Reflections - Mattheo Riddle

Permission

"What in the name of Merlin," said Jasper slowly, as they followed Neville, "was that about?"

Kirra did not answer. She knew exactly why the subject of people who were in St. Mungo's because of magical damage to their brains was highly distressing to Neville, but it was not her place to say... she bit the inside of her cheek painfully, trying not to cry as the faces of Alice and Frank flashed through her mind, "don't worry about it."

Kirra, Mattheo, Jasper and Theodore took their usual seats at the back of the class and pulled out parchment, quills, and their copies of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi. The class around them was whispering about what Neville had just done, but when Snape closed the dungeon door with an echoing bang everybody fell silent immediately.

"You will notice," said Snape in his low, sneering voice, "that we have a guest with us today."

He gestured toward the dim corner of the dungeon, and Kirra saw Professor Umbridge sitting there, clipboard on her knee. She glanced sideways at Mattheo, Theo and Jasper, her eyebrows raised. Snape and Umbridge, the two teachers she hated most . . . it was hard to decide which she wanted to triumph over the other.

"We are continuing with our Strengthening Solutions today, you will find your mixtures as you left them last lesson, if correctly made they should have matured well over the weekend — instructions" — he waved his wand again — "on the board. Carry on."

Professor Umbridge spent the first half hour of the lesson making notes in her corner. Kirra was very interested in hearing her question Snape, so interested, that she was becoming careless with her potion.

"Salamander blood, badger!" Mattheo snapped, grabbing her wrist to prevent her adding the wrong ingredient for the third time. "Not pomegranate juice!"

"Right," said Kirra vaguely, putting down the bottle and continuing to watch the corner. Umbridge had just gotten to her feet. "Ha," she said softly, as Umbridge strode between two lines of desks toward Snape, who was bending over Dean Thomas's cauldron.

"Well, the class seems fairly advanced for their level," she said briskly to Snape's back. "Though I would question whether it is ad-visable to teach them a potion like the Strengthening Solution. I think the Ministry would prefer it if that was removed from the syllabus."

Snape straightened up slowly and turned to look at her.

"Now . . . how long have you been teaching at Hogwarts?" she asked, her quill poised over her clipboard.

"Fourteen years," Snape replied. His expression was unfathomable. Her eyes on Snape, Kirra added a few drops to her potion; it hissed menacingly and turned from turquoise to orange.

"You applied first for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe?" Professor Umbridge asked Snape.

"Yes," said Snape quietly. "But you were unsuccessful?" Snape's lip curled. "Obviously." Kirra snorted loudly in amusement, coughing a few times, her cheeks going red as she quickly looked down at her potion and mixed it as everyone looked over at her. 

Professor Umbridge scribbled on her clipboard.

"And you have applied regularly for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post since you first joined the school, I believe?"

"Yes," said Snape quietly, barely moving his lips. He looked very angry.

"Do you have any idea why Dumbledore has consistently refused to appoint you?" asked Umbridge.

"I suggest you ask him," said Snape jerkily.

"Oh I shall," said Professor Umbridge with a sweet smile.