Chapter 26: Kat's first lesson
{Alex and Kat's POV}
About an hour before dinner, Kat woke up from her nap, changing into casual clothes and getting ready for dinner before she pulled out some books. She read up on what they would be doing for her first lesson today, so she was prepared and did some more meditation.
Alex woke up disoriented, he looked around trying to remember what had happened and how he had gotten to his dorm. He looked at his wrist, realizing that his bracelet was not there yet. He got off the bed and walked to the door, he stared at the door for a few seconds before slowly opening it and walking towards Kat's dorm. When he stood in front of the door, he slowly opened it and walked into the room. -"Kat, I want to feel your magic, can you hug me?"- He said softly, trying to keep his emotions under control.
As she heard the boy come in, Kat closed her book about her lessons and pushed it aside, pulling out the other books about how to train her abilities. -"Do you have to be hugging me or can you just sit close to me?"- She asked to see if she could find away to not have to deal with visions at the moment, but she almost knew it wouldn't work.
Alex plays with his thumbs. -"I guess, it works if I sit next to you, but I would like a hug, can't I?"- He says softly, although she is right, just the simple fact of being in the same room as her and seeing her directly, he could feel perfectly her magic and made him feel calmer, but Alex was always a person who much preferred physical and affectionate contact.
-"Fine but only a little, you know my ability drains me"- Kat said, patting the spot next to her on the bed for him to come over and sit. She took a deep breath and prepared herself to fight against the vision and control her ability.
Alex smiles slightly as he walks over to the bed. -"Thanks"- He sat on the bed and took a deep breath, trying to keep his emotions as normal as he could so as not to bother his sister so much.
Kat could feel the boy almost draining some of her magic to make him feel better, it was a weird feeling, but it didn't seem like he was draining too much. She just continued reading and trying not to focus on the feeling.
Alex felt his body relaxing, which made him yawn and rub one eye, he hadn't realized how tired his body felt. When he felt better, he stopped hugging his sister. -"Thank you"- He said, yawning again. He looked at his wrist and then sighed. -"I broke the bracelet that dad gave me"-
-"You're welcome"- Kat said as she stopped holding her breath as much and relaxed herself -"You'll be fine, I'm sure he's making you another one"- She said with a shrug as she turned the page in her book.
Alex sighed softly. -"Yeah, you're right, but this day was going really well, but I had to break the bracelet and blow up a desk"- He says slightly annoyed.
-"It's ok, you just have to learn how to control your ability"- Kat said, nodded at her little brother.
Alex nods, -"Yeah, but it's hard, I've never had these problems before, for me this 'ability' has never been a problem, it's always been something normal, it's just that my emotions and my magic is difficult to keep under control"-
-"I know, I understand how it feels, but you'll learn. It just takes time and patience for you to have complete control over it"- Kat nodded gently to him as she talked.
Alex smiles -"Ok, I will do that, but that practicing is really scary, I don't want to feel again what I saw on dad's wand, plus it made dad get...uh, weird"- He tilted his head slightly, he had never seen his father act like that before.
Kat shook her head not really wanting to get involved with whatever the boy had felt on their father's wand, she was sure that she would be able to see some odd stuff in their father's mind if her training ever came to that -"Just try to forget about it but remember not to touch it again"-
Alex looks at her for a moment before nodding -"Mhm, ok you're right, dad's back to normal, so I guess we'd better forget it"- He smiles happily, as he gets off the bed "let's go eat, I'm getting a little hungry"-
-"Just forget what you saw, if you would like I can obliviate it"- Kat offered for him as she got up with a stretch of her back before nodding and walking to the Great Hall with the boy
Alex thought for a moment before smiling -"No, but thanks for the offer, I know what I felt was scary and what I saw was confusing, and I don't really understand what it's about, but I don't want to forget it, after all it's dad's feelings, I don't want to forget anything related to any of you"- He said as they entered the Great Hall -"But if I have a lot of nightmares because of that, then I will ask you to obliviate me"-
Kat nodded her head to his response -"Alright, just let me know. If you need anything come find me, I'll be with my friends"- She told him as she walked off to her part of the table
Alex nods, -"Okay"- He waves before sitting down with his friends.
{Sev's POV}
Severus after leaving Alex went to his father's laboratory, first he made the potion for Alex, which he did relatively quickly. It was a potion he had made many times because of Alex's nightmares, he just had to make it a little weaker.
Once he put the position in a vial, he devoted all his concentration to the animagus potion, He was so focused he almost didn't see the note his father sent him, once he read it, he smiled broadly. -"Great, I have more time to practice"- He continued working on the potion until it was time for dinner.
Severus walked into the Great Hall, his hair was a bit burnt, and he had a bit frustrated look on his face -"Here, Kat, it's the sleeping potion for Alex, he'll fall asleep half an hour after taking it"- He said holding the potion in front of her.
Kat looked up at him as she heard Severus speak, taking the potion from his hands before she struggled to hold in a laugh -"What happened to you?"- She said letting out a small laugh at the sight of her brother burnt from a potion
Severus glared at her -"It's not funny"-He growled softly -"What happened to me is that the animagus potion is so delicate and that I'm using practice ingredients, I don't want to imagine when I use the real ones, I exploded like five cauldrons, and to avoid dad getting mad I had to clean up all the mess I caused, god, I didn't feel so frustrated since I started making potions"-
Kat chuckled again -"I think it's very funny"- She said before looking down at the potion for a second –"Why don't you go look for one of father's old textbooks, maybe there are some notes you can use there"-She suggested with a shrug.
Severus looked at her for a few seconds -"Oh, you're right, I hadn't thought of that, then I'll go back to the lab to get his old books"- He nodded -"Well, I'll go with my friends, I'll see you when Alex goes to sleep, send me a note when your lesson starts to go get the guys"-
Kat nodded her head –"I'll deal with him for now, I'll send an owl to you when I put him to sleep, but I'm going straight to my lesson"- She told him as she went to her seat to eat
Severus nodded -"Ok"- He said before going to where his friends were and sitting down to eat.
Kat put the potion in her bag before sitting down with her friends, every once in a while, glancing over at Alex and her father to check on them
Alex talked quietly with his friends as he ate. He occasionally glanced at his father, and sighed lightly as he rubbed his wrist, wondering when his father would give him another bracelet. When he finished eating, he said goodbye to his friends and walked back to Kat.
Kat ate pretty quickly as she chatted with everyone, she wanted to be ready to go to her lesson whenever her father sent her an owl to request her presence. -"Did you finish?"- She asked Alex as he came back over to her. She took a glass of milk, poured the potion slyly before holding the glass in front of her, -"Drink this, it will help you sleep"-
Alex nodded with a smile -"Yep, I'm done eating"- He bowed his head slightly -"Are we going back to the dorms now?"- He asked before drinking the glass of milk.
Kat looked over at her friends with a sigh before looking back to Alex -"Would you like to go back now?"- She asked him
Alex shook his head as he set the glass on the table. -"No, well I have homework to do, but we don't have to go back now, I can wait until you want to go, I can keep reading this"- He said as he pulled the book his father had given him out of his bag.
Kat shook her head with a sigh, knowing the boy didn't want to stay there anymore, so she just stood up from her spot and gave her friends a small goodbye -"Come on Alex"- She called for him to follow as she began to walked out of the Great Hall.
Alex bowed his head slightly and waved to Kat's friends before following her out of the Great Hall -"You didn't have to leave, I could really wait, you could keep talking to your friends"-
Kat shook her head as she walked off to her dorm quickly -"No, you wanted to leave, and I have to get ready for an extra help private with a professor"- She sighed as she lied, she just hoped Alex wasn't smart enough to pick up on the fact that she was brilliant and never needed extra help.
Alex bit his lip and then nodded -"Okay"- He thought for a moment -"Eh, I didn't know professors gave private help"- He commented, but then said -"Well you're in 6th year, you have your N.E.W.T. exams next year, so it must be pretty normal among 4th and 5th, 6th and 7th year students"- He drew his own conclusions.
Kat shook her head -"Most professors will give you private lessons as long as you ask politely, and they like you"- She said with a shrug as that part is true -"If they think you need the help they'll most likely say yes"-
Alex nodded as he listened to her -"Oh, I didn't know that, that's why you're so smart, you go to a lot of private lessons?"- He looked at her with his eyes shining with admiration.
Kat sighed before just nodding her head -"Yes, father has been making me go to private lessons my entire time here, so I could be the top of my year. I've had a private lesson with every professor at this school already"- She lied again
Alex's eyes got brighter -"Wow, you are so amazing"- He said with a big smile -"I wish I could be like you"- He muttered as he opened the door to the common room.
-"All you have to do is ask the professors, and they'll help you, especially with who father is"- Kat said with a shrug as she followed him in and around the dorms.
Alex nodded -"That's a good idea, I'll do that"- He looks at her with a smile -"Well, I'm going to my dorm to do my homework"-
-"Alright, I'll come put you to bed on my way out to my lesson, do not leave your dorm unless it is to come here"- Kat warned him as she watched him head off
Alex nodded -"Okay, I will"- He said before walking into his room -"I thought Sev would do that"- He shrugged -"Well, never mind"- He said before reaching for his homework. He threw the books on his bed and went about his homework with a hum.
Kat watched him leave her room before she let out a sigh, it was so risky lying to Alex since he randomly caught onto lies.
When Severus finished eating, he went with his roommates to their dorm, and they went over their plan for tonight. He was determined to get his father's wand.
As it got later and later, Kat got herself ready for her first terrifying lesson with her father, gathering her books and heading to Severus' dorm to tell him that she was leaving before going to Alex's
Severus smiled triumphantly when all the details were finished, -"Great, just need to write to the Gryffindor boys"-
Kat knocked on his door, but then pushed it open and went in as usual -"Sev I'm going to put Alex to bed now then leaving, you better not get me involved in your little plan"- She told him as she turned to leave the room, she was so nervous that she completely forgot the plan she and Sev had thought of.
Severus raises an eyebrow -"Hey, wait, this was supposed to be a plan of the two of us, I distract dad while you take his wand and see what Alex saw"- He was confused, how could she forget, if they talked about them less than an hour ago.
-"I'm going into a lesson that is probably going to cause me more mental distress than you could even imagine, I will try to help you, but you better do this plan early if you want me to be able to function enough to do it"- Kat explained to him, remembering it, but her nerves were making her doubt Sev's plan a little now.
Severus frowned. -"Are you sure you want to put dad in a bad mood before your lesson? That's not a very smart idea"- He sighed -"Besides, it might affect you too much to see what's in dad's wand"- He scratched his head -"We would have thought it through"-
Kat shook her head as she dismissed his thoughts -"I'm fine with it, just let me help you as long as you do it in the beginning"- she said as she watched him -"I can handle all of it so don't worry about me"-
Severus sighed -"You always say that"- He rolled his eyes -"Never mind, I came up with another idea, you don't think about anything, just go to your lesson, I have a better idea, but more dangerous"-
Kat shook her head -"No Sev, I'm serious. I'll be fine, just do the old plan and make sure you and your friends don't get in too much trouble"-She said before she left to go to Alex's room to put him to sleep
Severus sighed -"Fine"- He walked over to his desk to write to the Gryffindor boys.
Alex hummed softly as he finished knitting one of the scarves, sometimes he rubbed his eyes, it was still a little while before his bedtime and he was already feeling tired.
Kat knocked on the door to Alex's room before coming in -"Alex it's time for bed"- She told him as she walked in and closed the door behind her.
Alex raised his head and looked at Kat -"Ehhh, so soon, I'm not sleepy yet"- He grumbled softly as he rubbed one eye, he was tired but didn't want to go to sleep.
Kat shook her head as she walked towards him -"It's almost ten already, you know your bedtime during your grounding is at nine"- She told him, she knew he must be sleepy, the potion should be taking effect by that time -"Come on, I'll tuck you in and stroke your back"-
Alex looked at Kat with a pout, the option was very tempting -"Okay"- He left his knitting stuff on his nightstand.
Kat summoned a glass of warm milk, -"Come on, another glass of milk, and you'll be asleep in no time"-
Alex nodded and drank the milk; the warm milk made him even sleepier. He lay down on the bed with a yawn after leaving the glass on his bedside table.
Kat tucked him in and patted him on the back to make him even sleepier. -"I'll leave when I'm completely asleep"-
Alex nodded as he slowly closed his eyes, -"Okay, good luck on your lesson"- He mumbled before falling asleep.
Kat mumbled a -"Thank you"- before leaving the room and walked off to her father's office.
Severus had sent his roommates to keep an eye on Alex in case something happened while he was sleeping, then went to the point where he was to meet the Gryffindor boys and told them that the plan had to be done a little sooner than expected.
Kat knocked on her father's office door, waiting for permission to enter before she walked in and closed the door behind her.
Snape had finished preparing his office for Kat's lesson, he gave her permission to enter -"You're on time, very good"- He said as he turned to look at her.
Kat nodded as he walked in and closed the door behind her -"Good evening father"- She told him as she put the books he gave her on the coffee table for the moment while she waited for him to tell her what to do.
Severus peeked around the corner where he was hiding. Once he saw Kat enter, he smiled, -"Well, you know what you have to do"-
Snape looked at her, -"Very well, sit down in that chair, and I'll start explaining how these lessons work"- He explained before turning his head towards the door when he heard noise outside.
Kat nodded her head as she moved over and sat in the seat, he had set up for her. She turned to look at the door as well when she heard the noise as well.
Severus smiled and hid behind the wall as the two of them started to fight.
Snape sighed, -"Wait a moment"- He said before walking towards the door with his wand in his hand.
Kat watched as her father started to walk off with his wand, but quickly came up with a plan, she aimed a disarming spell at her father from an angle that would make it look like it came from the fight
Snape felt his wand fall from his hand, but before he could react to pick it up one of the boys slammed into him -"Hey, you two stop!"- He said forgetting his wand and grabbing the boys by the collar of their shirts to pull them apart.
When Kat saw him forget the wand and close the door behind him, she quickly dashed over to the wand and picked it up, preparing herself as much as possible to see whatever Alex felt
Severus smiled when he saw that his father didn't have his wand, but stayed hidden as he watched his father yelling at them at the top of his lungs and making one or two Snape-like comments.
The second Kat took hold of the wand, thousands of memories flashed before her eyes for a split second, but she could see them all clearly. Most were bad and very few were good, but she now understood why Alex was so messed up after touching it. At some point all of the emotions and memories became too much for her and overwhelmed her, she tried to drop the wand before it took a turn for the worst, but she was too late. Her body have out and fainted from it all, the wand dropping from her hand as her body collapsed and flying a few feet from her on the floor.
Snape clicked his tongue as he let the boys go, -"Get out of here before I think of giving you a detention and taking off another 15 points, but this time for each of you!"- He said angrily before turning and opening the door. Once inside the office he was still angry -"Okay, Katarina"- But when he saw his daughter passed out on the floor all the anger left his body and was replaced by concern and fear -"Katarina, daughter, what's wrong ?"- He knelt down in front of her, shook her a little and when he saw that she didn't wake up, he picked her up and ran to the infirmary. He hoped that his daughter was not seriously ill, but he could not understand what had happened in the few minutes he was out of the office.