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Sing a Song of Hogwarts by Pennfana [Reviews - 4]

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Chapter 11: I Just Whisper Your Name

A couple of weeks later, Geillis amazed much of the population of Hogwarts with nothing more than a simple change of wardrobe. Instead of her customary sombre black, she took her place at the High Table at breakfast dressed in robes of royal blue. “What the hell did you do to your clothes?” hissed Snape.

“My husband has been dead for far longer than a year and a day, my friend,” she murmured in reply. “I have been entitled to wear actual colours for quite some time now. Besides, two years ago today I was pronounced completely healed--physically, at least--from the miscarriage of my child. If that’s not a cause for some small personal celebration, I don’t know what is.”

“But I liked the way you look in black!”

She smiled. “I’ll still wear it, you know. Besides, I prefer darker colours anyway--you needn’t fear that my sense of style will ever become like our beloved Headmaster’s,” she said, nodding in the direction of the central chair where Dumbledore sat in a red robe with purple trimming under a green, yellow, and orange coat and covered with a scarlet and cyan hat. “But then,” she said, “it could have its advantages. For one thing, I’d never get lost in a snowstorm.”

His face grew slightly colder. “All right, if you want to look as colour-blind as he is, fine! I don’t care.”

“Oh, do shut up, Severus,” she said.

He was about to frame a nasty retort when he saw the grin on her face.

***

Codanna watched the pair as they spoke. How dare that woman ever wear colours again? She was the widow of Nathan Bonosares! She should grieve forever! She should be absolutely inconsolable!

Furthermore, she should have had the decency to die after being poisoned; then Codanna's work would be done and she could go home to mourn her beloved Nathan in peace. But she hadn’t counted on that greasy-haired nuisance knowing enough about poisons to know that the Extractus Toxinus spell was the only cure. She hadn’t counted on him knowing the spell in the first place.

She did some research after her attempt had failed. It turned out that the bastard was a Potions teacher. Idiot! She should have made certain that nobody with that sort of knowledge would want to help her foe. She’d have to see if she could separate them somehow.

Of course, she had been depending on Sashara’s opening of the package at a time when the poison would have enough time to do its work. It nearly had, as it was—but damn that Sashara for opening it at a time when people would notice that she wasn’t about!

In her scrying mirror, she noticed that there were two witches who were practically green with envy as they watched Sashara and that blasted Potions master whispering to each other. Perfect! There were women here, too, who knew how horrible Sashara was. She had apparently stolen the man that they loved, too. Codanna resolved to discover the names of these other women; they would be useful.

Throwing on her cloak, Codanna flew down to Hogsmeade. If anybody knew who these women were, they would be there.

***

The next day, Professor Sinistra received an anonymous owl with a note.

Dear Professor Sinistra,

I have some important information regarding the Songspells professor. She is not what she seems. I believe that she is plotting to murder Professor Snape. I have further information for you, but it is far too sensitive to entrust to the post. Please meet me tonight on the Quidditch pitch so that we may discuss this further.

Signed,

A Friend


Sinistra read the letter several times, her heart pounding in terror for Severus Snape. Suddenly she noticed that the owl was watching her, waiting for her reply. She hastily dashed off a note to the effect that she would be very pleased to hear what this friend had to say.

***

All was dark as Professor Sinistra flew silently into the Quidditch pitch. The night was bitterly cold, and the only light came from the stars and the pale sliver of the waning moon. She landed softly in the snow and waited for her unknown informant by one of the sets of hoops.

A figure stepped out from the shadows by the Slytherin grandstand. “Ah, Professor Sinistra,” said a silky female voice. “So glad you could make it. My name is Cellie.”

Professor Sinistra nodded. “Pleased to meet you, I’m sure,” she said. “What is this information of which you spoke in your note?”

“Getting straight to business. I like that. Well, first of all, I have to tell you that when she was in Canada, she became associated with the Ontario branch of the Death Eaters. I know because I taught at the Blueleaf School with her, and I never met a more secretive, untrustworthy creature in my life. And believe me, I’ve met lots of them—I taught Defence Against the Dark Arts.”

“Why did you leave? For that matter, why did she?

“Her husband died over three years ago in highly suspicious circumstances.”

“But why did we never hear of that here?”

“Because she changed her name. She was born as Sashara Elford, and she—damn her eyes—stole the man I loved from me. His name was—”

“—Nathan Bonosares,” interrupted Professor Sinistra. “I remember reading about that case. There was quite a bit of speculation about it, as I recall. There were many people who wondered if she had murdered him and his friend.”

Codanna nodded. “I think she did,” she said. "When she disappeared, I did as much as I could to track her down and try to keep her from committing murder once again. Alas, by the time I found her, it was too late. She was already teaching here under her assumed name. Tell me, Professor Sinistra, have there seemed to be any strange incidents regarding her, particularly when she first began teaching here?”

“Why, yes,” said Sinistra, surprised. “About two weeks after classes began, her harp exploded when she touched it. She was lucky to get out of that alive; she’d have died if she hadn’t had a shield in place…” her voice trailed off as her mind made the connection that Codanna had been hoping for.

“You don’t say!” said Codanna, feigning shock.

“It was about that time that she and Professor Snape began associating with each other. They became virtually inseparable as he investigated the explosion. Then, about three weeks ago, she received a package which contained a dart that flew into her arm and poisoned her. He was frantic—I’ve never seen him so upset. She barely made it out of that one alive. Damn her! Before she showed up I was absolutely certain that he was starting to show some interest in me!”

"Oh, no, you poor dear! She has done it to you, too!” Codanna gave the other woman a hug. “Which means—”

“Severus…” whispered Professor Sinistra in horror. “Cellie, we have to do something!” She grabbed her broomstick and made as if to fly off, presumably to warn her beloved Professor Snape.

Codanna grabbed her arm. “Wait!” she said. “You said that they’ve become inseparable. Do you honestly think that you could tell him all that I have told you and not be dismissed? He would likely rather believe that the sun shone green and the clouds were made of white mushrooms.”

Sinistra’s shoulders dropped in defeat. “Then what must I do?” she asked in a whisper as Codanna’s words twisted in her heart like a poison dagger.

“You must gently separate them with rumours,” said Codanna.

***

Later, Codanna sat in her rooms at Malfoy Manor. Her smile was evil as she regarded Sashara’s smiling face in her scrying mirror. The conniving man-stealer lay sleeping, one hand fingering the silver pendant that Snape had given her. “Sleep well, Sashara,” murmured Codanna. “The time will soon come when you are robbed of sleep’s sweet embrace. You will pay for what you did to me—and be embraced by the sleep of death!”

“Getting a little dramatic, love?” a voice came from the secret doorway behind her.

Codanna dismissed the image in the mirror and turned to the man who had spoken. “Well, perhaps, Lucius,” she said. “Still, honey, can you blame me? She did something absolutely awful to me. She deserves to pay for it, and I fully intend to have my complete revenge.”

Lucius Malfoy’s cold face twisted into an expression of approval. “I cannot blame you for that,” he said. “I would do no less. It is a shame that she has lived for so long.”

“Your friend seems to have some interest in keeping her alive,” said Codanna.

“Severus never had much good sense, for all his intelligence,” said Malfoy. “I wonder that the Dark Lord never punished him for this beyond a simple Cruciatus every once in awhile.”

“We must simply assume that the Master has his reasons for doing what he does. I, for one, prefer not to question him.”

“You are right, love. Come, let us to bed.”

Codanna smiled.

***

A/N: Any Harry Connick, Jr. fans out there? Well, I’m not, but I remember the song “I Just Whisper Your Name” very well. And no wonder; it was one of the songs that I had to learn in seventh grade music class, such as it was. Besides, when it was a current hit, it was badly overplayed on the local radio station that I listened to at the time. =)

I know that a simple change of wardrobe would not ordinarily attract a much attention. Still, could you imagine Dumbledore without his beard, Snape dressed in yellow, or McGonagall without her glasses? Geillis has worn black exclusively throughout the story, so all the staff and students at Hogwarts would naturally be accustomed to that. And as I’m sure you know, people often react to obvious changes with surprise or distaste. Perhaps I overstated it a little, but then, this story isn’t really serious—it’s just a bit of fun. =)

Anyway, the reason for Geillis’ sudden return to coloured clothing is fairly simple. I wanted to show that there have been some changes in her in the last few months, and what easier way than in the way she looks? Okay, I admit it, I’m lazy. =)

Codanna goes to Professor Sinistra simply because I have no idea how to write Madam Hooch. Odd, I suppose, given that Hooch has more space in the books; however, to me the fact that so little is said about Sinistra gives some leeway. There’s just enough said about Hooch to give a very general idea of her character—but William Blake said that “to generalize is to be an idiot”, and anyway, I wasn’t really sure how Hooch would react to the situation that Codanna’s put Sinistra in. (I know that doesn’t explain why I chose Snape as a focus for this story. He’s a different case altogether, though. For one thing, I needed a pre-existing character with a fair amount of intelligence who would be able to get Geillis out of the trouble she gets into, even if he does tend to intimidate people and fly off the handle at regular intervals. Besides, he’s fun to write when he’s being snarky. It’s good catharsis after a long day.)

About the “Ontario branch of the Death Eaters” thing—well, if Karkaroff can be a Death Eater in Bulgaria, then why couldn’t there be a chapter of some sort in Canada? I may eventually re-word this, but right now I’m not entirely sure how.

By the way, you’ll no doubt have noticed by now where Codanna has been living. I’m not entirely sure how Narcissa Malfoy tolerates her presence; presumably she thinks Codanna’s a distant cousin or something—or it could simply be that she just doesn’t care. When I first wrote this story, I toyed with the idea of having Codanna be a former Death Eater, or at least something connected with them; her presence at Malfoy Manor is a remnant of this.

There’s no real purpose to the scrying mirror scene. I just wanted to poke fun at those overly dramatic lines that you sometimes see in movies or shows where the fiendish plot is just about to be carried out. =) However, I do figure that Malfoy the Elder would more than approve of Codanna’s preferred form of revenge. He certainly seems the type.

Sing a Song of Hogwarts by Pennfana [Reviews - 4]

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