Snape's Special Training Class

"So, dear Little Lyla, could you stop grinning like an idiot?"

Ever since coming back from the Owlery, Clara had been sitting in the same spot in the common room, inexplicably grinning to herself for at least ten minutes.

Even more alarming, a copy of Advanced Potion-Making lay open in front of her, where it had been turned to the chapter on Amortentia for ages-Rowle was certain she hadn't read a single word.

"Oh, Rowle, I'm a little too excited."

Clara buried her face in the open pages, her voice muffled between the parchment, sounding as though she were laughing and sighing at once.

A few seconds later, she lifted her head. Her cheeks were faintly pink, her amber eyes shone in the firelight, and the curve of her lips made her look unmistakably as though she'd been hit with a Cheering Charm.

"Cedric asked me in the Owlery just now if I'd be his partner for the ball."

The quill in Rowle's hand clattered to the floor. Her shock quickly gave way to overwhelming excitement.

She tossed her book aside, lunged at Clara, and shook her by both shoulders.

"Merlin!!! Did you say yes? Please, please, you have to say yes!"

"Of course." Clara had clearly expected this reaction from her friend, but Rowle shook her harder than she'd anticipated, and her chin nearly struck the unfortunate copy of Advanced Potion-Making on the table.

Rowle still had both hands on her shoulders, her eyes shining like two Filibuster Fireworks about to go off.

"So, was Cedric nervous? What exactly did he say?" Rowle's eyes sparkled with a keen appetite for gossip.

"A little? He was all right." Clara chose not to mention how red Cedric's face had gotten, or all of Hogwarts might know by tomorrow.

"But seriously, we need to go to Hogsmeade and buy you a decent set of dress robes, and come up with a nice look for you too."

Rowle rested her chin on her hand, seemingly already considering how to do Clara's makeup and hair. "You said before that you'd write to your parents for a little financial help. When will it arrive? Cersei and I went to Hogsmeade last week. Gladrags Wizardwear has some new styles in, and there's a silver-white satin dress robe that's especially beautiful. We made a bet that no one would suit it better than you."

"We'll go next week. The money should arrive tomorrow." Clara straightened the stack of books Rowle had messed up, then glanced out the window. Dusk was slowly settling over the surface of the Black Lake, dyeing the whole Forbidden Forest deep blue. "I'm looking forward to seeing what you two pick. But before that, we should go have dinner. We have Professor Snape's Defence Against Dark Magic Class tonight."

She had to fight Professor Snape again, but luckily, this time she had two other people with her, so it should be much easier.

At dinner, Cedric and Ernie sat down across from Clara and Rowle.

That in itself was nothing unusual. Ever since the First Task, his seat at the Hufflepuff table had gradually shifted from the end near the High Table to the middle, sometimes across from Clara, sometimes beside her. His usual reason was that he needed to ask Clara about some spells.

At first, some people had wondered about it, but whenever anyone asked him in private, Ernie would laugh and deflect the question for him. "Well, what can he do? Albert has the best practical Transfiguration and Charms results in Hufflepuff right now, so Ced doesn't have much choice."

Gradually, people stopped asking. Clara wasn't just someone Ernie talked about; she had even received lavish praise from Professor Flitwick and Professor McGonagall across her entire year and even the whole school.

Professor Flitwick had mentioned at least three times in Charms that "Hufflepuff's Miss Albert could provide a demonstration of the Shield Charm and Levitation Charm for the class. Her technique is simply flawless."

During one Transfiguration lesson, Professor McGonagall had swept a cold glance over the class and said, "If any of you can turn a fly into a solid stone block on your final exam, I'll award your house one hundred points. Oh, of course, Miss Albert has already done it."

After that, Cedric sitting across from her became perfectly natural. Who could object to a Champion asking the student best at practical magic in his house for advice?

Today, however, Ernie noticed that something was clearly off between his good friend and Clara. The two of them, who had never run out of things to talk about before, were unexpectedly quiet today, and Cedric's ears turned red whenever he so much as lifted his head.

And there was Rowle Collins. She was acting very strangely too.

She was a little too quiet. Normally, she would have spoken up long ago, instead of sitting there without saying a word, though the curve of her smile could practically hold a bottle of Butterbeer.

He knew he wouldn't get an answer if he asked Cedric now, but that was all right. As Mr. Diggory's very good roommate, he would definitely get to the bottom of it before going to bed tonight. Otherwise, Mr. Diggory could forget about sleeping too.

The strange atmosphere lasted through dinner, and only when they reached the fork on the lower floor, where the paths to the Hufflepuff Common Room and the Potions Classroom diverged, did Rowle reluctantly say goodbye to her.

"Do your best, Little Lyla, and good luck! I promise there'll be a piping-hot beef wrap and Pumpkin Juice waiting when you get back to the dormitory."

Clara looked back and blew her a kiss.

To Clara, the temperature on the lower floor had always been a matter of two extremes. The way to the Hufflepuff Common Room was warm, but the closer she got to the Potions dungeon, the colder she felt.

"To be honest, I'm a little nervous." Cedric tugged at his sleeve, where he'd tucked his wand. "I've had plenty of Defence Against Dark Magic classes, but never one with Snape. The atmosphere was relaxed when Lupin taught it, and Moody's first lesson gave me quite a fright. But Snape—I have no idea how he'll teach it. And to be honest, I didn't take Potions Class after my O.W.L. Exams. I haven't seen Professor Snape for most of the term."

"Actually, he just has a sharp tongue and hits a little hard." Clara tried to explain, only to realize she seemed to be making him sound even worse. "It'll be fine. Harry's here too, and with all three of us, you definitely won't be the only one getting told off. Most of the time he'll nitpick because he really hates teaching the same basic movement over and over. But you'll probably do a little better than me-your Disarming Charm technique is very sound. I saw it in the Room of Requirement, and he shouldn't find too much wrong with it."

"Are you trying to comfort me or scare me?" Cedric turned to look at her, a resigned smile in his eyes.

Clara spread her hands, her expression serious. "Comfort you."

"Then it did help a little."

They walked side by side down the last stretch of corridor leading to the dungeon, until the familiar dark wooden door appeared around the corner.

Harry was already waiting against the stone wall, clutching his wand and looking no less tense than if he were about to face a dragon for the second time.

When he saw Clara and Cedric approaching together, he nodded to them. His green eyes flicked between them and he raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Clara pushed open the dungeon door.

Professor Snape stood in the middle of the spacious classroom, his black robes motionless in the candlelight. The worktables usually covered in cauldrons and glass bottles had been moved against the walls, leaving a large open space, with three wooden practice dummies standing opposite them.

His gaze swept over the three of them, paused on Clara for an instant, then moved away.

"Tonight is a practical lesson. Basic spells-Stupefy, Expelliarmus, Impedimenta. You probably think these spells are simple because you've practiced them many times in Professor Flitwick's class. But in a real fight, your opponent will not stand in one place and wait for you to finish casting. Tonight's goal is to hit your opponent while moving, without being hit by their spells. Miss Albert-"

His gaze settled on Clara.

"You're with me. Diggory and Potter are together. You attack, we defend. Let's see what you can do."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a streak of red light flew just over Harry's head. Fortunately, the Gryffindor Quidditch player's reactions were quick, and he dodged it by stepping sideways.

"Albert, I hope you won't hold me back." As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Snape tossed the words over his shoulder to Clara, who stood there stunned. "You won't be too reluctant to hit Diggory, will you?"

Before Clara could answer, Snape had already fired his second spell, switching targets to Cedric.

A streak of purple light flew past Cedric's ear, forcing him back two steps. Before he could regain his footing, Snape's next spell came after him.

"No one on a battlefield will wait for you to be ready. Diggory, if those are your reactions in a real fight, the dragon would have burned you to ashes long ago."

Clara stood behind Snape, mostly hidden by his robes. Harry had gained a chance to catch his breath while Cedric was being told off.

"Expelliarmus."

A streak of red light shot out from behind Snape at a tricky but precise angle, striking Harry squarely on his right wrist. Harry felt a jolt of numbness in his hand, and his wand flew from his grasp, tracing an arc through the air before landing neatly in Clara's open left hand.

His eyes widened. When had she aimed around Snape's robes at him? He hadn't even seen her lips move.

"Not bad, Albert." Snape glanced back, then turned to Cedric. "Mr. Diggory, you no longer have a teammate."

Harry stood opposite Clara, looking rather upset. Clara understood his expression.

Whose side are you on, anyway!!!

Clara shrugged and decided to bring him a pack of Fizzing Whizzbees from Hogsmeade next week as consolation.

Cedric gripped his wand, his gaze passing over Snape's shoulder to rest on Clara.

She stood two steps behind Snape, holding Harry's wand in her left hand and raising her own in her right, its tip pointed at him.

Her expression was calm, but there was the faintest hint of guilt in her amber eyes.

The next second, a streak of red light shot from her hand toward his right, while Snape sent another toward his left.

Cedric could safely say he was in a thoroughly sorry state.

Every move he anticipated was anticipated in turn by Clara, and every attack he made was casually blocked by Snape.

He even began to suspect that the two of them had discussed their tactics before class-Snape blocked his escape routes while Clara applied pressure from the side, the two working together as though they had been partners for years.

"Stop." Snape's voice wasn't loud, but the whole classroom fell silent at once. He glanced at Cedric. "Clearly, the two of you are even weaker than I imagined. Miss Albert, give them a demonstration."

Headmaster's Office skit

AD (pointing at Clara's photograph): Severus, she was once your star pupil.

SS: You mean the student who couldn't tell Murtlap Essence from rat liquid?

AD: She simply wasn't very good at Potions, but you were very satisfied with her Defense Against Dark Magic.

SS (eyes lighting up): I taught Defence Against Dark Magic Class?

AD: She was your only student. But never mind that; you have three this term.

SS: Who else?

AD: Diggory and... Potter.

SS: ... (not amused)

AD: You're very fond of Albert. You even taught her Sectumsempra.

SS: Headmaster, in that case, I must have been possessed...