In the Great Hall, the house tables had been removed to make way for a single long platform in the centre of the room. They all crowded around it, talking amongst one another.

"Gather round! Gather round!" Lockhart strode down the platform, half cloak hanging over one shoulder. "Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me? Excellent."

What a freaking show pony.

"I will pay you ten galleons to trip him right here and now," Liam whispered to Blaze.

"Fifteen." Blaze haggled seriously.

"You're idiots." Said Draco, "having to stand so close to that man is at least thirty."

"Actually, we're all idiots now that I think of it," Liam said. "Val would set him on fire for free let alone just tripping him."

"That is true." Blaze nodded.

"I'm boredddd," Leah whined, hanging off Olivia's shoulder.

"You need to be patient." Said Olivia.

"But I don't want to." Leah pouted and rubbed her head against Olivia's shoulder like a cat, nearly toppling them over. "I want Christmas to hurry up and get here already!"

"Just a few weeks now," Olivia told her sympathetically. "That's not too long, is it?"

"That's practically a century!"

Valentine could feel a presence approaching behind that she was all too familiar with. No one else seemed to notice.

"Forced into this too, were you Professor?" Valentine glance over her should at the grim man.

The others looked startled and turn to see Snape towering above them.

"No, actually," he said, an evil glint in his black eyes. "I'd gladly take any chance to send Lockhart sprawling on his backside."

How professional. I like it. Too bad he's a total bastard ninety-nine per cent of the time.

Then Lockhart was talking again.

"In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Professor Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this Dueling Club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works."

I would literally rather die.

"Let me introduce my assistant, Professor Snape."

Maybe death can wait.

Valentine felt as though someone must have been smiling upon her that day. A grin twitched on to her face and she did her best to make it appear devious

"Assistant?" She asked Snape, laughter threatening to bubble up from her throat.

Snape glared at her and shoved her aside to step up onto the platform.

"He has sportingly agreed to help with a short demonstration." Lockhart continued.

Oh, I bet he has.

"I don't want any of you, youngsters, to worry."

I can assure you that nobody is worried.

"You'll still have your Potions master when I'm through with him. Never fear."

"No rush. Keep him as long as you like." Valentine called out, drawing laughter from the students.

Lockhart's face fell in brief embarrassment at Valentine's comment. He sucked in a breath and pulled a smirk back on to his face.

"No talking, if you please!"

"I'm in if you are."

"Lestrange!" Snape growled at her, voice holding all the authority that Lockhart never even had a chance at.

Valentine crossed her arms over her chest.

"What happened to putting him on his backside?"

"Just wait," Snape said.

"I'm sorry?" Lockhart's smile was faltering again.

"Ignore her. She often spouts nonsense." Snape waved her dismissively. "Where were we?"

"Right. Yes." Lockhart nodded and pulled his face into a mask of seriousness.

Valentine shoved her way to the front of the group so she would be able to see everything

The two stood straight, facing one another, treating this like a formal duel. They each took out their wands, slicing them through the air, holding them in front of there faces before pulling them back down by there sides.

This kind of thing wasn't practically in real-world situations like the one the school was facing. Valentine doubted knowing duel etiquette mostly used for competitions nowadays would be useful if one was to be attacked like Colin Creevy had.

"Snape's gonna kick his ass, right?" Asked Blaze.

"Of course he will." Draco scoffed.

"I don't think Lockhart could stand a chance against Longbottom not to mention Snape." Snickered Liam.

The two Professors bowed and turned away from each other, walking down opposite ends of the platform and taking their positions. They readied their wands and Lockhart counted down firmly. His voice was strong and confident Valentine swore she could see a tremble in his knees.

"One. Two. Three!"

"Expelliarmus!" Snape cast without hesitation.

The spell not only tore Lockhart's wand from his hand, but the sheer force sent Lockhart flying back through the air and landing on his back with a loud thud.

Just let me file that away alongside that time the Weasley twins gave Snape a surprise orange slime bath.

The room filled with laughter. Liam and Blaze high fived one another and Leah cackled so hard she had tears in her eyes.

Lockhart was quick to scoop himself up off the ground. He squared his shoulders, trying to make himself look taller, but Valentine saw the glimmering of fear and humiliation in his eyes.

"An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape. But if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do." Lockhart chuckled good-naturedly as he tried to piece his ego back together. "If I had wanted to stop you, it would have been only too easy."

He didn't want to stop him? What kind of logic is that? He could have shown us how to deflect defensive spells. That's like the basics of duelling.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, Professor." Snape gave the man a weak, practically nonexistent smile.

Oh, how very convincing.

The mockery of a smile dropped from his face as soon as Lockhart had turned his back.

"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape. Let's have a volunteer pair. Potter, how about you?" Lockhart looked back over at Snape. "Shall you pick your best student, Professor? See how their fair against our extraordinary Mr Potter?"

Leah grabbed Valentine's arm and grinned at her.

Snape's face immediately twisted into a grimace. Valentine had never seen him so completely reluctant to hear the sound of his own voice. He seemed to have a short internal conflict before becoming utterly and sourly so, resigned.

"I am exceptionally aggrieved to admit,"

Oh, piss off.

"that in the area of combative talent...Miss Lestrange, would likely be the how you put it, ' best student'."

Lockhart's face dropped further than it ever had before. Blaze cheered loudly and Draco clapped her on the back.

Wait for it.

"However,"

There it is.

"Miss Lestrange is severely lacking in self-control and basic civility. She could not be trusted to leave Potter in one piece. We would be sending him to the hospital wing in a matchbox."

All eyes were on Valentine.

"What?" She sneered openly, the room growing tense and silent. "I won't deny it. I could level every person in this room before they knew it was even happening. I won't apologise for my talents simply because you're all afraid of me."

"Not everyone," Snape bit out.

"That's your mistake, sir."

"Be silent." He rolled his eyes and pointed at Draco. "Get up here."

"Give him a little gift from me," Valentine whispered to him as he climbed up onto the platform.

Draco nodded seriously.

"Good luck." Said Olivia.

"Don't die now." Leah patted his shoulder.

"Show him who's boss, Draco." Added Liam.

The two boys took their places and Valentine glanced at Snape. Draco wasn't a particularly strong duelist but he also wasn't weak or in the habit of pulling punches. If things got too out of hand, Snape would have to step in.

"Wands at the ready," Lockhart said.

Draco and Harry then proceeded to follow the same actions as the Professors, bowing, walking away and then turning again to face each other.

"On the count of three cast your charms to disarm your opponent. Only to disarm. We don't want any accidents here." Instructed Lockhart. "One. Two-"

"Stupify!" Draco cried out before the man finished counting and sent the other Harry flipping back through the air.

Most of the crowd gasped worriedly, while one student dared to yell out 'cheat', but that sound was covered by Leah, Liam and Blaze laughing.

Valentine's stomach clenched. She never thought for even a second that Draco was going to follow the rules. Lockhart was exactly enforcing and Snape wouldn't stop him unless things got extreme.

"Stupify!" Harry shot back the instant he was on his feet.

Draco flew backwards, just as the Harry had moments ago. He landed in front of the Professor like a kicked dog that feared it was about to then be drowned. Valentine had seen that expression before. But Snape wasn't her uncle. He just grabbed the Draco roughly by the scruff of the neck and threw him to his feet again.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart reminded them.

"Serpensortia!" Draco cast.

A live snake shot out from his wand landing on the raised platform.

"How did he do that?" Blaze hissed under his breath.

This wasn't a spell they had covered in class. Valentine immediately knew that Draco must have found it in a dark magic book, as per his hobby.

The crowd gasped, taking several steps away from the platform encase it attacked. Harry looked taken aback and dropped his guard.

Valentine's eyes went to Snape and found he was already moving.

"Don't move, Potter." He said. "I'll get rid of it for you."

"Allow me, Professor Snape." Lockhart stepped forward before Snape could reach the snake.

"Alarte Ascendare!" With a grand and useless flick of his wand, Lockhart sent the serpent spiralling straight up into the air and landing back down with a thud.

Idiot! What exactly was he trying to do?

The snake reared up, looking around at the students, who backed away further in caution. It opened it's mouth wide and bared its fangs with a hiss.

Harry, who before had seemed nervous now stepped closer. He spoke to the snake in a series of strange words, each carrying a husky hiss.

The snake turned its attention to a boy in a crowd and Harry continued to speak. Valentine hadn't heard these words before. She couldn't recognise them as any human language.

What the hell is going on? Is he...speaking Parseltongue? But, how?

The snake inched closer to the boy and Harry's tone suddenly seemed more urgent. The snake turned to look at him with a hiss and then it was almost like it relaxed. Closing its mouth and flicking its tongue at the air.

It's so rare. What is the chance that The Boy Who Lived would be a freaking Parseltongue!

"Vipera Evanesca." Snape flicked his wand towards the snake. It's body crackled away like embers lit without fire until it was nothing but ash.

"What are you playing at?" Demanded the boy from the crowd, a slight tremor in his voice.

Well, things just got a lot more confusing.

-----Pretending to Hate-----

"So." Valentine held a hand out to pet Fawkes moulting neck. "Harry Potter can talk to snakes."

"It would seem so." Snape rasped, seeming more displeased than usual.

"I'll admit it," said Valentine. "I did not see that coming. Isn't being a Parselmouth a rare hereditary trait?" Valentine frowned. "I don't recall anything about either Lilly or James Potter's family containing any."

"As you said, it is a rare trait." Said Dumbledore. "It often skips multiple generations."

"Salazar Slytherin was a Parselmouth." Valentine scratched under Fawkes's chin carefully and heaved a sigh. "Now, people have even more reason to suspect Harry."

Valentine knew the phoenix would be coming to the end of another life soon, especially if his withered appearance was anything to go by.

"He has nothing to worry about." Snape scoffed. "So long as he's innocent."

"Right." Valentine laughed bitterly. "Because Harry likes to go around petrifying people and writing threats on walls in blood. Did you know he also likes to cut the heads off chickens and drink the blood?"

"Your impertinence is exhausting."

"Good. I shouldn't be the only one tired all the damn time."

"Are we not here for a reason?" Snape growled.

"Is that reason not to insult you?"

"My dear," Dumbledore interjected, "you have mentioned before that Harry and his friends have been acting suspiciously."

"Yes. Something is definitely going on with them. And if it wasn't for bloody Lockhart, I'd know by now."

"What good are you?" Snape sneered. "You can't even complete the most basic of tasks."

"Oh, shut up! Do you know how frustrating that idiot is? He always there when I don't need him to be. Then when he isn't the issue, I can't get my friends to give me a second alone. And when it's not them, it's the Weasley twins setting off smoke bombs in the halls."

"Excuses." Snape just curled his lip at her distastefully.

"You," Valentine jabbed an accusatory finger at him, "are a pompous jerk."

"And you are an impudent brat."

"Please." Dumbledore held up one hand. "We still have matters to discuss."

"I can promise you, Professor." Valentine turned to face him. "I'll do everything I can to find out what they're up to. Even if I have to make Lockhart swallow his teeth."

Snape scoffed under his breath at her and she sent him a deathly dark glare.

"The Gryffindor that was petrified," She said. "Colin Creevy. You said McGonagall found him?"

"Yes."

"Well, if there was any evidence of some sort left behind I doubt McGonagall of all people will miss it." Valentine sighed. "How do we stop a monster when we don't even know what it is?"

"It would be prudent to remember that the boy would have been fine if he hadn't been lurking about the castle in the middle of the night." Said, Snape.

"What?" Valentine spat incredulously. "So he was just asking to be attacked? Has age finally gotten to your already limited brain, Professor? He's an eleven-year-old boy and from what I've heard, a fairly innocent one."

"And you're a twelve-year-old girl." Snape shot back. "You should remember that when you're running your mouth."

"Age is irrelevant." Valentine raised her chin defiantly, anger brimming in her blue eyes. "Same goes for you apparently since you never appear to act your age."

"And how should I act when a child is constantly irritating me with her posturing and know-it-all behaviour?" Snape's face twitched.

Valentine supposed he was on the edge of losing it. She didn't care. As far as she was concerned, he deserved everything she'd ever said to him.

"You would know a thing or two about posturing, wouldn't you Professor?"

Snape opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by the tinkling of glasses. Both Valentine and Snape looked to find that Dumbledore was now beside his desk, pouring a drink from a decanter.

"Please." Dumbledore smiled politely. "Don't let me interrupt."

Valentine and Snape both shared a terse and irate glance. Then Snape crossed his arms over his chest and huffed as Dumbledore sat in his chair far too nonchalantly.

Valentine pursed her lips and twisted the silver ring on her finger.

We may have had that coming.

In the lull, she could feel a headache pressing forward. She ignored it. She was getting fairly proficient in acting as though she wasn't in pain.

"What are we to do then?" She asked. "About these attacks? The last time they didn't stop until someone was already dead."

"Closing the school will always be an option," Dumbledore took a small sip from his glass but didn't seem too interested in the contents. "though a last resort. Students will be warned again to be cautious. Travel in pairs at the very least. And of course, obey the curfew. A majority of the attacks from now and fifty years ago have only occurred at night and so that is when we should be most prudent."

"I think that's my department." Valentine hummed.

"My dear?" Dumbledore rose his brows in question.

"I already spend hours at a time in the halls at night." She said. "A few more won't hurt. I don't often run into other students and when I do I avoid then. The least I could do if keep an eye out, lead them into the path of Flich or a prefect if needed. You can warn the students as much as you like, sir, there will always be so idiot who doesn't listen."

"You will be risking yourself," Dumbledore spoke seriously, his brow was creased in concern but she could see the gears turning in his mind.

"I'm aware. But every student thus far attacked now and fifty years ago has been Muggle Born. Or a cat." Valentine reasoned. "I can assure you I'm far from that. Though it pains me, I'm not exactly someone Salazar Slytherin would disapprove of."

"I suppose you would do it no matter what I say."

Valentine smiled.

"Glad we're on the same page."

A sharp prickling of pain rose in her head and she fought to keep her smile, not relaxing until the pain dulled again.

"Head Master, I doubt what use she'll be following students at night when she can barely do at day." Snape's tone was business-like but she knew he just wanted just dig at her.

"Head Master, please tell Snape that nobody asked for his damn opinion."

Snape turned on her, black eyes burning with hatred.

"I don't recall ever having asked for your opinion and yet you constantly shove it in my face."

"You do realize that you're no better, right! All I hear from you is how useless and impudent I am!"

"At least I'm correct!"

"Are you, sir? Have you have cross-referenced that little 'fact' or is your ego enough to sustain you?"

"It is." He replied snidely.

"Well, I can't have that now can I?" Valentine growled like a wild animal ready to strike. She was. "Because you, Severus Snape are the most puerile, immature, despicable, repulsive person I have ever had the displeasure to meet! Your ego does you no favours! All it does is mask your own colours for yourself. But guess what? You're the only one wearing a mask and we can see everything for what it is."

"I will not stand here and take this insult!" Snape roared.

Valentine could feel the wrath pouring off him in heavy waves. She felt as though she had won.

"No one is asking you to stay!"

"Then I shall take my leave of you!"

"Please do!"

Snape shoved past her briskly and took no measures to shut the door quietly.

Valentine turned back to Dumbledore who was still nursing his largely untouched drink.

"I hope you didn't need him for anything."

Dumbledore made a sound that almost seemed to be a laugh.

"No. Severus would not have let himself be driven away had he thought it was crucial he remains." Dumbledore said. "However, you seem to be in particularly terse spirits tonight."

"What gave it away?' Valentine grumbled. "I'm just frustrated is all. I know it's bad form to take out your problems on others but, well, it's Snape. He can consider it recompense for all the children he's