Slytherin Girl's Dormitory, September 1, 1995
Ella was very comforted to see her old trunk at the foot of a bed inside the girl's dormitory Tracy had directed her to. Everything was in that trunk. She finally allowed Circe to jump out of her satchel. Astoria merely raised her eyebrows, while Tracy gasped.
"Wow! Is it yours? It's so pretty!" Tracy hesitantly held out a hand for the half-kneazle to sniff.
This human has a talent for stating the obvious, it seems. Are you attached to this one? I can prove that I'm not merely a pretty kitten to be cooed at. Circe turned her head away from the offending hand and growled lowly.
"Circe, behave. Tracy is a friend. As is Astoria." Ella commanded. The two girls watched in astonishment as Circe meekly allowed Tracy to pet her.
"The familiar bond is already strong between you two. When did you get her?" Astoria questioned, regally sitting in one of the three armchairs in the room.
Ella looked over at the girl, wondering why she asked. With Slytherins, a question was never merely a question. There was always a hidden agenda. "I got her yesterday from Diagon Alley."
"Really? You must be a really powerful witch then. It's rare to make a familiar bond that fast." Astoria looked at Ella with an indiscernible expression.
"I suppose it is." Ella said quietly. Astoria let the matter lie, and soon her two new roommates were chatting amiably about their summers. Ella took the opportunity to examine her new room. What surprised her the most was how it was tastefully decorated, unlike the Gryffindor common room and dormitories. She had expected some of the same from Slytherin. While the furniture and decorations were more ornate, the emerald green and silver did not take over the room. In fact, Ella was particularly impressed with the two large windows on either side of the room that offered them a fantastic view of the underwater lake. Ella watched in fascination as a mermaid drifted by. Of course, they could pull their heavy drapes for privacy whenever they wished. But the underwater view gave the room an enchanting greenish glow.
But the fire crackling from their very own fireplace brought its own aura of warmth into the otherwise cold room. The canopy beds were elegant in their own right, the rich dark wood contrasting quite well with the green bedspreads. Ella noticed the other two girl's bedspreads had pretty silver patterns embroidered on them, while hers was plain green. Tracy's was covered with pretty flowers, while Astoria's boasted elegant swirls. Both suited the girls, Ella thought. Quietly, she put a hand on hers. Silver patterns emerged from the spot where her hand touched. Ella leaned back to get a good look at the result. It was a bit similar to Astoria's, but Ella's featured two snakes that wound together to form intricate swirls. Ella loved it.
What she liked the best though, is that each of the girls had their own little alcove. The bed was tucked in the middle, with a matching wooden desk on one side and a set of drawers on the other. And their trunk was on the end. The entire thing was slightly recessed into the floor, giving an extra air of privacy. Their fireplace was in such an alcove, giving the air their room was made for one more occupant. But the girls appreciated the three armchairs placed comfortably in front of the fire. A bookcase also graced one corner of the fireplace alcove. There was a strip of a walkway, and then two stairs leading down to each of the girl's area. She supposed from an air view, it would look very much like the typical portrayal as a dog bone, with the two windows facing each other on the long ends. The entire room was much more spacious than either Ravenclaw's or Gryffindor's. Ella supposed it was because of all the Pureblood's money. As Ella would spend three years here, she was most pleased.
Astoria quickly informed Ella of the rules of the bathroom they shared with Pansy, Blaise, and Millie. There were two showers and two toilets. However, Hogwart's wasn't entirely miserly with the girl's bathrooms and had provided each girl with their own sink and mirror. The other girls got the showers at night, while Ella, Tracy, and Tori got the morning showers.
"Tracy prefers to lie in till the last minute every day, while I get up an hour before breakfast. We each get fifteen minutes for the showers, Snape's rules. So you can get up with me or Tracy, it doesn't matter much." All three girls had begun unpacking, and Tori was informing Ella as they did. Ella smiled to herself. She didn't lie in much, but it was good to know she could if she needed to.
"Breakfast starts at 7:30 each morning, and classes start at 9:00 am. Snape has strict rules for us, which means we all attend breakfast unless we are ill. And we arrive promptly. Some more rules you should be aware of is that he doesn't tolerate tardiness, poor grades, House disunity, or lost points. He doesn't often deduct points from us, but his detentions are horrendous. Sometimes I feel like he can read my mind, because he often gives me my least favorite tasks. I made it a point to never get a detention from him after first year." And here Astoria got a mischievous look on her face. "And as Professor Snape always says, the only way to lose points is to get caught." She and Tracy shared a laugh, and Ella joined in. She definitely liked being a Slytherin.
"I'm sure those Weasley twins must have been Slytherins in previous lives! For every prank they get caught playing, they must have played ten more no one could ever pin on them. It's incredible!" Tracy was slightly gushing, and Ella noticed. She smirked to herself. Who said she couldn't ever play matchmaker now? As she thought about it, the more she liked it. Only a Slytherin girl could appreciate those two and keep them in line at the same time. As Ella was planning once more, a knock came at the door.
It was a second year girl, come to tell Ella that Professor Snape wanted to see her in the common room in ten minutes. Ella smiled at the girl and nodded. Tracy immediately offered an explanation.
"Professor Snape gives a speech to all firsties. He must want to give you yours in private." Ella looked at Astoria for confirmation.
"Most likely. Professor Snape is very thorough." Astoria stifled a yawn. "Now if you excuse me, I do believe I am going to bed." As Ella headed for the door, Astoria added one more thing. "Oh, and Ella? I would take Circe to him just in case. I don't know what his thoughts on a half-kneazle, half-bobcat are." Ella paused and looked behind her. Astoria's gesture seemed to be in goodwill.
"Thank you. I will." So Ella scooped the tiny menace into her arms and walked up the dungeon stairs. Professor Snape was waiting for her in the common room. Just a few fourth years lingered by the fireplace. Snape paid them no mind, and so Ella didn't either. Apparently, this wasn't going to be an excessively private conversation.
"Miss Sinclair, I congratulate you on being Sorted into Slytherin. Though we have a reputation, Slytherin has produced many powerful witches and wizards." He gestured for her to take a seat, and sat down in the one across from her. Ella sat with Circe on her lap, a hand holding the kitten down. Ella was slightly startled. It was odd seeing one of her old friends and allies all grown up. Of course, Snape didn't recognize her. He knew her as Ella Mora, a flame-haired Gryffindor witch. Ella examined her dear friend closely. It looked as if the years had taken their toll on him. Being a double spy had aged him even further. Dealing with "dunderheads" had not helped either, Ella imagined.
"I wanted to discuss some of the rules of Slytherin, so you are made aware of them. I imagine Miss Greengrass has already informed you of some, but not all. First, I do not tolerate tardiness. The punishment is a detention with me. Second, I do not tolerate poor grades. Anything below an "Acceptable" will result in a detention with me. Third, I do not tolerate disunity within our House. We provide a united front to the rest of the school, and solve our squabbles behind the dungeon doors. Anything that has to come to me will be dealt with severely. And any fighting with your housemates outside those dungeon doors will result in a detention with me. Fourth, I highly dislike the loss of House points for the sake of stupidity. I will not give out detentions for loss of house points, but if you continue to lose us house points, you may find yourself with fewer privileges. Now, I must have you know that you can only lose House points if you are caught." Snape paused to let some mirth shine through his sneer. "Though if you are caught by me, I will not go easy on you." He let the last warning hang between them.
"Now, I see your familiar is not necessarily within school rules." Ella dipped her head slightly in understanding. "However, as you have already bonded with her, I will make an exception. Professor McGonagall has made quite a few for her beloved cubs, so I will make one for one of my snakes." Ella smiled at her Head of house.
Snape was taken aback by her smile. It literally lit up the room a bit, and made it a bit warmer. It was also a bit familiar, though Snape couldn't explain why for the life of him. Deciding to dismiss it, but keep an eye on this strange girl, he asked if he could be introduced to her familiar. He knew the half-kneazle part of the animal would allow instant mistrust while the wild bobcat part would attack him for this. He'd rather go the school year without being attacked by a kitten. The other Death Eaters would tease him mercilessly.
Ella held the kitten out to Snape, who looked wary as he pet her. Circe, to her credit, did nothing more than initially growling at him. After a slight reprimanding poke, the kitten sniffed and allowed herself to be pet.
"What is her name?" Snape asked Ella. Even he had to admit the creature was quite magnificent, even as a kitten.
"Circe." Ella responded. Snape nodded, it was a fitting name.
Slowly he stood. "Here is your schedule for this semester. It is time for you to be off to bed now, Miss Sinclair. Fourth years and above do not have a curfew, as I expect them to be mature enough to get enough sleep. But, you are required to be at every breakfast, even on the weekends." He didn't allow her to respond before he was sweeping out of the door. Ella mused at his behavior as she walked slowly down to her room. Snape clearly treated his snakes differently than all the other students. He held them to a high standard, and punished them accordingly if they fell short of that standard. Some accused him of favoritism, but Ella knew that not to be the case. In fact, she personally knew he had a certain persona to keep. Especially since she was the one to tell him how to do it.
Both of her roommates were asleep when she walked in, so she quietly apparated to the Sinclair townhouse to help Percy. He was catching on quickly, as she thought he would. He gave her a bit of backstory on Umbridge, nothing she didn't know, and quickly outlined why exactly she was at Hogwarts. Ella thanked him, and apparated back to the castle. Normally, her apparation skills were top notch, and she wouldn't make a sound. However, she was going through Hogwart's anti-apparation wards. As such, she made a faint pop when she came back to her room. Thankfully, her roommates didn't wake up.
oooOooo
Meanwhile, on the other side of the castle, Harry Potter's dreams were filled of a black haired witch. They weren't his normal nightmares, and for that he was grateful. But there was still something that bothered him as he turned restlessly in his bed, his eyes flickering under his closed lids. The dreams seemed almost like memories, though that was impossible. There was one of her standing at his front door, another of her laughing, another of her long hair hanging down off the edge of couch. The last one was of her looking at him with sad eyes. Harry woke up with an uneasy feeling that didn't let him go back to sleep for the rest of the night. What he failed to notice, however, was that his scar had stopped throbbing completely for the first time since Voldemort had come back.
oooOooo
Ella woke up at the same time Astoria did. The other girl gave her an approving look as they both headed to the showers, but didn't say anything. That suited Ella just fine. After her shower, she dressed and made her bed with a flick of her wand. Circe grumbled, and settled into a new sleeping position. Ella quickly filled her satchel with the books she would need today. She had double Defense and Potions with Potter and friends today, as well as Herbology with Hufflepuffs, and Charms with the Ravenclaws. She intended to do the minimum amount of schoolwork possible here. Of course, she would not shirk her homework, but she would also not be taking notes. She would not be first in her class, and she would not be known for her brilliance. She had gotten enough of that her first three years.
She, Tracy, and Astoria climbed up to the Common Room together. Everyone was chattering excitedly for the first day of classes. She and her roommates simply made their way to the door and left. It must have signaled something to the rest of the House, because they followed the three girls. Draco and goons caught up to them fairly fast. They all made polite small talk as the majority of the Slytherins made their way to the Great Hall. As usual, they managed to arrive there exactly at 7:25. Just in time to arrange themselves at their table before the food appeared. Ella automatically did what her housemates did, a result of her having seen the Slytherins in action before.
Most of the Gryffindor's stumbled in around 8. Half looked like they were still sleeping, including a certain Harry Potter. Covertly, Ella watched him and his friends make their way to the table. Nearly all of their housemates shifted so that they didn't have to sit near him. Ella frowned and took a bite of her banana. People were stupid, she concluded. She kept an eye on the Golden Trio until breakfast ended. Ella was very good at reading people through their actions and emotions, and she was learning a lot through watching the three of them.
Harry was depressed. He had faced Voldemort at the tender age of fourteen, watched him kill a friend, and then escaped him. Ella thought that he bloody well would be depressed. And the fact that Harry kept looking up at Dumbledore while the older man kept ignoring him broke her heart. He didn't say much, and his anger was barely kept under check.
Hermione was struggling to keep things normal. She smiled, laughed, and talked the boy's ears off. But it was very clear she was struggling to Ella. And Ron was eating more than he normally did, Ella would imagine. At least, she hoped so. The boy barely spoke a word for all the food he was shoveling onto his mouth. It did save him from having to speak during breakfast. Ella clenched her teeth. This is what Fate had planned for them. And she couldn't change that. But she could change what happened to them from now on, and she intended to do a good job at it.
She left as soon as she could from breakfast. She had noticed the absence of two redheads from the Gryffindor table, and she intended to make sure they were found. Tucked into a little alcove, Ella pulled a piece of parchment from her satchel. She silently waved her wand over it, and waited for it to be covered by black ink. It took but a moment, and revealed her version of the Marauder's Map. She found their names surrounding a first year's name on the second floor. Because of her knowledge of all the castle's secret passages, she arrived in a few minutes. She leaned against the wall and watched as the twins experimented on the poor first year Hufflepuff.
The boy went from vomiting one minute, to perfectly okay after he had drunk the antidote. The twins high fived and sent the boy on his way. They were whispering to each other as they turned Ella's way. They both started as they saw her leaning up against the wall with her arms crossed.
"I can't imagine your mother would be too proud of you two right now, can you?" Her voice had taken on the slightest hint of sarcasm. Both boys scowled at her.
"Hermione already threatened us with that-" Fred started.
"So you're wasting your breath." George concluded. "Who the hell are you anyway, Slytherin?"
Ella laughed and moved off the wall. "I do believe you know my name already. Both of you pay far more attention than you would have others believe, isn't that right?" Two pairs of eyebrows raised and their faces paled slightly, letting their freckles stand out a bit more. "But as you continue to pretend ignorance, my name is Ella Sinclair." She stuck out her hand, and waited for them to shake it. Eventually, they did.
"She's an odd one, don't you agree George?" Fred tapped his mouth, studying her.
"I'd say, Fred. Doesn't act like an icky Slytherin much. Makes me think she's up to something." George crossed his arms and watched her.
"Couldn't agree more, George. Now, the question is: is she going to tell us what she's up to, or leave us to figure it out for ourselves?" Fred raised an eyebrow at Ella, and she raised one back. Clearly, he was not so subtly asking her to reveal her true purpose.
"That is the question, isn't it?" Ella smirked. "I just wanted to meet you two. Anyone that can pay attention to what Umbridge was saying last night and understand it, yet pretend the opposite, intrigues me. And I like being intrigued, it makes life ever so much more fun." She laughed at the identical bemused look on the Weasley twin's faces. "I believe we all have a class to attend now, so I'll see you later." And then Ella turned and walked away. She knew she would have the twin's attention now.
Fred and George watched the dark-haired witch walk away silently. Once she was gone, they looked at each other.
"How'd she know where we were, first of all?" Asked George.
"Second, how did we not notice her?" Fred pondered.
"And third, what the hell does she really want?" George finished.
And then together, "Women!"
oooOooo
She had gotten to Herbology just on time, and had told Astoria she had gotten lost at the blond witch's questioning stare. Astoria had just nodded, and that was that. Now they were walking to Potions, hearing Pansy complain about Potter.
"He thinks he is entirely justified, breaking all the rules that he does! And he doesn't even get in trouble for it. Now his head is all puffed up from winning that tournament. He's going to get it this year, right Draco?" Pansy's normally pale face was slightly flushed, and she looked to Draco for approval.
"Most assuredly, Pansy." Draco drawled. Pansy smirked, and tried to hold Draco's hand. He avoided her by running a hand through his slicked back hair. He clearly used some kind charm, because it all fell back perfectly into place. Ella hid her smile behind her hair, and decided it was time for her to speak up.
"I agree with you Pansy." Pansy looked over at her, her expression flickering between her dislike of Ella and pleasure at being agreed with. "If Potter was breaking rules just to break them and got away with it, he should 'get it', as you eloquently put it." Ella paused long enough for them all to look at her just before they entered the Potions classroom. She lowered her voice and nearly hissed at all of them. "Just remember that Potter has faced the Dark Lord at least two times and counting, and has survived so far. The rest of the world may think he's lying about Him being back, but we all know better. It's all well and good to dislike someone, but you damn well better be smart enough to give that someone the proper respect when he deserves it. Don't be fools, or you don't really belong in Slytherin." She turned her back on all of their stunned faces and walked into the classroom.
She scanned the room carefully. She knew that the seat she chose would be the one she would have for the rest of the semester. Hermione and Harry were both sitting alone at separate labs, so she assumed they were still waiting for their friends to appear. Ella now had a choice. Would she sit with Hermione or Potter? Though she would love to sit by her old friend, she couldn't move too fast, or too soon. The boy would spook, and she'd lose her chance. No, her best bet was with Hermione. The witch was taking a quill and parchment from her bag. She looked up though, as Ella sat down.
"That seat is taken." Hermione's tone wasn't unfriendly, but it wasn't friendly either.
Ella made a show of looking around. "Really? Because I don't see anyone else ready to claim it." Ella wasn't rude, but she was going to sit here, and short of force, Hermione wasn't going to prevent her.
"Why are you doing this?" Hermione was starting to get frustrated with this new Slytherin. "Why aren't you sitting with Malfoy?" They both turned to look at Draco, who was staring at them with an unreadable expression. It was also clear he was saving her a seat, judging by the disgruntled look on Pansy's face.
"I've already made friends with Draco, now I want to be friends with you. Plus, I hear that you're the brightest witch of our generation. Why wouldn't I want to sit by you?"
Hermione blushed and looked away. "Because I'm Muggleborn." She said softly. Ella didn't have a chance to respond, as Snape stalked into the classroom. Ella was distracted by the way his cloak whirled and snapped behind him. She held back a laugh. Sev sure did go to extreme lengths to intimidate his students.
oooOooo
Harry watched as the new girl sat beside Hermione. From the look on Hermione's face, it was clear that she was telling the new girl to get lost. All of them had gotten used to their respective partners over the years, and they weren't about to switch. Unfortunately, both Ron and Neville had forgotten their potion kits and hadn't realized until breakfast was over. Even at a flat out run, both were going to be late. As the girl responded to Hermione, Harry looked her over. For being a Slytherin, she was really quite pretty. Her back was to him, so all he could see were her riotous back curls that hung down her back. It wasn't at all like Hermione's hair, which curled out instead of down. But the wildness was the same.
Harry was snapped out of his thoughts of winding one of those curls around a finger by Snape whirling into the room. Ron and Neville still weren't here. Harry closed his eyes, knowing Gryffindor was going to lose more points than he'd care to imagine in this class.
"Hand in your summer essays and take out your books. We will be studying the different uses of moonstones in potions this next week. You will be writing an essay on the most effective potion that uses moonstones and why you believe it to be so, two feet, due on Friday. This is collaborative assignment with your partner, and you will both be brewing the potion you have chosen this week. Choose wisely, because it is due with your essay." Snape sneered and opened his mouth to say more when the door smashed open. Ron and Neville stood there. Neville was fumbling with his bag, his face bright red and a scared look on his face. Harry sighed and pushed up his glasses. Clearly, Ron hadn't meant to slam the door open like he did.
"Weasley and Longbottom! You both are incredibly late, and on the first day too. Twenty-five points from Gryffindor. Each." Snape twisted his mouth, and Harry thought Ron would argue with him. At a look from Hermione though, he merely tightened his mouth and headed for Harry, leaving Neville to sit with Malfoy.
"Ah, Mr. Weasley." Ron stopped in his tracks at the words of Professor Snape, his hand forming a fist at his side. "I hardly wish for my best student to be blown up by Mr. Longbottom. Therefore, you will sit with Mr. Malfoy and Longbottom will sit with Potter." Harry clenched his teeth as Ron tightened his fist even more. The two boys had no choice but to obey.
"Sorry, Harry." Neville murmured as he sat down. Harry shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It's Snape's fault."
"Now, as I was saying, you may take this time period to study about moonstones and discuss with your partner what you are going to do. Please do so quietly, and if I see a wand, you will not like the consequences." With that, Snape turned to his desk and they were left to work. Harry saw Hermione lean over to Ron to tell him what he had missed. Harry did the same for Neville.
oooOooo
"I'm sorry your friend ended up with Draco." The voice at Hermione's right brought her attention back to the girl beside her. Eleanor. Hermione shook her head.
"I wouldn't worry about it until one of them starts bleeding." Hermione spoke without thinking, and immediately started berating herself. Eleanor was a Slytherin! Of course she should worry about it. It was all her fault.
"I suppose that's one way to look at it. I'm sorry again, I haven't really introduced myself. Ella Sinclair." The girl offered a slim, pale hand. Hermione hesitantly shook it.
"Hermione Granger, though I think you already knew that." Hermione took back her hand and started flipping through her potions book. She didn't expect to get much help from Ella. After all, the girl might have well said, "I'm sitting by you because you're smart and will do all the work." It was how Hermione made most of her "friends." Even Harry and Ron took advantage of her like that.
Hmm. Better do the Draught of Peace. Professor Snape will be expecting it, but maybe if I include why it's a better choice than all the others, he'll give me full points. It'll add on at least a foot- Hermione was interrupted from her thoughts by Ella.
"I think we should do the Draught of Peace. No one else will attempt it. It's fairly advanced, but will get us an 'O' if we do it right." Hermione looked at Ella. She just shrugged and showed Hermione a notebook with a bunch of notes in it. The handwriting was very neat and precise, but elegant. "I had an idea Professor Snape would have us do this when I read the first chapter. It will only take us two periods to finish it, which means we can brew it on Wednesday and Friday and have this period to start our essays. We can meet up sometime before Friday to finish the essays together."
Hermione quickly read through Ella's notes. The girl was concise, but thorough. It was clear she had planned ahead. Hermione bit her lip, unsure.
"I know you think you'll be marked down if we get even a smidgen wrong, but it's a partner assignment. We both get the same grade. And trust me, Professor Snape won't mark down one of his snakes without a really good reason. And you being my partner is not a really good reason. There's no way I'm going to do a Love Potion like Pansy is sure to do. I'm no slouch in Potions, I'll have you know." Ella smiled at Hermione. Eventually the other girl nodded.
"Fine. We'll do it." But Hermione was reserving the right to decide if this Ella Sinclair was as good at Potions as she claimed.
oooOooo
Ella let her thoughts wander as they worked. That could have gone better, but it also could have gone much worse. She kept an eye on Ron and Draco. She hadn't intended to make those two be partners. What was Snape thinking? Those two had to be the most volatile partners in the class, including Neville's propensity for messing up in epic proportions. For now, all they did was work silently and shoot each other dark looks. But as they each struggled to get more space on the desk, Ella could tell their silence would not last. Sure enough, with ten minutes left in class, the two of them started furiously whispering to each other. Hermione kept trying to get Ron's attention to make him stop, but it wasn't working.
Unfortunately, it ended up with fifty points from Gryffindor and Draco with a detention. Draco smirked at Ron to infuriate him, but all the Slytherins knew Draco had gotten the worst punishment. And Draco knew it too, underneath his smirk.
Finally, it was time to leave. "Hermione, let's meet tomorrow night in the library to finish our essays." Ella told her just as she was leaving. She saw the wary look on her face and rolled her eyes. "Bring your friends if you don't trust me, I don't care." Hermione nodded and went to catch up with her friends. Ron immediately began complaining to Harry. Ella would've liked to listen, but as she followed them, she heard Snape's voice.
"Miss Sinclair, a moment please." If she had been one prone to fear, she would've shuddered at the sinister tone of her Professor's voice. She turned around and walked to his desk.
"Yes, Professor?" She asked, her tone innocent.
"Would you care to explain why you sat by Granger today instead of Malfoy? He would have ben a more than competent partner. This whole mess would have been avoided quite neatly." His eyes cut into her. So he was going to blame her, then? Fine.
"You wish to blame this on me? Perhaps, Professor, if an enmity between these two noble Houses wasn't so encouraged, 'this whole mess would have been avoided quite neatly.'" She threw his words back at him, her voice hardly warmer than ice. "Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Weasley share quite a bit in common, and would get along nicely if they had been Sorted into the same House. However, they were not, and therefore do not get along. If you wish to dig to find blame to place on someone, perhaps you should dig deeper and look at yourself." Ella's hands were planted on Snape's desk, and she was nearly nose to nose with him. Merlin, she loved the man like her own brother, but he was not the same man she once knew. Of course, being a double spy during a war will do that to a person.
At first, Snape's face was one of pure rage. But as she continued to berate him, the rage lessened (though it did not fully go away) and confusion began to replace it. Ella carefully skimmed the top layer of his mind to see what he was thinking. He did not even notice her there. He was outraged that a student would take him to task like she was, offended that she would use his own words against him, slightly impressed with her nerve, and confused because this conversation was oddly familiar. She quickly drew back, and stood up straight. He couldn't find out yet, so she thought quickly.
"Now, before you accuse me of something equally as preposterous, I need to get to Charms. It would hardly do for me to be late on my first day." While he was still stunned by her words, she whirled and left the classroom. She would pay for that later, but now she was free. Luckily, she knew a shortcut, and she made it to Charms just in time.
oooOooo
Harry looked on curiously when he saw Ella walk in with the rest of the Slytherins for Defense. Ron also saw her and grumbled under his breath. He was already getting glares for the 75 points he had lost Gryffindor already on the first day. And of course he was blaming it all on Ella Sinclair.
Ella gave him a small smile as she slid into a desk between him and Malfoy. And suddenly, Harry's brain was infiltrated by fog. Her eyes were a swirling silver that left him breathless. Confused, Harry pulled his eyes away from hers and focused on getting out the supplies he needed for the rest of the class. A book that he hadn't read a single page of, his wand, a quill and some ink, and some parchment for notes. He looked over and noticed Hermione's desk was clear except for her wand. She was staring straight ahead, clearly outraged at something. Narrowing his eyes, he looked to his left and noticed Ella had done the same, except her wand was firmly in her hand and she was calmly petting the white cat in her bag with the other hand. Her head was tilted slightly toward the cat as if she could understand the slight purr Harry heard from the cat. But her face was entirely calm, entirely the opposite of Hermione's. Harry didn't have any more time to think about this as Professor Umbridge walked primly into the room.
**"Your previous instruction in this subject has been disturbingly uneven. But you will be pleased to know from now on, you will be following a carefully structured, Ministry-approved course of defensive magic. Yes?" Umbridge's overly sweet voice changed slightly in tone when she noticed Hermione's hand fly up on the word Ministry-approved.
Hermione was barely able to keep her voice steady. "There's nothing in here about using defensive spells." Harry and Ron stared at their friend in disbelief. She had never questioned a teacher before.
Umbridge gave Hermione a condescending smile. "Using spells? Ha ha! Well I can't imagine why you would need to use spells in my classroom." Harry started to understand why Hermione was acting the way she was. The familiar prickling of anger began to well up in him. He was also starting to understand what the speech last night was all about.
Ron, still not understanding what was going on, piped up. "We're not gonna use magic?"
Umbridge's tone was patronizing. "You will be learning about defensive spells in a secure, risk-free way." Harry had had about enough. What was the Ministry thinking? With Voldemort on the loose, a defense class that didn't teach them how to defend themselves would be the death of them all.
"Well, what use is that? If we're gonna be attacked it won't be risk-free." Harry didn't look around the class to see the reactions of his classmates. He focused on the toad-like woman in front of him.
Her eyes narrowed and she stood straighter. "Students will raise their hands when they speak in my class." She paused as if to collect herself, and continued on. "It is the view of the Ministry that a theoretical knowledge will be sufficient to get you through your examinations, which after all, is what school is all about."
Harry couldn't believe it. The Ministry either didn't have a clue, or they were pretending like they didn't have one. Either was very dangerous for everybody, and especially him. "And how is theory supposed to prepare us for what's out there?" He could almost feel Hermione's gaze on him, warning him not to get into trouble. But with his anger blazing, Harry had little control over the words spilling out of his mouth.
The tiny Professor wasn't looking too calm herself. "There is nothing out there, dear! Who do you imagine would want to attack children like yourself?" Her voice was still simpering, but her eyes were glaring at Harry, as if to warn him. Of course, Harry paid those eyes no mind.
Anger and sarcasm coating every word, he spoke. "I don't know, maybe, Lord Voldemort?" Gasps rang out in the classroom, and Professor Umbridge's face grew red.**
"That is a lie Potter, and you should be ashamed-" Umbridge was interrupted as Harry stood up, his eyes blazing in anger.
"I am not lying! I saw him! And if we just sit around learning nothing-"
"Nothing, Potter? Theory is-"
"Useless against Voldemort, Professor." More gasps as Harry said the dreaded wizard's name. Umbridge seemed to snap at that and opened her mouth.
oooOooo
Ella was fairly amused with how things were going so far. It was exactly as Harry had told her. By the look of the Professor's face, this is where she would give Harry detention. This would be the first time she was going to change history significantly. If she had been any other person, Ella would have taken a deep breath in. As she was not, she merely blinked and raised her hand. She felt the gaze of her classmates on her, especially the Slytherins. In fact, Draco was rather enjoying this, and was quite perturbed at her interference. Professor Umbridge halted the words that nearly exploded out of her mouth and nodded at Ella. Perhaps the Professor was thinking that since Ella was in Slytherin, she would put Harry in his place. Harry was apparently thinking this too, if the wary look in his eyes was any proof.
"Professor, if I may-" Ella halted, ever polite and waited for the Professor to give her permission to keep speaking. Umbridge nodded and Ella continued on. "Who is to say whether Voldemort-" She paused to let the louder gasps die down. Apparently they were more used to Potter flinging the name around than a Slytherin. "Whether Voldemort has come back or not? Except perhaps someone who has seen it? Now, I for one haven't seen a Dark Lord come back to life." Ella stared at Umbridge while she spoke. The woman seemed rather unsure as to where Ella was going with this.
"But Harry says he has. And as none of in this room has any proof against his words, we should not ignore him so hastily, especially in such a serious matter as this one is. Let us recall our history and note that man has often ignored that which he fears until it is right upon him, and then it is too late. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. It is far better to prepare for the worst and hope for the best than to ignore something completely. And if I remember correctly, Mr. Potter has far more proof of Voldemort's coming back than we have to disprove it. Now I wasn't here last year, but I would think all of you would recall fairly vividly the death of Cedric Diggory. It is not something I have forgotten, and neither should you."
Ella proceeded to look each person in the eye. None dared to speak, not even the Professor, correctly suspecting that the intimidating witch had more to say. Most of the Gryffindor's were properly cowed by her words and could not quite meet her eyes. Ron was slack jawed, and Hermione was nodding slowly in approval. Harry stared at her like he was trying to figure her out. Nearly all the Slytherins were deep in thought and stared back warily at her. Draco was tight-lipped and had his jaw clenched. No one else would have seen it, but Ella had seen centuries of men with the same look in their eyes. He was afraid. Professor Umbridge had calmed down and was assessing the situation. Ella met her eyes and saw calculation there. Ella realized that the Professor knew Voldemort was back, but was using that knowledge to her and the Ministry's advantage. The Ministry was in full denial though. Still meeting the Professor's eyes, Ella continued.
"One should not speak against which they have no knowledge about. And one should also know that withholding knowledge is just as dangerous as wielding it." Ella gave one last stare at everyone in the class and sat down. Circe had climbed on top of the desk and was unconcernedly licking a paw. As some other witches had their cats with them in classes, no one thought anything of it.
Stupid humans. Toady's folly will lead to her destruction. Ella absentmindedly stared out the window and agreed silently with her pet.
Umbridge blinked. The girl was acting like nothing had even happened. Which quite contrasted with how shook up Umbridge was feeling herself. She had never seen a fifteen year old girl speak with such conviction and wisdom. There had been an aura of command and power around the girl, the likes of which Umbridge had been trying to attain her whole life. And for a mere slip of girl to drape it around her like a comfortable old cloak was insufferable. She had been about to give the boy a detention, but now thought better of it. The girl had even affected her Housemates. Her speech was sure to reach the entire school by dinner, and her own view was going to be rather unpopular by then. Better to wait and trap Potter some other way. With that decided, Professor Umbridge calmly assigned that day's reading like none of it had happened. It was really the best way to deal with the situation. Fudge would certainly be hearing of this, and Dolores would be right there to whisper suggestions in his ear to remedy the situation. Smiling slightly as she pondered on the fact that she had the Minister in her pocket, she failed to see the class's response to the entire thing. Not entirely the smartest idea.
The Trio all looked at each other, then at Ella who was still staring absentmindedly out the window. No one could know she was sharply aware of all going on around her. They all silently came to the conclusion they would meet and talk as soon as class was out.
The rest of the Gryffindor's looked at Harry in a new light. They had been exposed to their parents all summer, who had been exposed to the Ministry's propaganda. They had immediately accepted both their parent's word and the Ministry's word as fact. What Ella's speech had forced them to do was think for themselves. The Slytherin's had always known and embraced this concept, which is why they were looking at their new housemate in a new acceptance, despite the fact her speech was made for Potter. Draco was lost in thoughts of what this now meant for him and his family.
Ella could guess fairly accurately what each student was thinking at the moment, as well as her Professor. All in all, she was pleased with the results of her little speech. She had been planning that moment for years, and was gratified that it was working. The Slytherins were far more accepting of her in general, Hermione was analyzing, Ron was pondering, and Harry was thinking. At the moment, though, Ella was a bit more concerned with the fear she had seen in Draco's eyes earlier. So far, she had not interacted with him much. He seemed like the Draco Malfoy Harry had described in general, but when it was just Slytherins, he was decidedly less stuck up and more real. Perhaps that is why the Slytherins actually seemed to like him and look up to him. He really was the quintessential Slytherin. Ella closed her eyes and just breathed. Perhaps Draco was more like his father than Harry had led her to believe. And hope flashed through her chest like white hot fire. Perhaps Lucius had learned to forgive, and that would make all the difference.
Ella quickly decided that Percy was doing well enough, he would not need a visit from Lady Mora tonight. No, she would pay a visit to an old friend that she had hurt deeply, and see if he truly had forgiven her. Class was almost over, so she fixed her gaze on the Professor up front. The woman was clearly thinking of a different way to control Harry Potter. Ella smirked openly as Umbridge wrote furiously to the Minister.
One important thing Dolores Umbridge had failed to realize through her hatred of children was the fact that children grow up one day and children remember. And this day would be forever etched into the memories of all the children there.
A figure that even Ella didn't notice watched the scene with satisfaction. Fate was quite happy with the way Ella was changing things. Fate hadn't really had a plan, only that Voldemort couldn't keep messing with her, and that Ella Sinclair was the person to stop him. Originally, Fate had planned on Harry Potter, but Voldemort had messed that up as well.
Fate smirked as she faded out of the room. When were humans going to learn that messing with their fate would never end well?
A/N: I know I promised I wouldn't write any of these, but I've kept my promise so far, right? The only reason is because I've discovered I really like reviews. So from now on, all who leave a review (if you aren't a guest) I'll PM you back with a sneak peek of the next chapter. I'll be posting this note at the bottom of all the chapters for now on. I'm sorry, but just skip past it if you find it annoying.
-Ari
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