"The ability to do wandless magic is inherent in every witch and wizard; however it depends on the level of magic in the person and the spell cast. For examp-"
"The Headmaster had to see me."
The incessant sound of quills scribbling away suddenly silenced as every head turned in the direction of the quiet voice that dared to interrupt Severus Snape in the middle of his class. The deafening absence of sound seemed to announce her arrival as she stood at the door, her presence somehow occupying the entire room despite her petite frame. Her eyes scanned indifferently over the stares she received; unfazed by the attention she was receiving by the entire class, to fall upon the Professor who was examining her intently from where he stood amidst the students.
"She is so going to lose points for Gryffindor." Parvati whispered to Lavender.
Her whisper was carried to everyone's ears by the silence that was sweeping in the room. It swept the attention of the class back to the Professor, as they awaited his reaction to the intruder. For once, Harry agreed with the two girls. To interrupt Snape was practically a death sentence, Harry would definitely know from experience. To treat him so - to be late and interrupt his teaching, without even a hint of apology in her voice - Harry was certain that she was in for a tough year and that Gryffindor was going to start the year with negative points, thanks to her.
"See me after class, Ms. Granger."
Harry's eyebrows shot up, so did everyone else's. Snape did not give his usual snide and cold remarks nor did he unreasonably take away any house points! If it was anyone else late for class, a detention and fifty points deduction would be the usual. If it was himself, detention and a fifty-point deduction would be more appropriate… given the Professor's bias towards him.
"Contrary to what you think, Mr. Potter, you do not own the school. You are not allowed to strut around as you please."
Just as he was thinking along the lines of Snape and his bias towards him and everyone else outside Slytherin in general, Harry mentally smacked himself. For the second time in the morning, the image of her climbing into Malfoy's carriage played out in his head. He should have expected it, he berated himself. Naturally, any relation with Malfoy would translate to exception from Snape's mission to make everyone miserable. Snape probably favoured her as much as he favoured Malfoy, for all he knew.
"As for your seat, you may take the one next to Mr. Malfoy."
Oh, that clears everything. Snape definitely favoured the new girl. He watched her gaze shift over to Malfoy with a strange feeling of repugnance in him. He saw recognition in her eyes, after all, they had met earlier in the morning but he observed no other emotion. She took her seat next to him, and prepared her books as though there were no one else in the room. Malfoy turned to look at her with a lazy quirk at his lips, his eyes watching her every move intently. Harry felt an unreasonable surge of distaste for him rise up as he watched Malfoy's lips move - "Remember me?" She gave a short nod and a small smile before turning her attention back to Snape who continued his lecture on wandless magic. Harry couldn't help himself but compare her actions to the ones she gave him earlier this morning…
"Mr. Potter, if you believe that you have such inexplicable talent for this subject to the point that you can daydream in my class, I'll like you to come up and demonstrate your prowess for the class."
Snape's slick voice snuck through his thoughts and pulled him right back to reality. He was back in his seat at the back of the classroom, no longer in the Gryffindor Common Room, with everyone's eyes on him. Snape stood in the front of the class, wearing the sneer that Harry had grown to hate over the years, especially in the past summer when he had been under Snape's training. The sneer appeared whenever Snape devised a way to torture him. He had been forced to run rounds around the Quidditch Pitch, sprint up to the top of Astronomy Tower repeatedly, clean up the potions storeroom all by himself, chased by magical creatures he couldn't identify, spent sleepless nights memorising potion ingredients, spells and theories… all that whenever that bloody sneer appeared. It was with a heavy and cautious heart when he slowly stood up from his seat, under the stares of the entire class. Harry knew it was futile to resist, although he hated submitting to him, but he convinced himself that it was a matter of looking out for himself and not pride. It was not obedience, but protection.
Harry slowly walked up, his surroundings indistinctly blurred as he fixed his eyes in the front. He had started on wandless magic training, but he had not mastered it to the point where he can use it anytime and anywhere. He could not afford to be affected by the sniggers and smirks thrown his way by the Slytherins nor the pitying gazes and worried glances from his housemates. However as he was reaching the front, his eyes strayed on its own accord… to meet a pair of intense brown eyes. She had turned around in her seat to look at him, her right hand resting on the back of her chair. Her expression was unreadable as always, which frustrated Harry a little. He didn't really know what he wanted her expression to be or why he was actually wondering about it, perhaps it was better that she remained expressionless as usual. He held her gaze as he walked forwards, until he passed her seat, before he focused back onto Snape.
"You can leave your wand, Potter. You won't be using it."
He would not be using his wand, but he knew he definitely needed it. He reluctantly placed his wand on the teacher's table, a tense and hardened expression on his face as he kept his eyes on Snape. Harry straightened up to face him, his senses heightened and ready.
Snape slowly raised his wand to Harry's eye level with the dratted sneer still in place and for that moment, everything vanished and Harry could see nothing else but his mocking black eyes and the tip of the pointed wand. Snape took his time to start, to give the element of surprise. Perhaps it was a few seconds, a minute… but Harry's nervousness had already distorted his perception of time.
To the hell with it.
"Rictusempra! Stupefy! Oppugno!
One by one in quick succession, Snape cast 3 spells at Harry. By instinct, Harry swiftly took a step back, his wrist flicking as though he was casting the Shield Charm with his wand.
"Protego!"
Harry felt the impact of the first 2 spells bouncing off the invisible shield he summoned, the blue light bouncing off to smash the window and the red light rebounding to hit an empty wall, leaving a large black mark on it. The last spell Snape had cast had no light emitting from his wand, but instead the stack of papers on the teacher's desk suddenly folded into half and began to swoop towards Harry! It was like a flock of white birds attacking him all over repeatedly. Harry beat his arms around him, attempting to bat away the papers birds to no avail.
"Immobulus!"
Harry's attempt to immobilise the paper birds were futile, the painful jabs and stabs never ceased.
"Immobulus!"
The attacks persisted, the pain becoming more intense with each passing moment. His arms felt like there were countless of knives cutting into him, needles poking into his flesh erratically, relentlessly. He couldn't stop it.
Through a small break in the flock surrounding him, Harry caught a glimpse of Snape's expression. He was not going to stop… Harry realised. He was enjoying it; he was just going to stand there and watch him! How he wished looks could kill as his furious eyes glared at him. The break soon closed up as the paper birds swooped down to attack his face. Keeping his head down, his arm swatted at empty space as his agile attackers flew out of the way.
Just then, he saw it. His wand, lying on the floor no further than 2 feet from him! It must have rolled onto the floor when the papers it was resting on flew off to attack him. Harry's eyes turned defiant as he glared up at where Snape was standing beside the white wall of paper birds surrounding him. If he wasn't going to stop it, Harry was not so stupid to just let him. He would stop it himself.
Harry lunged himself forwards to where his wand lay. Yes! He mentally congratulated himself as his right hand grasped on to the wooden stick, following the momentum with a forward roll. Snape's eyes widened as he watched Harry make towards his wand. Acting quickly, he cast the Disarming spell but missed as his target rolled forwards quickly.
Along with his wand, Harry had also picked up something else that filled him to the core. He felt stronger, more powerful… he knew it would work this time.
"Immobulus!"
He commanded as he broke out from his roll into a crouching position. Harry let out a grim smile of satisfaction as the paper birds froze in mid-air around him.
"Expelliarmus!"
His eyes shot up to the sound of Snape casting yet another spell at him.
"Protego!"
Harry could not afford to lose his wand again. His wrist flicked, this time with his wand in his hand. The red light bounced off his second shield and hit the teacher's table, sending even more papers flying to the air.
"Aquamenti!"
Harry stared as Snape did a complicated wand movement and a strong jet of water erupted out of his wand towards him. It was as though he watched it in slow motion; it shot through his invisible shield then suddenly sped up towards him. Harry's body slammed against a wall, his breath leaving him upon impact. The water soaked him through his robes, like a paralysing poison that shocked and numbed his senses at the same time. A soft clank sounded below, his arm dropping to hang limply beside him.
"Furnunculus!"
Harry watched as a purple light emitted from Snape's wand and shot towards him, his brain not registering much. He leaned helplessly against the wall, unable to do anything. All of a sudden, the light rebounded a few feet away from him and travelled off in another direction. His shield was still in place! At the impact of the second spell, he finally felt the presence of his shield which dissipated quickly after defending him for a last time. But Harry's momentary relief mutated into fear as he realised where the purple light was headed to.
"No!" Harry whispered, his desperate eyes following the purple light as it sped towards Hermione.
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Hermione's senses went into high alert as she saw the spell coming into her direction. Her wand appeared from underneath the table, speaking the incantation for the Shield Charm. She registered another voice conjuring the Shield Charm beside her. Just before the spell hit her, she felt her shield materialise in front of her along with another 2 more shields. The spell ricocheted off the combined shield with such force, a loud boom sounded though the room. It hit the cupboard at the back of the classroom, its contents flying out as its doors were blown off on impact.
Hermione noticed that Draco, too, was gripping his wand. She should have known. He turned towards her, his eyes seeking hers in concern. Hermione smiled slightly to answer his unspoken question. He gave an uneven smile and turned to face Professor Snape, satisfied with her well-being.
Only then, did she allow a small frown to replace her expression. That answered for one of the extra shields… but who came up with the other one?
Hermione looked to the Professor who stood there watching Potter with an angry expression. Her eyes followed in his direction to see Potter's eyes on her. His gaze was intense, his eyes examining her. Trying to read his eyes, she couldn't understand what she saw, but the flash of emotion she managed to grasp as their eyes met for that short moment… left her with an even more confusing emotion in herself.
Was it him?
Hermione had no proof, nor any theory to base it on. But for reasons unknown to her, she had not a shred of doubt that it was him. She was certain of it, but she did not know why. She felt frightened at how sure she felt that it was him. A quick glance at Professor Snape and Draco and she knew none of them felt the presence of the third shield.
"Are you convinced of your lack of ability yet, Mr. Potter?" Hermione looked up at the sound of Professor Snape's mocking voice.
Potter simply stared at the ground, his eyes hard. Dripping wet, his robes clung to his body and his hair matted his head. He was shaking, Hermione observed. Out of anger or out of cold, she did not know.
"A week's detention, Potter. And 150 points from Gryffindor" gasps from the back were heard, most probably from the Gryffindors, "for not listening in class, trashing the classroom, putting a student in danger and insolence towards a professor."
Potter looked up from under his eyelids, his position never changing except for his right fist unclenching. The class watched in silence as his wand slowly and steadily floated to his hand. Judging from how his wand levitated, the control and power was undeniable. The tension thickened in the room as his fingers gripped around his wand tight. Hermione tried again, but she still could not read his eyes. Hermione wondered what he was going to do.
Without a word, he turned and strode out of the room. The whole class watched the exit wordlessly, not knowing how to react. A sudden pop sound at the back of the classroom cracked the silence left in his wake, causing more than one student to jump. The table he sat at was empty. His belongings had disappeared.
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Hermione lingered at her seat as the students quickly filtered out of the class, eager to leave the awkward situation in the classroom. Draco slung his bag over his shoulder, giving her a significant look. Walking out of the classroom, he called out "See you, Professor!" and disappeared into the corridor.
Hermione watched the corridor longer than necessary, wishing that he did not have to leave. But she knew it was futile, too much trouble could be caused if he had stayed. His friends would have stayed too, or might ask unnecessary questions… it was for the better, she convinced herself. The door closed after him, as though telling her to forget about it. The locks on the door put itself into place, she knew it was charmed to do so by the other occupant of the room, but she took it as a sign to strengthen her resolve. Her attention returned to the Professor and she smiled. It wasn't so bad; at least she was with someone familiar in this room.
"Hello, Uncle Severus." Hermione allowed herself to acknowledge the man, certain that he had taken the necessary precautions to make sure they were alone and unheard.
"Leah." His black eyes acknowledged her, his deep voice identifying her by her real name.
Hermione felt a rush of affection for the man in front of her as she watched his lips lift awkwardly; she knew he was never good at expressing emotions, much less to say affection. Perhaps it was finally being with someone familiar in an extremely foreign environment, or that she could slightly relax her pretence in front of a person who watched her grow up, she smiled with ease. And it was enough the two of them. In a way, both of them were quite similar - never quite expressive, less is more. They understood and felt what was left unsaid in between them and headed straight into business.
"Shouldn't you have put me with Potter?"
"My classes are the only time you and Draco can have much uninterrupted time to discuss anything, seeing that both of you are in opposing houses."
Hermione inwardly flinched. She had not gotten over the fact that she was sorted in Gryffindor, of all houses. Her eyes searched his face and she couldn't find any distaste in his voice or his expression.
"I think at least one other professor would put you together with him, I would not be too bothered with it."
"You should give me detention too. I think the students are quite appalled," Snape smirked distractedly as she said it, "at your leniency towards me."
"Detention on your first day in school. What would Maia say?" Snape's amusement was evident in his voice.
The mention of Maia brought a pang in her heart. Her thoughts travelled to her and Asher back at the Manor and she realised how much she wished she was back with them. She gave a wry smile.
"She'll understand."
"Saturday then, 7pm back here."
"I can't. I've got my first training session with Dumbledore."
"Training?" His voice was sharp.
"He offered to help me hone my elemental abilities this morning. He said he sensed me last night." She shrugged her shoulders uncharacteristically, her brown curls bouncing slightly.
"The brown hair suits you." He commented suddenly, the words leaving his lips quickly as though he had been afraid to say it out loud. It surprised Hermione, but she brushed it off as her uncle's inability to express his feelings.
"Thanks." She responded quietly, not knowing what else to say. "Sunday perhaps?"
His eyes cleared at her questioning tone, Hermione had not noticed that it had clouded over till then. Clearing his throat, he confirmed her detention date and time.
"Sunday, 7pm. Potter will be joining you."
"I expected so."
Her nonchalant reply surprised him. This girl was really smart for her age, Severus thought to himself as he watched her sling her bag over her shoulder.
"Take care, Leah."
Hermione walked towards the door, the locks unbolting at her silent command. At his call, she turned around to flash her trademark smile, that all-knowing gentle smile. Pulling open the door, she left Severus Snape alone in the classroom, staring after her with a wistful look that she did not see as she strode off without another look back.
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Hey you guys,
My Christmas present to you guys. Have a happy merry Christmas
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