A/N: Big thanks to Mine-for-Sirius who Beta'd this chapter. You should notice a dramatic increase in the quality of my grammar. If not… well… that's my fault. Please review!

Disclaimer: I don't own HP

Reviews:

Chapter 15 – In and out of hot water

PruePotter: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. Love your name, BTW. Charmed and HP, the best book and best TV show.

Rohan Bernett: Yeah, I think everybody has been waiting for Snape to get punched. He definitely deserves it, especially after book 6. BTW, your character will be appearing in next chapter. I'll send it to u to check before I post.

Scared-of-mimes: Cliffies are evil but sometimes you just gotta have 'em. I just couldn't resist having her punch snape. And any way, it created Drama!

Mine-for-Sirius: Ok, you Beta'd this chapter for me and I just emailed you so I'm not sure what to say here. Hmmm… thanks for Beta-ing?

Gatermage: yep, I have a habit of doing this don't i? Whenever I get bored I just ruin my characters lives. Meh. I'm the author, I have every right… I think…. Hmm, I'll have to check up on that.

Slytherinsess: Hmmm… couldn't quite tell if that was sarcasm or not… oh well… review again!

'Well?' Sirius demanded, 'Why aren't you at Hogwarts?'

Ari stared at him for a moment and then started fumbling with the bag of floo powder in her hands. She made quickly to jump back into the fireplace, but Sirius grabbed her arm, preventing her from moving.

'Don't try and run away!' he warned her, 'You're in enough trouble as it is! Now why aren't you at school?'

Ari looked at the ground and muttered in a barely audible voice, 'Expelled.'

Sirius stared at her in shock.

'What- but- no! I mean- how?' he finished weakly.

Arianna didn't look up.

'It hasn't happened yet,' she said quietly, 'But any minute now they're gonna show up here to break my wand in half.'

Sirius almost sighed in relief. She hadn't actually been expelled. He could talk Dumbledore out of it. But there was still the matter of –

'What did you do?' he asked her.

She looked up at him and Sirius was surprised to realize that her eyes were full of tears.

'I punched a teacher in the face! I think I broke his nose!'

Sirius gulped. This did look bad.

'Which teacher?'

'I don't even know.' She muttered bitterly, 'Yep, that's me, the great Arianna Black, punch first, ask questions later.'

Sirius was shocked.

'Well why did you punch them?' he he asked furiously 'What did they do?'

'Insulted you.'

Sirius was astounded. She'd broken a teacher's nose because they'd insulted him?

'What did they look like?'

'Greasy.'

Sirius would have laughed if it had not been for the seriousness of the situation. Snape. His daughter had broken his childhood enemy's nose. The problem was that Snape wouldn't rest until Arianna had been thrown out of Hogwarts and he'd probably sue as well. But Sirius wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. He turned to Arianna.

'Now I want you to listen very carefully to me.' he told her, 'Go to the Marauder's lair. No one except your mum, Remus, you and I know the password. Do not come out until one of us comes to get you, and for the love of God, do not surrender your wand if anything happens.'

Ari nodded and grabbed her trunk. She pushed the bag of floo powder into her father's hands.

'Here,' she said, 'it'll save you Apparating.' He nodded and turned to face the fireplace.

'And Sirius?'

He looked back at her.

'Yeah?'

'Thanks.'

He gave her a small smile before stepping into the fireplace, dropping the powder and shouting, 'Headmaster's office, Hogwarts!'

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Kayla Marie Robson always got her way. It was a general rule that everyone around her had gotten used to living with. Kayla was smart; intelligent enough to know that she had the upper hand over almost anyone who challenged her. Her parents were both top Aurors and held a great amount of political power. She was very pretty, most guys would give almost anything to go out with her, she was popular, and everybody wanted to be her friend, but most of all, Kayla was incredibly stubborn and not used to hearing 'No.'. That was why Kayla was currently standing in her head of house's office and screaming, arguing, swearing and threatening.

'But Professor! I have to go! It's a matter of life and death!'

'I see no reason to allow you into this program, Miss Robson, now please remove yourself from my presence.'

'But Professor, I'm just as eligible to be accepted into this program as anyone else in this school, probably more! I get top grades! I haven't had detention in – okay, bad example, but I have to go!' Professor Rafferty looked down her nose at Kayla.

'Miss Robson! I know that the only reason you are interested in this program is because of Miss Black and I personally think that some time apart would do you good! You two are simply too disruptive while in each others presence, and I will not have embarrassing our school!'

'Unfortunately for you, Professor,' argued Kayla, her eyes flashing, 'it is not your personal opinion that matters! Unless you want to face an official enquiry with the Ministry, I suggest you put all personal opinions aside and look at this from a professional and diplomatic point of view! I get top grades! My parents are very influential people and this would be very good for international relations!'

Kayla could see that she had her professor stumped. There was no denying that Kayla going on this trip would be very good for international relations, and if she didn't allow her to go she could quite possibly lose her job, or at least her good reputation as a teacher. Kayla watched with satisfaction as a defeated look spread across her professor's face.

'Fine,' snapped Rafferty, 'You can go.'

Kayla grinned happily as she ran off to find Paige. Yes, Kayla Marie Robson always got her way.

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Ari was bored. For the first hour or so she had been pacing 'The Marauder's lair' worrying about whether or not she had been expelled. Then she had realised that this was getting her no where and so she had resigned to sitting in one of the crimson coloured armchairs and daydreaming about happy times she'd spent with her friends. She was interrupted when the door swung open and four people walked in. Sirius, Remus, Dumbledore and the greasy-haired teacher who she'd hit. Ari noticed with grim satisfaction that he was standing as far away from her as possible.

'Miss Black,' said Professor Dumbledore gravely, 'it has come to my attention that you attacked a member of my staff. How do you plead?'

'Guilty,' muttered Ari.

'Seeing as it is your first day, first offence, and you were honest with us, Professor Snape has decided not to press charges.' Ari lifted her head in disbelief. They were letting her off?

'On the condition that you are not in any of his defence against the dark arts classes and you agree to see an anger management therapist.'

Ari looked at him glumly.

'So I have to see a shrink and drop my favourite subject?'

'Not a chance.' said Sirius, 'You aren't dropping any classes, let alone DADA. You're just getting a private tutor.'

'But I still have to see a shrink?' (Could be new paragraph ) Sirius and Remus stifled a laugh, Snape scowled and Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling.

'Yes.'

'Damn. So who's tutoring me for DADA? Remus?'

Remus shook his head.

No, I am going to be constantly away doing work for the Order. I won't have time.'

'So who?'

Dumbledore gave her a small smile.

'Whenever your timetable says you have Defence against the Dark arts, come to the Room of Requirement. Your tutor will meet you there.' He turned and walked out of the room with Snape hurrying along behind him.

Ari turned to her father.

'Where's the Room of Requirement?' she asked. Sirius grinned.

'Harry will show you. In the mean time, you need to get back to school. They'll be eating lunch right now.' Arianna sighed. Great, she'd have to ask Potter for help. Just what she needed. Then she grinned. She'd broken a teacher's nose and gotten away with it! That was one for the scrapbooks!

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Well it's certainly been an eventful first day. Can't say I enjoyed it though. I broke a teacher's nose, got away with it, got kicked out of DADA, got a private tutor who I am yet to meet, got condemned to torture sessions with some shrink, and after all of it, instead of everyone hating me, people have been trying to get in my good books. I am the prophesized 'Girl-who-broke-ugly-teacher's-nose.' Funny as hell, I tell you. I think it started going a bit too far when I some first years came up to me asking for self-defence lessons. The best bit was Potter's reaction. It looked like he was going crazy trying to figure out whether to congratulate me or continue ignoring me. Apparently he was Snape's most hated student; I guess that one just changed. At least I don't have to suffer through classes with the git now. I hope the tutor's alright.

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'Hey! Black!' Arianna whirled around to see a panting Ginny running towards her.

'Yeah?'

'Dumbledore wants to see you in his office. Something about your new DADA tutor.'

'Gotcha. Thanks.' Ginny had suddenly warmed up to Arianna after the Snape incident. Ari was still reluctant to make friends with anybody, but had resolved to be polite to the girl.

Ari hurried towards Dumbledore's office and was surprised to find Harry waiting at the stone gargoyle's.

''Scuse me, Potter.' she said, shoving him out of the way, 'I have to see Dumbledore.'

'So do I,' he told her, 'He wanted to see both of us. Why do you think I'm waiting?

She shrugged.

'Acid Pops.' They entered the revolving staircase together and were soon at the top at the heavy wooden door that marked the entrance to Dumbledore's office.

'Come in,' came the voice from inside.

'I'll never understand how he does that.' Harry muttered to her as they entered.

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk and beside him was a woman with a creamy complexion, long blonde hair that reached her waist and eyes so dark a brown they were almost black. She looked to be about her parent's age, Ari thought.

'Ah, Harry, Arianna, take a seat. Let me introduce to you, Professor Annabel Kerrigan, your new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher.' Ari was confused. Their DADA teacher? What happened to her DADA teacher?

'Yes, Miss Black, Harry will be joining you in your DADA classes. He has his own differences with Professor Snape that prevent him from reaching his full ability in that class. Ari nodded. So that explains it, She thought.

'I brought you up here earlier than planned for a little 'meet-and-greet' session so that when your classes start you can go straight into your work.

'Harry,' said Kerrigan wistfully, 'you look so like your father, and you Arianna, you look so much like yours.'

'You knew our dads?' blurted out Harry. Kerrigan nodded.

'Yeah. James and I grew up together, and when he and Sirius became practically joined at the hip, it was inevitable that I spent a lot of time with him as well.'

'What about my mum? And Lily?' asked Arianna curiously. Kerrigan looked uncomfortable.

'Well… Anna and Lily were always the best of friends, but I never got on too well with either of them. I was a bit too… wild for them.'

'Oh.'

'Maybe, Annabel, You should tell them about what they are going to be doing in your class?' suggested Dumbledore.

'Yeah, okay. This isn't going to be a normal DADA class.' started Kerrigan.

'What do you mean?' asked Harry.

'You two are both prime targets for Voldemort. I will be teaching you all the basic things you need to know, but also things that will prove life-saving for you in the war. Martial arts, weapons and basic logic.'

'Professor Kerrigan is a Training Master.' explained Dumbledore, 'It is a career option open to those only with the very good connections and the people they train are restricted to mainly to Aurors and anyone with a very large bank account, but she has agreed to train you as a personal favour to me. Anything else you'd like to add, Annabel?

Kerrigan shook her head.

'No, I think you've pretty much covered it.'

'Good. You two are free to leave.' Ari and Harry stood up and exited the room.

'So what do you think?' Harry asked her as they waited for the revolving staircase to reach the bottom.

'What? About being trained how to punch someone in the face, stab someone with a knife and then think them to death?' she replied sarcastically. She still wasn't used to being nice to Potter. They came out of the stairs near the stone Gargoyle's and as they walked past, one of the gargoyle's stone wings brushed the back of Arianna's neck. She stopped and swayed on the spot for a minute before crumpling to the ground.