Midnight Gin

Chapter 3

3 "Zanna," Albus said later that week, they were sitting together in his office. She was in her normal form, not the child's form she had to adapt to for school. "Harry, Ronald, and Hermione are soon going to discover Fluffy," "And?" She asked, taking a lemon drop from the dish on the headmaster's desk. "When they do I need you to be with them," He said. "They won't want me," She said. "Then don't tell them, follow them secretly." He sat down at his desk, Fawks the phoenix sat on his perch next to it. "The Philosopher's Stone is down there, I don't need the three being killed because of their stupidity," "But if you know why can't you, oh I don't know, threaten them within inches of their lives, threaten to expel them. Or just rehide the stone," She said, sitting back in the chair, not feeling much sympathy for the man before her. "I could, but the reason it's here is because of the return of Tom Riddle," Dumbledore said. "I've been feeling him for quite a while, I'm just not sure where he is or when he's coming," "So the stone is a trap? A trap that happens to be ensnaring three first years instead because they can't keep their noses in their own business," "As it so happens I feel like Harry knowing will make Tom more likely to come. He needs to 'finish' the job, along with collecting the stone," "So you're using them both as bait? And the Weasly and Granger just happen to be along for a ride they didn't ask for. Harry's going to get them killed," "No, I have Severus watching them," "Oh great," She rolled her eyes. "Harry already thinks Sev is here to kill him, what happens when he finds out you set him up? Harry isn't going to be very happy with either situation, he already doesn't trust Sev," "I understand that, but Severus is the best for this job, for reasons I know you know," She was silent, glaring at her father, frustrated. "Fine, but I don't think he's going to like it. He doesn't like me either," "You don't like him," "I like him better than his father," Zanna defended herself. "James tried to kill me, almost did," "You know that's not true-" "It might as well be! If he had used that curse on anyone else they would be dead! Just because I'm immortal doesn't mean everyone else is too. He could have actually hurt someone!" "I'm glad you're so forgiving," Albus said sarcastically. She scoffed, "Whatever, I'll do what you ask, but only because I need Tom dead," "Good," He turned away from her in his chair, "You can go," She shook her head at him, huffing. She stood, shifting from her normal form to her child form as she descended the stairs. "How positively stupid," She muttered, stepping off the stairs and into the hall. She saw Severus and Quirrell and walked up to them, "Problem?" "Not at all," Severus let go of Quirrell's robes and straightened himself. Zanna shifted into her adult form again, since there were no students out, not that they would recognize her as their classmate in the dark. "Good," Her hair brushed against the back of her knees and she adjusted her robes, which grew and shrank with her. "Severus I've been needing to talk to you," She nodded to Quirrell, "Professor," The new professor nodded back before walking away. "What do you need?" Severus asked, following Quirrell with his eyes. "Does he give you that type of feeling?" She asked. "Of course," He replied and they walked down the hall. It had large windows in the one wall that faced out to the front of the castle, to the right you could just barely make out the lake from between the towers. "I've had the feeling he's a spy for The Dark Lord for quite awhile now," "Oh," Zanna said, "I never got that," "What did you get?" Severus asked. "I always get the feeling of something very dark surrounding him, but everytime I read his mind it's completely innocent, not a single thing wrong or evil. He just genuinely cares about teaching," "But you still feel the darkness," "All the time," She paused. "My father is having me shadow the three musketeers into the safe next time they face Fluffy, he told me you've been put up to the same plan," "Yes, I've had to follow them," "How is it?" "As exciting as you can expect," She sucked in a breath, "Eh," "Why does he want you to follow them?" Severus asked as they turned down another hall and started down the moving staircases. "He's using Harry and the philosopher's stone for bate," "Is he?" "Very cheep of him," "Tis," They walked down the stairs in time, passing Peeves on his way up. "Hello Severus," Peeves said mischievously. "Peeves," Snape said darkly and the ghost's cheeky smile fell. They continued on, listening to Filch complaining to his cat down a hall to their right. They met with Minerva in her Transfiguration classroom and sat down in the chairs before her desk. "Drink?" Minerva asked, pulling glasses and a bottle of gin from a drawer in her desk. "Please!" Zanna said, accepting the glass handed to her. Minerva motioned to Severus and he sighed, "Fine," Zanna studied the drink then downed it, placing the glass back on the desk. "They say if you don't slap a table after taking a shot of gin you're crazy," Minerva grinned at Zanna, who coughed and burped, grabbing her nose. "Oo, ow," She said, sniffing. Minerva smiled, "How's school been?" "Except for the fact that you made Harry a seeker instead of suspending him-" "The audacity I have," Minerva smiled wider at her friend. "Oh but you do!" Zanna said, "I'm not allowed to do advanced magic, use my own brooms, wear my own clothes. Yet somehow it's different with Harry Potter," "Sounds like you're jealous," McGonagall said. "It's not jealousy Minerva, it's the principle. The fact that I can't break the rules but when it comes to a twip with no backbone and an inflated ego, some reason it's fine!" "Jealous," Minerva said. "Severus tell her-" "I don't know what you want me to say," Sev said, taking a sip of his drink. "You're attending school for a mission, Potter's attending school to learn. Plus, you broke the rules your first and actual time at Hogwarts, Dumbledore told me as much," Zanna sighed, "I'm going to need another drink. If I'm going to survive the same school year as Harry I'm going to need a drink every other night," Minerva shook her head but poured the girl another glass. "Plus," Zanna continued, picking up her glass again, "He reminds me so much of James," She studied the glass. There was silence as they each remembered the moment she inaudible mentioned with that comment. "I'm glad you were there Sev," She muttered, turning the glass in her hand before taking a sip. "Me too," He said quietly, setting down his glass and putting a hand on her shoulder momentarily. She brought her legs up, curling her feet under her. "My father says I dwell too much on the past, that it's not Harry's fault for what his father did," She let out a shuddering breath and leaned her head back on the seat. "I know, I've forgiven James, but I haven't forgotten. Mostly for the fact that if he had used that spell on anyone else they wouldn't have come back," She trailed her fingers down her chest to her abdomen, remembering. "I understand," Minerva said, "James was that type of person," "I don't think you understand how discriminatory this school is," Zanna said, only slightly changing the subject. "Gryffindor hates Slytherin for no reason except for that they feel they need a villain to fight because it's brave. If you're Muggle born you're automatically zeroed out. Student of color- don't get me started." She pushed her glass to Minerva again. "I need a stronger alcohol," she muttered. "I have seen that," Minerva agreed, pouring it for her. "I do try to keep it as fair as possible in my house," Severus agreed. "But it's not even the teachers, it's the students." Zanna said, that feeling she got in her chest returning. The one she got whenever she was supposed to cry, but as a flex she didn't. "I hate it here so much," she hissed, downing another glass. "That's all I'm giving you," Minerva said, "You'll be hung over," Zanna laughed emotionlessly. "I might need it, call in sick," "Just remind yourself," Minerva said, "Once you end The Dark Lord you'll be free," "I thought that was Harry's destiny," Zanna said, resting her head in her right hand. "Maybe, but you're the one that can see the future," Zanna groaned, "I don't want to, it takes too much effort," "I never said you had to!" Minerva said shrily, "Merlin," Severus smiled slightly, "Women," Both Zanna and Minerva looked at him with such looks of loathing he turned red and stopped smiling, "Apologies," "Bloody right," Zanna said. Minerva sniffed at him. The bell tower on the bridge that crossed the river and took you to the road off the Hogwarts grounds or to Hogsmead, depending on which road you took, chimed twice. "Two in the morning," Severus said. "I should get going," "Fine idea," Minerva chimed, standing and putting away her bottle. Zanna also stood, "I'll see you at eight," she said before apparating to her room. It was a large round room, with wood floors and small white blossom wallpaper. There was a door to the bathroom behind her and perpendicular to the entrance door, both were thick maple. A four post bed with curtains of silvery grey velvet, large windows passed the bed in the wall. Under these windows were shelves of books and window seats. Between the windows were more shelving units, around the top circumference of the room were her wood and glass display cases with her brooms from the Amish in Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, and France. I will inform you dear reader on these brooms later. There was a vanity, chest of drawers, closet, and rug on the floor which guarded the hole her Pensieve emerged from whenever she pulled the lever that situated itself safely into the corner of the closet. She had a desk which was covered in paper and a typewriter where she was writing her new book of updated charms and jinxes. Two bedside tables, one with a lamp the other with a stack of papers. She removed her robe and threw it on the desk chair and fell into her bed with her clothes still on. She kicked off her shoes then wiggled herself into and under the sheets and comforter. Closing the curtains over her windows with a wave of her hand.