The "Harry Potter" characters belong to JK Rowling, her associates and affiliates. CPT Holdings Inc. and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment own "Bewitched" and "Tabitha". For entertainment purposes only. There. I have spoken.

A/N According to more than one website, Adam was a warlock in "Bewitched" and a mortal in "Tabitha". For this fanfic, he's a mortal. It just works better that way. And all due respect to anyone who disagrees.

Tabitha recovered from Stella's birth, and obtained the approval of Dr. Bombay and Headmaster Dumbledore to resume her defense training. Physically, she felt well, but she lived with the constant ache of Sirius' passing along with the constant question of what might have been.

All her life before her arrival at Grimmauld Place, Tabitha had practiced magic on the sly, first because of her father's disapproval, then because of her desire to fit in with her mortal peer group, and finally because of Paul's discomfort around it. Sometimes she would go for months without practicing it at all, then a need would arise and she would use it again. But the tricks she had done before moving to London were of a completely different nature than the formalized, structured magic she had learned under the tutelage of the Order members.

Snape brought her to Hogwarts when her lessons resumed, because with the students all home for summer vacation, they had plenty of room to work and all the supplies they needed were at hand. Tabitha was surprised at how rusty she was after only two months of not practicing. She had slipped back into the habit of wiggling her nose to get whatever she wanted and had to consciously remind herself to use her wand in front of Snape.

During his first lesson after Stella's birth, he took her through drills to see how much she had forgotten since their last lesson. He watched her from every angle and adjusted her fingers, and reminded her of the spells she forgot from disuse. After he made her change her compact into a bicycle and back again, he looked at her speculatively.

"Does your magic feel different, Tabitha?"

She nodded. "Stronger."

"That's what I thought. You'll need a new wand in a few months. Regardless, you need to learn how to duel, and you'll just have to make do with the one you have in the meantime." He swept his own wand across the Great Hall to clear a space for them to work, and turned to her. "Stand here," he ordered and pointed to a spot on the floor.

She complied and he stood across from her. "You will try to block my spells. Hold up your wand like this, then lower it."

She imitated his action. He bowed to her briefly, and she curtsied gracefully, spreading the skirt of her gown with one hand.

"That's not necessary. A bow will be sufficient."

Tabitha nodded, then bowed, just like he had.

"Now turn your back to me, go four paces, turn and block my spells."

She turned and walked and turned back to him, swishing her skirts behind her as she did.

"Wingardium Leviosa" he said, pointing his wand at her.

Tabitha shrieked, "Aah! Put me down!" she cried, wiggling her nose to put herself back on the ground. "Immobulus!"

"Protego!" He said, easily blocking her spell. "Don't let me catch you wiggling your nose again, Tabitha. Aguamenti!"

"Ugh, I'm wet! " she said, "Cut it out!" She performed a quick drought charm to dry herself, and then did a placement charm to send her purse flying at him from behind.

"Sneaky. Not bad," he said as he ducked. "But you talk too much. Concentrate--Relashio!" He said and she landed on her backside.

"Oh you--" she said angrily, but when he started to advance on her, wand pointed right at her, she cried, "Stop it! Tratspum! Ayamalip!"

Suddenly Snape was knocked off his feet, sitting about a yard from her, unable to get up. Furthermore, there was a substance surrounding him but not touching him, with a clear, glassy appearance.

"Oh my stars." Tabitha muttered in unconscious imitation of her mother as she crawled across the floor to him and reached for him through the substance, which felt oily, but wouldn't yield. She withdrew her hand, intending to wipe the oil off on her skirt, but she found that her hand was already dry.

"Use the counter-spell, Tabitha. You do know the counter spell for what you just did, don't you?" He was trying to remain calm.

"Of course. Um...Xanaea."

The barrier vanished. She scooted across the remaining inches between them and reached out to Snape, putting her hand on his shoulder. "It's gone," she said, giggling in her relief. She was panting a little from the exertion.

Snape betrayed no signs of tiredness from the duel. He put his hand over hers, looking closely into her flushed face before he gently removed her hand and asked, "What was that spell you just used? Where did it come from?"

"Ayamalip--it knocks objects over. Tratspum--that makes the barrier thingy. I learned it years ago. One summer when I was a teenager and we went on vacation, I met a warlock who taught it to me."

"Did he say where he learned it?"

"Uhm, let's see...he said he learned it from his grandmother, who was part Arapahoe, but she learned it from a traveling warlock salesman of Arab descent, who claimed to have learned it from a Haitian witch. Don't make that face, Severus, that's what he told me."

"Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's very dangerous to use an untested spell?"

"But I did test them. I used to practice on objects in my room. I never tried it on another person, however. But then I went away to college, where there wasn't any privacy, and after that I started working and I just forgot about it. At least, until now, when you kept casting spells at me." She said the last part reproachfully.

"You have to learn, Tabitha."

"You could at least have taught me some useful tips."

"I disagree. If you were in a real fight, your opponent would not be giving you 'tips' on how to defeat them. You would have to survive on your wits and what you already know. And you already know plenty of spells and charms; if you're motivated enough, you can learn more."

"You're so sure you're right. All I know is I'm going to be all black and blue after today."

"I am sure I'm right, and you'll be just fine. What else did this young warlock teach you?"

Caught off guard, Tabitha blushed and looked away. It had been years since she thought about him, but she and the young warlock had spent more of their time together kissing than exchanging spells. Snape didn't need Legilimency to follow her train of thought. Shaking his head in annoyance, he said, "I mean, did he teach you anything you can show me."

Startled, her eyes flew to his before she looked at the floor.

"You know what I mean, Tabitha," he said roughly. Then to hide his embarrassment, he assumed his teaching persona and helped her up. "From the beginning. We're going to duel again, and don't even think about wiggling your nose..."