Chapter 42: Between a Rock and a Hard Place (1)

In the beginning of February, the snow melted, but the winter still lingered in the haunting freezing breath of the wind, coming from the mountains. The sorrowful landscape of grey and brown was occasionally decorated with patches of ice, left on the ground as if they were pieces of broken fairy glass. Sometimes, a brave robin dared to land on the skeletal branches of the nearby trees briefly singing a song of hope and spring, just to swiftly fly away into the crisp air.

Students at Hogwarts spent most of their time inside the castle. Those who needed to go outside for some reason tried to cover every centimetre of potentially exposed skin with cloaks, scarves, gloves, and hats. Hence, the two second-years, dressed in Muggle sporting outfit, and jogging around the frozen Black Lake, appeared to be quite an unusual sight. 

Catherine and James were adamant not to miss a single workout, each of them for reasons of their own. For James, the reason was the upcoming important Quidditch match against Slytherin; for Catherine, running provided a welcomed relief from her troubles and anxiety. The situation with Sirius hadn't improved, surprising even James, who had hoped that the storm would pass in a day or two. The constant unspoken tension among the group resulted in prolonged periods of awkward silence and many more hours spent in the Library, doing homework. 

"I need to catch my breath." – wheezed the young witch, stopping next to the biggest willow tree growing near the frozen shores of the lake. 

"You've improved a lot." – commented James, patting her on the back – "Still need to work on your endurance, though."

"Will…do…" – panted the girl and gazed at the tranquil water in front of her, sleeping under the ice. The silent Sunday afternoon was disturbed only by the lazy splashes of the Giant Squid, playing somewhere far from the shores, where the waters of the Black Lake had managed to resist the merciless grip of the ice.

"We shall get going before we catch a cold." – suggested James, taking a few steps towards the main path. He suddenly stopped and dashed forward with a cry of joy. In less than ten seconds, he returned to Catherine, holding something in his hand.

"Look, Flame! These must be the first flowers for this year! I can't believe they managed to survive here in the cold!" – exclaimed the boy enthusiastically and showed the girl the two delicate snowdrops in his palm.

"That's why snowdrops symbolise renewal and rebirth. They're indeed the first flowers to appear even before there are any signs of spring" – noted the witch, gently caressing the pure white petals with her fingertips. 

Unexpectedly, James extended his hand and attached the flowers to the young witch's ebony braid.

"There, now you look like the spirit of spring!" – he chuckled. 

"What a touching scene!" – the two children heard behind them. They turned back to see Lily and Snape who were watching them from a few metres away. The Slytherin boy was wearing something that might have been a woman's coat once, but now looked like a greyish sack, draped on his thin body. His sarcastic smile, however, was of top-notch quality. 

"What's the matter, Snivelly? Finally embracing your female side and starting to wear women's clothes outside too? Is it possible that you also want a flower in your hair?" – James mocked him, as the black eyes of Snape started sparkling with rage, his smile turned into an angry grimace, revealing his yellowish, uneven teeth. 

"Why are you always so immature, Potter?" – hissed Lily, looking pleadingly at Catherine. 

"I'm immature?" – asked James in disbelief – "If I remember correctly, your pet-bat was the one who started talking to us in the first place, Evans!"

"Come, James," – said Catherine, placing her hand on his shoulder – "He's neither worth the efforts nor the breath." 

With this, the black-haired witch turned her back to Snape and Lily and headed towards the castle. She hadn't taken more than three steps and her foot got caught in something, causing her to lose her balance and smash head-first to the ground. 

"Flame!" – screamed James and swiftly ran to his friend's side – "What did you do to her, greasy bastard?" 

"How's my fault that Plantier can't use properly these huge feet of hers?" – said Snape derisively. 

"You did something! I'm sure of it!" – shouted the Gryffindor boy, trying to stop the blood running from Catherine's nose. 

"It couldn't have been him!" – insisted Lily, who had also couched next to her classmates, producing a clean handkerchief out of her pocket – "He hasn't even touched his wand." 

"Right… and this dry root, which was not here before, decided to move on its own accord." – hissed James, seething with furry. 

"James, please, help me back to the castle." – asked Catherine quietly, pressing Lily's handkerchief to her face. 

"Do you want me to come with you?" – asked Lily worriedly.

"No…you can continue your walk." – responded the other witch flatly and moved towards the castle with unsteady step. James shot a look full of hatred at Snape and quickly sprinted after Catherine. 

*** 

"I'm sure it wasn't Severus. You've got to believe me. I was right next to him, and he didn't have his wand anywhere near." – insisted Lily in a hushed tone during Herbology on Monday.

"I really don't want to discuss this." – whispered Catherine angrily, busy with putting on her protective gloves while Professor Sprout was arranging a bunch of pots with purplish green plants inside. 

"I know you're upset but I'm just trying to say it was an accident, and we just happened to be there. It was nobody's fault." – continued Lily.

"You know why I'm really upset, Lily?" – hissed the other girl – "You refused to speak to me on several occasions because you claimed I was mean to Snape. However, I don't see the same reaction when he's mean to me."

"This is not true. I did scold him for starting an unnecessary fight." – Lily attempted to justify herself. 

"I'm sure he must be devastated and quietly reflecting upon his actions." – scoffed the black-haired girl. 

"Why do you always have to be sarcastic?" – snapped the other Gryffindor – "If you just…"

"Would you girls mind to continue your discussion after the lesson is over?" – Professor Sprout asked with a displeased tone.

While the class was giggling, Lily and Catherine, both with their faces red, turned their attention towards the Herbology teacher, who was now handling earmuffs to the students. 

"Now, after Miss Plantier and Miss Evans are also present in body and mind, let's start by answering one simple question. Can anyone tell me what these plants are?" – asked Sprout. 

Catherine took a second look at the pots, and her eyes grew wide with excitement. She immediately raised her hand. 

"These are Mandrakes, and fairly young ones, I believe." – the girl answered, casting a side glance at Sirius and James, standing nearby, who were also paying very close attention. 

"Correct, Miss Plantier. Five points to Gryffindor." – smiled the Herbology teacher – "Indeed, we have just obtained these plants, and they are only seedlings. But, in several months, we're going to have a batch of full-grown Mandrakes. Does anyone know what the properties of the Mandrakes are?"

"The roots of the Mandrakes are invaluable for returning people who had been transfigured or cursed to their original state." – Catherine promptly responded.

"Right again, Miss Plantier. Another five points to Gryffindor." – nodded the professor – "Despite their nature as an antidote, Mandrakes or as they are also known, Mandragoras, are extremely dangerous because their scream could be fatal. Fortunately, the seedlings do not yet possess such power. However, their screams can easily knock you out for a good several hours."

"Screams?" – asked Lily confused. 

"We're going to repot them today, so please make sure you fully cover your ears with the earmuffs and wear them during the whole time."

The students hurried to oblige, and when everybody had their ears properly protected, Professor Sprout firmly grabbed the stem of one of the plants and pulled. Instead of roots, the Mandrake had something which resembled a human baby, covered in mud. It was screaming angrily, kicking, and swinging its little fists. Professor Sprout quickly moved it to a bigger pot and covered it with soil and dragon manure. She then gestured towards the class to get to work. 

After approximately half an hour of struggle, all the assigned seedlings were repotted, and the Gryffindors could take a breather and clean themselves. Catherine used the opportunity to approach Sprout without anyone around. 

"Excuse me, Professor," – the girl said politely – "I have a question regarding the Mandrakes."

"What is it, Miss Plantier?" – asked the teacher.

"Professor McGonagall mentioned that some plants, including Mandrakes, could be used in transfiguration. I was wondering what the various techniques for that are."

"Did she?" – smiled the older witch – "Indeed, Mandrake leaves are important elements of some more advanced transfiguration spells."

"Professor McGonagall gave Animagi transfiguration as an example for such use." – carefully probed the girl.

"Ah, well, of course." – nodded Sprout – "In this particular case, one would need to keep a leaf in their mouth for a month before using it."

"For a whole month!" – Catherine exclaimed with well-played surprise – "But how would you be able to eat and drink without swallowing it?"

"There is a spell used which encapsulates the leaf in the mouth, and it is impossible to swallow it." – explained the Herbology teacher.

"I presume the leaves should come from a fully-grown Mandrakes?" – requested the student. 

"Yes, of course. Are you interested in Animagi, Miss Plantier?" – asked Sprout suspiciously. 

"Oh, not particularly in Animagi; I'm rather interested in combining different branches of magic, such as Transfiguration and Herbology." – lied Catherine flawlessly.

"It is a fascinating topic, of course," – agreed the teacher – "but nevertheless, you need to be careful and avoid experimentation because it could be very dangerous, especially for young students."

"I completely understand, Professor! I only wanted to discuss the theoretical base with you." – smiled the Gryffindor with a not-so-Gryffindor twinkle in her eyes.