Harry arrived at the potions class a good five minutes before the bell rang: he wanted to make sure his most dreaded teacher had nothing to reproach him. Staying away from the other students, he double-checked his uniform, from his shoelaces to his tie knot. He made sure his shirt was tucked into his pants and that his sweater was free of any speck of dust. As he was attempting to somehow comb his rebellious hair with his bare fingers, he saw the heavy door, only thing that separated him from an angry Snape, open. The flow of students immediately stepped into the class, and Harry had no choice but to follow. He sat at his usual seat, which he was very fond of, mostly because it was surrounded by shadows and therefore hard to discern form the teacher's emplacement. He immediately proceeded into piling up his books on his desk, creating a fence of paper to defend him against his enemy's wrath. Finally, he neatly placed all of his ingredients in the small platter he would be using later on, and cautiously placed his bag under his chair, to make sure it couldn't possibly catch anyone's attention – or feet, as it was. Once all this was accomplished, he finally permitted himself to breathe. The chilly air barely had time to reach his lungs that Harry forced it back out of his body. He had just heard the sound of footsteps echoing in the dungeons. Making all his possible to seem as small and harmless as he could, he shrunk back on his chair, trying to blend with the wood that composed it. Little did he know that all these precautions were useless. As pain spread into his crooked back, he saw, for the second time this day, Miss Beauregard sitting down at the teacher's desk.
"Good evening, everyone," she said calmly, "and welcome to potions class. For some quite… horrible reasons, actually, professor Snape will not be able to present himself here and grace you with his knowledge and wisdom, so it seems as though I'm going to have to take this huge responsibility on my shoulders."
"Where is he?" Zabini asked abruptly.
"Somewhere," the woman replied, darting two angry eyes on his pale figure.
"No, really, you should no, shouldn't you?"
"Ask this another time and we'll be using your eyes instead of the toads'."
"Alright, stop!" Hermione shouted out of the blue, taking both teacher and student by surprise.
"Stop… asking her where Snape is?" Zabini replied, uncertain.
"No!" the Gryffondor replied, "Miss Beauregard! Stop threatening your students, please! Couldn't you just retract House Points? I'm sorry to tell you this right now, but it… it sickens me the way you use verbal violence so easily against us."
Harry turned to observe Hermione, who looked pale and truly disgusted. From under his desk, he reached for her hand and held it in his for a few seconds, addressing her a small comforting smile. She grinned back, but if Harry had not knew she was simply upset, he could have sworn she looked sick. Thalia also seemed to realize that her punishments might sound harsh to the portion of the class who had not been raised as a serial killer. "Don't excuse yourself for that dear, you have every right to tell me so…" she assured Hermione, who immediately sighed in relief. "Only, I simply refuse to use competition as a way of motivating children, well, teenagers. This House system is used to divide you and it emphasizes your differences rather than the qualities you have in common, as it should. Teachers usually play the game because…"
Thalia stopped half way through her lecture, stunned. Surprise was written all over her features, and soon she started talking again, only her speech was miles away from her initial one. "Actually, I wouldn't mind trying this system for, say, one period. You guys ready to be my Guinea pigs?" she seriously stated. The class didn't reply, and she went on. "Well then Miss Granger," she said, "ten points to Gryffondor for proposing this marvelous idea. Actually no, I take them back."
The students burst into laughter. Thalia also permitted herself a little chuckle. "No, I think I'll only be retracting points for today. Now, where was I? Oh yes, professor Snape's regretted absence. And mister Zabini had a question, I think?"
"Erm, yeah… I was wondering where Snape was," the Slytherin asked once again.
"Erm isn't a word dear boy, twenty points off Slytherin."
"What?" Draco exploded.
"Please don't interrupt me while I'm speaking. This will cost the Slytherin house another ten points," Thalia continued.
"Alright," Draco shouted… "Alright," he then added, soothed. "I understand why I could loose points… but Zabini?"
"You are contesting my decisions. Another ten points."
"Ma'am?" a little voice cried out from the back of the class.
"Yes, Melany?" Miss Beauregard asked the girl Harry had smiled to only hours ago.
"What potion will we be preparing today? "
Unlike the other Slytherins, she seemed to understand that arguing would only cost her House more points. "We will be creating Wolfbane," she answered, apparently unable to find any flaw in the question worth retracting Slytherin any more points. "Can you tell me in what year it was discovered?"
"Ee, in, erm, 19…"
"Oh, too long," Thalia said, almost apologetically. "Twenty points will be retracted from your House my dear."
"Thalia this is ridiculous!" Draco burst once again, jumping on his feet.
"It might be Thalia when I'm staying at the mansion, Mr. Malfoy, but here my name is Miss Beauregard. Twenty points."
"Miss Beauregard, then…" Malfoy started, meanly emphasizing on the name.
"Are you mocking me?" Thalia asked with a rather honest smile. "Another ten points!"
This time, Malfoy kept his mouth shout. His eyes filled with loathing, he sat back down. Thalia, on the other hand, looked simply delighted. Nobody could have guessed that not so long ago, she had set fire to a portrait simply out of rage. "So what's the count then? 90 points I think… Oh yes…" she muttered to herself. "Well, lets round it up to a hundred and call it a day," she added, joyfully clapping her hands in conclusion. There was a gasp of horror from the green side of the classroom. In all Hogwarts history, Harry doubted any House had ever lost as many points in such a short time. For such stupid reasons, that is. As whispers of anger started becoming audible, Thalia decided to calm everyone down. "Don't worry, to compensate for this loss, all Slytherin students will be spared of homework for tonight. Potions' homework, that is." The murmur of Salazar's House immeditaly ceased, slowly substituted by the murmur of the Gryffondors.
"Why couldn't she take those points from us!" Harry heard Ron complain from the other end of the table.
"Ronald!" Hermione answered, outraged to see her friend cared more about his personal pleasure than the well being of his House.
"What… Snape probably left tons of it in order to make up with his absence," Ron stated in his defense.
"Well, maybe…" was the only thing Hermione found to reply.
"Is she allowed to refuse to give to Snape's students the homework he intended on giving them?" Harry asked, interposing himself between his two friends.
"Probably not… As a substitute, she has to follow the guidelines he left her," Hermione said.
Before they had time to explain themselves this strange fact, their teacher spoke again. "So. Wolfbane. Created in 1976, as Melany was about to say, I am sure."
***
A loud clinging sound was heard throughout the half-empty corridor as Snape loudly dropped his suitcase on the ground. He had just caught a sight of the four giant hourglasses that kept count of the House Points, and more especially of the Slytherin hourglass. The number of small emeralds it contained had fallen drastically, nearly reaching the ground, a good meter separating it's top from the one of the following House, Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff and Gryffondor, the leaders, had about twice as many points as Slytherin. The Head of House knew his students usually lost points in other classes than his, but his day-long absence could not excuse the loss of more than a hundred points. His shocked mind was unable to grasp the reality, and he couldn't turn towards anybody for an explanation. Around him, students of all Houses but his were walking by, very few noticing his presence, fewer noticing his stupefaction, and simply none caring about his poor state of mind. It was only when one of his colleague walked by that he had the presence of mind of asking what he had on his mind.
"Mi… Minerva ?" he asked the woman in question as she silently saluted him with a nod.
"Yes, Professor Snape?"
"Erm… I was wondering if, erm, you could tell me… How did the Slytherin House loose all these points?"
The potion's master could easily see that Miss MacGonagall was simply thrilled by the news: she could barely hide her joyful smile from him as she said: "Well, I believe you retracted them, Severus."
"I wouldn't think so," he said gravely, "as I was gone the entire day. Perhaps the Headmaster would have told you…"
"Oh, yes…" she replied, frowning, "I believe that is true… Well, the points were lost only moments ago, during the last period. And the Slytherins had Potions class this last period."
"Would you happen to know," Severus impatiently stated, "who might have replaced me during my absence?"
His fellow teacher's tardiness annoyed his already annoyed mind. And what annoyed him more than anything was that he had already guessed who had taken his place as potion's teacher that day. "I believe… I believe Miss Beauregard took your place," the old witch said, coming to her senses. "I'm so sorry Severus, we thought she would be best for the position… You taught her so much since you know each other, and, well, she is the only other teacher prone to encourage Slytherin…"
"Alright," Snape snapped. "I don't blame you. Now is there any way my House can get these points back?"
"I wouldn't think so… Oh dear God," Minerva said, "I'm sorry again Severus, but Dumbledore is expecting me in his office in about a minute, I must go, really."
She abandoned the astonished teacher in the corridor, rapidly marching towards the Headmaster's office without a goodbye. Snape was about to do so when from the corner of the eye he caught a glimpse of a white figure, accentuated by the black robes of the students surrounding it. The ghostly image approached him slowly, as he stayed standing in the same point, livid. The figure finally came at a stop, and simply said, grinning with all it's teeth: "Hello darling."
"What is this?" the man replied, staring at her with rage.
"Oh, simply a little test. You've told me a hundred times that this system of points worked. Actually, you were right. It did have the effect I wanted."
Thalia simply couldn't help herself from smiling. She was simply exultant with joy, a ray of sunshine. The only feature that stood out of the glow of happiness was her eyes: if they could have talked, they would have been crying "Revenge!" . She was carrying a pile of papers that she simply placed into her boyfriend's inert arms. "Here are the results of the Wolfbane experience."
"What?" Snape shouted, as he saw each and every Slytherin student had failed the class.
"Oh yes… It was quite pathetic, you should have seen. Anyways, I got to get running, I have tests to correct. You won't be having that problem thought, since only half your class will be doing the homework you had assigned. Goodbye my love."
Still bearing a huge grin, she bent forwards and kissed Snape on the cheek. As she was leaving him, though, Snape finally left his apathetic state and expressed himself. "You can't bring down an entire House simply for personal reasons," he said calmly, his eyes half-closed.
"Really?" Thalia replied, turning back to face him with an amused look shinning in her eyes. "I was under the impression you've been doing it for years."
A bitter smile appeared on the man's thin lips. "Don't tell me this is about you defending the poor little Gryffondors."
"Of course not. This is about me attacking you," Thalia honestly replied .
"Because…?"
"You know what this is about."
Miss Beauregard was about to leave when Nick Zabini walked by the two teachers, two younger Slytherins by his side. "Zabini," Snape announced without detaching his eyes from his girlfriend's, "a hundred points for the quality of your tie knot." He slightly turned his head to observe the emeralds contained in the giant hour-glassed, but they remained still. Puzzled, he gasped as Thalia explained. "A head of House cannot attribute an excessive amount of points to the students of his own House without the Headmatser recognizing the student in question fully deserves them," she recited from mind.
"Alright then," Snape fulminated, "you can leave Zabini."
As the Slytherin walked away, Snape suddenly gave out a large smile. Thalia glanced behind her shoulder, worried, but all she could see was a small gang of Gryffondors.
"Potter!" Snape called with the same tone of voice he employed every time he would speak to Harry, "I immediately retract a hundred points from your House. Your shoelace is untied," he explained with an evil grin. Harry had barely started to complain that his shoelace was not untied but simply a little bit lazy that the pile of rubies situated in the bottom basin of the hourglass magically starting shooting upwards. Only a few of them had had time to leave that Thalia replied. "Harry," she said, "a hundred and one points for the, what is it again? Oh yes, the quality of your tie knot." The few rubies that where levitating fell back to their initial place with a soft clinging sound. "How…?" Snape started.
"I'm not head of House," Thalia replied.
"You are unbelievable!" he cried, filled with anger. "A hundred points from Gryffondor for hosting the world's most bitter, jealous bitch."
It seemed as though any reason was good enough to retract points, as once again, the giant hourglass started emptying itself. "I'm sorry?" Thalia asked, horrified. "That better have been witch."
"It wasn't."
"You should know that it was Slytherin that made me a bitch."
"You're going to retract points for that too?" Snape mocked her. "It seems as though any reason is good enough to pursue your puerile little attack."
"No," the woman replied, "I won't take any points off. I'll add points. A hundred points to Gryffondor for hosting the world's loveliest, nicest, sweetest and most beatiful witch," she said, emphasizing the last word.
"You better not be talking about you," Snape laughed.
"You know I'm not."
Thalia kept staring at Snape for a few awkward seconds, then turned on her heels and left. Snape patiently waited before the hourglass, watching the last rubies Thalia had conjured fall back into the hourglass, then turned around to look at Ginny and Harry, and finally left, disoriented. "What just happened?" Ginny nervously giggled.
"Domestic rows," Harry explained, rolling his eyes.
"We didn't loose points because of… well, you know…. what Snape said?"
"No, no we didn't. It all came out even."
"Alright, good," Ginny murmured.
They both fell silent, staring at the collection of rubies, emeralds, sapphires and round discs of amber lying before their eyes. The redhead finally broke the silence. "Anyways, I got to go… I've got to meet… Well I have to be at the lake soon enough. Bye Harry." She hesitated a few seconds, then gave him a quick hug and nearly ran away, slightly blushing. Harry was about to leave when he realized that his Potion's teacher had forgotten his suitcase. Unsure of what to do, he tried to find someone he could ask to go get the Professor, but the corridor had emptied during Snape and Thalia's public fight. He was about to lift it up in order to deliver it to it's owner in the dungeons, but he stopped his hand about an inch from the handle: he ignored what safety disposal Snape had placed on his belongings, but he was not in the mood for finding himself hanging head down from the ceiling, or simply bursting into flames. Therefore, he stayed about five minutes beside the suitcase, and as he was about to leave to warn Snape of his loss, he saw the teacher in question walking up towards him.
He arrived in front of the boy within a few seconds, and abruptly asked: "You didn't touch it?"
"No," Harry answered on the defensive.
"Don't lie to me, Potter…"
"I didn't touch it!"
"This isn't about you being in trouble, I simply don't want you to find yourself dead within a few hours, now have you made skin contact with it or no?" he hammered loudly, detaching every word with his deep voice.
"NO!" Harry shouted.
"Alright," Snape simply said after a while, calming down.
He looked at Harry for a few seconds, then stared at the four hourglasses. He gave a small nod, and left. Harry was about to do so himself when he heard a small clinging noise emaning from the Gryffondor hourglass. He turned to observe about a dozen small rubies adding themselves ot the already huge pile of shiny, crimson stones.