User:Ashlee Matthews

HI! I'm Ashlee...I write FUNNY Harry Potter Fanfictions...and I want peeps to read it....

Cartoon ME!! I drewded it...VERY DODGIFIED...don't tease it...

If ur scared of the length of this...don't be...is funny! This isn't quite completed yet, so...look out for updates...by the way, if you happen to come across Barbie...tell her that I said TAKE YOUR GOD DAMNED JUMPER OFF!!

-CHAPTER ONE-

The Ultimate Sacrifice

 The silence of night was upon the whole of London except for the humming of a large motorbike, which was flying above Privet Drive, upon this motorbike was a giant named Hagrid, in Hagrid’s arm, were two bundles, inside these bundles were two babies, a beautiful baby girl with blonde hair and green eyes, and a baby boy, Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived. The giant stopped in-between two houses, numbers four and six Privet Drive, a tabby cat sat gave a small mew and jumped off the fence on which it was sitting, a few seconds later, an aging witch stood in its place.
 “Professor!” Hagrid handed the bundles to the aging woman, “I brought Harry and the girl, just like ya tol’ me to!”
 “Thank you Hagrid, I imagine everything went as planned?”
 “Yes Professor!”
 “And you’re totally sure that no Muggles saw you, or the battle?”
 “Yep!”
 “Good,” the aging woman looked down at the baby girl, “She looks exactly like Maria…We’ll have to give her a name, what do you think, Hagrid?”
 “Glad ya asked Professor! On our way over ‘ere, I was talkin’ to ‘er, so I jus’ started ta call ‘er Ashlee, she seems pretty ‘appy with it.”
 “Excellent, Ashlee it is!”
 She placed Harry outside the door of the Dursleys house; she then walked along to the next house and placed Ashlee on the door step along with a letter:

 Dear sir or madam,

Please take care of this young baby girl, Ashlee, as though she was your own, soon after her eleventh birthday, a letter will be sent inviting her to attend my school, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, her biological mother sacrificed her life to save those of many others, she will be safer with you, than with any non-Muggle family, Sincerely yours, Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster at Hogwarts

 “Professor McGonagall,” Hagrid’s eyes were welling up with tears, “Do ya think Ashlee’ll wanna come ta Hogwarts?”
 “I hope so…” Professor McGonagall looked down at the sleeping baby, “let’s go Hagrid”
 “Comin’!” he crouched down beside Ashlee, “You take care of yourself Ashlee, I’ll be back ta help ya get your books organised in a bou’ ten years then…”
 Hagrid got up, wiped a tear from his eye, and in a flash, he and Professor McGonagall were gone.

 It was a hot, steaming summer day, Ashlee walked into the kitchen where her adopted parents were waiting for her, she walked down the stairs, her long blonde hair swaying back and forth as she went.
 “Morning!” Ashlee said in a chirpy tone, “What’s wrong?”
 “Ashlee,” Mr. Matthews said gloomily, “We haven’t been totally honest with you…”
 “You mean I’m not adopted?”
 “Yes, you are…” he looked down at his feet, “Well, this letter came for you today.”
 “A letter?”
 “Yes dear,” Mrs. Matthews handed her the letter, “It’s inviting you to attend a school, kind of like a college.”
 “What do you mean kind of like a college?” Ashlee looked up at her mother puzzled.
 “Well, not just anyone can attend this school, they have to be, well, witches or wizards, and your biological parents went to this school.”
 “Are you saying that I’m a–”
 “‘Ello, anyone ‘ome?” A thunderous voice interrupted Ashlee.
 “Who is it?” Mrs. Matthews looked extremely intimidated.
 “Me name’s Hagrid, I’m ‘ere on behalf of Albus Dumbledore.”
 Mrs. Matthews raced to the door to let him in, Hagrid was so tall he had to duck to get in the door, “Professor Dumbledore sent me to collect Ashlee, she is coming to Hogwarts, isn’t she?”
 “We haven’t decided yet,” Mr. Matthews looked across at his daughter, “but that choice will be Ashlee’s and Ashlee’s alone, we don’t want any magic used on her to force her into it!”
 “Mum, Dad!” Ashlee’s shiny hair fell into her eyes as she ran to the door, “I want to go to Hogwarts if my biological parents did, people there might be able to tell me what they were like.”
 “Well,” Hagrid crouched down so that he was Ashlee’s height, “Only your mother knew who your father was, and, she died before she got a chance to tell anyone, only he knows.”
 “How did she die?”
 “She sacrificed herself to save the lives of many others, You-Know-Who was distracted, and it gave a lot of people a chance to escape.”
 “Actually, I don’t know who!”
 “His name is V-Voldemort, no one says his name, he was an extremely powerful wizard, but he used his powers for evil, he tried to kill a baby boy, he’d be around your age now, but this boy didn’t die, he survived, and You-Know-Who was severely weakened, some say he went into hiding, others think he died, but no one’s truly sure.”
 “Who was the boy?”
 “Harry Potter.”
 “Harry?” Ashlee looked surprised, “He’s our next-door neighbour!”
 “Yep, and that’s how he got that scar on his forehead!” Hagrid got up and both Mr. and Mrs. Matthews flinched back, “Speakin’ o’ Harry, we better go an’ pick ‘im up too!”
 Ashlee hugged her parents, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine!”
 Hagrid put his hand in her shoulder and led her out the door, “You look exactly like your mother, except she had blue eyes, not green.”
 “Good to know.”
 “Well ‘least Professor Snape’ll recognise ya; he had a thing for your mother y’know!”
 “Great, I’ll be popular with him then!”
 Ashlee waited outside while Hagrid went to get Harry, she heard Petunia scream, and then Harry and Hagrid emerged from the house.
 “What happened in there?” Ashlee smirked as she looked over at Harry.
 “Aunt Petunia almost fainted when Hagrid put a tail on Dudley…” Ashlee looked up at Hagrid who also had a smirk on his face.
 “Well you two ‘ad better keep that a secret!” Hagrid’s grin seemed to have just slipped into a frown.
 “We’d better go an’ get your books ready then!” Hagrid span around when the Matthews’ door opened.
 “Ashlee!” Mrs. Matthews ran out with a brown paper bag in her hand, “You should take something to eat in case you get hungry”
 “Don’t you worry ‘bout a thing!” Hagrid’s eyes fell on the bag, “We’re goin’ ta Gringotts, it’s a wizard bank, both Ashlee’s mum and ‘Arry’s dad were really wealthy, they should be able ta buy there own food, the ‘Ogwarts Express’ll leave at ‘round eleven o’clock at platform nine and three quarters.”

 They went to the bank, before going to Harry or Ashlee’s vaults, they stopped at vault 713, Hagrid reached in and picked up a scruffy looking package, “This’ll be safer at ‘Ogwarts, but mind ye, it’s our little secret.” Ashlee and Harry both nodded, obviously still shocked at what was happening around them.
 At five to eleven, Ashlee and Harry arrived at the King Cross Station after purchasing a most unusual list of school supplies, “Oh, I almost forgot,” Hagrid handed both Ashlee and Harry an owl in a cage, “Harry, yours is called Hedwig, Ashlee, yours is called Snowy, think of ‘em as late birthday presents.”
 Harry turned to leave when he realised they’d forgotten to thank Hagrid for the presents; they could’ve sworn he was right behind them but when Ashlee turned back he was gone.
 “These Muggles are so unorganised.” A woman with five children walking with her was speaking.
 “Harry,” Ashlee looked at Harry, her jade eyes shimmering with joy, “If they use that word, they must know how to get to platform nine and three quarters!”
 Ashlee and Harry ran over to them, Ashlee noticed that they all had blazing red hair and blue eyes.
 “Excuse me,” Ashlee politely interrupted their conversation, “Could you please tell us how to get to platform nine and three quarters?”
 “Of course dear,” The woman smiled, “You must be new to Hogwarts,” at hearing this Ashlee blushed, was it really that obvious that they didn’t know what they were doing? “That’s okay, it’s Ron’s first year too.”
 Ashlee looked at the youngest of the boys who simply blushed and looked away, this made Ashlee’s smile larger than Harry had ever seen it.
  “Fred, you show them how to get to platform nine and three quarters.” She gestured at one of the identical twins.
 “Honestly woman! Can’t you tell your own sons apart? You should be ashamed to call yourself our mother!” The twin had a slight smirk on his face.
 “Sorry George, go on then,”
 The boy walked a few feet away, then started running towards the barrier between platforms nine and ten, “By the way, I am Fred.” said the boy as he ran past his mother, Ashlee had a puzzled look on her face, “Don’t worry,” said the other twin, “We don’t do that very often.”
 “Uh-huh…” Ashlee and Harry looked at each other totally bemused.

-CHAPTER TWO-

Aboard the Hogwarts Express

 Ashlee and Harry were in a compartment sitting opposite each other, “Er,” the red-haired boy from the station was standing in the doorway of the compartment, “Would I be able to sit with you two? Everywhere else is taken…”
 “It’s fine by me, what about you Harry?” Ashlee glanced over at Harry before looking back at the boy.
 “Sure!” said Harry.
 The boy sat down beside Ashlee, “I’m Ron, Ron Weasley,” he shook Ashlee and Harry’s hands.
 “I’m Ashlee Matthews! Nice to meetcha!”
 Harry held out his hand, “I’m Harry Potter.”
 “Whoa!” Ron’s eyes were wide open, “Do you really have the scar?” Harry moved his hair aside to reveal a scar shaped like a lightning bolt, “Amazing!” he turned to look at Ashlee, “You look familiar, who’s your mother?”
 “I-uh…” Ashlee’s spirit sank, “I don’t know, I was adopted…”
 “It must be true!”
 “What must be true?”
 “Rumour has it that Maria Malfoy was killed by someone close to her – supposedly her brother – trying to save a whole bunch of people.”
 “Maria…That’s her first name! Hagrid told me! But, how would you recognise my mother?”
 “She was on a limited edition Wizard Card! You get them in Chocolate Frogs! Here, look!” Ron reached into his pocket and pulled out a whole pile of Wizard Cards, “Found it! Maria Malfoy!” he showed Ashlee the card, on it was a beautiful blonde woman with cobalt blue eyes, Ashlee thought it was like looking into the future, “It’s also been rumoured that she had a daughter born on the exact same day as Harry Potter, I guess that was true too…”
 “Yeah…”
 “Do you mind if I sat here for a while?” A girl with brown hair walked in and sat next to Harry, “Whose rat is this chewing on my books?”
 “Oh!” Ron picked up a hideous looking rat, “This is Scabbers, and I’m Ron.”
 “Uh, nice to meet you…I suppose…” The girl gave Ron the evil eye, “I’m Hermione Granger, and you are?” She looked at Ashlee.
 “I’m Ashlee Matthews, this is my friend Harry Potter, we were–”
 “Wow!” Hermione interrupted Ashlee, “I’ve read about you!”
 “I suppose you’ve also read about Maria Malfoy?” Ashlee raised her eyebrow when she looked at Hermione.
 “Yes, I think she deserved to die!”
 “WHAT!?” Ashlee felt like punching the smirk right off Hermione’s face.
 “Well it was her fault she got in You-Know-Who’s way!”
 “I hope you realize you’re talking about my mother!”
 “Oh my goodness!” Hermione put her hands over her mouth, “I am so sorry!”
 “It’s okay; you’re allowed to have an opinion…”
 “I’m really sorry…anyway, you three had better get changed, we’ll be arriving soon…”
 “Humph!” Ashlee had a disgusted look in her eyes.
 “Ashlee,” Ron blushed when he looked at Ashlee.
 “Hmmm?”
 “Are you okay?”
 “I’m fine…” Ashlee gazed out the window, the trees and shrubs on the side of the train tracks were going by so fast they seemed to be one big green blur.

 An hour or two later the train screeched to a halt, Ashlee and Harry got off together, “All firs’ years folla me!” Hagrid called out as they all got off. They followed Hagrid through the doors of the entrance hall, they stopped outside another door, “I’ll go and get Professor McGonagall, you wait ‘ere.”
 A boy with white-blonde hair and grey eyes stood in front of Ashlee and held out his hand, “You must be Harry Potter, I’m Draco Malfoy, you’d best know who the right people are at Hogwarts, and I can help you.”
 Ashlee gave Draco a filthy look; she knew they must be related, somehow…
 “I think I can figure out who the right people are for myself.” Harry looked at Draco’s hand then looked back at his face, at this Ron and Ashlee sniggered quietly.
 Draco looked down at Ron, “Red hair, hand-me-down cloaks, obviously a Weasley!”
 Ron flushed furiously.
 “LEAVE HIM ALONE!” Ashlee’s eyes shone like emeralds.
 “Ah!” Draco looked over at Ashlee whose frown turned into a sneer, “You must be my Aunt Maria’s daughter, you look exactly like her, I’m obviously–”
 “A spoiled brat?” Ashlee’s sneer became more pronounced.
 “Your cousin…” Draco smiled slightly.
 “I liked my ending better y’know.”
 Draco stared at Ashlee with every sign of hate any living thing could imagine, “Please get back in line Mr. Malfoy!” Professor McGonagall walked out into the entrance hall. Ashlee had the look of triumph in her eyes, she was obviously proud of herself. “Follow me,” Professor McGonagall interrupted Ashlee’s moment of glory, “You will be sorted into your houses in the Great Hall.”
 The first years walked nervously into the hall. “When I call out your name, come and sit under the Sorting Hat.”
 “Granger, Hermione!” she sat under the hat which whispered something in her ear, then he finally said, “GRYFFINDOR!”
 A few more students were sorted, “Malfoy, Draco!” the hat scarcely touched his head, “SLYTHERIN!”
 “Matthews, Ashlee!”
 “Good luck,” Harry whispered as she walked to the hat, “Maria’s daughter eh?” whispered the hat in her ear, “You would be best in Slytherin, Professor Snape is Head of House you know…”
 “Please, don’t put me with Malfoy!”
 “I’m sorry, my decision is final, SLYTHERIN!”
 Ashlee felt like a thousand knives of fire had just ripped right through her.
 “Potter, Harry” the hat took a long time with Harry, but finally, “GRYFFINDOR!”
 Ron was up last, “Weasley, Ronald” he looked pale, like he was going to faint, “GRYFFINDOR!”

 The Slytherin prefects led the first years to their dormitories, “Miss Matthews,” a creepy man with greasy black hair and piercing black eyes pulled Ashlee aside.
 “Yes, sir?” Ashlee was sure she hadn’t done anything wrong already.
 “I am Professor Snape, Head of Slytherin House, and also your Potions teacher.”
 “Nice to meet you sir.” She said slightly sarcastically.
 “Has anyone told you that you look like your mother?”
 “I’ve heard that about ten times today, sir.”
 “I am your godfather, I know who your father is, but Maria made me promise I wouldn’t say anything…I will refer to him as Padfoot.” Ashlee looked at Snape, she knew he’d probably be thinking of how much alike her and Maria were, “Professor Dumbledore also sent me to give you this.” He handed her a piece of paper, the paper had a message written on it:

 Dearest Ashlee,

Your father and I have decided that it would be best if you stayed with your godfather instead of us, you need to learn how to be a real witch, and we probably aren’t the best people to stay with. We don’t want you to try and contact us; this is for the best, please try and understand. Take care, Mother

 Ashlee couldn’t believe what she was reading, “H-have you read this?” she looked up at Snape.
 “No, what does it say?” She handed him the piece of paper, “Ah, so you are to stay with me at Hogwarts?”
 “That’s what it says…”
 “What do you think about this?”
 “I’m surprised they don’t want me, I never did much wrong…”
 “I suppose they don’t know you can have the best of both worlds, but then again, it gets a bit tiring after a little while, do you want to stay here, or travel back to the Muggle world all the time?”
 “I guess I’d feel uncomfortable going back with them, they never told me I was a witch…”
 “There’s something else bothering you, isn’t there?”
 “How can you tell?”
 “Your mother got that same look in her eyes when something was troubling her, I was her best friend during school, I ought to know by now.”
 “Well, I didn’t actually want to be in Slytherin, all of my friends are in Gryffindor…”
 “Who are your friends?”
 “Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter.”
 “POTTER!?”
 “Yeah, we were next-door neighbours.”
 “You’d probably be better off without Mr. Potter, if he’s anything like his father, he’d be nothing but trouble!”
 “Why? What did he do?”
 “Never mind about that, just be careful who your friends are, you have Potions first, see you then…”

-CHAPTER THREE-

Potions Class with Professor Snape

  Ashlee organised her books for Potions, then walked along the dungeons to Professor Snape’s classroom, she sat down next to Ron, “Hi!”
 “Hey, Ashlee! I didn’t think you’d want to talk to us after being put in Slytherin.”
 “Are you kidding? You’re like the only person I know other than Harry!”
 Professor Snape walked in and sneered at Harry, “Snape’s such a git.” Ron whispered in Ashlee’s ear.
 “He’s not that bad, I’ll admit I was a little freaked out at first, but he’s okay.”
 “I am your Potions teacher, Professor Snape.” He glanced over at Harry who was taking notes on what he was saying, “Today we will learn how to mix a Wiggenweld healing potion, the main ingredients are, Moly, Wiggentree bark, Dittany and Flobberworm mucous, turn to page, three hundred and ninety-four…”
 Harry was still taking notes, “Mr. Potter, I do not excuse such ignorance in my classroom, ten points from Gryffindor.”
 “With all due respect, sir,” Ashlee’s eyes glimmered, “He was only taking notes on what you were saying.”
 “Why would he be doing that, Miss Matthews?”
 “He was brought up by Muggles, he doesn’t know these things.”
 “I see.” Snape wasn’t acting as kind as he was when he was speaking to Ashlee earlier, “But if Mr. Potter had have bothered to turn to page three hundred and ninety-four as I instructed, he would have noticed that all of the potions ingredients were in there as well, it is awfully moving to see that you worry about the way I educate, but I assure you, I do not need any assistance. Page three hundred and ninety-four…”

   After class, Ashlee went to see Snape in his office, “Uh, Professor?”
 “You may call me Severus out of class while no one’s watching.”
 “Sorry about before, I-” 
 “There is no need for you to be sorry Ashlee.”
 “I just feel terrible after the way you spoke to me…”
 “I have to act like that in the classes; I don’t want people to think I favour you over anyone else.”
 “Well, everyone thinks you favour Slytherins over everyone else.”
 “That wouldn’t surprise me; I don’t try to hide that.”
 “Could you tell me more about what my mother was like?”
 “Certainly, sit down.”
 Ashlee sat down on a chair in front of Snape’s desk, “Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee? Lemonade, perhaps?”
 “Tea, please.”
 Ashlee was tilting her chair back on two legs by the time Snape had returned, “Your father was always leaning back in his chair…”
 “I asked about my mother, not my father.” Ashlee beamed.
 “Your father also had a habit of answering back…”
 “Sorry…”
 “Now, what did you want to know about your mother?”
 “Anything you can tell me, please.”
 “Well, she was in Slytherin, she had an older brother named Lucius Malfoy who is the father of Dra-what’s wrong?”
 “Did Malfoy kill her?”
 “Yes, he did…”
 “Why?”
 “Lucius was a Death Eater, the Dark Lord’s servants.”
 “Dark Lord? Is that another name for Volde-I mean, You-Know-Who?”
 “Yes, that is what the Death Eaters call him.”
 “You’re a Death Eater!?” Ashlee let her chair hit the ground with a deafening thud.
 “I was.”
 “But, why did my mother trust you?”
 “Because we were best friends all through Hogwarts.”
 “So, she knew you were a Death Eater?”
 “Yes, the Dark Lord told me to kill her, but I refused, so he sent Lucius instead.”
 “Why on earth would he kill his own sister?”
 “Because Draco’s life was at risk, if he didn’t kill your mother Draco would have been killed.”
 “What a huge loss that would’ve been.” Ashlee whispered ironically.
 “Ashlee! He’s your cousin!”
 “Humph! He’s nothing but a spoiled little brat!”
 “You’d better get to Defence Against Dark Arts class; you wouldn’t want to be tardy, would you?”
 “No.”

  Ashlee paced to the third floor, there she noticed Fred and George Weasley were in front of the stairway, “Hi, uh, which one of you is Fred now?”
 “Oh!  Hello, we met at the station didn’t we?” Fred seemed astonished that a Slytherin was talking to them, “I’m Fred.”
 “Ron has a massive crush on you!” George blurted.
 “WHAT!?” Ashlee reddened, “Really?”
 “Yeah!” George grinned.
 “We don’t blame him really!” Fred’s smile broadened, “Well, we’d better get going! We’re planning a little prank on Slytherin!”
 “I hope it’s not going to be on me!” Ashlee scowled.
 “No! We don’t consider you a Slytherin,” Fred looked across to George.
 “You’re more like an honorary Gryffindor!” George finished Fred’s sentence perfectly.
 “Bye!” Ashlee waved as Fred and George walked down the stairs.

-CHAPTER FOUR-

The St-stuttering P-professor Q-Q-Quirrell

 “P-p-please s-s-s-sit d-d-down c-c-class, I am P-Professor Q-Quirrell, t-t-today we will learn to p-p-protect ourselves against d-d-d-d-dark m-m-magic with the Flipendo sp-spell.”
 Ashlee sat down next to Ron again, “Th-th-this g-g-g-guy is s-s-s-s-so an-an-annoying!” Ashlee did a perfect imitation of Professor Quirrell.
 “M-m-miss M-M-Matthews, p-p-perhaps y-y-you w-w-would l-l-like to d-demonstrate the spell; p-practise on th-this c-c-c-cauldron.”
 “Okay, Flipendo!” The cauldron soared up into the air and flipped over several times before landing in the exact place it was initially positioned.
 “Excellent Miss M-Matthews! Have you attempted this j-j-jinx b-before?”
 “No.”
 “R-r-remarkable! T-twenty p-points to S-S-Slytherin!”
 “Ashlee!” Ron looked at Ashlee in awe, “You’re amazing!”
 “Uh,” Ashlee looked Ron in the eyes, “Thanks, Ron, I really hope we can still be friends, even though I’m in Slytherin…”
 “Of course we can Ashlee.”
 “I-I-I h-h-h-hope s-s-so.” Ron chortled as Ashlee mocked Quirrell again.

 Ashlee’s first day at Hogwarts came to an end; she approached Ron after dinner, “Ron, y’know how you said Snape was a git?”
 “Yeah.”
 “Do you want to see what he’s like out of class?”
 “Is he better or worse?”
 “He’s much nicer.”
  “Alright then.”
 Ashlee led Ron down to the dungeons, past the Slytherin dormitories and to Snape’s office; she tapped on the door, “Professor?”
 “Come in Ashlee.”
 Ashlee ambled in with Ron cringing behind her.
 “What’s he doing in here!?” Snape sneered.
 “I brought him with me.”
 “Sit down Mr. Weasley.” Snape’s voice became more sinister and his sneer more evident.
 Ron hurriedly obeyed Snape’s order.
 “Severus, don’t be so heartless!”
 “What were the conditions of you being authorized to refer to me by my first name?”
  Ashlee sighed, “No one besides us could be in the room…”
 “And why are you calling me Severus whilst Mr. Weasley is in the room?”
 “Because Ron’s my friend!”
 “What did I tell you about selecting your friends wisely?”
 “You should take your own advice,” Ashlee retorted snappily, “the Malfoys can’t be a very pleasant lot; they kill their own family members.”
 “Don’t hold what Lucius did against Draco!”
 “Why not?” Snape noticed Ashlee’s eyes well up with tears, “It’s because of him being in danger that Lucius even killed my mother!”
 “That’s a load of nonsense; he was going to kill her anyway!”
 “WHAT!? WHY!?”
 Snape strode over to his desk and sat down, “Lucius was going to kill Maria because he didn’t like Padfoot, he believed that she disgraced the Malfoy bloodline by having a child with an Animagus.”
 “A what?” Ashlee sat down beside Ron.
 “An Animagus, a human that can transform into an animal, like Professor McGonagall for instance, she can transform into a cat.”
 “She can?”
 “Yes, and being an Animagus is supposedly hereditary, and for someone who has a personality like Padfoot’s, I’m surprised your not,” Snape took a deep breath then looked up at the ceiling, “but it may also be that you can’t yet harness your full potential, what do you think?” He looked back at Ashlee and slightly raised an eyebrow.
 “I really don’t know,” She looked over at Ron with a familiar flash of a grin, “B-b-but in D-d-defence Against D-d-dark Arts, I d-d-did a g-great f-f-first at-attempt at the F-F-F-Flipendo J-J-J-Jinx…”
 Snape grinned, “Yes, Quirrell’s stutter can be quite annoying, can’t it?”
 “Who’s Padfoot?” Ron asked with a totally baffled expression on his face.
 “Padfoot is Ashlee’s father, I promised Maria I’d let Ashlee find him on her own.”
 “Ron, thanks for coming with me…you’d better get going…you aren’t supposed to be out after dark…”
 “See you then Ashlee…We’ve got Charms in the morning, I’ll meet you after breakfast.”
 “Alright, goodnight Ron.”
 Ron left Snape’s office and shut the door behind him.
 “What was that about Ashlee?”
 “Come again?”
 “It seems to me that you like Ron more than what you’re showing him.”
 “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
 “You’re eyes light up every time you look at him.”
 “Severus?”
 “Yes?”
 “You liked my mother in that way didn’t you?”
 “What would make you say that?”
 “You seem contented when you talk about her.”
 “I suppose I did.”
 “You were upset when you found out who my father was, weren’t you?”
 “I never liked your father.”
 “What did he do?”
 “I’m not going into details, but, he was James Potter’s best friend, they were always playing pranks on Slytherin and causing trouble.”
 “Like Fred and George Weasley?”
 “Exactly like Fred and George.”
 “Now I just have to find out who James Potter’s friends were and it’ll be narrowed down a heap!”
 “You are a little schemer aren’t you?”
 “Among other things…” Ashlee looked at Snape and grinned faintly.
 “Maria made me your godfather because she knew she could trust me.”
 “Is there any remnant of you being a Death Eater?”
 Snape rolled up his left sleeve to expose a faded scar shaped like a skull, “It’s called the Dark Mark, the Dark Lord marked all of his followers with it.”
 “Ouch!”
 “It burns when the Dark Lord wants the Death Eaters to come to his aid.”
 “Double ouch!”
 “Yes, it is quite painful, but there is something else bothering you, I can see it.”
 “Would I be able to spend the night here? I don’t think there’d be a welcoming committee in the dormitories.”
 “Didn’t you know?”
 “Know what?”
 “If a student has a parent or guardian working and living at Hogwarts that they have to live with them.”
 “Really!?” joy exploded in the pit of Ashlee’s stomach, “That’s great!”
 “I’ll get your things then, Accio!” All of Ashlee’s school books, clothes and Snowy’s cage flew into the office, Snowy flew in and landed on Snape’s shoulder, “There is a spare room in here,” Snape flicked his wrist and a trapdoor appeared in the floor, “It’s very clean, I haven’t used it in over ten years.”
 Ashlee’s things all unpacked themselves into the room, “You can stay up longer if you want.” Snape seemed pleased to see that Ashlee wanted to stay with him.
 “No thanks, I’m pretty worn-out after today.”
 Ashlee walked down the stairs into the room, she shut the door behind her, got changed then jumped straight into bed, she was relieved that Snape still wanted her company after the way she had treated him, she realised he was pleased she had fight in her.

-CHAPTER FIVE-

Wingardium Leviosa

 “Ashlee,” Snape gently roused Ashlee, “You’re going to be late for breakfast.”
 “What are you, my mother?” Snape looked fiercely at Ashlee, “It’s a figure of speech!”
 “Oh, right, I thought you were referring to Maria…”
 “You’re obsessed with her, aren’t you Severus?” There was an uncomfortable stillness between Snape and Ashlee for a while, Ashlee was afraid that she might upset him if she said anything to him that might even vaguely reminded him of Maria, so she just kept quiet, “Ashlee,” Snape put his hand on Ashlee’s shoulder before they walked out the door, “I’m still disturbed by what Lucius did to Maria, but, he is a much more powerful wizard than I and, I don’t want to make an enemy out of him, he’s still loyal to the Dark Lord.”
 “That’s fine, we’d better get going, I promised Ron I’d meet him after breakfast.”

 Ashlee hastily ate her breakfast than walked over to meet Ron, “Good morning!” Ashlee said in a bubbly voice.
 “It’s really unusual to see a Slytherin at the Gryffindor table,” Fred gave a quick glance over at George.
 “But as an honorary Gryffindor, we’ll make an exception.”
 Ashlee giggled at the twins, “You two are insane!”
 “Thanks, we try our best!” Fred and George spoke at the same time.
 “Touché…” Ashlee noticed Fred was a lot nicer to her than George, she wondered if there was something going on, “Ron, do you know what we’ll be learning in Charms?”
 “Hermione probably does…” Harry and Ron both looked at Hermione.
 “I think we’re learning the levitation spell Wingardium Leviosa.”
 “I hope Malfoy’s spell backfires on him…” All five Gryffindors stared at Ashlee in amazement, “What?”
 “You’re a Slytherin and you hate Malfoy?” Fred seemed disturbed.
 “Malfoy is my cousin, but his father killed my mother and it makes me feel better to totally ignore him…”
 Ron got up and faced Ashlee, “Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?”
 “I don’t think so,” Fred gave Ashlee an unconvinced look, “I need a hug…”
 “Ickle Ronnikkuns would get nervous if he gave you a hug.” Said Fred in a mock infant tone.
 “Shut up!” Ron’s ears reddened.
 “Awwwww! That’s cute!” Said Ashlee in a high pitched voice.
 “What is?” Ron seemed puzzled.
 “You, when you start blushing!”
 Ron’s whole face went red.
 “Hey Weasley!” Malfoy’s arrogant tone was recognizable a mile away, “Have you noticed your face matches your hair!?”
 “Hey Malfoy!” Ashlee smirked slightly, “Have you noticed your butt matches your face!?”
 “What’s that supposed to mean!?”
 “Exactly what I said,” Ashlee spoke slowly and clearly so even Crabbe and Goyle could understand, “your butt matches your face!”
 Malfoy hastily pulled out his wand and pointed it at Ashlee’s face.
 “What’s going on here?” Snape’s voice was quiet and waspish.
 “Nothing sir.” A sinister grin appeared on Malfoy’s face, wand still pointed directly at Ashlee.
 “Then why are you pointing your wand at Miss Matthews?”
 “Because he was going to attack me…” Ashlee’s voice darkened.
 “Really?” Snape raised an eyebrow, “And what did you do to provoke him into doing so?”
 “She said my butt matched my face…” Malfoy’s grin widened.
 “I wasn’t lying though, was I?” Ashlee smiled darkly.
 Malfoy’s wand was pressed firmly under Ashlee’s jaw; she reached into her pocket and pulled out her own wand, “Expelliarmus!” Malfoy’s wand flew up into the air and landed in Snape’s hand.
 “Where did you learn that spell?” A familiar sneer came across Snape’s gaunt face.
 “I did a bit of light reading last night,” Ashlee was apparently very proud of herself, “I came across it in a book.”
 “At least your learning to defend yourself…” Snape put Malfoy’s wand in his pocket, “You can collect this from me at the end of the day.” Snape swept back to his seat at the staff table.

 Ashlee, Ron, Harry and Hermione walked up to the fourth floor to attend their Charms lesson, “Ashlee,” Hermione pulled them off to one side, “How did you get away with that?”
 “Exsqueeze me?”
 “How did you get away with smart mouthing Snape?”
 “He’s my godfather.”
 “WHAT!?”
 “Didn’t Ron tell you?”
 “He certainly did not!”
 Ashlee gave a small shrug and kept walking, “You don’t have to be nasty about it.”
 Ron ran up to Ashlee and put his hand on her shoulder, “Are you okay?”
 Ashlee paused for a second then took Ron’s wrist, walking him into a hidden room near the Charms class, “I never did get that hug I needed…”
 “I, uh…” Ron was dumbfounded; he obviously wasn’t expecting Ashlee to want to hug him.
 “Fred was right, huh?”
 “I guess he was. I’ve never hugged anyone that isn’t related to me before.”
 Ashlee threw her arms around Ron and pecked him on the cheek.
 “Whoa…” Ron gawked vacantly for a second.
 “Sorry, I don’t know why I did that.” Ashlee blushed and turned away.
 “It’s okay; I kind of wanted you to do that…”
 “Uh…We’re going to be late better hurry up and get to class.”
 Hermione was standing impatiently waiting for Ashlee and Ron to return, “Where were you two? We’re going to be late!”
 “Duh! Why do you think we were running?”
 “I don’t know!”
 “I thought you were smart…”
 “I thought you were supposed to be nice!”
 “I am! Just not to you…”
 “Let’s just get to class!” Ron hurriedly stopped the fight.
 “Oh yeah, you’re here too, I forgot for a second, I kind of zoned out…”
 “Is that why you’re such an airhead?” Hermione glanced at Ashlee.
 “Probably…” Ashlee grinned, “I’m really thick aren’t I?”
 “Yes, you are.”
 Ashlee paused then turned to face Hermione, “I’m blonde, not dense!”
 “But you just said…”
 “I’m allowed to tease myself.”
 “Ashlee?” Ron appeared to be alarmed, “Are you okay?”
 “Yeah, I’m trying to freak Hermione out!”
 “You’re freaking me out!”
 “Whoops! I’ll stop then! Sorry Ron!”

 Ashlee sat in between Harry and Ron in Charms, Professor Flitwick toddled into the room, “Welcome to Charms, I am your teacher Professor Flitwick, today we will learn the levitation spell Wingardium Leviosa, practice your spell on these feathers.”
 Harry and Ron struggled to perform the spell, “Your not pronouncing it correctly.” Hermione butted in as someone’s feather exploded in their face.
 “You do it then!” Ron whispered.
 “Wingardium Leviosa.” Hermione’s feather floated gracefully towards the ceiling.
 “Know all…” Ashlee was disgusted at Hermione showing off all the time, she was smart, but she didn’t go off rubbing it in people’s face.

-CHAPTER SIX-

Ashlee the Animagus

 Ashlee walked into Snape’s office after class, “That Hermione Granger thinks she knows everything!”
 “Did you have bad day Ashlee?” Snape’s grin was weirder than his frown.
 “Nah! You think?”
 “I am surprised you read that book, it was your mother’s.”
 “She had really neat handwriting.”
 “Yes, she did, she wrote all of her favourite spells in that book, she gave it to me just after you were born…”
 “To give it to me when I was older?”
 “Yes, I think she said when you turned fifteen…”
 “So, does that mean I have to give it back?”
 “No, but I think I should teach you myself, just to be safe.”
 “Okay, uh, after dinner could you teach me one?”
 “I don’t know, possibly.”
 “Thanks Severus, we have the rest of today off, don’t we?”
 “Yes, I think you do, are you going to find Ron?” Snape seemed somewhat upset.
 “I might stay here a bit first.”
 Snape’s eyes lit up, this was the first time she’d seen him so pleased.
 “Would you like to know more about your parents?”
 “No thanks, maybe you could tell me more about yourself.”
 “You really want to know about me?”
 “Of course I would,” Ashlee sat in the lounge chair nearest Snape’s desk, “You are my legal guardian after all.”
 “Alright, uh, I don’t know where to start…”
 “What do you like to do?”
 “I don’t really get much leisure time, but when I do I like to sit down and read.”
 “That must be mind-numbing.”
 “No, not really, I’ve always liked reading.”
 “Nerd…”
 “Your mother always said I should get more exercise…She liked to read too, but she was also extremely active.”
 “Were you brought up as a Muggle?”
 “Yes, my father didn’t know my mother was a witch until I was eleven.”
 “When did you meet my mother?”
 “My mother took me to meet Lucius a month or two before I started here, I didn’t really like him, so I went off to read, Maria was sitting in the library reading, we talked about the book for a while and were friends ever since.”
 “Wow that is so boring!”
 “It isn’t an ideal way to meet someone is it?”
 “Not really, so you knew my mother even before you came here?”
 “Yes, and now that I’m getting to know you, I’m realizing how different you two are.”
 “So, who am I like then?”
 “Your father, obviously…”
 “Stupid question, have you ever had a girlfriend?”
 “WHAT – TYPE – OF –QUESTION – IS – THAT!?” Hissed Snape savagely.
 “Shish, I’m just curious!”
 “No I have not had a girlfriend.”
 “Have you had a boyfriend?” Ashlee was intensely troubled.
 “WHAT!?” Snape had no idea what Ashlee meant, “NO!”
 “That’s a relief!”
 “Huh!? What are you talking about?” Snape was obviously bewildered.
 “I was asking if you were homosexual.”
 Snape choked on the coffee he was drinking, “What’s wrong with you?”
 “Don’t you think the real question is what’s right with me?”
 “Ashlee,” Snape’s lips curled into that same familiar sneer, “I’m noticing that you’re like your father in a bad way!”
 “What?” Ashlee glared at Snape lividly, “I’m just trying to lighten you up a little!”
 “What do you mean by that?”
 “You need to soften up, you’re always irritated, I mean, there is not one time I’ve seen you with a smile on your face,” Snape raised an eyebrow, “well, not a normal smile anyway.”
 “What is a normal smile?” Snape put a delicate strain on the word ‘normal’.
 “One that doesn’t look like a half-spasticated frown…”
 “And how exactly am I supposed to change the way I smile?”
 “By not taking everything to heart,” Ashlee paused and thought for a second, “like if I called you a moron, you’d go totally spaz and lose it!”
 Snape’s eyes pierced through Ashlee’s, she thought he was trying to hypnotise her, “What are you doing Severus?”
 “Legilimency,” Ashlee stared at him expressionlessly, “the power to extract feelings and memories from another person’s mind.”
 “You’re reading my mind?”
 “Only Muggles speak of ‘mind reading’. The mind is not a book, to be opened at will and examined at leisure. Thoughts are not etched on the inside of our skulls, to be pursued by any invader. The mind is a complex and many layered thing…”
 Ashlee gazed into space again, “Okay, you lost me…” 
 “At least most minds are…”
 “Oi! That’s just plain cruel!”
 “Sorry Ashlee, I thought I was talking to your father for a second…”
 That’s nice, Ashlee thought sarcastically, what a great way to treat another person…
 “Ashlee… eye contact is crucial to Legilimency…”
 “So if you’re looking into my eyes, you can tell what I’m thinking?”
 “Yes.”
 “So you heard what I just thought then?”
 “Yes.”
 “You know, you really should learn to respect people’s privacy!”
 Ashlee stormed out of Snape’s office slamming the door behind her, she walked up to the Gryffindor dormitories waiting for a Gryffindor to pass her, she waited a minute or two and then the Weasley twins crept past her.
 “Fred, George!” Ashlee cried out behind them.
 “Ashlee,” Fred walked back towards her, “What can we do you for?”
 “That sounded a little bit wrong…”
 “I know,” George nudged Fred, “Don’t be so disgusting.”
 “Do you know where Ron is?”
 “He’s in the common room.”
 “Could you please get him to come out?”
 “Sure, he’ll be out in a second.”
 Fred and George walked into the Gryffindor common room, Ron walked out a few minutes later.
 “Ashlee!” Ron ran to meet her.
 “Hiya Ron! Hermione’s been crying in the toilets all day, do you know what happened?”
 “She overheard me calling her a know all…Why are you here?”
 “I was wondering if you and Harry would like to hang out for a bit.”
 “I would! Uh, Harry and I were going to go down to the grassy area near Hagrid’s hut, wanna come?”
 “Sure, where is Harry anyway?”
 “He’s got a bit of homework to finish, do you want to go there without him?”
 “Uh, will he know where to find us?”
 “Of course, I told him I’d meet him later…”
 Ashlee and Ron walked outside and down to the grassy patch near Hagrid’s hut and sat down.
 “Ron,”
 “Mmmmm?”
 “Do you like me?”
 “Course.”
 “I mean as more than friends…”
 “Is there any right answer to that?”
 “The truth would be nice…”
 “I don’t know,” Ron looked at the grass, “what makes you think I do?”
 “George said you like me…”
 Ron paused, “D-did you say George told you?”
 “Yeah, is there a problem with that?”
 “YES! I told him because I thought I could trust him not to tell you.”
 “So you do like me!”
 “I didn’t say that!”
 “Oh, yes you did!”
 Ron immediately drained of colour.
 “It’s okay, I like you too.”
 “I beg your pardon?”
 “I said I like you too.”
 “That’s what I thought you said…” Ron went even whiter, “Why?”
 “I don’t know. You’re kind of sweet I guess.”
 There was an uncomfortable silence between them for a while then Ashlee sneezed.
 “I think I’m allergic to silence…” Ashlee smiled and looked at Ron who was rolling around the grass laughing uncontrollably; she let him go for a while then finally spoke, “Get a grip Ron!”
 “Sorry…”
 “It’s okay, I wasn’t even trying to be funny…It kinda happens naturally, and I don’t mean ha-ha funny…”
 “You’re freaking me out again…”
 “Is that a good thing?”
 “Ashlee!”
 “Sorry, I lose control sometimes…like when you start laughing…”
 Ron blushed again.
 “It isn’t anything to be embarrassed about; I laugh like a retarded hyena on drugs!”
 Ron burst into a silent fit of laughter.
 “And you laugh like a mime…”
 “Stop making me laugh, Ashlee, my sides hurt and I’m starting to cry!”
 “I’m so sorry!” Ashlee did huge puppy-dog eyes and a baby voice.
 “Ashlee, don’t try and make me feel sorry for you…”
 “It was worth a try…”
 Ashlee rested her head on Ron’s shoulder, Ron slowly moved away from Ashlee, she didn’t lift her head and fell over, still in a sitting position, “Ouch…”
 “Seriously Ashlee, are you feeling okay?” Ron felt Ashlee’s forehead.
 “I’m fine…I’m bored…”
 “So you go stupid when you’re bored?”
 “Yep,” Ashlee sat up, “or it could be early signs of Weasley Twinsitis.”
 “What’s that?”
 “Whatever it is that's wrong with Fred and George…”
 “Ashlee…” Ron whined harshly.
 “Sorry, I’m really bored, nothing much has happened today.” Ashlee sighed deeply, “I know, let’s go check out the forbidden corridor!”
 “I don’t know I–”
 “Hi guys.” Harry sat down next to Ashlee.
 “Don’t get too comfortable Harry; we’re going to check out the forbidden corridor.”
 “That’s a good idea,” Harry immediately got up, “we’ll be able to see what’s been making those growling noises. C’mon Ron!”
 “Coming…”

 The trio walked up to the third floor and checked that Filch was gone.
 “How are we supposed to get in?” Harry pointed out the lock on the door.
 “I’ll handle it,” Ashlee pushed Harry aside, making him fall over, “I came across another interesting spell last night, it’s called Alohamora, it opens magically locked doors, you’d better step back; I’ve never done this before.”
 Harry and Ron took two steps back, “Ready? Alohamora.”

The lock clicked open, “That was easier than I thought…cool…”

 They walked down the corridor; at the end was a door, “Whadaya think guys? Ready to go in?” Ashlee glanced at Harry and Ron who looked at each other then nodded.
 They walked inside and shut the door behind them, a monstrous three-headed dog was standing on top of a trap door growling at them, the dog attacked, Ashlee, Ron and Harry ran out and locked the door.
 “What was that?” Ron’s face was pallid and lifeless.
 “I don’t know…” Harry was standing nearest the door panting.
 “That was fun! Let’s do that again!” Ron and Harry blocked the door as Ashlee tried to go back in.
 “You should’ve been in Gryffindor,” Harry looked Ashlee directly in the eyes, “Why were you put in Slytherin?”
 “Because Snape’s Head of House…git…”
 “I thought you liked him.” Ron raised his eyebrows.
 “I did, that is until he started using Legilimency on me!”
 “What’s that?” Harry asked blankly.
 “Putting it bluntly, mind reading.” Ashlee looked around, “We’d better get out of here before Filch gets back.”
 They ran to Hagrid’s hut to ask him about what the dog was guarding.
 “Come in!” Hagrid beamed when he saw Harry and Ashlee.
 “We came to ask you about that thing guarding the trap door in the forbidden corridor.” The words fell out of Ashlee’s mouth.
 “Who tol’ ye ‘bout Fluffy?” Hagrid scowled.
 “You called that thing Fluffy?” Ron had a rather stupid expression on his face.
 “Yep, she’s really aggressive but nice sweet music’ll put ‘er straight ta sleep!”
 Hagrid realized what he said, “I should not have said that…I have to go now, bye…”

 Ashlee walked back to Snape’s office; Snape was in a lounge chair reading.
 “Uh….” Ashlee blinked blankly.
 Snape looked up from his book, “Back already?”
 “Nah, I’m still outside…”
 Snape rolled his eyes and continued reading, his eyes quickly raced across the page.
 “You’re making me nauseous, could you stop reading so fast?”
 “Why would my reading fast be making you nauseous?”
 “I’m looking at your eyes while you read…”
 Snape shook his head, marked the page he was reading and put his book away, “I don’t know why you’d do that…”
 “Neither do I…”
 “You are quite strange Ashlee…”
 “What were you reading?”
 “I was trying to find a descent spell to teach you,” Snape got up and got out his wand, “I could teach you now if you’d like.”
 “Alright, thanks.”
 “Was Expelliarmus the only spell you learnt?”
 “No, I also tried Alohamora.”
 “I thought I’d teach Pretago to you.”
 “What’s that?”
 “It’s a Shield Charm, if someone uses a spell on you and you use a Shield Charm, their spell returns on them.”
 “So, do I just point my wand and say ‘Pretago’?”
 “Yes, are you ready?”
 “Yep!”
 Ashlee pointed her wand awaiting Snape’s attack.
 “Right Ashlee, one, two, three, Impedimenta!”
 Ashlee reacted so rapidly that Snape didn’t have time to dodge.
 “Pretago!”
 Snape was frozen solid, Ashlee couldn’t help but laugh at the fact she’d frozen him as he was about to jump to the side.
 “Sorry Severus…”
 Snape started moving about a minute later, he was surprised that Ashlee was so good at the spell so quickly.
 “What spell bounced back on you?”
 “The Impediment Jinx, you obviously know what it does.”
 “Yeah, should we keep practising?”
 “No, you already have a better reaction time than me…”
 “Wow, that’s weird…”
 “Padfoot reacted quickly when he concentrated too,” Snape let out a deep sigh, “you are a lot more understanding than he is…”
 “I believe that first impressions are always the best way to judge someone.”
 “Padfoot did too, I ran into him on the first day here, and Gryffindors and Slytherins don’t usually get along…but you seem to have Maria’s ability to make different friends, Maria and Padfoot didn’t get along until the seventh year, they actually hated each other.”
 “Then why did they go out with each other?”
 “Padfoot was dared to by Potter, one of his other friends – I’ll call him Moony – hated the fact that Potter wanted to take advantage of Maria.”
 “Why are you calling James’ friend Moony?”
 “Because he’s a werewolf.”
 “And why are you calling my father Padfoot?”
 “Because he can turn into a dog.”
 “He-he, I have a pet Dad!”
 “You could look at it that way…would you like to find out if you are an Animagus?”
 “Yeah! Course I would!”
 “For the first time you try this, you have to close your eyes and empty your mind…”
 Ashlee did as Snape instructed, she began to feel a slight tingle in her hands, then her arms, then her whole body.
 “Open your eyes.”
 Ashlee opened her eyes, she looked down at her hands, but, in there place, were two large black paws.
 “Whoa!” Ashlee jumped back, “Okay, I am officially freaked out!”
 “Ashlee…” Snape crouched down beside Ashlee, “I don’t speak dog…”
 “Dog!?” Ashlee ran to the closest mirror, “Now what do I do?”
 “Ashlee!” Snape yelled to get her attention, “If you need to communicate with me, look at me, and remember that I can use Legilimency.”
 Ashlee looked desperately into Snape’s eyes.
 How do I change back? Ashlee’s thoughts were easily being heard.
 “The same way you transformed in the first place.”
 Ashlee didn’t need to close her eyes this time, she just cleared her mind and she saw her paws slowly transform back into hands, the room went back to normal.
 “That was weird, but kinda fun!”
 “You should keep it a secret.”
 “Can I show Ron and Harry?”
 “I guess so, but be careful.”

 Ashlee ran up to the Gryffindor dormitories, as she reached the painting of the fat lady, she transformed into the shaggy black dog again. She just stood in front of the painting and barked.
 “You must belong to one of the students.” The painting shifted aside and Ashlee walked inside, she saw that the only people in the common room were Ron, Harry, Fred and George, she crept up behind Ron and let out a huge bark, Ron jumped off the chair and Ashlee transformed back to normal.
 “Sorry Ron.” Ashlee beamed, “I couldn’t resist…”
 “You’re an Animagus!?” Fred grinned at Ron trying to pick himself up off the floor.
 “Snape said she probably would be.” Ron muttered something else under his breath and Harry laughed.
 “My father’s an Animagus,” Ashlee looked around for the Gryffindor prefects, “so I guess I get it from him.”
 “Y’know…” George looked through a book of old newspaper clippings, “There’s this guy in Azkaban – that’s the wizard prison – who’s been found guilty of murdering thirteen Muggles and giving away the whereabouts of James and Lilly Potter, he was James Potter’s friend, it’s also rumoured he’s an unregistered Animagus – where is it? Here! – Sirius Black!”
 George showed Ashlee the picture of Sirius; he had dark, shaggy, brown hair and jade eyes.
 “Ron…” Ashlee looked at her left foot, “Scabbers is eating my shoe – get of you stupid rat!”
 Ashlee kicked Scabbers off her foot; he landed in the small rubbish bin near the door.
 “That is one stupid rat.” Fred picked Scabbers out of the garbage and handed him back to Ron.
 “Sirius…I’ll ask Severus when I get back…” Ashlee wondered if Sirius could have been framed, he didn’t look like the kind of person that would murder someone, “I’d better go, see ya!”
 Ashlee changed back into the dog and ran out of the Gryffindor common room and down a few flights of stairs into the dungeons, just as she reached the door of Snape’s office she transformed back to her normal self. She opened the door and walked inside.
 “Sirius Black!” Ashlee slammed the door behind her and sat securely on the chair in front of Snape’s desk.
 “Excuse me?” Snape seemed shocked, like Ashlee had just said a forbidden curse.
 “Sirius Black.” Ashlee looked Snape directly in the eyes, “He’s my father isn’t he?”
 “Well done, Ashlee,” Snape put away the homework he was marking, “That certainly was a lot faster than I’d expected.”
 “Did he really kill all those people?”
 “I’m not really sure…I think it was Potter’s other friend – Wormtail – that told the Dark Lord where Harry was…”
 “Wormtail?”
 “Yes, he could turn into a rat, he’s dead though.”
 “Good! He got what he deserved for framing my dad!”
 “You really shouldn’t think like that.”
 “Well it’s true isn’t it?”
 “Let’s talk about something else, what did Ron think of your new ability?”
 “He thought it was okay, I scared him a bit though.”
 “You snuck up behind him and barked…” Snape seemed bored.
 “How did you know?”
 “It’s very much like your father’s sense of humour – ah – I think you two would get a long extremely well.”
 “You really don’t like the fact that I have his personality, do you Snivellus?”
 “What did you call me!?”
 “Whoops! I meant Severus!”
 “Your father used to criticize me with that ridiculous nickname,” Snape got up and sat in a lounge chair, “I’m letting you know now that I have zero tolerance for such stupidity. I’ll let it go this time, but only if you can assure me that it was a mere slip of the tongue.”
 “I’m sorry,” Ashlee apologised sincerely, “when I get mad words just slip out, usually insults and stuff like that.”
 “You’re not the only one who does that; I too have been known for my frequent mouth-offs at students in my classes.”
 “Yeah, I kind of noticed that.”
 “You are definitely your father’s daughter.”
 “Is that a compliment or an insult?”
 “When I speak of you, a compliment.” Snape smiled, but not in the weird way Ashlee was used to, he had a genuine smile on his face, “When I speak of Black, an insult.”
 “You really hated him, hey Severus?”
 “I’d rather not talk about it…” Snape walked to the bookshelf on the left of his desk and picked up what seemed to be a photo album, he then walked back to Ashlee and handed the old, tattered folder, Ashlee opened it, it had pictures of Snape and Maria through all of their years at Hogwarts, Ashlee noticed that her and Maria were exactly the same except for the eye colour and the fact that Maria had a slightly lighter hair colour, Snape’s pallid face was framed between curtains of greasy black hair, there was something about his eyes that made him look more cheerful. Ashlee could have sworn she’d seen herself and her old friend, Lee in more than one picture.
 Could he still be upset that my mother died? Ashlee thought as she looked at the last photo in the book, she closed it and handed it back to Snape.

-CHAPTER SEVEN-

A Troll in the Girl’s Toilets

 The Daily Prophet was sent into Snape’s office later in the day, it had a special report that Vault 713 in Gringott’s – the one that Hagrid had collected the package from – was broken into, the goblins in the bank said nothing was stolen because it had been emptied earlier that day, the Prophet also came with a note that all first years were to attend broomstick practise, Ashlee raced outside to the courtyard, everyone – except for Hermione – was waiting for Madam Hooch to arrive.
 “I am Madam Hooch,” she walked into the middle if the two rows of people, “welcome to your first flying lesson, please place your right hand above your broomstick and say ‘up’.”
 Ashlee, Harry, and Malfoy’s brooms flew to their hands on their first attempt, Ron got irritated with his broom which ended up flying up and hitting him in the face. Madam Hooch took a Gryffindor – Neville Longbottom – to the hospital wing, Malfoy found his Remembrall, flew up into the sky and threw it, Harry chased after it and caught it, Professor McGonagall asked him to join the Gryffindor Quidditch Team and become a Seeker, Harry had no idea what Quidditch was, but he accepted.

 Just after dinner, Professor Quirrell ran into the Great Hall and said a troll had been set loose near the girl’s toilets, Harry and Ron weren’t in the Gryffindor common room, and Snape wasn’t in his office, Ashlee realised that Hermione was in the toilets, she had no idea the troll was even there!
 Ashlee ran down into the girl’s toilets, when she arrived she saw that Hermione was cornered by the troll, Ron was trying to hit it on the head with its own club, but it kept moving away, Ashlee had an idea – she could use the spell that Snape had tried to use on her earlier.
 “Harry, Ron, Hermione!” the three Gryffindors spun around, “I’m going to stop it with the Impediment Jinx, it’ll give you a chance to move away and hit it!”
 “Okay, just please help me!” Hermione dodged the troll’s attack.
 “Hold on! Impedimenta!”
 The troll instantly froze, it was only an inch from the top of Hermione’s head, Ron dropped the club on its head as it slightly unfroze, it made an enormous thump as it hit the ground.
 “Thanks so much Ashlee!” Hermione hugged Ashlee so tight she could barely breathe.
 “Okay…okay!” Ashlee was struggling for air, “Hermione! You’re choking me!”
 “Sorry.”
 All of the teachers walked into the bathroom, Professor McGonagall stepped forward and spoke, “You three,” she nodded at Harry, Ron and Ashlee, “Have broken at least ten school rules, and not to mention put your own lives at risk, so you will each have ten House Points –” Professor McGonagall paused and smiled, “awarded to each of your houses, for immense bravery and skills when taking on a fully grown troll, and also for pure dumb luck.”
 Ashlee smiled at Snape, she looked down at his ankle; it had a deep wound, like he had been bitten, Harry also noticed the bite and frowned, Snape hid his ankle with his long, cape-like cloak and limped away. Ashlee dashed after him, she caught up to him just as he reached for the door of his office, Ashlee blocked the way.
 “You went down the forbidden corridor when everyone was distracted didn’t you?”
 Snape glared at Ashlee, “I have no idea what you’re talking about, now get out of my way!”
 “Yes you do! You were the one who let the troll in weren’t you?” Snape tried to push Ashlee out of the way, but she would not budge, “I get it! You went down the forbidden corridor when no one was watching because you thought you could get whatever it is that’s hidden in there. But you didn’t know that monster was guarding the trap door and you got bitten!”
 “How did you find out about that beast?”
 “I went there today, I saw it for myself.”
 “Listen,” Snape glanced around for any signs of movement, “I’ll explain everything when we get inside.”
 Snape limped into his office and sat down in the nearest chair.
 “I wasn’t the one who let the troll in, but I think I know who did.”
 “Who?”
 “I think it was Quirrell.”
 “That blundering idiot? Not likely!”
 “Ashlee, listen to me. I followed Quirrell down the forbidden corridor, he put that monster to sleep and I tried to stop him from getting any farther, the dog woke up and bit me.”
 “I don’t know if I trust you…”
 “Please Ashlee, you have to trust me, Quirrell must be stopped, I think he has something to do with the rumour that the Dark Lord has returned.”
 “So you think he’s trying to get whatever that thing is to help Voldemort come back.”
 “Do not say the Dark Lord’s name!”
 “Why? I’m not scared of him.”
 “Are you trying to tell me you are not scared of the most powerful wizard of modern times?”
 “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

-CHAPTER EIGHT-

Snape’s Secret Diary

 Ashlee’s first week at Hogwarts reached an end; Snape’s wound seemed to have been healing quickly, as he had been rubbing a special ointment on it every few hours. After dinner on Friday night, Snape sat down to read – again. Ashlee searched the bookshelf in her room for a book she might be interested in.
 “Let’s see, these are all written by my mother – what’s this?” Ashlee pulled out a dusty book with torn a torn leather cover; there were a few pages missing, she opened it and began to read:

July 1st 1977

 Mum and Dad were fighting again, I wish they’d stop yelling…I hate it,  I met a really pretty girl today, she’s going to be in my year level at Hogwarts, she is also the sister of that moronic bully Lucius Malfoy, if I remember correctly, her name’s Maria…

September 19th 1977

 I started Hogwarts a couple of weeks ago, I was put in Slytherin House along with that girl Maria, (She said we could be friends) I also met a rather obnoxious group of Gryffindors, their names are:
 Sirius Black (Padfoot), Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail), Remus Lupin (Moony) and James Potter (Prongs). Black has his eyes on Maria, but I’m not going to let him get too close to her, I really care about her and don’t want her to get hurt.

December 25th 1982

 Maria stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas this year, she said she’d rather spend the Holidays here with me than spend it with a bunch of ‘no-good-dirty-rotten-money-hungry-snobs’ (I think she was referring to the Malfoys). Maria seems to have a bit of a thing for Black, she can’t take her eyes off him. I won’t have much time to have fun on the Holidays; Maria said she’d help me study for my OWLs. (I also hope that I meet with that beautiful girl I met just after my birthday again soon…)

May 10th 1983

 Black and Potter are going to pay for humiliating me in front of Maria! First they knocked me to the ground, then they almost killed me by making soap suds come out my mouth, then when Lilly Evans told them to leave me alone, they hung me upside down by one leg, using MY spell! They eventually put me down, but when I called Evans a Mudblood, they hung me upside down again! And that dirty half-breed Lupin just sat there and let them go! I thought he was supposed to be a prefect! I’m just glad that girl came back and beat that Potter with Secumsempra!

 Ashlee slammed the book shut and hid it under her bed; she understood why Snape hated Sirius and James so much; they’d teased him into pure hatred. Ashlee went up into Snape’s office; she really felt sorry for him.
 “Severus.”
 “Yes, Ashlee?”
 “I think that Malfoy’s nothing more than a no-good-dirty-rotten-money-hungry-snob!”
 Snape instantly froze; he lifted his eyes from the book and smiled slightly.
 “I’ll congratulate you on one thing,” Snape put his book away; “You certainly have Black’s sense of adventure.”
 “So you remember Maria saying that?” Ashlee sat next to Snape and smirked darkly.
 “Yes, I didn’t think it’d be long before you wanted to know why I hate Potter and his moronic friends.”
 “Why was James Potter’s nickname Prongs?”
 “He could turn into a stag.”
 “And my dad could turn into a dog?”
 “Yes, you look identical to him when you transform, except your paws are bigger and your tail is fluffier.”
 “I was thinking, do you think we should think of a name like Padfoot for me? Just in case I come in as a dog and someone else – like Malfoy – is in here too.”
 “That’s not a bad idea, Ashlee. Do you want me to pretend you’re my pet if a circumstance like this happens to take place?”
 “Yeah, and I’d also like you to use words that I understand.”
 “What would you like me to call you?”
 “Something that starts with ‘S’.”
 “Why?”
 “Because both Sirius and Severus start with ‘S’.”
 “Let’s see, Shimmer, Shadow, Sparkle –” Snape sniggered to himself. “Snuffles…”
 “Shadow sounds fine.” It took a while for Snape’s words to fully sink in, “SNUFFLES!?”
 Snape burst into a frenzy of laughter.
 “Not happy, Snape!” Ashlee thumped Snape in the arm, “Do I look like I’m laughing!?”
 Snape rubbed his arm where Ashlee had hit him.
 “It is a good name to give a dog.”
 “Touché…You laughed.”
 “Yes, so what?”
 “How long has it been since you last laughed?”
 “Come to think of it, I haven’t laughed like that since the day I became a Death Eater.”
 “How long ago was that?”
 “I was nineteen years old…”
 “That’s a long time, isn’t it?”
 “Yes.”
 “You don’t like talking about the Death Eater thing, do you?”
 “Not particularly.”
 “You’re still upset my mother died, aren’t you?”
 Snape did not speak; he got up from his chair and pulled another folder from his bookcase.
 “What’s that one for?” Ashlee rolled her eyes; she thought it would be nothing more than newspaper clippings from the day Maria had died.
 “This,” Snape opened the folder, “is full of photos from the first day I met you, you were only a few months old.”
 Snape showed Ashlee some of the photos, in one, Sirius was poking his tongue at the camera (obviously because Snape was holding it). Sirius was much more handsome before he was put in Azkaban.
 “Sirius was a bit full of himself, wasn’t he?”
 “He was…but Azkaban ought to bring him to come down to Earth.”
 Ashlee threw Snape a filthy look.
 “I personally think he deserves it.” Snape put the folder away and sat down again.
 “Quirrell looks a bit shifty lately.”
 “What do you mean?”
 “The other day, he was standing near the Forbidden Corridor, and when you walked past, he moved away.”
 “I think he knows I’m on to him.”
 “Yeah…”
 “Do you trust me?”
 Ashlee and Snape stared at each other for a while.
 “Meh…” Ashlee shrugged and looked away.
 “Is that a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’?”
 “It’s a ‘meh’.”
 “What does that mean?”
 “Meh…”
 “Does ‘meh’ have a particular meaning?”
 “Yeah it does.”
 “What does it mean?”
 “Meh…”
 “Does that mean ‘maybe’?”
 “Meh…” Ashlee shrugged again.
 “Are you bored?”
 “How did you guess?” Ashlee sat up straight and beamed, “was it the fact you know you’re boring or the ‘meh’?”
 “The ‘meh’…” Said Snape through clenched teeth.
 “Really? I wasn’t expecting that answer.”
 “You’re trying my patience, Ashlee!”
 “I know.”
 “Are you trying to see how far you can push me before I completely lose my mind?”
 “Yep.”
 “WHY WOULD YOU BE DOING THAT!?”
 “So I can see how much you can put up with.”
 “What!? Why on earth would you do that?”
 “So that I know my limits, so I don’t get punished for a joke.”
 “I’m letting you know now that this is about as much as I can handle.”
 “Okay then, now I know you have a fairly short fuse.”
 “You are really getting on my nerves!”
 “What? I’m done, it’s over, I’ve stopped I –”
 “Ashlee!”
 “Sorry I have a disease; it makes you repeat words, sentences, phrases.”
 “Will this ‘disease’ stop?”
 “It might, unless it’s the final phase, stage, point.”
 “What’s different with the final phase?”
 “It’s when you throw in a totally unrelated word, and it’s very contagious, catching, infectious, Butterbeer.”
 “Well you’d better find a cure, treatment, remedy, Chocolate Frog.”
 Both Ashlee and Snape burst into a fit of laughter.
 “I didn’t think you’d laugh at that.” Ashlee said still beaming.
 “It was funny, but stupid.”
 “It was so stupid it was funny.”
 “Black said that about me…”
 “So, were you stupid?”
 “I was compared to Maria that is.”
 “So was she your friend ‘coz it made her look smarter than she really was?”
 “No, she was my friend because she liked me, and she felt sorry for me.’
 Snape let out a deep sigh.
 “Were you a loner?”
 “Yes.”
 “I don’t find that hard to believe.”
 “Why? Is it that obvious I’m not good with people?”
 “It is a little.”
 “I was thinking…”
 “Wow! That’s amazing!”
 “Shut up! If you’re so much like Black, would you be able to figure out what his favourite ways to insult me were?”
 “I’d probably say you have a huge nose, you have greasy hair, so I’d call you a slime ball and your smile’s creepier than your frown.”
 “That’s exactly what he would’ve said.”
 “Interesting, you must be going through your childhood all over again.”
 “It’s horrible.”
 “I’m not that bad.”
 “No, but you are a brat.”
 “I get that from the Malfoy side.”
 “Shhh!” Snape froze, “Transform!”
 “Why?”
 “Someone’s coming, not a teacher, transform now!”
 Ashlee quickly transformed into the black dog with pale eyes, Malfoy and a man with silver-blonde hair that came down to just below his elbows walked in.
 “Ah – Lucius, long time no see.”
 “Hello Severus.”
 “What brings you to Hogwarts?”
 “Draco wrote to me and told me that Maria’s daughter was living here with you, is that correct?”
 “Yes it is.”
 “Would I be able to meet her?”
 “I’m afraid not, I haven’t seen her at all today, I assume she went to find her friends.”
 Lucius raised an eyebrow.
 “Professor Snape’s talking about Potter and Weasley.” Said Malfoy sounding utterly sickened.
 “Ah – I see she has Black’s taste in friends.”
 “No, she doesn’t.” Snape stood up, “You see, when I say friends, I mean those she keeps close watch on.”
 Ashlee couldn’t help but laugh at Snape’s last remark.
 “Since when have you had a dog?”
 “Since I decided I need company.”
 “It looks like –”
 “Black?”
 “Yes, what’s its name?”
 “Her name’s Shadow.”
 “What’s Maria’s daughter’s name?”
 “Ashlee.” Snape and Malfoy both answered Lucius in unison.
 “Don’t you like your cousin, Draco?”
 “Nope, she’s a bit of a bitch.”
 “Actually, I’m a whole bitch…” Ashlee said instinctively, but obviously no one understood her.
 “Tell Ashlee that I dropped by.”
 Both Malfoys left the roof and shut the door behind them, Ashlee transformed back to normal when she was sure no one could hear her.
 “Gits.” Said Snape under his breath as Ashlee poked her head out the door to see what the Malfoys were doing.
 “I thought you liked Malfoy.”
 “I did, until I met you.”
 “How do I change things?”
 “You remind me of Maria, and when I first saw you, I was reminded of the way Lucius killed her…”
 “How did he kill her? Did he use an Unforgivable Curse?”
 “No, it was much more malicious, he used a Polyjuice Potion to disguise himself as me, then when Maria’s back was turned, he stabbed her.”
 “Git…”
 “Black still thinks it was I who killed her.”
 “Why would you kill your best friend?”
 “Why would Lucius have killed his own sister?”
 “Because he’s a fat, ugly, stupid, piece of –”
 “Ashlee!”
 “Sorry Severus…” Ashlee mumbled a few other insults under her breath, “If Malfoy stabbed her, why did Hagrid say she sacrificed her life to save heaps of others?”
 “Because she did, she put up a good fight, when she’d been stabbed, she realised it wasn’t me because it was Lucius’ knife, she told a lot of people to get away, she then used the Impediment Jinx on him right before she died.”
 “How do you know all of this?”
 “I saw it, Black was holding her when she died, her last word was ‘Ashlee’.”
 “So, Sirius thinks you killed Maria?”
 “Yes, Maria never got a chance to tell him that it was Lucius’ knife, the Minister thinks the Dark Lord killed her in person, and Black, well, I know better, but, they also think he was the one that told the Dark Lord where the Potters were.”
 “But it was Peter Pettigrew, right?”
 “Yes, the only person Black actually killed was Pettigrew.”
 “Why don’t you tell the Ministry what really happened and why he killed Pettigrew? He’d be set free wouldn’t he?”
 “He would be set free, but he’s probably already insane.”
 “Is there any way to contact people in Azkaban?”
 “You can send an owl, but I don’t want you trying to contact Black!”
 “Okay, I won’t.” Ashlee crossed her fingers behind her back.
 “I think you should go and read or something, we’ve got another hour before lunch starts.”
 “Okay, see you later.”

   Ashlee went down into her room, got out a spare piece of parchment, an ink bottle and her quill; she dipped the quill in the ink and began to write:

Sirius Black,

 Please do not be alarmed in getting my letter, I am your daughter, Ashlee Matthews, I was brought up by Muggles and was recently told that you are in Azkaban, I know why, but I believe you are innocent. I’m currently living at Hogwarts with Snape, who is not only my godfather but also my Potions teacher (git). I’ll put my spare stationary goods and a piece of parchment with this letter so you can write back, Snowy will stay with you until you’re ready to send the letter. I’m also an Animagus, Snape told me I look identical to you when I transform, he also says I have your personality, but I look like Maria with green eyes. Please don’t let anyone else see this letter because I promised Snape I wouldn’t contact you and I don’t want to get a detention in my first week at school (even though you probably did, I’ll save it for the second week).

Love, Ashlee Matthews

 She gave Snowy the letter to take to Azkaban; Ashlee went up into the Great Hall to eat her lunch. After lunch, Ashlee went back into her room, where Snowy was sitting on the edge of Ashlee’s bed with a piece of the roll of parchment in her beak. Ashlee unfolded the parchment and read:

Dearest Ashlee,

 Thank you for writing to me, it was the first time anyone in the outside world has tried to contact me, I find it extremely hard to believe an idiot like Snivellus ever became a Professor –

 “Me too!” Said Ashlee proudly, “Great minds think alike!”
 Ashlee read on:

 – If you truly have my personality you should agree. You have a very nice owl, she kept extremely quiet so the Dementors couldn’t sense her, she’s extremely obedient. The Dementors suck all of the happy thoughts out of people’s minds, but this isn’t a happy thought, it seems to be an obsession, so I don’t think they can take it away from me. I hope Snape’s treating you all right, if he isn’t let me know, not that I can do much in Azkaban, but if I ever manage to get out I’ll give him a piece of my mind…and  fist! I’ve been bored out of my mind for ten long years. I hope it wasn’t too hard for you being brought up by Muggles (You should take Muggle Studies in the third year; you’d be great at it). Have you made many friends at Hogwarts?

Love, Sirius Black

 Ashlee immediately grabbed out her quill, ink and parchment and began to write a reply to Sirius’ letter:

Sirius,

 I’ve made three friends at Hogwarts so far, Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley (They’re all in Gryffindor). I’ve also made a few enemies, my ‘dear’ cousin Draco Malfoy and his thugs of friends Crabbe and Goyle (All of which are my fellow Slytherins). Harry’s the Gryffindor Seeker, Professor McGonagall said first years aren’t usually allowed to play Quiddich. If I ever get into the Slytherin Team  I’m going to make sure Malfoy’s Seeker so I can be a Beater and knock his off his broom! Of course I’d say I just have bad aim or make it seem like it’s Malfoy’s fault…Ron has a rat named Scabbers, well at least he thinks it’s a rat, I’m not so sure, when I transformed into the black dog I heard it talking, he said random stuff like ‘Looks like Sirius’ and ‘I’m sorry James’, do you know what it could mean? Ron said Scabbers has been in their family for ten years if that’s any help.

Love, Ashlee

 Ashlee gave the letter to Snowy to take to Azkaban and then transformed into the bear-sized black dog. She ran up to the Gryffindor common room hoping to find Ron, but all she found was Scabbers chewing on his own tail.
 “Scabbers.” Ashlee walked up to the rat.
 “Can you understand me?” Scabbers’ voice was high pitched and squeaky.
 “Of course I can, I’m not stupid.”
 “I never said you were stupid!”
 “I know. Why are you scared of me?”
 “I’m not!”
 “Calm down then! I’m not going to hurt you.”
 “No matter what I say?”
 “No, you’re less than half my size.”
 “Okay, good.”
 “Do you know why you’re living so long? Most rats only live for about three years.”
 “The Weasley’s have been taking good care of me.”
 “How old are you exactly?” she asked lying down next to Scabbers.
 “First you promise you won’t ask how I live so long.”
 “Okay, I promise.”
 “I’m thirty-six years old.”
 “Whoa! That’s damn old for a rat!”
 “I know…”
 “Have you ever come to Hogwarts before, like when Sirius Black was here?”
 “Yes, I was here then.”
 “Whose rat were you then?”
 “Uh – I – Uh – Peter Pettigrew’s.”
 “So you would’ve been close to Sirius a lot of the time wouldn’t you?”
 “Yes.”
 Scabbers seemed to be getting more nervous.
 “Did he seem like the sort of person that would betray his friends?”
 “No, he didn’t.”
 “What about Pettigrew?”
 “Why are you asking about Peter?”
 “Because he framed Sirius, didn’t he?”
 “Y-y-yes I s-suppose he d-did.”
 “And on the night Pettigrew died you ran away and found the Weasleys, is that right?”
 “Yes.”
 “Thanks for being honest, but if I ever find out you lied to me about anything you’re dead meat, got it?”
 “Okay, yes.”
 “Where’s Ron?”
 “Outside, I think he went to Hagrid’s hut.”
 “Thanks; see ya!”
 Ashlee sped to Hagrid’s hut where Ron, Harry and Hermione were just leaving, Ashlee transformed back to normal just before they could see her.
 “Hi guys, what’ve you been doing?” Ashlee looked around at the three Gryffindors.
 “We were just asking Hagrid who could’ve let that troll into the castle; they’re not smart enough to get in by themselves.” Hermione seemed like she was hiding something.
 “We think Snape looks a bit suspicious.” Said Ron while rummaging around in his pockets.
 “Ron!” Hermione elbowed Ron.
 “I think he does too.” Ashlee watched Ron folding out his pockets.
 “Where’s Scabbers?” Ron was almost in tears.
 “He’s up in the Gryffindor common room.” Ashlee patted Ron on the back in a desperate attempt to prevent him from crying.
 “How do you know that?” Hermione asked.
 “I – well I – can you keep a huge secret?”
 “I suppose I can, why?”
 “Just promise me you won’t tell anyone.”
 “Okay, I promise.”
 “I’m an Animagus, Harry and Ron already know. I can get in by barking at the painting.”
 “So, you can turn into a dog.”
 “No, I turn into a cat, that’s why I bark…” Ashlee said sarcastically.
 Harry and Ron laughed uncontrollably.

-CHAPTER NINE-

The Invisibility Amulet

 The rest of the weekend was pretty boring. Ashlee had Snape watching over her shoulder and correcting her on her homework when she made a mistake. At one stage, Ashlee elbowed Snape in the stomach when he corrected her on a simple spelling error in her Defence Against Dark Arts essay. On Sunday night, Snowy had returned once again with another piece of parchment in her beak. Ashlee unfolded the parchment:

Ashlee,

 It’s good to hear that you’ve made friends already, I’m not sure if you know, but I’m Harry’s godfather. Please don’t say anything but I have a weird feeling that Ron’s rat may be Peter Pettigrew, one of my old school friends. Does he have a missing toe on his front paw? If he does he’s Pettigrew his index finger was the largest part of him they found. He was the Potter’s Secret-Keeper, I switched to him at the last minute, and I thought Voldemort would come after me because he knew I was their best friend.

From, Sirius

 “I think we’ll give you a bit of a rest before I write back to Sirius, what do you think about that Snow?” Snowy hooted happily as Ashlee petted her, “I think I’d better go have a chat with Scabbers.”
 Ashlee quickly transformed, she crept up the stairs and past Snape who had fallen asleep on the homework he had just finished marking.
 When she had reached the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, she saw that Ron, Harry and Hermione were still up finishing their Potions essay that Snape had set.
 “Need any help?” Said Ashlee as she transformed behind Harry.
 “Don’t do that!” Harry spun around to see Ashlee beaming at him.
 “Why not?”
 “You scared us half to death!” Harry put the lid on his ink.
 “You mean I scared you half to death.”
 “She’s got a point Harry,” said Hermione as she put the trio’s rolls of parchment away, “Ron and I saw her coming.”
 “Why didn’t you say anything?” Harry asked.
 Ron stretched and yawned loudly, “Because we knew Ashlee’d probably get irritated if we stopped her.”
 Ashlee sat down in the lounge chair closest to the fire, the embers crackled when Hermione added more wood to it.
 “Ron, even though you’ve only known me for a week, you know me too well.” Ashlee said with a huge sigh.
 “Yeah, we have been spending a lot of time together though.” Said Ron, his face reddening slightly.
 “Somebody likes me!” Ashlee half closed her eyes and made a mock kissing face, Ashlee saw Ron’s face move slightly forward then flinch back, “You were gonna kiss me!”
 “What!?” Ron went much redder, “No I wasn’t!”
 Fred and George walked down the stairs.
 “Ashlee!” George ran to meet her.
 “We thought we heard you’re beautiful voice.”  Fred tried to kiss Ashlee’s face but she blocked his mouth.
 “Piss off, Fred!”
 “How can you tell them apart?” Hermione asked her.
 “Easy!” Ashlee pushed Fred right away from her, “Fred has a crush on me, and George doesn’t!”
 “I’ve noticed that Fred fixes his cloaks when he sees you coming.” Said Ron.
 “What the f–” Ashlee held the letter ‘f’ for a while, “–udge?”
 George patted her on the back, “Nice save!”
 “Thanks, I used to say ‘fudgestickles’, but it didn’t really make sense…”
 “I think it does.” Fred sat down next to Ashlee, but she go up and sat closer to Ron.
 “You also think saying ‘what can I do you for’ doesn’t sound wrong.” Ashlee said, putting her arm around Ron’s neck and pulling him closer.
 “What are you doing, Ashlee?” Ron asked.
 “Stop squirming and I’ll tell you!” Ashlee waited for Ron to calm down then she put her mouth close to his ear and whispered, “I’m doing everything I can to stop Fred being all flirty, I really don’t like him in that way.”
 Ron turned to Ashlee, “I’ll play along then.”
 He embraced her cosily and blushed; Ashlee had a feeling that this was a much more genuine hug than he was letting on.
 “I can’t believe you let Ron hug you! You won’t even let me sit near you!” Fred got up and walloped Ron who let out a small whimper and shrunk back.
 Ashlee seized Fred’s arm and dug her long fingernails deep into his skin, Fred let out a howl of pain.
 “DON’T – HIT – RON!” She bellowed at him though clenched teeth.
 Fred looked at his arm which was bleeding from five small holes left from Ashlee’s fingernails; he wiped the blood off his arm and then ran back up into the boys’ dormitories.
 “That put him in his place!” George whispered to her and Ron before running after his twin.
  “What was that about, Ashlee?” Harry asked her, he still looked amazed at what had just happened.
 “What was what about?”
 “You hurting Fred just because he’d hit Ron.”
 “Uh…” Ashlee blushed, “…I didn’t think it seemed right…”
 “Then why did you let Ron hug you?” Hermione asked.
 “Because…because…I think he’s…uh…” Ashlee went even redder.
 “That pretty much explains everything.” Harry said.
 “Huh?”
 “You fancy Ron, don’t you?”
 Ashlee went completely red, she transformed once again and ran back down to the dungeons, she wasn’t looking where she was going and she collided with Malfoy’s leg.
 “Well, well, well.” Whispered Malfoy, he crouched down beside her and petted the top of her head, “Professor Snape’s dog.”
 He was acting kind; it was exceptionally irregular.
 “What are you doing out this late?” Malfoy scratched behind her ear, “I think I should take you back home.”
 Malfoy walked Ashlee back to Snape’s office, when they reached the door Malfoy knocked and walked in.
 “I found your dog Professor.” Said Malfoy.
 Snape spun around quickly, the office was in a mess, it was really obvious that he was looking for her.
 “Thank you, Draco – twenty points for Slytherin – I’ve been looking all over for her.”
 Malfoy left the room with a smug look on his face, as he left Snape shut the door behind him and frowned at Ashlee.
 “TRANSFORM BACK TO NORMAL THIS INSTANT!” Spat Snape.
 Ashlee transformed immediately, she knew she’d probably blown it big time.
 “WHAT WERE YOU THINKING RUNNING OFF LIKE THAT?” Snape did not stop yelling to let her answer, “DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS? I THOUGHT YOU’D BEEN KIDNAPPED!”
 “Sorry, Severus.” Ashlee wiped Snape’s spit off her face, “I was just talking to my friends.”
 “Well maybe you should have a curfew put in place to stop you sneaking out after dark!”
 “Maybe I’ll just get out anyway!”
 “That’s it! Go to your room!” Snape pointed to the trapdoor on the floor.
 “FINE!” Ashlee screeched, “I CAN’T STAND BEING IN THE SAME ROOM AS YOU ANYWAY!”
 She stormed down the stairs slamming the trapdoor behind her; she threw herself onto her bed and sighed. There was an eerie howl beside her, she sat up and looked around, and saw a large snow-white wolf sitting on the edge of her bed. She reached out to touch it but her hand went right through.
 “Are you a ghost?” She asked it.
 “Yes, Ashlee.” Her voice was very pleasant.
 “How do you know my name?”
 “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
 “Try me.”
 “I’ll tell you on one condition, you cannot tell Severus Snape that I came back as a ghost.”
 “Right now I wouldn’t tell Snape if his butt was on fire!”
 “Then I’ll show you who I am.”
 The wolf was lost in a flash of light, for a few seconds Ashlee couldn’t see a thing and then, when the light faded, Ashlee saw a woman standing in its place, she had white-blonde hair that came down to her waist and cobalt blue eyes, she had a strange glow around her that made her look godly. Ashlee gawked in admiration; Maria Malfoy was every bit as beautiful as what Snape had told her.
 “Mum?” Ashlee thought she must’ve been dreaming.
 Maria nodded, “You may call me Maria if you wish.”
 “Thanks, where have you been?”
 “I’ve been keeping an eye on Severus; he hasn’t taken my passing that well you know.”
 “Then why are you talking to me?”
 “Because you need a motherly figure to take care of you.”
 “Snape never told me you were an Animagus.”
 “He doesn’t know, I never told him.”
 “Why not?”
 “Because I didn’t want him to know I was friends with James, Sirius and Remus.”
 “How does you being an Animagus have anything to do with you being their friend?”
 “James, Sirius, Peter and I had to become Animagi to keep Remus company on a full moon, werewolves only hurt humans you see, and it was much safer for us to become Animagi, that was dangerous too, though…”
 “Why did you pretend Sirius was dared to go out with you?”
 “So it didn’t seem suspicious, we’d actually been going out for two or three years before that plan…If Severus knew that…”
 “He would’ve totally lost it, like he did with me before…”
 “Actually…you got off pretty easily, if he was going to really lose it with you he would’ve gotten awfully quiet first.”
 “How long have you been watching over him?”
 “Since the day I died.”
 “How come he couldn’t see you?”
 “I wore this,” Maria held up a gold chain, on it, a beautiful gold amulet with a shimmering sapphire on its centre, “It’s my Invisibility Amulet, Severus didn’t know about it, it acts as a personal Secret-Keeper, when you wear it, no one can see you, that is, unless they know about it.”
 Maria handed the Amulet to Ashlee.
 “I’ve no use for it anymore; I can stay here out of everyone’s way.”
 “Thanks, people can’t see me if they don’t know what it does, right?”
 “Yes, so only tell those you trust the most, even if they tell someone, they still won’t be able to see you, you have to tell them yourself.”
 “Thanks! Uh, I suppose you won’t want me sneaking out…”
 “Actually…I don’t mind, as long as you don’t get caught, not that they’ll be able to tell if you’re breathing down their necks with the Amulet on.”
 “Y’know how Sirius’ nickname was Padfoot?”
 “Yes.”
 “Did you have a nickname?”
 “I did, Shimmer, because of the Amulet.”
 “Bye! I’m going to show my friend, Ron!”
 “I’ll see you when you get back.”

 Ashlee put the Amulet around her neck and walked up the stairs, Snape was still in a huff, there was an ugly flush on his pallid face that made him look more phantom like. Ashlee ran back up to the Gryffindor common room, to her intense relief, Ron was the only one up, she took off the Amulet.
 “Ashlee!” Ron jumped at the sight of her, “Where did you come from?”
 “Snape’s office, where do you think?”
 “You just popped out of nowhere!”
 “That’s because of this Invisibility Amulet.”
 Ashlee showed Ron the Amulet and explained what it does, she also told him to keep it a secret.
 “I’m really sorry I ran out like that before, Ron.” Ashlee blushed, “But I didn’t know what to do.”
 “I thought that’s why you ran off, that Amulet’s way cool!”
 “I know it was my mother’s.”
 “How did you get it?”
 “My mother came back as a ghost! You won’t tell anyone, will you?”
 “No, I don’t tell anyone anything that we say when we’re by ourselves.”
 “Thanks, I appreciate that.”
 “That’s about the biggest word you’ve used this year.”
 “I know! I’m turning into Snape…”
 “Please don’t say that…that’s a really scary thought…”
 “I know…”
 Ashlee and Ron both shuddered at the thought of Ashlee becoming exactly like Snape.
 “That’s what I’d be like if Snape was my dad…and I just got a thought in my head that I want to go away…”
 “That’s disgusting, Ashlee.”
 “I can’t help it! I just say stuff and it comes out wrong.”
 Fred walked down the stairs and yawned hugely, “Who are you talking to Ron?”
 Fred’s question obviously didn’t need an answer because he glared at Ashlee and frowned.
 “I’m really sorry about before, Fred.” Ashlee took a few steps closer to Fred, “I didn’t mean to upset you, I just don’t like you in that way.”
 “Uh…I really wasn’t expecting you to apologise…” Fred blushed.
 “I wasn’t expecting a third year to have a crush on me…”
 “It’s pretty pathetic, isn’t it?”
 “Yeah, especially since when I had Muggle friends two out of three of them were guys and they weren’t interested in me at all…”
 “They were out of their minds…” Said Fred.
 “What were their names?” Asked Ron.
 “Leah and Jason Hanson – they were twins – and Lee O’Neill.”
 Ashlee rumpled around in her pockets for a minute and then pulled out a Muggle photo.
 “And here’s a photo!”
 She showed the Weasleys the picture, there were four people in it, on the left, was Jason, he had chocolate-brown hair and hazel eyes, beside him was Leah, she had slightly lighter hair and emerald-green eyes, she was obviously Jason’s sister because they both had the same facial features, beside Leah and Jason was Lee, he had greasy black hair and black eyes, Ashlee was on the right, her blonde hair shone in the sunlight.
 “That one looks like Snape!” Ron said with shock as he pointed at Lee.
 “Come to think of it,” Ashlee’s eyes were as wide as dinner plates, “Snape did kind of remind me of Lee the first time I met him…”
 Ashlee shuddered, “I’ll never be able to look at Lee the same way again…”
 “Do you think you’ll ever see them again?”
 “I don’t know, they’re a year lower than me, they got kept down last year…”
 “Why?”
 “Because, they got caught pulling a prank on a teacher and I didn’t…”
 “How’d they get caught?” Fred asked.
 “Another teacher saw them preparing it, I’d already hidden, every good prankster knows the number one rule is not to get caught.”
 “What was the prank?” Fred seemed excited.
 “You’ve probably already done something like it.”
 “No, I want to know about Muggle pranks, just in case a teacher takes my wand.”
 “We snuck into the classroom a minute before the teacher arrived, we put a whoopee cushion on her chair and put super-glue on the whoopee cushion so it stuck to the teacher’s butt!”
 “Did it work?”
 “Yep! The other teacher didn’t have time to warn our teacher before she sat her fat butt on the chair!”
 Ron and Fred burst into silent laughter.
 “Should I try it on Snape tomorrow?” Ashlee asked.
 “What if you’re caught?” Asked Ron.
 “Don’t worry, I won’t be.”
 “May I suggest a Permanent Sticking Charm?” Asked Fred.
 “You may…but I might need your help with that…”
 “I’ve got a spare one here – it sticks two things together when a lot of pressure is put on it, and nothing can get them off.”
 “B – E – A – U – Tiful!”
 “Let me see if I get this straight,” Ron was slightly confused, “You’re putting a whoopee cushion with a Permanent Sticking Charm on it on Snape’s chair, so he’ll have it stuck to his butt.”
 “No, I’m going to put half of the Charm on either side of the whoopee cushion so it sticks to the chair that will also stick to Snape’s butt.”
 “If you get caught you could get expelled, Ashlee!” Ron said.
 “I’m not going to get caught, I know better.”
 “Okay…”

 Ashlee went down into the dungeons after putting her Invisibility Amulet around her neck again; she told Fred what it did so he could see her as well. She got a whoopee cushion from her bag and made sure her name wasn’t on it, then, she carefully snuck into Snape’s office and set up the prank. She then went into her room and went to bed.
 In the morning Ashlee ate her breakfast and went back into the dungeons to get ready for Potions, she got to class a few seconds before Snape did. She walked into class and sat down next to Ron, Harry and Hermione.
 “I hate Potions.” Said Harry.
 “I have a feeling this class’ll be a blast.” Said Ashlee.
 Ron and Ashlee tried their best not to laugh as Snape sat down, there was a large blurting noise and everyone laughed.
 “Professor!” Ashlee beamed, “You’ve got to give some warning before you just crack one off like that! My mouth was open and everything!”
 Snape tried to get out of his chair but he couldn’t, he couldn’t even take his chair with him, it was cemented to the ground. Everyone roared with laughter again, Snape tried more desperately to get up, and then there was a huge tearing noise; Snape’s cloaks had ripped! The whole class roared with laughter again and Snape flushed furiously.
 “IF I FIND OUT WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS, THEY WILL BE IMMEDIATELY EXPELLED FROM THIS SCHOOL!” Snape shrieked.
 After class Ashlee put the Invisibility Amulet around Ron’s neck so they could both go into Ashlee’s room. Professor Flitwick was able to use an Anti-Sticking Charm on Snape’s chair so he could get free. Snape was in his office by the time Ashlee and Ron had gotten there.
 “Ashlee, I want a word.” Snape had a new set of cloaks on.
 “Yes, Severus.” Ashlee did her best to look confused.
 “Was it you who played that prank on me?”
 “No, why would I do that?”
 “I thought it may have been you because I’d yelled at you last night.”
 “Nope, not me.”
 “Alright then, you may go.”
 Ashlee led Ron down into her room where Maria’s ghost was sitting on the edge of the bed.
 “Hi, Maria! This is the friend I was telling you about, Ron Weasley!”
 “Hello, Ashlee.” Maria looked Ron up and down, “Yes, obviously a Weasley.”
 “Wow.” Said Ron, “I thought you looked pretty on the Wizard Cards…”
 “Thank you, Mr. Weasley.”
 “How did you know I was a Weasley?”
 “The red hair’s a dead giveaway, but you also look a fair bit like Arthur.”
 “You know my father!?” Ron asked.
 “Yes, he was in my brother’s year level, and in the Order of the Phoenix when Voldemort –” Ron cringed at the mention of his name, “– was at large.”
 “What’s the Order of the Phoenix?” Ashlee asked.
 “The Order was a secret organisation full of people wanting to get rid of Voldemort.”
 Ron cringed again but Maria ignored him.
 “So, why did you bring your friend down here? Severus’ giving you a hard time again, isn’t he?”
 “It’s more like I’m giving him the hard time.” Said Ashlee.
 “What do you mean?” Maria was puzzled.
 “I played a prank on him this morning.”
 “That was you!?” Maria seemed pleasantly surprised, “You definitely have your father’s nature.”
 “Is that good or bad?”
 “It’s good; you only play pranks on people when they give you a hard time to start with.” Maria paused and listened, “Severus is coming! I’ll go, Ron, leave that Invisibility Amulet on, he won’t be able to see or hear you.”
 “Okay, bye!” Said Ron as Maria’s ghost disappeared through the wardrobe door.
 Snape walked down the stairs into Ashlee’s room, he almost collided with Ron as he walked towards Ashlee.
 “I’m sorry if I was harsh on you last night, I was just trying to protect you.” He said.
 “Protect me from what? My shadow?” An evil grin spread across Ashlee’s face and Ron laughed.
 “The Slytherin ghost doesn’t appreciate students running around after dark.”
 “What’s he going to do?” Ashlee’s grin widened, “Is he going to walk through me? All that’d do is get me annoyed.”
 “Ashlee! Are you trying my patience again!?”
 “No, I’m trying to understand what you’re protecting me from. Ron’s not a werewolf y’know.”
 “I – know – THAT!” Said Snape through clenched teeth.
 “Y’know, you look kinda funny when you’re angry.”
 “WHAT!?” it took Snape a while to fully grasp the fact Ashlee was teasing him again, “GET A LIFE WILL YOU!”
 “I’ve got one – irritating you!”
 “Well get another one!”
 “I like the one I’ve got now, it’s fun!”
 “ARGH!” Snape smacked his hand hard on his head, “You are so annoying!”
 Ashlee beamed.
 “I know. I think I’ll give the Weasley twins a run for their money, don’t you?”
 “Aha! So you did play that prank on me! I knew it! Totally Black’s style!”
 “I never said that. I just said that I’m probably more annoying than Fred and George.”
 “Then do you know who else could’ve played that joke on me!?”
 “I don’t know that now, do I?”
 Ashlee tried to look guiltless.
 “…I don’t know…but I think you know more than you’re letting on…”
 “Hold the phone!”
 “What the?”
 “Oh, yeah…” Said Ashlee with dawning comprehension, “Wizards don’t use phones!”
 Ashlee whacked herself in the head.
 “What I should have said is – wait a second…” Ashlee rubbed her head where she had hit it, “A minute ago you were angry, then, you were upset, and now, you’re confused…now I’m confused…”
 Snape rolled his eyes and walked up the stairs into his office.
 Ashlee turned to Ron, “Seriously, he is way too unstable…”
 “I know,” Ron sat on Ashlee’s bed, “His mood changes faster than–” Ron clicked his fingers, “–that.”
 “Tell me about it…he’s worse than anyone I know…except…”
 “Except, who?” Ron was uneasy.
 “…Lee O’Neill…”
 “That guy that looks like him?”
 “…Yeah…” Ashlee thought deeply, “…Come to think of it…Lee once told me his mum kicked his dad out when he was three…he said his dad was a wizard…that was why his mum kicked him out, she was scared of him…I didn’t believe him then…I didn’t know that wizards were real…”
 “Does that mean!?”
 “I hope not…I really hope not…”
 “That’d be really strange, I mean, you being friends with your godfather’s son and not knowing…”
 “He doesn’t really have that attitude, like, he’s not…depressed…”
 “But he’s not Snape! He doesn’t have to be depressed!”
 “Right! I think Mr.I’ve Never Had a Girlfriend has a bit of explaining to do…”
 Ashlee and Ron walked up the stairs and Ashlee approached Snape and slapped him across the back of the head.
 “What the bloody hell was that for!?” Snape yelled.
 “You and I need to have a little chat about my old friend, Lee O’Neill.” Said Ashlee.
 Snape jumped at hearing Lee’s name.
 “Uh – who’s that!?” Snape wasn’t good at faking expressions, “I don’t know anyone called Lee O’Neill!”
 “What about his mother, Zahra O’Neill?” Snape flinched again, “I knew it! And you said you’d never had a girlfriend, let alone a wife!”
 “O’Neill is a very common name, Ashlee.”
 “Yeah, but it can’t just be coincidence that Lee just happens to look almost exactly like you, can it?”
 “Well, I – uh…” Snape looked around the room, “Does Lee really look like me?”
 “Yep, it’s a shame, isn’t it?”
 “ASHLEE!”
 Ashlee’s ears were ringing; Snape had an extremely loud voice when he wanted it to be.
 “Why don’t you yell a bit louder next time? A couple of people in the Astronomy Tower mightn’t have heard you.”
 “What can you tell me about my son?”
 “He was my best friend at the Muggle school I went to, his favourite colour’s black and he doesn’t like his mother.”
 “Wait, he’s the same age as you!”
 “Yeah, so?”
 “He should have come here!”
 “Oh! He got kept down a year.”
 “That doesn’t matter; it’s his age that matters! There’s a serious problem here!”
 “Maybe coz’ Zahra knew you were a wizard, and a teacher, she put two and two together…and realised it equals four…” Snape gave her a filthy look, “…just kidding – maybe she realised you’d probably be working here.”
 “You can’t stop a wizard being a wiz–”
 Dumbledore walked into Snape’s office, “Good morning, Severus. I hope I wasn’t interrupting anything.”
 “Not at all Professor.”
 “Good, I was just wondering, do you have room for another student to move in with you?”
 “I think I can accommodate another student, why do you ask?”
 Dumbledore moved aside and gently nudged Lee O’Neill inside, since Ashlee had last seen him, (which was last December) he had let his hair grow down to shoulder length, much like Snape’s, he had grown several more inches and had gotten awfully scrawny.
 “Hi, Nosey!” Said Ashlee.
 “Hello, Sparx…” Said Lee.
 “What the…?”
 Lee rolled his eyes, “Your nickname’s Sparx. My nickname’s Nosey.” Lee rolled his eyes at the mention of his nickname, “Leah’s nickname’s Chase. Jason’s nickname’s Fang, remember?”
 “…Not really…”
 Leah and Jason walked into the office accompanied by Professor McGonagall.
 “Sparkie-Warkie!” Said Jason.
 Leah and Ashlee both rolled their eyes.
 “What’s the matter Lee-Lee?” He asked Leah.
 Leah smacked Jason in the back of the head.
 “That looks like fun!” Said Lee as he hit Jason who flinched back.
 Ashlee thumped Jason on the top of the head, “That was for two things, one – to hopefully make your brain work properly – and two – for flinching!”
 “You two should go up to Gryffindor Tower to get better acquainted with your housemates.” Said Professor McGonagall, Leah and Jason followed her out the door.
 “I can’t believe they’re in Gryffindor! They’re worse than I am!” Exclaimed Ashlee.
 “Actually, you’re way worse Sparx…” Sighed Lee.
 “…Is that a compliment or an insult?”
 “It’s kinda both…”
 “…I think he likes you as more than friends…” Ron said to Ashlee.
 Ashlee took two huge steps away from Lee.
 “Why did you do that!?” Yelled Lee.
 “What!?”
 “Why did you move backwards!?” Ashlee could now tell how Lee and Snape were related, “Do you have some invisible person whispering shit in your ear!?”
 Ashlee looked at Ron, then at Snape who was staring blankly at Lee, and then back at Lee who looked like someone had told him that Ashlee had stolen the last Chocolate Frog in the universe.
 “No, why would someone be standing here whispering in my ear?”
 “That’s just what it seems like – hey! Why did you say ‘whispering’ like that?”
 “Like what? I never said it like anything…”
 “…You are so spastic…”
 “Did you say ‘plastic’ or ‘spastic’? I wasn’t really listening…”
 Lee and Snape both rolled their eyes.
 “What?”
 “Lee, do you know who I am?” Asked Snape.
 “My dad, I remember your face.”
 “Who could forget his ugly mug?” Ashlee quietly whispered to Ron who chortled.

-CHAPTER TEN-

The Dark Angels

 After a long and irritating day of trying to help Lee, Leah and Jason catch up on a week of school, Ashlee went up to the Gryffindor Tower and put the Invisibility Amulet around Lee’s neck. She transformed into the black dog and they saw that Leah and Jason were talking to Ron, Harry, Hermione, Fred and George. Ashlee transformed back to normal and Lee took the Amulet of his neck.
 “Hey you two, have you told them about your condition yet?” Asked Lee.
 “No, Ron told us that Ashlee’d probably be coming here later, we decided we’d wait for her.” Said Jason.
 “What’re you two talking about?” Asked Ashlee.
 “We’re werewolves, have been all our lives.” Said Leah.
 “WHAT!?”
 “Yep,” Said Jason, “apparently our biological dad was.”
 “So Aaron’s not your dad?”
 “Nope.”
 “Werewolves!?” Asked Hermione, “What will you do on a full moon?”
 “We don’t know, Dumbledore said something could be arranged, some sort of a Potion and a special place near a Whacking Willow.” Said Jason.
 “Probably the same place my parents’ friend went,” Said Ashlee, “I think the Potion’s called Wolfsbane; the place near the Whomping Willow’s called the Shrieking Shack.”
 “How do you know all of this?” Asked Hermione.
 “Uh – Snape, told me…” Said Ashlee.
 “Liar…” Muttered Lee.
 “I’m not lying!” Exclaimed Ashlee.
 “Whatever!”
 “Would I lie to you?”
 “Do you really want me to answer that?”
 “Umm…”
 “Didn’t think so…”
 “Hey! I’m still thinking!”
 “I didn’t know you’d started!”
 “You’re funny, but not ha-ha funny…”
 “Why you little!”
 “I’m taller than you, so if I’m little what does that make you?”
 “ARGH! You are so frustrating!”
 “Thankies!”
 “That wasn’t a compliment…”
 “Of course it was!”
 “Ashlee…” Ron whined.
 “Give her a break!” Leah and Jason said at the same time.
 “Huh!?” Asked Ron.
 “She’s always like this.” The twins were still speaking at the same time, “That’s what makes her unique.”
 “She’s always like this?” Asked Fred.
 “Yeah! Course she is!  She’s the Dark Angels leader and the entertainer!” Said the twins.
 “What’re the Dark Angels?” Fred asked.
 “Haven’t you told ‘em yet, Sparx?”
 “Nah!” Ashlee cracked her knuckles, “Didn’t think it’d be important. ‘Specially since I didn’t think I’d ever see all the Dark Angels in one room together again.”
 “Well we are.” Said Lee.
 “I think we should change your nickname to ‘Captain Obvious’.”
 “Exsqueeze me?”
 “That’s my word! You stole it!”
 “How can you own a word?”
 “By charging fifty Galleons to let anyone else use it!”
 “Smart arse…”
 “How can I have an intelligent buttock?”
 “Bitch…”
 “Good observation.”
 Leah and Jason burst into laughter.
 “Hem-hem.” Hermione butted in, “What are the Dark Angels?”
 “I didn’t end up answering that did I?” Ashlee asked.
 “No.”
 “Sorry. The Dark Angels are us – that is to say, Lee, Jason, Leah and I. That’s the name we gave ourselves when we first met as little kids.”
 “And we’ve all got nicknames.” Said Leah, “I’m Chase, because when I’m in my wolf state I have a habit of chasing my tail. Jason’s Fang, coz he has rather large ones when he’s in his wolf state. Ashlee’s Sparx – short for Sparkle – because, well, she likes shiny things…” Ashlee went cross-eyed at the mention of ‘shiny’. “…And Lee – uh – Lee’s Nosey…for two reasons, he is, and he has a big nose…”
 Ashlee tried her best to hide a laugh.
 “Is it like a club?” Asked George.
 “Yeah,” Ashlee said, “We play pranks – and apparently get caught – we gossip and we hang out.”
 “Can we join?” Fred and George asked in unison.
 “As long as you pass the loyalty test…” Leah, Jason and Lee all gave Ashlee a weird look, “It’s only one question…do you hate Malfoy?”
 “Yes!” Said all five Gryffindors at once.
 “Good!” Ashlee said, “Now, do you want nicknames, or do you just want us to use your normal names?”
 “Normal!” Said the Gryffindors.
 “Okay, that was easy enough.” Said Lee.
 “Now we’ve got nine Angels!” Said Jason.
 “Nice work brainiac…” Ashlee clapped her hands sarcastically.
 “Ashlee?” Enquired Fred.
 “What now, Lover-Boy?” Ashlee asked.
 “Do I have the right to ask one of the Dark Angels members out?”
 “As long as its not me, knock yourself out…”
 “Oh, never mind, then…”
 “Ron’s the only one who has the right to ask me out…”
 “WHAT!?” Exclaimed Lee.
 “Got a problem with that, Nosey?”
 “Uh…”
 Ashlee raised her eyebrows.
 “Sparx and Nosey sittin’ in a tree,” Leah and Jason chanted, “K – I – S – S – I – N – G!”
 “Do you want to hit them first?” Ashlee asked Lee.
 “Ladies first!” Lee replied.
 “Righto…”
Ashlee walked behind the twins who were still chanting and slammed their heads together – CLONK! The twins rubbed their heads.
 “I would never go out with Nosey!” Lee looked somewhat upset, “Not even if I had a choice between him and a rabid horse!”
 “What’s the difference?” Asked Leah.
 “The difference is the horse would be better looking!” Yelled Ashlee, “No offence by the way, Nosey.”
 “Uh – none taken…I guess…” Said Lee.
 “Holy cow!”
 “What?”
 “Snape!”
 “Huh!?”
 Ashlee grabbed the Invisibility Amulet and put it around her neck.
 “Snape’s coming! I heard him say the Gryffindor password; you’re on your own mate!”
 And surely enough, Professor Severus Snape walked into the Gryffindor common room, accompanied by the Slytherin Prefects.
 “Where’s Ashlee?” Snape’s voice was sinister and cold, “I thought I heard her voice.”
 “She’s not here, Dad…” Said Lee.
 Snape’s eyes narrowed and his lips curled into a sneer.
 “It’s Professor Snape when other students are around.” Snape hissed.
 “Sorry…”
 “If Ashlee’s in here, you’d better tell me now, because you’ll be in twice as much trouble if I find her and you’ve told me otherwise.”
 “Lee, no! He won’t be able to see or hear me while I’m wearing the Amulet, no matter how hard he searches!” Said Ashlee.
 “She’s not here.” Lee repeated.
 “We’ll see.”
 The Slytherin Prefects moved from beside Snape and started rummaging around the common room in search of Ashlee.
 “Thanks for covering for me, mate. He’d probably have slit my throat if he’d found out I was in here again!”
 Ashlee walked behind Ron and hugged him from behind, knowing that the Slytherin Prefects wouldn’t check Ron’s back. Ron blushed when Ashlee hugged her, Ashlee knew Ron liked her, he’d admitted that, but se didn’t know if it was just a little crush or if he actually wanted to ask her out.
 “Nothing Professor.” Said one of the Prefects.
 “All right then. Come on, Lee.” Said Snape while scanning the room for one last time, “Let’s go and find that arrogant slime.”
 As soon as Ashlee was sure Snape was out of earshot, she took off the Amulet.
 “So…I’m an arrogant slime now am I!?”
 “Whoa…he’s mad…” Said Leah.
 “Actually…”Ashlee soon found herself beaming again, “I think that’s his happy face…”
 “Somehow, I find that hard to believe…” Said Leah.
 “Maybe that’s because you’ve never seen him when he’s really pissed off.”
 “That’s about as mad as I’ve ever seen him.” Fred said.
 “Maybe that’s because you haven’t been in the room when I’ve pissed him off.” Said Ashlee.
 “I have…” Said Ron, “My ears are still ringing…”
 “So are mine…” Said Ashlee.
 “When were you in Snape’s office?” Leah asked Ron.
 “When you walked in, I was wearing the Invisibility Amulet, Snape had no idea I was there.” Ron replied.
 “I’d better get to my room before Snape kills someone.” Said Ashlee.
 Ashlee put the Invisibility Amulet around her neck, kissed Ron (she actually got his mouth) who nearly fainted, transformed into the black dog and ran back into her room. Snape was nowhere to be seen, so she got out another piece of parchment and wrote another letter for Snowy to take to Sirius:

 Hey Sirius,

Sorry I haven’t written back in a little while, but I’ve been busy playing pranks on Snape and teaching my old ‘Muggle’ friends what we learnt last week. Dumbledore had trouble tracking them down. Leah and Jason Hanson are werewolves, apparently their biological (is that how you spell it?) father was. My other friend is Lee O’Neill, he’s Snape’s long lost son! (Eek!) Believe it or not, Maria came back as a ghost! She said you had a friend that was a werewolf, was it Remus Lupin? Anyway, she said I have two godfathers, Snape and that Lupin guy…personally I think living with a werewolf would be a lot safer than Snape any day. Maria also gave me her old Invisibility Amulet because she doesn’t need it. I haven’t found out any more about Scabbers (Pettigrew). Love, Ashlee

 Snowy flew into the distance with Ashlee’s letter, Snape walked in a minute or two later.
 “Where have you been!?” He screeched.
 “Right here!” Ashlee lied.
 “I’ve already checked in here several times!”
 “Did you check the wardrobe?”
 “No.”
 “I was in there.”
 “Why!?”
 “I was seeing if you’d actually check in there. Obviously you hadn’t given it a thought.”
 Snape ran up to Ashlee and threw his arms around her.
 “Severus…” Ashlee struggled for air, “Get a grip…”
 Snape let her go.
 “I was so worried about you!”
 “Okay…change subject…” Ashlee thought deeply for a second, “How come Harry was allowed to play Quiddich!?”
 “Because he’s good at being a Seeker.”
 “Would I be able to be on the Slytherin team if I was good enough?”
 “Have you ever played Quiddich before?”
 “No. But I was the Goal Keeper for the Muggle school’s Football team.”
 “What’s Football?”
 “It’s complicated, but basically Ground Quiddich with only one ball that’s like the Quaffle.”
 “Slytherin’s looking for a new Keeper…were you any good?”
 “Well…I don’t mean to brag, but, we won the National Finals and I never let the ball get past…”
 “I think we could bend the rules for you if Professor McGonagall could bend the rules for Potter…do you have a broom?”
 “No…”
 “How did your flying lessons go?”
 “Madam Hooch said I have a natural talent for flying…”
 “I’ll buy you a Nimbus 2000, they’re the best broom available and then you’re in the Quiddich team.”
 “Yeah! Thanks Severus!”
 “Slytherin’s first match is this afternoon against Gryffindor. Do you think you’ll be ready by four o’clock?”
 “Yes!”
 “If I order it now, the broom should get here by about three.”

 When the broom had arrived, Ashlee went out onto the Quiddich pitch after getting changed. She saw that Harry had the exact same broom as her. The match went rather well; Ashlee hadn’t let the Quaffle past her once, but Slytherin still lost because Harry got the Golden Snitch before the Slytherin Seeker.
 “Even though you’re on the other team, you did really well out there today, Ashlee.” Ron said.
 “Thanks!” Ashlee kissed Ron on the cheek.
 Ashlee put the Amulet around Ron’s neck and led him into her room again; Snape hadn’t stopped congratulating Ashlee on her great performance on the Quiddich pitch.
 “Ron?” Ashlee asked.
 “Hmm?” Ron was putting a book back in its place.
 “You almost fainted when I kissed you on the mouth didn’t you?”
 “Uh…” Ron blushed.
 “I’ll take that as a yes…”
 “Well…you’re really beautiful…”
 “Eeeee!” Ashlee screeched, “You do like me!”
 Ashlee kissed Ron’s cheek again. Ron gawked vacantly, he obviously wasn’t expecting it.
 “It’d be funny if a fly flew into your mouth now…” Said Ashlee.
 “No it wouldn’t!” Ron yelled and shut his mouth.
 “Not for you…but it’d look funny…”
 “Can we change the subject now?”
 “Yeah…I think Nosey likes you…” Said Ashlee.
 “In what way!?”
 “He thinks your hot…”
 “WHAT!?”
 “He likes guys and girls, he swings both ways…so does Snape…like father like son…” said Ashlee sarcastically.
 “WHAT!? Is Snape really…?”
 “I don’t know…but did you see the way looked at Dumbledore?” Ashlee whistled.
 “Ashlee?”
 “Ron?”
 “Why do you make fun of everything?”
 “I don’t make fun of everything,” Ashlee said, “I don’t make fun of you, do I?”
 “No, I’ve never heard you make fun of me, but I’m not always with you.”
 “But when you’re not with me, I’m usually by myself, and I don’t think I’m quite insane enough to talk to myself.”
 “That’s a good point Ashlee…can I call you Ash?”
 Ashlee shrugged.
 “I don’t care, as long as you don’t call me a bitch because of my Animagus form…”
 “Does Snape know you swear like that?”
 Ashlee snorted.
 “No! He’d kill me!”
 “He’d kill anything!”
 Snape walked into Ashlee’s room.
 “You really should learn to knock first…”Ashlee muttered.
 “I suppose that was a bit rude wasn’t it?” Snape said.
 “Nah, it’s really polite to storm into people’s rooms when you feel like it.” Ashlee said sarcastically, “I’m just letting you know that Nosey’d chuck a spaz if you walked into his room…”
 “So you think you’re letting me off with a slap on the wrist do you?”
 “Yep…”
 “That was an amazing first game for you; you didn’t let the Quaffle past you once! Even though Slytherin lost this game, with Keeping like that it won’t be long before we win the Quiddich Cup again this year. We’re already ahead by one hundred points in the House Cup competition.”
 Snape walked out of Ashlee’s room with a smug look on his face.
 “Hey Ron?”
 “Yeah?”
 “Wanna go and see if we can get into the Slytherin common room? If you wear the Amulet, and I’m disguised as Shadow, we can get in if Malfoy’ll take me in with him.”
 “Okay…who’s Shadow?”
 “That’s the name I gave to my Animagus form.”
 “All right! What are we waiting for?”
 Ashlee and Ron walked through the dungeons until they found Malfoy and his thugs of friends, Crabbe and Goyle.
 “Hey, Ron?” Asked Ashlee.
 “Hmmm?”
 “You can understand me!?”
 “Yeah…is that bad?”
 “No, it just means you can talk to dogs…”
 “Wow! Cool!”
 “Now what was I saying? – Oh yeah! – There’s Dragonbreath and his buddies, Scab and Boil…”
 “That’s really smart Ash!”
 “Thanks…I thought of that just then…”

 Malfoy immediately took Ashlee back to Snape’s office. Snape obviously knew that Ashlee wanted to see the Slytherin common room because he told Malfoy that he could take care of her for an hour or so.
 Nothing much happened in the Slytherin common room so Ashlee and Ron decided to go to bed. When Ashlee walked back into Snape’s office, she saw that Lee was impatiently awaiting her arrival.
 “Off snogging Ron, were you?” Lee looked furious.
 “No, I was off doing things…”
 “What kind of things? And why were you doing them?”
 “Not what you’re thinking…and not in that way…”
 “Whew!”
 “You have a dirty mind…” sighed Ashlee; she sat next to Lee, “What’s wrong Nosey…?”
 “I would prefer if you called me Lee…”
 “Okay…” Ashlee put her arm around Lee, “Are you okay, Lee?”
 “I missed you…I was hoping we could spend a little time together…y’know…like we used to…” Lee looked disheartened, “I thought coming to Hogwarts with you would be like old times…just you, me, Chase and Fang…but…Ron…what do you see in him…?”
 “More than I see in you…I’m sorry…I…never expected to see you again…when I found out Severus was your dad…I remembered how close we were…I…always carry a copy of that photo with me everywhere…”
 “Me too…I never thought you cared about me…”
 “You’re my best friend…of course I care…”
 “I was you’re best friend…now…I don’t know you anymore and…I never admitted this before but…um…I…fell in love with you as soon as we met…”
 “We were only four…”
 “But you were as beautiful then as you are now…” Lee moved closer to Ashlee, “I love you…and I’m absolutely honoured that you still consider me you’re best friend…”
 “I’m actually glad you’re brave enough to admit you like me…and…all that stuff I said in the Gryffindor common room, I didn’t really mean it…”
 “You mean when you said you wouldn’t go out with me if you had the choice of a rabid horse?”
 “Yeah…I’d pick a human any day…” Ashlee smiled, “Why the changes? You looked better last time I saw you…”
 “Mum said that you’re a bad influence on me and that anything you liked about me had to be changed…”
 “We’re a bad influence on each other…would you like me to redo your hair?”
 “No, it’s fine the way it is…” Ashlee raised an eyebrow, “Okay, I just can’t be bothered looking after it anymore…”
 “It would look okay like that if it wasn’t so greasy…”
 “I know, but that’s just the way it goes…I really didn’t think you’d still want to be my friend…with you knowing who my dad is now…”
 “That doesn’t change anything Lee…I’ll always love you in a way…and who knows…maybe one day we’ll…go out a couple of times, maybe…”
 “Or more likely…maybe not…”
 “You’ve got to think positive, Lee…if I kiss you on the cheek will you stop moping?”
 “I’m not moping…but you can kiss me anyway…if you’d like…”
 Ashlee pecked Lee on the cheek and Snape walked into his office again.
 “Are you two getting…re-acquainted?” Snape asked.
 Ashlee immediately slid away from Lee. Lee put his head down.
 “Lee?” Ashlee felt sorry for Lee, “Are you…okay?”
 “Yeah…fine…” Lee got up and walked into his room, slamming the door behind him.
 “You should have just shut up Severus! He was upset and I was cheering him up…it was just starting to work!”
 Ashlee opened the door to Lee’s room, “Are you okay?”
 “You should know me by now…” said Lee, “I’m never okay…”
 Snowy flew into Lee’s room with a letter from Sirius.
 “Thanks, Snow, wait a sec will you?” Ashlee opened the letter.

Dearest Ashlee,

 I’m glad that your friends have come to Hogwarts, that Lee guy…tell me about him, I wouldn’t trust him if I were you, but you’re obviously have a good taste in friends so if you trust him, I will too, if you get him to say things for you to write I can get to know him as well…make sure he won’t tell Snivellus about you contacting me.

Love, Sirius.

 “Who’s that letter from?” asked Lee.
 “My Dad, he’s in the wizard prison, Azkaban, he was framed for murder…”
 “Oh…”
 “He wants to hear from both of us…he wants to know that he can trust you completely not to tell Severus…”
 “Okay, deal…can we write to him in the morning? I’m tired…”
 “Okay Lee…goodnight…”
 “Goodnight…”