:D I had planned on posting this in two parts -- possibly with a bit more but decided to post as is so... Two chapters in one! Once more for Mystic!
In case you're wondering, I just added the disclaimer to the chapters I noticed I had forgotten it on, no other changes to the chapters previously posted were made.
Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Ms. Rowling is a gold medal writer, I'm not. However I have been advised to add this: All concepts, ideas and characters not recognized from the Harry Potter series belong to the author unless otherwise specified.
Chapter 8: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
"Get up now!" Snape shouted. "We'll see what the Headmaster has to say about this!" He grabbed her wrist and pulled her with him out into the corridor. Stepping behind her, Snape told her to go on.
By the time the pair had reached the Gargoyles, both had calmed to a low simmer.
Dumbledore regarded his Potions Master and newest student. Both had composed themselves, but he knew it would take only a small spark to set them both off again.
Meidh was positively seething, "Do you have any idea what this… this… Professor," the title came out drenched in venom, "made an ass out of himself by assuming?" Without waiting for a reply she continued. "That I wouldn't be able to – and I quote – 'Understand the subtle science and exact art that is potion making'. If a teacher of mine in high school ever even insinuated something like that he or she would have lost their teaching license the first time!"
Snape was livid. "How dare you accuse me? You insolent, disrespectful…"
Dumbledore cut the professor off. "Enough. The both of you." The no-nonsense calm voice of the headmaster stunned both parties into silence. "Professor Snape, I will speak to Miss Robertson in private."
With a curt nod to the Headmaster, the Potions Master turned and left, his robes billowing behind him.
Dumbledore sighed and turned toward his still-agitated student. "Have a seat, please." Meidh obediently sat in the drawn up armchair. "Professor Snape is best respected but held at a distance. Tea, Lemon Drop?" The sudden offer threw off Meidh's expectations.
"No, thank you," she replied as calmly as possible. "So what you're telling me is to keep my head down and work as I do in my other classes. There's one small problem with that."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
"I find it impossible to respect, and therefore heed advice, from someone who doesn't respect me."
"He will now," the Headmaster clarified. "He respects anyone – rather any student – willing to stand up to him and not back down. Mind you, he won't show it in any sort of way you're probably used to."
The discussion continued well into lunch as Meidh told the headmaster about her other two morning classes.
In the smallest bedroom of Number Four Privet Drive, a teenage boy lies in bed tossing and turning in his sleep. The dream is one that plagues him since the attack at the Ministry. Every night he watches Sirius fall through The Veil. Every night he fails to save his Godfather.
With a start, Harry Potter awoke. The loneliness that assaulted him at night was almost unbearable, but he couldn't lat on to anyone. Every three days he faithfully wrote the Order of the Phoenix. Harry's letters were always short, filled with only enough information to keep the Order members from showing themselves and upsetting his aunt and uncle more.
They blamed him for Sirius, he knew they did. Harry was the one that was unwilling to see that Snape would do that he could to help. The face and things said were meant to throw Umbridge off. It didn't matter now, the result didn't change; Sirius was still dead.
Just after dawn broke, Harry rose from his bed to write the needed note.
'I'm fine. The Dursleys are fine. Dudley is back on his diet. Will write again in three days. Harry.' He folded the paper and set it aside for Hedwig. Once she returned from the night's hunt, he would send it with her.
'Boy,' Harry's Aunt Petunia screeched from the bottom of the stairs, 'get down here at once!'
Harry sighed and headed downstairs. After eating his small one quarter grapefruit for breakfast, he was sent outside to weed the garden. It was no problem. After not being able to leave the castle much last year, the fresh air and sunshine were especially welcome.
It was late in the evening before anyone came out to see what was finished. Uncle Vernon stormed out; his face was red with rage. He picked Harry up by his upper arm, pulling him inside, and shoved him into a chair.
'Boy, be sure you write those freaks, they better not be showing up at our door.'
'Yes, Uncle Vernon.' Harry said dully.
Vernon grabbed Harry back up, shoving him upstairs, into his room, and locking the door behind him. Falling still clothed onto the bed, Harry listlessly toed off his worn out shoes, and pulled the ragged sheet over his thin form.
His nightmares eagerly retrieved their prey.
The scenes started with Cedric.
'Is this supposed to be part of the task?'
'I dunno,' said Cedric. He sounded slightly nervous. 'Wands out, d'you reckon?'
'Yeah,' said Harry, glad that Cedric had made the suggestion rather than him.
They pulled out their wands. Harry kept looking around him…
'Someone's coming,' he said suddenly.
A small figure appeared in the graveyard. The bundle it was carrying hissed.
'Kill the Ssssspare.'
Pain almost more than he could bear needled through his scar at the words, 'Avada Kedavra!'
The flash of green light grew blinding. When the scene cleared, Harry was once again standing by the mysterious archway and veil. Bellatrix was duelling with her cousin.
The second jet of light hit him squarely on the chest.
The laughter had not quite died from his face, but his eyes widened in shock…
It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch.
'SIRIUS!' Harry screamed. No one around him noticed.
Waking with a start, Harry moved to huddle in a corner, trying valiantly to calm his frazzled nerves.
+-Disclaimer and other information available at the end of the chapter.
The next week Meidh began to feel more and more frustrated. The professors were plodding along at a snail's pace with her lessons. The extra energy ended up being expended by running. Meidh ran five laps around the Quidditch stadium before breakfast, one or two over lunch, and another five to seven before sunset. Most of the time, Peanuts ran with her, as he had before his unexpected move across the ocean. Some days though, he merely sat and watched her.
Friday at lunch, Meidh blurted out to McGonagall, "I want to change my schedule. The point of these summer lessons is to learn as much as I can as fast as possible. These short lessons simply do not help. Also, I imagine it is wreaking havoc with the staff's collective summers."
McGonagall smiled, "I suppose you have a proposed schedule made up?"
"Yup," Meidh said proudly. "One class a day -- except Wednesday -- with those classes that are really just practical or theoretical not both. Do you think that Professor Dumbledore will agree?"
The hope that he would approve was clear in the young woman's eyes.
"I think so," McGonagall assured her. "Explain to me what you want. Then the two of us can present the option to the Headmaster."
"As I see it, Monday is Transfiguration, Tuesday is DADA. Wednesday is a lot of fun, History of Magic for the first half of the morning, Herbology for the remainder and the first half of the afternoon, and Astronomy for the last of the afternoon and at midnight. Thursday would be Potions and Charms on Friday. We can Study the theory for the morning and do practical lessons in the afternoon."
With very little persuasion, Dumbledore accepted the change. At supper he made the announcement to the rest of the staff. With the exception of Snape, who was more disagreeing out of principle, the revision was eagerly received.
That weekend McGonagall disappeared for most of the day, returning only for supper. When Meidh asked what the professor was up to, the older woman simply smiled and said all would be revealed in good time.
On Monday with twenty minutes still left before lunch, Professor McGonagall called a halt to the theory part of Meidh's transfiguration day.
"There's something I want to show you." The professor explained, "Follow me." After walking through a nearly dizzying array of hallways and staircases, McGonagall stopped at the portrait of a fat lady in a pink dress.
"Password," the portrait asked.
McGonagall looked at her student to be sure the young woman was paying attention.
"Canadiana"
The fat lady nodded once and the portrait swung aside revealing a small doorway in the tower. McGonagall led the way in, beckoning Meidh to follow.
"This is the Gryffindor Common Room. For the main house population dorms are upstairs and down on the left for the boys and on the right for girls. However, given the fact that you do not fit into any particular year, there is something different for you. She moved over to a particularly hidden door."
"Peanuts," McGonagall said. The door swung open revealing a large bedroom. On one side there was the bed, a dresser, and a straight-backed chair. On the other there was a fireplace with a small sofa and two arm chairs gathered around.
"This will be your room. Through the door," McGonagall pointed out a door beyond the fireplace, Meidh had not noticed. "Over there, is your own bath. These rooms were designed for an adult, usually a woman, whose job it was to oversee the happenings within the house. He or she also cared for basic colds, headaches, etc. of the pupils. Anything more serious was passed on to the school nurse. What do you think?"
"It's so… cool! Thank-you so much. Is this what you were doing all weekend?" Meidh asked.
"Supervising, there are those in the castle who did the actual cleaning. Also, spells have been placed on the door to allow Peanuts free access without losing any privacy for the door being opened."
"Thank-you again. I don't want to seem ungrateful but we're going to be late for lunch if we don't go now."
McGonagall smiled and as the pair headed back to the Great Hall she explained, "Meidh, you may move into your room next weekend, if you wish. I doubt you will have any time for such activities this week."
"I imagine not." Meidh smiled as they sat down for lunch.
Professor Dumbledore seemed very pleased that Meidh liked her room so much. It would be very interesting to see the other's reactions.
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Well I'm back. You know, all the research in the world, I don't think anyone is trying to find a cure for writer's block. Pity.
I mentioned my story trouble to a friend who gave me the advice of either writing the final chapter or finding a way around my stumbling blocks and helped me find a way around. I certainly hope I never have to do that again but I somehow doubt I'd be that lucky.
-+ Ok people, I tried to make sure that my direct quotes are in italics and the in between parts are either my paraphrase for the story or my original.
I tried to generally make it so that a direct quote was italicized – not completely a hard and fast rule.
No copyright infringement is meant by the use of the excerpts, I simply used them to further the plot in my FAN FICTION
Quotations / Excerpts taken from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Canadian soft cover edition Copyright 2000 J.K. Rowling Pages 552 – 553
And
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Canadian soft cover edition Copyright 2003
J. K. Rowling Pages 710 – 711