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Practice to Deceive	By : SailorSol Category: Harry Potter > General > General Views: 12424 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Disclaimer: Any characters & situations you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling. Any characters you don�t recognize belong to me. You can borrow them, but email me first and check on the characters.

Author�s Note: This story is AU after book 5. It contains NO REFERENCES to book 6 or 7 in any way, shape or form.

CHAPTER 23: PAYBACK

When Astrid swept into the Slytherin common room, she was greeted with the full gambit of reactions, from indifference to tears.

A second year girl approached her, her eyes red from weeping.

�Is Professor Snape really going to be well?� she asked. �A Gryffindor said he was dead.�

Astrid looked around, and then sat in an armchair next to the fire.

�You can�t sit there,� one of the seventh years said. �That�s Salazar Slytherin�s chair. The last person to sit in it was the Dark Lord.�

�Then I have every right to sit in it,� Astrid said. �Do you think that because we are the same age, that we are the same? You were there for my exhibition with Miss Evans. Did you think that was for show?�

�I thought it was staged,� he said frankly.

�Really?� Astrid asked. She casually rose from the chair and walked over to the student. She walked around him, sizing him up. She stopped in front of him, smiled, and raised her empty hands before him.

�Pileus pigmentum rutilus,� she intoned. �Petrificus totalis.�

The student, whose hair was now brilliant red, stiffened and fell forward to the floor.

Astrid stepped away from him and looked around the room.

�Any others?� she asked. The students all looked away.

�Professor Snape will be back to you in about a week or so,� she told them. �In the mean time, Professor Malfoie and I will be teaching potions. I am sure I do not need to tell you that he will be displeased with any of his Slytherins that disrespects either his husband or the mother of his child.�

�You�re pregnant?� Pansy Parkinson asked. When Astrid nodded, she squealed in delight.

�Do you think you could get the headmaster to allow us a pregnancy class?� she asked. �I don�t know about you, but my mother can�t be bothered to talk to me about becoming a mother.�

�I�ll do what I can,� Astrid said. �If the headmaster won�t approve it, perhaps Lady Castlemoor and I can work something out over the summer. Now, are there any other questions?�

�Has anything changed?� Draco asked. �Is the rule still �don�t get caught�?�

�Of course it is,� Astrid said. �However, no one touches Ronald Weasley.�

�Why, professor?� the second year who had been crying asked. �He was the one who told us that Professor Snape was dead.�

�Mister Weasley will get what he deserves,� Astrid said. �It is only a matter of time and choosing the appropriate method of retribution. That is not for you to decide.�

�Any others are fair game?� Draco asked.

�Don�t get overeager, Draco,� Astrid said. �Professor Snape wouldn�t like that, and neither do I.�

�Yes, ma�am,� he said softly, sighing.

�Now,� she said. �For all of you, this is what I expect out of you: other houses will attempt to goad you into fighting by ridiculing your House and telling you that your House Founder was evil and dishonest. What you must keep in mind is that Salazar Slytherin was a proud wizard who refused to allow anyone to belittle him, refused to compromise his ideals or standards, and refused to be shamed by the label of �dark wizard.�

�I am not going to tell you not to retaliate if you get harassed by other students,� she continued. �I am telling you not to get caught doing it. Don�t lower yourself to their level by dueling in the hallways and getting detention with Mister Filch. Do something they won�t expect, that is in keeping with the icon of Slytherin house being a snake.

�If anything comes up,� she said. �I am living in Professor Snape�s quarters, along with my other two husbands and my wife. We are all available to you at any hour of the day or night. Feel free to come to myself, Lilith Evans, Professor Malfoie, or Professor Rumstead.�

�Wasn�t Professor Rumstead a Gryffindor?� one of the fourth years asked.

�He was,� Astrid said. �He was part of what was called the �Slytherin Quartet�, though. He, Draco�s father, Professor Malfoie, and Professor Snape were inseparable while they were here. Do not necessarily refuse an offer or overture of friendship, but don�t trust completely without being sure of them. For those of you who are of an age to start noticing members of the opposite sex, or the same sex, don�t let your hormones lead you.�

�Professor Tyler,� one of the third years said, stepping forward. �Are you not teaching DADA anymore?�

�No,� she said. �I�m not. Madame Pomfrey completely forbade it. I will, however, be available for assistance in the class, and I will be helping with Professor Malfoie�s dueling class. Now, if there are no more questions, you don�t need to be reminded that you need a good night�s sleep.�

***** *****

When Astrid left their rooms the next morning, James Potter was leaning against the corridor wall, across from the Potions classroom. He stood straight and bowed to her as she approached. She lifted her chin at him and swept past into the classroom, with Max behind her.

Inside the classroom, she sat at Severus� desk, looking over the papers he had finished marking from before the holiday, ready to be returned to their authors.

In the pile of papers for the sixth years, she found a paper from Ronald Weasley. Right underneath it was a paper from Seamus Finnegan. She noticed that, despite them both being correct and articulate, Severus had given them both �D� marks. After a moment�s study, she knew why.

They were identical.

She looked up as the fifth year Gryffindor and Slytherin students came into the room. As Ginny Weasley came into the room, one of the Gryffindor boys did something. Astrid couldn�t see or hear what it was, but she slipped and fell to the ground almost immediately, and despite her best efforts, she was unable to regain her feet.

Astrid calmly got to her feet and nodded to Max. Max moved across the classroom and grasped the Gryffindor in question by the collar.

�Did you think that was funny?� Max asked him. �Perhaps someone should show you how it feels.�

�Enough, Max,� Astrid said. �His Head of House will discipline him.�

Astrid reached Ginny, who was still trying to get up, crying both in pain and embarrassment. Her knees and hands were scraped and bleeding, and there were holes in the elbows of her jumper where it had scraped on the floor.

Astrid cancelled the spell with a wave of her wand and watched while two of the Slytherins helped Ginny to her feet.

�You may go to the hospital wing, Miss Weasley,� Astrid said. �Get those scrapes taken care of and return to class. You will not be marked down for being absent from class. If you need to come back to make up the class time, I will make certain you are allowed to. Ten points to Gryffindor for not giving up.�

Astrid watched while Ginny gathered her papers and books and left the room, giving the culprit a glare that promised retribution.

Astrid turned to the boy in question, twirling her wand in her hands.

�Was that fun?� she asked. �Did you enjoy that? Do you have fun injuring your classmates and shaming them?�

The boy glanced at her rebelliously, and then lowered his eyes to the floor.

�I am sorry, Professor,� he said. �I was wrong.�

�I wish I believed you,� she said. �Professor Malfoie, please continue with the class. The potion for today is already on the board, and I will not be long. Young man, you and I are going to see Professor McGonagall.�

The boy paled at her statement, but he picked up his book bag without complaint and headed for the door.

Astrid followed him closely, making sure that they took the quickest route to McGonagall�s classroom.

The entire class of sixth years turned to look when McGonagall stopped her lecture at the sight of Astrid and her student in the doorway.

�Is there a problem, Professor Tyler?� she asked.

�Unfortunately, Minerva, there is,� Astrid said. �It seems that some of your little lions think it is funny to make the soles of a girl�s shoes not only nonstick, but slippery. Miss Weasley is on her way to the hospital wing to have numerous scrapes seen to.�

Three pairs of eyes in the classroom narrowed hostilely. Silver eyes met green, and then green met brown. All three silently agreed that they would settle this matter personally.

�Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Astrid,� McGonagall said. �I will make certain that he understands the folly of his actions. He can start by standing by the door, there, for the rest of the class period.�

�But that means I�ll get no grade for Potions!� the boy exploded.

�What makes you think that hasn�t already happened?� Astrid asked, arching one silver eyebrow.

�You can�t do that!� he objected. �It has nothing to do with Potions!�

�Very well,� Astrid said. �I can take you to Professor Flitwick, and he can give you no grade for Charms, and you get no grade for Potions for not being there.�

�That�s not fair!� he protested.

�That is completely fair,� McGonagall said. �In fact, I am going to send messages to all of your instructors, informing them that you have detention with Mister Filch all day. I am certain that he can come up with something that will dissuade you from playing destructive pranks in the future.�

~*~*~*~

At dinner, Astrid noticed that the prankster seemed unusually fatigued, and saw smears of silver polish in his trousers and shirt cuffs.

She turned to watch Harry, Draco, and Hermione solicitously sit around Ginny and make a point of getting her favorite dishes for her.

They all turned their attention to her tormenter when the boy picked up his pumpkin juice.

He paled as Draco smiled at him, and he put down the juice. He picked up his spoon and prepared to eat his stew.

Hermione grinned maliciously. He turned even paler and put down the spoon. He picked up a piece of buttered bread.

Harry smirked.

He shook so violently that he dropped the slice of bread, which landed butter side down on the skirt of the girl next to him.

She yelled at him for putting a grease stain on her skirt.

At that point, he decided that food wasn�t worth so much trouble and he scrambled out of his seat and nearly ran from the Great Hall.

After the door closed behind him, Harry, Hermione, and Draco burst into hysterical laughter.

***** *****

Three days after the start of term, Severus walked into the Great Hall for dinner, making his first public appearance since the attack.

When he walked in, the entire Slytherin table stood and applauded. The Ravenclaws stood next, and then half of the Hufflepuffs, followed by some of the Gryffindors. Severus stood still in awe, surprised that the students thought so highly of him, besides the Slytherins. After the applause died down, he solemnly bowed to the students, and then took his place at the table.

Dinner was nearly over when a large black owl flew into the Great Hall and dropped a silver and green package on Dumbledore�s plate. The package fell open when it hit the plate, to reveal a severed head, with the dark mark burned into the forehead, above the unseeing eyes.

The stunned silence at the head table attracted the attention of the students.

One girl at the Hufflepuff table stood up, craning her neck to see what was in front of Dumbledore.

She screamed.

The scream seemed to snap Dumbledore out of staring at the head. He looked at McGonagall and nodded slightly. McGonagall rose to her feet and raised her hands to get everyone�s attention.

�Everyone go to your common rooms,� she said. �Dinner will be delivered there. Please do not discuss what you have or have not seen. We will have information on what is happening in a day or two. Kindly restrain yourselves from gossiping until then.�

Astrid watched while the students filed out, following their prefects and the Head Boy and Head Girl. After they were all gone, she got up from her place and walked over to Dumbledore�s seat.

A note was tucked into the wrappings next to the head. With shaking hands, Dumbledore plucked out the note and unfolded it.

The piece of parchment had five words on it, in green ink.

�For impersonating one of us.�

TBC
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Practice to Deceive