Disclaimer: view Chapter 01 for that one

Author's Notes: See Chapter Seven ˆ-ˆ.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

˜...˜ Parseltongue

/.../ Telepathy between Harry & Carya (in italics)

' ... ' thoughts

˜°˜°˜ ... ˜°˜°˜ Flashback or changing POV

Chapter 09 - The First Task and Potions Class or Dragons and Surprises

Harry woke up around six on the day of the first task. He just couldn't sleep any longer. He was too nervous. Sure, he was a descendant of Godric Gryffindor himself but that didn't mean that he couldn't be excited or afraid of something. The Slytherin in him told him to be careful and wary.

Harry was sure he would get his broom but he was still thinking about his next step. While in the shower he went over all the charms, hexes and curses he knew trying to find one that could possibly help him with avoiding a dragon's attack.

When Harry entered the Common Room his friends were already waiting. He glanced at his watch and realised that his shower had taken longer than expected. They only had Herbology and Arithmancy that day.

He silently thanked Slytherin that Transfiguration had been cancelled because of the first task. On their way to the Great Hall Harry, Carya, Draco, Tom and Ginny met Hermione. She immediately took Harry's arm and whispered something to him that made him blush crimson.

'At least he's a bit distracted now and can't think about the task,' Ginny thought and smiled.

The six friends entered the Great Hall and were oblivious to the stares they received from everyone. The friends sat down at the Slytherin table and were surprised to see Cat sitting next to Terence.

"Hey Cat, since when do you two sit here? I thought Terence was getting comfortable at the Ravenclaw table?" asked Hermione.

"Eh, you know the Ravenclaw's Hermione. They are no fun. Always sticking to the rules and such. And well ... you were always having fun over here so I convinced my dear boyfriend to sit with you for a change," Cat replied and her last comment caused Terence Higgs to blush furiously.

Although he had a girlfriend now didn't mean he was any less shy when it came to other people. The only place where he never seemed shy was the Quidditch pitch. Soon Cat, Terence, Draco and Ginny lapsed into a conversation about Quidditch and Charms.

Carya and Tom kept quiet most of the time and watched Harry and Hermione. The girl did her best to keep Harry's mind occupied and it seemed to work too. But the Potter girl had the distinct feeling that they were being watched.

Soon she had found the source of the stares. They came from the head table and belonged to Dumbledore, McGonagall, Moody and Snape. She frowned slightly wondering what was going on but ignored it. Ten minutes later the teachers were still staring and she nudged Tom and told her twin about it.

/Hey Harry, the professors are staring at us since we entered the Hall. Does that annoy you too? I'm pretty pissed right now. We should show them how much we like that. You tell Hermione and when I set down my glass then we turn and look straight at them in return, okay?/ the girl asked her twin and Harry nodded before telling Hermione.

Carya carefully told Tom too and they prepared everything. Shortly after Carya set down her glass and the four students turned their heads towards the teachers table. It took the professors a while before they realised that the four students they had watched all the time were now scowling and staring at them.

While they were still stunned by that, Carya Potter suddenly got up and left the Great Hall. Her twin brother, Tom Riddle and Hermione Granger followed them immediately. The rest of the student body hadn't noticed that exchange and it was normal that students left early for class.

˜°˜°˜ Dumbledore's POV ˜°˜°˜

'These children ... I have the feeling that they will have to face great obstacles but their friendship might glue them together. I'm worried about Miss Potter though. She seems to be interested in the Dark Arts and with Tom at her side ...

Severus told me the students call her the 'Dark Princess of Slytherin' ... who knows what might happen,' I thought and watched the four students leave the Great Hall.

Severus is watching me now. He lately has changed his attitude towards the infamous 'Slytherin Six' as the other students call them though Miss Granger is still a Ravenclaw. I wonder if they are aware that I know about this.

But still - there is the fact that these six disappear at odd times and no one can find them. Perhaps I was wrong and they are indeed meeting in the 'Chamber of Secrets'. Harry and Carya never told us where the entrance or entrances are located. Only that they sealed them.

Why is young Miss Potter always scowling when Alastor looks into their direction? She doesn't like him that's for sure and she is the only student who had created a strong enough power shield to block all his spells. It might have to do with Alastor's distrust against Tom though.

She's in love with the boy so it seems natural. Then there is still the problem of Ronald Weasley. He will be back in school in the middle of January. And he will probably have to repeat fourth year if he doesn't pass the end of year exams.

I don't think the boy wanted to actually kill Carya but he still has done something horrible by sabotaging that potion. I do hope the other students will have him back. If not I don't know what will happen.

We can only hope for the best and that he doesn't take the wrong path. And there might not even be the chance for him to change schools because they have seen what he has done too.

"Where does this hatred come from? No Weasley before has been this hateful towards another student," I thought and only realised that I actually said that aloud when Severus answered.

"The boy is extremely biased and jealous Albus. He is always compared to his brothers achievements and his sister escaped that by being the first Weasley ever sorted into Slytherin," he said and left me to think about that.

'Of course, with Bill being head boy, Charlie being Gryffindor's star seeker for years, with Percy being prefect and head boy and with the twins playing pranks and still being average or better students he has a huge amount of things to live up to. Miss Virginia Weasley doesn't have that.

She had been shunned by her family first from what I know but now she's free of all the expectations. Little Ginny has many good friends, she's a very good student and a good chaser as well. Ron has never been able to beat Slytherin in his position on the Quidditch team.

That makes it harder for him. I really ought to pay the Weasley family a visit and talk to them and the boy. But that will have to wait until after the first task. Now it's more important to concentrate on that. I'm curious how Harry and Cedric will handle the dragons.'

˜°˜°˜ End Dumbledore's POV ˜°˜°˜

˜°˜°˜ McGonagall's POV ˜°˜°˜

They noticed us watching them. Well, Carya Potter was always like that. It looks as if she can feel that someone is watching her back. She might have gotten that from Lily though. Miss Evans has been like that too.

They suddenly turned around and scowled at the teachers table. I watched as the four left the Great Hall. I really hope Albus is right about Tom Riddle though. While I was thinking about this I heard Albus say something.

"Where does this hatred come from? No Weasley before has been this hateful towards another student," he said and surprisingly Severus answered.

"The boy is extremely biased and jealous Albus. He is always compared to his brothers achievements and his sister escaped that by being the first Weasley in Slytherin," he replied and left the Hall too.

They are right. Ron is jealous. But I had never thought that he would harm another student on purpose. It was just as if ... well, he had vowed revenge to someone a few weeks back. The spider incident! But surely he wouldn't try to kill Miss Potter for that, would he? I really should talk to Albus about this.

˜°˜°˜ End McGonagall's POV ˜°˜°˜

The four of them parted at the Entrance Hall since Hermione had Potions with Hufflepuff now. The three Slytherins were walking towards greenhouse seven were today's Herbology class would take place. No one said a word but Tom could tell that Harry and Carya were talking in their minds.

˜°˜°˜ Tom's POV ˜°˜°˜

I really wished I could talk to Carya like that too. That way I could tell her about my thoughts without the fear of anybody listening. It must be wonderful to have a beloved twin to lean on when you have problems. She was right. They were more lucky than I was as a child.

I had no one. Everyone thought of me like a freak the whole time. No other child wanted anything to do with me. Only the Snakes in the gardens talked to me. I wonder what they are talking about. Huh? Damnit, she knows I'm watching them.

"What's wrong Tom?" she asks and I don't know what to reply.

"Don't worry, I'm alright. Just thinking about something," I replied but I simply know she doesn't believe me.

Sometimes I think she can read my mind.

˜°˜°˜ End Tom's POV ˜°˜°˜

˜°˜°˜ Carya's POV ˜°˜°˜

Tom is once again watching me and Harry while we are talking in our minds. He seems jealous of us but this is a twin thing. I don't know if I could teach Tom about telepathy. To twins it comes naturally if the ability is there. Perhaps I should try and find something.

It would be a good skill for the six of us to be able to converse without talking. I'm worried, he seems so lost suddenly.

"What's wrong Tom?" I ask and he seems to be at a loss for words for a few seconds but then he answers,

"Don't worry, I'm alright. Just thinking about something," he says.

I don't believe him and he knows that. I can see it in his eyes. How I wished I could help but I don't know how. Other than being there for him and love him I have no idea how to aid him right now.

˜°˜°˜ End Carya's POV ˜°˜°˜

They reached the greenhouse ten minutes early and sat on a bench outside. The sun was already up and surprisingly warm for the middle of November. Of course they were wearing thick cloaks over there robes by now but it was still quite warm for this month.

None of the five really listened to the lesson. Harry was thinking about the first task. Ginny was thinking about Draco and for a short time even about Ron. Draco was thinking about the Tournament and about the twins nightmares.

He really loved his adopted siblings and wanted them to be safe. Carya was thinking about both, Tom and Harry in the first task while Tom was only thinking about his girlfriend. He was surprised that no one had caught up with their relationship by now.

Okay, they weren't kissing in the Hallways and such but neither did Harry and Hermione or Draco and Ginny. Only Terence Higgs and Cat Williams did that occasionally. Halfway through the class Tom's and Carya's interest was caught suddenly.

Professor Sprout had changed the topic and was now talking about the magical plants of the Mediterranean Sea. There really was a plant that if properly prepared and then swallowed enabled you to breath underwater for an hour.

Carya grinned at Tom and he knew that she'd want to try that out sometime in the future. This was also the only class Neville Longbottom had always been good at but now he excelled at it. For the first time he voluntarily provided information that even Professor Sprout had hardly known.

The boy was definitely smarter than he let on. Carya renewed her vow to watch his progress and she would find out where his new self-confidence came from. She wouldn't really find out until christmas though.

When Herbology was finally over the kids walked to their last class of the day. For the friends it was Arithmancy. Professor Vector seemed to know that almost everyone was too excited about the Tournament and they only reviewed their notes for a quick test the next week.

Harry hardly ate lunch. Only Hermione persuaded him to eat something. Cedric seemed just as nervous but managed a bit better. After lunch Cat and Terence walked over to them and the girl was giggling the whole time.

"Hey Cat, what's wrong with you?" asked Hermione.

"Nothing Hermione but do you remember that one evening when we caught Cho Chang after being out past curfew? Well I know now where she was and with whom!" Cat said grinning.

"And with whom was she? Come on, I'm curious now!" replied Hermione impatiently.

"With Diggory. Cho is in love with Diggory! They have been dating for three month now. Can you imagine that? It seems we have another couple whose members are from different houses even if you and Harry here were the first," Cat answered and smirked at them.

Hermione blushed and Harry frowned. Carya thought that it was amusing. Terence had a bad influence on Cat. She was already acting like a Slytherin. Just like Hermione but she was her twin brothers girlfriend after all.

McGonagall walked up to them and told Harry what was going to happen now.

"Mister Potter, you are expected to join the other Champions for the first task now," she said and lead Harry outside.

Hermione crossed her fingers and Carya told her brother not to worry because they'd be there watching him.

/Don't worry Harry, we will be watching and you won't fail because Hermione might hug you to death if you do. You'll do fine. I know it!/ she told him and Harry's reply was a mental snort and a small 'Thank you!'.

Harry met the other participants in a small tent. Victor and Vladimir looked grim, Fleur and Armand seemed nervous and Cedric looked terrified. Harry's own stomach started rebelling now too.

'I really shouldn't have eaten lunch,' he thought and waited.

Not long after Ludo Bagman stepped inside and babbled something about the task. He then explained the procedure,

"Well, in this bag are miniatures of what you will have to face for the task. Each one of you has to pick one. You are required to collect, eh ... the golden egg that is being guarded. Any questions? No? Well then, eh ... ladies first, I think," Bagman said and all Champions looked positively sick.

Fleur took the first statue out and it was a miniature-dragon. No one looked surprised at that but Bagman didn't notice. Hers was a Welsh green and it had the number four around it's neck. Armand was next. He got a Romanian Longhorn and would go first.

After him it was Viktor Krum's turn. He pulled the Chinese Fireball out of the bag and got the number five. His friend Vladimir was the fourth to find his dragon. He would oppose the Hebridean Black and would be the second outside.

Cedric went before Harry and his was a Swedish Short-Snout. It had the number three around it's neck. Now there was only one left. Harry walked over and pulled the last miniature out. It was a Hungarian Horntail and it wore the number six.

What had Charlie said to Hagrid when Harry and his friends had conveniently overheard them? The Hungarian Horntail was the most dangerous of all the dragons here. It really seemed that someone out there hated Harry.

/Perfect, just bloody perfect. Of all the bloody dragons here I get the one that is the most damn dangerous in the whole bloody world,/ he growled and was so distracted that he actually told his sister instead of closing their connection.

/Harry? What's the problem, what did you mean by that? Don't tell me you got the Hungarian Horntail! Or did you?/ she asked worried.

/Got it sister. Well at least I can say 'Hey I got the most dangerous one, what do you expect? should I fail,'/ Harry shot back sarcastically and closed the link to concentrate.

When Draco, Ginny, Tom and Hermione looked at Carya's worried face she explained them what had happened. They were just as shocked and Hermione's face was a little green now. She was really worried that Harry might get hurt.

Meanwhile Armand had been called out and left the tent. Harry and the other champions could hear the cries of the crowd the whole time and it certainly seemed as if Armand was having massive problems with his dragon.

Vladimir was next and he was shaking the whole time. Again the crowd made noises that were unmistakably cries of fear or horror. It seemed that Vladimir had problems too but in the end there was applause.

Now it was Cedric's turn. A few minutes nothing was heard but then gasps and occasional clapping mixed with shocked cries could be heard until the crowd lapsed into applause too. Bagman called out Fleur's name and she crept out of the tent.

Despite her confident behaviour earlier she seemed truly frightened. It didn't take very long until the applause started but Harry and Viktor were even more nervous now. When Viktor walked out of the tent because it was his turn Harry was left alone.

Not that he was scared but he had a sickening feeling in his stomach now. He thought that it was paranoia but he heard more voices now than he had before. Soon the onlookers were clapping wildly and a few minutes after that Bagman called for him.

"And now our last Champion. Harry Potter!" he shouted.

Harry walked out and gasped. In front of him stood the Hungarian Horntail and it was huge. It took him a few moments to gather his thoughts and barely escaped the angry dragons first attack. Harry gripped his wand tightly and shouted,

"Accio Firebolt!"

He carefully dodged the dragon's blows as his broom flew over to him. Harry quickly mounted it and as soon as he had done that his nervousness was gone. They were playing after his rules now. On a second thought Harry cast a kind of water shield around him that should stop any stray fire from the dragon.

The crowd was cheering loudly and Bagman was shouting comments about his flying skills as well but Harry never heard him. His eyes looked for the egg and spotted it under the dragon in a nest. Carefully Harry tried to lure the dragon away. And it worked.

After a touch and go the dragon got thoroughly annoyed and left it's eggs unprotected by rising into the air. Harry circled the beast once more before pulling into a dive. The people were shouting and cheering now.

They were afraid he'd crash into the ground but less than three feet above the hard ground Harry brought his broom into a horizontal position and raced for the nest. He gripped the broom with his legs and let go of the handle.

With both his hands Harry grabbed the golden object. The egg was now safely tugged under his left arm and he immediately flew over to the point where he could get out of the arena. The dragon had just noticed what he had done.

She spit fire and the shocked cries made Harry turn his head around. The firewall sped towards him and he just continued his path. The fire only hit his water shield and a large cloud of steam was created.

When that one faded Harry was already on safe ground and grinned at the crowd. His spell had worked the way it should have. Madam Pomfrey checked him over and was surprised that he had no injuries at all. She shook her head and went back into the tent.

Harry got his marks now. Karkaroff only gave him six points and Maxime held up nine but Dumbledore, Bagman and Crouch held up a ten. Harry got forty-five points in total out of fifty possible. A good start.

Suddenly someone hugged him fiercely and Harry took a second to realise it was Hermione. She clung to him as if he would fade once she let go. Carya and Tom smirked at him and Ginny as well as Draco looked positively relieved that he was okay.

"Hermione, air!" Harry ground out and the girl let go slightly.

"Oh Harry, I was so worried. But I'm glad you are alright!" she said smiling tearfully.

"Good job brother. See, I told you the shield was a good idea!" Carya teased him but he could tell she had been just as worried by the look in her eyes.

Snape and Flitwick were walking over to them right now. They looked both very pleased about something.

"Well done, Potter!" said Snape with a barely noticeable hint of pride and nodded curtly at Harry before glancing briefly at the others and left after that. Flitwick on the other hand seemed quite excited.

"Ah, Mister Potter, your Summoning Charm was excellent and that Shield Charm, I'll say it was perfect. Not many fourth year can produce such a powerful shield. Well done, Mister Potter, very well done!" he chimed cheerfully and left the kids alone as well.

Harry caught Dumbledore's eye and the older wizard smiled and nodded appraisingly in Harry's direction. Harry just grinned back. He had been very lucky that they had practised a variety of shields after the class with Professor Moody.

They had tried every possible one they'd found in the books and even tried to modify them. But that hadn't worked very well. Harry turned around to see Professor McGonagall standing there. She told him that the Champions were expected in the medical tent since most of them had been in there.

Apparently Harry was the only uninjured one. Harry smiled at his friends and left. He saw Cedric when he entered the tent. He looked funny with that orange salve on his face but he was smiling too.

"Thanks Potter, ... Harry, without your telling me I wouldn't have managed this," he whispered but Harry just shrugged.

"If you want to I'm sure there'll be an opportunity to pay me back," the Slytherin said and smirked at the Hufflepuff.

Cedric got the hint and shook his head smiling. But Harry had been right. Cedric would most definitely find a way to pay him back - the boy was a true Hufflepuff after all. Madam Pomfrey was still tending the wounds of the other champions.

Most of them had small burns or gashes somewhere on their bodies. Harry was the only one who came out of this ordeal unscathed. Ludo Bagman was present too. He would soon tell them what to do with the strange golden egg they had 'stolen' from the dragon's nests.

"Ah, I see that the champions are all here now. Well then, lets get started. You have all done well today. The second task will take place on February 24th and the egg you currently hold in hands is the clue for that task.

You'll have to figure it out by yourself though. See the hinges at the egg? Yes, you can open it but wait with that until later though. Inside you'll find the clue I've been talking about. Any questions? No? Then off with you," Bagman told the six young wizards.

Harry walked out of the tent. Hermione and his friends and family were already waiting for him when he heard someone calling.

"Hey Harry, Wait a second!" the voice shouted.

It was Charlie Weasley, 'Beast Master' and one of Ginny's older brothers.

"Hi Charlie, what's the shouting about?" Harry asked grinning widely.

"I wanted to congratulate you, silly Slytherin. You did really well against that Horntail. I've never seen anyone use such a charm when dealing with dragons. Could you tell me which one it is? Would be useful when someone visits our camp and the dragons are in a bad mood," the redhead asked excited and Ginny burst into giggles.

"What's so funny little sis?" Charlie wanted to know.

"You brother! Really, are you ever thinking about anything but dragons? You should team up with Hagrid. He'd love to talk to you about dragons, I'm sure about that," Ginny said still giggling.

"Perhaps I should do that, eh? Well someone really ought to strangle Karkaroff though. Your performance out there was flawless Harry. Don't let anyone tell you anything else. You should have gotten fifty points for that," Charlie told him seriously.

Harry just smiled. He didn't know why Charlie liked him so much. Perhaps it was because he and his sister had been true friends for the older boys baby-sister - for Ginny. It didn't really matter. Harry was determined to win this Tournament and he knew he could although the other's were a bit older than he was.

After the commotion about the task began to lessen around dinnertime the six friends gathered in the library. They still had some homework to complete before the next day. Especially that essay about poisons for Snape. They'd left it aside since most of them were quite adapt to Potions but now they were running out of time.

Their Professor had told them to carefully prepare the antidotes they had been researching. This had started rumours that Snape was going to poison one or more of the students to see if their antidotes actually worked.

No one would put it past Snape to threaten them with such a thing but hardly a Slytherin thought he would choose one of their number. Only the Potter twins, Ginny, Draco and Tom felt a bit uneasy about the double period on Friday morning.

Carya was still trying to find out what had happened to Neville but she was none the wiser than she had been at the beginning. Sure she had gathered enough information to give a thorough explanation on Neville's current marks but that was it.

Harry on the other hand had just decided to enjoy the next two days and turn towards the mysterious egg not before Sunday afternoon. Hermione of course had instantly scolded him and sent the others into laughing fits.

It was just like her to have all work done the day before yesterday. That was one of the very few reasons why the brown haired girl was in Ravenclaw and not Slytherin. Hermione sulked for a few minutes but a gentle kiss from her boyfriend made up for being laughed at.

The twins quickly wrote a letter to Sirius and Remus telling them what had happened that day. When they finally went down to their Common Room it was very silent in the corridor. Too silent for Carya's liking.

They found out the reasons the second the five kids stepped through the portrait-hole with Carya in the lead. And Harry walked right behind her. Their fellow Slytherin's had organised a party in the middle of the week. All were cheering for Harry.

He might not exactly be friends with all of them but they respected his powers. Even those with former or active Death Eaters as parents. The fact that he was one of the schools champions did wonders too. The Slytherin's were ecstatic that one of them had been chosen for the Tournament.

Around one in the morning Professor Snape came inside and growled at them to get into bed at once. Although he didn't mind parties after a successful Quidditch match on the weekends, a party during the week was not appreciated at all.

He hadn't punished anyone though. That was as good as approval for the idea of celebrating in general. Draco, Tom and Harry crept up towards the boys dorm and the two girls dragged a quite tipsy Blaise Zabini towards their own room.

"Hell, I hope she's in a better condition tomorrow. Snape will have kittens if she shows up drunk in his classroom," Ginny sighed exasperated.

"I know what you mean Ginny. I don't want to see that myself. Although he was not angry, he wasn't exactly happy about our little celebration either. Lets hope for Blaise getting better or we'll have to get her a sobering potion. I know where Madam Pomfrey keeps them," Carya answered.

That night Carya was once again haunted by her most hated nightmare. Only difference this time was that she didn't wake up screaming but slipped into a dark dreamless abyss after seeing her parents die once more.

Harry didn't fare better. He didn't wake up but slept restless after that. Both were a bit miffed the next morning and their friends sensed that too. Ginny, Tom and Draco hoped that Snape didn't try to bait them that day because it could have nasty repercussions for both sides.

Blaise had thankfully sobered up before it was time for classes. When they finally got to class Snape was already there, standing behind his desk with his arms crossed over his chest. He was smirking evilly at his students.

"Get to your seats. I hope for your sake that you've all prepared your antidotes carefully for I will test them today!" he sneered and looked at a few people.

Neville, Blaise, Lavender and Carya were among them. All four swallowed heavily. Though Carya knew that Snape hated or rather strongly despised her for some reason unknown to her, she also knew that he wouldn't consciously try to seriously or permanently harm her.

Neville on the other hand was trembling like he had done so often last year for a change. He didn't quite trust his own skills in Potions yet. Lavender looked trapped and ready to bolt should the Professor try anything.

Blaise was like Carya. A bit scared about what might happen and confident that Snape wouldn't harm her beyond repair. Harry looked at his sister with a concerned frown.

/Are you sure you can do this? He will undoubtedly poison those he looked at. And with your accident in early November ...,/ Harry told her.

/I don't really know Harry. I'm not exactly scared if that's what you are worried about. I think you could call it feeling very uneasy though. I know he won't bring permanent harm upon a Slytherin or any student for that matter, not even us but ...

I'm not sure about being prepared for poison once again. We'll have to wait and see,/ she answered shrugging.

Tom grasped her hand under the table in reassurance and she actually felt a bit better. Blaise was paler than usual, Neville continued trembling slightly and Lavender looked terrified. The other three weren't less nervous than the Potter girl it seemed.

Severus Snape noticed that with a certain satisfaction. He would closely observe those four students and watch the rest watching them too. He had reasons for choosing these four. He wanted to test them. Especially Carya and Neville.

He too had noticed Neville's progress in Potions and he wanted to know how far Carya had healed mentally and emotionally. It might be a harsh form of testing her but that was just the way he was.

Blaise was getting her punishment for getting drunk during last night and Lavender Brown, well she was a Gryffindor and Weasley's girlfriend on top of that.

˜°˜°˜ Severus Snape POV ˜°˜°˜

'I wonder who will break down first. Normally I would have bet on Longbottom but I'm not so sure anymore. He's still terrified but there's a new confidence around him. It's probably Brown or Zabini first, then Longbottom and lastly Potter.

She seems unnaturally nervous. Must be because of that accident earlier this month. I'll just see how she deals with that. Lets see how good her acting skills really are,' I thought and watched my students gather their ingredients. It is really obvious now that Riddle and Potter are an item.

'If you know about them you can see the signs clearly. I wonder how they managed to hide it from Albus for so long. That man knows nearly everything within these walls and he was just as shocked when we found them in that bed together,' I mused and returned to the seat behind my desk.

˜°˜°˜ End Severus Snape POV ˜°˜°˜

The double period was going slow. Far too slow for the liking of most pupils in the dungeon. Carya had calmed down a bit with Harry's and Tom's help. Neville had finally stopped trembling and looked determined to prove his skills.

Blaise was still afraid of being poisoned and Brown, well she was still terrified and would most likely botch up her antidote. That would be fun. Carya and her friends were sure Snape had several antidotes against anything in his office and would interfere if the students potions failed.

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

R&R,

Carya

2008-02-02