The Green-Eyed Snake stories are no longer hosted on FFnet! You can find them, including the latest update of Secret Keeper, at archiveofourown [DOT ORG] /series/21047 For more information and updates please check my profile here.

This was my initial version of the scene in Prisoner of Azkaban where Snape substitutes for Lupin's Defense Against the Dark Arts class. I've since thought better of this take on the scene, as you'll obviously know if you've been reading the story, but I thought this discarded section was at least interesting enough to merit sharing...and would suffice as a vehicle to carry the announcement of the main story's removal to all of you. I'm sorry that I had no chance to warn you that the story was being taken down, nor do I have any way to access the story's follower/favorite lists and contact readers directly to let you all know that the next chapter has been posted (just not here), so this is the best I can do. I'm so sorry for leaving everyone in suspense at the very end of the story like that; it wasn't by my choice, I assure you!

Defense Against the Dark Arts with Snape

Their first class of the day was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Being snug in their cozy underwater dungeons, the Slytherin students, unlike the rest of the school, rarely had any indication what the weather was until they reached the Great Hall for breakfast and Harry, feeling miserable every time he looked up at the enchanted ceiling, had dawdled over his eggs and sausage even longer than Crabbe and Goyle. He finally let Draco pull him away and they hurried for the stairs, barely sliding in the door in time.

They needn't have hurried; Professor Lupin wasn't even there yet. With a feeling of relief, Harry and the others took their seats and pulled out their wands, wondering what Lupin was going to show them today. Harry had meant to read ahead so he wouldn't feel so out of place, his housemates often being at least partially familiar with the creatures they were studying from bedtime stories if nothing else, but in his focus on the upcoming Quidditch match, he had forgotten.

Harry was just wondering if he had time to pull out his book and skim the next chapter when the door banged open. It wasn't shabby Professor Lupin who walked in, though, but the bat-like form of Professor Snape. He had a strange smile on his face, thin and pinched and a little malicious. Harry gulped.

"Put those away and take out your books," Snape told the class. They didn't dare groan, even though they had all been hoping for a practical lesson. He strode up to Lupin's desk and eyed it sideways, but he didn't sit down. "I see that Professor Lupin has not left any record of the subjects you have studied so far," Snape sneered, although he hadn't even bothered to look at the papers stacked on the desk.

"Hinkypunks are next, sir," Theodore Nott offered helpfully.

"Unfortunately I cannot permit a class to be taught by its students, no matter how capable they seem," Snape said in an oily voice, "so as Professor Lupin cannot attend today's lesson, it shall be taught by me. You are fortunate that I have a free period this morning." The cold pleasure in Snape's black eyes made Harry feel uncomfortable.

He raised his hand. "Sir," the words burst from Harry's lips before he could stop himself, "Sir, where is Professor Lupin?"

For a moment he thought Snape was going to refuse to answer. His glittering black eyes met Harry's, and all he could think about was the potion that Snape had brought to Lupin and the unpleasant way it smoked. He felt guilty for not saying anything then, but knew it was far too late to speak-up now. If Snape had poisoned Professor Lupin...what should Harry do? Tell Dumbledore? He didn't have any proof, just fearful suspicion, and Snape was his head of house, Harry couldn't just accuse him of poisoning another teacher...

"Professor Lupin is feeling unwell," Snape said at last, "but it is nothing life-threatening, I am sure you will all be relieved to know." The sour tone of his voice made it clear that Snape was far from relieved himself, but Harry's nerves relaxed.

"Thank you," he said, and sagged back into his seat. Snape stared at him for another moment, then turned abruptly back to Lupin's desk. He plucked their textbook from its neatly-cluttered surface and flicked through the pages until he reached the very back chapter, which he must know they hadn't covered.

"Today we shall discuss werewolves," he pronounced.

The class shifted curiously, but nobody except for Draco dared speak: "Beastly things," he whispered, face curled in a sneer.

Something like a smile flickered across Snape's lips. "Turn to page 394," he said, and paused only a moment before asking, "Which of you can tell me how we distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?"

Everyone sat in uncomfortable silence, Theodore Nott already bent over his book and reading as fast as he could. Harry ducked Snape's eyes and opened his own book. The words swam in front of him under the pressure of Snape's impatience.

"Well, well, well," he said cheerfully, "can this be? No one here would recognize a werewolf if they saw one? Goodness, this isn't a good sign."

To everyone's shock, Goyle's hand wandered into the air. It took Snape a moment to call on him, curiously. Goyle's raspy voice sounded very out-of-place in a classroom, but he grunted, "They got shorter snouts, right?"

"That...is correct, Mr. Goyle," Snape said.

Everybody stared at Goyle, who put his hand down, looking very pleased with himself.

"Ah...anyone else?" said Snape.

In the wake of Goyle's unexpected academia, nobody seemed able to speak. Snape put them all to work reading the chapter and taking notes while he wandered up and down the aisles, making uncomplimentary observations about Professor Lupin's teaching style. Harry, who knew as well as anyone that Snape was after the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, kept exchanging smirks and eye rolls with Draco, both of them amused at this transparent behavior on the Potions Master's part.

When Snape finally dismissed them with an assignment of a roll of parchment on recognizing and killing werewolves, nobody was surprised. Tracey Davis, with a look on her face like somebody hoping for a reprieve, raised her hand and asked if Snape would be covering all of Professor Lupin's classes today.

"As I have my own classes to attend to, Miss Davis, no, I will not be the only teacher inconvenienced by Professor Lupin's affliction today," he replied coolly. "I am afraid that I can take up only two extra periods, this fortunately for all of you being one of them. I shall see you all again at the end of the day in Potions."

"Oh," said Tracey, and her face fell. Harry smirked, guessing that she hadn't gotten her Potions essay finished yet. With a sudden jolt of fear he dove into his school bag and pulled out his own essay to check it. Fortunately while the last paragraph was written very sloppily, it looked like it was at least complete. Harry sighed with relief and stuffed the essay back into his bag.

"You're dismissed," Snape said, when the bell rang. "Don't forget—you hand that essay in to me."