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AS A DULL MARCH BLURRED INTO A SQUALLY APRIL, Este Black's life seemed to have become one long series of worries and problems again. The teachers persisted in reminding them, the O.W.L.s were drawing ever nearer. All the fifth years were suffering from stress to some degree, but Hannah Abbott became the first to receive a Calming Draught from Madam Pomfrey after she burst into tears during Herbology and sobbed that she was too stupid to take exams and wanted to leave school now. Este, that following day asked for a potion that would minimize her nosebleeds. But what went from bad to worse was when Este woke up one morning and found this, posted on the Slytherin notice boards.

— by order of —

The Ministry of Magic

Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty-eight.

Signed:

Cornelius Oswald Fudge, Minister of Magic

And before she went off to lessons, Draco had led her, Atlas, Mattheo, and a few more Slytherins to Umbridge's office. "Madam," Draco said politely, "I've brought you the people you requested."

"Wonderful, Draco," Umbridge said, in that sweet and girlish voice that made Este boil with anger. She made a round eyeing everyone and when she passed Este, she gave a slight hum. "I have handpicked you all to be made members of my Inquisitorial Squad." Umbridge went on to explain the duties of a member and the powers, before handing each of them a tiny silver pin. "Run along to classes now." The students nodded before hurriedly leaving Umbridge's office and heading to the Great Hall.

After their first lesson, Este, Mattheo, Atlas, and Draco were hanging around in the entrance hall, right behind the door with their group of friends when Ernie Macmillan, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter entered, coming back from Herbology.

"Oh, I expect she really fancied herself sitting up there in the Head's office," said Hermione viciously, as they walked up the stone steps into the entrance hall. "Lording it over all the other teachers, the stupid puffed-up, power-crazy old —"

"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Granger?" Draco had slid out from behind the door, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale, pointed face was alight with malice. "Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff," he drawled.

"It's only teachers that can dock points from Houses, Malfoy," said Ernie at once.

"Yeah, we're prefects too, remember?" snarled Ron.

"I know prefects can't dock points, Weasel King," sneered Draco; Crabbe and Goyle sniggered. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad —"

"The what?" said Hermione sharply.

"The Inquisitorial Squad, Granger," said Mattheo, joining Draco's side and pointing toward a tiny silver I upon his robes. "A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, hand-picked by Professor Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points. . . . So, Granger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new headmistress. . . . Macmillan, five for contradicting Draco. . . . Five because I don't like you, Potter . . . Weasley, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that. . . . Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a stuck up cunt, Granger, so ten for that. . . ."

Ron pulled out his wand, but Hermione pushed it away, whispering, "Don't!"

"Wise move, Granger," breathed Draco. "New Head, new times . . . Be good now, Potty . . . Weasel King . . ." He and Mattheo strode away, laughing heartily with Crabbe and Goyle.

Atlas and Este glanced at one another, slightly amused at Mattheo and Draco's antics. And as they walked past the giant hourglasses set in niches along the wall behind them, which recorded the House points. Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had been neck and neck in the lead that morning. Even as they watched, stones flew upward, reducing the amounts in the lower bulbs. In fact, the only glass that seemed unchanged was the emerald-filled one of Slytherin.

"You can't just be abusing your power as an Inquisitorial squad member."

Este whirled around and smirked at Harry, "What makes you say that, Potter? I haven't done anything yet."

Harry shrugged, "I was just saying..."

"Well, I won't abuse my power. I didn't even really want to become a member. I kind of got forced against my will."

Harry hummed and they stared at the hourglass, watching as more and more points got docked.

"Noticed, have you?" said Fred's voice.

He and George had just come down the marble staircase and joined Harry, Ron, Hermione, Atlas, and Este in front of the hourglasses.

"Malfoy just docked us all about fifty points," said Harry dully, as they watched several more stones fly upward from the Gryffindor hourglass.

"Yeah, Montague tried to do us during break," said George.

"What do you mean, 'tried'?" said Ron quickly.

"He never managed to get all the words out," said Fred, "due to the fact that we forced him headfirst into that Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."

Este and Atlas laughed, surprising the Weasley twins.

Hermione looked very shocked. "But you'll get into terrible trouble!"

"Not until Montague reappears, and that could take weeks, I dunno where we sent him," said Fred coolly. "Anyway . . . we've decided we don't care about getting into trouble anymore."

"Have you ever?" asked Atlas.

" 'Course we have," said George. "Never been expelled, have we?"

"We've always known where to draw the line," said Fred.

"We might have put a toe across it occasionally," said George.

"But we've always stopped short of causing real mayhem," said Fred.

"But now?" asked Este.

"Well, now —" said George.

"— what with Dumbledore gone —" said Fred.

"— we reckon a bit of mayhem —" said George.

"— is exactly what our dear new Head deserves," said Fred.

"You mustn't!" whispered Hermione. "You really mustn't! She'd love a reason to expel you!"

"You don't get it, Hermione, do you?" said Fred, smiling at her. "We don't care about staying anymore. We'd walk out right now if we weren't determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first. So anyway," he checked his watch, "phase one is about to begin. I'd get in the Great Hall for lunch if I were you, that way the teachers will see you can't have had anything to do with it."

"Anything to do with what?" said Hermione anxiously.

"You'll see," said George. "Run along, now." Fred and George turned away and disappeared in the swelling crowd descending the stairs toward lunch.

"I think we should get out of here, you know," said Hermione nervously. "Just in case . . ."

"Don't need to tell us twice," Atlas said quickly, grabbing Este gently and pulling her into the Great Hall. The cousins sat down side by side and began to eat silently, their friends surrounding them, chatting and laughing. It was sudden, and just as a bit of mashed potatoes entered her mouth, BOOM!

Este, whirled her head, and pandemonium reigned. Somebody (and Este had a very shrewd idea who) had set off what seemed to be an enormous crate of enchanted fireworks. Dragons comprised entirely of green-and-gold sparks were soaring up and down the corridors, emitting loud fiery blasts and bangs as they went. Shocking-pink Catherine wheels five feet in diameter were whizzing lethally through the air like so many flying saucers. Rockets with long tails of brilliant silver stars were ricocheting off the walls. Sparklers were writing swearwords in midair of their own accord. Firecrackers were exploding like mines everywhere Este looked, and instead of burning themselves out, fading from sight, or fizzling to a halt, these pyrotechnical miracles seemed to be gaining in energy and momentum the longer she watched.

Este turned to Atlas, "Those Weasley Twins are absolute menaces."

Atlas nodded, "Very impressive . . . They'll put Dr. Filibuster out of business, no problem. . . ."

The fireworks continued to burn and spread all over the school that afternoon. Though they caused plenty of disruption, particularly the firecrackers, the other teachers did not seem to mind them very much. "Dear, dear," said Professor McGonagall sardonically, as one of the dragons soared around her classroom, emitting loud bangs and exhaling flame. "Miss Brown, would you mind running along to the headmistress and informing her that we have an escaped firework in our classroom?"

The upshot of it all was that Professor Umbridge spent her first afternoon as headmistress running all over the school answering the summonses of the other teachers, none of whom seemed able to rid their rooms of the fireworks without her. When the final bell rang and the students were heading back to Slytherin Common Room with their bags, Este saw, with immense satisfaction, a disheveled and soot-blackened Umbridge tottering sweaty-faced from Professor Flitwick's classroom.

"Thank you so much, Professor!" said Professor Flitwick in his squeaky little voice. "I could have got rid of the sparklers myself, of course, but I wasn't sure whether I had the authority. . . ."

Beaming, he closed his classroom door in her snarling face.

And that night, Este could still hear the distant bangs of escaped firecrackers when she went up to bed, and as she got undressed a sparkler appeared, still resolutely spelling out the word POO.

Este got into bed, yawning. As she got more and more drowsy, the occasional firework still passing the window became blurred, looking like sparkling clouds, beautiful and mysterious against the black sky. Este turned onto her side, wondering how Umbridge was feeling about her first day in Dumbledore's job, and how Fudge would react when he heard that the school had spent most of the day in a state of advanced disruption. . . . Smiling to herself, she closed her eyes.

♰

The Next Day, Este spent all day helping Umbridge out from all the terrorizing the Weasley Twins had done──Well, she wasn't really helping, she was just pretending to help while secretly making a bigger mess of everything. She had passed the bathroom on the fourth floor and paused, she swore she could hear someone vaguely calling for help. And behind her, someone was calling for her. "Es!" She turned around and found Mattheo approaching her.

"Hey, can you go check this bathroom? I swear I hear someone calling for help."

Mattheo gave her a comical look, "You sure you aren't just delusional?"

Este scowled, "Just fucking check, will you?"

Mattheo shrugged and entered the bathroom after a few moments, he called out for her, "Este! Go get Umbridge. I've found Montague!"

Este remembered how the Weasley Twins shoved Montague into a vanishing cabinet and fought back a smile, "Is he alright?"

"Just go get her! The poor lad's jammed inside the toilets."

Este chortled before running to go get Umbridge.

"Ma'am," Este said, huffing and out of breath, "Montague's jammed in a toilet."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Just please come and see it for yourself."

Este led Umbridge to the bathroom and when they arrived at the scene, Umbridge and Este gasped. Poor Montague was looking a little loopy and uncomfortably stuck in the toilet. "You and Mattheo go get Professor Snape."

Mattheo and Este glanced at one another before nodding and leaving for the dungeons. When they reached Snape's classroom, Mattheo pushed the door open hurriedly and rushed in with Este right behind him, "Professor Snape, sir — oh — sorry —" Mattheo and Este were looking at Snape and Harry in some surprise.

"It's all right, Mattheo," said Snape, lowering his wand. "Potter is here for a little Remedial Potions."

Este looked at Harry, suddenly remembering his occlumency lessons and she had not seen Mattheo look so gleeful since Umbridge had turned up to inspect Hagrid. "I didn't know," he said, leering at Harry, who knew his face was burning.

"Well, Mattheo, what is it?" asked Snape.

"It's Professor Umbridge, sir — she needs your help," said Mattheo. "We've found Montague, sir. He's turned up jammed inside a toilet on the fourth floor."

Este and Harry shared a look, biting back grins.

"How did he get in there?" demanded Snape.

"I don't know, sir, he's a bit confused. . . ."

"Very well, very well — Potter," said Snape, "we shall resume this lesson tomorrow evening instead." He turned and swept from his office.

Mattheo mouthed "Remedial Potions?" at Harry behind Snape's back before following him.

Este stayed back and watched as Harry, seething, placed his wand back into his robes. "Sorry about Mattheo," Este grinned.

"I think the news that I'm shit at Potions will be known all throughout the castle tomorrow," Harry said miserably.

"Oh lighten up, Potter."

They were at the office door when they saw it: a patch of shivering light dancing on the door frame. Harry turned around and Este stopped and looked too. The light was coming from the Pensieve sitting on Snape's desk. The silver-white contents were ebbing and swirling within. Snape's thoughts . . . things he did not want Harry to see if he broke through Snape's defenses accidentally. . . .

Harry gazed at the Pensieve, curiosity welling inside him. . . . What was it that Snape was so keen to hide from Harry? The silvery lights shivered on the wall. . . . Harry took two steps toward the desk, Este called him, "Harry, it's not a clever idea?"

Harry looked over his shoulder and looked at Este.

"Ah, fuck it," Este said, walking toward Harry, and together, they walked to the Pensieve and stood over it, gazing into its depths. Este hesitated, listening, and Harry pulled out his wand again. The office and the corridor beyond were completely silent. He gave the contents of the Pensieve a small prod with the end of his wand.

The silvery stuff within began to swirl very fast. Este leaned forward over it and saw that it had become transparent. She was, once again, looking down into a room as though through a circular window in the ceiling. . . . In fact, unless she was much mistaken, she was looking down upon the Great Hall. . . .

Harry's breath was actually fogging the surface of Snape's thoughts. . . . Este's brain seemed to be in limbo. . . . It would be insane to do the thing that she was so strongly tempted to do. . . . She was trembling. . . . Snape could be back at any moment but at that moment, Harry took a great gulp of breath and plunged his face into the surface of Snape's thoughts, Este joined him. At once, the floor of the office lurched, tipping Este headfirst into the Pensieve.

She was falling through cold blackness, spinning furiously as she went, and then — She was standing in the middle of the Great Hall, but the four House tables were gone. Instead, there were more than a hundred smaller tables, all facing the same way, at each of which sat a student, head bent low, scribbling on a roll of parchment. The only sound was the scratching of quills and the occasional rustle as somebody adjusted their parchment. It was clearly exam time. Sunshine was streaming through the high windows onto the bent heads, which shone chestnut and copper and gold in the bright light. Este and Harry looked around carefully. Snape had to be here somewhere. . . . This was his memory. . .

And there he was, at a table right behind Harry. Harry and Este stared. Snape-the-teenager had a stringy, pallid look about him like a plant kept in the dark. His hair was lank and greasy and was flopping onto the table, his hooked nose barely half an inch from the surface of the parchment as he scribbled. Este moved around behind Snape and read the heading of the examination paper:

defense against the dark arts — ordinary wizarding level

So Snape had to be fifteen or sixteen, around Este and Harry's own age. His hand was flying across the parchment; he had written at least a foot more than his closest neighbors, and yet his writing was minuscule and cramped. "Five more minutes!" The voice made Este jump; turning, he saw the top of Professor Flitwick's head moving between the desks a short distance away.

Professor Flitwick was walking past a boy with untidy black hair and a Korean girl. . . with perfectly long black hair and a tall nose and large eyes. . . . Este moved so quickly that, had she been solid, she would have knocked desks flying. Instead, she seemed to slide, dreamlike, across two aisles and up a third. The back of the dark-haired girl's head drew nearer and nearer. . . . She was straightening up now, putting down her quill, pulling her roll of parchment toward her so as to reread what she had written. . . .

Este's stopped in front of the desk and gazed down at her fifteen-year-old mother. Excitement exploded in the pit of her stomach: It was as though she was looking at herself but with deliberate mistakes. Rhiannon's eyes were a dark black, like bottomless pits, and her nose was slightly taller than Este's, but they had the same small face, same plump lips, and same eyebrows. Rhiannon's hair was just as silky and shiny as Este's, her hands were bony and pale like Este's, and Este could tell that when Rhiannon stood up, they would be the exact same height.

Harry and Este looked at one another in excitement when James and Rhiannon looked directly at each other. Rhiannon winked and blew James a kiss, which startled the both of them highly. Este made a gagging motion, watching as Rhiannon and James turned in their seats and grinned at a boy sitting four seats behind James.

With another shock of excitement, Este saw Sirius give James the thumbs-up. Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. He was very good-looking; his dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance neither James's nor Harry's could ever have achieved, and a girl sitting behind him was eyeing him hopefully, though he didn't seem to have noticed. And two seats along from this girl — Este's stomach gave another pleasurable squirm — was Remus Lupin. He looked rather pale and peaky (was the full moon approaching?) and was absorbed in the exam: As he reread his answers he scratched his chin with the end of his quill, frowning slightly.

So that meant Wormtail had to be around here somewhere too . . . and sure enough, Este spotted him within seconds: a small, mousy haired boy with a pointed nose. Wormtail looked anxious; he was chewing his fingernails, staring down at his paper, and scuffing the ground with his toes. Every now and then he glanced hopefully at his neighbor's paper. Este glanced back at her mother and admired her mother's beauty.

Sirius had told her Rhiannon was given the name because of the Welsh goddess of fertility and the moon but really began to love her name after Fleetwood Mac released a song with that very name. Rhiannon was humming to the song as she skimmed through her paper. Rhiannon looked like a doll, dressed with inspirations from Bridget Bardot and Jane Birkin with slight hints of Stevie Nicks. What a woman, Este thought, looking at her Mother's delicate calligraphic handwriting.

"Quills down, please!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!" More than a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him backward off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows, and lifted him onto his feet again. "Thank you . . . thank you," panted Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

Este looked at her mother who very elegantly slipped her quill and the exam question paper into her bag, which she slung over her back, and together with James, stood waiting for Sirius.

Este looked around and glimpsed Snape a short way away, moving between the tables toward the doors into the entrance hall, still absorbed in his own examination paper. Round-shouldered yet angular, he walked in a twitchy manner that recalled a spider, his oily hair swinging about his face. A gang of chattering girls separated Snape from James and Sirius, and by planting themselves in the midst of this group, Este and Harry managed to keep Snape in sight while straining their ears to catch the voices of James, Rhiannon, and his friends.

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" asked Sirius as they emerged into the entrance hall.

"Loved it," said Lupin briskly. " 'Give five signs that identify the werewolf.' Excellent question."

"D'you think you managed to get all the signs?" said James in tones of mock concern.

"Let's pray you didn't write likes to eat chocolate and folds his socks," Rhiannon teased.

"Think I did," said Remus seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. "One: he's sitting on my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin."

Peter was the only one who didn't laugh. "I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes, and the tufted tail,' he said anxiously, "but I couldn't think what else -"

"How thick are you, Wormtail?" said James impatiently. "You run round with a werewolf once a month -"

"Keep your voice down," implored Remus.

"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake," he heard Sirius say. "I'll be surprised if I don't get 'Outstanding' on it at least."

"Me too," said James. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling Golden Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Nicked it," said James casually. He started playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly as much as a foot away before seizing it again; his reflexes were excellent. Peter watched him in awe. They stopped in the shade of the very same beech tree on the edge of the lake where Este and Atlas had spent Sundays finishing their homework and threw themselves down on the grass. Este looked over her shoulder yet again and saw that Snape had settled himself on the grass in the dense shadow of a clump of bushes. He was as deeply immersed in the OWL paper as ever.

The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake, on the bank of which the group of laughing girls who had just left the Great Hall was sitting, with their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water. Remus had pulled out a book and was reading. Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored, but very handsomely so. James was still playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom further and further away, almost escaping but always grabbed at the last second. Peter was watching him with his mouth open. Every time James made a particularly difficult catch, Peter gasped and applauded, James seemed to be enjoying the attention.

"Put that away, will you," said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Peter let out a cheer, "before Wormtail wets himself with excitement."

Wormtail turned slightly pink, but James grinned. "If it bothers you," he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket.

"I'm bored," said Sirius. "Wish it was a full moon."

"You might," said Lupin darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. Here..." and he held out his book.

But Sirius snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."

"That'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is..." Sirius's head turned. He became very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.

"Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus." Este turned to see what Sirius was looking at.

Snape was on his feet again and was stowing the OWL paper in his bag. As he left the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up. "Not again!" Rhiannon groaned as she, Remus, and Peter remained sitting: Remus was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows; Peter was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.

"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly. Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack: dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted, "Expelliarmus!" Snape's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"Impedimenta!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet halfway through a dive toward his own fallen wand. Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had got to their feet and were edging nearer. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained. Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands raised, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Peter was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Remus to get a clearer view.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" said, James.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word." Several people watching laughed; Snape was clearly unpopular. Peter sniggered shrilly.

Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes. "You - wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing, "you - wait!"

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?" Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him - "Leave him ALONE!" James and Sirius looked around. James's free hand immediately jumped to his hair. It was one of the girls from the lake edge. She had thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders, and startlingly green almond-shaped eyes — Harry's eyes. Harry's mother . . .

"All right, Evans?" said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"

"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists if you know what I mean..." Many of the surrounding students laughed, Sirius and Peter included, but Remus, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and nor did Lily.

"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone." She glanced at Rhiannon who was watching. Este frowned, hoping to see her mother do something about it.

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on... go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again." Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch towards his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, and turned back to Snape. "Oy!"

But too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. James whirled about: a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants.

Many people in the small crowd cheered; Sirius, James, and Wormtail roared with laughter. Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upwards; Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground.

Disentangling himself from his robes he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said, "Locomotor Mortis!" and Snape keeled over again at once, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily.

Este was glancing at her mother and breathed a sigh of relief as Rhiannon finally stood up, joining the group with her wand in her grasp. "Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!" James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the counter-curse.

"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus —"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" Lily blinked.

"Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him.

"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is."

"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a - you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can - I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."

"Fuck off Lily!" Rhiannon sneered, "Snape just called you a mudblood and you're still finding a way to turn this on James?"

"Screw you, Rhiannon!" Lily snarled, "You're just as cruel as he is! Defending him! You're pathetic!" She turned on her heel and hurried away.

"Evans!" James shouted after her. "Hey, EVANS!" But she didn't look back. "What is it with her?" said James, trying and failing to look as though this was a throwaway question of no real importance to him.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," said Sirius.

"Right," said James, who looked furious now, "right -" There was another flash of light, and Snape was once again hanging upside-down in the air. "Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"

Rhiannon frowned at them "No one, James. Let him down."

James paled and released Snape at once. He had a panicked look in his eyes, "Rhia-"

Rhiannon had tears in the corners of her eyes. "You both disappoint me." She turned and left them, shocked and shaken.

Before Este could see anything else, someone grabbed her, wincing, Este looked around to see who had hold of her and Harry, and saw, with a thrill of horror, a fully grown, adult-sized Snape standing right beside them, white with rage. "Having fun?" Este felt herself rising into the air. The summer's day evaporated around her, she was floating upward through icy blackness, Snape's hand still tight upon her upper arm. Then, with a swooping feeling as though she had turned head over heels in midair, her feet hit the stone floor of Snape's dungeon, and she was standing again beside the Pensieve on Snape's desk in the shadowy, present-day Potions master's study. "So," said Snape, gripping Este's arm so tightly that She hand was starting to feel numb. "So . . . been enjoying yourselves, you two?"

"N-no . . ." said Este, trying to free her arm. Wincing

It was terrifying: Snape's lips were shaking, his face was white, and his teeth were bared. "Amusing men, your fathers, weren't they?" said Snape, shaking Este and Harry hard.

Harry started, "I—We didn't—" Snape threw Este from him with all his might and then he threw Harry who landed beside her.

Este fell hard onto the dungeon floor. "You will not tell anybody what you saw!" Snape bellowed.

"No," said Harry, getting to his feet as far from Snape as he could. "No, of course, I w —"

"Get out, get out, I don't want to see you in this office ever again!" And as Este and Harry hurtled toward the door, a jar of dead cockroaches exploded over their heads. She wrenched the door open and together, they flew away up the corridor, stopping only when they had put three floors between themselves and Snape. There they leaned against the wall, panting, and rubbing their bruised arms, an uneasy feeling settling between them.

enjoy the long chapter<33