A Changed Lestrange (1-2) (under editing)

6: Failure & Success

"So," said Professor Snape menacingly having caught the three boys after the car backfired and crashed into the Whomping Willow and Ron's wand broken. "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry Potter and Ashton Lestrange with their faithful sidekick, Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we, boys?"

"You'd know everything about entering with a bang," snapped Ashton. "didn't you enter the Great Hall on the Sorting Ceremony during your first year at Hogwarts with a literal bang?"

"Silence!" said Snape coldly. "What have you done with the car?" So he can read minds, thought Ashton in his head as he narrowed his eyes at Snape. But a moment later, he understood, as Snape unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet.

"Jesus Christ, as if the Daily Prophet wasn't enough torture to read every morning," muttered Ashton as Snape opened his mouth in delight, knowing he'd get to hiss and yell at them for their mistakes.

"You were seen," he hissed, showing them the headline: FLYING FORD ANGLIA MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began to read aloud: "Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower... at noon in Norfolk, Mrs. Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing... Mr. Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police... six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office?" he said, looking up at Ron and smiling still more nastily. "Dear, dear... his own son..." then he turned to Ashton. "but, Lestrange on the other hand... I'm sure your parents would be delighted with your current mischief and behaviour, if there were here to see it."

"You say that like they're dead or something," said Ashton, not even bothering to act hostile during that sentence.

"Being in Azkaban is just as good as being dead, Lestrange." said Snape nastily, his lips twisting into a corrupted smirk, something that made Ashton see red. But before Ashton could say anything, Snape put up a hand in front of Ashton. "As apologetic I am to interrupt your tirade, I must carry on. I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape went on.

This time Ashton wasn't having it. 

"Oh, so a tree that beats up children is okay but us falling into it isn't? Besides, that tree is just utter bull-" ranted Ashton, his eyes turning a slight shade of red that freaked out both Harry and Ron once they caught sight of it. 

"Silence!" snapped Snape again. "Most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall go and fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here."

Ashton's face turned red as anger wrestled its way into his brain. While Harry and Ron were staring at each other pale-faced, Ashton was thinking of all the ways to get out of this situation. 

Harry no longer felt starving for some of the excellent food at the Sorting Ceremony banquet: instead he looked rather sick. He tried his best not to heave all over Ashton's robes and not make eye contact with anything green and slimy - which was pretty hard considering Snape had that kind of stuff everywhere in his office.

If Snape had gone to fetch Professor McGonagall, head of Gryffindor House, they were hardly any better off. She might be fairer than Snape, but she was still extremely strict. The only time Harry could remember McGonagall not standing her ground was when Ashton rebuked her for her remarks against his heritage of Bellatrix and Rodolphus.

Unfortunately for the three Gryffindors, it sure enough was Professor McGonagall that Snape returned with and she did not look pleased that she had now seen three of her own second-years sitting in Professor Snape's office because they crashed an illegally flown car into a tree that physically beats up children. In retrospect, who would?