Disclaimer: I am just a mere visitor in the sublime world constructed by the brilliant mind that is J.K Rowling. Anything that rings a bell is hers.

Chapter 68

"It's a first year level spell Bane."

I growled, "You know this whole provocation tactic is getting old. I know I'm easy to set off and I know you guys are trying to set me off hoping it helps me cast a spell but it's starting to get annoying!"

He cocked a dark eyebrow at me, "I wasn't trying to set you off. I was reading from this book." Sev gestured at the book in his hand, and shook his head at me, "Spongify is a first year level spell that softens the target area making it rubbery or bouncy." He frowned down at the paragraph. "Cast the levitation charm."

"I've already told you, Harry helped me with that and incendio, Mi helped with almost the whole of first year transfiguration syllabus and Ron helped with Alohomo-"

"I didn't ask what your little friends helped you do, I asked you to do a levitation charm."

I glared at him and he glared right back. I should have expected this from Sev!

I pushed the door open and ran in, bending over and clutching my knees, I had run all the way from the seventh floor.

"What happened? Who's chasing you?" Sev walked to the door that just banged shut behind me and opened it, glaring down the corridor.

"Chasing? Nobody is chasing me!" I coughed out. It was just seven flights! Why was my chest so heavy?

"Then why were you running?"

I straightened up, my breathing still heavy, I clutched my waist, "Because…because you called for me. You sent a prefect and everything. At ten in the night."

A defensive expression crossed his face as he closed the door, "I didn't think you would be asleep."

"I wasn't. I ran down because I thought something happened to Nonno or Linus or Len."

Sev turned his back to me and walked to his desk, my heart quickened it's rhythm,

"Has something-"

"Nothing has happened Bane. I apologize; I didn't realize what my calling for you at this time of night would make you think."

My heart stopped at the apology even if he didn't make eye contact, I slowly sank onto the chair and smiled at him, "You feel bad for getting me worried for no reason."

He looked up at me in disbelief, "Salazar no. I didn't think you were such a fragile little girl that you would get all worked up and come galloping down half in tears."

"I am not half in tears!" I think my chest finally loosened up and my breathing slowed down, "Maybe half dead but definitely not half in tears." I laughed at my own joke and he continued staring at me, the disbelief exchanged for an unreadable expression.

"Ten points from Gryffindor."

"What? What for?"

"That joke."

"You…you can't take away points for me making a joke."

"It was a bad joke."

"It was one at my own expense!"

"And if I hear you do so again, I'll take a hundred points off." I opened my mouth, "Try me. Go on."

I let my mouth fall shut and glared at him, "What did you call me down here for? I doubt it's just to dock points off me."

He smirked, "Why Bane, you think too highly of me. I heard about Miss Granger's theory."

"How?" I thought Harry, Ron and Mi were the only ones that knew considering we discussed it mere hours ago.

"She discussed the theory with me after she translated the runes. You need to be working around the clock. You're excused from your Potions classes; there isn't a thing in the syllabus that you haven't brewed already. You're also excused from History of Magic, you have no time to waste with that. Binns won't notice. Don't worry about Umbridge, I'll take care of her questions if she finds out you're skipping Potions and History of Magic, but it is imperative you attend Defence even if it is a waste of your time, we can't be dealing with that crazy bat's personal vendetta's right now. Of course you need to go for all your other classes but at any given time you need to be practicing your magic. You will make more progress with a partner at all times, they can watch out for what you're doing wrong and help manoeuvre around it. You're to report to me when you have History of Magic, as luck would have it that's my free periods. Also every Monday and Friday from five till seven, the same time with Flitwick on Tuesday and Thursday and Minerva will have you on Wednesday's and Saturday's. No, you do not have Sunday's off, that's to do all the homework you have. Your friends may assist you after seven every weekday and especially during this Easter Holiday, you have the use of any of the classrooms in the dungeons when you work with Granger and Weasley. Even Longbottom. But never Potter." I rolled my eyes and nodded, not pointing out that Harry and I didn't need his dungeon classroom to be alone. "You might wonder how you will have the energy to do all of this." He pulled out a bottle from his drawer and I looked at it hesitantly, a look that didn't go unnoticed, "Bane…about the Vikadel, I never apo-"

I grabbed the bottle and opened it and sniffed at it, "Invigoration draught, diluted?"

He stopped his sentence and looked at me. "Yes. Diluted. So you can take a teaspoon three times a day, it won't hurt you. About the Vikadel, I am sorr-"

"Please don't Sensei. If you apologize to me twice in a day then I might self combust." I smiled and took the bottle from him and walked to the door.

"Bane?"

"Yup?"

"Hundred points from Gryffindor."

"What! Why?"

"You know why."

I growled and snapped the door shut behind me, knowing it was my stupid self combust remark!

"Wingardium leviosa." I levitated the bottle of ink on his desk, "See, I told you, I'm fine with levitation."

"Argumenti."

"What?"

"Just do it!"

I rolled my eyes and pointed my wand at the floor, "Argumenti." Water spouted out, just like the time when Ron helped me with it.

"Incendio."

I didn't protest, but did what he said, I pointed at the waste bin at the side of his desk, "Incendio."

A flame erupted and Sev transferred the water I just dropped onto the floor into the bin.

His face was creased in thought, "What is it?"

"You're weak in the earth elements. You shouldn't try any of the spells that rely on earth manipulation as yet. Build your magic with the fire, air and water spells and leave the earth for last. Or maybe don't waste energy on it at all, if it comes out in an exam just ignore it. We're not here for you to excel at exams, we just need you to keep your magic. You can work on your weakness on earth manipulation after the Vikadel has left your system…it would be tricky though. A lot of spells use a fusion of both, but maybe your affinity for the other element would help in the fusion spells."

"Is that how it works. Everyone is weak at one type of element."

"No, everyone is usually weaker in three types of element and strong in just one type. Don't get flattered though, people like your grandfather whose strength lies in fire, can wield the other three elements better than most."

"And you? What's your strength Sensei?"

He smirked at me, "I'm good at everything, of course."

"Or equally bad at everything."

He scoffed as I giggled, "Air. My strength is air."

"Took a lot of girls breath away in your day, didn't you."

"You had a line for anything I would have said."

"Naturally." I shrugged and sat down, "So, I should avoid any of the spells that solely use earth element. Work on the others and try earth when I've restored enough power."

"Precisely. How are you feeling?" He sat down on his chair, and stared at me, probably trying to read my mind, it wasn't necessary though, I would tell him the truth.

"I'm terrible tired." I had been practising magic nonstop for the past two weeks; my head barely hit the pillow before I plunged into the deepest of sleeps. "I miss Nonno. I'm not worried about him, but I am about the boys, I know they can look after themselves but I miss not seeing them. My relationship with them may not be in the best of places in my present state…but of course I worry about them." With Umbitch as the head, Linus and Len's surprise visits were nonexistent. Even if the conversation was strained I would love to just hear their voices. Mi had told me that Linus never responded to her on the Parch when she sent word that I regained consciousness and I personally wrote to him…but it yielded no response.

"Have…have you heard from the boys." I looked down at my hot chocolate, concentrating on the chocolate swirls on the surface.

"No. Agnes sends her love though. She's…"

He didn't finish the sentence so I looked up, into his onyx orbs, "She's what?"

He sighed, "She's worried as well, which is to be expected. But you girls do not have enough faith in Linus and Len. They are more than adequate wizards, much more…they are doing important business. You need to focus on the cause at hand, no time for worrying unnecessarily."

I was surprised at the compliment; Sev was never generous with kind words, but I didn't find solace in his unusual flattery…I found fear instead…why was he being placating? I didn't think it was unnecessary to worry but I knew it was better to not voice my worries further with Sev. I took a sip of my hot chocolate, "I have to admit, I've never been so happy to be proven wrong." He looked up from his tea, confused momentarily by the change of subject but caught on quickly to my meaning. I thought she had left me and taken all my strength away with her, but I didn't lose my magic, every day I felt her tingle in my veins, a little more by the minute. If I practice nonstop it would mean keeping her forever, I would do so without complaint. I sipped at the hot chocolate,

"Pay better attention to me, you'll fine I prove you wrong quite often, you can take some happiness from that."

I rolled my eyes as he took a sip of his tea, he placed his cup down, "Have you given much thought about your future Bane?"

"Well you know I'm more of a here and now kind of person."

"So you haven't even looked at the career brochures that the fifth years received have you?"

"Mi's been talking at me about that for days. You needn't worry; she has about ten career options lined out for me."

"I'm sure Miss Granger does, but what is it that interests you."

"Honestly I just want to be a witch." I looked down at the table; I don't care what I do in this world in the future, as long as I am a part of it.

"What did you want to be before you found out that you were a witch?"

"You mean when I was a little girl?" I looked up, surprised at Sev's question. He busied himself with adding more sugar to his tea,

"Well you're still a little girl what with your abysmal maturity level, but yes, when you looked like a little girl."

I smiled, "Well it used to change every day. Sometimes I wanted to be an Egyptologist, then I had that week when I was so sure my calling was to be a stand up comedian, then at times I wanted to become a scientist and at others I wanted to become an astronaut but almost all muggle children want that at some stage…but mostly…"

He looked up at me and it was my turn to lower my eyes, "Mostly I just wanted to be…a student. I never got to be, not really. I've never been to real school before Hogwarts. I never had friends before. Nor teachers."

He laughed one of those rare genuine laughs of his, "Be careful what you wish for. School isn't what you expected it to be, is it?"

I shook my head, "No, not at all." I smiled at him, "It's been beyond my imagination, and that there was a thought I'd never thought I'd ever have."

He stared at me as I sipped my hot chocolate, deep in thought.

"So, what did little Sev want to be when he grows up?"

He scoffed, "Definitely not a teacher." He was silent for a moment, "I wanted to be someone with strength and power…I went about it in…the wrong way. And that is how I find myself here. But I find that I'm not as disappointed as I used to be that fate landed me in this position. I could have ended up worse; I could be senior undersecretary to the minister of magic."

"Or Hogwarts High inquisitor."

"Or delusional woman who thinks she is headmistress."

"Or all three!" I laughed.

"If I woke up one day and found myself to be Dolores Umbridge I would drown myself in the closest pond." I laughed, enjoying this side of Sev. He smiled, and it brightened his usual sallow face. He dropped the smile, but there was still a slight twinkle in his black eye, "I guess you don't really need to worry too much. Your marks are good enough to get you into any profession you which."

"I'm not too sure…the OWL's-"

"The OWL's are weeks away." He looked down at his cup, "Even at half your potential you'd do better than the rest."

I bit my lip, preventing the smile, knowing if I did that would be the last compliment that he'd ever pay me. He rolled his eyes,

"Don't get excited, the rest happens to be a gaggle of dunderheads, you're just less of a dunderhead."

I smiled, "I think you're less of a dunderhead too Sensei. I bet you were top of the year."

His smile fell and he looked out the window, "No. I wasn't."

I waited for more words but they never came, "Don't beat yourself up about it now. I'm sure you're doing much better than whoever did top the year…nerd." I threw in as an afterthought, he was actually laughing a minute ago, and now he was all depressing. I always knew he was one of those type A, obsessive types. He remained silent and I stood, making my way to the door,

"Sensei?"

He finally turned away from the window and looked at me, his eyes still glistening with thoughts faraway,

"I think you grew up to be just what you wanted to be." I thought Sev was strong and powerful, despite the choices he made when he was younger. What he was doing for all of us was bravery that couldn't be put into words. I closed the door and walked down the corridor, smiling to myself. It was strange how all I wanted to be was a student, and the last thing he wanted to be was a teacher, yet somehow we both got just what we had wanted.

A/N: Please review, I hope you enjoyed that almost as much as I enjoyed writing it

Kalina