Book 2: Swords and Wands: The Prisoner of Azkaban
Summary: The demigods return in their second year to more surprises then they would ever have thought. Who is this Sirius Black and what does he have to do with Harry Potter? Find out in Book 2 of Swords and Wands
Disclaimer: I do not own PJO, HOO, or HP and I never will.
Chapter 5: Page 394 and More
"I hope no one gets hurt."
Jason, Ginny, and Piper were listening to the howling wind outside, rain battering the windows. Ginny had been thinking of the Quidditch tournament and decided to voice her thoughts.
"They're trained for this type of thing Ginny." Jason reassured.
Nevertheless, Ginny worried about the team the whole way to Herbology and even then some.
Annabeth went to third year Defense Against the Dark Arts expecting to go onto the next subject with Lupin, but that was not the case. She sat next to Hermione and stared at Snape, who was at the head of the classroom. Ron, sitting behind them, looked flabbergasted.
"Professor Lupin is ill." He began in his low, drawling voice. "He has not left any information on the topics you have learned so-"
Suddenly, the door slammed open. In a rush of limbs, Harry Potter ran into the classroom. "Sorry I'm late, Professor Lupin, I-"
Snape looked up from the teacher's desk with an almost smug presence around him. "This lesson began ten minutes ago, Potter so I think we'll make it ten points from Gryffindor. Sit down."
Harry didn't move.
"Where's Professor Lupin?" He asked.
"He says he is feeling to ill to teach today," Snape spoke with a twisted smile that Annabeth just wanted to tug off his face and set it on fire. "I believe I told you sit down?"
Harry stared where he was.
"What's wrong with him?"
Snape's eyes glittered. "Nothing life-threatening," he said like he wished it were. "Fire more points from Gryffindor, and if I have to ask you to sit down again, it will be fifty."
Harry walked slowly to his seat as if he was prolonging it and sat down. Snape looked around at the class.
"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far-"
"Please, sir, we've done boggarts, Red Caps, kappas, and grindylows," Hermione spoke quickly, as if she wouldn't be able to get all the information out. "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."
"He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had," Dean Thomas spoke loudly. A murmur agreement covered the classroom. Snape looked more menacing than ever.
"You are easily satisfied. Lupin is hardly overtaxing you-I would expect first years to be able to deal with Red Caps and grindylows…"
"Well, your expectations don't count because Lupin got the job and you didn't." Annabeth spoke boldly, playing with her quill. She smirked. Hermione stared at her with wide eyes. Annabeth began again, pronouncing every syllable like she was talking to a kindergartner. "This is Defense Against the Dark Arts, not Potions, Professor."
Snape suddenly seemed very irritated looking. He looked down at Annabeth like one would look down at a spider. He stood tall, black eyes glittering.
"Ten points from-" Snape began. He didn't finish. The professor had noticed her tie color and suddenly seemed very tongue-tied.
"Yes, Professor?" Annabeth asked, batting her eyelashes at him innocently. Everybody knew that Snape was very Slytherin-Pro and never took a point from the house. The rest of the class hid their snickers behind their hands.
"Slytherin." Snape finished distastefully. "Ten points from Slytherin, Miss Chase and a Friday detention."
"That's what I thought." She smiled at him with pride.
"You're a Slytherin, but you're really a Gryffindor, Annabeth." Ron said admirably as he leaned forward
The professor gave a death glare to Annabeth as he turned to the rest of the class (some of the students letting out low whistles and silent applause) who stopped their antics as his gaze fell on them. He suddenly gave a very ugly smile at them like he was getting revenge.
"Today we shall discuss werewolves."
"But sir," Hermione said, unable to restrain herself, "we're not supposed to do werewolves yet, we're due to start hinkypunks-"
"Miss Granger," Snape's voice spoke in a deadly calm, "I was under the impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you all to turn to page 394." He glanced as if to prove his point. "All of you! Now!"
Bitter looks and sullen muttering followed the instruction.
"Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and true wolf?" Snape asked.
Motionless silence followed except for Hermione's raised hand. Annabeth was busy reading the page.
"Anyone?" Snape ignored Hermione. His twisted smile had returned. "Are you telling me that Professor Lupin hasn't even taught you the basic distinction between-"
"We told you," Parvati spoke up suddenly. Annabeth was surprised. She always seemed like such a quiet girl. "we haven't got as far as werewolves yet, we're still on-"
"Silence!" Snape snarled. "Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf where they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…"
"Please, sir" Hermione said, hand still in the air, "the werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-"
"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," Snape spoke coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."
Hermione went very red, her hand fell down, and she stared at the floor with her eyes full of tears. The entire class glared at Snape even if they had called Hermione a know-it-all at least once. Annabeth stared in shock at the Professor, her mouth a thin line. She was ready to stand up and tell him whose boss, but Ron beat her to it.
"You ask us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"
The class instantly knew that Ron had gone to far. Snape advanced on Ron slowly like a lion stalking it's prey. The entire class held their breaths.
"Detention, Weasley," Snape's voice was just like silk, face very close to Ron's. "And I ever hear you criticize the way I teach a class again, you will be very sorry indeed."
"Is that a threat, Professor?" Annabeth spoke up. She was tired of the way Snape was treating everybody who wasn't a Slytherin. He was just as bad as Octavian had been about the Greeks. Just because they weren't like him, he hated them.
Snape turned to her. "You just bought you and that mouth of yours a month's detention, Miss Chase."
She rolled her eyes, but it was worth it when Ron smiled at her gratefully. At least she helped somebody. The rest of the class went by uneventfully besides Snape's sly comments that mad Annabeth want to throttle him. When the bell rang after what felt like forever, Snape held them back.
"You will each write an essay, to be in to me, on the ways you recognize and kill werewolves. I want two rolls of parchment on the subject, and I want them by Monday morning. It is time somebody took this class in hand. Weasley, Chase, stay behind, we need to arrange your detentions.
The rest of the class left the room, bursting into a furious rage about Snape as they got out of earshot. When Annabeth and Ron left the room, Hermione and Harry were waiting for them.
"D'you know what that-" (he called Snape something that made Hermione shout "Ron!") "-is making me do? I've got to scrub out of the bedpans in the hospital wing. Without magic!" He was breathing deeply, fists clenched. "Annabeth has to clean the entire trophy room with a toothbrush; a toothbrush. Why couldn't Black have hidden in Snape's office, eh? He could have finished him off for us!"
The next day, through the pouring rain and clashing thunder, the demigods and friends made their way to the field. Jason, Piper, and Ginny were dressed in Gryffindor colors. Percy, Hazel, and Frank had decked out for Hufflepuff. Annabeth wore a canary yellow headband in her hair to support the Hufflepuffs. Rachel still wore her Slytherin green headband she had been wearing all year to keep her auburn hair out of her icy eyes. Leo and Luna had both dressed up in Gryffindor colors to support the Gryffindors.
The rain battered down, thunder shook the stands, and the wind did wonders to the many posters in the audience. As Gryffindor team walked out, applause could barely be heard over the wind. Hufflepuff had the same effect. You could only tell who is who by their colors. Diggory and Wood shook hands. Madam's Hooch's blurry mouth formed words, "Mount your brooms."
The game was hard to see and the sky just seemed to be getting darker. The teams were soaked within minutes. The audience was also getting quite cold. Hazel was glad she brought her coat and scarf. She wrapped herself up and pulled Percy and Frank (who were to either side of her) closer and basked in the warmth.
With the first sign of lightning, a time out was called, Gryffindor was fifty points ahead. Jason brushed his plastered down hair off his forehead and squinted at the field.
"I can barely see anything!"
"Tell me about it." Ginny shook her head, aggravated. It's like the rain just wants to cover everything.
The game started up again. A clap of thunder. A flash of forked lightning. More darkness. The wind picked up. The danger levels were rising. Suddenly, all the dementors were on the ground of the Quidditch field. Frank noticed them first, pointing them out urgently.
Then Harry was falling to the ground
Thank you guys for the reviews! The chapters will get longer again, I just need to stop putting it off to the last minute to write the chapters and this weekend is perfect for writing so that's what I'm going to do.
Review with questions, thoughts, or anything!