"Hang on..." Harry muttered to Ron. "There's an empty chair at the staff table... Where's Snape?"
Professor Severus Snape was the Slytherin head of house and potion master. Allium wasn't sure how she felt about him, of course he was sour but she was a Slytherin so it wasn't that bad.
"Maybe he's ill!" said Allium touching her crooked nose.
"Maybe he's left," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defense Against Dark Arts job again!"
"Or he might have been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him—"
"Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you three didn't arrive on the school train."
The three spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze, stood Severus Snape. He was a thin man with sallow skin, a hooked nose, and greasy, shoulder length black hair, and at this moment, he was smiling in a way that said trouble.
"Follow me," said Snape.
Not daring even to look at each other, The three followed Snape up the steps into the vast, echoing entrance hall, which was lit with flaming torches. A delicious smell of food was wafting from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light, down a narrow stone staircase that led into the dungeons.
"In!" he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and pointing.
They entered Snape's office, shivering. The shadowy walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of revolting things. The fireplace was dark and empty. Snape closed the door and turned to look at them.
"So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys? And drag one of my students along"
"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it—"
"Silence!" said Snape coldly. "What have you done with the car?"
Ron gulped. This wasn't the first time Snape had given the appearance of being able to read minds. But a moment later, as Snape unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet it was clear mind reading wasn't the verdict.
"You were seen," he hissed, showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began to read aloud: "Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower... at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing... Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police... Six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?" he said, looking up at Allium and Ron, smiling nastily. "Dear, dear... his own children..."
Allium felt as though he'd just been walloped in the stomach by one of the mad tree's larger branches. If anyone found out her father had bewitched the car... he hadn't thought of that...
"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on.
"That tree did more damage to us than we—" Ron blurted out.
"Silence!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here."
"Though Miss Weasley you are in my house. I will give your punishment when Professor Mcgonagall arrives"
Allium had never been more envious of her brother. Mcgonagall was much more fair than Snape, Allium wasn't sure if her house would save her now.
Ten minutes later, Snape returned, and sure enough it was Professor McGonagall who accompanied him. The three has seen Professer Mcgonagall angry of course but this was. She raised her wand the moment she entered; Harry and Ron both flinched, but she merely pointed it at the empty fireplace, where flames suddenly erupted. Allium stayed by one of the walls waiting for them to be chewed out.
"Sit," she said, and they both backed into chairs by the fire.
"Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously.
Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.
"...so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."
"Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?" Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry.
Now she said it, that seemed the obvious thing to have done. Allium couldn't believe she could of been so stupid. She was supposed to be a Slytherin for Merlin's sake.
"I—I didn't think—"
"That," said Professor McGonagall, "is obvious."
"And you Allium I expected more"
There was a knock on the office door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it. There stood the headmaster, Professor Dumbledore.
All three students stiffened do stone. Their headmaster was looking unusually grave. He stared down his very crooked nose at them. The whomping willow would of been better than those eyes.
There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, "Please explain why you did this."
It would have been better if he had shouted. The disappointment in his voice was blood curdling. Harry was unable to look Dumbledore in the eyes, and spoke instead to his knees. He told Dumbledore everything except that Mr. Weasley owned the bewitched car, making it sound as though they had happened to find a flying car parked outside the station. He knew Dumbledore would see through this at once, but Dumbledore asked no questions about the car. When Harry had finished, he merely continued to peer at them through his spectacles.
"We'll go and get our stuff," said Ron in a hopeless sort of voice.
"What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall.
"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron.
All eyes quickly went to Dumbledore.
"Not today, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore. "But I must impress upon the three of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to both your families tonight. I must also warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."
Snape looked as though Christmas had been canceled. He cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these three have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree—surely acts of this nature—"
"It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on these boys' punishments, Severus, you are only in charge of Allium" said Dumbledore calmly. "They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility." He turned to Professor McGonagall. "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices."
"I'll be off Severus, and I'll be take Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley with me" Professer Mcgonagall said gesturing to the boys for them to follow her.
"You will have detentions once a week till Christmas break" Professer Snape told the girl sternly. "Head to the kitchens for some dinner I'm sure those mischievous brothers of yours have shown you where it is and then fix that nose of yours"
Professer Snape waved her off and she quickly left scurrying off for the portrait of the fruit bowl. She tickled the pear and the portrait opened, there showed many scurrying little creatures with mixtures of utensils and plates.
A couple of them came to crowd around Allium asking her a thousand questions a second. She did her best to get her point across. In barely a minute she had a plate of food and a glass of pumpkin juice
Allium settled down at a clear area at one of the long tables mimicking the house tables above. A house elf even came by and brought her a damp cloth to wipe the blood from her nose.
As she ate she plotted through simple healing spells and why the barrier didn't open. Her thoughts of fixing were overrun by thoughts of the barrier. The most reasonable conclusion was that they were late but still the thought lingered, they were with the Harry Potter of all people.
Allium leaned on her hand in thought, though her hand slipped and Alliums hand hit her nose. Her thoughts were quickly wiped by the pain and the horrid crack that came from her nose. After a bit of mumbling and cursing she finally remembered a healing spell.
She had seen her mother use it many times she hoped that it truly was as simple as it appeared. She raised her wand to her nose. "Episkey" Allium said confidently.
She could feel her nose move back to place though it still felt slightly off. As she ran her fingers down her nose there was a slight turn where it had been broken. Allium wasn't sure if it was a normal part of a broken nose or simply her shortcomings but at least it no longer hurt.
Allium finished her dinner and gave the dishes to one of the elves. When she left many of them bid her goodbye.
The walk to the Slytherin common wasn't far but when she reached the wall another problem came to her hands. She didn't know the new password, she wasn't sure if anyone would hear her knocking but it was worth a try.
After a few bangs on the hard wall it finally opened showing the face of Blaise Zambini. When his eyes laid on Allium he smirked, "congrats on the entrance" Blaise said stepping to the side to show the Slytherin common room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. Many members of the Slytherin house were
Applause came from Alliums peers. The feeling felt alien to Allium, her peers may of been good but they were still Slytherins and weren't very good at congratulations.
"Brilliant!" yelled Draco Malfoy. "What an entrance! Flying that thing right into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that one for years—"
Words of congratulations went around the room. The Slytherins were happy to finally not have a bad view on them.