blank pages. Yet it was a most beautiful book. The cover was leather bound with a tiny gold plaque set into it. There was nothing engraved on the plaque but that would soon change. The pages themselves were extraordinary as well. They were not made of wooden pulp like the pages of so many books. Instead they were made from a sort of thin, smooth, cotton cloth. The pages in this book would last for hundreds of years longer than those made of wood. Another thing she noticed was the spells placed on the book. They were not placed on the cover either but woven throughout the entire book. Spells against forced entry as well as ones for other things like duplication. Not even the most powerful mage with the most powerful of spells could make a duplicate of this book by magic like Sarah had done for Hermione. This very book that Sarah now held in her hands was better protected against intruders than the Ministry of Magic.

Class had gone well that morning, so well in fact that they had managed to get through a full hour of mediation without one interruption and it had only taken two false starts to get their. The thought that the students were actually learning something from her was making her feel slightly giddy. If they were able to get better at this so complex an art than maybe Sarah wasn't as bad a teacher as she thought.

She managed to remain happy throughout the day working on lesson plans as well as her own magical workings and all thoughts of Severus Snape had managed to leave her for the after noon. That is until she meet up with him at dinner. His usual scowl was placed on his face and he seemed to be looking at her out of the corner of his eye. He made it look as if he was expecting her to pounce on him at any moment and she had no idea why he was doing such a thing.

Another thing she didn't know was that Severus's own ideas on why he was doing this was rather vague as well.

Sarah saw Severus leaving the great hall for her classroom. She let him go, remaining in her set for a few minutes.

As she wait Sarah went over her plans in her head, Severus would go to her classroom expecting her too fallow immediately. She would remain in the great hall for about ten minutes allowing him time alone just outside her classroom door.

He was of the curious sort, that much she new, after all he was a death Eater and a spy. She had let her classroom door open just a few inches. Enough to seem realistic but at the same time draw his attention to what was beyond that small creak that he could not see. After he realized that she was not immediately following him he would enter, she just new it. When he entered the classroom he would not find things in their usual state. All of the desks were to be found in a circle facing inward in the center of her classroom. Her teacher's desk as well at the versus selves and items of the room were placed in the far left-hand corner. A bookstand like those used for the readings of a temple mass was placed in the center of the circled desks.

The four and a half foot tall stand was placed with the back of it facing the door. Severus would want to know what book lie upon it. His first thought would most likely be that is was a book she had taught from earlier that day. This would start a battle of questions in his mind. He new Sarah only taught the students magical working on Saturdays and it was only Tuesday. The other questions that may come to him as to the purpose of this book if he thought that there was even one on the stand, Sarah did not know.

Sarah did know however, that there was a book on the stand. That book was the same leather bound, gold plated, magical journal, that Sarah had extracted from her library earlier that day.

Sarah new he would not touch it for he being the spy that he was would know how easily a wizards touch could be traced. Not that he would think her the kind of person who would strangle him for the invasion of privacy, but it would be his instinct and that would be enough.

Sarah now got up and headed slowly towards her classroom.

Once she was a few paces away from the now fully open door she let her nearly silent footsteps be heard. As they echoed lightly through the halls Sarah would have sworn she heard a swish of robes come from inside her classroom. I sounded as if she had startled the person within it.

Upon entering the classroom Sarah found Severus seated tailor stile in the center to the desks. Suspiciously close to the book stand. Without a word she used her wand to push the desks into an unoccupied corner of the classroom. The stand however held its position. Sarah then walked over to the only free corner left in the room that was not by the door. There she silently plopped down into the meditative position.

"Care to join me Severus?" she asked.

Severus got up from his seat a repositioned himself so he sat a few feet across from her. Sarah then took out a small blue box full if parchment scraps from her leather mage bag. After sliding the bag a few feet away she opened the little box, placed its lid beside her, and threw the box into the air. Hundreds of little parchment scraps filled the air. Using her magic Sarah called out to them mediation... She thought circle... protection... When she opened her eyes she saw that all of the scraps had come together to form a circle a round her and Severus. Sarah called on her magic once more and a magical barrier formed on the line made by the parchment.

Normally she would have just warded the entire room, but she had not wanted the journal that still lie on the stand to be tainted by any stray magic Severus might through off.

"Now we can begin." Sarah said, pretending not to notice Severus eyeing the circle suspiciously. "Do you remember the breathing pattern?"

For an answer Severus turned his gaze on her, his eyes boring into her.

"Right then," she said, "whenever your ready."

Severus started the pattern and Sarah followed suit counting aloud. As she let her voice get softer and softer she noticed more of her pupil's magic began to leak out. This was a good sign. It meant that he was relaxing and his ability to reach his magic was getting stronger. "Look inside your self Severus." she whispered. "Feel your self faze through all barriers in your mind. Now feel your self drop slowly down from your mind and search for a light, warm, fire... Once you th..." Severus lost count of the beat. His breathing was off. In fact he was not breathing at all.

Sarah began to stand up ready to shake him back into consciousness when he started to sputter and cough.

"What..." he choked, "did you do?.. You trapped me in some sort of tiny burning cauldron." Then more boldly he added, "I demand to know what you were trying to do, you little wench! Hah? You think if you kill me that is one less problem for you to deal with right!"

Sarah had meant to be soothing, but what came out was fare more sarcastic. "Oh, drat Severus you figured me out. Just when everything was going so well."

"WHY YOU-"

"SEVERUS! please calm down, all will be explained."

Sarah caught Severus take a quick glance at the journal.

Yes that to, she thought, but first-

"Severus, the ball of fire you saw was your magical core, for your mage magic at least. It is wear you need to access if you ever wish to get your magic under control. You were doing so well that I thought we could go further, but perhaps I should explain first." Severus gave her a look as if to say that was obvious. "As long as you have magic within you even the slightest bit, the fire will be there. Now depending upon how much you have to spare is what determines how bright and powerful the fire will be. If you were able to access magical vision you would notice that my own fire is much greater than your own. Now I am sorry to say that it is very unlikely that you power will ever be as great as mine for I have had some... help, in the matter. However as you train and begin to gain control the amount of power will grow."

She paused and looked at Severus. Although he would never admit it he seemed at least slightly interested about what she was saying. He likes to learn... This will be of much help.

She settled down rearranging her habit so it was spread evenly around her like she had seen her foster mother Lark do on many occasions when she would tell Sarah and her four friends stories of her childhood. Just now when I asked you to immerse yourself within it, it was only so that we could move on to the next step."

"And that would be?" Severus asked impatiently.

Sarah mentally shook her head. He may like to learn, but he hasn't much patience for it.

"The next step after that would be to try and contain all your magic within you. See, when you meditate you let all of the magic inside you out. However you have never actuality meditated because that is the step were you let yourself sink into you power. The control comes after that, but we shall save that for another day. I would like to try the breathing again and I shall instruct you from there."

When Sarah finally called a halt to the lesson she glanced at her watch. They had run just over an hour, not bad. "Now Severus we have about an hour left so I would like to start your formal lessons today." Severus's stare was a mix to interest and question. Sarah found it somewhat amusing.

She went over to the stand, feeling Severus's eyes on her the entire time. When she had picked up the journal she turned back around to face Severus once more. "This," she said, holding up the leather-bound book, "is for you Severus." She paused wanting to see his reaction to this.

To her surprise there was no look of question or wonder on his face. His only reaction was to stare at her and say, "Why."

"Because, you are my student and your are in need of training." She replied. Severus gave her a look that said quite pointedly he did not like being referred to as a student. Sarah paused a moment strictly for the effect, then continued. "This will help you." At this she walked over to him and handed over the journal. He grasped it firmly but did not open it. He seemed content to just stare at the cover.

"It is a journal," she offered, "I was thinking I could spend this time showing you how to use it."

He's eyes were now on her, rage beginning to brew in their depths. "I know how to use a journal." he said.

"Yes, however this one is different than most." Came her reply. Severus was now staring at the journal again. Looking as if he questioned its safety, so she added quickly, "I had made it my self a while back and I assure you it's only use is to help."

Severus didn't take his eyes off the journal as he spoke. "I have no writing magic, I don't need a journal."

"You have no idea how much you do." He looked at her with venom but she cut him off, "Severus this is a magical journal." She took the book from him noticing his firm gripe on it. "Before I can show you what it can do however, we must first set it to you." She pretended not to notice his questioning glare.

She knelt down in from of him, placing the journal on the floor in front of her. "Give me your hand Severus."

"What?"

"Give me your hand. I must set the words on the book to fit you."

Reluctantly he offered his hand. Without warning Sarah slammed it into the cover of the book and started to mutter under her breath. It sounded like nonsense, how that babble could possibly have any true meaning he did not know.

Soon his hand began to burn. If felt as if a thousand fiery needles had just been drove into his palm. When he was just about to pull away yelling at her for the pain she had implied, she let go. The pain stopped immediately although, the memory still remained. Using his other hand he rubbed his reddened palm. About to ask what the hell she had done he caught a glimpse of the journal. The golden plaque which had been blank moments before now had the words Severus Snape's Student Journal inscribed on it.

He looked at Sarah with his accusing glare that was his normal attire. "And just what exactly am I supposed to write in this." He asked, as he picked put the journal stared at it, then back at Sarah.

She smiled. It was a friendly smile. Severus hated it. It obviously meant she was up to something. "Why all your mage related things, ideas, and topics of course."

"Of course," he said sarcastically, "and what might those be exactly?"

She looked at him her expression serious once again. "Anything you feel fits you may put." She clapped her hands and a handsome, blue feathered quill floated out of her mage kit into her hand. "This she said is an inkwell quill. It's full of about one bottle of ink and magically stored to fit inside." At this she used one hand to snap the quill in half. "As you can see it is indeed magical for even if the quill is broken no ink shall pour out."

Next she set both halves of the quill on the floor and lay a palm on each. Slowly she slid the to halves together until they formed one quill. It looked as though it had never been broken in the first place. She handed him the new quill, "You may use this to write with. The ink without the proper spells, mage spells for that matter, the ink shall stay invisible to your eyes alone. If it happens to run out of ink bring it to me and I shall refill it for you."

"This book is for you Severus... I without your permission shall never lay a hand on it again." Snape gave her a skeptical look which she must have noticed because she continued. "You have my mages oath on that." Severus had no idea what this really meant however, he new it was no laughing matter. She would not touch the book again.

"And what of the students?" He asked. "You have other mage students certainly one can break any number of protective spells you have on it."

Sarah just shook her head. "You have so little faith in my abilities Severus. It takes me months to develop a signal journal such as this. Also it has taken me years to develop the making of that quill." She pointed to it still in his hands. "The spells on the book are powerful Severus. They are not easily broken, even by me the maker." She scanned him closely for a second focusing mostly on his face. Then she replied boldly, "In answer to you other question, Severus, Voldemort will not be able to access it either... Again you have my word on that."

"Fine." Said Severus defiantly wondering who she had know his question, "So how do I access it."

She looked at him, her face intense, but her voice showed amusement. "You open it."

Sarah and Severus spent the rest of the time discussing the journal.

We he had left Sarah felt quite pleased with her self.

True she could have made a transfer journal to go with the other within a week's time. A journal that would copy everything Severus had written and leave it for her to read. It would not be as if she was breaking her oath in that way either. However, she hadn't. Severus trusted very few things in his life. In fact Sarah could only think of two; her grandfather and his potions skill. One of those she had taken away from him, but in the way of the journal she had replaced it. Eventually the book would grow on him and with time he would -even if against his own will- begin to trust it more and more.

Authors note:
Reviews please and flames welcome. For those who are wondering I reallyam happy with my first flame (Thank you flamer).

Special thanks to: BlackFire: Your always positive if a bit pushy thank you.

The next chap is on the way.
Coming soon to a web page near you.