Chapter Sixteen
When the Dueling Club Reveals a Secret
A/N: I am sorry, but I worked so hard on this chapter but it truly hated me; HATED ME! That's all I'm gonna say.
Disclaimer: I only own Aurora and any other OC's. Remember, I will occasionally use quotes from both the books or movie, depending on the scene; I do know own direct quotes or phrases.
~ oOo ~
"Thank you all for attending this unexpected staff meeting. I do apologize for the early Patronus, but as I've stated, there has been another attack." Sitting amongst the other staff members, Aurora shook her head, biting her nails as she listened to Albus speak of the incident the night before. By her side, Severus was silent, as was the other staff, their heads lowered in dismay, that yet another student had been petrified; the Potions Master knew it would only be worse as the year continued.
"Who was it this time, Albus?" Professor Flitwick asked from his raised chair.
Next to the Charms Professor, Minerva spoke and answered his question. "Colin Creevy, a First Year in Gryffindor."
"Oh dear..." the shorter man stated. Raising her head at the name, Aurora knew the student as he was in her course. Colin was an enthusiastic individual, having grown up in the Muggle world, always carrying his camera to capture his experiences while away at school.
"So what do we do now?" Madam Pomfrey spoke when an unsettled silence settled over the staff. "The mandrakes are still too young to brew the drought and it's not even the end of first term."
Raising his hand, Albus politely silenced the other staff members who began to speak their questions. "We share the same concerns. For now, with no culprit at hand, all we can do is be vigilant."
With Albus still speaking, Aurora felt the Headmasters words were off in the distance, her mind closed off with the new information at hand. With the research she'd done on her own in the past and recently, the witch knew Muggleborns were being targeted – or, were supposed to be targeted, as Mrs. Norris was of the feline category.
Looking across the table, Aurora watched Hagrid fidget, moving his fingers, gripping his hands; the half-giant was unable to sit still, and as he caught the witch's eye, Hagrid simply smiled, and she could do no more than slowly lift the corner of her lips. Aurora knew something was up with her longtime friend and questioned if he was nervous about the recent activity. Thinking back, she knew Hagrid had been expelled when he was a student at Hogwarts and returned to work as the Gamekeeper of the grounds when Albus became Headmaster several years later.
Can't believe his expulsion was almost fifty years ago, at least from what Hagrid's told me, she thought, turning her attention back to Albus. Watching the Headmaster speak of the increased night patrols, Aurora internally groaned yet knew it was all to protect the students.
Wait.
Her mind suddenly went blank and she slowly turned her eyes back to Hagrid just as he glanced at her.
Fifty years ago...the first attacks where students were petrified...and a young girl was murdered before all attacks ceased, with nothing occurring until a few weeks ago. Oh no...
Once the staff meeting concluded, the faculty went their separate ways, as they were not required to eat breakfast in the Great Hall on Sunday. Aurora stopped Severus just as they made their way towards the stairs to the dungeon. Grasping his arm, she pulled the male in her direction, his eyebrow raised in confusion. "Yes, Aurora?"
"I think I'm gonna go have tea with Hagrid. Is that alright?"
"You don't need my permission to do what you want Aurora." Kissing his cheek, Aurora left the male at the stairs, leaving through the front of the castle, scampering across the grounds where she was able to cross paths with the half-giant before he made it to his hut. "Hagrid!"
Glancing over his shoulder, Hagrid noticed who was calling and smiled a toothy grin. "Aurora! I thought you were 'eadin back to yer quarters."
"You're right, but I realized we haven't had tea together in some time. Are you free?"
"O' course! O' course! Come on in, I'll pu' a pot on now." Allowing his female friend to enter first, Hagrid stepped towards his small kitchen and pulled the large teapot from the cabinet, allowing the water to boil as he placed cookies onto the table. Curling in the oversize chair, Aurora chatted away and gossiped with her old friend. The male questioned if she had been doing alright, as he noticed she'd been quieter over the last few days. Explaining the situation with Draco Malfoy and his father, Hagrid groaned standing to fetch their cups as the teapot began to whistle.
"Tha's bloody terrible, Aurora. He called you a Mudblood in class?" She nodded. "Guessin' his father wasn' too happy 'bout that."
"No, no he was not." Sipping her tea, she set the cup down. "Not that I cared, his son deserved the punishment." And with that, they fell into a comfortable silence, but the female could see Hagrid fidgeting once more, her eyes switching between his moving fingers to the loud tapping of his large boot.
"Aurora." Hagrid called her name after some time. Raising her eyes to his, she could tell. "You're here for another reason, aren't you?"
Sighing, Aurora placed her cup onto the table before slowly meeting her friend's eyes. "Hagrid..." she said slowly. "I...noticed during the staff meeting today that you seemed somewhat fidgety, nervous even. Are you alright?"
Draining the remainder of his tea and standing to fill another pot, Hagrid was still but Aurora refused to push any further. Despite her thoughts from earlier, if it were true, she knew Hagrid to be innocent; how had she come to this conclusion? Her gut simply knew, yet the powerful fact was Albus hired the half-giant to work for the school as soon as he was promoted to Headmaster. Albus' words and actions spoke volumes and if he trusted Hagrid, that would, and should, silence any arguments or questions.
"You figured it ou', didn' you?" Setting the fresh pot on the table, Hagrid refilled her cup before his, taking a sip and reclaimed his seat, watching me the whole time.
"Hagrid, if you're thinking I've determined you to be the culprit, that's not it at all!" Aurora said very quickly. "To be honest...I truly did notice your behavior at the meeting and my mind just began to wonder. I thought about the last time there were attacks on Muggleborns fifty years ago and made the connection about you being expelled around the same time."
And yet, Hagrid smiled a toothy grin and heartedly laughed "You're too smart fer your own good, Aurora, always 'ave been." Smile fading, he drained his cup and poured another. If this doesn't prove he's nervous...Aurorathought.
"Hagrid..."
"You're not wrong, Aurora. I was expelled from Hogwarts fifty years ago on charges for opening the Chamber of Secrets and being the one who attacked those individuals and killed the young girl."
"Oh, Hagrid..." Quickly standing, the witch walked around the large table and leaned against his shoulder, hugging his arm in comfort. The dots were connecting in her mind and she could see the reasoning for his increased nervousness. "But, wait..." Pulling away, Hagrid noticed her narrowed eyes and confused expression. "If you were expelled for potentially opening the Chamber of Secrets, why is it that Albus hired you once he became Headmaster? Doesn't that show he knew you to be innocent?"
"Tha' be true," he said, nodding in agreement. "But it's still on my record."
"So? Who cares? Albus believes you, Hagrid, as do I."
The half-giant smiled once more, his tension leaving as he relaxed his shoulders. "Aurora, tha'...thank you, my dear."
"No thanks is needed, Hagrid; you've been my friend since I was a student. You were there for me when I received the letter when my father died, helping me until the year was over."
"I remember tha'."
"Now it's my time to be here for you, Hagrid. I believe you're innocent. As long as I'm here, I won't let your record come back to haunt you this time."
~ oOo ~
With the news of the second attack, some of the students were talking amongst themselves, fearing more would be the next victim to become petrified before the culprit could be found. Among the students, the staff were just as worried, fearing the possibility the school could shut down if more attacks were to occur. Between the last staff meeting, Albus held a second to gain the opinion of all staff as they were able to openly state their views and fears, providing the Headmaster an opportunity to answer any and all questions. Aurora and Severus were the only quiet individuals compared to the rest of the staff, as the couple had spoken with each other on different occasions regarding the state of affairs.
They were on the same mindset that nothing could be done without further evidence, or, at least something to distinguish the individual responsible.
Yet as one week passed since Colin's attack, the school was still on alert but had quieted down, once again able to focus on teaching and studying, to which Aurora found herself wondering the halls one afternoon, needing to escape her office from grading papers and exams. As she was the one professor with the least amount of classes to teach, she offered her services at night for patrolling the school, to keep the students safe while searching for anything out of the ordinary.
Though there was the aid of several Wideye potions, Aurora's body was still feeling the exhaustion from lack of sleep, and desperately needed a break. Taking as much time as needed, the witch wondered through the dungeons before making her way to the Grand Staircase, eventually walking through the main corridors through each floor. Finding herself on the second floor, Aurora was chatting with different portraits, those who were in the mood for polite conversation, as she stopped mid-step, her head tilting as her nose directing her down the hall.
When training to be a Potions Mistress herself, the Master she apprenticed under had Aurora train with both sight and smell. With this technique at hand, she was equipped to detect a specific potion with not just her sight, but by smell if her vision failed. This came in handy during her course to determine if her students were using ingredients not used in the potion to be brewed. Right now, she was sensing a particular smell, something that should not exist on the second floor of the castle.
Moving further down the hall, the witch passed door after door before stopping once again, her nose scrunching in disgust as a stronger wave of different scents flew down the back of her throat. "Oh good lord," she said out loud. "That's definitely leeches for sure. But where is it coming from?" Finally stopping near the girl's bathroom, Aurora stopped, trusting her nose that there was a distinct smell coming from the other side of the door, and yet, her gut screamed it couldn't be. During her time as a student, all females avoided this specific bathroom; so, what could it be?
Sighing as she knew there were students in the bathroom doing god knows what, she refrained from knocking, deciding to open the door. Though there was still a part of the witch that no student would be in this bathroom, Aurora was pleasantly surprised to see the trio of friends surrounding a bubbling cauldron. All three heads of Harry, Ron and Hermione turned towards the door, their eyes wide in surprise noticing their professor standing in the doorway, arms crossed with a shake of her head, disapproval written clearly upon her face.
Grasping the edge of her nose, Aurora closed the door behind and stepped towards the students, Ron gradually sliding against the stone until he was seated just as the other two were. Frowning, Aurora opened and closed her mouth several times, not quite sure what she should even say as their eyes did nothing but stare in awe, confusion and fear knowing they were caught in the act.
"Do I dare ask why you three are brewing a Polyjuice Potion?"
Their heads turned to each other as Hermione asked, "H-How did you know...?"
Shaking her head, Aurora knelt beside the young witch, eyeing the potion book with the formula before moving to gaze at the stage the brew was in. "As an apprentice I was trained to detect ingredients and potions by smell and I could smell leeches from down the hall; leeches always make me sick. Nice way to divert the situation at hand, Hermione." Standing and crossing her arms, she stared at the students for several seconds each.
"Now," she began slowly, attempting to keep her emotions in check. She was their professor and was caught between knowing she needed to report this, but was curious and needed to know what was going on. "Will someone please explain to me what this is? You guys are Second Years and know that brewing potions is prohibited unless for an assignment or in class. And I'm fairly certain brewing Polyjuice Potion isn't required for students until they're in their Seventh Year." The three looked at each other once again, neither one answering their professor's question. "C'mon guys, I'm probably the best person to find you in this situation; just tell me what's going on."
"Uhh, we're brewing Polyjuice Potion...?"
"Ronald Weasley, don't get cheeky with me. I can always go get Professor Snape."
"Professor..." Harry stepped in, swiftly standing to his feet. "We're gonna use this potion to find out if Malfoy is the Heir of Slytherin, to see if he's the culprit of these attacks."
"Harry!" Hermione snapped, her face white that he actually admitted the truth.
"Bloody hell...we're officially doomed." Ron muttered, slapping a hand against his forehead.
"I'm not sure if I should give you points for your honesty or give you detention for your bluntness, Harry." Letting her arms fall, Aurora sighed, not knowing what to do. "For the sake of it, humor me: why Draco Malfoy? What's your reasoning?"
Looking at Hermione, Harry shrugged. "She's already found us, there's nothing to lose."
Nodding in agreement, Hermione grabbed the ladle in the cauldron and turned the steaming liquid. "He's in Slytherin and he comes from a long line who were placed in Slytherin."
"He's obnoxious that Purebloods are better than any other," Ron added.
They fell silent, causing Aurora to lean closer, expecting to hear something else. "And...? Is that it? That's all you're going on?"
"If he's not the Heir, he may at least know something that could point to the culprit."
"Ugh..." Groaning, the older witch rubbed her cheeks, knowing she was caught between a rock and a hard place. Should she report the three students? Should she simply ignore what she saw and walk away? The witch knew that whatever her decision, the three would simply find another way to seek the answer they sought. "Bloody hell, give me the book."
"Wha'?" Run muttered.
Eyeing her professor, Hermione grasped the thick potions book and handed it to Aurora who quickly found the bookmarked page, running her finger down the list of ingredients and stages in completing the challenging potion. Glancing over at the vials by Hermione's side, Aurora had a feeling she knew where the ingredients were from but pushed the fact away from the front of her mind.
"When did you start?" Aurora asked.
"Two weeks ago," Hermione answered as the two wizards watched the interaction.
"And judging by the brew at hand, you plan to finish closer to Christmas?"
"That's correct, professor. May I...may I ask why you're asking?"
"If you're wanting to brew an effective Polyjuice Potion, you'll need some help. I have no doubt you could do this on your own, Hermione, but if you're wanting to infiltrate another House, you'll need this potion to be absolutely perfect."
"Are you gonna help us, professor?" Harry questioned, eyes wide, not understanding how a professor would do such a thing.
"Yes, on one condition: if you three are caught, I did not help you. You will not state I helped and will not mention me being here. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes ma'am," Ron stated quickly, nodding his head. The other two nodded in agreement as well and she smiled.
"Good, I'm glad we all understand. Well! I feel like a student again, breaking the school rules...this is great!"
"Come now, professor. You? Breaking school rules?" Ron chuckled.
"You'd be surprised, Ron. You'd be very surprised."
~ oOo ~
Soon, November was nearly half-way over and Aurora hadn't returned to the second-floor bathroom since she stumbled upon the three brewing the Polyjuice Potion. She stayed long enough to give a thorough explanation of the potion while answering any questions Hermione had. Several times they had stayed behind after class to ask more questions, but from what Hermione explained about the process of the potion, she wasn't needed to examine the brew. The professor shrugged it off, knowing she was already risking her position as a professor to assist with brewing such a potion.
Yet, the three students were taking a risk to uncover the truth. Albeit, their plan was very risky, but they were taking action, and Aurora respected the three troublemakers in that aspect.
As the threat was still within the air surrounding Hogwarts, Albus granted Gilderoy the opportunity to start teaching prospective students the ability to defend themselves in case of a situation where only magic could save their lives. One day, not long after she caught Harry, Ron and Hermione, Aurora was approached by the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor asking if she could attend the event to provide an example. Reluctantly, Aurora agreed and when she spoke of her agreement to Severus later that night, he explained Gilderoy asked him to attend as well.
Having selected the Dueling Club to be held in the afternoon one Saturday towards the end of November, Severus and Aurora removed themselves from the dungeons, making their way towards the Great Hall to find the House tables removed, except for one in the middle of the room, the hall filled with Second Years as they gathered around when Gilderoy stepped upon the table, enjoying the attention.
Before they entered, Aurora grabbed Severus' arm, keeping them in the doorway. "Do we have to go?"
"Sadly," the male professor answered. "We did agree to do this, though I do regret my decision."
"I just wanna take a nap," Aurora admitted.
"Can you all see me? Can you all, hear me? Excellent." Gilderoy's voice pulled both professors from their conversation, their heads turning to the inside of the Great Hall, Professor Lockhart walking across the dueling table, looking around as the crowd grew. Sighing, Aurora smiled at Severus as they moved into the hall towards opposite ends of the table as Gilderoy continued to speak with the students.
"Now!" the exuberant professor spoke. "Let me introduce my two assistants who have gladly volunteered to provide a demonstration. First, Professor Snape!" Severus, arms crossed, walked up the steps and stood at the end, the Slytherins in awe their Head of House stood before them as Gilderoy turned in Aurora's direction. "And second, Professor Warrington!" Copying Severus' movements, she too crossed her arms and walked up the steps, slyly grinning as cheers across the hall echoed in her ears.
"Both professors have sportingly agreed to help me with a demonstration. First, I'll have Professor Snape and Professor Warrington have a go with their mock duel." Stepping back, both professors position themselves where they needed to stand, pointing their wands at the other with their unique stance. Severus held his wand high above his head with the left-hand point straight forward; Aurora had both hands lightly clenched, her left held in front of her chest whereas her wand was raised, slightly curved above her head.
The hall fell silent as neither moved, neither uttered a word though their eyes were deeply analyzing the others potential movements.
"Stupefy!" Aurora yelled, stepping forward as the spell released from the tip of her wand.
Severus, acting as if he was prepared for anything, calmly yelled, "Protego!" and the spell was bounced right back towards the female, who grinned, wand raised once more.
"Finite Incantatum!"
"Silencio!"
As the female opened her mouth to speak, she knew Severus' spell met its target as her voice was temporarily silenced. Gasping, the crowd murmured and cheered, assuming the Potions Master was the victor when Aurora shrugged her shoulders. Smiling, she raised her hand in front of her and, with the thoughts in her head screaming "Accio Severus' wand!", the wand from the males hand flew across the hall. Raising a fist in the air, Aurora caught the wand, twirling it around her fingers.
"Bloody hell!" she could hear Ron gasp from the sidelines. With his voice, the rest of the crowd burst into cheers after the spectacle they just witnessed. Stepping towards each other, Aurora handed Severus his wand as he muttered a spell to counter his own, allowing the female to regain her voice. From behind, Gilderoy slowly clapped his hands, astonished at the sight he witnessed as well.
"Amazing. Simply amazing! As Professor Snape and Professor Warrington have displayed, anything can happen once you're in a duel! You must always be prepared."
"I propose a second demonstration," Aurora stated, her eyes glancing up at Gilderoy whose eyebrows quivered. "I think you should have a chance to duel Severus, Gilderoy." Turning to eye Severus, she asked, "What do you say, Severus?"
"It would give the students a different perspective in different defensive spells, Professor," the Potions Master reluctantly agreed.
"That settles it. Wands at the ready, gentleman," Aurora said cunningly, walking back with Severus as she stood behind him.
"Uhh...yes, yes!" He laughed nervously. "Now, as you can see, no harm befell your Potions Master, so you'll still have him when I'm through with him." Standing in position, both professors took their positions. "One...two...three..."
"Expelliarmus!"
Severus quickly spoke before Gilderoy could think of a spell, his magic knocking the male away from his standing position as he flew towards the end of the table, landing harshly onto his back. Grinning, Severus regained his composure as he watched the other male professor hastily stand to his feet. Several laughed around the table and Aurora did feel a hint of guilt for suggesting the duel, but she knew Gilderoy was only seeking the attention.
"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape, but if you don't mind me saying, it was, pretty obvious – ah – what you were about to do."
The female witch scoffed behind her lover, covering his lips with a hand, failing to hide her laughter. "Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor." The Potions Master raised an eyebrow, knowing this should've been what Gilderoy had done from the beginning, not flaunting skills he did not possess.
"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape! Ah...Let's have a volunteer pair, uh Potter! Weasley! How 'bout you?"
Harry moved quickly from his position towards the stairs behind Gilderoy, though Aurora knew his best friend wouldn't be the most effective opponent. "Professor Lockhart, unfortunately with the current state of Mr. Weasley's wand, I would have to suggest Mr. Potter duel another student unless we desire for him to suffer, errr, unusual casualties."
And thus, Severus swooped in with a different opponent in mind. "I must agree with Professor Warrington. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own house?" Raising his hands in question, Severus added, "Malfoy, perhaps?" Turning quickly, Severus thrusted his thumb behind him, acknowledging Draco was to be the duel opponent as the students jumped onto the table and stood in position.
Standing by her side, Severus smirked. "Was that necessary?" Aurora questioned.
"Depends on what you mean by necessary," he responded quietly, quickly looking at the female through the corner of his eyes. Rolling her eyes, Aurora crossed her arms as she and Severus stood behind the Slytherin, waiting for his mock duel with the Gryffindor.
"On the count of three," Gilderoy spoke, his voice firm, eyes watching both students. "Cast your charms to disarm your opponent – only to disarm. We don't want any accidents here. One, two –"
"Everte statium!" Draco had other intentions as he burst magic from the tip of his wand, pushing Harry as he flipped backwards towards the end of the dueling table. Harry landed heavily on his shoulder as some students, mainly those from Slytherin, laughed while Aurora frowned at the chosen spell.
Standing, Harry mirrored with his own spell. "Rictusempra!"
Tossed just as Harry was, Draco twisted until he landed on his rear end, Severus glaring at his godson. Roughly grasping his arm, the professor pulled the boy to his feet as both students returned to their fighting stances.
"I said disarm only!" growled Gilderoy, though did nothing to stop the duel at hand.
"Serpensortia!" With a thrust of his wand, Draco summoned a live snake as it flew from the wand towards the middle of the table. Stiffening her back, Aurora was not expecting that particular spell to be used and wish it hadn't.
Gasps and squeals echoed across the audience as the slithery reptile swiveled its lithe body across the wood, hissing and barring its teeth at the onlookers. Severus glanced back at Aurora who rolled her eyes as he smirked and walked forward, wand slightly raised to remove the creature. "Don't move Potter, I'll get rid of it for you," Severus stated smugly, though stopped in his tracks when Gilderoy stepped forward with a statement of his own.
"Allow me, Professor Snape. Alarte ascendare!"
To which the snake merely was raised high into the air before falling to its spot once more, increasing the anger. Hissing, the snake turned towards the side, fixating its attention on one student in particular. Watching and waiting for someone to remove the snake, the female witch raised her gazed to Harry when she realized his eyes were fixated on the creature as well. It had only been a few seconds, but Aurora could see the boy was observing the slimy snake, watching it move, analyzing the swivel of its head as it turned to Harry before hissing as well.
"Severus!" she quietly hissed to reach the man's attention. Stepping by his side, she pulled on his side and whispered for him to watch the boy. In doing so, Severus acknowledged the situation as well, just as Harry opened his mouth to speak.
Yet English was not the language he spoke.
"Sya hassa she. Sya hasi heth. Sya hasi heth!"
Eyes wide on both professors, Aurora could do nothing more as her mouth fell open while Severus stated, his voice loud in the quietness of the Great Hall, "Vipera evenesca," and the snake burned to a crisp, its ashes all that remained.
"What are you playing at?!" the student, Justin Finch-Fletchley, snapped at Harry, who held a questioning look, not understanding why the students were glaring and the three professors eyed him differently. Walking out of the Great Hall, Ron and Hermione followed him, leaving the room drenched in tension, the students not knowing what to make of Harry's demeanor, his actions, or his language.
In a blur, Gilerdoy dismissed the students, with an unknown promise when the Dueling Club would meet again. Whispering amongst themselves, the witch could hear talk and concern regarding Harry. Is he the one causing the attacks? I knew there was something wrong with him! Maybe that's how he killed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! All these accusations were students assuming conclusions on a situation not even Aurora knew the answer to. What he was speaking was Parseltongue, the snake language. How he mastered a language, and where he learned it, at one so young, Aurora couldn't say.
Though they patiently waited for the students to leave before they replace the furnishings, the three professors spoke very little before leaving and heading to their own chambers. Severus and Aurora paced quickly to the dungeons where they walked through his portrait, and as she claimed her seat upon the couch, Severus stood by the mantle, hand grasping his chin in curiosity and bewilderment.
Staring into the flames, Severus couldn't comprehend the boy's ability to not only speak such a language, but the assumption Harry knew of what he spoke, what he was saying. Growling, the wizard hadn't heard the language since Voldemort was alive twelve years ago and he was the only individual Severus knew of who was a Parselmouth, besides Salazar Slytherin.
"You're very quiet, Severus."
"Just trying to understand the situation at hand."
"Hm, yes..." Aurora muttered, standing as she moved around the room, pacing back and forth. "I find it odd. Severus, where would this ability have come from?"
"Potter's? Mm, no idea."
"Should we..." Walking to his side, she touched his hand. "Should we say something to Albus?"
"I was thinking of that myself, considering the circumstances."
"Yeah, but...do we have the right to?" Staring into the flames, Aurora was conflicted, until Severus braced her shoulder, moving them in the direction of the chamber's portrait.
Raising an eyebrow, Severus narrowed his eyes. "As professors, what makes you think we don't?"
Sighing, she was quiet when she answered. "It doesn't feel right. I don't want Albus to perceive Harry as the threat; I don't think he's the one..."
"Regardless of our opinions, I believe Albus must know." Leaving his chambers and moving through the dungeons once more, Severus gripped her arm tightly.
Again, Aurora sighed, knowing very well the wizard was correct, and as staff, they needed to report this immediately. Their conversation drew to an end as the couple made their way through the Grand Staircase towards the seventh floor. It didn't take much time to reach their destination, and once the password was spoken, both witch and wizard moved up the staircase and knocked upon the thick wooden door. With clearance to enter, Aurora noticed Albus already sitting at his desk, hands neatly folded upon the wood with Fawks perched behind on its personal stand.
"Ah, Severus, Aurora, it's good to see you. How did participating for the Dueling Club this afternoon go?"
"Headmaster, that's why we are here," Severus used his voice first. "We need to speak of something with you that occurred."
Straightening in his chair, Albus blinked before standing, making his way in front of the desk. "You have my attention, Severus, Aurora. What is it you wish to speak?"
Taking a step forward, Aurora nodded her head, crossing her arms before speaking. "Something occurred this afternoon, Headmaster, and we felt you deserved to know. With Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy participating in a mock duel, the latter summoned a snake, to which Harry, err, began to speak with it."
"Oh? My, that is interesting news." Albus' eyes brightened, a twinkle in each orb as he glanced between the two staff members.
"With what we witnessed, Aurora and I believe Mr. Potter to be a Parselmouth." Waiting for the man to continue, Severus added, "The snake focused on one student in particular, and Mr. Potter was able to speak with it, and he seemed to distract the creature before I was able to remove the creature."
"I see, yes, I see." Running a hand through his beard several times, Albus turned to pet Fawks, who chirped against his master's palm. "I must thank both of you in bringing this to my attention. What of the other students? Did they say anything when this occurred?"
"Not...really? The students were in shock and didn't know how to process what they witnessed, and Harry left the hall with his friends following behind right after. Gilderoy, Severus and myself excused the students not long after the boy left."
"Mhm, and what do you two think of the situation?"
"Us, sir?" The Headmaster nodded. Scratching her head, the witch wasn't sure what to think or how to answer. "Honestly? I don't have the slightest idea, but I do know that Harry is not the one between the attacks."
"And you, Severus?"
"I must agree with Aurora, her instinctual perspective is usually correct."
"I must admit, this is a very peculiar position for Mr. Potter," Albus stated as he walked back around his desk, taking the seat, eyes switching between the two professors. "I will speak with the other staff on the matter, but if you have any students question what occurred today, please keep the matter silent."
"Yes, Headmaster," both stated, nodding their heads in agreement. "But where do we go from here? The first term is almost over and we already have two students petrified and rumors going around that Mr. Potter is the culprit."
Sighing, Albus could do nothing but remain quiet for a few moments. "At this point in time, all we can do is be watchful. I am keeping communications with the Board, who continue to express their concerns for the school."
Raising an eyebrow, Severus sneered, his voice seemingly stoic. "And what does the Board have to say?"
"If there were to be anymore attacks on the students, they're leaning towards closing the school."
"They can't!" Aurora screeched, stepping forward. "Hogwarts is home for those who don't have one! What are the future generations of the wizarding society supposed to do if they close the school?!"
Raising a hand, Aurora inhaled deeply, tightly gripping her fists at the mere thought of Hogwarts becoming empty and boarded up, but the ending decision would be out of her hands. "Your judgement is appreciated and reciprocated, Aurora. I am not one for such a decision and will do everything in my power to keep Hogwarts open. Until such a time occurs, we will keep the students safe while continuing to teach them the proper use of their magical capabilities. They will learn how to be functional witches and wizards, learning to wield their skills for the benefit of our world, rather than destroy it."
~ oOo ~
I worked...so hard yet no matter what I did, this chapter was like "F% K YOU!"
Not every chapter will be perfect, but the next will be better, at least I'm hoping. Please let me know you think or what I could've done differently. You guys are all amazing!
Chocobocolina :3