Rachel sat on her bed, most of the way through a book Hermione had sent her late yesterday afternoon. A History of the Triwizard Tournament by Irwin Froth had started out as an interesting read, but was slowly growing more and more concerning as she made it further into the book.
The Triwizard Tournament had first been held in 1294 and had actually been pretty interesting. Each school had brought its most talented students and the Tournament had included spectacles of magic, dueling, and singing and lute playing. Three champions were chosen from the cup called the Goblet of Fire that Hogwarts Headmaster Adelard Browne had hewn from a yew tree, and all three Headmasters had added enchantments to make it work. There was a Yule Ball, where the schools feasted and danced until the early morning hours. The Beauxbatons champion Roul Basille had won the Tournament that year after enchanting an Ashwinder, a feat that the author noted may have been accomplished with Parseltongue.
From there things steadily went downhill. The Triwizard Tournament was held every five years for the next five hundred years, and the only reason Rachel could come up with that they hadn't cancelled it before then was that people simply didn't care all that much about students dying.
In 1404 both the Durmstrang and Hogwarts champions were killed by an Acromantula in the final task. The Beauxbatons student was severely wounded but managed to set the Acromantula on fire before it could escape the arena.
In 1559 the Beauxbatons champion and the Beauxbatons Headmaster were both killed when the Headmaster tried to run to his student's aid in the second task, a magical vortex that consumed them both entirely.
In 1679 they banned the dueling competition after Alexsandru Lunev from Durmstrang killed a student to take the place as the top duelist.
In 1714 the Hogwarts champion was gored by a Graphorn during the first task and died shortly after.
In 1794 a cockatrice escaped during the third task, injuring all three of the Headmasters and a number of students in its rampage.
'How could Professor Dumbledore possibly think reviving the Triwizard Tournament is a good idea?' Rachel wrote into her two-way book as she closed the book she'd just finished reading.
'I don't know, it's pretty concerning. I know it's supposed to be safer because only students who are of age can enter, but I'm not sure how being of age makes the tasks they describe less dangerous,' Hermione wrote back.
'Bring the book with you to Hogwarts, I want to read it,' Theo wrote.
'Send it to me first, I'm out of things to read and now I'm curious. Is it really that bad?' Millie wrote.
'It is. By my count there were one hundred Tournaments held, with 43 deaths (not all of them Champions) and many many injuries. Why can't the Tournament be about who can perform the best Transfigurations or brew the best potions or something like that, instead of putting students in life or death situations? I've read up on dueling too, and even in professional circuits that's not deadly anymore,' Hermione wrote.
Rachel thought about that. There did seem to be a sort of entertainment aspect of it, rather than just testing the skills of the students.
'That's a lot of deaths. I wonder if people's parents know about this?' Millie wrote.
'Well, they'll know soon enough. I'm sure everyone will write home to tell their parents what is happening at Hogwarts. And if Lucius Malfoy, who is on the Board of Governors, isn't complaining about it, I think it's probably too late to do anything about it,' Theo wrote.
'Probably. I'll send you the book with Gladys today, Millie,' Rachel wrote.
She got up and wrapped the book using two sheets of parchment and a Sticking charm so they would stay together and then wrote Millie's name on it.
Downstairs she found Severus reading in his armchair.
"Did Professor Dumbledore say why he's bringing back the Triwizard Tournament?" she asked when he looked up.
"He wants to create strengthen the relationships between Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang in case there's another war, though he'll say it's because it's important that Hogwarts students are also making international connections as wizarding Britain is part of the greater magical community," Severus said.
"Oh," Rachel said. That was a lot more straightforward than she was expecting, also a bit more worrying. "Professor Dumbledore seems pretty certain there is going to be another war."
"Albus has seen many things throughout his lifetime. I would expect that if anyone could read the signs of a coming war, it would be him. Hopefully the war will not be for years yet, if there is one at all," Severus said.
Rachel nodded. "Can I use Gladys to send this?"
"Yes, that's fine," Severus said.
Rachel went into the kitchen and got some string from the drawer to tie around the book so that Gladys could hold it more easily. She wondered if she should tell her friends what Severus had just said about the possibility of another war. At the very least she could tell them that Professor Dumbledore wanted to strengthen international relationships in case of a war.
"Hey Gladys, ready to take a trip?" she asked, gently rubbing the side of Gladys' head.
Gladys gave a low hoot.
"Take this to Millicent Bulstrode please," she said, holding the package so that Gladys could grip it.
She stood at the window and watched as Gladys flew away and tried to push away the feeling that bad things were going to happen.
On Monday, just before one o'clock in the afternoon, Rachel and Severus arrived at Twilfitt and Tattings, where Millie's mom had suggested they go shopping for gowns.
"Rachel!" Millie called, waving to them as they approached. Hermione and her mother were there as well.
"I'm glad you're alright, both of you," Rachel said. This was the first time she'd seen them since the Quidditch World Cup.
"Me too, it was pretty scary," Millie said.
"Do things like that happen often in the magical world?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"No, not since the war," Mrs. Bulstrode said. "Fortunately the Ministry is all over it, though it doesn't seem like they actually caught anyone involved."
"I imagine it's harder to catch criminals in the wizarding world, what with Polyjuice Potion and people being able to apparate," Hermione said.
"Typically when the MLE is apprehending criminals they place anti-apparation wards to prevent them from escaping, however they were not able to do so this time because it would prevent others from getting to safety," Severus explained.
"Hey!" Ginny called as she and Luna hurried up to them, Mrs. Weasley not far behind. "We're really shopping for gowns for a ball!"
Rachel smiled. She was glad this was something she could do together with her friends.
"I've never been to a ball before, I think it will be exciting," Hermione said.
"Let's go in, you girls have an appointment to be fitted," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
Their group went inside the shop and Rachel looked around at all of the clothes that were on display. There were dresses and robes of all kinds, some in thick velvety fabric and others in gossamery silk. She'd seen people in pretty dresses like this on television, but never imagined that she might wear one.
A woman came out to greet them, her pale pink robes fluttering out behind her as she walked. "I'm Ms. Abilene. These young women are here to be fitted for gowns for the Yule Ball, is that correct?"
"That's right," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
"There are some chairs over by the fitting rooms and I'll have our House Elf bring you some tea while the girls look at gowns. Girls, come with me and we'll start by picking a style and color that suits you," Ms. Abilene said.
Rachel glanced back at Severus and he nodded to her.
"I'll be with the other parents sitting down over there. Let me know if something doesn't seem right," he said.
Rachel checked that she still had her wand in her skirt pocket, nodded to Severus, and followed her friends through an open doorway into another room. There were racks and racks of dresses in a rainbow of colors.
"Wow," Ginny said, turning slowly to take it all in.
"Let's see here. You with the red hair, you with the blonde, and the smaller girl with the curls. The three of you will start looking through this rack as you are all very young and petite. We want to capture your look of youth and innocence. You with the black hair, you need something more stately, you're a young woman now and you want to show your beauty and your power. And you, the taller girl with the curls, you can go either way at this point. Which look would you prefer?" Ms. Abilene asked Hermione.
"Um, beauty and power, I suppose," Hermione said.
"We can work with that. The two of you will begin looking at this rack. When you see something you like, show it to me, and we will decide if it is a good style for your figure," Ms. Abilene directed.
Rachel went with Ginny and Luna to the rack that Ms. Abilene had directed them to and started looking through the gowns. She had no idea how she was supposed to pick something. They were all pretty. After seeing a few dresses it became a little easier - she didn't want something with flowers on it, or lace. Ribbons were a maybe, depending on what they did with them.
"What about this, Ms. Abilene?" Luna asked, holding up a pink dress with ruffles.
"No, no, not for you. See how this grows wider as it goes down, that is for girls who are more heavyset. You are small like a fairy, you want something that is narrow at the waist and then becomes more loose at your knees. Just about any of the paler colors will work with your complexion," Ms. Abilene said, turning to Ginny. "No pink or purple for you."
Ginny put back the dress she was holding and grinned at Rachel as Ms. Abilene went to go help Millie and Hermione.
Rachel smiled back, trying not to laugh. Ms. Abilene seemed to have a very strict idea as to what people should wear.
"I didn't know this was so complicated," Ginny whispered as they watched Ms. Abilene put back a dress Millie had been holding and pull out a different one.
"Me neither. I don't know what to even pick," Rachel said.
"Pick what speaks to you. I think I quite like this one," Luna said, holding a dress in seafoam green that had small shining sequins sewn in small groups at the top and became floating and insubstantial as it reached the floor.
Rachel kept looking, trying to see if a gown spoke to her. She couldn't quite imagine herself wearing any of them.
"Let's see. Yes, you should try that on," Ms. Abilene said to Luna before turning to Ginny. "I think a pale buttercup yellow for you, that will be bright enough not to wash out your complexion and contrast well with your hair. What do you think of something like this?"
"Maybe without the flowers," Ginny said, wrinkling her nose.
"A little plainer, then perhaps more like this?" Ms. Abilene asked, choosing another dress in the same color and holding it out for Ginny to see. This one had small folds that created a texture on the surface and blossomed into waves at the bottom.
"Can I try it on?" Ginny asked.
"Certainly. And now you. I think we want something very pale to bring out your features, something that starts the skirt up above your waist. Lavender, maybe," Ms. Abilene said, going through the rack again. "What do you think about this?"
Rachel looked at the dress. The lavender was so pale it was almost white. It had very short sleeves and the top looked like it was made of some sort of silk, while the skirt of the dress seemed very flowing. There was a small amount of ribbon stitched around where the top of the dress and the skirt met. It was really pretty. "I like it. Can I try it on?"
"Yes, of course. Now that you all have something to try on, let's go back to the fitting rooms. Don't be afraid to reject the gown, you can come back here and pick something else to try on. Don't say yes unless you feel like the gown is truly for you. Let's go, girls," Ms. Abilene said.
They followed her back into the main shop area and were each directed into a small fitting room. After a moment of examining it, Rachel realized that the only way the dress could go on was straight over her head. She changed into it and was surprised at how soft it felt against her skin. When she turned she could feel the dress moving around her legs.
"What do you think?" she heard Ginny say.
"I think it's lovely, dear," Mrs. Weasley replied.
Rachel stepped out of the fitting room and went over to where there were several mirrors.
"Let's adjust the top so that it fits your shoulders better," Ms. Abilene said, tapping her wand against the neckline of the dress.
"Thank you," Rachel said. The dress did seem to fit better now.
"Try letting down your hair, dear, so you can see what it looks like," Ms. Abilene said.
Rachel pulled the hair tie out of her hair and let it fall over her shoulders. Even though Severus had trimmed it this summer it was several inches longer than she'd realized. She'd never worn her hair long while she was with her relatives, her aunt had thought it looked too messy. She almost didn't recognize herself in the mirror.
She turned away and walked over to Severus. "Do you like it?"
"It's very nice, but the real question is what you think of it," Severus said.
"I like it. Do you think it's okay for the Yule Ball?" she asked.
"Yes, it would be fine, if that's the one you want," he said.
"I think so," Rachel said. She went back to the mirror and slowly turned, wanting to make sure it looked okay from the sides and the back.
"That's very pretty," Millie said, coming back out of the changing room in her regular clothes. "Can I look again? I don't like how this feels on my skin."
"Yes, let's take another look. Something in a deep green, I think," Ms. Abilene said.
"What do you think?" Hermione asked Rachel.
Hermione was in a pale blue dress that had shoulders and sleeves of a thin see-through material, blue silk flowers around the waist, and a long flowing skirt.
"You're beautiful," Rachel said, watching as Hermione checked herself in the mirror.
"You don't think the see-through parts are a bit ostentatious?" she asked.
"No, I think it looks nice," Rachel said.
"Yours is very nice too, that's a very good color for you," Hermione said, turning to look at Rachel before going over to her mom. "Mom, what do you think?"
"It's very nice, quite grown up. You should ask your professor if sleeves like that will be allowed though," Mrs. Granger said.
"It's fine, though I would not recommend wearing it outside of the ball," Severus said.
"Do you like yours, Luna?" Rachel asked, looking at where Luna was slowly turning to let the skirt sway.
"Yes, I like the way it feels," Luna said, opening her eyes.
Millie came back in the room carrying a dress in a deep green. "Oh, you all look so pretty."
"Try yours on, Millie, we want to see," Ginny said.
"Do you like the yellow?" Rachel asked Ginny once Millie had gone into the fitting room.
"I didn't think I would, but I do. I think I'm going to ask my mom to do my jumper in yellow this year too," Ginny said.
Millie came out a few minutes later and Rachel was a little surprised. Given how tall Millie was, she usually looked a bit older than the rest of them, but now she looked almost grown up.
"What do you think?" Millie asked, swaying the skirt back and forth.
"Beautiful. You look like you're about to go off for a ball for adults," Rachel said.
Millie looked in the mirror and pulled her hair back. "I wish I wasn't so tall. But this is okay, I think."
"It's lovely, Millie," Hermione said. "We're all going to have to figure out what to do with our hair though."
"You look nice, Millie," Mrs. Bulstrode said. "It's very stately."
"If you all think you've found the dress that's right for you, it's time to try on slippers so that they match," Ms. Abilene said.
It took Rachel a moment to place the word slipper as a dressy shoe that women wore rather than something people wore to keep their feet warm at night.
She smiled as she gathered with her friends to see all the different shoes. This was kind of fun, mostly because she was doing it with her friends.
Severus sat down in one of the chairs near the fitting rooms and tried not to feel out of place. Most of the time he thought he did an adequate job with Rachel, but at the moment he was keenly aware that one thing he could not do was provide a mother figure for her.
He did not think it was likely that he would ever marry, or even date, but especially not right now. Any woman who approached him would be suspicious for any number of reasons and he couldn't risk anything more happening to Rachel. He and Rachel would just have to manage.
A House Elf appeared with a tea tray and each of them took a cup.
"Professor Snape," Mrs. Bulstrode began.
"Please, call me Severus," he said.
"Of course. You can call me Amanda. I was wondering if what they said in the Daily Prophet was true. I heard it from Millie too, but I wasn't quite sure if I could believe it," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
Since it could be any number of things she was talking about, Severus decided to carefully clarify. "I'm not sure what you're referring to."
"About Sirius Black kidnapping Rachel in the spring. The Daily Prophet, especially that Skeeter woman, has a way of exaggerating things," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
"Kidnapping? Hermione told me that Sirius Black was innocent," Mrs. Granger said.
Severus refrained from sighing. "In the spring, before we knew that Black was innocent of what he'd been imprisoned for, he briefly abducted Rachel in order to negotiate a trial from the Ministry. She was returned the next day, unharmed."
"My god, and they just let him out of prison?" Mrs. Granger asked.
Severus understood the feeling entirely.
"Well, they let him off with time served, considering they kept him in Azkaban for twelve years for murders he didn't commit," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
"And, if I'm not mistaken, Sirius is Rachel's godfather," Molly Weasley added.
"That's true," Severus said, a fact he was regretting. Rachel seemed quite fixed on the idea of seeing Black before the school term started and Severus was trying to find a way to do it that involved as little contact with Black as possible while still protecting Rachel.
"And these Dementor things that Hermione told me about, they're not coming back to the school?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"No, the Dementors are gone and are not coming back," Severus said.
"Thank Merlin for that," Molly said.
"And with the Triwizard Tournament, I assume they have some safety precautions?" Mrs. Bulstrode asked.
"Yes, for one, all of the champions must be of age in order to participate. That will ensure they are adequately prepared for the tasks. The judges have also spent some time preparing the tasks and feel that they do not pose a life-threatening risk to the champions," Severus said. He thought the entire thing was a bad idea from start to finish, but he knew well enough to present a united front to the parents.
"I must say, it's been a bit of a challenge accepting that the magical world has a quite a different idea of what constitutes risk than we do. Some of the things Hermione tells me, I have half a mind to enroll her in regular school," Mrs. Granger said.
"Hogwarts is one of the safest places in the magical world, especially for young witches and wizards who are still learning to control their magic. And I know my daughter would be very sad if Hermione were to leave," Molly said.
"I concur, Hogwarts is one of the best schools for magical education in Europe. We do the best we can to ensure the safety of all of our students, but I think you'll find that even in muggle schools the teachers cannot be everywhere at once," Severus said.
"It would also be unfortunate to stop her magical education before she even took her OWLs, that would severely limit her prospects in the wizarding world," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
"I do understand, and ultimately my husband and I want what is best for Hermione, it's just hard to know what that is sometimes," Mrs. Granger said.
Severus understood that feeling all too well.
"I also wanted to thank you all for finding a way to include Ginny in this. I know it's important for young girls to have these sorts of experiences with their friends," Molly said.
"Not at all, from my understanding it was Rachel's idea and she put it together with the other girls. It's nice that Millie is taking an interest in this, usually she's quite resistant to the idea of dresses," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
"I have the same trouble with Hermione," Mrs. Granger confided. "I'm glad that there are special occasions like this at Hogwarts. I went to a few school dances in my time and it's nice that Hermione is getting this experience."
"Well, formal dances are still quite the fashion in some groups, it's good practice for them to do this while they're still at school," Mrs. Bulstrode said.
Severus had been to several such formal dances at Malfoy Manor over the years and had dreaded every one of them. Most pure-blood children were taught to dance in their youth and Severus could still remember Lucius putting a young woman in his arms and then being clumsily led around the dance floor. It had been Lucius' way of reminding Severus that he wasn't really one of them, and never could be. The only reason Lucius treated Severus with respect now was because Severus held a position of power.
The girls came in, each carrying a dress, and were directed into the fitting rooms. They came out soon after, each nervously checking the mirror before coming to their parent for approval.
Severus stared as Rachel stood in front of the mirror, the woman from the shop adjusting her gown and having her take down her hair. He couldn't deny it, Rachel was becoming a young woman. It had happened so fast that he felt like he'd missed it entirely. It was easier to think of her still as a child, but to do so would be ignoring her growth.
After reassuring her that the dress was fine, Severus watched as she chatted eagerly with the other girls. She would never be the same silent, frightened child that he had first met three years ago, and for that he was grateful. He just needed to do the best he could to ensure she continued to grow and learn so that she was ready to go out into the world when the time came. Fortunately they still had some time before that day came.
Rachel was sprawled out on the grass next to Severus' garden, weeding out his bed of dittany. They'd be leaving for Hogwarts in a few days and she'd spotted how messy it was while she'd been slowly flying around the yard as she finished flying for the day.
She'd never minded gardening that much, at the Dursley's it had gotten her out of the house and away from her relatives for a bit, and it was sort of soothing to do repetitive work. It was even nicer to do it because Severus didn't expect her to do it at all.
Something moving caught her attention at the edge of the garden bed and Rachel rested her hand on the pocket that contained her wand and looked closer. "Oh hello," she said, realizing it was a small brown garden snake.
"You speak," it said back.
"So do you," Rachel said, leaning closer.
"Of course I speak," the snake said. "Big things don't usually speak."
"Oh, some humans can speak Parseltongue, meaning we can speak to snakes," Rachel explained. "What's your name?"
"I am me," the snake said unhelpfully.
"My name is Rachel. That's what other humans call me," Rachel said. "Do other snakes call you something?"
"My eggs call me mother," the snake said.
"Oh, you have children. How many?" Rachel asked.
"I have had two clutches of eggs, with many young in each," the snake said.
Rachel decided she should probably try to find a book or two about snakes if she could talk to them. She wondered if there were any books written by other Parselmouths. "Do you like it here in the garden?" she asked.
"There is light and there is dark, both are good. Plenty of water as well," the snake said.
"Do you need me to bring you anything? Some food or water?" Rachel asked.
"I have eaten recently and I've had water as well. Do you need to eat?" the snake asked.
"I eat every day, but I have plenty of food," Rachel said, glad that this was now true. When she'd been talking to garden snakes back at the Dursley's, before she even knew she was magic, she had usually been hungry.
"Rachel, are you hurt?" Severus asked as he approached.
"No, I'm fine, I was just weeding, and then I was talking with this snake," she said, turning back to the snake. "That is Severus, he lives here too."
"Does he talk?" the snake asked.
"He can talk to me, but he doesn't know snake language so he can't talk to you," Rachel said.
"Has the snake told you anything of interest?" Severus asked.
"Well, she doesn't seem to have a name, but she's had two clutches of eggs with a lot of babies, and she says the yard is nice," Rachel said, tilting her head back to look at Severus.
"That's good. Unfortunately snakes are not allowed as pets at Hogwarts," he said.
Rachel smiled. "It's a garden snake, Severus. I wasn't going to bring it in the house." She knew all too well that he did not want to have a pet, even though they borrowed Gladys every summer.
"That's probably for the best. If you've finished your conversation, why don't you come in for lunch, it's nearly one in the afternoon," Severus said.
"I have to go eat now, I hope I'll see you again," she told the snake.
"I hope you catch your food," the snake said.
Rachel shook her head and got up, taking her broom with her. She'd never really considered before that being a snake was such an objectively different experience then being a human. "Do you think if I become an animagus that I'd become a snake because I'm a Parselmouth?"
"I'm not certain what influences an animagus' final form, so I don't know," he said.
"I don't think I'd mind being a snake, it would be good for being small, and if I was venomous I could attack, but it probably wouldn't be very good for getting away quickly," Rachel reasoned.
"Sometimes being able to hide in plain sight is just as useful as being able to escape quickly," Severus said as he opened the door to the house.
"That's true. Are animagi able to communicate with other animals of their same species?" she asked.
"It's said that animagi typically do have an affinity for their species while they are in their form, though I don't know how much communication is possible or how specific it is," Severus said.
Rachel nodded. Maybe Sirius would know more, since he was actually an animagus.
"By now you'll have received your student lists for the year, including the students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang who will be staying with us starting at the beginning of October," Albus said, flipping from one piece of parchment to another as the staff meeting continued.
"Albus, do you feel confident these students will be able to perform on a NEWT level?" Minerva asked.
Severus looked up from his notes as he also had a vested interest in the answer to that question.
"Madame Maxime and Professor Karkaroff have assured me that their sixth and seventh year students are performing on a comparable level to our NEWT curriculum. Seeing as they are bringing their best and brightest, I don't believe there will be a problem. However, if you have a concern about one of their students, please come to me first and we will address the situation with their Headmaster or Headmistress," Albus said.
In other words, barring an absolutely untenable problem, they'd be expected to deal with the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students regardless of their ability or aptitude. Fortunately Severus only had four additional seventh year and three additional sixth year students joining his classes. Given his small class size for those years, he thought he could likely manage most issues.
"And what about the Dark Arts?" Moody asked.
"I'm not sure what you mean, Alastor," Albus said.
"I mean what about the Durmstrang students and the Dark Arts? Is Karkaroff aware that we teach Defense Against the Dark Arts, and not the Dark Arts themselves?" Moody asked.
Severus refrained from rolling his eyes, but he was quite certain that he saw Minerva look up in exasperation.
"Professor Karkaroff is quite clear on our policies concerning the Dark Arts at Hogwarts, and he will make those policies clear to his students as well. I do not expect that we'll have any trouble with students performing the Dark Arts while they are here," Albus said.
"That's the problem then, you should expect it. You can't stop it if you don't expect it," Moody said, his false eye swirling around madly before pausing on Severus. "Not just the Durmstrang students we need to keep an eye on either."
"No one is teaching the Dark Arts here at Hogwarts," Albus said firmly. "If you see a student engaging in activities that could be considered Dark Arts, please bring them to me."
"That I will do," Moody said, finally looking away from Severus.
Severus sat back in his chair. It was going to be a long year. He had never gotten along well with Moody during their time together in the Order. Moody held the opinion of once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater, and that the only good Death Eater was a dead Death Eater. Severus had overheard several of the arguments Moody and Albus had on the subject matter, and Moody had said as much directly to Severus as well. Still, at least he didn't have to worry about Moody being a threat to Rachel. Moody was as loyal as they came.
"Please let me know of any additional concerns that you may have. Finally, it's been decided that the champions of the Triwizard Tournament will not take any end of year exams, due to the time they will need to spend preparing for the tasks. Obviously, if the Hogwarts Champion is a seventh year, we should do all we can to assist them with preparing for their NEWTs while they are also preparing for the tasks. I also recommend that you show some leniency in tests and homework around the dates of the tasks themselves," Albus said. "We'll have another meeting in September to go over the latest results of the curriculum review coming from the Ministry Department of Education. That is all for today."
There was a low rumble throughout the room at that. This curriculum review had been going on for years now and they were still no closer to an agreement between the staff at Hogwarts and the Ministry.
"Filius," Severus said as everyone around the table got up and began to speak with each other. "Do you have a moment?"
"Of course, Severus," Filius said, turning to face Severus. "How can I help you?"
"I wished to speak with you about a student in your House. She'll be a third year this year, Luna Lovegood," Severus said.
"Ah, Miss Lovegood. A bit of an eccentric she is, but very bright. Is she causing you some trouble in class? I know her attention tends to wander," Filius said.
"Her attention does wander, that's true, though I haven't had any mishaps with her in my classroom yet. Rachel let me know that some of the Ravenclaws are bullying Luna," Severus explained.
"Oh dear, did she say who?" Filius asked.
"Rachel didn't know of anyone by name, but I suspect some of them are her year mates as I've noticed them ignoring her in my class. Apparently they call her Loony Lovegood and will refuse to speak to her," Severus said. "Perhaps if you spoke with Luna at the start of the year, she could tell you directly who is causing her problems."
"I'll make a point to speak with her, as well as anyone she names. I'll also talk to my House as a whole about bullying. It was before your time, but when I was at Hogwarts I had a bit of a rough go with my Housemates as well. Being different does become something akin to having a target on your back at that age," Filius said.
Severus nodded, he knew that well enough from his own experiences. "I understand. Thank you. I'll let you know if I hear anything further about the situation."
"Please do. How is Rachel doing this summer?" Filius asked.
"She's doing well. I actually had to tell her to stop studying and to take a break," Severus said.
Filius laughed. "Ah, well, she and her study group are very keen. They'll do well for themselves."
"I hope so," Severus said. "We're planning to return to the castle on Saturday. I'm sure we'll see you around."
"That you will, take care, Severus," Filius said.
"And you," Severus said.
He took a quick glance around the room and found Minerva and Albus with their heads bowed as they spoke, and several of the other staff members talking in small groups.
Moody was standing with his back against the wall and his gaze came to rest on Severus.
Severus nodded. The next best thing he could do after avoiding Moody was to stay cordial.
Moody just stared back and after a moment Severus walked away. It was going to be a long year.
"Stay close to me. It shouldn't be too busy because it's a weekday," Severus said.
"Okay," Rachel said. This was the last shopping trip they needed to take and she was a little bit excited to be going into London. The last times she'd been shopping for clothes in muggle stores she'd still been a little too freaked out about the whole being adopted by Severus situation to really appreciate taking the trip. Now she was just looking forward to doing something new, and to getting some clothes that weren't too short for her.
Rachel put her hand on Severus' arm and a moment later they were in an alleyway in London.
"How do you know where to apparate to so no one will see you?" Rachel asked.
"In most major cities there are alleyways that have Notice-Me-Not charms on them where people can safely apparate into without fear of being seen. For most people in cities near their homes they're brought there first by other people, and then can apparate there themselves. If you're traveling, you can get the addresses from the local government's Department of Tourism when you portkey there," Severus explained.
"You can apparate to somewhere just by knowing the address?" Rachel asked as they began to walk.
"Yes, though when you're first learning it's much better to apparate places that you've already been to so that you can visualize where you're going in your mind. After that, you only need to know the address and you will arrive somewhere in relative close proximity. Most of the time, when muggles see someone apparate, they are able to shrug it off by saying that they just missed you walking around the corner, but it's still important to be cautious," Severus said. "You have your wand with you?"
"Yes," Rachel said. There was no way she was leaving home without it.
"Good. While it's possible to do small amounts of magic in muggle areas and not be seen, I advise against it except in cases of emergencies. No one wants to be involved with a Ministry squad of obliviators," Severus said. "Is this shop still alright with you?"
Rachel looked up at the department store. "Yes, that's fine, unless it's too expensive?"
"No, it's not too expensive, I just want you to be able to have clothing that suits your tastes," Severus said.
"Thanks," Rachel said. She wasn't sure she had clothing tastes. Mostly she just wanted things that were comfortable and looked okay.
They went inside and looked at the directory. There was a section for young women's clothing on the third floor and they took several escalators to get there. Rachel was surprised at just how many options there were when they arrived, as racks and racks of clothes were spread out before them.
"You'll need at least three full outfits, though four might not be a bad idea. You should get socks and undergarments while we're here as well," Severus said.
"Alright," Rachel said. She reminded herself this was necessary, she couldn't go around in clothes that were too small for her and Severus had done all he could with the tailoring charms. She could do this. "This might take awhile."
"That's fine. There's no rush," Severus said.
After looking through a few racks of clothes, Rachel realized that she had a problem. She took down a pair of jeans and held them to her waist. "Do tailoring charms make clothes smaller as well as bigger?"
"They can be used for that, though it would be better if we got something closer to your size to begin with. Do they have something smaller?" Severus asked.
Rachel looked through the rack and found a smaller size. It was closer to what she needed, but not by much. "Why am I so short? Were my parents uncommonly small or something?"
"No, Lily was about an average height for a woman and James was about the same height as me. You have been growing, though you don't seem to have hit a growth spurt yet that is common for children your age. It might make sense for us to check with Poppy when we get back to school and make sure everything is alright," Severus said.
"Luna's taller than me now, just by a bit," Rachel said. She had seen as much while they were at the Quidditch World Cup. She glanced around to make sure they were alone. "Aren't there spells or potions to make you grow taller?"
"There are, but you would want to be fully grown before you considered using such a thing, and there are plenty of advantages that come with being small. Filius made quite a name for himself on the dueling circuit using his stature to his advantage," Severus said.
"And it's not bad for a Seeker to be small," Rachel agreed reluctantly as she put the jeans back. "Why doesn't Professor Flitwick use something to grow taller?"
"Because he has Goblin ancestry and such potions would not work on him," Severus said. "Does it look like the shirts will fit you?"
Rachel went to a different rack and looked through the long sleeved shirts until she found a green shirt in a smaller size. She held it against her. The sleeves were a little bit long, but it wasn't too bad. "I think this will work."
"Alright then. Let's look for shirts here and then we can go down to the girls section for trousers and skirts," Severus said.
Rachel sighed but began looking. "If there is something wrong with me, can Madam Pomfrey fix it?"
"That would depend on what the problem is, if there is a problem at all, but most ailments can be treated," Severus said. "I think you will grow with time, but we can check to make sure there isn't a problem. Don't worry about it for now."
"You know, saying not to worry about something doesn't make me stop worrying about it," Rachel said, picking out a short sleeved shirt in light blue.
"What I'm trying to say is that I don't want you to give too much weight or thought to a particular problem because I do not think it's likely that it either is overly concerning or cannot be easily fixed," Severus said.
Rachel sighed again. "You don't have a voice in your brain that just worries, do you? Like, even when you tell it a problem isn't a problem, but it worries anyway?"
"No, I don't. Is this something you've spoken with Torey about?" he asked.
"Yes. She says we can work on it," Rachel said, leading the way to a rack with jumpers on it. The dungeons got downright cold in the winter.
"Good. That sounds unpleasant," Severus said.
Rachel glanced over at Severus. "I didn't say that to make you worry. I don't want you to worry about me."
"I will always worry about you, that is part of being a parent. I assure you if you asked the parents of any of your friends, they would say that they worry about their children," he said.
"Even Theo's father?" Rachel asked skeptically.
"Even Theo's father. Ignatius wants what he thinks is best for Theo, even though it's not what you or I would think is best for him," Severus said. "Just as I want what's best for you, even though you and I might not always agree on that."
Like the idea of playing Quidditch professionally, probably. Rachel had decided she was waiting at least until she was in seventh year and wanting teams to scout her before she told him. And she still hadn't decided yet anyway. "We get along okay, I think?" she asked.
"We do, but I expect at some point you will want more independence than I think is wise at the time, and when that happens we will figure it out. My priority is your safety and well-being," Severus said.
Rachel felt herself blush. It felt so weird for him to be that concerned about her. But, she supposed with the Death Eaters out there, and the Dark Lord out there somewhere, it made sense. "I appreciate that. I do try not to break the rules."
"I know. Do you have enough jumpers for winter?" he asked.
"Three should be enough, I think? I want to try them on, if that's okay, and make sure they don't feel weird," Rachel said.
"That's fine. Do you want to look at trousers first so you can make sure they go together?" he suggested.
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Rachel said.
It was a little bit embarrassing to be shopping in the girls section when she was fourteen, but the trousers actually fit her there. In the end she wound up with a new pair of jeans, a pair of corduroys since they were so warm, a blue skirt, three shirts, two jumpers, and a nightgown. She also grabbed a package of socks, and a package of underpants, which she hid beneath the jumpers so Severus wouldn't have to see her underpants.
"That should get me through the next few years, at least until I actually grow," Rachel said. "Is this okay?"
"It's fine. Have you thought as to where you might like to shop for your birthday present?" Severus asked.
"I really don't know. Could we just walk around and see what shops there are?" Rachel asked.
"Yes, though there are better areas of London we can go to for that. And if you see somewhere you want to eat for lunch, just let me know," Severus said.
Severus paid using muggle money and they stopped back in the alleyway again for Severus to shrink the bags and then they apparated to another part of London.
There were groups of smaller shops here, each with a storefront showing what they sold. They passed toy shops, book shops, clothing shops, and shoe shops. Rachel made sure to stay close to Severus. The sidewalks were a little bit busy, but nowhere near as bad as the crowd at the Quidditch World Cup.
"Can we go in here?" Rachel asked as they stopped in front of a music shop.
"We can, though if you're looking for a portable music player, I'll warn you that they won't work inside the castle," Severus said.
"Will it work out on the grounds?" Rachel asked.
"Once you're beyond the shadow of the castle, yes. So down by the lake, or out by the Quidditch pitch," Severus said.
"I can work with that," Rachel decided.
They went into the shop and Rachel listened for a moment to the song playing through the speakers. Aunt Petunia had never been much for listening to music, she'd always wanted the radio on the people talking about current events.
A man in ratty jeans and a leather jacket came from behind the counter. "Are you looking for something specific?" he asked.
"How much does a Walkman cost?" Rachel asked.
"We have a few different models, but about forty quid," the man said.
Rachel looked at Severus. "Is that too expensive?"
"No, that's fine. You can get some cassettes too," Severus said.
"This your first Walkman?" the man asked.
Rachel nodded.
"Let's show you the different options, and then you can look at cassettes," the man said, waving them over to the cabinet.
After looking at all the models, Rachel chose a black one that also had an AM/FM radio included. It came with a pair of headphones.
"So, what sort of music do you like?" the man asked.
"I don't know, all sorts, I guess. I haven't heard much," Rachel said. She didn't think the wizarding bands she heard on the gramophone in the Slytherin common room probably counted.
"That's alright, we'll sort you out. Sit on that stool there and we'll pop a few things in, assuming your old man doesn't mind waiting for a bit," the man said.
"It's fine," Severus said.
Rachel put on the headphones the man offered her and listened as he put in a variety of tapes, nodding her head to the ones she liked, and one case removing the headphones entirely at the noise.
"So, classic pop and rock seems to be your jam. We can work with that. Try picking from some of these," the man said, picking out several different cassettes and bringing them back to the counter.
After spending about thirty minutes listening to the different cassettes, Rachel picked out a tape that had the top twenty Beatles hit songs, Pink Floyd's The Wall, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and a two tape set that had a bunch of songs from the 80s from all different bands.
"And, finally, you'll need batteries. They have rechargeable batteries now, which are good for if you're near a plug, but it's a little more expensive to start with," the man said.
"Regular batteries for now," Severus said.
"Do you want me to help pay?" Rachel asked.
"No, this is part of your birthday gift, you do not need to pay," Severus said.
"Ah, happy birthday to you," the man said, pausing to look up as someone else came in the shop. "Be right with you, feel free to look around."
"Thanks," Rachel said. "And thanks for showing me things."
"Not a problem." The man finished ringing them up and gave Rachel the bag after Severus had paid.
"Thank you, I really appreciate it," Rachel said once they were back outside.
"It's not a problem. Just don't stay outside when it's freezing in order to listen to it," Severus said.
"I won't," Rachel promised.
"What do you want for lunch?" he asked.
Rachel thought about it. "Fish and chips?"
"We can do that," Severus agreed.
Rachel smiled. It was kind of nice to take a break from the wizarding world, even if it was only for a few hours.
It was mid-morning on the last Friday in August and Rachel's room was a mess. She had unpacked her trunk entirely and was in the process of trying to figure out what she was bringing and how she was fitting it into her trunk.
She had her headphones on, with the Pink Floyd cassette playing, and her Walkman hooked over the waistband of her trousers while she worked. She'd already been through one set of batteries and was very happy with her birthday gift.
She had her stack of assigned textbooks sitting in a pile next to her trunk, with her planner and her finished summer homework on top. Her robes, uniforms, and new clothes were on her bed, ready to be folded, along with her cloak and winter boots nearby. Her gown for the Yule Ball and her matching lavender slippers were also on the bed waiting to be packed. Her current two-way book was also on her bed, open in case anyone wrote while she was packing, alongside her stuffed bunny.
She'd put her old clothes, robes, and uniforms in her wardrobe because she wasn't really sure what else to do with them. She supposed she could ask Severus to give them to a second hand shop, it wasn't like they were going to fit her again.
Her Nimbus 2001 was still sitting in the corner of the room - she'd carry that by hand, it wouldn't fit in her trunk anyway.
That, along with her school supplies, was almost everything that she knew she needed, apart from her toiletries, which she'd pack tomorrow morning.
The rest was more nebulous. She knew she wanted to bring some fiction books with her, but she hadn't decided what ones. She always kept her dad's invisibility cloak, his copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and her mom's jewelry box in her trunk, mostly because she didn't want to leave them behind anywhere. Her photo album from Hagrid also joined the things in her trunk, as she didn't want to be without that either.
After some maneuvering she managed to get all of her clothes folded and put into her trunk, along with all of her school books, her homework, parchment, quills, telescope, cauldron, and potions kit. She decided she had enough room for two book series, and quickly put the Horath Bogtrotter books in as well. She finally put in the Alanna quartet as well, since she decided she'd be most likely to reread them.
She closed the trunk lid and was relieved that everything fit, though she would put her two-way book, her stuffed bunny, and her Walkman and cassettes in her school bag to carry them. It was hard to believe that three years ago she hadn't had anything at all.
Three years ago she had gone off to Hogwarts without any idea what to expect and completely unable to speak. In retrospect she could hardly believe that she'd done it. At least, no matter how hard her life got, she could always look back and say that she'd been through something worse.
'All packed for Hogwarts,' Rachel wrote in her two-way book, not expecting an immediate response.
'Me too. Only six days left. I'm looking forward to seeing all of you on the train,' Theo wrote back.
'I'm looking forward to that too. I'll be very glad to see you again,' Rachel wrote.
She would be glad to see Theo, and all of the rest of her friends, on a daily basis again. But, at the same time, she would miss being at Fallow Farm with Severus. It was nice to have both.