Furious Angels

Chapter Eight: Class Struggles

It was a very worried Albus Dumbledore who swept into the Headmaster's Office, just ahead of Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. "Yes, Minerva... I assure you I was there and I was watching. I do realize what it means. I just don't know how she could have knowledge of some of those spells," Dumbledore wondered

"That's the mystery. Young Mister Malfoy's knowledge of dueling spells I can understand... undoubtedly his father has been hiring private tutors since the boy was old enough to know one end of a wand from the other..." Flitwick interjected. "But our Mrs. Potter... Given their... financial situation... I doubt her parents could afford a private tutor, and besides, no tutor I know would teach a child the Detonator Curse!"

"I don't know if either of you was keeping track, but I did," Professor McGonagall said. She held up her fingers and ticked them off as she spoke. "She cast what looked like the Firespiral Charm, the Dancing Curse, the Tickling Charm, the Bedazzlement Charm, and the Stunning Curse, all silently. Then there was that... whatever it was... a curse I didn't recognize... followed by the Detonator Curse, cast verbally. So that's... one 'first year' spell, two 'third year' spells, a 'seventh year' spell, and a spell that is generally only taught in Auror training. Let's not even mention that she's five years away from being taught how to cast spells silently. How is it possible, Albus?"

"You forgot the Shield Charm..." Flitwick added idly. He was waiting for Dumbledore's answer as hungrily as McGonagall was.

"Oh yes, and the Shield Charm." McGonagall had run out of fingers.

"I have a few theories, but unfortunately each is as unlikely as the last." It wasn't often that Albus Dumbledore admitted when he was stumped, but this situation had him truly puzzled. "What has me worried, Minerva... Filius... isn't Ginny Weasley's... excuse me, Ginny Potter's... broad spell knowledge. It's the power she put into them. Mister Malfoy's end of the dueling platform was shattered. Even granting a first year student being able to cast the Detonator, she shouldn't have been able to cause as much damage with it as she had. I'd expect an effect like that if she was twenty-five or thirty, certainly... but eleven?" He threw his hands up. "I admit it.... I am vexed."

"Well... I think we should keep an eye out. It's clear that she..." Flitwick stopped talking as Severus Snape swept into the Headmaster's office. "Severus... you look like someone just force-fed you a particularly sour lemon."

"Headmaster, I demand that you immediately expel that... that... girl!" The venom present in Snape's voice gave the atmosphere in the room a truly chilly tinge. "Draco Malfoy is in the Hospital Wing right now and Madame Pomfrey says that it will be days before he walks again. And she intentionally disobeyed me by snapping his wand! A violent, uncontrollable child like that cannot be allowed to endanger..."

"Severus!" McGonagall interrupted. "How dare you suggest... may I point out that Malfoy brought his injuries on himself? It was, after all, his challenge that sparked this duel! If he underestimated his opponent, it's his own fault and not Mrs. Potter's."

"While we're on the subject of Malfoy's challenge, Severus," Flitwick added, "perhaps some notice should be made of the manner in which he challenged the girl, rather than Mister Potter himself. It was almost as if someone specifically advised him to single out the... shall we call her a seemingly softer target than Mister Potter? Or that Malfoy seemed to know that, as head of the Potter Family, Mister Potter would be forced to either apologize to Malfoy or else allow the duel to proceed? I somehow doubt Malfoy thought of that particular tactic himself."

The change in Snape was immediate and total. The sneer he habitually wore shifted slightly, becoming much more calculated and formal. "I have no idea to what either of you are referring. If you are implying that I might have been behind this duel..."

"I'm sure no one is implying any such thing," Dumbledore said. He looked sharply at Flitwick and McGonagall. "However, Minerva does have a point. Mister Malfoy isn't permanently injured? No? Good. And he did bring this on himself, Severus. So I think it best if we let things alone. Hopefully, the school will settle down once classes start."

"So she won't be punished for disobedience? She snapped his wand in..."

"She snapped his wand in accord with ancient custom regarding duels, Severus. Or are you truly saying that had Mister Malfoy been the victor, we wouldn't now be talking about Missus Potter's need to acquire a new wand?" Flitwick's expression was cheerful, but his tone was absolutely frigid.

"Yes, well... be that as it may, no, there will be no punishment, as nothing occurred that technically could be called a violation of the law or the rules of this school." The headmaster stared directly into Snape's eyes. "And as such... I would be very, very disappointed in you if you were to take the frustration you feel over this duel out on either of the Potters. Is that clear, Severus?"

"Yes, Headmaster... you wish me to coddle the brats," the Potions Master spat. "As always."

"Call it what you will, Severus, but do not use your authority as a teacher to punish them for anything other than legitimate violations of school rules. Is that clear?"

"As crystal. Since there seems to be no more need for me to be here, I'll return to my offices." Snape turned on his heel and left.

Flitwick's eyes followed Snape out of the room. "Albus, I know you believe differently, but... I trust that man about as far as I can comfortably spit a live bowtruckle."

"Severus has my complete confidence, Filius, just as you have." Dumbledore idly scratched his chin through his beard. "I think it would be safest for us to take a wait-and-see attitude regarding Ginevra Potter. If one of you sees an opening to naturally ask a question, take it. But I don't think pressing the issue would get us very far."

"A sound plan, Albus... I'd hate to think we suspected her of wrong-doing. She's not misbehaving; after all... she's just... unusual." McGonagall smiled primly.

"That's very true. For now, let's just treat her as we would any other student," Dumbledore smiled back. "Who knows... perhaps the answers we seek will come to us under their own power."

XxxxxxX

Very few of Draco Malfoy's "friends" visited him while he was recovering in the Hospital Wing. Rather, that night a meeting of the most important and influential Slytherins was called. Most of the students who arrived looked lost, or angry, or both.

Marcus Flint, the seventh year Prefect, Quidditch Captain, and unacknowledged second-in-command to their Head of House, Professor Snape, called for everyone to be quiet. "All right... what do we do about Potter?"

From a dark corner, a female voice rang out, "What do we do? What do we do? What do you mean, what do we do? We do nothing. The last place I will be is in between Potter and Malfoy. Nor shall I be standing too close behind that blond imbecile. And I am leaving that mail-order-bride of his alone too! What should we do about Potter? I'm surprised you blockheads haven't learned your lesson already."

"Who's that... come out where we can see you!" Flint ordered.

Daphne Greengrass stepped forward as she spoke. Her voice was cutting, all the way to the bone. "I heard you, planning this, you know. 'Oh, she can't know anything yet, she's a dirt-poor blood traitor. She can't afford summer tutors, and there's no way her family would teach her any spells that might actually be good for something.'" Her glare burned into everyone in the common room. "'Potter might be a handful, but his girlfriend's just a baby... she'd make an easy target!' You morons... haven't you paid attention to anything? Potter took down the Dark Lord at fifteen months, for Merlin's sake... and last year he not only drove him away again, he killed the teacher whose job it is to teach Defense! Do you really think he hasn't taught his little crumpet any tricks?"

Everyone else looked around for someone, anyone, to say something. Finally, it was Marcus Flint who responded. "Those weren't just tricks... what business does a firstie have casting those spells? Where could she have learned the Detonator Curse? Or the Bedazzlement Charm? That's not taught until sixth year. And that... that thing with the two balls of flame... whatever that was... how'd she know how to do that, then, when I've never heard of the thing? There is something very odd about that girl! She shouldn't be able to cast the magic she used."

Guy Beaumont's voice was a bit hesitant. He'd lost a lot of his personal standing in the House after backing Malfoy. He looked around at his fellow fourth years, and none of them would meet his eyes. "Maybe she's just... really... powerful..."

"Oh, you think?" Daphne rolled her eyes. "One of you geniuses should have considered the idea that a wizard as magically powerful as Potter wouldn't just pick a hayseed from the sticks like Weasley for nothing. Did any of you actually think about it? What else can she offer? She's poor as a church-mouse, she's not much to look at, she's awkward, she's uncouth, and I doubt she'll ever grow out of the word "boyish". She's from a family that, if they aren't actually bottom ranked then certainly they can see the bottom from where they are. She's got absolutely nothing else to offer someone like Potter except the possibility of squeezing out particularly powerful magical children." She glanced around the room, dumbfounded. "And not a one of you thought of it. To think you actually call yourselves Slytherin."

She ignored Pansy Parkinson's and Guy Beaumont's angry looks and wasn't even giving Crabbe or Goyle the consideration in the first place. To her, Draco's bodyguards were mobile furniture, not people who counted. "The lot of you acted like a pack of brainless Hufflepuffs; Draco says jump and you're in the air before asking how high... In your thirst to take the Boy-Who-Didn't-Die down a peg, you didn't give any thought at all to the long-term consequences of your actions. And why? Loyalty to His Highness, the Blond Ponce?"

"And you can do better, can you?" Adrian Pucey stepped from the corner in which he had been leaning. "You're what... twelve, thirteen? I suppose you've got all the answers to help us recover from all this?"

"Us? What 'us' are you talking about? You're a nobody from a nobody family, and nobody cares what happens to you." Daphne turned away from him casually, as if dismissing a servant. "As for those of us who count, yes, I do have the answers. If taking down Potter is so important, then we take our time. He's a wild-card and he always has been. You can't react to him like you would to a white knight like Oliver Wood or a stiff like Percy Weasley. Study Potter; take the time to learn where his soft-spots are and what his weaknesses are. And when the time is right, stick the knife between his ribs while he's not looking."

"So... we should just... what... wait and see?" Pansy Parkinson snorted. "Wow... what an amazing plan."

"Yes, you silly, pathetic slag." Daphne rolled her eyes. "That is exactly what we should do. Just wait and see."

Lydia Blank, the other seventh year prefect, laughed. "Why are you surprised, Parkinson? We're the house of cunning and forethought, remember? Or were you put here solely because of your ambitions to someday acquire a rich, vacuous husband you could wrap around your finger?"

Pansy's jaw bobbed up and down for a moment before the girl ran for the stairs. The eyes of everyone in the room followed her. The silence held for a long, long time. No one knew what to say. No one knew what to do.

"My father is going to be so angry with me." Vincent Crabbe's surprisingly high, girlish voice came out of nowhere. His comment was met with laughter.

XxxxxxX

In Gryffindor House, the atmosphere was definitively different from that in the Slytherin dungeon. When Ginny and Harry arrived back at their common room, they found a full-blown party in mid-swing. Banners with Ginny's name were hung on the wall, and someone had blown up one of Colin Creevey's photographs of Draco cowering behind a Shield Charm while fire roiled across its surface until it was ten feet high. And the noise the assembled Gryffindors made when they saw Ginny enter was almost a physical force.

"We never thought you had it in you!" Fred admitted. He pressed a butterbeer into Ginny's hand while George handed one to Harry.

The party raged all night. It threatened to continue into the wee hours of the morning. Percy had tried to get everyone to go to bed at midnight, but no one was listening to him, prefect or not. Finally, he disappeared out the portrait hole. When he returned five minutes later with Professor McGonagall, the party was, if anything, even louder. Even the Head of Gryffindor House had trouble shutting down the party until she threatened every Gryffindor student with a week of detentions if they didn't retire immediately. Class was starting the very next morning, after all, and without a good night's sleep, how could they possibly be ready for it?

XxxxxxX

The next morning, Harry and especially Ginny arrived at the Gryffindor table to an almost standing ovation. Nearly every Gryffindor was on their feet, applauding, and they were joined by not a small number of Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. The four long house tables were laden with tureens of porridge and various cereals, plates of kippers, sausage, and bacon, dishes of eggs cooked at least ten ways, and mountains of toast with butter, all beneath the Great Hall's enchanted ceiling. The ceiling reflected the outside sky: this morning it was looking a dull, cloudy gray.

Harry, Ginny, and Ron sat down next to Hermione, who was smiling broadly. To either side of her, Luna and Neville were grinning and clapping along with the rest of the crowd. There was a slight bounciness in the way she said "Morning!" which told the new arrivals that she had something to do with their standing ovation. Blushing at all the attention, Ginny gave a quick curtsy to the crowd before sitting down.

"Well... that was fun!" Ginny said. "I suppose everyone had been waiting for someone to put the Ferret in his place."

Neville looked confused. "The ferret? What's the ferret?"

"You know... a ferret... long, pokey little animal. They're very cute but they have an odd smell, and they get into just about everything," Ginny answered.

"I know what a ferret is, Ginny." Neville rolled his eyes. "I didn't understand why you brought ferrets up."

"Oh... because of Draco. You know... Malfoy? He's the Ferret, of course!" Ginny explained. Her tone made it sound like all of this should be self-evident.

"The Ferret?" Neville looked over to the Slytherin table where Draco Malfoy was busily glaring daggers at Ginny's back. Neville gave him a sarcastic wave and a nod, making the Slytherin boy's expression sour even further. "Yeah, he does sort of look like a ferret! That's brilliant! I'm going to spread that around..."

"And I'm sure Malfoy's going to love you for it, Neville," Hermione said. She had propped up a large book... a copy of Gilderoy Lockhart's Voyages with Vampires... and was reading it voraciously. The others had barely begun eating when suddenly the air above the students' heads was filled with dozens of owls.

Unexpectedly, Neville was bombed by an owl carrying a medium-sized package. The boy rubbed his head as he inspected the package.

"Mai's heer," Ron said around a mouthful of bacon.

"Really?" Neville asked sarcastically. "I never would have noticed..." He read the address. "It's from my Gran. Probably everything I forgot, like my sweater and my spare quills. Two years in a row, and I've forgotten stuff at home. My memory is total rubbish."

"You're not that bad, Neville," Harry said. "You're not any worse than..."

Harry cut himself off abruptly as Professor McGonagall arrived. "Here are your class schedules for this year. Good luck to you all!" She handed Harry, Neville, Ron, and Hermione cards from one stack, and Luna and Ginny from another.

"Double Herbology first thing, with the Hufflepuffs," Ron noted. He looked over at his sister. "How about you?"

"Double Charms with the Ravenclaws," Ginny said.

XxxxxxX

Once breakfast was over, Harry, Neville, Ron, and Hermione said goodbye to Luna and Ginny and made their way out of the castle. They followed a steady stream of other second year students through the school's vegetable gardens, past which they could all see the school's massive greenhouses.

"Harry! Harry Potter! Just the man I wanted to talk to." It was Professor Lockhart. He strode down from the castle after the students in his turquoise robes and matching hat. The mere sight of him made Harry want to knock the man's bright, over-abundant smile right off his smarmy face. Both Ron and he scowled at the teacher as Lockhart approached; both of them missed the dreamy smile that was suddenly plastered on Hermione's face.

"Harry!" Lockhart called again. "I've wanted a word -- if your little friends would be so kind as to inform Professor Sprout that you'll be a little late? There's a lad..." Ron looked from Lockhart to Harry with a concerned look, but Harry just shook his head.

"Yeah... we'll let her know, Professor. C'mon, Hermione..." Ron muttered. He took Hermione by the elbow and led her toward Greenhouse Three.

Lockhart waited until they were out of hearing before turning his smile on Harry. The man was pouring so much charm into his entire attitude that Harry suddenly felt the need for a long, hot bath. "Harry, Harry, Harry, Harry..." Lockhart gave a magnificently staged sigh. "While I certainly appreciate the press appeal of a good scandal... when completely managed and manufactured, of course... I have to say, your opening gambit is a bit hazardous, don't you think?"

Harry had no idea what the man was talking about. He was about to say so when Lockhart continued, "Always keep in mind, Harry, that the public loves a hero with feet of clay! And nothing has brought down more public figures than a sex scandal! It's wonderful that you've found a bit of crumpet to keep you warm at night, if you know what I mean... but your choice, Harry!" Lockhart shook his head again. "Harry, Harry, Harry... what will we do with you? You, the scion of one of the Twelve Families, and who do you marry? A peasant's daughter! Do you really think that was wise, Harry?"

Harry's blood started to boil; it was all he could do to keep himself from drawing his wand and cursing the idiot to within an inch of his life. "How dare..."

"The public doesn't want to see a hero like yourself saddled with some common country wench... they expect you to squire about with someone rich and attractive, much like yourself! That Greengrass girl, for example, or Parkinson! Trust me on this, Harry, for I have some experience... men like ourselves, who are rich and successful and hugely popular... we're a cut above the common man." Lockhart put a fatherly hand on Harry's shoulder, and it took all of Harry's self-control to not physically attack the man. "And the common man expects us to associate with our fellows. If we were to wallow among the commons, they'd hate us for it. So my advice to you, Harry, is to make whatever use you can out of this girl of yours... have fun and sow your wild oats... but then dump her for someone more... attractive."

Professor Lockhart patted Harry on the shoulder and gave him a wink. Harry was still looking for the right words with which to respond, but by the time he figured them out, Lockhart had walked back into the castle. Harry shook his head; he truly could not believe what he just heard coming out of the man's mouth. Still in shock, he made his way to Greenhouse Three.

When he got there, the glass door was locked. A severely annoyed Professor Sprout had to stop everything in order to safely let him in. It didn't bode well for the rest of the day.

XxxxxxX

Ginny continued to doodle as the rest of the class went about the lesson. She'd completed a small, rough sketch of what she thought a crumple-horned snorkack ought to look like. Beside her, Luna was making the tip of her wand light up and blink off so quickly it began to resemble a distress beacon. She patted her friend on the shoulder and went back to her doodling.

"Unh-hem." Ginny looked up, shocked. She hadn't seen Professor Flitwick approach. "Er... Miss Potter..."

"Missus," Ginny muttered.

"What's that? Oh... yes, my apologies. Mrs. Potter, may I ask, please... what exactly are you doing?" Professor Flitwick's smile was tight, but it still conveyed the instructor's usual geniality. "The class is supposed to be practicing the Lumos charm." He looked at the glowing balls floating around Ginny's head. "Can you... er... demonstrate that for me?"

Ginny smiled. "Of course, sir... right away." She picked up her wand. "Lumos." The tip of her wand lit with a bright, actinic blue-white. After letting it burn for perhaps ten seconds, Ginny said, "Nox," immediately extinguishing the light.

Flitwick clapped twice, smiling. "Very good... er... now... if I might ask... what are these?" He gestured to the floating spheres.

Ginny looked up at the lights orbiting her head. "Those? That's just a spell Harry made up. He says it's useful for those times when you need your wand for something other than a... I think he called it a 'fastlight' or something..."

"A spell Harry made... when you say 'Harry' you mean of course Harry Potter? He made that up while only a first year? Amazing! What is the incantation, if I might ask?" Flitwick's eyes never left the spheres.

"It's Lumosphera, sir. You do this with your wand..." Ginny waited until the professor was watching her before demonstrating the sort of rolling-poke wand motion "... and say the incantation and it creates a small ball of light, like so." A glowing blue sphere appeared at the end of her wand, and she directed it to join the others.

"And... er... what caused you to try that spell?"

"Well, sir... I accomplished the Lumos charm pretty quickly..." As she described it, the end of her wand lit up with the usual brilliant blue-white light. "... and then I tried the Lumospectra charm... you know, making the light different colors?" Ginny moved her wand and thought, Lumospectra Gules! Instantly, the light dimmed to a blood red color. "After I did that one a couple of times, it got boring so I tried this new one!" Ginny smiled at her professor.

"Ah, yes... that makes perfect sense I suppose. Well... do you think Mister Potter would mind my learning that interesting new charm and teaching it here at Hogwarts?"

"Oh, I don't see why not, Professor."

"Excellent. Take thirty points for Gryffindor for cleverness, and twenty more for showing me a spell I previously did not know! I must caution you though, my dear... do try and not get too far ahead of the rest of the class." The tiny professor patted her on the back of the hand and moved on. Albus will want to know of this as soon as possible, Flitwick thought. He was impressed by her ability and her power... she was casting these spells non-verbally already, something no first year student should know how to do... but what truly intrigued the Charms professor was her casually casting a spell taught to her by her second year husband. Yes, Albus is going to be very, very interested in this...

XxxxxxX

Ginny was relieved to hear the lunch bell. She had enjoyed Charms class well enough, other than the fact that she already knew how to do everything included in today's lesson. She's spent the remainder of the period helping Luna Lovegood learn the Lumos and Lumospectra spells. By the time Flitwick had released them, the other girl had finally caused her wand-light to shift to other colors. Luna proclaimed Ginny a genius.

But the pleasant feelings created by the Charms class were dispelled shortly into the History of Magic class. Professor Binns, the only ghost-teacher, was horribly dry and unexciting as an instructor. Ginny had a hard time keeping her eyes open, and in the end decided to not even try. When the lunch bell finally rang, she discovered that her head was lying on her desktop, in a small puddle of her own drool. Next to her, Luna's head was leaned all the way back, and the blonde girl was actually snoring.

When the two girls entered the Great Hall, Ginny's eyes immediately looked around for Harry. Neville and Ron were already there, and Hermione, but Harry wasn't there yet, it seemed. When she sat down, that was her first question. "Does anyone know where Harry is?"

"Professor McGonagall called him up to the High Table; there was something she wanted to discuss with him." Ron pointed towards the teacher's table. "She said it was important."

Ginny nodded thanks and got something to eat. The food perked her spirits up almost as much as getting the heck out of Binns' class had. "Luna, what did you think of the classes?" she asked.

"Charms class was very instructive. Thank you again for all your assistance in getting the Colored Light Charm right. I do think Professor Flitwick is perfectly charming; he's going to be one of my favorite teachers. He doesn't allow personal prejudices to influence his teaching, and he's rather competent." Luna's eyes darkened. "I'm afraid I don't remember everything that happened in History of Magic."

Next to her, Neville snorted. "If what happened in your class is like what happens in ours, you can't remember because you fell asleep."

"I don't remember falling asleep," Luna responded in confusion.

"Trust me, Luna," Ginny said. "You were snoring." She turned to greet the boy who was quickly approaching. "Harry! Hello, love... how was your morning?"

Harry just sat. "You're never going to guess what McGonagall just told me! That fraud bastard Lockhart gave me detention! And do you know why? He said he caught me arriving late to my Herbology class! Funny how that git didn't mention to McGonagall that he was the bloody reason I was late in the first place? Merlin!" The frustration was boiling off of the boy in waves. Ginny began gently stroking his arm in an effort to calm him down, but she was interrupted.

There was a brilliant flash of light. In response, Harry rolled backwards into the aisle between the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw tables. He drew his wand in one smooth motion and was preparing to silently send a Stunner toward the most obvious foe... and suddenly realized it was one of the new boys... Calvin... Coleridge... something like that... holding what looked like an old fashioned Muggle camera.

"Hey!" Harry yelled. "Don't do that! I could have cursed you!"

The first year boy paled. "Sorry, Harry! I'm Colin - Colin Creevey. I'm in Gryffindor, too!" he said, all in one breath. The boy stepped forward, carefully. "I know all about you, of course. Everybody says you defeated You-Know-Who when you were a baby and everything, and about how you've got that scar..." his eyes raked Harry's forehead.

Harry scowled, and the boy took an involuntary step back. "Yeah, well... It's nice to meet you, Colin, but as you can see, I'm trying to eat lunch and get ready for my next class, all right? So... run along... or something."

"Oh, sure, Harry... I was wondering something, though... if you wouldn't mind... when I get my film developed... I'm going to get it done in a potion so the pictures move... if you wouldn't mind signing the picture I took of you? So I can show my dad and mum I've actually met you... I've already told them all about you, of course, from the books..."

At this, Neville busily tried to choke on his pumpkin juice. Ginny began to giggle and Hermione smirked at Harry. Ron's ears turned red, and his expression turned sour. Harry, on the other hand, was trying desperately to breathe.

"Harry doesn't give out autographs and he doesn't sign photographs, either." It was Luna, speaking out of nowhere. "You see, Colin, he's not particularly fond of the reason why he's famous, what with it being his parents' murder. He's too polite to say it, but it has to be said: please don't bother him about it again, all right?"

The Creevey boy looked crestfallen. "Oh... I'm sorry, Harry... I hadn't thought of that... I'll just..." He waved toward his own seat at the table.

Harry nodded, turning back to his meal. "I hate when that happens. Being famous is a load of bollocks."

"Luna," Hermione said, "that was a very insightful thing to say." Luna smiled at the complement, and without warning Hermione blushed to her toes.

"Yeah, thanks Luna. I appreciate it." Harry moved his fork around his plate, but didn't eat anything. Finally, he pushed it away. "I'm not hungry anymore. I think I'll head to class early. It's time to see what sort of teacher Lockhart really is."

"Okay, sweety!" Ginny kissed him on the cheek. "Wish me luck... I get to experience Professor Snape for the first time. Anything I should know beforehand?"

"Yeah... he's going to want to get back at you for Draco," Ron said around a mouthful of bread. "Expect to lose a bunch of House Points." He looked over at Luna. "Both of you."

XxxxxxX

The students all looked up as Professor Snape swept into the dungeon classroom like some great, flapping bat. He strode to the front of the class, silencing the students with only the power of his glare. "Settle down..." he intoned. It was clear to Ginny Weasley that this man shouldn't be teaching... he might be a genius with a cauldron, but after only a minute with him, she could tell he was rubbish with children.

Professor Snape proceeded to call roll, sneering every time he came to a name that wasn't in Slytherin; it seemed to Ginny, though, that his default setting was "sneer", so she determined to just get used to it. She waited carefully for her name, knowing that when the Potions Master got to it, she'd get insulted. Snape called out Luna Lovegood's name, and her friend dutifully answered. Ginny braced herself... and there was nothing. She went straight to Demelza Robins' name. She wondered what was going on for a moment, then realized. Her eyes narrowed to angry slits as she waited until Snape got to the W's. Sure enough, he called out, "Ginevra Weasley".

"It's Potter, Professor. Excuse me for saying, sir, but you've already been reminded of that," Ginny pointed out.

"Ten points from Gryffindor, Miss Weasley, and detention, for your cheek." Snape stared at her, and she defiantly met his eyes. A slight buzzing appeared in her head, but it was easily dismissed. After a minute of mutual staring, Snape turned to the rest of the class.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish want-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes..." Snape began. To Ginny, it sounded like a speech the man had memorized by rote. She rolled her eyes, but managed to keep her face sill. Snape noticed anyway.

"Lovegood... ten points from Gryffindor for sitting too close to Weasley," he interrupted himself. "And while we're at it, Creevey, another ten points from Gryffindor for fidgeting in your seat. Robins, ten points from Gryffindor for sitting taller than an eleven year old girl has a right to be. Dinsden, ten points for sitting far away from Weasley!" Ginny's eyes locked on Snape again. He had just deducted points from the people sitting directly in front of her, to her immediate right and left, and directly behind her. It was obviously meant to be a way to get back at her for some imagined wrong, but why he didn't just deduct them from her, she didn't know.

The Slytherins began giggling as they realized what was going on. A black look from Snape quieted them down, but not by much. "Now, to return to the subject... in this classroom I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death... if you're not the usual bunch of dunderheads I usually have to teach." It definitely sounded like a memorized speech. "Now, for your first lesson..."

The class didn't improve from there. Professor Snape found innumerable reasons to subtract points from the Gryffindors: Edmund Dinsden was apparently breathing too loudly. Colin Creevey's quill supposedly had too many feathers. Demelza Robins put her stirring spoon down on her desk too loudly twice, and Luna Lovegood was cited for not blinking often enough. By the end of the class, Gryffindor had lost a grand total of two hundred and thirty points. But the only points Snape deducted directly from Ginny were the ten he took when she reminded him that her name wasn't Weasley but Potter.

Ginny was a bundle of nerves when the class was finally over. She wanted to yell and scream at the greasy-haired bastard, but she knew it would avail her nothing. She entered the Great Hall for dinner on the verge of tears.

XxxxxxX

Some hours later, Ginny listened as the soft breathing sounds of her roommates fell into regular patterns before getting out of bed. She carefully threw on Harry's invisibility cloak and crept down, into the common room. Her older brother Percy was still sitting by the fire, reading from a textbook. She tried to step past him carefully, but had to stop suddenly when he abruptly looked up. Percy glanced around suspiciously, as if trying to locate a strange noise that wasn't repeating. After several minutes he shook his head and went back to his reading. Ginny suppressed a sigh as she climbed the stairs to the second year boy's dormitory.

XxxxxxX

Harry awoke instantly to the sound of a ferocious battle. Ron was thrashing around and looked to be in the throes of a particularly painful curse. His eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and his lips were curled back, revealing clenched teeth. "I won't, I won't, I won't... you can't make me. Leave me the fuck alone!"

This was not a normal nightmare, and Harry leapt off his bed and tried to shake Ron awake. "Wake up, Ron! You're having a bad dream. Wake up!"

Ron's wild, jerky movements slowly began to ease, and his breathing evened out. He blinked up at Harry... his eyes looked funny in the dark. "What is it?" he asked harshly.

Harry took a step back. "You were having a nightmare," he said in a soft voice, for the benefit of Neville, Dean, and Seamus, who were miraculously still asleep. "I thought you might--"

"Leave me alone, Harry," Ron said in a strange voice. There was a pleading note to his voice that Harry thought rather odd. "I don't want to talk about it."

"But--"

Ron cut off the conversation by pulling the curtains closed. Feeling befuddled and out of place, Harry climbed back into his bed. Ron was acting so strangely lately. Moments after this thought crossed his mind, he felt someone climb onto the bed with him and settle next to him. Ginny pulled the invisibility cloak off, and Harry immediately knew, from the pensive, worried look in her bright eyes, that she had witnessed Ron's nightmare as well.

Neither of them said anything, though they lay awake for a long while. Harry could tell from the absence of Ron's snores that he had not fallen back to sleep either. He stroked Ginny's hair as she cuddled up next to him. He hoped very much that whatever was causing Ron's sullen mood would just go away...

XxxxxxX