By: Pirate-Girl1017
Chapter 2
Over the week before the official start of the school year Harry visited the village as much as he could, even if his aunt had already told him she'd sign his permission slip as soon as he got it. Apparently Ron and Hermione were staying there until classes begun to do some shopping for new schoolbooks that were cheaper there then in Diagon Alley.
"So what else do we need?" he asked on one such day.
"Let me check my list," the puffy haired girl pulled out an impossibly long piece of parchment. "A copy of the Monster Book of Monsters Part two." All three of them blanched, it was enough to run away from the first volume, and another would probably bring their houses down. "And Harry there's a note at the bottom your aunt wrote, it says to pick up a book on first level Occlumency. Why would you need that?"
He should have taken the list himself, Bluebelle had told him to but he was too busy playing wizards chess with Ron to pay attention. Now he wished he had, if anyone knew what Occlumency was it was Hermione.
"I...well, Dumbledor wants me to take more lessons on it," he said meekly.
"Why would you need lessons in that?" Ron asked through a mouthful of chocolate frogs. Harry pulled them into an alleyway away from prying ears.
"Remember the dreams I kept on having last year," they nodded. "Well Volde-" Ron winced, "He Who Shall Mot Be Named gave them to me and Professor Dumbledor thought that I needed to learn it. He has Snape giving me lessons after school, again."
"Snape? But he hates you!"
"I know Ron but I have to go, I might need it some day, soon, even if I hate him too."
"To learn that stuff is one thing but to have that slime ball teaching it to you is another. I mean you've already had him for five years and Occulu-whatsy last year. Isn't that enough torture?" For a while they were silent until a tapping on the cobblestone pavement signaled some one in the alley with them.
"Now what could be so important that you three need to hide from the rest of the town?"
"Professor Snape!" Some how they had the feeling that they were going to loose massive points the second the opening day feast was over.
"I believe you're out past your curfew." Harry looked at his watch, they were out forty-five minutes later then the time Bluebelle had set for him. "Your aunt sent me to look for you, come on." They trudged after him all the way back to the castle, the entire way was in complete and utter silence. When they entered the main hall Bluebelle was pacing back and forth across the long carpet that went down the length of the hall.
"Harry! Where have you been?" She turned him around looking for any blood or something that would explain his lateness.
"I'm sorry Aunt Bluebelle, we lost track of time shopping for stuff for school."
"I found them in an alley talking about something the Head Master strictly told Potter to keep secret last year."
"Really? Is that true?"
"Yes aunt." She sighed and waved off the other two students to go back to their inn, they gave their friend one sympathetic look before leaving.
"Come into my office, Severus thank you for finding him I'll come by later tonight." He didn't say anything but nodded and left, his cloak drifting behind him as he descended the stairs to the dungeons. They walked to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office, she locked the door after them. "Harry, do you know how worried I was?"
"I'm sorry Aunt, I really didn't mean to be late."
"No one does, but I know what lengths the Dark Lord resorts to in order to get what he wants. And you he wants you dead more then anything. Don't you understand that?"
"I know." He was getting tired of hearing that over and over again. She ran a hand through her hair and mumbled something to herself about 'it can't be happening again.'
"What is it? You're looking at me funny."
"What happened? Something must have happened for you to be this worried over me, it's not as if I haven't dealt with Voldemort before."
"Dark Lord, or his lackeys either one really, they hate me. I did something years ago that near ruined him and he hasn't forgiven me and won't ever."
"Was it something to do with my parents?"
"Yes, I only wish I could have done more for them. I don't want you to go through what I did, and you really had me worried today. Just promise me you won't do it again." The way she spoke, so pleadingly and fearful surprised him. She was always so happy, carefree and opposite if the woman who was talking to him.
"I promise," he breathed in relief.
"Now what were you telling Ron and Hermione that you weren't supposed to?"
"I was, actually I am taking Occlumency lessons from Snape-
"Professor Snape," she corrected him as she tightened the ties in her hair she'd mussed moments before.
"I'm not supposed to talk about it."
"I see, well no more talk of mind blocking classes, and no one is going to now about my run ins with You Know Who, not even Severus knows what I've done in detail for the past eighteen years. Am I clear?"
"Crystal."
Three days later he sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall, impatient to eat the feast prepared by the army of elves that worked there. The Head Master was standing to make his speech, and no doubt introduce the newest addition to the Hogwarts faculty. Hopefully she would last more then ten months, Harry didn't want her to leave, he liked her too much.
"Welcome back to another fine year at Hogwarts," he said in his booming voice. He barely heard the rest of the talk until he spoke out about the new professor. "Finally I would like to introduce the new holder of the position of D.A.D.A (Defense Against the Dark Arts). Professor Bluebelle Evens."
A lovely young woman stood up at the teacher's table and smiled at the room full of students causing many of the boy's mouths to fall open. Her hair was down, flowing freely in soft waves to her knees, the first time Harry had ever seen it out of its usual bun or braid. After a moment she sat and the feast appeared on the five tables.
"Harry," Neville called from across his seat, "Ron said she's your aunt. Is it true?"
"Yes." Almost the entire Gryffindor male population started asking him about her, where she came from, did he think she was staying long, did he know her very well and things like that.
"Which side of the family is she on?" Seamus questioned him on the way to the common room.
"My mums, she's her little sister."
"Well, well, well I never thought I'd see the day that a mudblood would be a teacher here." A voice sniggered from behind them followed by the dull laughing of two others. "Filthy things, shouldn't even be allowed in."
"Malfoy."
"Potter. I should have know she'd be your relative, you have a soft spot for muggle borns," he glared at Hermione.
"Leave my family out of this, and Hermione too."
"Or else what? What would you do, get me thrown in Azkaban like you did my dad? I hate to break it to you but he's been let out, my mum paid the parole months ago." Harry glared at him took a step closer and Draco whipped his wand out from his robes. "Don't come any farther unless you want to fight me."
"I don't waste my energy on the likes of you." The Griffendors turned to leave.
"Are you afraid Potter or aren't you man enough to defend your filthy mudblood aunt?"
"Don't you dare talk about her that way! Expelliarmus!" Malfoy's wand went flying through the air hitting Vincent Crabbe in the eye.
"Idiots! Give me that!" Crabbe held his blackening eye as Goyle grabbed the wand off the ground and handed it to Draco.
"Rictusempra!" Harry fell over on his knees breathing heavely from all the air knocked out of his lungs.
"What's going on here?" Snape and Bluebelle came running from around the corner. "There had better be a good explanation to this," he hissed.
"Potter attacked me!"
"He started it!"
"Enough! Potter, Malfoy in my office now, the rest of you to your common rooms this instant!" The students scattered except the two asked, or demanded however one saw it, who stayed glued to the floor. As soon as they entered the cold office of the potions master he berated them with everything he had in his arsenal. "The first day of classes hasn't even begun yet and someone starts a fight! Not only that but now I have to give detention and loose my own time to baby sitting reckless students!" The insults went on and on until Bluebelle stopped them.
"I think they get the point Severus," she covered his mouth with the palm of her hand. Her gaze settled on the duo of boys in front of the wide, oak desk. "Now tell me Mr. Malfoy what happened."
"He," a finger pointed at Harry, "hit me with a spell and hit my friend Vincent in the eye!"
"And Harry what did you see happen?"
"He insulted Hermione and then you, he called you a mudblood."
"You won't use such language in my office Potter."
"She asked me what happened, so I told her."
"Harry I appreciate you standing up for me, but I can understand an insult without the use of foul wording. So he offended you first?"
"And he pulled his wand on me."
"Ah- ha. Then he attacked you," she faced the Slytherin boy again. "Do I have this right?" Both sixth years started spouting out their versions of the incident at the same time. It only accomplished giving their teachers headaches.
"Enough! Potter ten points from Gryffindor and detention with Mr. Filch on Friday!" Snape yelled.
"The same for you Mr. Malfoy," she added, "now both of you go to bed. If I catch either of you out tonight you'll be grading papers with me for a month. Got that?" They nodded and trudged out of the room. "Kids."
"It was almost entirely your nephews fault, you know."
"I saw it as 50/50, I don't choose favorites," she took a seat on top of the desk. "Harry isn't James, Severus, he doesn't do things without a cause. The boy provoked him and he retaliated, it's human nature you should know that."
"Those two are always at one another's throats just as their fathers were," he pulled a bottle of wine from a cubburd and poured himself a glass. "Would you like some?"
"Yes please," she took the offered glass and sipped. "You know Harry wouldn't start a fight for nothing, he defended me that's all, you would have done the same thing."
"That was years ago, Belle," he downed the drink and filled the cup again.
"Have you changed so much?"
"I may not follow the Dark Lord anymore thanks to you but because of that you haven't had a normal life since. Yes, I have changed since then, I've changed a lot." There was silence for some time, she swished the red liquid around and looked into the crystal that held it.
"Am I cause of this change?"
"I think you of all should know the answer to that." She cast her eyes down and gripped the fabric of her dress. "You risked a great deal for me, and your own sister pushed you to, and your life was near forfeit."
"But I'm glad I made that risk, you might me a Death Eater still if I hadn't."
"But your sister died because of it." Something flashed in her bright eyes and she sat the glass down with a loud clank.
"Don't you think I know that? You could only think about Lily most of the time I knew you and it seems that's the one thing that hasn't changed." With a huff she pushed off the desk and made for the door, "good night, Professor Snape." It shut behind her with a satisfying bang, at least on her part. She all but ran the entire way back to her chambers, not even stopping to cease Peeves from lining the stair railings with grease.
The next day she had Gryffindor and Slytherin six years first thing in the morning, it seemed she had to deal getting up early and that wasn't exactly something she was looking forward to every day.
"Good morning class," she greeted them as they all sat down.
"Good morning Professor Evans," they replied in perfect unison. The class went well, no student tried to kill another, the only incident was several paper balls flying through the air. They all seemed to be coming from the Slytherin side heading to the Gryffindor. When one such ball went hurling over head when her back was turned she whipped around and caught it between two fingers.
"What do we have here?" She unraveled it and found a crude stick figure drawings of Harry, Ron and Hermione all wearing 'I Luv Muggles' shirts. "Well this is interesting. Can anyone tell me who did this? It was easy to see who, the student had left their name written on the bottom of the paper, which was actually old divination notes. "No one? Then why is Gregory Goyle's name here on the drawing?"
The room was silent, and the accused person hunched over in his seat trying not to be seen even with his immense girth.
"Mr. Goyle five points will be taken from your house and you're to stay after school to have a little chat with me, class dismissed." The remainder of the morning passed by much more smoothly and she found she rather liked teaching the children. At lunch she took her place at the faculty table, but as far from Professor Snape as possible, and began a conversation with Professor Trelawney.
"I had the most intriguing prediction concerning you, Professor Evans," said the witch with the huge glasses.
"Really? What about?"
"I saw danger, death, most disturbing for such a good person, and I saw a man, a very odd man."
"A man, what sort of man?"
"He was very dark, very cold like some one who spurned others and I felt revenge, blood spilling revenge," she shook her head and patted the younger woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry if I worried you my dear, but I thought you should know."
"Thank you, I'll think about it," and she continued eating. All day she thoroughly ignored her friend, but he should be used to the behavior, he knew how spiteful she could be. When classes were done she stayed at her desk awaiting her picture drawing student.
But he didn't arrive alone.
"Professor Evans," a cold, silky voice greeted her formally.
"Severus, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?"
"I've heard that you have taken points from one of my students on a rather unusual charge." One thin aqua eyebrow raised up on her forehead and she looked Goyle straight in the eye.
"He was throwing some insulting and unneeded notes around my class room, and left his name on one. I did what I had to."
"You are sure that it was this particular student that did this?"
"His name was on the back of the paper," she said dryly. The boy cringed and tried to hide behind his house head.
"And what was written on this paper?" With an exasperated sigh she pulled the lude note out of the top left drawer of her desk.
"See for yourself," and handed it to him. His black eyes scanned over the parchment and stared at the sixth year Slytherin.
"Did you draw this?" The plump face shook vigorously 'no.' "Then who did?"
"I-I don't know, sir," he stammered.
"Well I should think that until the culprit is found that no points should be taken from any house. What do you think, Professor?"
"I think that if parchment is thrown across the room from the Slytherin table towards the Gryffindor table with a Slytherin student's name on the back that it's obvious who did and obvious who should be punished." The two stiffened, one in fright the other in anger.
"Mr. Goyle, go back to the dormitory, I need to speak to Professor Evans alone." The boy all but ran from the room and tore down the hall for the entrance to the dungeons.
"What could possibly be so important that you had to fake being interested in some little paper ball squabble just to talk to me?" she rested her boots on the top of her desk and leaned back in her chair.
"Your little silent treatment has done its job," he hissed.
"Oh has it, I'm sure Lily would've told me to keep it up longer."
"I don't care what your dead sister would've thought." Mocking laughter came from her pink lips as she wiped a pretend tear from her cheek.
"Now that is something I never thought I'd hear you say, seeing that you used to hang onto every word she ever said." Snape stomped over to her and slammed his hands on either side of her heeled feet.
"I've had enough of your sarcasm, you never used to give me your sharp tongue."
"No, I didn't, that was saved for James Potter," she stood sending her chair falling to the ground. "But at the moment you make me just as annoyed with you as I was with him. Now please leave my classroom I have work to do."
He pulled his composure back together, almost instantly regaining the cold potions master the school knew so well.
"Very well, goodnight, Belle," he left the room.
"Oh that man, he makes my blood boil!"
The weekend came quickly, thankfully and Bluebelle decided to catch up more with Harry. She found him Saturday leaving the Quidditch pitch after practice carrying his Firebolt under his arm.
"Aunt Bluebelle!" he smiled.
"Hello Harry, what you got there?" she pointed to the broom.
"Oh, that's my Firebolt," he held it out. "Sirius gave it to me," he added quietly.
"I used to play Quidditch, seeker really. Could I give it a try? I haven't played in years." His face lit up, a fellow, living, Quidditch player in the family seemed to brighten up the darkest of his days.
"Sure," they headed back to the field. Madame Hooch was just leaving when she saw them coming and her yellow eyes gleamed when she saw the new teacher.
"Bluebelle it's been too long dear, I remember when I taught you. Be glad she's your Aunt Mr. Potter, you've got one of the finest seekers I've ever seen walking next you."
"It's good to see you too, could we use the field for a bit? I want to see how rusty my skills have become."
"Of course, the extra brooms are still in a trunk out there, just bring them in when you're done."
Soon they were high above the castle turrets playing one on one.
"I'd forgotten what it looked like from up here," she cried as she zoomed after the little Golden Snitch.
"Ain't it great?"
"Absolutely!" Harry looked at her in amazement, there was no way that the skills she possessed were rusty, he hadn't seen such maneuvering since the World Cup. She twisted and turned, pulled up from dives he couldn't even fathom and even had performed acrobatic tricks as she zigzagged through the tower stands for the crowd. And all that on one of the old school brooms.
The sun had completely set by the time they were done, she the undisputed winner of their match.
"That was the most fun I've had in along time," she said breathlessly. Her braid was windblown, long locks of hair falling down around her, near half of it sticking up in the air. But a wide smile was on her face.
"I didn't think you played Quidditch."
"There's a lot about me that you'll find out sooner or later," they came to her chambers. "Come inside and we can talk more." He sat on a plush, pine green couch as she brushed the tangles from her hair and fixed them a pot of hot cocoa. "Well, what do you want to know?"
"Tell me about your work in the Ministry, on the Knight Buss you didn't say much. What were you doing exactly?"
"I knew you'd ask that, maybe I should be teaching Divination. I told you I did undercover work, well... to put it bluntly I was a secret auror."
"A secret auror? What's the difference?"
"Many regular aurors joined the Order of the Phoenix, but when I wanted to the Minister gave me another job," she sipped her chocolate. "You see, I knew some people personally who had joined You Know Who and that was valuable information, still is. So I tracked a lot of them down, and it took me all over the world. In each country I had a knew name, new age, new everything but..."
"But what?"
"I was a dead give away with my blue hair," she giggled mirthlessly. "Soon some one caught me and, well I'm not going to get into that. Getting out and getting back to work took a long time, years, and-what is it Harry?" He was looking down at her arm that was reaching for a cookie on the table separating them.
"Where'd you get that scar?" She held her breath and looked down, the starts of five thick, white scars were showing from a long rip in her long sleeve. It must have caught some where during their match. "Are they from your missions?"
"You can't tell anyone about those, Harry," she pulled the fabric over the exposed flesh. "No one must know, it's for the enemy to recognize me, if they find out about a woman with blue hair and scars they'll come not only for me but you too."
"I understand," he sat without saying anything for a while. "Does Professor Snape know? You two are pretty close."
"No, he doesn't know, if he did then He would already know I'm here and Severus' double agent status would be blown. Besides, we're not on the best of grounds right now." Part of Harry wanted to jump up and down, dance, and do anything to celebrate the chance of not having Snape as a close family friend. But the other part saw the quick flash of hurt in her eyes and knew that the friendship of the Head of Slytherin House meant a great deal to her.
"Oh, I see," he paused, "I had something like that happen to me and Ron once. It'll be back to normal." Her mood was clearly lifted by the happy face that appeared and the sparkle coming back to her vibrant eyes.
"I hope so, he's the only friend I have left from school."
"So tell me about when you were at Hogwarts." The night past on with him listening intently to the stories she told him about her childhood with his mother, the fights with his father and anything else that happened to her the years she stayed there.
As he walked back to the Gryffindor common room he overheard Dumbledore talking to McGonagall in a teacher's lounge.
"Are you sure about having her back? One of the reasons she's so hunted by the Dark Lord is right in castle!"
"I know that she'll bring a lot of good here, Minerva. And I think Severus needs a woman in his life as it is."
"Oh I can't wait to get the wedding invitation." Harry froze and felt his stomach churn and his blood stop. What did she mean my wedding invitation? And what did he mean that Snape needed a woman? He rushed back to the common room and found Ron and Hermione arguing over why it was or wasn't necessary to knit hats for house elves. His eyes were bulging and a vein seemed to be popping out from his forehead.
"My gosh Harry, what's wrong?" asked Hermione.
"Yeah, you don't look so good," Ron walked over to him.
"Snape likes my Aunt!"
Disclaimer: Once again HP is not mine only his make believe aunt is. Well, that certainly seems like a nightmare no don't it? I just had to make one of Harry's worst fears come out, I just couldn't help myself. We'll have to see about the next part. I'll even give you a hint: it's about the world's coolest holiday, and don't even think I mean Christmas. Oh and sorry for the delay, are ready to hear my excuse?
my computer crashed
family reunion
anime convention
I went to see Phantom of the Opera
And finally summer school (which is now over thank god)
Sooooooooooo I have been busy.
Pirate-Girl1017