Another Dark Star

Chapter 32- First Year Auror School

On the scuffed pine surface of the kitchen table lay a piece of parchment that had been read and reread a hundred times.

‘Sorry I didn’t say goodbye but I believed after last night you needed your rest. Good luck on your first day. I expect to hear all about it in your next letter.
I love you.
Severus.’

Sadira had gotten over the disappointment of waking alone when she realised for the first time he had declared his affection in black and white. There she had it; cold hard evidence of his feelings in three little words. He loved her!

Unfortunately, she still couldn’t shout it from the rooftops. They had agreed it would look too suspicious even now she had left school. People would wonder how long it had been going on.

She wondered what would be suitable to wear for Auror School. Robes would be too cumbersome if they had to do an agility test and no good if they went undercover in a Muggle area. However, Jeans would seem too casual, too Mugglish. She might not get taken seriously. There were still people at the Ministry who detested Muggle influence in the wizarding world.

She dug through her wardrobe and found a close fitting but modest black corset style blouse, black combat pants, spike heeled black leather ankle boots and a black leather duster coat. Perfect! Mugglish enough to pass unnoticed in Muggle areas, allowed for easy movement and the coat made a good substitute for robes.


She Apparated to the Auror School which was a former Muggle grammar school; a smallish building (compared to Hogwarts) with large enough grounds for physical and field exercises. Almost straight away she bumped into a familiar face. Literally.

“Oops, sorry! It’s my first day.”

“Miss Tonks, how on earth did someone as clumsy as you get accepted?” she drawled haughtily, but cracked a wry lopsided smile, offering her a hand up.

“Been studying intimidation under Snape eh?” Tonks countered.

Sadira almost blushed when she clocked the double entendre in her words but clearly Tonks hadn’t noticed it.

“Do you know where we’re supposed to go? The letter says room F11.” Tonks asked.

“I think the letter refers to the floor, i.e. F means first floor, G means ground etcetera. Then we just need to look for room numbers.” Sadira replied.

“So, did you have a good summer?” Tonks asked conversationally as they made their way to orientation.

“It was ok. I moved house, spent some time with my boyfriend; the usual.” She replied.

“I didn’t know you had a boyfriend. Did he go to Hogwarts?” Tonks asked, intrigued.

“A while ago yes. He’s... older. That’s why I never dated any of the boys in our year, after Higgs.” Sadie replied vaguely.

“Ooh, an older man eh? What’s his name?”

“That’s classified information. I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.” Sadie deadpanned.

Tonks giggled. “I can tell you’re going to make a good Auror!”

“C’mon Tonks, we’re gonna be late!”

“Ok, Prewett. Will you sit with me?”

“Alright, we got on ok in Potions and Charms. I suppose without house rivalry this should be easier.” She replied as they entered the right room and settled at a bench.

“Lovely Nymphadora, beware! Stay away from the vile and hideous Slytherin Bitch monster.” Shouted a broad, dark haired young man, who entered with a quiet but similarly built dirty-blond haired young man. “I thought we were meant to be catching Dark witches, not training them.”

“Go suck yer mam’s tits, Tayloh!” growled Sadie, uncharacteristically reverting to her Manc twang in her fury. She had her wand trained him immediately, while he struggled to get his ready to defend himself.

“I’d rather suck yours Prewett!” the young man identified as Taylor replied.

“Fuck off you sexist moron. And don’t you dare call me Nymphadora ever again!” Tonks added her wand to the fray.

And so Mr Anderson, the instructor, entered the class to find two irate young female recruits threatening one male while another male recruit tried desperately to defuse the situation. He was a tall, wiry man with shoulder length mousy hair streaked with grey at the temples, with hawk-bright blue eyes behind octagonal wire rimmed spectacles.

“What is the meaning of this?” Sadie and Tonks stowed their wands looking guilty while Taylor backed away warily.

“They both threatened me sir.” Taylor whined.

“He made a slur against me based on my former House association, and made derogatory sexist remarks to myself and Ms Tonks.” Sadie said smoothly, once again in her clipped, cultured tones and as calm as a lake.

“Your names? Clearly you are Ms Tonks, so...” Anderson asked.

“Ms Prewett, Sir.”

“Anthony Taylor”

“James Mason.” Tonks and Sadie sniggered.” Yes, my name's James Mason. My mum was a fan of Muggle movies.”

“Very well. The House rivalry ends now. I assume it is Gryffindor versus Slytherin?”

“But sir, I’m a Hufflepuff.” Tonks defended.

“Besides, it was the Gryffindors that started it. I am ready to leave school behind but it seems some people are unable to do so.” Sadie added indignantly.

“That will do for now. Please be seated and I will go over what we expect to achieve in the first year of your training. Usually we would have agility and practical defence tests first but due to inclement weather (An understatement; It was raining buckets!) we will leave that, and the endurance tests till later and just recap on what you already know, then go over some case studies to show how a case dossier is compiled. Much of an Auror’s work is on paper and attention to details and the ability to find important data among reams of unrelated matter can be crucial in securing a conviction.” He droned.

“First module will be Concealment and Disguise as it is mostly theory and non-harmful indoor practical. Before we begin anything new we will need to go over various glamours, basic human physiological Transfiguration and morphic Potions such as Polyjuice and Hermaphromorpha. Yes Ms Tonks?” he broke off as Tonks had her hand in the air.

“I don’t know if you read our application records, but I’m a Metamorphmagus.” She said, changing her hair from light brown, to golden blonde to demonstrate.

“Really? Good Lord, well, you’ll pass that module without any work!” Anderson commented

“And I am already adept at both Potions mentioned, as well as the four basic glamour groups.” Sadie added. Anderson looked at her surprised.

“I wasn’t aware they had been added to Hogwarts’ curriculum.” He said, astonished.

“They aren’t, I did extra work in preparation to become an Auror. The Potions work also got me a distinction on my NEWTs for Hermaphromorpha, Draught of Living Death, Veritaserum, Antidote to Liquid Agony poison and Angel Tears healing draught; all successfully brewed.” She replied proudly. Anderson’s eyebrows disappeared under his fringe.

“Indeed? And have you boys also done extra research I should know about?” They shook their heads sheepishly. “Never mind, we can cover them another time. Perhaps we should start on the case studies so we are all on the same level.”


He began to hand out manila folders holding old cases from the widely publicised trials following the fall of Voldemort. They recognised some of the names they were covering. They had, after all, been children of 7 or 8 when the Boy-Who-Lived changed the course of history.

Taylor got Sirius Black, the infamous mass murderer. Mason got Bartemius Crouch Junior, The son of the current Head of International Magical Co-operation. When Tonks got hers, she grimaced and turned to Sadie.

“That’s my Aunt.” She hissed in an angry whisper.

“What?!” Sadie gasped, looking at the writhing photo of Bellatrix Lestrange.

“My mum’s sister. They grew up in a Muggle hating Pureblood family. Mum was disowned when she married a Muggle born.” She confessed.

“Wow, hard luck!” Sadie said sympathetically.

“Oh my god! Look who you got!” Tonks gasped, pointing at the title on the brown folder; Severus Snape. Sadira was struck dumb. She blinked hard and raised her hand.

“Mr Anderson, there appears to have been a mistake. This file shouldn’t be available to non-classified personnel.” She said shakily.

“What appears to be the problem?”

“I know for a fact that Severus Snape was cleared of all charges. Dismissed case files are not open to general inquiry. This file should never see the light of day under Ministry subsection AC/18974-B” she clarified.

“Aw, Snape’s pet all sad coz her buddy’s a violent criminal?” taunted Taylor.

“Leave it mate.” Mason whispered, tugging his sleeve.

“Cram it Taylor.” Tonks warned.

She knew what the Gryffindors had said about Sadie’s ‘relationship’ with Snape. However she had also seen firsthand how Sadie had looked up to and relied on her Head of House during her tutoring sessions. She knew the reclusive young woman was defensive on the subject enough as it was.

“Snape spied on the Death Eaters, at great personal risk, you arse! If it weren’t for him, the Aurors would have been clueless with no inside information against You-know-who.” Sadie angrily informed him.

“How do you know this Ms Prewett? You never even opened the file.” Anderson asked, bewildered.

“Because he told me so himself.” she retorted.

“Snape told one of his students about his Death Eater and spying activities?” Anderson asked, amazed.

He remembered the trials, and Snape himself from Hogwarts. They had been in the same year, Anderson in Ravenclaw though. He didn’t seem the type to open up to anyone about his dark secrets, least of all a student.

“Professor Snape was a great help and inspiration to me. When I told him I wanted to be an Auror, he offered to help me however he could. His accounts of his own experiences helped me to understand what it was like to be in active combat.” She explained.

“Oh we heard all about your ‘extracurricular activities’ with him; Death Eater’s Whore!” Taylor shouted.

There was a black blur, then Taylor was on the floor, bleeding from the nose with Sadira hovering above him; an ugly sneer on her face.

“Never say that again, about me or him.” She ground out threateningly, her wand pressed in his face.

“Ms Prewett, please restrain yourself! Mr Taylor, I cannot accept that kind of language against a colleague. Explain yourself.” Anderson was beginning to lose his patience.

‘Hormonal teenagers! They ought to increase the entry age!’ he thought.

“Well Sir, I heard from a mate that he caught her and Snape in his office; doing... sexual stuff.” He finished lamely.

“Which was completely untrue. Marc Davies invented that story to cover the fact that he played a prank in Potions class that could have killed me. It ended up merely injuring me, fortunately. As I already told you, and Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape gave me extra lessons beyond NEWT level to encourage my talent and prepare me for Auror School. I don’t do favours for grades.” She glared hatefully at Taylor.

“Then why did he help you? He’s an evil, bad tempered old git who never helps anyone.” Taylor challenged.

“I don’t know, maybe he felt happy to have found someone who understood his subject as well as he did. Maybe he was proud that finally a Slytherin was being recognised for their achievements. Or maybe he just felt sorry for me when my mum got murdered last year.” She snapped.

Taylor’s face blanched. “I didn’t know that.” He said quietly, almost apologetically.

“Well I hardly advertised it on a placard, did I?” she retorted, beginning to calm down as she returned to her seat.

Tonks put an arm round her reassuringly. Sadira shrugged it off and continued with her research, this time on Antonin Dolohov.

Half an hour later, a piece of parchment, folded into a butterfly fluttered over her head and landed on a particularly gruesome file photo of a disembowelled Muggle family. She was beginning to get desensitised to the violence, she had after all seen Muggle slasher movies. She opened the letter with a small degree of irritation at the distraction.

‘Sorry about Anthony, he can be an idiot sometimes but he’s a sorted lad really. Maybe he spent too much time with Marc and Andrew, lol. Believe it or not there’s a good heart there. He just hates anything to do with the Dark Arts. Anyway, I hope we can still be friends. James.’

She looked at him with a puzzled expression and saw him smiling hopefully at her. She managed a half smile and a nod and went back to her research.