Chapter 23
New Understandings
Isabel swore that the week had just been magically removed. She had spent it reading books on meditation that Voldermort gave her, dream walking various people in the house including several death eaters, and practicing lessons from class. Right now she had transfigured a small dusty grey-white mouse into a teacup. The door suddenly slammed open causing Isabel to jump, and change the mouse back, which scurried away as fast as it could.
"Damn!" She whispered as she watched the mouse disappear into a hole in the wall. She looked up to see Voldermort watching her. "Yes?" She asked nervously.
"I found another book for you." He said placing it on the bed next to her.
"Thank you."
"It's not what I wanted to give you, but I can't find that book."
"What was it called?"
"Meditative Mind, it's an excellent book, I must have lost it."
"Its okay, this is good."
"Are you ready?"
"I think so, but I'm not sure I understand what I have to do."
"You just have to recite some lines from a book."
"And the spell will render him powerless?"
"Yes."
Isabel nodded her head. "I'm just nervous, I don't want to screw up and end up dead."
"You won't, you have to return home to your boyfriend."
"Boyfriend?" Isabel's head shot up.
"Lucius' boys."
She seemed confused.
"Nicolas can find out more than he means to." With that he left.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She yelled after him. "Hey!"
Snape watched as Maria completed the potion perfectly. After her power was restored and received her wand, her powers were overwhelming. He wondered how much of it was due to the child growing inside. He moved on down the table to where Max was struggling to get the exact measurements.
"Mr. Evans, I suggest you get Miss Deluca to tutor you if you want to pass this class."
Max glared up at him. "I'm not a child; I'm just not good at cooking."
"Cooking?" Snape sounded flabbergasted. "This is not cooking; this is more like muggle chemistry. If you mix the wrong in ingredients in cooking it just tastes bad. But in potions if you do something wrong the whole class could be covered in slime." Several head popped up at that remark. "And as you can see, no one wants that." With that Snape moved on to his next victim. "Oh, Mr. Evans, five points." The Ravenclaws groaned.
After class Max walked up to Snape as everyone emptied out. "What do you get out of treating people the way you do?"
Snape didn't turn to face him. "I teach people to excel, Mr. Evans."
"At what, being afraid?"
"To stand up for themselves."
"How with all the bullying from you?"
Snape spun around to face Max, cutting off whatever Max wanted to add. Max looked down, Snape was showing him his arm. Snape ripped the bandage off and letting it fall to the floor. By doing so he revealed what Max thought was an acid burn.
"I'm teaching them to stand up for themselves. Some of them thankfully have already caught on."
"Why?" Max asked quietly. "Why you?"
"Because I couldn't I let my best friend get away with all kinds of things. I don't want them to make the same mistakes I did."
"I'm confused."
"I was a death eater, I was too afraid to fight, so I just went along with them." He paused, but continued before Max could open his mouth. "If I had stood up to Tom earlier Maria could have been my daughter. She wouldn't have to worry about her fate or her child's."
"Or have met Michael?" Max added.
"Not necessarily, they are soul mates, they would have met regardless." Snape caught a small flicker in Max's eyes. "Just like you and Liz, you shouldn't push her away. Let her share your burden. Regrets eat at you, just ask Amy."
Max reached out and slowly touched the burn. "What did you do?" He asked quietly.
"I removed the darkmark with a potion."
"Wow," Max whispered as his eyes followed Snape's down to a small 1 inch clear box where the piece of tattooed skin lay.
"That was my mistake, one I do not want these children to make. Now I believe you are late to class."
Max nodded his head.
Snape handed him a piece of paper, "for your teacher."
Max took the note, gathered his thing, and headed for the door.
"Max."
Max turned.
"As horrid as it sounds, he adores your sister. He won't hurt her; her spirit is a lot like Amy's."
"How?"
"Do you seriously think that I was the only spy?" Snape gave Max his version of a smile. "Now go to class." He said sternly.
Max walked into DADA, handed Professor Lupin his note, and sat down next to Liz. He put his arm around her waist and squeezed gently. He watched her eyes light up slightly and she smiled.
"Did Snape give you detention?" She whispered.
"No, we just talked."
"About?"
"Guy stuff."
"Somehow I doubt Professor Snape would talk about guy stuff."
Max glanced up at Professor Lupin who was watching him, "after class."
Maria walked into the Hufflepuff common room to see her mother sitting alone studying. She sat down in the chair next to her. "Mom?"
"Hm."
"What was dad like in school?"
Amy's head popped up at the word dad. "Well, he was bold, but quiet. Severus was pretty much his only friend when we met."
Amy sat in the stairwell near the dungeons crying. Her small 11 year old body shivered in the cold stairwell. She could still hear the jeering voices of the cruel Slytherines. She was so busy listening to the voices in her head that she didn't hear the footsteps coming toward her.
"They can really be cruel." A soft voice spoke.
She glanced up through tears, "you."
"Can I sit?" He asked. She sniffed and nodded her head. He quietly sat next to her. "What happened?"
"They sat Americans make the worst wizards an… (she sniffed) a dirty Yankee mudblood like me doesn't deserve to be here."
"They've probably called me worse." He said softly.
"Really?"
"Yeah, but I am in that house."
"How…" she wiped her tears with the sleeve of her robe," how do you manage?"
He whispered to himself, waved his wand, and a handkerchief grew out of the tip of his wand. He handed it to her. "I ignore them, pretend they aren't there."
She blew her nose. "Thanks."
"So are you headed to lunch now?"
"I guess," she said slowly standing. "But only if you sit with me." She said as he too stood.
"At the Hufflepuff table?"
"Sure, why not? I'm not sitting at the Slytherine table."
"Good point, let's go." He held out his hand for hers. She smiled and took it.
"Master, what are you doing?" Lucius asked watching the man before him staring out the window.
"Do you think she still loves me?"
"Sir?"
"Amy, do you think she still loves me?"
"Sir, what is this about?"
"Answer the question!" The wizard hissed.
"I don't know, sir." Lucius sighed. "My son says that she spends most of her time with Black…"
"That mangy mutt!" He roared.
"And Snape," Lucius continued in a whisper. Lucius watched as the reflection of his master's face twisted in rage.
"That snake, I should have killed him when I had the chance."
"Well, soon you can get the girl to do it for you."
"No."
"But master…"
"This is about her revenge, not ours. We will get our chance, just wait."
"If I may ask, what is your plan, master?"
The man at the window turned to his servant with bold red eyes.
Michael and Kyle were studying in the library, when a large black dog bounded in and stopped next to Michael with a growl. Michael groaned. "What did he do now?"
The dog transformed into Black. "He needs to be disciplined, he wrecked my demonstration."
"Why? Why do I have to baby sit him?"
"Just take care of him or get rid of him." Sirus answered.
"Where is he?" Kyle asked.
"Dumbledore's office."
Michael closed his books and stood.
"I'll go with you." Kyle said standing.
They found Rath sitting in front of Dumbledore. Rath was covered in blue slime. Michael sighed as he watched his twin slowly pick it off.
He was about to drop a piece on the floor, "DO NOT drop that on the floor!" Dumbledore warned. He looked up wearily. "Michael, Kyle, welcome." Both sighed slightly as they took a seat next to Rath. "Now this situation cannot continue as it is." Dumbledore told them. "And I won't send you back to him. So I have a solution, I want you to become a student."
Michael and Kyle gave each other worried looks.
"Okay." Rath said.
Dumbledore reached out and put the sorting hat on Rath's head. The hat awoke and gave Dumbledore an annoyed look. "Mischievous, powerful, determined, lust driven: Slytherine!"
Kyle groaned.
"Well, Rath there you are, you will take classes with the rest of the first years and Kyle and I will get you your necessary items."
Rath smiled, "thanks," as he stood he saw Michael and Kyle's faces, "sir."
"You are welcome, Now go!" Dumbledore said in a warning tone. "Ah, Mr. Guerin, could you stay a moment." Michael remained seated as Kyle and Rath left. "You are not in any trouble, quite the opposite actually. Professor Lupin wants to move you up after you winter exams." Michael looked shocked. "It will put you behind the second years. Professor Lupin will be staying here for Christmas break, as will you and he has agreed to use that time to help you get caught up."
Michael remained silent.
"Is that alright?"
"Uh," Michael cleared his throat, "uh, yeah, yeah, that's…" He stopped and cleared his throat again. "In high school I didn't do so well, so this is kinda weird, you know what I mean?"
"Perfectly." Dumbledore smiled.
Michael smiled, as he glanced at his watch. "I better go, I'm gonna be late for that class."
Dumbledore nodded his head as Michael bolted.
**I have read and enjoyed the reviews I've been getting. Thank you all so much; writing this has probably been my biggest stress reliever from school. A few notes though: Max & Liz got married in the last episode and this story happens after that, so yeah they are married. I know certain people are annoyed by my Chamber of Secrets thing, but I did state in the Author's Notes in the first chapter that I was messing with the HP universe for the sake of the story, if that makes this AU then so be it. If you ever want to know anything about the status of one of my stories go click on my name, I'm always leaving something on the Author's Page.**