A/N: This chapter is dedicated to every person out there who liked the story and reviewed . . . and for those who liked it and didn't review )
Disclaimer: I own only my original characters, nothing more.
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'New at Hogwarts' Chapeter 12 Accidents and unpleasant situationsIt was raining hard, thunder roaring and lightning lighting up the sky. This, however, didn't keep students or teachers from gathering in the quiddicth pitch to watch the first match of the season: Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff.
The game had already started and, despite the conditions, the players zoomed around the field as if there was no storm at all.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the field, and Alex thought she'd seen something black below, like an animal, but she didn't give it much thought, as she and Hermione cheered when Harry accelerated, trying to catch up with Cedric Diggory –Huffplepuff's seeker- who was just about to catch the snitch. He was almost there . . .almost . . .
But suddenly, he was falling.
Faster . . .
And faster . . .
"HARRY!" Both girls yelled. Alex glanced downwards and saw, much to her horror, at least a hundred dementors, all pointing at Harry, their faces covered by their cloaks.
He landed rather softly on the grass, immediately followed by the rest of the team, plus Ron, Hermione and Alex, who rushed to his side.
Making his way to the group, Dumbledore pointed his wand at Harry, who was lifted in the air on a stretcher, and took him to the Hospital Wing, closely followed by the Gryffindor's team, Alex, Ron and Hermione.
Harry finally woke up only to find his friends surrounding his bed.
"What happened?" He asked bolting from the bed.
"You fell", Fred explained. "It must have been. . . what? Twenty metres?"
"We thought you'd got yourself killed!" Alicia said trembling.
"But, the match", Harry asked. "How did it end? Will it be repeated?"
Nobody answered.
"We didn't loose. . .did we?"
"Diggory caught the snitch", George replied. "just after you fell. He didn't realise what was going on. When he looked back and saw you on the grass, he wanted it to be put off. He wanted the match to be played again. But they won fairly. Even Wood has admitted it."
After ten minutes of trying to cheer Harry up, Madam Pomfrey arrived to order them to let Harry rest.
The team left, but Alex, Hermione and Ron stayed. Seeing the worried looks on his friend's faces, Harry quickly thought of something to say.
"Did anybody get the Nimbus?"
The three looked at each other
"Um . . ." Alex said.
"What's wrong?" Harry worried.
"Well, when you fell . . . it was carried by the wind", Hermione said hesistantly.
"And?"
"and it . . . it crashed . . . against the Whomping Willow".
Fearing the answer, Harry asked "So?"
Madam Pomfrey made Harry stay in the hospital wing for the weekend. Harry didn't complain, but he wouldn't allow her to throw away the splinters that remained from his faithful Nimbus 2000. Alex knew just how he felt. Averytime something she cherished got broken, she wouldn't let her mom get rid of the pieces.
Saturday morning, Alex woke up with afeeling of dread. Why, though, she wasn't sure. Seeing as Hermione was still fast asleep, she got dressed and decided to go visit Harry on her own; Hermione and Ron would probably do the same thing once they got up, so she left.
"Alex!" Harry exclaimed as the girl entered the hospital wing.
"Hi! What's up?" She greeted, setting aside the feeling of uneasiness that had built up within her. "What are you thinking about?" She curiously asked, noticing his pensative expression.
"Nothing", Harry quickly lied. He'd been thinking about the Grim.
Twice he had seen it and in both ocassions, he'd been involved in lethal accidents.
"You're lying! I know there's something bothering you, Harry." She said and narrowed her eyes. "Listen, you already heard Fred: it's the first time you've lost a match . . . and it wasn't even your fault!" Alex said exasperated.
Harry looked down at his sheets and sighed. "It's not that." He said.
"Then what?" She asked.
He didn't answer.
"Oh, c'mon, Harry!" She pressed, rolling her eyes.
"Fine, it was the Grim."
"The Grim?" She asked confused. "You saw it during the match?" She frowned.
"Yeah, I saw it just before the dementors came, before I fell . . . when the field was lit up . . ." Harry trailed off.
They remained quiet for some seconds until finally, Alex said
"That's odd . . ." She frowned again.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. There was something she was not telling.
"You weren't the only one to see it. When that flash illuminated the pitch, I thought I saw an animal . . . a black animal, but it was gone before I could give it another thought."
"So?" Harry asked, still not understanding where she was going.
"Well, the thing is, Harry, I don't think that was the Grim at all.
You see, you saw the Grim and fell off your broom shortly afterwards-"
"Yeah, so? That just means it was the Gr-"
"But . . . I saw it too . . .and nothing happened to me."
Harry didn't look to convinced, though.
"Listen, Harry, I'm not saying the Grim doesn't exist. I'm just saying that whatever that was, it sure as hell wasn't the Grim." She finished.
Just then, the Weasley twins came in carrying a large basket between them.
"Hi guys!" Alex greeted cheerfuly. "What kept you?"
"Well, George said. "Unlike what one would think, getting to Hogsmeade and back . . ."
"to get these . . .", Fred added as he pointed to the interior of the wooden basket.
"without anyone noticing," George went on.
"Takes quite long!" They both finished, pouring dozens of chocolates from Honeydukes on Harry's head.
"Oh", Fred added, remembering something. "and this is for you." He said. handing Alex a real-looking sugar quill. She hugged Fred tightly. "Thank you!" She exclaimed looking really happy.
The twins grabbe two chairs and sat by Harry's bed.
"So, where are Ron and Hermione?" Harry asked after a while.
"Well, Hermione was still sleeping when I left the girls' dormitories, so they must be finishing breakfast by now . . ."
She had barely finished saying this when both, Ron and Hermione came in.
"Alex!" Hermione exclaimed as she saw her friend, who was waving at her. "I thought you were still doing detention!"
Alex's smile froze.
"Detention?" She repeated dumbly. 'Oh crap, oh crap, oh . . .ahhhh! WHY DOES STUFF LIKE THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN TO ME?' She thought, starting to panick.
"Ahhhh! I've gotta go, guys. See ya later!" She yelled as she ran towards the exit. However, she stopped dead in her tracks before she actually made it to the door.
"I- I can't!" She stated horror-struck, making her way back to Harry's side.
"Alex, you have to go. He's going to be angrier if you don't show up a all", Hermione admonished her.
"Hermione, I can't. He's going to kill me! Last time I saw him he was way beyond angry!" She was terrified.
"Alex," Harry said confused. "Why are you so scared? You've never been like this before about Snape . . .besides, it's like you said: he'll probably just give you more detention . . ."
Looking at Harry, Alex thought that over.
"You're right . . .I'll go!" She said and strolled out of the infirmary looking confident.
"Pfff . . .She's crazy", Fred said.
"Kyahhhhhhhh!"
They heard Alex's yell before she came running into the hospital wing.
"He's out there! I just saw him pass by!" She said in a panicked whisper. "I know, I'll hide under Harry's bed!" She said smacking her fist into her open palm.
Trying to calm her down, Fred said "Maybe he didn't notice you?" and smiled hopefuly.
"Not likel" a soft but very, very angry voice said from behind Alex, who took in a quick breath, her eyes wide open. 'Uh-oh' was all her stunned mind could think of.
Slowly turning around, Alex came face to face with the furious form of Severus Snape.
"Do you have any idea", he furiously whispered. "of the time it is?"
Alex looked into his cold eyes and shuddered, her lips tightly sealed. She shook her head 'no'.
"It is half past nine in the morning!" He bellowed.
She looked up at his face. "Oopsies?" She faintly whispered back.
Taking hold of her arm, Snape pulled her out of the hospital wing, towards the dungeons. His grip was so tight it hurt Alex. But she didn't dare say a word and kept her gaze on the cold stone floor. Finally, they arrived at the dungeon and Snape let go of her arm.
"In", he commanded with cold fury and she quietly obliged.
Closing the door, he sat behind his desk.
"Sit", he instructed her in the same unfriendly voice. Alex as sure as hell didn't know what type of punishment to expect.
"Well," He started, his eyes never leaving her. "Since you do noy seem to understand what being in time means," He made a long pause and scrutinized Alex with his gaze. She blushed, feeling uncomfortable.
"You will have to learn the importance of being precise. For this, you will be making potions", he said.
'Potions?' Alex thought. Where was the catch in that? Had Snape finally softened?
"These potion, however, need for the ingredients to be added at the exact moment the book says."
'This is all very interesting but there has to be more to it'. There was still something missing, Alex could tell.
"Unless the three of your potions are perfect, you will fail my subject!" He barked.
Standing up outraged, fear forgotten, Alex's temper flared.
"You can't do that! I've been working extra hard to catch up, and so far, all my potions have turned out quite allright!"
"Don't tell me what I can or can't do, miss Kevingston!" He said, voice rising in anger. "And 'quite allright' just wont do."
'They would have turned out perfect if you hadn't been looming around!' She added in her mind. Snape's lips curved as his eyes remained fixed upon her own.
"It seems to me, that my presence makes you uneasy", he drawled in a different tone from the one before.
Alex's cheecks turned pink (he's got you!), the pesky voice said. Ignoring it, Alex shot back
"That's not true!"
"You will call me sir or professor at all times, Kevingston." His voice turning dangerous again.
"You might not be aware," he resumed in his low, soft voice after a few seconds. "that professor Dumbledore has asked every single teacher to report on your development", he paused with a nasty grin. "and unless –as I already said- your potions are perfect, I will make sure that you fail not only potions, but the rest of the subjects too . . .menaing you'll have to course third year again."
"If that's the way it's going to be with you, then I don't think I want to go on taking potions", she defiantly said.
"I'm afraid that's not up to you to decide. I-"
KNOCK
KNOCK
Breaking eye-contact, they both turned towards the door.
Glancing one last time at the insolent brat he had for student, Snape said
"Come in!"
The door slowly opened. Albus Dumbledore stood at the entrance, apparently oblivious to the tension between student and teacher.
"Ah! I thought I heard voices!" He simply said. "Severus, I need to speak to you", he added, turning to Sanpe.
"Now?" the latter asked, not willing to let Alexandra escape so easily.
"I'm afraid it's quite urgent", Dumbledore apologized.
"Very well, headmaster." Snape said with resignation. "Kevingston, you may leave." He added without even looking at her.
She, however, shot him a look that said too clearly 'This isn't over!'.
When Alex turned up at the hospital wing barely an hour after Snape had dragged her out, she was bombarded with questions.
"What happened?" Hermione asked looking up from a book she was reading.
"Why are you back so soon?" Ron said at the same time.
"Did he give you more detention?" Harry wanted to know.
"Did a piano fall on his head?" George asked sounding hopeful.
"Did you kill him?" Fred said sharing his twin's feeling.
Sighing and sitting on Harry's bed, Alex said
"The answers are: He was about to make me course thhird year once more . . .even though I haven't finished it yet but Dumbledore came in and sort of rescued me. No, I didn't get more detention, and no, Snape's not dead."She finished. "Nor did a piano fall on his head." She added at the end rolling her eyes, seeing as George's face had lit up once more.
"Awww . . ." the twins pouted.
"Did you at least kiss him?" Fred asked with a grin sounding as eager as he had just moments ago.
Alex went red for the umpteenth time that day. This time, it was from anger, though. She drew out her wand and started throwing every curse and hex that came to her mind . . . which caused a scandalized Madam Pomfrey to kick them out from the hospital wing.
"Great! Now we'll have to wait 'til tomorrow to visit Harry!" Alex complained.
"I was not the one throwing curses, hexes and whatnot all over the place!" Fred defended himself.
"I was not the one asking stupid questions!" She hissed back. And then added as an afterthought
"You know, one day I'll wake up to find I love Snape and it's all going to be your fault."