The Seers' Truth: A Broken Beginning

Chapter 26

Lions and Tigers

<<<===>>>

Divination was half over and Harry was trying to work on his assignment. The class was quiet; Colin and Trelawney both dozing. Parvati and Lavender were, for once, simply doing their work without their incessant chanting. Dean was drawing doodles on his parchment and Seamus was finishing his charms homework.

Ginny was staring into space, her quill dripping ink on her parchment. Ron, who had run out of ink writing his defense homework, reached across her parchment to fill his quill, and then continued writing, large round letters that filled the page quickly. Harry just shook his head.

"I'm almost done," Ron confided.

Neville also had a quill loaded with ink and ready to write, but he wasn't writing anything. He held a trembling hand over the parchment and he looked like he was ready to cry. Considering his session with Snape last night, Harry wouldn't be surprised if he did burst into tears.

Harry's mind wandered to recall what he had seen from his vantage point under the Invisibility cloak last night. Perhaps the repeated Imperio curses that Neville threw at Snape finally pushed Snape over the edge or perhaps it was just the combination of playing both sides of the war that caused him to get testy. In any case, as the Imperius Curses from Neville got more powerful, Snape's retaliations got more powerful. Instead of Neville forgetting that he did the Imperius Curse on Snape, he started to remember and therefore, each Imperio got more powerful as Neville consciously tried to hang on to them.

Finally, when it was obvious that both were getting tired and careless, Snape's Expelliarmus failed to bring Neville's wand to his hand; it was knocked loose and rolled across the floor. Snape's Impediment Charm was meant to keep Neville from reaching his wand, but Neville had flung himself forward and crashed headlong into the Impediment. He had dropped to the floor, and barely retaining consciousness, he focused murderous eyes on Snape.

"I think we're finished for tonight," Snape had said, removing the Impediment Charm.

"I'm not finished," growled Neville, diving for his wand. He got it, and sent a stunning charm at Snape. Snape nimbly blocked it and two others before stunning Neville. Snape then levitated Neville to the Gryffindor Common Room, spoke the correct password, Ennervated Neville, and deposited him inside the common room. Harry had wanted to go to Dumbledore immediately, but Neville didn't want him to.

"Please. Just let it wait until morning," Neville had said. "Then we'll talk about it. I'm too tired now."

As far as Harry could tell, Snape didn't use any sort of charm to keep Neville from telling about the sessions now that he was remembering part of them.

Neville went to bed at 7:30, but he still looked like he lacked sleep this morning.

Neville even approved of Harry secretly accompanying him. "It's not that I'm afraid of Snape," Neville said. "It's just nice to know that you are there if I need some help."

Not that he's afraid of Snape, thought Harry. Neville had always been afraid of Snape!

There was a sharp knock on the door of the Divination classroom, drawing Harry out of his revelry.

The door opened, startling Trelawney, who lifted her owl eyes to the door--"What?"

"Excuse me," said a soft feminine voice. "Madam Hooch released me from flying lessons. I'm to join your class."

"Samara!" said Ginny, motioning her to a chair next to her, and finally noticing the mess of ink on her parchment.

"And why have you been released from flying and sent here?" asked Trelawney annoyed. "Divination is a very complex magic. Someone's destiny can be changed in an instant. This is a Level Three class. You can't expect to waltz in here and--and--"

Trelawney's eyes narrowed and then rolled back in her head. She sank back into her pouf, and blinked. Her eyes cleared, but the anger did not go away. "Get out," she said. "I will not have a minion of the Snake in my class."

"But--" began Samara.

"Out!" Trelawney shouted. Bangles jangling, she pointed a finger at the door. "Go!" she hissed.

Harry was shaken. Only once had he seen Trelawney's eyes roll back in just that way: it was when she had gone into a real trance and told a real seeing, but when she spoke to Samara, her eyes were open. She was not having a seeing. Why had she said that to Samara? Harry wondered, and what happened at flying lessons? He glanced at Ginny and Ron. Both were sitting dumbfounded. Why had Trelawney reacted so badly to Samara's appearance at the door? Harry had a very hard time concentrating on Divination after that.

Samara ambled her way back down from the tower. When she got to the seventh floor, she looked for the walkway across from the North Tower to the East Tower, but unfortunately it wasn't available. "Stupid moving staircases," she muttered as she trudged down the rest of the stairs to the first floor and then crossed to the East side of the castle to McGonagall's office. At least Trelawney was honest, thought Samara. She didn't want her in Divination and she told her so. Of course, calling her 'a minion of the snake' was a bit weird. The first period class was half over by the time Samara found Professor McGonagall and told her what had happened.

McGonagall pursed her lips. "Well," she said, "I could speak to Headmaster Dumbledore, but if you want my opinion, Professor Trelawney did you a favor. Divination is somewhat of an abstract magic anyway, even though many of my Gryffindors seem to like it. Do you have a second choice?"

"Ancient Runes, I think," said Samara. "I know some of the Ravenclaws from my Advanced History class who are taking it."

McGonagall nodded and began writing out the class transfer. "That will work well," she said. "The time falls with the third years, so it will be Level One Ancient Runes. How is that History class working for you?" she asked.

"Oh, wonderful," said Samara.

"Not too difficult?"

"Oh, no," said Samara. "And Professor Binns is just brilliant."

McGonagall raised an eyebrow as Samara continued.

"I had read the textbook prior to going to class, but some of the nuances really needed a teacher to explain it. It seems a real shame to read a whole book and not be able to do all the magic, don't you think?"

Samara went on before McGonagall had a chance to answer, "And it's amazing how much we find history repeating itself."

"So Professor Binns has told me," said McGonagall. "Is that the text that keeps biting students?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes, but mine hasn't bitten me and I've had it for ages," Samara laughed. "In fact, Lisa Turpin wanted to trade with me. She said my book is much better behaved."

Professor McGonagall allowed herself a small smile. "Samara," she asked, "are you happy at Hogwarts in Gryffindor?"

"Yes, ma'am," said Samara, but the smile faded from her face.

"What is it?" asked McGonagall.

Samara hesitated.

"It's too late for you to go to Ancient Runes today, anyway," said McGonagall. "Sit down. Tell me what's on your mind."

"I haven't been getting along too well with some of the Gryffindors. It upset them that I went to Slytherin this past weekend--and then what Professor Trelawney said about me--"

"Oh posh," said McGonagall. "Professor Trelawney predicts a student's death each year and with Harry Potter, she's predicted his death every month since he arrived. I wouldn't put too much weight on her comments. As far as the other things, well, there has been a long standing rivalry between Gryffindor and Slytherin. I believe it goes back all the way to the Founders. Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin always had an uneasy peace. Sometimes these things aren't really under our control, as much as we'd like them to be. Tell me, though, why did you choose to go to Slytherin?"

"Well," Samara bit her lip. She wasn't going to tell Professor McGonagall that Draco had a lot to do with her going to Slytherin. "Who wouldn't want to visit the other houses?" said Samara. "It's awesome to see how the other houses are arranged and how they live. You can learn so much about people by observing their surroundings."

"Yes," replied McGonagall. "So you went to Slytherin. Did you go to Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw?"

"Hufflepuff too," said Samara. "I wanted to go to Ravenclaw, but I didn't have time. Edward wanted me to help him with--um, something."

"Good. Good," said McGonagall. "How did you find Hufflepuff?"

"Truthfully--the people are very nice, but I was glad to get back to Gryffindor last night. Their common room gave me a splitting headache."

McGonagall nodded. "And the Slytherin Common room? Did you find that more comfortable?"

Comfortable? she thought. "No," she said emphatically. "Definitely not."

"Would you let me know how that Ravenclaw visit goes next weekend?" McGonagall asked.

"Yes, ma'am."

"We'd best get going," said McGonagall, "or we're both going to be late for my class. And remember, my door is always open to my students. If you want to talk, stop by."

"Ok. Thank you."

===

Samara went out of McGonagall's office feeling a little better. She sat with Beatrice in Transfiguration.

"Did you read the transfiguration homework?" asked Beatrice excitedly. "It's all about Animagi."

"I read it," said Samara, opening her book to the appropriate page, "but McGonagall said that we won't even be trying to be Animagi this year. It's just background reading so that we can understand Animagi a little better."

"Would you want to become an Animagus?" asked Beatrice softly.

"Well sure. Who wouldn't?" said Samara. "But it seems like an awful lot of work to me."

"It's not that hard," Beatrice said. "You just have to be precise. You wouldn't want to make a mistake in calculation of the molecular spacing. Other than that, it's just intention."

Samara snorted.

"Well, you'll have to learn to do that part for Apparition anyway," said Beatrice.

"And I don't have to learn to Apparate yet," said Samara as she scanned her transfiguration book while McGonagall began to take role.

Animagi must be Registered

Unregistered Animagi are a danger to society in that they are intelligent as humans and yet can enter places as an animal that would be inaccessible to a human wizard. For this reason, as early as 1012, wizards were required to register their Animagus form. This has been a deterrent to crime and has helped to alleviate many accidents that happened when newly formed Animagi went through the perfectly normal loss of control phase. Although Salazar Slytherin is said to have become both a venomous and non-venomous snake, in today's society that would not be accepted; it would be possible, at least in theory, for the wizard to look like a non poisonous snake and keep the venom, a potentially dangerous secret. Thieves have attained the Animagi spell to further their career in thievery. Murderers have murdered in their Animagi form and thus have avoided detection. Animagi have spied on our enemies for centuries and are usually undetectable from the animal they represent. However, caution is still needed in spying since most Animagi wizards can sense the wizard within another Animagi even if the Animagus wizard is not in his or her Animagus form.

When to Register Your Animagus

As soon as your Animagus "settles" it is time to see your local ministry wizard or in the case of wizards learning this spell at a school, follow your school's procedures. Registering involves a physical examination to insure that the template is set properly in your body and will not change inadvertently. A set of rules which accompanies the registration informs the Animagus of his responsibility for himself even in Animagus form and also elicits a promise that the Animagus will not be used to perform illegal activity. Furthermore, for his own protection if ever he cannot return to human form, the template will be on file with the Ministry of Magic to allow another wizard to assist him in his transformation back to human form.

Wizards tortured by the Cruciatus Curse or the Imperius Curse while in Animagus form have been known to not be able to return to their human form. Theory states they might think they are the animals, or they might not be able to affect the actual spell. Further study would be needed to ascertain exactly why this is true: however, for obvious reasons, this is not practical.

"Since you have an Animagus in your class," said McGonagall, "I would like you to understand some of the hardships of being an Animagus--what can and cannot be done."

Beatrice blushed under McGonagall's gaze. "A curse," continued McGonagall, "any curse, even one as innocuous as jelly legs, levied on Beatrice while she is in her Animagus form can be devastating. Also, Animagi often find it more comfortable to sleep in their Animagi form; during sleep, their Animagi senses are heightened, but also their dreams are less vivid. Seers and diviners rarely are Animagi." McGonagall continued for part of the class, explaining Beatrice's unique gift to her classmates.

Finally, she moved on to the section of the book that the class was waiting for. She asked for their homework as well as a list of their pets. If they were going to transform a friend's pet for their next class, she noted that also, and then brought out a selection of hedgehogs, salamanders and toads which could be used by those who didn't have pets. She wanted those students who were going to transfigure them to get acquainted with them. Some students didn't want to use their pets, but McGonagall was insistent. If you had a pet, she expected you to transfigure it next class. They spent the rest of the class studying the theory behind transfiguration of one animal to another unrelated animal.

After lunch, Beatrice and Samara walked together. Ginny seemed to have joined Harry Potter's group again and Edward followed her. Neville and Lou were walking behind them on the way to Charms and Samara slowed her pace to talk to them.

"I'm nervous about my Patronus," Neville told Lou. "I don't know if I can do it in front of Snape."

"Don't worry, Neville," said Samara, putting a comforting arm around Neville. "When he finds out my Patronus is a flubberworm, he'll forget all about yours."

Neville laughed, but didn't relax. Samara looked at his turquoise aura with concern. Her flirting with him didn't seem to help his nervousness, so she removed her arm from his, and he seemed to relax a little bit. His aura, however, continued to tell Samara that something traumatic, which had happened in his past, was about to break into his future. His aura was actually beautiful--similar to Beatrice's--but with more green instead of blue and designs of earth tones. It reminded Samara of looking into the sea on a clear day when you could see the sand and water plants beneath the waves. Charms class was over all too soon and once again, the Gryffindors were headed to Snape's class.

"I really don't like him," said Neville, "and he wants me to come back after classes."

"But Snape's so intense," said Lou. "You just have to be around him for a few minutes to tell that he's brilliant. You should be honored that he'd take the extra time--"

Samara paused on the way to class and turned around; looking for Beatrice who she had thought was right behind her. Beatrice was several steps back, fumbling for her puffer. "I'd better do this now," she said. "You know how he hates this thing."

Samara waited for her and they sat together in DADA.

Professor Snape called the class to order and discussed his disappointment in the last class. "All of you know about as much defense as a second year student should know. That's the only reason why the new students can keep up," he snapped.

Ginny Weasley raised her hand and Snape acknowledged her.

"But some of our defense teachers--" Ginny began.

"Were useless," finished Snape. "And worse than useless, but that's no excuse. Tell me, Virginia Weasley, do you think the basilisk would have let you go if you had explained to it that Lockhart was a spineless, arrogant git that never taught you anything?"

"No sir," Ginny whispered, white faced.

"Can you believe him--" Ron started to complain to Harry, but was interrupted.

"And you three," Snape pointed to Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Did you tell that troll first year, Oh excuse me, we haven't covered trolls yet?"

"No," they whispered.

"Well then, I don't want to hear any more murmurs and complaints under your breath about how you shouldn't have to learn this because the Patronus is an advanced spell that some adult wizards can't handle. DO I MAKE MYSELF CLEAR?"

The class whispered a barely audible, "Yes."

Snape looked dead on his feet. Samara worried about the murky turbulence of his aura, which always looked bad, but today--something was very wrong. Her fingers closed around her wand, thinking of another cheering charm for Snape, but he glared at her. "I hope you are not planning any unauthorized spells, Donnally," he said. "Unless you're trying for a record number of points lost." She let her hand fall from her hair as Snape turned back to the class.

"You've had a whole week to work on this, and some of you didn't bother--to make an effort. Well, I've given you a lot more time than a dementor would have, haven't I Potter?"

Harry jumped at the sound of his name. When Snape was in this kind of mood, no one dared step out of line. Unfortunately, it seemed as if he were in this kind of mood more and more.

"And I promise you," Snape continued, "that some of you in this room will get to see a dementor--perhaps more than one--up close--Lestrange."

Harry was pleased to notice that both Ethan and Edward also jumped at the sound of their name.

"Well, obviously none of you are up to conjuring a Patronus with a dementor nearby," sneered Snape. "But maybe you can manage it in the unthreatening surroundings of your classroom with just your classmates and teacher nearby. DO YOU THINK YOU CAN DO THAT?"

There was the soft spray sound of Beatrice's puffer. Snape's pearly white skin flushed red as he descended upon her desk. "Ellis!" he snapped as he snatched the puffer, flung it into the air and Incendioed it. Ash fell to the ground. "Do you have any more, Ellis?" he asked.

"Yes," Beatrice gasped.

He wiggled his fingers in the air in front of her, and she took out another puffer.

"Is that all?" He asked.

"Um--"

"Accio trash," he said and yet another puffer jumped out of her bag and into Snape's hands. He Incendioed all three. Beatrice started to cry.

"She needs to breathe," interrupted Samara hotly.

"Mutus," Snape said with a lazy wave of his wand. "And five points from Gryffindor."

"Beatrice Ellis is a witch and an Animagus," continued Snape blandly while Beatrice struggled to breathe. "She is an Animagus! One of the strongest and most complicated magics. Do you know there are only eight registered Animagi this century--nine I believe since that Skeeter woman--this nonsense," he gestured to the fallen ash of the puffers, "this is necessary for Muggles, but not for witches, especially not powerful witches like Beatrice Ellis. Now, stop your sniveling, girl." He had turned back to Beatrice. She was flushed and frightened, gasping for breath. "Any time you want to breathe, you can," said Snape.

She shook her head frantically, starting to turn blue around the lips.

Harry reached his hand into his pocket for his wand.

"Forget it, Potter," Snape growled without looking at Harry. "Ten points from Gryffindor for even thinking about it."

"Thinking?" mouthed Ron to Hermione, but she shook her head, obviously not willing to antagonize Snape.

"I want you all to think about those medieval witch burnings," said Snape as he paced a circle around Beatrice. "Think Beatrice. What did those witches breathe when the fumes of the fire were surrounding them? What? Magic, Beatrice. Anytime you want it it's there for you. If you can control an Animagus, you can control the magic to sustain you without breathing."

Beatrice collapsed.

The collective gasp of the class seemed to have freed Samara from her hesitation. She pulled her wand from her hair and without a sound, began directing a thin stream of visible magic toward Beatrice. Harry could see tears on Samara's cheeks.

"Ten points," said Snape.

Harry raised his wand, and added his stream of magic to Samara's.

"Ten more points from Gryffindor," growled Snape.

Hermione added hers and then Ron and Ginny. For each, Snape took ten more points, but he didn't remove the spells.

"I want you idiots to understand that she is already surrounded by magic. It is her nature, the nature of all of us who are witches and wizards. What you are trying to do is making no difference at all. She has to choose to use it. Only she can do it. Ennervate!"

Beatrice awoke with fear in her eyes. "If you were a Muggle, you would be dead," said Snape. "But you are not a Muggle. Your Muggle mother placed these ideas in your head and they are wrong. You can go for at least ten minutes with nothing but your own magic to breathe. Wendelin the Weird perfected the art. She could go for nearly an hour without breathing so she could bask in the witch burners' flames. Her flame freezing charm stopped her from burning, but did not supply her with air. 47 times she was burned. Do you know of her?"

Beatrice nodded.

"Your friends seem to think that you have no magic. They are loaning you some of theirs," he sneered. "As soon as you draw some magic--yours or theirs--into those closed up lungs of yours, you will be able to speak. I'm going to take points away from your stupid little friends for their stunt until you tell me to stop, Ellis. From you Donnally, an additional 2 points. From Potter, 2 points. From Granger, 2 points. From Weasley--"

"Stop!" Beatrice croaked.

"Tell me, Ellis," sneered Snape. "Do you need those Muggle breathing devices?"

She looked at him. She was wide-eyed with terror, still gasping from fear and lack of oxygen, but she finally spoke in a hoarse whisper. "No Sir," she said.

"And did you need your friends' magic?"

"No Sir," said Beatrice.

Snape paced the room like a hungry predator as he spoke. "As long as that feeling of suffocation is fresh in your mind, Ellis, I've been told that when a dementor sucks out your soul that's what you feel. First you feel cold. Very cold. And then you can't breathe. And, unfortunately, all the magic in your lungs isn't going to do you any good. The only magic that will help you is your Patronus. Do you have a Patronus, Ellis, or are you going to be one of those who have their soul sucked out?" He turned back to face Beatrice.

"Leave her alone," Neville muttered so softly he almost didn't even move his lips.

Snape looked at him. Snape couldn't have heard him, but he still stared at him with those fathomless black eyes anyway. "Did you want to say something, Longbottom?"

"No," he answered with the tremor in his voice.

"No? No? You have nothing to say? Nothing to do? Of course not," said Snape. "Look at your classmates." He gestured to Ron, Hermione, Samara, Ginny and Harry, all of whom had tried to help Beatrice earlier. "Look at them. Did they mutter and whine and hide? No. They jumped right in--typical--foolhardy--impulsive--Gryffindors--Ahhh--that's it, isn't it Longbottom. You want to take her place? Do your Patronus first?"

"No," he said much more audibly.

Beatrice expressed sympathy in her gaze, but there was nothing she could do to stop Snape at this point.

"I think you should do it anyway," he said softly to Neville.

"Expecto Patronum," muttered Neville and a shot of smoke came from his wand. It tried to become something, but sank into nothingness.

"So," said Snape, "is that all the help you have for your friend and fellow Gryffindor?"

Beatrice hands were clenched into fists at her sides as she watched Snape torment Neville. Her eyes were alight and her soft blue aura was shot with the uncharacteristic hues of pink and purple.

"What kind of Gryffindor are you Longbottom?" Snape continued. "Look at how Gryffindors act to help their friend. Look at Potter and the Weasleys and Donnally and Granger. Stupid--misguided--but totally Gryffindor." Snape leaned into Neville. "So what is that cloud of smoke supposed to be? A giant ameba?"

He turned back to Beatrice. She was glaring at him. "So sorry," he said. He didn't sound sorry at all. "Neville couldn't save you. I guess you'll have your soul sucked out after all, unless of course you can come up with your own--"

"Expecto Patronum!" shouted Beatrice and a huge shape leapt from her wand. It grew larger and larger and larger. Some of the Slytherins jumped out into the hall to get away from the monstrous shape. When it stopped forming, it was a tiger, but not just any tiger--a huge saber-toothed tiger. Soundlessly it opened its mouth and roared.

Snape, backed up against the wall in front of it, said softly, "That will do, Miss Ellis. Ten points to Gryffindor."

Harry suppressed the urge to clap.

Once Beatrice's Patronus had vanished from sight, Snape wondered aloud if anyone else had anything that big. "Perhaps we should have gone outside," he said and, as he turned, he saw Neville still struggling with his Patronus, which still just looked like a large cloud. Snape shook his head, and looked at the class. "Does anyone know that they can do a Patronus?" he asked. A few hands were raised, Harry's among them. Without the distraction of the dementor, he knew he could do it.

"Ok, let's see what you can do," Snape said.

Samara raised her hand, and Snape undid her Mutus charm.

"Professor!" Beatrice interrupted. "He's got whiskers. Neville's Patronus has whiskers."

"Probably a big bunny," sneered Ethan.

The Slytherins laughed, but their smiles faded as Neville's Patronus slowly and laboriously formed into a full-grown male African lion.

"Must be why you were sorted into Gryffindor," Snape surmised. "I can't see any other reason. 5 points to Gryffindor."

"Five Points!" snapped Samara. "Why does he get only five and Beatrice got ten?"

"Because he was too slow," said Snape. "For the next week when someone from this class taps you on the shoulder and says 'Patronus,' I want you to instantly form your Patronus. If you get it, and then can replicate that performance in this classroom, I will give house points. If you cannot, I will deduct them. Like this," said Snape, touching Samara's shoulder, "Patronus."

"Expecto Patronum!" said Samara and a squiggling mass fell out of her wand.

"What is that?" asked Snape.

"Flubberworm," said Samara, and the class dissolved into laughter.

Snape frowned at it. "If it is complete, it doesn't matter what it is, it will fend off the dementors, but--" The mass was already starting to fade.

Snape continued to go through the class asking for Patroni, but he had only gotten partially through the Gryffindors when they ran out of time. "Continue to practice with each other," he admonished them. "There's no point in my wasting class time going over and over this. You know what it takes, you just have to practice. Trust me," he growled, "if you choose not to practice, you will wish you would have. Gryffindors are dismissed."

Samara was hugging Beatrice and congratulating her as the left class. "Lions and Tigers!" called Beatrice pulling Neville into a hug. "Who's got the Bear?"

"That's it, Ginny," said Samara. "I know what your Patronus is--that 'string' of yours--it's the tail of a flying monkey."

They broke into hysterical laughter.

"Obviously they have they have the story wrong," said Beatrice. "It wasn't the Wicked Witch of the West. It was the Wicked Wizard of the West!"

"Snape?" croaked Samara. "Yeah, looks like he's never had water on that hair."

Even Hermione joined in the laughter now. The boys were staring in bewilderment. "Oh, I guess you've never seen the Wizard of Oz, have you?" said Hermione, trying to explain. Ginny interrupted.

"Oz, the Emerald City," said Ginny between gulps of laughter. "Its--Its--"

"Ginny," Ron interrupted sternly, "there is no wizarding city called Oz and if it's Emerald, it would be Slytherin!"

Ron turned on his heel and went into Potions class, followed by Harry Potter and a still chuckling Hermione.

It was only after they calmed down that Samara realized that Snape hadn't dismissed the Slytherins. She and Beatrice and Ginny waited for them outside of Potions class.

"Why did Snape keep you?" Samara asked Draco when he arrived. A glance into the Potions classroom told Samara that whatever camaraderie that she had just gained with Hermione was now overshadowed by the fact that she spoke to Draco.

Draco just shook his head, and didn't answer Samara's question. Samara leaned close to him, to try to get a whispered answer from him, but instead he said, "Come to the Dungeon after supper. Near the entrance to Slytherin House--can you find it?"

Samara nodded. "I think so."

"I'll wait for you there," he said.

<<<===>>>