Chapter twelve: dreams and unexpected visitor
Renee stared at the vacant seat on the teachers table and saw Snape was still not there. Where could he be? I think he was in pain when I last saw him.
Harry and Ron were still absorbed to their favorite topic, Quidditch. Hermione is reading a book again. She signed and nibbled the muffin I'm eating; she was too worried to eat.
Worried? Why would I be worried to him?
Because that was your favorite teacher you're talking about, the voice inside her head answered. Then Renee noticed the side door opened and revealed the potions master. She stood up to make a better look.
His eyes looked very tired; his skin was paler than the usual. And he was walking limply to his seat. Professor Dumbledore looked at him worried too.
Renee sat again and observed him eating. Snape signed and began to eat, he was still has his steady pose even if she knew something was wrong.
After a while Renee saw him stood up and headed outside. She stood up too in reflex, the trio looked at me.
"See you on the common room" she rashly said, grabbing her bag and headed outside.
Renee looked around to see where he would go and saw him gazing on the big window on the corridor. She slowly went next to him and looked outside too. Snape looked at the uninvited companion with his raised eyebrow.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded
"Nothing, I just found the scenery peaceful too" she timidly said. He opened his mouth and closed again, maybe too tired to argue. He looked outside again. It was rather dark outside and the only thing that has lights on was Hagrid's hut.
The two stood there for a few minutes in silence. Renee scrambled something on her bag; he looked at her again, wondering. She took the vial out of her bag and placed it on the window. It was anti-pain potion she usually brought on her bag.
"Drink it, it will make you feel better" said Renee before heading out to the common room.
"Why would I drink it?"
"Because you're tired and that will make you feel better. By the way that's an anti-pain potion if you're wondering what it is" Renee paused and looked at him.
"I am the potion master here. I could brew something like that for myself" he retorted.
"Geez professor…cant you just say thank you? Aren't you used to someone worried for you?" she blushed on her last statement. Damn damn damn! The two felt silent.
"Goodnight professor" Renee muttered and hurriedly headed to the common room before he could say anything again, scolding herself for saying something like that.
Renee run until she reached the painting to the common room and muttered the password and the painting opened. Harry, Ron and Hermione were already on the common room.
"You're red as a tomato. Are you okay?" Ron asked.
"I'm okay. I maybe needed some rest" Renee mumbled and dashed to the girl's dormitory.
She sat on the edge of her bed and think.
What the hell I just did?
A girl in braids runs for her life. She kept looking at her back as if someone is chasing her. She stripped and fell on the ground. A woman in black robes approached her and pointed her wand on the poor girl.
She muttered a spell and the girl became unconscious.
"Hey Esclair, Hurry up and get this girl" she shouted. A ragged man approached her.
"Shut up woman, I get her already" he said as he carried the girl on his shoulders.
"You think that's her this time?"
"We could only hope. He's getting impatient"
"Doesn't he have any information besides the age on the girl? It's hard to search everywhere"
"He doesn't tell anything and do you think we would be working this hard we know?" she rolled her eyes on her partner.
"We should go, people would notice we're here" she said and they apperated.
Renee bolted from her bed sweating. She frowned, I had those dreams again. And it's not funny anymore. She gazed on the clock and groaned. It was still early for her to get up, again. She lies down on her bed again and thinks of her dream.
Is that some vision I'm getting?
Renee frowned at the thought. I just made a very Trelawney thought, vision? You've got to be kidding me. She stood up and headed to the bathroom. I was too exposed to Trelawney's lessons that made me thought of that.
After wearing fresh clothes, Renee headed to her usual spot on the grounds to have fresh air sat to admire the nice view in front of her.
"What are you doing here?" the voice made her jumped and blushed at the same time. Professor Snape was behind her.
"Admiring the view" Renee said and looked at the view again. the two both became silent.
"The potion you gave me is…adequate" he said quietly.
"You're welcome" Renee smiled at him, thinking that was his way to say thank you.
He mumbled something that she didn't understand.
"You could brew me a dreamless potion if you want" Renee smirked.
"No, I'll teach you how to brew it"
"That's better. Thanks" she beamed. Snape looked at her in the eye and looked at the black lake again.
"You're having bad dreams again?"
"Yes, and its getting to irritate me" she pouted.
"You could asked professor Trelawney for that"
"You have to be kidding me" Renee rolled my eyes at the professor. He just looked at her and smirked.
"I could tell that to Sybil for you" Renee stood up in horror at the statement.
Snape started to walk to the great hall and Renee followed him inside.
"Professor, don't tell her about it!" said Renee panicky at the professor.
He stops and looked at her in amusement, seemed to be enjoying teasing the student, which was unusually for him. Snape just smirked and entered the hall and Renee ran after him, the last thing I wanted to do is sat on her office and discuss my death on tea leaves.
"Professor!" she shouted at the professor, but Snape didn't look back at her again.
Snape didn't tell it to the divination professor in her relief. She kept glaring at the potion's master in the entire breakfast.
And he can't just stop smirking! Ugh
He paused eating and looked at Trelawney's side, then looked back at his plate again.
"Stupid git" Renee grumbled on her breath, realizing he was teasing her. His smirk widen, as if he heard her.
Renee looked at the teachers table again. A hare patronus whispered on Dumbledore's ear. A smile plastered on his face; stood up and exited the hall.
Who could that be?
They had history of magic after breakfast. Renee yawned widely while Professor Binns was lecturing. How could this ghost make his classes so boring?
She began to read the passage he's lecturing and her eyes began to close…
A girl with brown hair was walking or at least trying to walk without tripping herself on the street. She has a half filled bottle of firewhisky on her hand. She kept swaying and laughing.
Crack! The ragged man called 'Esclair' appeared on thin air.
The girl stopped and looked at him.
"What *hiccup* do you want? Want to drink with me?" she slurred.
Esclair shook his head and pointed his wand on her. The girl fell on the floor, unconscious.
"Please don't tell me it's not her" he mumbled, took her in his shoulders and disappareate.
Renee woke up and looked around. The class is still on and nobody seem to noticed her dozed off. She frowned at her dream; it doesn't seem to make sense at all. What does it all mean?
They finished the class in no time and rushed through the doors for her next class and groaned. The next class is divination, got to get a good seat; away from her.
On the way to the tower, professor McGonagall approached the new student.
"Professor Dumbledore wants to see you in his office, the password is lemon drops" said the professor.
"But I have my class…"
"You're excuse for a moment. I'll pass a note to her"
"Thank you professor" She tried to conceal her happiness for skipping divination.
"Miss Matte" she called again as Renee made her way to the office.
"Yes?"
"Five points for an excellent non verbal spell" she said smiling.
"How…"
"I've got sources" McGonagall winked and made her way to her class.
Renee stood in front of the goyle, the guard to professor Dumbledore's office.
"Lemon drops" she said. The goyle opened and reveal a staircase and made her way to the top and saw his office for the first time.
His office is filled with paintings, some of them were staring back at her and some were not merely interested. There was a big table with many parchments pilled up on its side.
Renee spotted the headmaster looking at the window.
"Professor?" she called. The headmaster looked at her and flashes his gentle smile.
"There you are Renee, there's someone wants to meet you" it was then she noticed he wasn't alone. The woman was still on her back wearing dark green robes.
She looked at her and smiled.
Renee was shocked and looked at her from head to toe. She wasn't used to see her in wizard robes.
"Mum" she beamed at her.
"Renee" Isabel smiled and hugged her.
"It's nice to see you again. How's school? I hoped I'm not interrupting you're precious classes" she said as the two broke the hug.
"Believe me mum, you're not interrupting anything" Renee said and glanced at the headmaster, he was smiling too.
"I guess you could take her to a tour around the castle Renee" the headmaster said.
"But my classes…"
"You'll be excused for morning classes, after all your mother wants to take a tour" he winked at the two.
"Thank you Albus, oh before I could forget!" Isabel took her wand from her robes and muttered a chant on her face.
"What did you do?"
"Some concealment, I just want a quiet tour. Merlin knows what will happen if she saw me" the older woman chuckled and the Headmaster joined her.
Renee looked at them wondering.
"Let's go" Isabel took her arm and went downstairs.
"Have fun" the headmaster called.
"You and Albus were the only one can see my real face. The others will just see me Mrs. Choi's face" Isabel explained, pertaining their old neighbor while we walked through the corridors.
"That's cool"
"I could teach that chant sometime, it could be useful to you"
"Sure!" Renee smiled widely at her mother.
It's been a while since I last saw her. Is her face becoming thin? And I could tell that she was tired, I could see it on her eyes.
The two made their way to the great hall, talking to the paintings and ghost roaming around. Her mother enjoyed the whole tour, reminiscing her Hogwarts days.
"When we sneak out to the tower using the disillusionment charm, we collided with Peeves. And made our voice like baron, he was so scared at us" Isabel snickered as the two took a rest in the common room.
Renee laughed with her. I never thought she also has those times, fooling around.
Her mother felt silent as the door opened and reveal Harry, Hermione and Ron.
"Hey guys. This is Isabel, my mother. Mum this is Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley" Renee introduced them one by one. Isabel shook their hands and smiled at them and lingered her gazed at Harry.
"Thank you for taking care of my daughter" Isabel said beaming at them.
"That was nothing" Harry said. She looked at him again, with sadness with her eyes.
"Sorry if I keep staring at you... You really have your father's looks" she said smiling but not merely reaching her eyes.
"And my mother's eyes?"
"Yes your eyes also" she chuckled.
"Renee, professor Trelawney was looking at you in class" Hermione said.
"Sybil is still teaching here?" Mother frowned.
"Yes, do you know her?" Renee asked.
"Barely, I bet you tackled about tea leaves and everyone's death"
The four looked at each other and laughed, she was right.
Isabel joined the four in lunch at the great hall. Many students stared at her, but she didn't mind them at all. Isabel keeps telling her mischievous days in Hogwarts that the trio seemed to like her company.
"I always liked their muffins that we always went to the kitchen to nick some food" Isabel said, while nibbling a muffin in her mouth.
She glanced at the teachers table and winked at the headmaster, who winked back in return. Professor McGonagall seems to notice it and whispered on headmaster. He just chuckled and resumed eating, leaving the transfiguration professor confused.
"Hey mum, I forgot to introduce you, this is Neville Longbottom. Neville, this is Isabel, my mother" Renee introduce her and Isabel shook his hand.
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Matte" Neville keeps on stammering.
"Call me Isabel. I don't want formal things" Renee noticed that she has those sad smiles again.
"You're daughter was really nice" he said, nearly falling his goblet.
"Ohm... Is that so..." Renee could see a wicked smile on her face and looked at her mischievously.
"What?" she asked wondering.
"You're too dense" she said and mocked, the trio snickered in front of them. Neville blushed more, and become clumsier than before.
The two collided with professor McGonagall along the way, after lunch.
"Good afternoon professor" Renee greeted her.
"Good afternoon too Miss Matte" McGonagall greeted back. She gazed back to the adult beside her.
"This is my Mother. Mum this is Professor McGonagall." her professor shook her hands and smiled.
"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Matte" McGonagall said.
Isabel just smiled timidly. Professor McGonagall changed her expression.
"Did I meet you before? You seem to be familiar…"
"No, I think this is the first time we met" she said casually. Professor McGonagall just nodded and went her way.
After she left, Isabel closed her eyes and signed heavily. Her eyes looked so sad.
"I got to go dear" Isabel said, ruffling her hair with her hands.
Renee flattened her hair and glared at her. She smiled broadly at her in return and walked away.
"Where's Isabel?" Neville asked as two went their way to the potions lab.
"She went back already. She says she'll visit again" Renee said and smile, couldn't hide the happiness with her eyes.
"She's funny" He replied.
"She really is" said Renee and opened the potions lab. The two students scrambled their way to their seat as Professor Snape entered the room, with his robes following around him.
"Five points from Gryffindor for being late" He sneered at the two.
He just arrived and deducting points is the first thing he did, very Snape-like.
"Today you will brew Girding potion, page 210. It is a delicate potion so I warning you follow all the instructions in the book carefully…" He paused and glanced at Neville.
"…or face my displeasure. Begin now" his voice rang through out the four corners of the potions lab that it shivers her spine.
On his cue, the class started to brew. Renee laid down the ingredients on the table; Dragonfly thoraxes, fairy wings, flying seahorses and doxy eggs. She smiled in pleasure; I've already read those ingredients with Neville yesterday; And the commentaries of the half blood prince was really a great help. Even Neville had less difficulty on making it; he didn't even blow up his cauldron for everyone's astonishment.
Professor Snape roamed around the classroom checking their cauldrons. He finally spotted hers, which he just raised his eyebrow in acknowledgment of her perfect potion, she grinned back in return.
"My my, for the first time Longbottom…you finally had the brain not to blow up my classroom" Snape sneered, making Neville pink in embarrassment. The Slytherins laughed heartedly in return.
Renee smiled at him in reassurance. Snape will never change in insulting him, but he still had his first approval.
The class finished without flaws. Not unless you count Snape's usual snide remarks to Harry and Ron, who had missed the third step of the potion and have to remake the potion again,.
"You go ahead, I'll just catch up with you" Renee told Neville, deciding she'll stay after class. He nodded and exited the room.
"I'll help you clean" She turned to Snape, who is looking intently at the two. He crossed his arms and glared at her.
"And why do you think I needed you're help?"
Renee ignored his nasty comment and resumed in cleaning the lab tables. She noticed a red bubbling liquid on the floor, next to Malfoy's cauldron.
"You have to admit, Neville's potion was better than Malfoy's" She smirked, pointing the bubbling substance on the floor. He glanced at the floor and made a soft groan.
"Evanesco" Renee muttered and the substance disappeared.
"That's because you helped him"
"And face your wrath? I knew better than that" She muttered another 'evanesco' on Harry's table.
"And besides he could learn on his mistakes" Renee continued. She looked at him and saw him half-smiling at me and return to his vacant expression again in an instant.
"It's been four years when he decided to blow his cauldron in every lesson. It's about time that he learns from his mistake"
"He wasn't that half bad"
"Believe me Matte. You never had been here before; you never saw how I suffered teaching that dunderhead"
"Maybe potions was never his cup of tea"
"Using a bit of his brain in my class will do. Is that too much to ask?" Snape frowned.
Renee laughed in his complains, he looked at her warily and half-smiled. She stopped laughing and looked at him, so he has those nice smiles.
She blushed on her thought and resumed her cleaning to hide her pink face.
The two finished cleaning and Renee was satisfied with the work. Renee grabbed her bag and headed to the reach for the exit.
"Bye professor, see you on Thursday" Renee looked back and saw him nodded in return.