Blackeyed Girl

First of all sorry updating took me a million years, Jack Bauer was distracting me as season 7 of 24 came along and seemed to be actually good again. I do not abandon stories so never fear. This story will be completed just like my first one.



The new chapter starts further down. Please scroll down if you don't want to read my blubbering response to the reviews. :)





@Thanks, Pensieve Plotter for all the reviewing and thanks for recommending my other

story PAINS OF BECOMING!



This story will however definitely be different. Eleanor is a very different character from Kirsty with very different problems and to my mind she is a lot more tragic because she has a very innocent side. I never felt sorry for Kirsty because she was seeking the things people pitied her for. She wanted it all and I think she never really regretted the decisions she made. Eleanor is different, she just desperately wants to be normal so I feel more sorry for her when she is not succeeding. Besides she is dealing with some very deep sorrow that she can not possibly deal with on her own -Well, I don't want to get ahead of the story here too much.

But also a key difference with this story to my first is that Eleanor is about 2 years younger than Kirsty. I expect this story to be a lot more innocent. The sexual content will be (to my mind) very erotic but less raw and hardcore and not quite so much bdsm. After all Eleanor is a child, she is barely realizing that she is a woman yet.



I have seen “the Secret Garden” btw, not sure about the similarities to the girl there, I just don’t remember the film too well.



As far as her relationship with Snape is concerned. I guess you will never find a character having a happy relationship with Snape in my stories. It is elementary for my perception of his character that he is not capable of positive strong relationships of any kind. But I am sure he can surprise me while I explore this challenging relationship he is having in this story.



Now, when Lucius will come along (and trust me he will) we will see a bit of a different side of him compared to PoB. That is all I want to say at this point.



But you know I am so pleased you said Eleanor reminds you of both young Voldi and Snape! Because she is modeled very strongly on both these characters. I found the scene of Riddle in the orphanage very inspirational, so when Snape goes to see Eleanor in her Romanian school I felt instantly reminded of that and it inspired me a great deal. And then of course this story is to some extend about Snape looking after someone he is related to. So I wanted her to be reminiscent of him. I feel very close to young Snape. And I find it easy to combine a part of me with a part of Snape into my leading girl. I believe it will be important for the story that Snape is facing himself somewhat in his ward, cause that is not easy. I had a teacher once (he was a bit of a Snape too, everyone feared and hated him), he was very smart and wise and he once said “We get most annoyed about characteristics in people that we hate about ourselves.” -And he knew about these things. He was a psychoanalyst and taught philosophy. That is something I want to explore in this story. Snape is such an isolated loner and sets himself so much apart from everyone. I want to see how he handles it to see himself in someone else. Again I don't want to get too far ahead but I think it will terrify him to see the threat of his own hated youth unfolding right infront of him once more. Actually, I think he is very afraid of that happening even though he is just as terrified that Eleanor might turn the opposite direction and become some popular Potter-minion. ...That does leave Eleanor very little room to develop in but we will see how it turns out, I am not sure myself yet.



About the supporting characters. I love writing the trio and their friends in supporting roles. And though I am not a big fan of Harry, Ron and Mione in general and tend to make them look bad I do genuinely like Neville and Luna. But I find it very hard to write Luna. I find her weirdness rather unpredictable and she is so gaga, it is hard to come up with stuff for her and not overdo it. So I am glad you think I got her right so far.



As far as the setting of HBP is concerned, I would not give too much on what characters are like or have to do in HBP, even though this story is set during it, I am only following that story halfheartedly. There is no Slughorn and as you will find out Lucius is not in prison, and I am not sure if Draco can have his task going on in the background if I want him to take part in Eleanors story. So I might just ignore all the stuff that is meant to be going on in HBP, but hey, that is good about ff, you can just use the layout of the story and fill it with your own stuff.



About the title of this story. I’m afraid it is a bit misleading. It by no means is supposed to mean that someone “blackens” her eye. It is just meant to mean that she has dark eyes, like Snape… runs in the family. ...Of course that does not mean that she will definitly not get her eye blackend lol.



Last but not least: Thanks of course for the betaing!





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Chapter 4
What Blood can do

The next morning they had their first lessons, among them were Transfiguration and Charms. Eleanor proved to be a natural in both. She seemed to be doing everything without much effort. After lunch Luna Lovegood and her decided to spend their break outside since the weather was nice and they had Care of Magical Creatures afterwards near by. Many students sat in the grass by the lake, talking and studying.

Luna lay on her stomach, reading the Quibbler. Eleanor hid her head behind Hogwarts a History.

“This is so much more detailed then what we learned about Hogwarts at school.”

“But of course that book does not include the most important stuff”, said Luna casually.

Eleanor briefly looked at her contemplating to inquire what she meant, but in that moment a girl dropped her school bag right next to Luna and sat next to her. Neville was one step behind her but remained standing.

“Hi Luna”, said the girl. “Hi”, Luna answered again without looking up.

Eleanor looked at the girl. She was short and had freckles and red flaming hair. Neville seemed to get uncomfortable at the sight of the silent staring and felt responsible to make an introduction.

“Hi, Eleanor, this is Ginny”, he said awkwardly.

Ginny grinned and offered Eleanor her hand, “Nice to meet you”.

Eleanor nodded in response.

“We are in the same year but I'm in Gryffindor like Neville. So, what is Snape like as a dad?” Ginny asked, ginning broadly.

“He is not my dad”, Eleanor replied rather fiercely, and looked up at Neville accusingly.

Neville quivered under her glare and stuttered: ”I didn't tell her...”

“But you told Ron.” Said Ginny

“Well...I'm sorry, I didn't know it was a secret!”

Eleanor had closed her eyes, trying to blank out the arguing students around her but she couldn't.

“It's fine!”, she said firmly and everyone went quiet, “it's not a secret, it's just... he isn't my dad, he is my guardian and why do people keep asking me what he is like, you know him a lot better than I do!”

“Professor Snape doesn't appear to be the caring type to most people. So they wonder”, said Luna, from behind the magazine.

Eleanor looked at everyone, her eyes still glaring wide, “Who says that he has to be caring? And what is it to you anyway?” She got up and looked around once more, “I’ll see you in Care of Magical Creatures, Luna.” She grabbed her bag and ran off.

Luna looked after her unconcerned and said quietly, “See you then.”

Eleanor hurried down the hill towards the gatekeeper's hut where they had Care of Magical Creatures next. She was ten minutes early, but she did not care. She needed to be alone. While she hurried down the hill, she wiped a tear out of her face. She hated crying, she hated to Lose control, she hated to show what she was feeling. She liked to keep things inside, information, knowledge, feelings. She felt safer that way, like she had an advantage to those around her, just in case something unexpected happened. She was worried now. She had been so anxious to make a fresh start in Britain, to make friends, to learn, to experience some joy. And on her first day already three people were sitting around her wanting to talk to her and she snapped at them and ran away. That was not how you made friends. She knew she was on the edge of ruining everything on the first day.

When she arrived by the hut she had made all tears disappear. She stopped in her tracks and let out a short but loud scream. Then she froze to the spot and stared. In front of her, right next to the hut sat a gigantic spider, staring right back at her with eight dull eyes.

“What?”, called a voice from behind the hut and another huge figure followed it, stepping out from behind the hut, “Oh, hello there. Did Aragog give you a little fright? Don't worry, he's real nice, besides he is too weak to eat anyone. I was just...”

The huge person put down a bucket and stepped forward. Eleanor looked up at him, she had seen him at the teacher's table, it was that half giant, who taught Care of Magical Creatures. She breathed, but stepped a big step back from the spider never the less.

“You're a little early, aren't you”, Hagrid said.

“Yes.... I am. I had nothing better to do.” She wiped the strands of black hair out of her face that had come loose from her hair clip.

“Are you okay?”, asked Hagrid, noticing her reddened eyes.

“I'm fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“I said, I'm fine!”, Eleanor snapped. Hagrid looked startled. Eleanor blinked. She had not wanted to shout. She inhaled and looked up more calmly now.

“I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout. I am a bit...”

“No matter”, Hagrid interrupted and hesitated, then he had an idea, “Well, do you want to help me feed Aragog? Class starts in five minutes but he needs to have lunch first.”

“Feed that?” Eleanor repeated and looked at the giant spider.

“Yes, he is too old to hunt his own food. He needs help. He’s dying.”, Hagrid tried not to start crying himself.

Eleanor looked at those eight dull eyes.

“He is dying?”, she asked softly.

“I had him for a very long time. I guess everyone's time comes....”, Hagrid had to stop himself as he was about to burst into tears. But Eleanor was very content now. She was not ashamed for her fascination with death. Death was all that was left of both her parents, it was only natural that she was curious, or so she felt.

She stepped closer towards the spider. It only slightly moved its pincers.

“I want to feed it,” she said, her big eyes fixed on the spider's pincers.

“Okay”, Hagrid reached her the bucket with raw pieces of flesh. She took it without taking her eyes of the spider's face. Slowly, as though in trance she reached into the bucket and picked up a bloody piece of meat. She held it out on a flat hand, but the spider did not move.

Hagrid shook his head sadly “He is too weak.”

Eleanor made a slow step forward her hand still outstretched. She stepped forward until she stood right in front of the slowly grinding pincers and she held the piece of meat right under them, letting them scratch the soft flesh and letting them scratch her hand. She looked up into those old eyes, recognising age, life, experiences and finally tiredness of life. And then the spider suddenly grabbed the meat of her hand without harming her hand in the slightest. Eleanor smiled vaguely and reached for another piece from the bucket.

“I can finish this for you if you want, Professor. You don't have to stay,” she said feeling suddenly at peace.

“Alright, that's nice of ya’. I'll be in the front of the cabin, preparing the lesson.”

Eleanor did not take her eyes off the creature as she continued feeding it. She continued as though in a trance until the bucket was empty and she suddenly heard Hagrid's projected voice from the front of the cabin. The other students had obviously arrived and class was about to start.

Eleanor dropped the bucket and smiled at the spider, “I've got to go. You take care.” she patted the spider and turned to run to the front of the cabin. As she appeared, she could see the students in front of her suddenly going quiet and staring at her. She racked her head as to why this would be. What had she done? Had Ginny and Neville told the others about her shouting at them? Then she looked at her right hand, which was covered and dripping of blood. She looked back up at her fellow Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs.

“There you are. Eleanor was helping me with... well, some stuff” said Hagrid.

Eleanor watched the students look at each other in disbelief. Embarrassed, she wiped her hand on her uniform. When she looked up again she spotted Luna smiling as though nothing was wrong. She quickly stepped beside her to blend in.

“That was a bit awkward”, Luna said airily. Then everyone focused their attention on Hagrid, who started telling them about Blast-ended skrewts.

An hour later Eleanor followed Luna into the Potions classroom. Her eyes followed Luna as she sat down in the middle row. But her eyes shifted away to Snape who was arranging some ingredients on a desk in the front for demonstration. She watched him a few seconds, immediately fascinated with his work, she walked up to one of the front desks. It seemed that none of the other students were eager to sit in the front row, so she had a free choice of all the seats. She was glad, she wanted to be as close to the demonstration as possible. She loved the subject and had great expectations for this class.

Slowly, she slipped into her seat and stared, her eyes fixed on his hands as he added ingredients and stirred A substance in the cauldron as though he did not have to think about what he was doing at all, as though it was in his nature to know how and when and how much to add. He looked up at the class darkly, as they found their seats and unpacked their bags without stopping his work.

“Lets suppose“, he started without any kind of introduction and the class went instantly silent, “one of us is bitten by a vampire, what kind of a potion would we need to help the unfortunate person?”

Luna raised her hand.

“Miss Lovegood, please spare me your theories whatever they may be.“ It was quiet for a moment. Then a Ravenclaw in the back rose her arm and said quietly, “some kind of poison antidote?“

“Are you telling me, that Vampires are poisonous?“, asked Snape and it went all quiet again.

Eleanor slowly raised her hand, “All is needed is a blood cleansing potion if no blood exchange has happened.“ Snape looked at her a moment as though perplexed that there was nothing in this answer to be annoyed about then he simply answered, “Correct. Blood cleansing potions can be of use in many situations. What are the others?”

“They are vital in any case in which the blood has been infested by bites, wounds, curses and diseases.”, Eleanor instantly replied.

“What is the problem with the production of this particular potion?”

“It cannot be stored. Once brewing is completed it will go bad within half an hour.”

It was silent again. Snape glared down at her with nothing left to challenge her with. The students around them gaped at Eleanor who seemed quite comfortable as though this interrogation had not bothered her in the slightest.

Snape said nothing and eventually turned away from her as he addressed the class. “I hope you all were listening, as we will focus on blood cleansing potions this term.” He turned back to his cauldron, in which the half finished potion was shimmering dark red. “I have prepared a basic blood cleanser up to its first stage, so you can see what it is meant to look like. You have half an hour to prepare your own potion to this stage. Then we will proceed. Start.“

Eleanor was thrilled to try preparing her own blood cleanser they had never done anything as exciting in her old Potions class. Eagerly she collected everything she needed according to the blackboard and started heating her cauldron. Making potions had always come easy to her somehow. It was not something she had to work for and she could not explain why. To her nothing seemed simpler. If she knew the ingredients she would add them in a way that seemed intuitively right to her. She never bothered to act precisely to the instructions in the books, she actually found that if she just followed her own instinct, the potions came out a lot better than when she was following the books. In the past years she had become used to the sounds of frustration around her in class, as others struggled with getting it right. And she did not know why she was not struggling, after all many of them tried so much harder. She put it to the fact that her great aunt had apparently been a natural in potions, too. Eleanor easily achieved to brew the exact same, blood red, thin liquid that was in Snape's cauldron, and she was the first to do so. Snape spotted her stepping back from her cauldron and came nearer, his face skeptical. He peered inside her cauldron and gave the contents a stir. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the potion.

“Have you made this potion before, Miss Prince, in your Romanian school perhaps?“, he asked.

“No, Sir. This is the first blood cleansing potion I have ever made.“

Snape looked at her briefly and muttered, “It is not finished yet.“ He stepped back again, and addressed the class, “you have ten minutes to catch up with Miss Prince.“

The other students strained themselves to hurry up while Eleanor sat still in her chair and eyed Snape as he started preparing the second stage of the potion. She could not help but be deeply impressed at what ease he worked. His fingers were working with precise movements she had never known were possible. She thought she was good, but she felt she could never dream of becoming as good as him.

At the end of the class, she was once more the first student to get up and hand over her potion. She carefully put it into a stand on Snape's desk, smiled vaguely at him, and turned to take her bag and leave, but Snape held her back.

“Miss Prince, please stay behind, I would like a word with you.“

Eleanor nodded and sat back down, waiting patiently.

Eventually all students had left and Eleanor stood up again, looking at Snape, who had picked up the one or the other vial, and was holding it against the light to inspect its colour.

“At the beginning of the class“, he said, concentrating on what he was doing and not looking at her, “I accidentally overheard students talking when they entered the classroom. They spoke about the 'creepy newbie' who crept out from behind the gatekeeper's hut with her right hand covered in blood.“

“I was just helping Professor Hagrid with his spider...“, she explained hastily, but Snape did not seem to be interested in an explanation.

“It would make me feel a lot better if you did not try to become known as a creepy weirdo, that's all.“

Eleanor looked down a little alarmed. She was shocked to learn that this little accident earlier seemed to have such a powerful effect on how she might be seen by the others. She had really enjoyed feeding the spider. Why did it have to turn into such a problem? Did it come down to the fact that she simply did not deserve to enjoy anything?

During History of Magic she was rather distracted. She did not feel like learning now. She thought about how the other kids in her previous school saw her. She had no friends they had avoided her. Yes, there had been the one or other accident and she could understand why the others would stay away from her, but she had to make sure nothing like it would happen at Hogwarts. It was her last and only chance to have a normal life.

At dinner in the Great Hall Eleanor chewed pragmatically on a piece of broccoli while Luna spoke to a first year boy, who was sitting next to her. His eyes were large and alarmed at whatever she was telling him. Then a Gryffindor prefect walked over to her and held out a rolled up parchment.

“Eleanor Prince? I am supposed to give you this from the Headmaster.“

Eleanor felt sick instantly and quickly swallowed the broccoli. Had the whole thing with her bleeding hand really been so dramatic that the Headmaster wanted to talk to her? Would he lock her away, like the Headmistress at her old school and keep her separated from Luna and the others with no chance to even try and make friends and instead be that weirdo that was kept in isolation? She had only been here for a day, it could not be! Would she be punished? Or were they just going to expel her, because they had decided she was not the right kind of person for a prestigious school like Hogwarts? She gingerly took the parchment from the girl and looked up at her questioningly. But the girl only shrugged and walked away.

Luna had turned around now and curiously looked at the scroll in Eleanor's hand.

Eleanor made no attempt to open it. Her eyes were fixed on it but her entire figure seemed frozen.

“It is from Professor Dumbledore?“, asked Luna excitedly and she took the scroll out of Eleanor's hand. “You must be very important, Harry gets these all the time as well.“

“Harry Potter?“ Eleanor asked, awaking from her frozen state at the sound of the Chosen One's name. She had kept an eye out for the boy with the scar all day yesterday, but she had not seen him.

Luna opened the scroll and looked at it. Then she handed it back over to Eleanor.

“He wants you to come to his office.“

“Why?“, Eleanor asked desperately, “I haven't done anything, have I?“

She turned to look at Luna, but Luna only glanced back at her with questioning big eyes.

Eleanor stood up leaving her plate half full and left the Great Hall. Her hand was closed tightly around the scroll as she walked towards the Headmaster’s office. She was going to be early, but she could not wait. She needed to know what was going to happen with her. She came to the gargoyles that shielded the hidden spindle staircase, as described in the scroll. She spoke quietly, “Macaroon.“ The gargoyles gave way to her and she hurried up the stairs. Having arrived outside the office, she knocked.

“Come in“, she heard a male voice from behind the door and she opened it carefully.

Before her was a circular room with large windows in the back and bookshelves covering the walls to her sides. There was a phoenix sleeping in a corner and there were all sorts of clutter and stuff around. But in the middle was a big desk, and famous Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind it, smiling at her, warmly.

She did not dare to meet his eyes. She had heard these great stories about him, he was a legend, he was one of the most powerful wizards alive, he had even seen You-Know-Who grow up here at Hogwarts. As she looked around the room, she spotted the sorting hat on a shelf. IT looked old and battered.

“That hat took it's time with you“, said Dumbledore suddenly with a smile. She shook at his voice and eyed him suspiciously. Was he doing small talk with her, or what could she possibly have done wrong with that hat?

“I didn't know that“, she said quietly. There was an awkward pause.

“What did you say to it?“, asked Dumbledore curiously.

“Nothing.“

“Nothing?“, Dumbledore raised a brow.

Eleanor crossed her hands behind her back and straightened.

“I did not speak to it.“

“Most people would ...at least think about what it is the hat is contemplating and answer the hat's questions subconsciously.“

“I didn't know. Nobody told me I had to do that, Sir.“

Dumbledore smiled and noticed the worry in her voice.

“It is not a rule. It is just something that usually happens. Not to worry. You gave the sorting hat something to chew on“, he looked up at the dusty hat, “I dare say it was about time someone came and shook it up a little.“

Eleanor frowned and tried to stand even straighter, the last she needed was another reason for people to believe her a weirdo. Dumbledore looked back at her.

“Thank you for accepting my invitation, Eleanor.“

Eleanor frowned again, “Invitation?“ -was that what they called these things here?

“May I ask, why I am here, Headmaster?“, she asked tentatively, not being able to stand the suspense any longer.

“Oh, I just asked you here because I wanted to hear how you are settling in. You had a long journey and today was your first day at Hogwarts, I was wondering how you are getting along and how you find things here at my school.“

Eleanor shifted from one foot to the other and looked to the floor. Was that all? The great Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore invited her to ask her how she is doing? She could not believe that. She looked up again and remained suspicious.

“Why don't you sit down?“, asked Dumbledore and he moved an armchair across the room towards the middle with his wand.

Eleanor took the offer hesitantly and looked back at him expectantly. They looked at each other silently for a moment then Dumbledore asked again.

“So did you find everything to your convenience?“

“Yes, Sir.“

It was quiet again.

“I guess, if I was you, I would find it all a bit scary“, Dumbledore said.

“Would you?“, Eleanor only said, her face inscrutable.

“Yes, I think most people would find it hard.“

“Hard?“

“Well, your parents dying within such a short time from each other, your father so unexpected and your mother fighting illness for so long before her death, and then moving abroad, leaving all friends and familiarities behind, then starting at a new school as the ward of a complete stranger. That is an awful lot to deal with. In fact I would be very surprised if anyone was having no problems with that.“

Eleanor looked at the desktop a little desperately. She did not want to admit how she felt, but she did not want the Headmaster to find yet another reason why she might be weird.

“I'm fine, I... There is just not much that I miss... except for my parents“, she admitted a bit more quietly.

“Well, that is enough to miss on it's own, I think.“

She nodded vaguely and felt tears coming on. No one had spoken so directly to her about her parents, no one had asked her plainly how she felt about it. No one had taken the time to just sit down and ask and listen and now that someone was, she felt she was not prepared to open up. She had held it inside all that time, she was scared to open that box inside her, that she had held shut so effectively for so long now. She wiped her tears away harshly and blinked, her eyes clearing again.

“Well, they won't come back, so I might as well get on with it“, she said bitterly.

“Get on with what?“ Dumbledore asked. She looked up.

“With life” she answered, irritated that he did not know what she meant.

“Ah yes“, he nodded now, “but isn't mourning and being sad a part of life?“

“Yes, definitely“, she said, quietly to herself.

“Then there should be nothing wrong with being sad and mourning when you feel like it.“

“No“, she answered and looked around the room again. She felt like adding that there was still no point in mourning, since it did not change anything, but she decided to let it go. She did not want to talk about this at all and he had tricked her into this subject.

Dumbledore realised she did not want to talk about this, and changed the subject.

“How do you find Professor Snape?“

She looked at him. “He is very gifted with potions!“, she said, the sadness and pain having disappeared from her voice, “I had Potions this afternoon and it was so inspiring to see him work and he is a very good teacher!“, she said passionately.

Dumbledore looked puzzled for a moment then sniggered.

“Why is that funny, Sir?“, asked Eleanor irritated.

“Oh, it is not. It is just that I have hardly ever met a student who appreciated Professor Snape's talents. Most of them find him too demanding, harsh and even unfair.“

“Well“, she hesitated, then said, “maybe they should work harder.“

Dumbledore smiled, but this irritated Eleanor once more.

“Have I said something amusing?“

“You remind me of someone I know“, Dumbledore said.

Eleanor ignored the comment, there was something on her mind: “But then... they all know him a lot better. They all ask me what he is like, yet I have only spoken to him a few times, while they are being taught by him for years.“

Dumbledore's smile faded and he looked as though deep in thought.

It was only a few hours later that Snape stood in the exact same place in front of Dumbledore, except Snape was clutching a glass of Fire whisky in his hand, and took rather furious sips.

Dumbledore observed him. Then he broke the silence in a rather casual tone.

“I had the pleasure to meet with your ward today. She seems a very nice young lady. What do you think of her, Severus?“

Snape hesitated, then he said broodingly, “She's gifted with potions.“

Dumbledore laughed.

“Why is that funny?“

“Because that is exactly what she said about you.“

Snape frowned and sat down in the chair, staring ahead darkly and putting his empty glass on the desk for the Headmaster to refill.

“I think she looks up to you. She spoke very highly of you.“

“She doesn't know me“, Snape snarled in response.

“No, I guess she doesn't“, Dumbledore said rather seriously and there was silence again, then he continued, “Severus, I know your parents where not the best example to you, but I hope you realise that being someone's guardian is something rather different from being someone's teacher.“

“She seems content, and she's a good student. I don't see why I should interfere with her life much, as long as there are no problems.“

“There is more to her than manners and grades, Severus. She is a young girl who has gone through hard times and she is alone. She needs you to be there for her as someone she can confide in, someone she can trust, and that will always be there for her, to help her no matter what, someone who fully accepts her. You are a stranger to her just like the rest of us. How is she supposed to confide in and trust a stranger?“

Snape had started to shake his head halfway through Dumbledore's appeal “There is a reason why I never planned to become a father...“

“And many men become fathers without planning it and it is still their duty to stand up to the challenge.” Dumbledore sighed, “Things will not always be easy with her. I can feel that she is withholding a lot of emotion. Her contentedness is shallow. It is only a facade and I fear it is only a matter of time for it to break down. When it does, you should be ready to give her the support she needs, she should be ready to trust you, but she can only do that if you let her, Severus.“

Snape hesitated, “To be perfectly honest, Albus, parenting a teenage girl is the last thing I can deal with at the moment.“

“I understand Severus, but you have no choice, have you now? And the better you master this task, the less trouble you are going to have. You can't ignore her, that won't work.“