Kiara's Story

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none;text-underline:none'>Hello all!
Here is chapter 11 for your reading pleasure.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I own none of JKR’s
characters, more’s the pity.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Kiara, her parents, and anyone not
recognizable from the books are my own creations.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I’m making no money off this, so style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>please don’t sue me.

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lang=EN-GB style='font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:12.0pt;text-decoration:
none;text-underline:none'>Thanks to all who review!

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lang=EN-GB>Chapter 11: Christmas

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Back home
in Whitstable, Kiara enjoyed spending time with her
parents and her Gran. On Christmas morning,
her Gran took her into the back yard where she surprised Kiara
with a small greenhouse attached to a shed, which looked, from the outside,
like a regular potting shed with two small windows.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Inside, however, Kiara
was delighted to find a small, but complete, Potions lab.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Her Gran had even stocked it with a number of
Potions supplies. Kiara
poked her nose in all the cupboards and looked into the greenhouse, which was
also stocked with planting supplies and even had a few plants already
growing. Kiara
turned back to her Gran who was grinning at her.

“Wow,
Gran, this is incredible!” Kiara exclaimed, giving
her Gran a hug.

“Only the
best for my grand-daughter,” Gran replied.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> “Besides, it was Professor Snape who told me
how good you were at Potions. Here is a
small package from him.” class=SpellE>Kiara was startled to see that.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Unbidden, Rosie’s comments about Professor
Snape came back to her. She shrugged it
off, deciding that since she really was very good at Potions, Snape was just
glad to finally teach someone who was both good at Potions and liked it.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> She opened the parcel to find some Potions
ingredients that were obviously from his private stores.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> There was also a book titled Levitating
Made Easy and a note from Snape:

Miss class=SpellE>Connon,

style='mso-tab-count:1'> This book should help you correct
the problem you are having

style='font-size:12.0pt'>withstyle='font-size:12.0pt'> levitating spells.
Although you are not yet seventeen, and the

Decree
for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery still applies

style='font-size:12.0pt'>tostyle='font-size:12.0pt'> you, I have obtained permission for you to practise
magic outside the

style='font-size:12.0pt'>schoolstyle='font-size:12.0pt'>, as long as you restrict it to levitating
spells. Therefore, I would

style='font-size:12.0pt'>likestyle='font-size:12.0pt'> you to begin practising the spells in this book.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> I recommend

style='font-size:12.0pt'>startingstyle='font-size:12.0pt'> with cushions and other non-breakable items.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Also, upon your

style='font-size:12.0pt'>returnstyle='font-size:12.0pt'> to school, I expect you to report to my office every
Friday after

style='font-size:12.0pt'>laststyle='font-size:12.0pt'> class to go over what you have learned.

style='mso-tab-count:5'> S.
Snape

lang=EN-GB style='font-size:12.0pt'>Kiarastyle='font-size:12.0pt'> was stunned.
She had no idea why he was being so nice, but welcomed the chance to
improve herself at levitating charms.
She also got a number of gifts from her parents.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Some were books and school supplies that Gran
had helped them buy for her. They also
gave her a set of amethyst jewellery, which went nicely with the lavender dress
robes she had chosen.

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Meanwhile, at
Hogwarts, several of the Hogwarts staff were unwrapping presents from
Kiara. Professor Dumbledore got a
‘stereotypical’ wizard hat that Kiara had asked her Gran to buy at a Muggle
costume shop. There was also a similar
hat for Professor Flitwick. Her gift for
Professor McGonagall was a small, golden brooch in the shape of a cat, with red
stones for the eyes. For Professor
Sprout, she got a set of small, self-cleaning potting tools.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> For Madam Pomfrey, there was a book on Muggle
healing as seen from the wizard’s point-of-view and for Professor Quirrell, she
got a book on strange and unusual Muggle creatures.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Finally, for Hagrid she got a dragon
painting, as well as a rawhide bone for Fang.
Snape was somewhat startled to find a present from her for him as
well. He opened it to find a small,
silver, apple-shaped paperweight. The
stem was pointed, to hold bits of paper, there was a hole in it, designed to
hold a quill, and it was hinged to open in the middle.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Inside, there was an inscription, which read:
Happy Christmas Professor Snape, from Kiara Connon.style='mso-spacerun:yes'> Feeling unaccountably pleased, he put it on
his desk in the classroom and placed his favourite quill in the holder.

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Kiara will now have lessons with Snape………

…in his office………

…alone………

<grin>

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