Oh wow. I cannot believe it's been over, one, two...FIVE MONTHS? I am really sorry. :-(

I had a MAJOR writers block with this chaper. I rewrote it, I dont know how many times, before I was finally satisfied with the result. I hope it was worth the wait.

Welcome to those who followed and favorited this story! ILuvCupcakes2000, Rebe22, and Crazy Horse Nea.

Special thanks to those who reviewed: Dream I Dare and ILuvCupcakes2000 (your review gave me the motivation I needed to finish this chapter).

Oh, and thank you dear brother, for proofreading. :-)

I don't own Harry Potter, Sherlock, or Mulan.

"First day of training! Up and at 'em, lads! First day of training!"

The booming voice of Hagrid jolted Molly out of her deep sleep. She sat up, yawned and rubbed her eyes. Sherlock had kept her up at least an hour longer, making sure she was, in Sherlock's words, 'thoroughly educated on weapons'.

"Thoroughly educated? More like thoroughly exhausted!" she grumbled, "At least I now know the difference between knives and daggers."

Hagrid's voice shook her out of her thoughts. "All recruits shall meet up in the open field on the north side of the camp!"

"Right. Don't want to be late." She jumped up and quickly put on a simple shirt and trousers. As she exited her tent, hopping on one foot as she put on her shoe, she saw the men heading in one direction. She followed them.

Everyone was standing with their backs to the camp. In the front, was a pile of staffs and a large rack with various weapons. To the right were many targets for archery, and dummys on poles. Far out into the field, were several bushes and some large boulders.

"Well, look who decided to grace us with his presence."

Molly looked to her left and inwardly groaned as James and his friends approached her. "Great, the last thing I need to deal with is them. Well, at least Remus is all right, it's those other two I've got to watch out for."

Remus smiled warmly. "Morning Matthias, sleep well?"

Molly smiled back and opened her mouth to reply 'yes thank you very much,' when a yawn interrupted her. She covered her mouth, embarrassed. "Apparently not," laughed James.

"Aww, what's the matter?" Sirius mocked, "was the ground of the great outdoors too hard and rocky for your soft and tender back?"

"Order!" At the captain's voice, the troops immediately stood in formation. Molly found herself in the front, next to Sirius.

Although not in full armor, Captain Snape looked no less imposing in his black surcoat and trousers as he stood in front of the regiment. After a moment of silence, Snape slowly, yet deliberately, walked alongside the front of the ranks. His stern features, as he inspected the company, sent a surge of fear, coursing through Molly. That fear only increased when the captain's voice rolled over the regiment.

"This is perhaps the most pathetic excuse of dunderheads I have ever seen. However, I guarantee that by the end of this training, I will make soldiers out of you. As such, in order to reach that achievement, I expect order, discipline and respect."

During his speech, Snape passed Molly, without so much as a glance, to her immense relief. However, as the captain passed him, Sirius muttered, "Yes sir, Captain Snivellus."

Molly glanced at him incredulously. "Does he have a death wish? Oh!" With surprisingly fast reflexes, Snape had spun around, whipped out his sword, and now held the tip under Sirius' chin.

The entire regiment was silent as the two men eyed each other. One analytical, the other defiant. After what felt like several minutes, Snape spoke.

"Master Black, is it? Congratulations on becoming the first volunteer of our training." With a flick of his wrist, Snape removed the sword from Sirius' face and returned it to its sheath. The captain then strolled over to the weapons. Reaching behind the display, Snape picked up a round red object and strolled over to Sirius. Molly squinted at the object. "Is that a...ball?!"

"Do you know what this is, Master Black?" Snape asked, as he held the ball in one hand.

Sirius raised an eybrow. "Yes, it's a quaffle. We use it in a game of Qudditch, back home."

"Excellent." Snape turned and threw the ball far out into the field, near the bushes and boulders. He then returned his attention to Sirius. "Retrieve it."

Sirius laughed. "Is that all ?"

"Oh no. The difficulty is that you must retrieve it, alone."

Shaking his head Sirius began striding towards the field. He turned and walked backwards, as he addressed his friends. "Oh dear! Looks like I'm on my own. As I fetch the ball. All alone."

Everyone laughed and snorted. Except Molly. Standing close to Snape, she was the only one who noticed a small upturned twitch on the corner of his mouth. "It can't be that simple. Just what is Captain Snape up to?"

She received her answer, when Sirius almost reached the quaffle. The captain's voice spread across the field. "A word of advise, Black. Proceed with caution. Fluffy is very possessive of his quaffle."

"Fluffy?" Sirius frowned. "Who is Fluf...woah!"

A massive creature came bounding from behind a large boulder, and ran straight at Sirius. The man instantly ran back toward the regiment, with the creature close at his heels. Just before its jaws reached Sirius, the creature was stopped short by a chain, that was hooked to a large stake in the ground. Molly got a good look at the creature, and she gapped in shock. It was a dog. A dog with not one but three heads!

The dog, Fluffy, stood barking and growling for a moment, before walking over to the quaffle. One of the heads snatched up the ball. The dog then trotted back to the boulder. It settled down and the one head began gnawing the quaffle, while the other two growled possessively.

Sirius, meanwhile, ran until he reached the display of weapons. He collapsed to the ground, and began panting, from exhaustion and fear.

Snape casually walked to the pile of staffs, and picked one up. He then strode over to Sirius, who was still breathing heavily on the ground. Snape turned to address the men.

"As I was saying, I expect order, discipline and respect. If any one of you retrieves the quaffle, then, and only then, will I allow that person to speak to me, however they wish. In the meantime, we shall continue our training as I see fit." With one hand, Snape held the staff above the ground in front of Sirius, then dropped it. "Today, you will be practicing your thrust and parry. Collect your staffs, then head out to the east side of the field."

Sirius grasped the staff, stood to his feet, and walked toward the east field, muttering, "Just keep that dog away from me."

Seeing that their captian meant business, men began to walk toward the weapons. Molly tried to be optimistic, as she followed them.

"Okay, we're just practicing our thrust and parry. Good thing Sherlock taught me how to do that, yesterday. The only difference is with a staff instead of a sword. How hard can it be?"

(Snape...)

As Severus watched the men collect their staffs, an older man, wearing clothes too fine for a soldier, joined him at his side.

"Interesting perfomance there, Captain."

Severus nodded stiffly. "Lord Fudge."

"Out of curiosity, where did you get that dog?"

"From a traveling caravan. The owner allowed me to borrow it, when I expained it was for the service of the king."

"I see. I do hope you remember that this is an army, not a circus."

The captian decided it was best not to answer. Instead, he asked, "Have there been any reports?"

Fudge shrugged. "No more than the usual. Rumors of Death Eaters being sighted, here and there." He chuckled. "Of course, that's all they are. Rumors. Certainly not something that warrantied the Accio Carta. And even if they weren't just rumors, it doesn't necessarily mean You-Know-Who has returned."

From the corner of his eye, Severus coldly regarded the man next to him.

When Lucius Malfoy had recommended Severus as Captain of the Phonix Regiment, Fudge strongly opposed the request, claiming that it wouldn't be proper, for a man with no noble blood and low background to hold such a position. Though Severus strongly suspected the real reason was because King Dumbledore had agreed with Malfoy.

According to Lucius, Cornelius Fudge, was jealous of Dumbledore, for being elected king over him. Since then, Fudge never hesitated to oppose the king, in nearly everything under the sun. Even when the rumors of Death Eaters first appeared, Fudge protested immensely against enforcing the Accio Carta, until the majority of the Ministry outvoted him.

All of this was in the back of Severus' mind, as he replied, "One can never be too careful, my lord."

"True. Though I wonder, are we being careful?" Fudge turned to face Severus, "I mean, after all, we did assign the son a blacksmith, to train these new recruits."

Severus looked Fudge in eye, and managed to keep his voice nonchalant, as he replied, "I can assure you, my lord, by the time I'm through with them, these men will become some of the finest in Hogwarts."

CRASH!

The noise drew the attention of both men, toward the large rack where the weapons were displayed. Except now, the weapons were scattered everywhere, and the soldiers were laughing at the boy who had knocked over the rack, and was now laying on top of it.

Fudge glanced at Severus and smirked. "Yes, I can see what a fine job, you're doing "

Seething, Severus marched toward the mess. The clumsy perpetrator moved to a sitting position, and Severus suppressed a groan, when a familiar Hufflepuff raised his head.

"Hooper! Explain yourself!"

(Molly...)

"I, uh, tripped, sir."

"Over James' staff, when he stuck it out in front of me." Though, with the way the captain glared at her, Molly doubted he would appreciate a tale-bearer.

"Unacceptable! Clumsiness is a luxury this army cannot afford." Snape shut his eyes and breathed through his nose, in an attempt, Molly suspected, to calm himself.

When the captain opened his eyes, he spoke in soft deadly voice, that sent shivers down Molly's spine. "Since you clearly possess a lack of intelligence, you will not only set right the display, you will also sharpen the blade of every weapon that you knocked over, until you can cut yourself, by merely looking at them. Do you understand?"

Molly nodded. "Yes, sir."

Satisfied, Snape turned to the soldiers. "Why are you all just standing around? Back to your training!" As the men obeyed, Snape fixed Molly with a steely gaze.

"I wonder, Hooper. What would your father say, about your incompetence?" Without even waiting for a response, Snape marched away.

"Be careful not to cut yourself, Matthias," called James, as he joined the troops.

Molly ignored James' jab, as she picked up the rack, and stood it upright. Snape may have meant to insult her, when he mentioned her father. But surprisingly, it was the encouragement she needed. For she knew exactly what her father would have said.

"Don't give up on yourself. That's what you would have said. And Captain Snape or no Captain Snape, I promise you, Father, I will NOT give up."

A/N: Special Announcement... Today's my birthday! YAY! :-D

All I ask from you readers is a little review, telling me if you liked this chapter or not. Please...as a birthday gift? (puppy eyes).