January 1990
"I wish Professor Sinistra would believe muggles." Corin complained bitterly. "Neptune has rings. We proved it, and she still won't listen!"
"You're not a muggle." Alex Sykes, a year-mate of theirs pointed out. "Besides, there's no way that muggles can possibly explore the stars. Certainly no better than we wizards can."
"Yes they do!" Corin insisted. "Melissa, back me up here!"
From the Slytherin side of the study circle, Melissa piped up. "Corin's right. Give it a couple more years and they'll be finding new planets and solar systems, too."
Alex Sykes made an offended snort. "New planets?"
"Totally!" Corin grinned. "Maybe we'll be lucky and they'll find places like Tatooine or Dagobah."
"Or Zircon!"
Corin looked at Melissa oddly. "Zircon?"
"You know, from UFH?"
"Oh, never seen it." Corin shrugged. "I don't get movies like that. I couldn't even get ten minutes into Attack of the Killer Tomatoes."
"The what?" The purebloods around them muttered.
"What!" Melissa shouted. "How can you not like it? It's a riot!"
"It's ridiculous."
"Hmph! Uncultured swine, it's a classic!" She insisted. Then as if to prove her point, she began to wildly sing the film's theme tune. "Attack of the killer tomatoes! Attack of the killer tomatoes! They'll beat you, bash you, squish you, mash you. Chew you up for brunch and finish you off for dinner or lunch!"
Two spots over, Warrington glared daggers at her. "Shut up, Bennett."
"Make me." She grinned. "They're marching down the halls. They're crawling up the walls. They're gooey, gushy, squishy, mushy, rotten to the core!"
She sang on, not noticing that Warrington had brought out his wand. "LINGUA ARIDAM!"
Melissa dragged her feet slowly through the snow-ridden courtyard. Her glazed eyes roamed through the small groups of students playing in the snow, scanning for her purpose. Unexpectedly, a flying snowball struck the side of her head, causing her to stumble against a stone pillar. Her head turned to a set of sniggers, finding Lee Jordan holding back laughter as the Twins looked in separate directions, whistling ignorance. Despite the stumble, she gave a lazy smile coupled with a rude gesture, then made her way over to them.
"Oh, Bennett, didn't see you there!" One Weasley boy feigned.
Melissa rolled her eyes and waved one hand in two small circles. Without a word, she plopped down on the opposing bench, half-leaning against a planter.
"What's the matter with you?" Jordan queried.
"Late night?" the third boy asked.
Melissa lifted her other hand, clutching a notebook and muggle pen, and wrote some words before turning the page over to them.
Sleepy. Potion side-effect. Pomfrey.
"What'd you need a potion for?" The second Weasley asked.
Rather than write an answer, Melissa simply opened her mouth wide. Showing off her full set of teeth, and nothing else.
"Blimey! What happened to your tongue!"
Melissa's shoulders slumped, and her head lolled as she scribbled an answer.
Sang muggle song. Warrington cursed tongue. Grows back next week.
The boys winced as they read the page "Tough, that is."
"Against the rules, too." The first Weasley tsked with a smile. "So what's the plan, then, Bennett?"
Melissa shrugged her shoulders and wrote again.
Intrahouse issue. Snape won't help or make things worse. Too tired to think. Ideas?
The three boys looked at each other, smiling. "I'm sure we can come up with something." Jordan replied.
"For a price, that is."
Price?
"We could use a guinea pig for some pranks we're working on."
"What do you say, Bennett? Or should I say write?" The Weasley chuckled.
Too tired to consider the implications, Melissa gave a brief shrug.
Sure. Keep to pledge rules. Deal?
"Deal!"
*Two days later*
"Miss Bennett." A shadow cascaded over the girl as a voice droned overhead.
Melissa looked upwards and blinked doe-eyes. A cue-card flashed from her hand.
Yes, Professor?
Professor Snape stared hard at the girl. Under ordinary circumstances, he would have asked the little witch why she was attempting to sneak into the male dormitories. Watching her squirm as she attempted to make an excuse, before simply taking the phial partially hidden in her hand. Unfortunately, the girl's sudden bout of mutism would only make such an attempt an unnecessary headache. Instead, he simply extended an open hand. It was enough of a hint for the girl to hand it over without much fuss. He inspected the potion and sniffed at the contents. When his eyes returned to the child there was another card at face level.
Warrington broke the rules. Dealing with it.
An arrow on the card pointed in her direction, specifically at her open mouth, with little inside but a stump of a tongue. Snape was already aware that the girl had lost it to a tongue-shriveling curse. Poppy had informed him as much about it, though no culprit was brought forward at the time.
"If I recall correctly, Miss Bennett, your little… treaty involves informing your professors of any rule-breaking."
Melissa nodded, and looked down at her stack of cards. She appeared hesitant in selecting a response, and seemed almost guilty as one was shown to him.
Didn't think you would care, this time.
"This time?"
The girl looked away, bashful. Snape frowned further from irritation to disappointment. It was one thing to hear the girl's usual, giddy nonsense; but the phrasing of the words in this instance were purposefully selected and, more important, expected enough to garner being written down for use. That alone set off his instincts as Head of House.
"Follow me, Bennett." He turned and swept out of the common room towards his private office. The first year followed close behind.
"Sit down, Bennett." Snape commanded as he took his own seat at the desk.
The girl sat sullenly, looking down to her feet.
"Bennett, look at me." The girl flinched. Her hands tightened around the armrests, but otherwise did not move. "I will not repeat myself."
At the threat, the little witch inhaled a calming breath and, with a nod to herself, lifted her gaze. Snape took the chance for a gentle legilimens, probing only the surface thoughts of her mind.
"If the Dark Lord had his way, all of those filthy muggles and mudbloods would be gone by now."
"He wanted wizard-kind to be free and pure-."
"-an embarrassment to Slytherin. Why the hat would let a mudblood into our house is beyond me."
A part of his blood froze at that last thought. A bad memory mixing between hers and his own. He pushed the thought away behind his mask. "Would I be correct to assume that Mister Warrington has done more to you than simply remove your tongue?"
Her mouth twisted, as if afraid to answer, before giving a slow nod.
"Is this to do with your lack of lineage as a witch?" Again, another nod. Snape folded his arms onto his desk. "May I ask why this is only now coming to my attention?"
Her eyes darted away from his gaze. Instead of hiding, though, it focused on a small, muggle notebook and pen.
Muggleborns aren't common in Slytherin. Figured you might think like the others. I get in trouble a lot.
He read the note and scoffed. So, by this time she meant because it was about her being a muggleborn. He supposed he could understand the confusion. Children can be nearsighted in that regard.
"Miss Bennett, if there is any reason to be cross with you it is because you are as much an instigator of foolhardy pranks as those troublemakers in Gryffindor. Don't even bother protesting. Your fellow schoolmates are too young to learn the subtle art of subterfuge. I know very well of the role you played at the start of the year." The little witch barely hid a laughing smile at the statement. One would think the child could understand a berating when she receives one? He passed over the thought and raised the phial. "Tonight is only one example of your many ridiculous escapades.
"As for the matter of your heritage, I can tell you that it makes little difference on my part. In wizarding society as a whole is another matter. It is better that you understand that now than be sheltered in ignorance until you come of age." He considered his next action carefully. The girl could likely repeat what he said about blood purity and put his reputation at risk.
"That in mind, it is better that you ignore such remarks in the future. A proper Slytherin must learn to hide their emotions. If others see weakness in you it will be used against you. If they do not know what hurts you, they will be unable to hurt you." The girl nodded, absorbing the lesson as much as a young mind can.
"Now, as for the matter of your attempt to enter the boy's dormitory." The girl looked somewhat perplexed as to the change of subject. "You will receive a night of detention in the Potions classroom for the attempt. In addition, ten points will be deducted from Slytherin for Mister Warrington's use of dark magic on another student. Finally, I expect that all future instances of rule-breaking will be directed to myself or a prefect for proper punishment. Is that understood?"
The girl nodded with a small smile.
"Good. Then you are dismissed to return to your dormitory." The girl nodded again, and left Snape's office immediately.
As she walked alone through the hall, a Cheshire grin blossomed on her face, and her pen-holding hand playfully made a tick-mark into the air.
*Two days later*
Duuuh-dun!
"What was that?" Jacinth asked his friend as they walked through the courtyard.
"What's what?" Warrington muttered at his side. A sharp dip of a warble broke through as he strained to listen.
Duuuh-dun!
"Beats me. A bird, maybe?"
Duuuh-dun!
Duuuh-dun!
Duuuh-dun!
Duuuh-dun!
Duuuh-dun! Duuuh-dun! Duuuh-dun! Duuuh-dun!
SPLASH!
"Oy!"
"Bloody hell!"
"What was that?"
"You alright, Warrington?"
From her vantage point on the opposing roof, Melissa watched the spectacle as the larger boy shivered in his soaked robes.
"No, I'm not alright! I'm going to kill whoever did that!"
Good bloody luck, mate. She thought to herself before ducking to the other side of the roof. As the boy ranted and raved she silently chuckled to herself. Savouring the moment before she could vocally celebrate it's success. After half a minute of raving and shivering, the two boys escaped back into the castle. A few seconds later, a cackle of laughter echoed from a nearby window.
"That was a lot more fun than I expected." One of the two grinning heads noted.
"I'll say! Poor little sloth-face was shaking in his boots the whole way through."
"Hey, Bennett, you still here?"
Her head popped up and nodded at the two boys. She got up, walking carefully on the roof, viola in hand, towards the window the Weasley Twins were perched from. She motioned to herself, then swept wide before pointing to them. The closest thing she could come up with to mean a thank you.
"Happy to oblige." They answered back, somehow understanding her.
"Say, we're ready to test out some of our ideas. Ready to join us?"
The girl smirked at the offer, then looked at her surroundings as a thought came to mind. She gestured that they come down to her first.
"What? Need help getting down?"
No. She gestured, but was at a loss for expression.
"Pefek oppa-ui-y!"
"Perfect?"
"For what?"
Instead of answering in words, she lifted her viola up and played a few memorable notes of a film's theme song, being sure to rock her body gently on the roof as she did so. At their puzzled expressions, she played some memorable notes of a different song from the same film. Still, no recognition lit on their faces.
"I'm a fi-er o' a roof!"
"A what?" They both asked.
Goddamn wizard-borns! She rolled her eyes. One day she's going to have to show them the magic of movies and showtunes. At the present moment, however, all she could do was wave it off and head over to a wall to climb down on. Better to join in on their jokes now, and let them see hers another time.
In hindsight, being tricked into learning the sound of prank-induced screams on someone with half a tongue is a lot less fun than acting out classic musical moments.
Bloody Weasleys.
Author's Note: Frankly I agree with Corin. I got maybe 25 minutes into Attack of the Killer Tomatoes before I gave up on the weirdness. How about the rest of you?