Chapter XI - Phillys and Bullets

Harry was finishing a quill with the full Quidditch Team layout and was exchanging ideas with Ron about the plays they should do next saturday. Ron even offered to knock out Malfoy just for kicks, but Harry wouldn't take it. He zipped a bit of alcohol and kept writing.

He was feeling better about himself, still, he couldn't let go of that tiny little bottle. He could hear Marie's voice in his head "you're not a murderer Harry" but he felt he was. Still, he was more cheerful than usual.

Hermione walked in and Ron demanded to know where she was, since it was so late at night. "I was with Professor McGonagall." Harry knew perfectly well what that was about. They were almost alone, except for Neville, who was reading in the airchair, practising telekinesis.

"So Hermione, what did you find out in Hogsmeade?" She went completaly pale, as if she had seen a ghost. She remembered the Marauder's Map. It was pointless to deny anything.

"I found a name. And there is no record whatsoever on our teacher." She said this last part whispering, and looking over the shoulder to Neville. He looked right at her and got up. "Look Hermione, I know you don't trust her, but if she's hiding something, don't you think Dumbledore probably knows about it? He's not stupid you know."

All 3 stared at him. He definetly knew more than what he said, still they knew he wouldn't talk.

Harry disregarded Neville's comment and asked Hermione what was the name. She told them about the footnote in the trial, but didn't mention anything about the children. "I'm sure she's related, I mean, they're called the same way, it cannot be a coincidence." Ron mentioned she might be Phillys' wife. "Maybe she found a way to hide, I dunno." But that made no sense. She wouldn't use the same name and she'd be as old as Lupin at least. "No, its not that Ron, but she has to do with it, I'm sure of that."

Harry remembered then what he had seen that same afternoon after the loud thunder.

It wasn't the same old Scabbers' nightmare he used to have, this one was different. It was a little girl, next to a crib, facing a Deadeater.

"Ask her tomorrow, we'll see how she reacts." Neville didn't approve of that but he had no way to let Maggie know.

***

The Auror Tests were around the corner and Maggie was to take them, like the other senior student that'll go to Auror College. The only difference was that she was their teacher, and didn't have to look like she was taking them as well.

Class started on thursday morning like any other class, talking about what they've seen the previous one and practising a bit. In this case, they wouldn't practise. She wouldn't let the guys throw the Drilling Curse on each other, nor Oblivion.

"So Draco, how do you get rid off those curses we saw last monday?" Draco didn't like so much attention in this class. He told the class there was no way to get rid off those curses, except having the person that threw them killed. Maggie didn't agree. "Well, that's not entirely true. With some rest and muggle medicine you can cure yourself from Sectusempra. Oblivion is a bit harder, you need a drop of blood of the one you love. But the drilling curse, well, you have to excercise TK in order to break the curser's wand. That's the way." She looked at him. "It was a good try though."

Hermione raised her hand, which was shocking. "Yes Hermione?" Maggie sensed she was after something. She looked at Hermione but she had learnt Occlumency, so, she couldn't look at her thoughts. "I'm doing a research for my Court Application." Silence followed. "I'll study Law next year, I'd like to work at the Ministry, and I've been doing some research on the Dark Trials."

Maggie kept listening, but she started writing the countercurses for Sectusempra and Oblivion. "I was wondering if you knew who Phillys Smith was." Maggie's chok broke. Silence filled the room. Maggie turned around and looked puzzled. "Where ehm, where did you hear that name?"

They knew they were on to something. "I read it in one of the Trials at the Library, do you know who he is?" Maggie sat down in the desk as usual. Harry's scar started hurting again, it had never stopped hurting actually, but no one knew.

Maggie put her hands together and started closing the right one, she seemed to be in pain. "I believe arm, that he was a Deadeater, like Snape. He turned and help the Order, which got him and his family killed. Is that good enough?" Hermione looked at her and saw pain in her eyes. After a while of looking at nothing, Neville asked her about the Auror Tests.

"I can't tell you when they'll be Neville, but you'll be fine don't worry." Then she looked at Hermione and smiled. "Hermione..." She knew that sooner or later she'll figure out who she really was. "What else do you want to know about him? Not that I know much of course." Hermione realized Maggie didn't care about it, it was as if she wanted Hermione to find out more.

"Well, what really got my attention was his wife's name." Maggie giggled "Yeah, she was named just like me, that always called my attention, ever since I first heard the story from Dumbledore." That was a magical word, naming Dumbledore would make anyone desist.

"Anyway, where were we?" Jean was telling her about the counterspells and deriving curses when they heard an alarm. "Jean, Draco, Nev and Harry, come with me. Hermione, lead the rest to their respective houses. FAST!" They took off separate ways. Neville was pale and Draco was eagered to finally see some action.

"Where are we going Professor?" Maggie didn't know what to answer. "You are to be Aurors, you'll help the teachers with this alarm, let's go."

***

After 10 minutes of wondering around the corridors and seeing no teacher besides Maggie, Draco told them it was probably the Auror's Test. Maggie didn't say anything but nodded. They came to a turn and split in 2 teams, Neville and Harry with Maggie and Draco and Jean on the other side. "Guys please, if anything happens at all, ask for help, please." Draco winked at her and took off.

Harry got slightly jealous at the gesture and Maggie a bit upset. "What the? Men... All the same." She hit Harry's arm and started walking the opposite way when she felt an excruciating pain in her right arm. It was too strong to bare. Harry tried to help her but his scar started hurting. Neville then looked up and saw a giant vampire, dressed as a Deadeater. His mind went blank and his friend and his favorite teacher were passing out.

Neville started fighting the vampire, keeping it away from them, which were an easy pray, slowly they started feeling better. Harry run to a chair and broke it and threw the wood to Neville, who catched it in a second and stabbed the vampire in the heart. It vanished in brown dust. They helped Maggie up and saw her hand all reddish. "I'm fine, it's just an old wound." She stepped next to the dust and she felt her heart stopping for a minute. "I dont think this was a part of the test, we have to find Jean and Draco."

They started running towards the Slytherin and the Ravenclaw but found a shapeshifter and a troll instead. "We'll take the Troll, you take the Shapeshifter." Harry was getting in charge and she couldn't be more proud. Harry and Neville took care of it in less than 5 minutes and though it fought back they left almost unharmed.

Still, on the heat of the fight, they had also lost Professor Matthews and the Shapeshifter. They decided to stick together, just in case something else like the vampire would come along. They entered the Trophees room and found two professor Matthews wrestling. They were more than puzzled. A weird demon grabbed Neville from behind and Maggie told Harry to help him but Neville told him to help Maggie.

Neville was taken away and Harry stayed on the room, staring at the Maries. They were both saying the other was the Shapeshifter and Harry knew that if he aimed at the wrong one, he could kill Marie. He thought of asking them what she had given him for his birthday, when the Marie on the floor told him "I gave you a Quartz Stone." He vanquished the one on top and helped her up.

She looked at him with dissapointment "Oh Harry, haven't you learned Occlumency two years ago?" She started walking faster to catch Neville, who was finishing off the Demon. She was very proud of him. They started walking slowly again, and Harry asked her about Draco and Jean. "Oh, don't worry about them, Snape should be with them by now." She didn't want to worry the guys, after all she was their teacher.

She started walking faster "So guys, that was the Auror test." She whispered in between their heads "You both passed." They both stopped and stared behind her and Harry's scar started hurting again. Maggie looked at his scar and their faces and was afraid of turning around.

When she did, she found Draco on the floor, surrounded by blood. Something was written on the wall, something the guys couldn't understand. "One by one they'll die." They run towards Draco and she checked his pulse. He wasn't breathing.

"Harry run for help, Snape HAS to be around, see if you can find Jean, go!" Harry looked at her. "Neville, remember what I taught you about CPR? Let's do that." Maggie looked at Harry again. "Go Harry, I trust you, you'll be fine, now GO! She might be worse than him!"

Harry run away through the alley and saw a path of bloody footsteps, that ended next to Jean's body. Next to her there was another note on the wall "First the Traitors, then the Heirs."

When he read that last word, he realized it will never be over.

***

Maggie was breathing air into Draco's mouth and Neville doing the compressions to his heart when Harry came to them carrying Jane. "She has a pulse, she's just unconscious." She was also bleeding. He didn't mention the last part of the phrase.

Draco was not coming back and Neville was about to give up when she breathed on his mouth one last time. She closed her eyes and put her left hand over his forehead. Draco started coughing and was very dizzy.

They all smiled "Draco, Draco, who am I?" Malfoy looked at her "The most annoying teacher I've ever met." Neville smiled. "You're right, can you get up Malfoy?" His arm hurt and itched. She hadn't paid much attention to his arm until that moment. She saw a burnt in his shirt and a round hole. She touched it and checked his back. "You don't have an exit wound, damn, you need a doctor." Neville helped her carry Draco and they all headed to the Hospital wing. She then checked Jane's belly (where she was bleeding from) and she had also been shot.

Neville asked her what were those things, but Harry answered instead. "They've been shot." Neville looked puzzled. "Someone used muggle things against them."

Jane was looking a lot worse than Draco and they both needed a muggle doctor. Madame Pomfrey tried to heal them but magic wouldn't work on that. Dumbledore refused to take them to the Hospital.

Draco was whining, begging for attention. Minerva was trying to talk senses into Dumbledore but he wouldn't. Maggie asked Harry to get her celphone from her room. "Go, the password is Ewan, go go." Dumbledore asked her what she thought she was doing when he saw her breaking Draco's and Jane's shirts. "I'm checking their wounds. Sarah taught me. Oh this looks bad, she really needs a doctor Albus, GET A FREAKING DOCTOR ALBUS!"

They all went silent. Harry came in with her celphone and was shocked about it. Maggie asked him to make compressions on Jane's tummy and asked Neville to look for medical supplies.

Professor McGonagall told Dumbledore she'll call Jane's parents and also Seamus's dad. He was a doctor. Dumbledore couldn't believe his ears. "Albus, Marie is right, this is serious."

Maggie dialed a number and started talking next to Draco. "Hi auntie, yeah it's me. I need your help, fast." Harry kept switching towels and tought of leading some energy to Jane, see if that helped her.

Once Neville brought her the supplies she asked him to hold the cel for her. "Allright, I'm listening. No, we don't have lidocaine." She took off her belt and told Draco to bite it. He looked at her with mistrust. "Look Malfoy, I'm the closest thing to a doctor we have right now. You're gonna bite that stupid thing and keep it together like a man. This won't hurt a bit." She said that last thing looking at the wound with disguse.

"Yeah, well, how do I remove the bullet? Yeah, I got it." She got some silver scissors, washed them with alcohol and sticked them in this wound. Neville was holding a handerchief around her mouth since she didn't want to spit on his wound or anything. Draco screamed in pain and Harry turned around. Jane was bleeding less and had more colour.

Maggie then realized what he was doing "Harry don't! Stop that right now. That's an order." But Harry wouldn't. "She still has a bullet inside of her, if you close the wound it will stay in. It might get infected." She looked at Jane and extended her hand "Petrificus Totalus."

If she was petrified, she wouldn't bleed, she'd stay catatonic for a while.

She finally removed the bullet from Draco's body. It was a small golden thing. Draco looked at it and her and felt like fainting. She cured the wound. She kept saying ok or yes to whomever was on the phone. After that she stitched is arm and put a bandaid on it. Then she smiled to Draco.

"I'm very proud of you Malfoy." She told Mme. Pomfrey to give him a painkiller and she moved to the next bed, not before washing her hands. She looked at Jane's wound, which was a lot smaller than before thanks to Harry.

"I don't get it. This was muggle inflicted, you shouldn't have been able to do this." Harry looked at her and told her maybe it was a muggle artefact but with some sort of enchantment. Besides that, he was Harry Potter after all.

"Yeah, you are the Golden Boy. Hadn't thought of that." Minerva came into the Hospital Wing saying she hadn't been able to locate Jane or Draco's parents but that a portal was ready to take them to St Mungo's. Seamus' dad will be waiting for them there. She looked at Draco's arm and heard Neville's short description on what just happened.

Minerva smiled with pride and took Jane to the portkey. They vanished after a while. She remembered the cel phone and picked it up. "Thanks auntie, I'll call you later."

"This was definetly not a part of the Auror Test." They sighed and sat on Jane's bed, which was next to Draco's. He had passed out now.

Everything was quite a mess for all of them. Dumbledore not wanting to get a muggle doctor, bullets in Hogwarts, Marie using a celphone to call someone... and that phrase written in blood in the wall...

Too many questions, and yet, no answers.

Chapter X - Oblivion

Maggie was sitten down in her armchair, with her legs over the coffee table. She kept staring at the phone she had next to her feet. She kept thinking she had screwed up, twice already.
She had been teaching there for almost a month and she hated pretty much every minute of it.

She missed her muggle highschool with her muggle friends, listening to old music and going to the soccer games. She was never much of a cheerleader or anything, but she enjoyed those games cos her friends were there, specially Timmy. Timmy was the geekest of all geeks. It was a muggle version of Neville, that was probably why she cared so much about Nev in the first place.

Tim was her best muggle friend. And Charlie Weasley was her only wizard friend. And she slipped that, in front of no other but Hermione. And she had also snapped in front of the whole class about Snape.

She couldn't remember precisely what she had said but she knew for a fact Hermione was gonna look into it. She had to let Charlie know. The last thing he knew was that she was joining the senior students, not that she was to teach them. She was scared. What if it was too late? She should've thought of this before.

She picked up the phone and dialed long distance. A male voice with a strong accent picked up. It was Viktor Krum.

Viktor had joined the Dragon's Colony after he busted his arm in his last Quidditch game of his school. He had always been the dark type, but despite what people thought of him, he never turned. He was a loyal friend of Hermione and he was an active member of the Order of the Phoenix.

He also happened to know Maggie.

"Hi Viktor, this is Maggie Smith, remember me?" Viktor said he did and they talked for a while. Then she asked for Charlie. Viktor put her through to him and she explained the whole situation to him. "Don't worry kiddo, if we get a letter from Hermione, I'll let you know Professor!" They kept giggling. "I'll lie to my in laws and family for you, don't worry hun."

She hanged up wishing to be older for real. Charlie...

***

It was passed midnight and the guys were asleep. Hermione sneaked into their room and took the Marauder's map and the Invisibility Cloak from Harry's belongings. She sneaked out and got to Honeydukes through the secret passage. It was over one already. She broke a glass in the store and sneaked out through there, heading to the Courthouse.

The Courthouse had specific hours of entrance but the library was opened to the public 24/7. The only problem was that she needed to be someone else. In fact, she had to be older in order to get to those Trial Records. She hid under a bush near the entrance and took a little potion from her left pocket. She zipped it quickly and felt like throwing up, but after a while it was over.

She took off Harry's cloak and walked into the Library.

The librarian looked up "Oh, Minerva, isn't it a little late?" Hermione smiled at the person and thought the polijuice potion was wonderful.

She went through the files of the hearings but couldn't find much on Snape. She casted a spell to highlight where Snape was named. The only thing that called her attention was a small footnote, written down in one of the trials: "Severus Snape and Phillys Smith were former Deadeaters that worked for the Order of the Phoenix. Snape retired to teaching and abandoned his Auror position at the Ministry when the latest was murdered along with his wife, Marie Anne Matthews. There is no information on their children's wereabouts. Albus Dumbledore. August 10, 1993."

It was too much of a coincidence.

***

It was 4 a.m. when she managed to restore the Cloak to Harry's belongings. She went to the Common Room to ponder for a while. She wrote down in her journal her findings (it was enchanted, no one could read it) and then got some quills and parchment and started the letter to Romania.

***
"Good morning class!" Marie seemed in an usual good mood. She started asking the guys about unforgivable curses and the ones that are not quite unforgivable.

She asked Draco to name at least 3 curses that weren't unforgivable but as damaging as those. Draco got up and looked straight into her eyes, she looked down. "Well, there is Sectusempra, Oblivion and, the other one, the one that petrifies you and extends your pain, but I can't remember the name."

Hermione raised her hand, which was normal in any other class but Marie's. She completaly disliked her. Maggie looked at her puzzled. "Yes, Hermione?" Hermione looked at her with dismay "The Drilling Curse." Maggie nodded.

"Very good Hermione, and very good Draco. Now who can tell me the difference between Obliviate and Oblivion?" Neville answered this time, followed by Jean. Obliviate will make you forget everything about an event, oblivion will make you forget who you truly love.

"If you ask me, that's the worst curse anyone can throw upon you. Just imagine what it'd be like, forgetting who is the keeper of your heart... awful. I'd take an avada kevadra any minute." Maggie was looking at nothing and then came back to the class, looking straight into Harry's eyes.

"I know you heartbroken kids will want to get a mirror asap and casted it on yourselves, but, remember, when a mirror gets in the way, nothing but bad things can happen. You have to swear you'll never cast it on yourselves."

Harry thought that'd make things so much easier on him, but, it wasn't worth it. She didn't like him, she didn't even want to dance with him at the Ball, so, it was her loss. He had got tired of feeling sorry for himself. He whispered something to Ron and he smiled.

Ron whispered something to Dean and the chain kept going on until Maggie questioned about it. Harry got up with a defiant look and told the class they were going to win the Quidditch Cup. Maggie smiled at the comment and Draco cursed at it. He was once again the Seeker of Slytherin, and not only that, he was also the Captain.

Maggie sat down in the desk as usual. Everyone went quiet though they wanted to keep cheering for their respective houses. "Guys, sit down please. If you like, you have the rest of the class off." Everyone started gathering their papers and stuff "But only to see a game between Gryffindors and Slytherins in the Quidditch Court." She smiled naughtily.

Hermione started talking with McGonagall's tone. "But we shouldn't! This only feeds the Houses hatred." Maggie looked at her wondering if she really meant it. "Our houses already hate each other, as much as Potter and Malfoy do. Relax Granger." She started walking out giggling with Neville and Jean, and the rest followed.

***

Dumbledore took his white pill. He waited 4 and a half minutes and took his red pill. He walked towards the Pensieve and left a memory there. A memory of him in a Muggle Hospital, getting tested.

Minerva rushed in and he knew Maggie had done something, yet again. He started walking slowly next to Minerva to the Quidditch Court. "You should retire Albus, this is not good for you."

Albus looked at her through her spectacles and caressed her face slowly. "Always looking after me... Well, I have to be here, you know perfectly well why, I can't leave Harry alone with his past. He doesn't know is not over yet."

Minerva sighed. "It'll never be over Albus, that's what you don't understand." Albus nodded approvingly. "You are right I know that, but I must stay."

Dumbledore called upon the Snitch and they all knew they were getting detention. "All of you, go to the Defense Room, Professor Snape will continue with the class. Professor Matthews follow us please." Maggie looked at Harry like a wet puppy and couldn't help but feeling sorry for her. Hermione was happy.

She kept remembering the footnote, she knew something was off. Maggie looked younger and terrified of Dumbledore's rage. Maybe things weren't what she tought they were.

***

"I trust this will be the last time you suspend a class for a match that is not even estipulated. You stole that Quidditch equipment? What's next?" Dumbledore was in rage, but suddenly he started lacking air. He sat down and zipped some water.

"You should relax Uncle A, it was just a game. Guys know perfectly well what to do, besides we are ahead of schedule and I thought it'd be fun to-" Dumbledore looked at her and then Minerva.

Minerva gave Dumbledore a reproving look. "Dear, I know what we asked to do was a terrible thing, I know you want to be a student more than anything but that's impossible right now Maggie, you'll have to accept it darling. Now go to your room." Maggie's eyes were full of tears, she walked out slowly and bumped into Harry.

"What's wrong?" He looked right into her eyes and saw that same young sparkle he had seen at Diagon Alley. The potion was wearing out and she was looking younger again, though she didn't notice. She just wanted to cry. She kept walking slowly towards her room and he followed her silently. When they passed the Passage Doorway he asked her to stop. He touched the witches' nose with his wand and the passage door opened. "Get in."

Maggie was confused but walked in without hesitation. Harry asked her again what happened but she couldn't talk. She just started crying and Harry held her really tight. When she was more calmed she smiled at him and thanked him. Before she started walking away, he held her hand and they both heard a loud thunder. They looked puzzled. She felt the soft rain hitting her face and the hatred inside. And she knew it wasn't her, it was him whom had felt that.

"That. I saw that same thing when we met. It's the night when you killed Scabbers, isn't it? That's been tormenting you ever since." He looked at her and said she was right. "Harry, you shouldn't feel sorry, you saved Dumbledore. Even if you wanted him dead, you had no choice but killing him. You are not a murderer." She kissed him in his cheek. He just feel like moving his face a little bit to kiss her but contained himself.

"I wanted him dead Maggie, I enjoyed killing him. That's what's tormenting me." Maggie knew perfectly well how he felt. "I know the feeling, you're not the only one with a past. Now, go to your House, I'll go to my room, is over 6, we don't want more troubles do we?" They splitted up, but he didn't go to the Common Room, he went back to the passage way. He was sure he had stepped on something that wasn't there before.

He found the Marauder's Map there. He had to talk to Hermione seriously.

Chapter IX - Silence

"Dumbledore, you wanted to see me?" Maggie was being formal towards her uncle since she was a teacher. The room was darkened and he was taking pills, once again.

"Why are you taking muggle pills Uncle A?" Dumbledore looked at her while she sat down in front of him. Fawkes came towards her (he always did that when she was around). Dumbledore smiled at its gesture and changed the topic.

"Harry Potter, Neville Longbottom, Draco Malfoy and Jean Marx from Ravenclaw will taking private lessons with you, so please, handle your schedule to be able to see all of them, agreed?"

Maggie was upset. Why Malfoy? She hated Malfoy, all the pride and contempt she could feel coming from Draco, she had felt it before, years ago. She did not want to be close from him, further more teach him.

"Do you think that's wise? He's the son of a Deadeater, wouldn't it be harmful? Look at the Sucubus the other day... I'm not-" Dumbledore looked at her with piercing eyes and she shut up.

"Why don't you like him? He is in fact the son of a former Deadeater, but Lucius has proven himself to be worthy of our trust." Maggie looked at him in shock. What was wrong with Dumbledore?

He could never be worthy of anyone's trust. Albus knew that perfectly well. "Besides Marie, he's not his father, I believe Draco can, in fact, surprise you." Maggie looked at him with disbelief. "He reminds me of your father in many ways. He bullies Gryffindors and is extremely proud of his pure blood ascendance, still I'm sure he will do the right thing when the time comes. He's learnt to be fair and though he is most of the time reckless, well" Maggie breated heavily, she couldn't believe what she was hearing.

She got up thinking "Whatever" and walked towards her classroom.

***

"Have you picked the topic Hermione?" Neville was the one most excited about the DADA class, which was odd, the only class he had ever felt comfortable in was Herbology. They all looked at him with disbelief. "What?"

He started walking towards the class. Behind him, Harry was walking with a hangover and Ron, next to him, trying to talk him out of drinking. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, listen to me mate." But Harry wouldn't.

When everyone was in their desks, Maggie greeted them and gave the news. "As you might know by now, 4 of you will be taking your private lessons with me. We'll be focusing in attacks and defenses, which will be the first test you'll have to pass in order to get to the Auror Career next year." Everyone stood silent.

"The ones that would like uptrainings in different areas will be either with Professor Snape or Professor McGonagall." Maggie looked at Neville who was about to have a heart attack "Don't worry Nev, you and Harry are with me." Then she looked at Jean and Draco and told them the same. Draco was furious.

"Look Malfoy, when the class is over stay for a while, I need to have a word with you." He nooded, reluctantly.

"Now, have you picked the topics?" She had written down all of them in the blackboard, and started putting a bar next to every one that got a vote. Telekinesis training and Shimmering were the most popular ones.

Only 3 people were missing. Harry told her she'd like to be trained in Telekinesis, while Hermione whispered "Psicokinesis" without even looking at her. Maggie smiled at Neville, who was the last one to answer.

He got up and cleared his throat. Draco laughed at him but stopped when Maggie threatened him with detention. "You'll be spending the next 2 weekends with me and Potter, you want one more?"

Neville smiled at her. She made him feel comfortable with himself and the way he was. He was slowly gaining confidence. "Well, Professor Matthews, I know this is not in the list, but I was wondering how you healed me the other day, and if you could teach us that." He blushed a bit but started smiling when she told everyone that was a wonderful idea.

She gathered them in groups of four and started teaching them the basics of Healing. Grounding was the primary thing "No, under any circumstance, use your own energy to heal another. That will heal the person but might leave you unconscious for all time." When she was sure they all had learnt the basics of Grounding, she taught them how to lead energy.

She got Harry's right hand and apparated a knife. It was a nice athame, silver, double bladed, with a tiny blue stone in the hand. A second after that his hand was bleeding. "Heal him Hermione" Hermione looked at her surprised "You cut him! You're not supposed to do that to students!" Maggie looked at her and breathed out.

"For being one of the two brightest witches of your generation, you are extremely cautios you know?" Maggie then healed Harry's hand in a second and cut her own left hand.

Seamus Finnigan tried to heal her and was quite good, though it left her a scar. She cut it again, Jean Marx gave it a try, then Draco (who gave her a shock, having one himself). Draco looked right into her eyes, without contempt or despise, he was frightened. But not of her, just frightened. Then it was Harry's turn.

Harry just couldn't do it, furthermore, she started bleeding heavily. That was a side effect she didn't expect. Neville then put her hand in between his, like he had seen her do in the Quidditch Court.

Her hand was perfect and she was very proud of him. "Here you go, that's was perfect Neville! 20 points to Gryffindor, you're the only one who did it the right way! You watch people, keep doing that, you can learn a lot from a person just by seeing how they react to things" she said this last part looking right into Hermione's eyes.

Hermione had to find out what was this teacher about.

The class ended until that same afternoon, for the senior students starting this year had double shifts of Defense. This was the first time Defense against the Dark Arts was Neville's favorite subject. But Harry hated it.

***

"Draco please wait" Maggie closed the door of the Class, leaving him locked inside with her. "Look, I know we started with the wrong foot." He wasn't looking at her, he was looking down, nodding.

"I like this idea of teaching you as much as you do, still, is what Dumbledore wants" He looked at her eyes and then looked away. She knew something was wrong, something was definetly wrong since he tried to heal her.

"Are you allright?" He looked at her, trying to look proud and disrespectful. "Anything else Professor?" He said that almost spitting.

"Nope, that's all. We might learn from each other you know?" Draco walked away.

What was she supposed to do? Neville was feeling proud of himself and that was great, but Harry hated her... and Draco... what was wrong with Draco?

*** ***

"As you all know by now, this is a very unusual year at Hogwarts. The Quidditch Tournament should have started weeks ago, but it hasn't. There is no specific reason for it besides the fact that the Magical World has been through some radical changes last summer and so has this school. I'm glad to see progress on the Elder Students thanks to the kind help of Professor Matthews and the rest of the staff. I can only hope that the rest of the school year will be as gratifying as this first month." Dumbledore coughed a bit, Maggie gave him a glass of water and he went on. "Allright then, the Quidditch Tournament will start this weekend, so gather your teams. And since we have many things to party upon, the first Ball of the Year will take place in two weeks. So get ready and find your partners!" Dumbledore sat down and took his pill. Maggie got him some more water and kept asking him and Minerva what was going on, but she'd get no answer.

Maggie suspected the obvious, Dumbledore was very sick, but she couldn't quite figure out why he hadn't retired. It was meant to happen one day and everyone knew Minerva would be the Headmistress. It made no sense, he needed some rest.


"So, Harry, who's going to be on the team?" Ron was one excited Keeper. Harry had completaly forgotten he was the captain of the Quidditch team. He kept staring at the teacher's table and thinking on the private lessons they were getting. He just wanted the clock to work faster so he could get to the lesson they had that afternoon.

He knew in his heart she had feelings for him as well. He could see it in her eyes, could sense it whenever she came near him. "I'm not sure Ron, you pick the team." He kept playing with his food and the Gryffindors fear they'd lose the Quidditch Cup to Slytherin...

Neville was reading some of his notes and was carrying books, one was from Salem Witches. "Oh you have that book, I've been looking all over for it!" Hermione was determined to find anything that would give her a clue about the teacher. She had sneaked into Professor McGonagall's files and searched for any sign of Marie Matthews, but hadn't found anything.

"Well, I'm sorry Hermione, I'm doing a research on the way they perform magic, you can have it when I return it after the midterms." Hermione looked at him surprised. Ron asked what was all that about. Neville cleared his throat and told them that he was going to the Auror College next year and he wanted to be aware of his full potential. Then he got his books and walked away.

"I guess you're not the only one with a crush on the teacher Harry" Ron thought it'd be fun saying something like that, but Harry didn't take it that way. "Choose the team and let me know Ron, we'll meet for pratice on wednesday." He got up and walked away.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other. Things were so different between them.

"I'm sending a letter to your brother." Ron agreed with her. Marie was hiding something. Hermione thought of looking for Snape's file. "The Deadeater Trials files are public, we should be able to find something in Hogsmeade Courthouse." Ron wondered how they'd get there, but then he remembered the passages and Harry's cloak. "We can't take his cloak Hermione, we just can't, maybe she's just young. Why do you always have to think the worse?"

Hermione was very upset, she knew in her heart she was right. "Fine Ronald, I'll do it alone, as usual."

***

Harry went near the Forbidden Forest, where Marie had told him to go. He saw Draco cursing her and Marie putting a wall of blue light in front of her. His first instinct was running to help her, but then she realized they were just practising. Draco looked upset about the private lesson, but not as much as Marie.

"Allright Malfoy, you did good today. Remember to practice sneaking out and the right hook. I'm sure you'll find some Gryffindor to bully." Draco smiled at that last comment. She was a mudblood for sure, still she was cute and the only teacher under 30 they ever had. He decided to do some research on her as well.

Malfoy waved at Harry and said bye, which was odd, Malfoy would never assume he existed, unless he wanted to pick up a fight. Harry thought it might had to do with his father turning to their side in the end, or maybe Draco was changing. Either way, that wasn't important. Marie was looking at him.

"So Harry, been practising?" and she just hit him off guard and sent him away. "I guess not. Always on guard Harry, always!" She came closer to him to help him up but he cursed her away. She smiled "Good, I didn't see that coming."

She got up and they kept practising, she told him they were gonna get tested soon and that the test would be a piece of cake. "The other two are nightmares, but I'm sure Neville and you will pass them. You're my best students." They started cursing each other and avoiding eye contact, but somehow after a while they were very close from one another. She was making some notes on this handbook she had over a log and he came closer to her.

He was determined to kiss her, to show her how he felt. He didn't even think about getting expelled for making a pass at a teacher or the fact she might plain reject him. He knew in his heart she liked him.

She was sitting down in the floor and he sat right next to her and started mocking her handwriting. It was kind of messy, still, all lefties are messy. He started messing with her pen and she started laughing pushing him away and he started tickling her and she just didn't feel like stopping him.... just pretending she wanted him to stop.

After two minutes like that she was laying down on the grass, he was holding her hands above her head with one hand and tickling her with another. She looked right into his eyes and his powdy little lips and just wanted to petrify that moment and make it last forever. But she couldn't, it was too risky.

They stopped laughing and he kept looking right into her eyes and her sweet lips and was getting closer from her when she said "Harry stop it." He apologised and got up, helping her up as well.

She decided to finish the class early and went away. Harry stopped her and asked her to save him a dance "Oh, Harry, that's very sweet, but I'm a teacher, I can't dance with students at the Ball." She walked out. She was clear and concise. She was a teacher and he was a student. Nothing could change that, at least nothing she could do could change that.

Harry walked to the Lake and stared at the calmness of the water, regreting ever coming back to Hogwarts for his last year.