The Seers' Truth: A Broken Beginning

Chapter 11

Snape's Slumber Party

Harry and Ethan had to clean up the mess that they made. The rest of the Gryffindors had already left potions except for Neville, Lou, and Hermione. Neville was still cleaning up his potions area with Mrs. Skower's Magical Mess Remover. Hermione moved over to help him. Ethan took the worktable and spelled the cauldron closed. When he was finished he hurried out the door, leaving Harry to just take the potion's ingredients back to the student's shelf, but Mrs. Figg stopped Harry. "There's still rinse powder on your floor," she said.

"I'll get it," promised Harry, looking daggers at the departing Ethan.

"We'll help," said Hermione. Harry quickly righted the potions bottles on the shelf and Hermione conjured the broom to sweep the floor.

Only Neville and Greg Goyle were left and they had finally cleaned up their mess. Neville was trying unsuccessfully to get the lid of his cauldron to stay on.

"We'll help you," said Hermione. "Just let me finish sweeping."

But Lou was already there, putting the lid on.

"Go," said Neville. "You're going to be late for DADA. No sense in Snape deducting points from all of us."

===

Harry and Hermione hurried from Potions to DADA.

"Did you read the assignment?" asked Hermione.

"Are you kidding?" asked Harry. "Of course I did. This is Snape's class remember. Any other class, I might get detention for not doing my homework. In Snape's class I might get killed."

When they reached the classroom, Ron, Joe and Edward were waiting outside. "I can't find my homework," Ron moaned.

"Tell this idiot we didn't have any written work," said Edward. "Just reading."

"Just reading," said Harry.

"Oh. What were we supposed to read?" Ron asked as they opened the door to the classroom. They paused in the doorway. The entire class was sitting at their desks. Most had their books open, but they were sound asleep. Snape was nowhere in sight.

"Go out," Hermione said, trying to back out of the doorway, but to no avail. "Vigilis!" shouted Hermione, stifling a yawn. "Vigilax! No, I think I'm saying it wrong." She started to leaf frantically through her book, muttering, "Waking wards, waking wards, vigil."

Just then, Beatrice, Samara and Ginny arrived, coming from the hallway towards the girl's bathroom.

"Don't come in," shouted Harry. "Find waking wards in the text book first."

But the girls apparently didn't hear him, whether because they weren't paying attention, or because Snape had put a silencing spell on the room, Harry didn't know. However, the girls were now in the room and would shortly fall victim to the sleeping spell.

"Exsomnis," Harry tried, but his yawn half way through the word spoiled the sound of the spell.

Beatrice sat down at an open desk with her book in front of her. She laid her head on the book.

"Beatrice, no!" shouted Harry as a soft snore rose from Joe's sleeping body.

Ron sank into the chair beside her. Only Edward, Ginny and Harry remained standing and Edward was swaying as if he would fall asleep on his feet.

"Hermione!" Harry shouted. She was gazing glassy eyed at the book. She was trying to read it, but her sleepy brain couldn't concentrate long enough to get the words out. She pointed and handed the book to Ginny who was leaning on Hermione's chair. Ginny tried the spell, but mangled the pronunciation of the word and punctuated it with several yawns.

Harry started to go to Hermione's desk, but sank down in a closer one instead. It didn't seem important to find the spell anymore. He just wanted to sleep.

Lou and Neville walked into the room. "Waking wards," called Samara, who somehow dragged herself into a standing position with sheer force of will.

"Here. Read." Ginny handed the book to Neville, but Lou, looking over his shoulder, read the words of the waking ward.

"Expergitum!" called Lou with a flick of his wand.

Immediately Harry felt the sleepiness recede from his mind. Hermione stretched and rubbed her eyes and so did Beatrice, but the words did not affect those who were already sound asleep.

"Thanks," said Samara to Lou and Neville.

"Can you believe him?" asked Ginny. "Only Snape would set traps to his own classroom."

"So now what do we do now?" asked Neville.

Harry looked around at the sleeping Gryffindors. There were no Slytherins among them. "It seems as if Snape has found a new way to favor Slytherin," he said. "Goyle was only a few minutes before us in leaving Potions, and I can't believe that he got that spell all on his own."

"Oh, you can't call that favoritism," said Hermione. "Snape told us to read on the waking wards. If we had read it carefully enough, we could have said the spell as soon as we came through the door. We saw everyone was sleeping. The only person it may have been unfair for was the first one to come in."

"Are you saying Goyle read the chapter better than we did?" asked Harry.

"I think I've found something," said Lou. He was shaking the picture frame of the sleeping wizard.

"Password," he mumbled. At first they began guessing. They tried everything they could think of, from foods to monsters to potion ingredients. Hermione and Lou sat down with the books and continued reading.

"Hey, listen to this," said Hermione. She read aloud, "'Somnus' is the KEY WORD in most sleeping spells. It is one of the most powerful and fast acting..." She stood and approached the picture. "Somnus!" she said. The picture swung open.

"You're late," said Professor Snape without looking up from his desk. "Ten points from Gryffindor."

"That is totally unfair!" Samara burst out.

Harry motioned frantically for her to get quiet. Several Slytherins sniggered. Harry noticed that they had all arrived at class. Probably Snape told them about the sleeping web, and in Crabbe and Goyle's case, probably had to tell them what counter spell to use too.

"You're the one that put the sleeping web around the class room!" she continued, eyes flashing fire and advancing on Snape.

"Samara, shut up," Ron hissed at her. She ignored him, her mouth racing on.

"How do you expect us to be on time HERE when the class started in the other room?

"Do you even know what time we entered the sleeping net?" She took a breath, and put her hands on her hips. "Well, do you?"

Snape looked up; there was a moment of anger, immediately suppressed. His cold expressionless eyes meeting hers, he spoke a single word: "Each."

"You son of a -"

"Mutus!" Hermione had her wand out.

The room went totally silent except for a soft spray sound of Beatrice's puffer.

Samara wheeled around and glared at Hermione. Samara's hand shot to her hair and wand. Harry wondered who she wanted to hex more: Snape or Hermione?

"Miss Granger. You really should learn to mind your own business. 5 points from Gryffindor for unauthorized use of a spell in class."

"Yes sir," said Hermione through gritted teeth. "Should I reverse it?"

"Leave it. I'm told contemplative silence is character building."

Samara turned back to Snape and at last seemed to realize that this was a fight she could not win. She stalked silently to an open desk behind Harry.

"Leave it to a Gryffindor to not know how to shut her mouth," Malfoy said.

"10 points to Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy."

Harry could practically hear Ron grinding his teeth.

"Indeed, control is exactly the quality that must be learned in this class: control of your voice, Miss Donnally; control of your actions, Miss Granger. There are times to attack and there are times to wait to fight another day. That is one rule that you Gryffindors so pitifully ignore. A dead hero is still dead, Mr. Potter."

Harry looked at his desk and forced himself not to respond. Why was Snape singling him out? He hadn't done anything. For once, he hadn't done a single thing to elicit Snape's anger, but Snape still singled him out. Snape turned to Neville. "Mr. Longbottom, how many students are asleep in the other room?"

"Uh--uh," Neville stuttered uncertainly.

"Mr. Longbottom, I am aware of your deficiencies in things magical, but I did assume that you could count. That, after all, is not a difficult skill. It takes no magical talent after all."

"Uh...Nine, sir."

"And do you know their names, or is that beyond you, Longbottom?"

"Colin, Eloise, Lavender, Parvati, Dean, Seamus, Joe Foresman and Dean's and Seamus' first years. I'm sorry sir, I don't know their names."

"Very well. How is it that you managed to get here, Longbottom? I can't believe you knew the waking ward spell."

"Lou and I came in just after Hermione, Harry, Ron and their first years. They had figured it out, but needed someone who was still awake enough to look up the spell."

"And you performed the spell, Longbottom?" Snape looked incredulous.

"No, sir, that was Lou."

"Ah. Llywelyn Styvesant, another chivalrous Gryffindor to save the day.

"How does it feel to be rescued by a first year, Longbottom?"

Snape didn't wait for an answer; instead he returned to the desk and opened the book: Dark Magic through the Ages. "Turn to page 17," he said. "Let me begin by saying that all of these curses, except for Avada Kadavra, can be blocked by a nimble wizard."

Page 17 through 20 of their book had a number of dark curses on it, including the curse of the bogeys, Terriculorum, which Snape told them, several years ago, the Ministry decided to reject from the 'Unforgivable Curses.'

Snape discussed why it had been rejected as an Unforgivable even though a majority of wizards thought that it should be included. Apparently, although it called up all the terrors of hell for the recipient of the curse, the effects were generally not lasting. A dreamless sleep potion, or, surprisingly, a four-hour sleep under a sleeping ward spell, would negate the effects of the curse with no residual nightmares. Snape said that although the Unforgivable curses would go right through common wards, strong wards sometimes prevented them from causing permanent damage to the wizard.

"The wards do not block the pain from the Cruciatus Curse nor the terror from Terriculorum, and only your will can block the Imperius Curse. The Killing Curse, as we know, can only be blocked by Harry Potter," he said with a sneer.

Snape continued to discuss what he called some of the lesser curses, although they didn't seem all that minimal. Amazingly, sleeping in a sleeping ward spell for a specific number of hours could reverse the damage done by most of the curses. These curses could be blocked, if the wizard had quick reflexes, and that was the preferred way to deal with them. Snape laid the book on his desk and walked around it.

"Some of the parents expressed concern to Headmaster Dumbledore about my choice of books. They have reminded me that this is a DEFENSE against the Dark Arts class and not a Dark Arts class. However, in learning what the Dark Arts are capable of, you will be better able to defend against them. For example,"

He turned to face the class. He already had his wand in his left hand. Harry didn't remember Snape being left-handed.

"Stand and take out your wands."

"Accio wands!" he said with a quick flick of the wrist.

Immediately, wands from most of the students flew from their hands and into Snape's outstretched right arm. There was a gasp of shocked surprise. He looked around at the class. "Now that you realize how easily you can be disarmed, I assume you will take measures to keep that from happening in the future. Who still has their wands?" He laid their wands on his desk, turned and walked towards the Slytherins. He stopped in the corner by Malfoy.

"Malfoy. Good. Mr. Lestrange. Mr. Malfoy, will you tell the class, how did you manage to hold onto your wand?"

"My father told me you always grip your wand like you intend to use it."

"Very wise of him.

"Mr. Lestrange. No one else?

"You will have to work harder, won't you class?" Harry noticed that there were three Gryffindors still holding their wands, but Snape ignored them: Harry, Samara and Edward. Samara looked like she had just swallowed a pepper-up potion. She was so angry that Harry imagined smoke coming out of her ears. She was muttering to herself, but no words, of course, were coming out. Harry silently thanked Hermione for the muting charm. He was sure they would have lost more points if Samara had her voice.

Snape started to turn, but stopped. Harry realized that his feet were stuck to the floor. He glanced in horror at Samara who had stopped muttering and was smiling.

Snape paused a moment. "Is there anything else anyone would like to add about today's lesson?"

Samara raised her hand and Snape undid her muteness with a wave of his wand.

Harry groaned. Please--please don't let him take any more points from Gryffindor.

"Never underestimate your opponent," Samara said coolly.

"A good point," said Snape. "Five points to Gryffindor. Write a one foot essay on the uses of sleeping nets by tomorrow," he said. "Class dismissed."

Harry was amazed. It was at least 15 minutes early. No one moved. They seemed to think Snape must have made a mistake.

"Go!" Snape snapped and the entire class scrambled to their feet.

Some of them started to leave without their wands, but Lou asked, "May we have our wands back, please, Sir?"

"Get them and go," Snape growled.

No sooner had they left the room than Edward threw his arm over Samara's shoulder. "You were awesome girl!" he said. "I can't believe you had the guts to do that to a Death Eater."

"Snape is not a Death Eater anymore. He was cleared," shot Hermione.

"Awesome? Awesome?" croaked Harry. "You don't know Snape. It's a wonder he didn't kill you on the spot!"

"Samara, you lost more points for Gryffindor in one class than we usually lose in a week," moaned Ron.

Samara's eyes were wide and worried--"Snape was a Death Eater," she whispered.

"Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater," said Edward darkly.

For once, Harry had to agree with Edward. Even after personally hearing Dumbledore asking Snape if he was ready to spy for the good guys, Harry wondered how reliable Snape would be. It would be so easy for Snape to play each side against the other and later, just side with the winner. Dumbledore may trust Snape, but Harry never would. Perhaps that was why he managed to keep his wand. He wouldn't want to be unarmed in front of Snape.

"What I can't understand," Lou muttered, trying to analyze the situation, "is how he managed to take all of our wands with 'Accio.' I could see if he used 'Expelliarmus' but--"

"That was the point, wasn't it," interrupted Hermione. "He wanted us to know how utterly defenseless we were."

"Speak for yourself," shot Edward. "Some of us managed to hold on to our wands."

Hermione blushed. "So, why don't the three of you tell us how you did it, so we are prepared. I have a feeling that he will try this same trick again."

"You're right Hermione," said Lou.

"No," said Harry, "knowing Snape, it will be a different trick next time."

"Can we discuss this later?" asked Hermione. "I have to go to the library."

"Why don't you come and watch the tryouts?" said Harry, but Hermione shook her head.

"We have a lot of homework and I wanted to work on that other project we were discussing this morning if I could."

Harry nodded. Edward, Neville, Lou and Hermione decided to go to the library.

"We also have our appointment with McGonagall," Beatrice reminded Hermione. "Are you going to stop back in Gryffindor Tower? I don't know where her office is."

"Right, but that's not for another hour," said Hermione. "We have time to do a little studying before we have to go, but if you want to stay here, I'll stop back. McGonagall's office is right down the corridor anyway." Hermione paused at the door to the Great Hall. "You know, I really hate this mixed up schedule this year. How are we ever going to study for OWLS when Dumbledore said he was changing it? It seems like everything we are doing this year is based on Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Well, Hermione," said Ginny softly, "if we don't survive, the rest of it doesn't have much point, does it?"

"Yeah, but, nothing's going to happen to us here," observed Lou. "You'd have to be pretty naïve to think that any Death Eaters could get into Hogwarts."

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny looked at each other in consternation. Should they tell them about the past DADA teachers?

"Oh, yeah, we're safe," Ron blurted. "First year, we had He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for our Defense teacher."

"Be serious," said Lou. "We're at a school. You have to trust the teachers."

"Then in second year," Ron continued hotly, "my sister here opened His diary and got possessed. She turned loose some Slytherin monster and it was going around the school killing people..."

"No one got killed!" snapped Ginny. "Only petrified."

"Ginny?" said Samara catching her hand and frowning at her with concern.

"In third year, we had a few escaped Azkaban prisoners running around, but that wasn't half as bad as the Death Eater rat I carried around in my pocket.

"And forth year, we had a Death Eater for a Defense teacher. He GAVE Harry to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. It's a wonder he made it out alive, minus a little blood. The other boy, Cedric Diggory, didn't."

"You still have a Death Eater for a Defense teacher," said Edward.

"Dumbledore trusts Snape," Hermione reminded them, but Ron ignored her.

"Yes, there is that," Ron said to Edward. "Oops, I forgot, there was that little incident on the train, or do you think it just had a mechanical failure like the Daily Profit said? A mechanical failure that put a Dark Mark in the sky."

"I'm sorry," Lou said sarcastically. "I just thought..."

"No you didn't think," snapped Ron. "For a Ravenclaw, you are remarkably short on sense. Maybe I was wrong about that, Neville. He can't be a Ravenclaw. A Ravenclaw would have some brains."

"We still have to trust the teachers..." insisted Lou.

"Well, Lou," said Ron, "if you still think that you should just wait and let the teachers take care of everything, that's fine, but they haven't done a real bang up job so far, have they?"

"But they're teachers--"

"So--" Ron threw up his hands in exasperation. "Why don't you just go sit in front of a nice fire, Lou, and you can just guess who's going to drop in?"

"Ron," said Harry. "Let's go fly. I think you need some fresh air. In your mood, maybe you should try out for Beater."

"No, that's the twins' job," said Ron. "Keeper is it."

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