Chapter 5
Twelve fifth years would be taking the new OWL in metalwork; two of the lower sixth were taking it to NEWT, which was Lydia and Leo. Several of the upper sixth were taking metalwork OWL alongside their NEWTs so they had a sufficiency of time to prepare for it. Professor Jorbal had asked the OWL students to write out over the long holidays the precise nature of the two masterworks they intended to craft as their practical offering so he could make any modifications necessary. Gorbrin presented his concepts; a small useful knife that would grow to be a sword and leap to the hand on command for use against dark wizards; and a piece of jewellery enchanted with the shield charm. The presentation of an application of a practical aspect of the use of the coefficient of magical expansion was good for extra marks as well as the item being useful; and Gorbrin had worked hard to assess that he needed to use chanting to make an otherwise impossible amalgam of goblin steel and goblin silver to increase as much as he wanted it to do; and added the arithmantic notes to his sheet.
Jorbal had some idea of Arithmancy but very little of chanting; so he took the notes to Tony Queach.
"Crumbs, Jorbal, I don't know enough about your subject to make comment" said Tony "Ask Severus Snape by floo; he might know."
Which Jobal proceeded to do.
Severus had picked up some knowledge of goblin metal crafting from the father of one of his pupils, Irdl Breuer; and was arithmancer and chanter enough to follow Gorbrin's thoughts.
"Ambitious; but I don't see why it shouldn't work" said Severus "Train me up a teacher for my school, would you, Jorbal? It looks a fascinating study and I love finding out more. Who's this ambition youth?"
"Gorbrin Malfoy-Tobak" said Jorbal.
"THAT explains a lot" said Severus "The boy is a genius; no wonder he's combining subjects without a by-you-leave. He'll go far, that one; make anyone who's ever taught him more than proud of him!"
"That I believe" said Jorbal.
Madam McGonagall held an impromptu staff meeting.
"What are we to do with Lilith Snape?" she asked.
"Spank her and send her to bed with threats of lines?" suggested Sirius. "In what respect, Minerva?"
"The child is a'most nine yearrrs old; and she kens mair aboot trransfigurations than mony an ane o' ma NEWT students!" said Minerva "Puir wee thing, she hasnae had much of a life!"
"Nonsense" said Sirius "If you're thinking that Severus has crammed her, think again. She 'just happens' to eavesdrop an awful lot; and she's been listening to rather high magic since she was born. I expect she's even well aware what horcruces are."
"Surely not!" cried Minerva.
"If you want to put a few galleons on it…" said Sirius.
"Sirius!"
"Sorry, Minerva" Sirius was slightly chastened. "She loves learning for its own sake; like both her parents. She told me that the best bit about coming to Hogwarts would be different books as well as the chance to maraud. Don't for one instant think she's going to be a swot with no life; she's out for fun!"
"Aye; and it concerrns me that if she's bored we'll no' hae ony peace" said Minerva "And I was wonderring if we micht let her tak' an OWL or two a year tae try tae keep her focused on something."
Sirius chuckled.
"I can just see her working out how to take every subject there is" he said "And mind you, why not? She knows beyond what I'm teaching the first years in geomancy but I wager she's not ready for an OWL in that yet; she's barely touched on comparative magic, and she's certainly never done metalwork. Chanting I suspect, sorry Tony, that she surpasses our professor."
"I was rather coming to that conclusion" said Tony "But her knowledge of all poetry forms could be extended; I'll put her through a tough poetry and music course if you like."
"Excellent" approved Sirius. "Remus, I doubt you'll have much to teach her; I certainly felt her jinxing Odessa officers into balls after laughing dementors to death over Prince Peak last year."
"Her theory might not be all that's to be desired however" said Remus gently "Since Severus is weak on some of the foreign dark creatures; the disadvantage of the Blood Group – and indeed certain single members before they blooded – is that an excess of power and brilliance can lead to failing to pick up the subtleties of each individual dark creature. If you can blast anything up to a dementor with raw power, it makes one sloppy."
"I don't know; Jade's solution of snargaluff pods on Redcaps was quite entertaining and original" said Sirius.
"Jade is meticulous about theory" said Remus "Not that I'm saying that Severus and Krait are not; for they are. But if Severus has a weak point it's specifics of dark creatures. It is the dark arts that have always fascinated him more than the mere creatures spawned of dark magic or ritual. And Lilith is still, I think, quite raw. I don't think she's ready for an OWL in DADA even though she could walk into the exam and get an 'O'. But if I let her do that without teaching her everything I can, I'd have failed her. Lilith is a remarkable child; but she is still a child. And some things take adult understanding too. Let her sit Transfigurations and Potions by all means; and chanting too if you will; and then poke her at solving hypotheses that nobody has ever really understood, like is there really any arithmantic power in twenty-three factorial."
"Even Hermione Granger never got onto that!" said Septima Vector. "I looked at the equations she left for Minerva; excellent grasp of principles. Delicious chocolate frog too" she added "I didn't realise that sort of summoning was OWL level!"
"It isn't" said Minerva. "Yes; she had all the summoning correct, tasted perfect as well as looking right –and as I found out later the wee sumf had managed a permanency charm!. I'm not sure any school level witch could duplicate that."
"Severus warned me that she is more than capable of changing NEWT level equations to be perfectly accurate but entirely improper equations" sighed Septima "Maybe setting her onto the twenty three factorial problem may keep her quiet for a while. And if she DOES solve it she'll have a piece of Arithmancy that may prove useful to all mankind."
"I like the concept that it's theory she lacks" said Sirius "I wonder if she can second guess the Knight bus? I reckon not. Septima, you should be perhaps asking not what the answer is for Arithmancy questions but why they are what they are."
"I'll bear that in mind too" said Septima "Con, she's your greatniece, what's your take on her?"
"I have to say I scarcely know the child" said Constance Hardbroom "But if she can brew half so well as Mimi she's a small prodigy."
"She probably long since surpassed Mimi" said Sirius dryly. "When I was there she was lecturing Victor Crabbe on Golapott's third law; and as I understand she was conniving with Gorbrin over the holiday to enchant a flagstone to record the precise weight of some witch they took against so they could apply an extrapolation of Golapott worked backwards to know exactly how much purgative it would take to keep the woman out of circulation for any given time; they were drawing up charts. They were also factoring in different amounts of potion extender rather than increasing the amounts of potion."
"Well that's Gorbrin" said Connie "Very meticulous! Dear me, I wonder who?"
"Some female who had managed to disrespect all Gorbrin's mothers as I understand" said Sirius "I decided I was not going to find out any details."
"Probably wise" said Connie "Gorbrin is a genius; he deserved his 'O' grade in potions."
"And in Transfigurations" said Minerva "And could probably have taken the lot early."
"More fun for him not to have to" said Connie "He's not got the incentive Jade had, to be with her friends. He already is with his friends. If Lilith is as good as him I shall have my work cut out occupying her though."
"Set her to surpass her father in improving on various common potions then; or make her brew Felix" said Sirius lazily.
"I think I'll set her the stiffest theory paper I can devise before I see what to do with her" said Connie "Assuming she's not a disappointment to Severus on the practical front and actually can brew?"
"She's already helped brew Felix" said Sirius. "Dear me, you were quite right to raise the question, Minerva; what a tiresome thing it is to have a real out and out genius! If she was only a one-trick pony we'd be less in a stew but she seems to be all round talented!"
"She will happily engage in research if given the run of the library" rumbled Assim "And I think she will be bound by being forbidden certain books as yet. Even Severus cannot have taught her all the languages of the wizarding world yet; whether ancient runes or more modern languages. I shall tell her, if she is too advanced too early that Bella asked about other magical languages like Parseltongue and set her to find out what they are and to learn them. That may keep her busy."
"That, Assim mate, is sheer genius" said Sirius "ARE there other languages?"
Assim shrugged.
"We tigers have a very formal ritualised one almost never used; and I believe there is a tongue of birds. She asked about fey that shapeshift to be birds; perhaps that is significant."
There was a collective sigh of relief; research that was harmless to set Lilith towards if she became troublesome.
Lilith had no intention of becoming troublesome; not more than any Marauder, anyway.
She and her chosen satellites quickly found the secret door out of Argus Filch's cleaning cupboard that led to the roof and then they were well away.
"We NEED more geomancy" she complained "I don't think I know enough to draw a marauders' map!"
Once that was explained, interest in Geomancy soared.
"what if the oldest group don't like us as marauders?" asked Sextus "Or only like the ones of you that are part of their family – Snapes and Malfoys and such?"
"Scarp, you're as pessimistic as me" said Venus.
"He's also being silly" said Lilith, affectionately taking Sextus' arm "Because the group is accepted as a group. It kinda tends to go in families because the families of Marauders know to want to Maraud. Just think! In about ten years time there's going to be the first batch of third generation Marauders – Harry's kids, and Jade's baby. There'll still be Marauders when the castle is twice as old as it is now!"
Kazrael giggled.
"Unless we've all rampaged about the secret passages so much the castle has fallen down!" she said.
"Huh, Malfoys'll never allow that; not with our ancestor being the house ghost" said Gennar.
Monica Wintringham turned up on the Sunday evening, her mother out of danger from her doxy allergic reaction and expressing shy gratitude for the youth who had suggested a bezoar, that she asked Professor Dumbledore to pass on. The girl was sorted into Ravenclaw where Fenella Croawford rescued her from a barrage of questions from the nosy Sonia Goshawk and the opinion of Rufina Scrimgeour that missing any schooling was the sign of a weak mind.
"You've GOT a mind to recognise a weakness in, Scrimgeour?" said Sextus, unable to resist.
Rufina flounced; Sextus and his sarcastic tongue scared her rather.
"Cheers Scarpin" said Fenella "Nicest set down I heard in a while."
"The benefits of my undoubtedly well honed vocabulary and superior intellect are ever at the disposal of a lady" said Sextus, who had heard enough about Severus Snape from those who knew him to want to emulate him in snidely rounded periods and urbanity.
The weekend was swiftly over and lessons resumed; and Lilith was NOT about to show off and get into trouble in flying lessons and get banned! She followed her instructions to the letter; and if it was with a degree of panache not shown by every child, well Snapes were known good broomsters, and Gorbrin watching her was wondering if he should cede his place as house seeker to her. Lilith beamed and asked him if she might try out for keeper.
"Keepers are usually lanky" said Gorbin.
"Yes; but I'm nippy instead" said Lilith "And I can broomsurf. Paris is good, isn't he? You lost Rosier didn't you so you need him as beater, don't you?"
"Interfering Snapeling" said Gorbrin laughing "Yes I do need a beater; I was considering using Pip Burke and moving to chaser myself and try you as Seeker."
"I don't think I'd be as good at seeker" said Lilith seriously "You have to be all hot and fiery to be a good seeker; and I'm all cold and snaky. I think I'd be a better keeper."
"All right; we'll see how you do at trials next Saturday" said Gorbrin.
After flying came Divination; Lilith was secretly looking forward more to metalcrafting. Divination was something she had never been tempted to try, being, as she thought, a bit hit and miss.
She did no better than anyone else divining for chocolate galleons; and resisted temptation to use the summoning charm to find them instead.
She was impressed by Madam Spikenard who said dryly,
"Remember when you're poking into books nobody has expressly forbidden you to read, that sometimes grown-ups are fallible in what they recall to ban; and also that your father is not the only person to make notes in margins."
After break, Lilith was firmly given an examination paper by Madam Vector and told to get on with it. Lilith enjoyed herself, giggling over the final equation on the sheet that was the engulfing equation of Gringott's vaults that she had changed for the Prince Peak students when Hermione set them classwork.
Madam Vector watched how quickly and smoothly Lilith worked on the truncated NEWT exam – she had picked a representative series of questions – and decided that the twenty-three factorial hypothesis was the only thing that WOULD keep the child occupied!
After Arithmancy was enchanting; and if it was not new to Lilith, at least she felt she was learning from Professor Dweemor since Severus and Krait rarely bothered with enchanting items, tending to add a quickly chanted effect on the fly if they needed any such.
After lunch they found themselves in herbology; and the differences between flitterbloom and devil's snare were well known to Lilith, though she listened politely.
Phylloxera might be expected to shine in this class, bearing in mind her ancestry; but if Madam Sprout did not exactly groan on beholding her great niece in the greenhouse it was probably because she had got all her groaning out of the way on the first night.
"I have a brown thumb you see" said Phylloxera to her friends "Some people have green fingers; I'm the opposite. My plants die; get eaten by slugs and bugs; catch diseases and so on. Great Aunt Pomona finds it very trying."
Lilith, eavesdropping shamelessly, wondered how her father would feel if any of his children did not like potioneering. Well, some of the Prince cousins did not do well in potions; so it had to happen in any family.
And speaking of Potions, the last class was indeed double potions with Madam Hardbroom. Lilith beamed at her.
She found herself set another theory paper with simple questions embedded in complex ones. Connie wanted to know if Lilith had missed any simple knowledge in pursuit of useful or high level potions!
Lilith used too much Arithmancy as usual but enjoyed herself.
Connie nodded.
As each child brewed the set potions, Lilith should experiment with the said potion and see if she could improve on it. That ought to keep her occupied too!
Tea time was slightly interrupted when Hazel Spikenard of the second rose to her feet at the Gryffindor table and cried out in an unnaturally harsh voice,
"Behold, the Jade Wolf shall overcome the Golden Son and there will be change inexorable; for the Golden Son shall trust too well and not wisely!"
Lilith, Lydia and Mimi gasped.
That had meaning for them.
"Why – that was much what Annis Shipton said in her OWL!" cried Madam Spikenard shocked into louder speech than she had intended.
The Bloodgroup linked smoothly – leaving Jade deliberately out of the link – and the girls at Hogwarts passed THAT on; and that to all appearances it was a true vision despite the mutterings of Hazel's older twin sisters whose talent at divination was much more reproducible if much less spectacular than their sister the seer. Who was packed off to the sick bay forthwith.
"She's going to be unbearable" sighed Rosemary.
"Yeah; and time something was done about her" muttered Lavender irritably.
Both had a seventy eight to eighty per cent success rate with simple predictions; Gorbrin intended consulting them over good days to set fixtures using weather prediction, and the MSHG had used the predictions of the national Quidditch league from Rosemary – Lavender not having joined – to clean out a rather dodgy bookie with an accumulator as revenge for his sharp practices to the father of one of their fellows. Their abilities were remarkable by anybody's standards but their parents were quite mesmerised by the fact that Hazel had trances; and the younger girl was rather spoilt in consequence.
And Lavender was starting to formulate something of a plan.
"Perhaps we could extract some meaning from her vision by utilising chanting to help the best diviners!" cried Genevieve Harris, in Hazel's class and also a Gryffindor. He voice was clear and carrying and it was obviously meant to be swank about those who took chanting.
Mei Chang frowned.
Ross had warned her that Genevieve had troublesome followers; it looked as though the second were about to be trouble this year. Mei gave Lydia and Polly a quick warning pulse; and Lydia returned an impatient one that meant she was already on it.
"Oh there's no need of that, Genevieve" Lydia Snape used a sonorous spell to carry her voice down the Gryffindor table to the younger girl "After all, those who know anything are QUITE well aware what it refers to; and those who do NOT know have no business at all sticking their juvenile and grubby little noses in on it."
Genevieve was a little girl who liked to have attention; but not through being on the receiving end of a rebuke that made her sound like a snotty nosed brat of about six.
"ARE we aware?" murmured Freya Tuthill.
"Well I am anyway" said Lydia, who could be quite as inscrutable as Lilith when she put her mind to it. Freya was all right; but she could be officious enough that Lydia did NOT mind the occasional snub to Freya's superiority.
"Marauder thing?" asked Ross who was less clever but more perspicacious than his sister.
"Even so" said Lydia "And NOT my place to blab about it; as it's out of my league."
That shut even Freya up.
Lydia was imperturbably out of the league – as were all the marauders – of just about anyone else in school and the Second Blood Group acknowledged it.
Lilith enjoyed the next day too, having never studied astronomy at all; so that was all new. Of course she knew the names of a lot more stars and constellations than most of the class but she put THAT down to being vaguely related to the Black family who carried their naming conventions further than most. History she had absorbed but it was interesting to hear the take on it delivered by impartial Professor Lector; Percy Weasley was inclined to be snide about the ministry, at least in informal discussions about magic, and Senagra saw the goblin's side and mummy muttered about the trouble with history was that as it was written by the winners the winners never had the chance to win the peace because they failed to learn lessons because they stuck their fingers up their arse and their heads in the sand. It was to be admitted that mummy had not known that Lilith had been eavesdropping on that particularly frank and coarse comment.
Herbology was quite fun too again because practise with practical things was always valuable and Lilith quite enjoyed gardening and making the environment just right for the plants to bring out their best potioneering properties and had no idea that Madam Sprout had raised an eyebrow over her careful measurement of dragon dung to add to the dittany she was re-potting to increase its curative powers. It was a NEWT level piece of knowledge that Lilith did because daddy and mummy did.
Lilith was, after all, a potioneer's gardener,
She was also a potioneer's carer of magical beasts; but Hagrid was a dear friend so she behaved beautifully, confining herself to twinkling at Hagrid.
There was a brief bit of excitement when one of the blast-ended Pekes got too close to Philamon Graves who started sneezing uncontrollably, frightening the Peke into letting fly with his noxious and fiery effluvium, which caused brief pandemonium.
Lilith ignored the Peke and started chanting over Philamon to restore a balance of his histamine levels, as she kindly – and to wizarding children incomprehensibly – explained.
Philamon thought she was wonderful and was even more determined to study chanting if it could cure his allergy to dogs!
Hagrid was much impressed too and said so, which did not endear Lilith any the more to the likes of Shacklebolt and McLaggan; not that Lilith cared.
And when McLaggan started on about it being improper for children to do such outrageous things as cast spells he didn't understand and doubted Snape did either when there was a teacher present, Lilith ran a forked tongue out at him and Jayashree assumed stripy fur and growled at him.
"Heh, I wondered if we might steal you to maraud" said Lilith cryptically to Jayashree.
"Lumme, not another girl? Why couldn't Stripes have had nephews?" complained Gennar. Lilith poked him.
"He has no manners; just like a Malfoy" she said.
"You're half Malfoy" said Sextus.
"Never said I did have manners; only that he don't" said Lilith.
The lunch bell rescued Hagrid from any more.
After lunch Professor Flitwick introduced the class to locomotor charms and Lilith got so sick of how difficult people seemed to find making a pineapple dance across the desk she went and broke it down into very simple language.
The Hufflepuffs and Lycidice were very grateful; of the Huffflepuffs only Mohini had got it first time. So too was Philamon who was starting to feel it was not his day when he had no joy from his pineapple! Hubert McLaggan who had expected better results than he got was NOT grateful for helpful – and indeed practical – advice and turned on Lilith with a stinging hex.
Lilith let her shield charm absorb it.
"That was rude" she said. "If you'd done that to someone who can't get a shield up you might have hurt them. Are you a bully?"
"I'm just pissed off with you being a show-off!" shouted McLaggan.
"Oh like you weren't boasting in our common room how you were going to be the best in the school?" said Venus.
"Really, sometimes I wonder if I'm teaching in secondary school or whether I appear to have wandered by mistake into a kindergarten" said Flitwick mildly. "Miss Snape, I fear your well-meaning efforts are not always appreciated; and sometimes it is better to let people make, and learn from their own mistakes. Mr Mclaggan if you ever try to jinx a pupil in my class again you will be banned and the matter reported to the head. You were rude too; please apologise to Miss Snape; and Miss Nightingale, your comment may be justified but as you have still a rather wobbly pineapple I suggest you attend to that not the affairs of others."
"I shan't apologise sir, she's such a….."
"Mr McLaggan you WILL!" Flitwick's voice was squeaky; but it was filled with charisma.
McLaggan fumed; but dared not ask 'or what'. He said sulkily,
"I apologise if I said anything out of line or uncalled for."
"Excellent" said Flitwick. "Very well; your homework will be to read up on the levitating charm, wingardium leviosa with a view to practising it next time; tomorrow in fact.
Remus Lupin regarded his class.
"You have had an introduction to magical beasts; judging by subdued titters someone had a closer encounter with a slightly problematic one than was desirable. But who can tell me the difference between a dark creature and a dangerous magical creature?"
Lilith's hand was up. So was Scarpin's.
"I shan't ask you, Miss Snape; as your father has taught DADA I should hope you DO know" he said. "Mr, ah, Scarpin?"
"Intent sir; dangerous creatures kill you because it is their nature to eat you or whatever; dark creatures take delight in hurting" said Sextus.
"Quite right; succinctly put" said Remus. "Who can name a dark creature?"
"Kappa!" said Lilith as the rest looked blank.
"Unusual choice" said Remus.
"Not really sir; David Fraser had kappa in the triwizard and I always wondered why you could bribe them with cucumber and I know dad does too 'cos he asked mum and I overheard her saying that it's because they're not big enough to please their women and they need them to bribe them. I don't really understand that though" said Lilith.
Remus bit the sides of his mouth. HOW like Krait! And HOW like Lilith to just overhear!
"Your mother was joking" he said "It's a grown up joke; I wouldn't worry about it."
"Oh, about sex is it?" said Lilith "Grown ups are SO silly."
Remus decided to ignore that.
Lilith obviously looked up any dark creature anyone connected to her had dealings with; it was a start and they could build on that.
"Very well" he said "Dark Creatures have dark intent; in the same way, those who employ the dark arts do so with intent to cause harm. The Dark Arts are many; and nasty imaginations are as good at thinking up new and nastier ways to hurt even as that near dark creature the teenage child is good at thinking up more repellent corridor curses. Yes, I am joking; but corridor curses can be expressions of bullying and bullies have intent to harm and come close to being in that respect dark creatures. Most people get over it. The ones that do not become dark wizards. This class aims to teach you how to counter curses and recognise, and maybe even fight, dark creatures; how to recognise dark arts and curses and for the best among you, to counter them. We shall devote much of this term to an introduction to dark creatures and a few beginning protective spells."
Lilith did not think his definition of the dark arts was as good as her dad's; but then he had to simplify for little kids.
Lilith conveniently forgot she was two to three years younger than the rest of the children in her class.
That evening her set finished their homework early, collected Jayashree and went marauding; which involved making apple pie beds for all the senior marauders.
Venus must do Polly and Lydia's; Gennar and Kasrael were to do Leo's and Mortimer's; and as thee were three Ravenclaws, Lilith marched Sextus and Jayashree firmly up to Ravenclaw tower and knocked.
"If hope springs eternal where does ambition go?" asked the eagle knocker.
"Ambition soars like the eagle" said Lilith; and as the door praised the answer and opened she added "But very few snakes get eaten by dragons on the wing."
"DO you mind not being snide about my house rituals? And for that matter, it was my job to get into my house!" said Sextus.
"I just wanted to see if it asked as silly questions as Bella says it does" said Lilith. "She's right; VERY silly. Any idjit could get into Ravenclaw!"
"Several Idjits just did" grumbled Scarpin.
Lilith grinned at him.
"You are a pain, half-pint" he said.
"So other people keep telling me" said Lilith. "I say, shall I fit a self-exploding bedspread for Mei Chang too? I brought one just in case."
"I guess the Head Girl is fair game" said Sextus. "And it's not like it's an exam term."
"Oh good, I'm glad you feel the same way about that as me" said Lilith. "Catch you in a few minutes."
The Mad Marauders were not used to being caught at tricks; Bella's group had done a nice job to get noticed with singing woodlice but Nathan's group had been so far more circumspect.
As Mei's bed also had a feather growing curse, that Lilith had chanted on to it as an afterthought it was a little more of an effort than just apple pie beds; and the mad Marauders discussed whether they should retaliate; or treat the affair of babes of weevils being so contumelious with disdain.
"After all we shan't confirm them yet – not unless they come up with something more entertaining" said Mad.
Mei agreed; and they decided to act as though nothing had happened.
Which was all very disappointing; but Lilith had felt the blood throb that indicated seven people being slightly flustered, and was satisfied.
The Mad Marauders were also discussing Marauder business; after all, it was time for another Marauding portrait and they had a mind to present Sirius as a Yule gift with a portrait of his brother Regulus who had died to oppose Voldemort covertly; one of the three people who broke the dark lord's control. Regulus deserved to be an honorary Marauder; and they had engaged Erica's help to paint him aided by Kreacher's aid with the Pensieve. Kreacher had just about cried in gratitude that he would be able to tell Master Regulus that he had finally fulfilled his last order!