Chapter 30
Christmas was great. Brianna and Draco again got tons more gifts and Brianna was glad that she was able to spend time with both her parents. They made a trip to see Borgin while they were home and he gave them a book that should be able to help them finish fixing up the vanishing cabinet. When it was time to return to Hogwarts Brianna and Draco flooed to Snape's office from Malfoy manner and made there was back to there rooms.
The first day classes were back in session there was a noticed on the board in Slytherin house that had all 6th years excited.
Apparition Lessons
If you are seventeen years of age, or will turn seventeen on or before August 31st, you are eligible for a 12 week course of Apparition Lessons from a Ministry of Magic Apparition instructor. Please sign below if you would like to participate. Cost 12 galleons.
Brianna and Draco signed up immediately. Brianna already knew how to Apperate but would need to still take the class to get her license.
"Finally I will learn to apperate." Draco told her as they walk to the great hall for breakfast before classes started.
"You know I heard that Potter has been having private lessons with Dumbledore all year." Draco said when they sat down.
"Really, wonder what it's about." Brianna mused thinking to herself.
"Maybe trying to teach him to fight the Dark Lord." Draco said.
"HA. He'll need all the lesson's he can get then." Brianna laughed.
When they had Potions the next day Brianna watched as Potter and his two friends seem to be arguing about something. Before she could really hear what it was about Slughorn called them to attention.
"Settle down, settle down, please. Quickly, now. Alright I want each of you to come take a vial from my desk. You are to create an antidote for the poison within it before the end of lesson. Good luck and don't forget your gloves." Slughorn said and everyone moved to take a vial and get to work.
"it's a shame the Prince wont be able to help you much with this, Harry." Brianna heard Hermione say and she whipped around to look at Potter who was blushing and telling her to keep quite. Brianna knew he was talking about Snape's old text book.
Brianna dumped her poison into her cauldron and immediately started making an antidote helping Draco along the way with his.
"Time's up. Well, let's see how you've done." Slughorn called and started making his way around the room.
"Well, Brianna this is perfect and would save you from most poisons, you as well Draco good job. 25 points to each of you." Slughorn told them beaming as he moved over to Potter's table.
"And Harry lets see what you got to show me." Slughorn said looking at him. Potter held out his hand.
"You've got nerve boy! Oh, you're like your mother. Well, I cant fault you…a Bezoar would certainly act as an antidote to all these potions!" Slughorn said and Hermione looked pissed.
"And you thought of a Bezoar all be yourself, did you, Harry?" Hermione ask though gritted teeth.
"That's the individual sprit a real potion-maker needs. Just like his mother." Slughorn said loudly.
"Alright Time to pack up." He said as the bell rang. Brianna packed her things and watched as Potter's two friends marched out looking not to happy. Potter however stayed behind which is something he normally doesn't do. She was immediately suspicious.
"Bree, you coming." Draco ask her at the door. She walked out and shut the door leaving it cracked.
"I'll meet up with you, I need to talk to Slughorn when Potter's done." she said and he nodded leaving with Blaze. Brianna disillusioned herself and slipped back inside and watched as Potter approached Slughorn.
"Come on, now, Harry, you'll be late for your next lesson." Slughorn said pulling on his cloak.
"Sir. I wanted to ask you something." Potter said shyly.
"Ask away then, my dear boy, ask away."
"Sir, I wondered what you know about…about Horcruxes?" Potter ask and Slughorn froze, smile falling off his face. Brianna's eyes went wide. Potter knew about her father having made some.
"What did you say?" Slughorn ask him.
"I asked whether you know anything about Horcruxes, sir. You see-" Potter started.
"Dumbledore put you up to this. Dumbledore's shown you that memory. Well? Hasn't he?" Slughorn ask sweating.
"Yes." Potter said shifting his feet.
"Yes, of course. Of course…well, if you've seen that memory, Harry, you'll know that I don't know anything-anything about Horcruxes." Slughorn said dabbing his face with a handkerchief.
"Sir. I just thought there might be a bit more to the memory." Potter said desperately.
"Did you? Then you were wrong, weren't you. WRONG." he yelled before fleeing out the room and slamming the door shut.
"Great now how am I going to get it for Dumbledore." Potter said to himself before leaving. Brianna waited a few minutes before she made her self visible again and left. She was in deep thought when she ran into Slughorn.
"Oh. Oh Professor I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking were I was going." Brianna told him bending down to help him pick up the stuff he dropped.
"Don't worry about it child. My mistake I wasn't paying attention either." He said standing back up and forcing a smile. Brianna thought now was a good time to start earning his trust.
"Sir, are you alright. You look ill." Brianna ask touching his forehead reluctantly and trying not to cringe away. He smiled at her.
"I'm fine my dear, just tired is all." he said.
"Well, if you say so. But if you need someone to talk to, even though I am just a student I'd be happy to listen. Your one of my favorite Professor's after all." she told him smiling.
"I appreciate it Brianna. Your such a sweet girl." he said before walking off. She smirked at a job well done before running to Snape's classroom. She waited outside the door for the first years class to leave before she walked in. She shut and locked the door and he looked up from his desk, smiling when he saw her.
"And what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, my dear." He said as she walked to his desk and sat of the corner. He bent forward and gave her a quick kiss.
"I just witnessed an interesting conversation with Potter and Slughorn." she said. And he raised a brow.
"Really, what was said." he ask.
"Potter was given a task by Dumbledore to try and get some information out of him. A memory I think. He ask the professor if he knew anything about Horcruxes." Brianna said and Snape's eyes widened.
"Slughorn flipped out and ask Potter if Dumbledore shown him the memory he gave him. When Potter said yes but wanted to know if there was more to it, Slughorn told him no, that he didn't know anything about it and fled the room." Brianna continued.
"You need to tell your father about his, Bree. If Dumbledore and Potter know about him making Horcruxes then they are trying to find how many he made and what he used to make them." Snape told her caressing her leg that was dangling in front of him. She shiver in delight before replying.
"Yes I plan to write him tonight. I think I need to work on trying to get that memory before Potter does. And father needs to protect his Horcruxes before the old man finds them." Brianna said sliding off the desk and straddling his lap. His hand went to her hips as she bent forward and kissed him hard.
He groaned into her mouth as she began rubbing against his now hard erection. He ran his hands up her body putting one in her hair, pulling her close while the other went up her shirt to her breast. The bell rang and Brianna pulled away smirking at the breathless and flustered look on his face.
"As much as I'd love to continue this, we both have class." she said standing up.
"Wench. You'll pay for that later." Snape mumbled. She blew him a kiss before un locking the door and leaving.
She wrote her father a letter and sent it off as soon as she got back to her dorm room. Her father responded the next day and was less than happy about Potter knowing to much. He thanked her for the heads up and said he was moving all his Horcruxes and for her to keep her eyes open.
February rolled around and Apparition lessons were taking place Saturday morning. Brianna, Draco and the other Slytherins entered the great hall to find all the tables had disappeared and the four heads of house were standing on the stage with the ministry worker.
"Good morning. My name is Wilkie Twycross and I shall be your apparition instructor for the next 12 weeks. I hope to be able to prepare you for your apparition test in this time." the instructor said.
"Malfoy, be quite and pay attention!." barked McGonagall. Everybody looked at Draco as he flushed pink. He was whispering to Crabbe about something. He shot a glare to McGonagall before the instructor started again.
"By which time, many of you may be ready to take your tests. As you may know, it is usually impossible to apperate within Hogwarts. The headmaster has lifted this enchantment, purely within the great hall, for one hour, so as to enable you to practice. May I emphasize that you will not be able to apperate outside the walls of this hall, and that you would be unwise to try. I would like each of you to place yourselves now so that you have a clear five feet of space in front of you." he said and everyone moved around. The heads of house walked through the crowd to make sure everyone was in place. Potter ended up standing near Brianna and Draco.
"QUITE." all four heads of house shouted at the same time. Silence immediately fell.
"Thank you, now then." the instructor said waving his wand and old-fashioned wooden hoops appeared in front of everyone. "The important thing you want to remember when appreating are the three D's. Destination, Determination and Deliberation."
"Step one fix your mind firmly upon the desired destination. In this case, the interior of your hoop. Kindly concentrate upon that destination now." he instructed and everyone stared hard at there hoop.
"Step two, focus your determination to occupy the visualized space. Let your yearning to enter it flood from your mind to every particle of your body."
Brianna looked around and saw a Hufflepuff boy focusing so hard his face was pink and he looked ready to pass out. Brianna nudged Draco and pointed to the boy. They both snickered.
"Step three, and only when I give the command…Turn on the spot, feeling your way into nothingness, moving with deliberation. On my command, now….one….two. THREE!" he shouted Brianna watched as most everyone spun around and landed on the floor or fell into the hoop. Brianna rolled her eyes, concentrated on the hoop, spun in the spot and with a 'pop' she appeared in her hoop smiling.
The hall was silent as everyone stopped what they were doing to open mouth gape at her. She looked around and spotted Severus who was smiling proudly at her.
"Excellent my dear. I don't think anyone has ever caught on so quickly. I dare say you could probably pass your test already. Good job. See everyone." the instructor said clapping. Brianna caught Hermione's eye and she looked absolutely put out that she didn't get to be the first person to apperate.
The instructor told everyone to try it again. On the second attempt Brianna again was the only one to apperate in her hoop. The third try was the same not until the forth try did something else happen. There was a loud scream of pain to Brianna's right, everyone turned to look to see Susan Bones of Hufflepuff wobbling in her hoop with one of her legs five feet behind her. The four heads of house swooped in on her, there was a bang and purple smoke. When that cleared everyone saw Susan put back together sobbing looking very scared. Most of the students in the hall had turned white trying not to be sick.
"Splinching, or the separation of random body parts, occurs when the mind is insufficiently determined. You must concentrate continuously upon your destination and move, without haste, but with deliberation." The instructor turned on his spot and gracefully showed everyone what he meant.
"Remember the three D's and try again. One. Two…three." he said and everyone but Brianna hesitated after seeing Susan in so much pain. They kept at it for another hour before they stopped.
"Until next Saturday, everybody, and do not forget the three D's. And congratulations Miss for being the first to successfully achieve it in this class." he said to Brianna who nodded in acknowledgement. With that he left with McGonagall leading him out. Talk broke out as soon as he was gone.
"How did you do? I think I felt something on that last try. Like a tingling in my feet." Brianna and Draco heard Ron Weasley say as he came over to Potter.
"I expect your trainers may be to tight, Weasley." Brianna told him causing the Slytherins to laugh at his red face.
The lessons continued though February. Draco and Brianna kept working on the cabinet and Brianna had spent more time getting on Slughorn's good side. She offered her help with his brewing and grading which he gratefully excepted. It was easy getting him to talk but she didn't brooch the subject of the memory just yet and it seemed that Potter wasn't either.
March first was when there poison mead they planted with Slughorn finally made it's appearance.
Brianna was in Slughorn's office with him grading papers, they were talking about is time in school when there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get that my dear." Slughorn told her as he went to the door. He looked through the peep hole and groaned.
"Harry this is very early for a call." Slughorn said as he opened the door.
"Professor I'm really sorry to disturb you, but my friend Ron's swallowed a love potion by mistake. You couldn't make him an antidote, could you? I'd take him to Madam Pomfrey, but we're not supposed to have anything from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and, you know…awkward questions." Potter said.
"I'd have thought you could have whipped him up a remedy, Harry, an expert potioneer like you?" Slughorn told him.
"Er. Well I've never mixed one for a love potion, sir, I didn't want to get it wrong." Potter mumbled. Brianna suppressed the urge to snort and she continued to grade first year essays.
Ron took this time to make his self known.
"I cant see her, Harry-is he hiding her?" Ron ask in a dreamy voice.
"Was this potion within date? They can strengthen, you know, the longer they're kept." Slughorn said eyeing Weasley.
"That would explain a lot. It's his birthday Professor." Potter was practically begging.
"Oh, all right, come in, then, come in. I've got what I need in my bag." Slughorn said standing aside so they could enter. Potter entered first and saw Brianna sitting at the desk. He eyed her for a moment and she pretended to be so in grossed with what she was doing to not notice them.
Ron burst through the door and tripped on the rug falling, he regained his balance in the last moment by grabbing Potter around the neck.
"She didn't she that did she." Ron ask Harry who shocked is head no. Ron saw Brianna sitting in the chair and mistook her for whoever he was crushing on under the love potion. He went running towards her before Potter or Slughorn could stop him. He tackled her in the chair causing her to shrieked as it fell back with a bang onto the floor. He started trying to plant kisses all over her face. She kneed him in the groan causing him to roll over groaning in pain.
"Get this filthy beast away from me." Brianna snarled at Potter whipping her face. Potter ran over to his friend and wrestled him to the couch, while Brianna fixed her clothes glaring daggers at Weasley.
"My dear are you alright." Slughorn ask her.
"Yes Professor thank you. Though I didn't expect to be assaulted this morning." Brianna told him smiling.
"He didn't mean it, he's under a love potion." Potter told her, she just rolled her eyes and sat back in her chair.
"Drink that up, it will help with your nerves." Slughorn told Ron, handing him a cup with the antidote in it.
"Brilliant." he said with that damn dreamy smile on his face. He drank it and everyone watched as the smile vanished and a look of horror came to his face.
"Back to normal then." Slughorn ask laughing.
"Thanks a lot Professor." Potter said.
"Don't mention it my boy. A pick me up is what we need. I've got butter beer, I've got wine, hum and one bottle of mead, I was going to give that to Dumbledore for Christmas but oh well. He cant miss what he never had." Slughorn said pouring everyone a glass.
"Would you care for one Brianna." Slughorn ask her.
"Not thank you Professor." she said shacking her head.
"Brianna I'm." Ron said coming to her, she pulled out her wand and he stopped.
"I think it best if you stay over there Weasley. I've got enough of your germs on me." she said.
"Here Mr. Weasley have a drink." Slughorn said handing him a glass of mead. Brianna had to suppress a smile when she saw Ron take a big gulp of his drink. Before Slughorn or Potter could drink anything Ron's eyes rolled in the back of his head and he collapsed on the floor chocking and forming at the mouth.
"Professor. Do something." Potter yelled running to his friends side.
"What-but I don't understand." Slughorn said in a daze
Potter leapt to his feet and ran to Slughorn's bag. Brianna figured she better try and help so not to look suspicious. She ran over and started helping Potter look for something that could help.
"What can we do." Potter said agitated. Brianna found the Bezoar Potter had gave Slughorn and handed it to him.
"Here shove that down his throat." she said. He looked like he wanted to argue but thought better of it and ran to Ron showing it in his mouth. They watched as he gasp and fell limp before his breathing became normal again. Slughorn had finally gotten up and went for help.
McGonagall, Snape and Pomfrey showed up and levitated him to the hospital wing. After he was stable they started questioning what happened. Dumbledore, Hermione, Ginny Weasley, his parents and twin brothers had all showed up within moments.
"Now, Professor Slughorn, Mr. Potter and Miss. LeStrange you were all there can you tell us what happened." Dumbledore ask. Slughorn and Potter went into the tail on how they showed up due to a love potion and Slughorn cured him after he attack Brianna, to which she saw Snape's eyes narrow. Then they told them how Slughorn gave them drinks and Ron drank his first and was poisoned.
"After he collapsed Brianna and I went to Slughorn's bags looking for something to help, when she gave me the Bezoar and I put it in his mouth while Professor went for help." Potter finished and Brianna nodded that everything was true.
"Well, Miss. LeStrange that was very good thinking." Dumbledore said.
"Where did you get this Horace." Dumbledore ask.
"I bought it to give to you for Christmas, Headmaster." he said handing him the bottle. Dumbledore and Snape sniffed it.
"Another attack Albus. This is getting dangerous." McGonagall said.
"I agree. We need to be more cautious in everything we do." Dumbledore said.
"Dear I just wanted to thank you for saving my son." Molly Weasley told her. She just waved it off.
"Well if that's all, Professor's." Brianna said but before anyone could answer her Lavender Brown came running in pushing everyone out of her way.
"Won-won. Where's my won-won." she shrieked in a high pitched voice that had even Snape cringing and stepping back.
"Why didn't anyone tell me he was hurt." she said.
"And what are you doing here." Lavender ask Hermione who stood from the bed where she was holding his hand.
"What am I doing here, what are you doing here." Hermione ask her. Ron's family just watched back and forth.
"I happen to be his girlfriend." Lavender spat.
"And I am his friend." Hermione shot back.
"Oh don't make me laugh. You haven't spoken in months. I suppose now that he's all interesting again you want to be near him." Lavender told her.
"He's been poisoned you draft bimbo, and for your information I've always found him interesting." Hermione defended. Before Lavender could reply Ron started talking in his sleep.
"Herm-ony." he said. Everyone looked at him.
"Hermione." he whispered more clearly. Lavender cried out before running out of the room. Hermione smiled and sat back down taking his hand in hers.
"Ah. Young love." Dumbledore cooed.
"Yes, well as interesting as this all is, can I go." Brianna ask again in a bored tone.
"Yes, yes of course thank you for all your help." Dumbledore told her. She nodded and walked out of the door back to the common room to tell Draco everything that happened. She was stopped on the way by Snape's hand on her shoulder.
"Come with me." he said and she followed him into his office.
"Was that poison the one you brewed." Snape ask her.
"Yes." she replied.
"I thought so. Excellent work. I thought you'd like to know that Dumbledore told me this morning that he has not been feeling well lately and Poppy cant figure out what's wrong with him. Looks like your lemon drops are working perfectly." Snape said backing her up till she hit his desk. He lifted her on the desk and stood between her legs.
"That's great. Father will be pleased." she said as Snape started kissing down her neck.
"Did Weasley really touch you." he ask.
"Yeah but only for a moment before he got my knee in is groan." she said panting when he started un buttoning her shirt.
"I don't like another man's hands on what's mine." he growled sucking on her collar bone.
"You don't have to worry. You know I am all yours." she breathed out.
"MINE." he hissed before showing her just who she belonged to.
A few more weeks went by. Apperation test was schedule for April and Gryffindor lost there match to Hufflepuff terrible when Potter was knocked out by Cormac who was filling in for Ron while he got better.
There DADA class one day Brianna and Draco found very funny. They were sitting in there seats, while the class was talking and getting ready for the lesson.
"Sit down." Snape snapped and everyone's ass found a seat quickly. As soon as he opened his mouth to speak the door opened and everyone turned to see Potter hurrying in late.
"Late again, Potter. Ten points from Gryffindor." Snape drawled out. Potter scowled as he flung himself into his seat near Brianna and Draco and next to Ron.
"Before we start I want your dementor essay." Snape said waving his wand and all there essay's flew to the front and piled neatly on his desk.
"And I hope for your sakes they are better than the tripe I had to endure on resisting the Imperius Curse. Now, if you will open your books to page-what is it, Mr. Finnigan?" Snape ask the Gryffindor boy as he raised his hand.
"Sir, I've been wondering, how do you tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost? Because there was something in the paper about an Inferius-" The boy ask but Snape interrupted.
"No, there wasn't." Snape said in a bored voice.
"But sir, I heard people talking." he replied.
"If you have actually read the article in question, Mr. Finnigan, you would have known that the so-called Inferius was nothing but a smelly sneak thief by the name of Mundungus Fletcher." He said in the same voice. Brianna heard Potter whisper and turned her head.
"I thought Snape and Mundungus were on the same side. Shouldn't he be upset he was arrested." Potter said and Snape caught it as well.
"But Potter seems to have a lot to say on the subject. Let us ask Potter how we would tell the difference between an Inferius and a ghost." Snape said black eyes looking coldly at Potter. Brianna and Draco smirked at each other before turning to watch Snape.
The whole class watched as Potter blushed embarrassed. He obviously didn't know the answer.
"Er-well-ghost are transparent." Potter said and Brianna snorted at how stupid his answer was. Potter and Weasley heard her snort and glared at her, which she just glared back. Snape's eyes dances with joy. Potter just set himself up for that one.
"Oh, very good. Yes, it is easy to see that nearly six years of magical education have not been wasted on you, Potter. 'ghost are transparent." Snape said with his lip curling. Pansy gave a girlish giggle while Brianna and Draco laughed.
"Yeah, ghost are transparent, but Inferi are dead bodies, aren't they? So they'd be solid." Potter tried again causing the Slytherins to laugh harder.
"A five-year-old could have told us as much." Sneered Snape. " The Inferius is a corpse, that has been reanimated by a dark wizards spell. It is not alive, it is merely used as a puppet to do the wizard's bidding. A ghost, as I trust that you are all aware by now, is the imprint of a departed soul left of earth…and of course, as Potter so wisely tells us, is transparent." Snape said.
"Well, what Harry said is the most useful if we're trying to tell them apart! When we come face to face with one down a dark alley, we're going to be having a shufti to see if it's solid aren't we, we're not going to be asking 'excuse me, are you the imprint of a departed soul?" Weasley said coming to Potter's aid.
There was a ripple of laughter that was stop by a look from Snape.
"Another ten points from Gryffindor. I would expect nothing more sophisticated from you, Ronald Weasley, the boy so solid he cannot Apparate half an inch across a room." Snape smirked and the Slytherins were beside themselves. Potter went to say something but Hermione stopped him.
"No. There's no point, you'll just end up in detention again, leave it." Hermione said.
"Yeah, Potter wouldn't want to get in trouble, especially over something that's completely true." Brianna leaned over the isle and said. Hermione looked to Snape to see if he was going to say something, he just stood there watching amused.
"Shut your mouth." Potter hissed under his breath.
"Another 5 points I think from Gryffindor for talking in class Potter." Snape said. Potter looked up at him like he was crazy.
"But sir." he started and Hermione stopped him again. Potter turned back to Brianna who just smiled and winked at him before turning back to Snape.
"Now open your books to page two hundred and thirteen. And read the first two paragraphs on the Cruciatus Curse." Snape said and everyone did as told.
The rest of the class went by silently no one daring to say anything that would get them in trouble.
