Alice

Chapter Three

The next day flew by -- Alice and Remus spent most of the day going over lesson plans and making sure the Boggarts had arrived and were secure. Before she knew it Alice was seated at the teacher's table in the Great Hall looking out at a sea of excited, chattering students. She looked over at the Slytherins, most of who seemed to be hanging off every word spoken by a very blonde boy. The boy was leaning laconically in his chair in his chair talking to two other boys who were grinning maliciously. He didn't appear to be directly addressing his other classmates, but they listened to him all the same. A red haired girl at the Gryffindor table looked like she was shooting daggers at some of the girls who were trying to get the blonde Slytherin boy to notice them. Sitting at the Gryffindor table, Alice noticed Harry in deep discussion with a red haired boy and a brown, bushy haired girl.

They were all interrupted by the procession of frightened and nervous first years being led into the hall by Professor McGonagall. The sorting hat was brought out and a silence filled with expectation settled over the Hall. The sorting ceremony started, and the Hall was soon full of cheers as each of the first years made their way to their new houses.

After the ceremony, Dumbledore rose and welcomed the students back, then introduced Alice and another new assistant professor in Astronomy -- Professor Nebulous. Then the feast began. Alice and Remus discussed the possibility of showing the Muggle movie Alice was showing her first years to interested students in other years. Half way through the feast Alice looked down at the Slytherins. The blonde boy was looking straight at her; he nodded slightly and smiled. Alice smiled back and then turned to Remus.

"Who is that blonde boy at the Slytherin table?"

Remus looked at the boy. "Draco Malfoy."

Ah, that explained why he was smiling at her. Alice's father was close to Lucius Malfoy, out of necessity. The Ministry needed someone to spy on the Malfoy's and who better than the current head of one of the Wizarding world's oldest families. It wasn't a situation Alice's father was particularly happy about, but he felt he had no choice. And now Alice knew how he felt.

The feast finished and the students started to make their way out if the Hall. Alice stretched and yawned.

"Well, I'm going off to bed, big day tomorrow."

Alice stood up and looked across at Snape who was in turn regarding Alice was a very strange expression on his face. It could almost be described as pained. Alice smiled hesitatingly at him and was rewarded with a scowl.

"Goodnight Remus."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

As Alice left the hall, Draco Malfoy came up to her.

"Professor Kyteler, I'm Draco Malfoy. Our fathers are friends and I thought it would be rude of me not to introduce myself."

Alice smiled at him and extended her hand. She hoped the son wasn't half as bad as the father was or Hogwarts would be in real trouble.

"What year are you in Draco?"

"Sixth year."

"And you're enjoying it here?"

"Well, certain subjects."

"And they would be?"

"Potions."

Alice smiled at him, "I see. Well, it was a pleasure meeting you."

Alice turned on her heel and walked off.

*** *** ***

The first week flew by and before Alice knew it she was sitting down to dinner on Friday night discussing her week with Professor Sinistra.

"I showed the first years 'The Empire Strikes Back' as an example of what can happen to you because of the choices you make. Remus and I are thinking of showing it to interested students in general."

Just as Alice was about to ask Professor Sinistra about her week, an owl swooped in and dropped a letter on Alice's lap.

"Finally, a letter from my parents. I thought they'd forgotten me."

She picked the letter up and was about to open it when she realized that it wasn't her parents or even her Gran's handwriting. The handwriting looked vaguely familiar but she couldn't place it. Alice opened the letter and quickly scanned the last page to see whom had sent it and was shocked to see it signed Severus Snape. Alice quickly folded the letter up and stuffed it into the pocket of her robes. She was not about to read that insufferable man's insults at the dinner table. She'd just end up spraying the Hall with pumpkin juice. She looked up at Snape's usual place at the teacher's table and noticed that he wasn't there.

"Of course he was going away this weekend. Probably thought it was a good time to insult me, probably thinks he's out of wand range." She'd teach him Alice thought furiously.

After dinner, Alice was on her way out to read her letter in peace and in the hopefully calming air of the library when Remus stopped her.

"Hey, I was wondering if you were up for a game of Exploding Snap tonight."

"Normally I'd love to, but I just got a letter from home...we can catch up tomorrow if that's okay?" Alice wasn't about to tell Remus the real identity of the letter's author, at least not yet.

"Okay, well 'til tomorrow." Remus looked and sounded disappointed. Alice felt a twinge of guilt as he turned and left. That was the third time this week that she'd put him off.

She turned and headed up to the library, said hello to Madam Pince, and then went to settle into her favorite spot, at the end of the potion stacks. She liked it here because no one ever came here and she could read her letter undisturbed. She pulled the letter out of her pocket and was about to begin reading it when she heard Draco Malfoy's voice and girl's voice.

"Oh come on Gin."

"No."

"No one's here. We won't get caught."

"That is beside the point." The girl's voice sounded very angry.

"Gin, you know I love you."

"Draco, you make it really impossible sometimes."

"I try, I really do."

"Your talents at charming people will not work on me tonight."

"Ginny..." Draco said teasingly.

"No Draco, I'm here to borrow a book for a potions essay. And besides, I heard what you called Ron in potions this afternoon."

"Ah well, that explains the mood then."

Alice heard a muffled cry as she guessed that Ginny had just hit Draco.

"That hurt."

"Good."

"Oh, just get your book and I'll walk you back to your common room."

Alice had to stifle a laugh as she heard Draco and his girlfriend walk off.

Alice turned her attention from the romances of Hogwarts to her letter from Snape.

It began bluntly. "Well at least he hasn't reverted to calling me Miss," Alice muttered to herself.

Finally, I wish to apologize for my disgraceful behavior toward you in the forest. When I first heard that you were returning to teach I was consumed by jealousy. I have always been intensely jealous of your family. Your father was two years ahead of me at school and was looked up to by everyone. You were no different; I perceived you as arrogant at school and was unnecessarily harsh on you because I wanted to teach you humility. I now know the reason for your attitude and why so many students looked up to you and your father. Your family is right to be proud never to have produced a dark wizard. I can only imagine my parents' shame if they knew how their only child had turned out.

Alice sat staring at the letter in her hands. He'd apologized. She was shocked. Her first reaction was to show Remus to see what he would make of it. But she thought that it might complicate matters. She folded the letter and put it away.

She walked back toward the staff room deep in thought. She had no idea how close to the mark she had been about Snape. She realized that he must be totally consumed with self-hate to be so foul. What did Snape expect of her by telling her what he had done in his past and how he felt? Was he asking Alice for forgiveness? Alice was unsure how she felt anymore. She still disliked him for making her time at Hogwarts difficult, both as a student and a teacher. But she was beginning to feel something that she couldn't describe. Perhaps she didn't dislike him that much. She pushed the thought out of her mind and angrily strode down the hall.

"What he needs is a friend, but damned if it's going to be me."

*** *** ***

After breakfast the next day, Alice decided to kill two birds with the one stone and approached Remus.

"Hi, I have to get some more Wolfsbane flowers, don't suppose you feel like coming with me?"

Remus looked pleasantly surprised.

"I'd love to."

They collected Madox from Alice's room and were leaving the castle when they ran into Harry and his two friends who seemed to be loitering with intent.

"Harry." Remus said sternly causing Harry and his friends to jump.

"Professor Lupin," Harry stuttered, blushing. His two friends were looking at the ground sheepishly.

"What are you up to Harry?"

"Um, nothing." Harry said unconvincingly.

"Well then if Professor Kyteler doesn't mind, you, Ron, and Hermione can join us in our little expedition."

"Well, we were, um..." Harry looked over Remus' shoulder and narrowed his eyes. Alice looked at the spot Harry was glaring at and saw Draco Malfoy making his way down the stairs. Alice put two and two together, realizing that Draco's girlfriend, Ginny, must be Ron's sister. Alice guessed that the three of them had been waiting to see if Draco was meeting Ginny.

"Draco, how fortuitous, we were all heading to the forest to collect potions ingredients for Professor Snape in his absence. As you said the other day, potions is your favorite subject. Would you like to join us?" Alice said with a wicked glint in her eyes. Remus looked at Alice with a very confused expression on his face, whilst the four students looked at Alice with horrified expressions on their faces.

"I can't, Quidditch team meeting," Draco said hurriedly and scampered off before Alice could question him any further.

Alice turned to the others, "Well, looks like it will be the five of us and Madox." She winked at Remus who still looked utterly confused.

They all set off for the forest. Harry, Ron and Hermione somewhat reluctantly, with Ron looking mutinously over his shoulder.

"So Ron, I hear Fred and George are thinking of setting up a shop in Hogsmeade?" Remus asked Ron.

"Yeah, Dad's secretly proud of them, but Mum keeps going on and on about respectable jobs in the Ministry."

Alice spent the rest of the walk to the forest learning about Weasley's Wizarding Wonders and some boy called Oliver Wood's new girlfriend Sian.

Once they reached the forest, Remus looked at Alice.

"So where are we going? And what do these flowers look like?"

"Not sure as to the direction, but the flowers look like this." Alice showed them a picture she had copied from a book in the library. The flowers were delicate, with gray petals and a yellow center. The others craned forward to have a look. Alice was about to suggest a possible path when Madox started to trot off in the direction of a large tree. He stopped and looked back at the group expectantly.

"Well, Madox seems to have taken on the role of guide so I suggest we follow him," Remus suggested.

Alice looked at her fox. She knew exactly which direction Madox was going in. He'd obviously picked up his scent from last week.

The group set off slowly, scanning the ground as they went. They eventually reached the clearing where Alice had had her altercation with Snape the previous week. As she looked around she spotted some flowers.

"Found some."

The others came over the have a look at the delicate little flowers.

"Horrid things." Remus muttered under his breath and took an involuntary step backward.

Alice bent down, took a potions bottle out of her robes, and picked some of the flowers. She stood up, silently looked around her and sighed. She was still simmering over last weekend, but her anger had been tempered slightly by Snape's letter. She still didn't know what to make of it, even after rereading it several times during the night when she had been unable to sleep.

"Alice." She was roused out of her trance by Remus calling. "Where were you?"

"Nowhere." Alice forced a smile.

"Let's go back. I want to make this potion before lunch."

The group turned to the way they had come and made their way back up to the castle. Back at the school, Alice excused herself and hurried down to the potions dungeon. At the door she said the password, "Asservir le sens." Alice didn't know if she had pronounced it correctly or even what it meant, but a grinding sound could be heard and the door swung open. She stepped into the dank, dark and deserted classroom, made sure Madox was in, and closed the door. As she did so lamps ignited around the room. Alice looked around her; it felt strange to be in the dungeon without Snape making her nervous. She walked over to his desk and saw that he had left a potions book open at the instructions for Wolfsbane with a note that read:

He'd also left all the remaining ingredients out for Alice.

The two hours passed by very quickly. Whilst she was waiting for the potion to cool, Alice's curiosity got the better of her and she had a look around. She wandered into Snape's office. Alice was not in the least bit surprised to find that there were no personal touches such as photos on the walls. Two bookshelves were full to overflowing. There was a desk that looked like organized chaos. On one side were rolls of parchment and on the other stacks of books that Snape obviously couldn't fit in his bookshelves.

Alice craned her neck to read the spines. All potions books. Alice picked the top one up and began to idly flick through it. Realization dawned on Alice; all the potions were in Snape's clear, formal handwriting. On closer inspection she realized that she hadn't heard of any of them.

"Comatus."

Alice read aloud to herself. She wondered what it was used for, but a cursory glance at the ingredients told her all she needed to know. Enough belladonna to send someone into a coma, but not enough to kill them. All the other ingredients were masking agents -- liverwort to hide detection in the blood stream and chamomile and spearmint to hide the taste.

What was Snape up to this weekend? She turned the page to see what else Snape was working on. "Insidious", which contained liquid yew that lay dormant for years but which would eventually manifest itself as a skin disorder which would cause the skin to eat itself and not regenerate.

Alice felt repulsed as she read about a potion that could slowly twist the inner organs and torture the recipient and another that could slowly freeze the blood.

"What kind of animal is Snape?"