Halloween or Not?
Albus Dumbledore knew his staff was displeased about having the Ministry appoint the Toad like woman to the DADA position. All four of his Heads of House-Minerva McGonnagal, Filus Flitwick, Pomona Sprout and Severus Snape were for the first time all on the same page. They all agreed that 'Deplorable' Dolores would deserve whatever end the curse of the DADA position decreed.
If Albus had been a muggle he would have felt like banging his head against the wall till he was cationic enough to get the sickening syrupy sweet voice of the Ministry's lackey out of his mind. Fortunately though he had a pensieve which he could deposit any memory that plagued him such as Dolores Umbridge staring at him with her horribly bulging eyes while 'kindly' informing him that she was going to start with the staff evaluations! The Minister wished to see if everybody was 'up to Ministry Standards'.
Then on top of all that the staff had to deal with the students reactions to the new Decree she had posted a week before that the traditional Halloween celebrations were to be cancelled as it was 'inappropriate' to honour the dark creatures of the night. What the dead did was of no concern of the living!
Albus sighed as he recalled the image of Hagrids sad dismayed face when he read that none of his pumpkins would be allowed inside the castle for Halloween themed purposes! The large soft hearted gamekeeper was inconsolable!
Albus decided to take a quiet stroll through the now dark and silent castle before the sun rose and the days work began. He was trying to think up a solution to his staff 'pest' problem. Of course being eaten by Sprouts pet Venomous Tentacula was a thought, He could say it had been a Halloween prank gone wrong by persons unknown but then the Ministry would probably blame the Weasley Twins who where very well known for pranking. Maybe he could persuade Severus to brew up something that would cause her to leave the post. No, that would not work either.. Albus wandered up and down the corridors—slowly making his way down to the Great Hall where the helpful House Elves would hopefully give him a nice sugary sweet snack along with some very hot Chocolate for breakfast. It was Halloween after all!
As daybreak came and everybody was getting up to head for the Great Hall for an ordinary non- holiday related breakfast, the students were wondering among themselves as to whether or not the nasty High Inquisitor Dolores Umbridge would by some miracle get the Halloween spirit. They knew however that hope was not very likely and she was still planning to forbid their Halloween feast. She had also implied that anybody caught playing pranks on Halloween would be getting detentions to be served with Filch or possibly even suspended. The decree banning all activites concerning Halloween at Hogwarts had obviously been enacted with the twins Fred and George Weasley in mind.
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Severus Snape was in a surly mood which didn't surprise anybody much as that was considered his usual demeanour. One would have thought he would be absolutely delighted about the fact that Umbridge, as inquisitor of Hogwarts, had cancelled the Halloween celebrations this year.
But to be truthful, Severus wasn't feeling up to par , His head ached along with chills running throughout his body and his throat was very sore. Despite how bad he was feeling he was busy mixing up a new batch of flu remedy for the Hospital Wing as requested by Madame Pomfrey. Some of which he intended to take before heading up to the Great Hall where Albus was expecting him to be. Merlin forbid that he didn't make it to breakfast otherwise Dumbledore would have come looking for him. As the great wizard kept insisting, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! His thoughts wandered as he wondered what all those dunderheaded students were going to be like in class after ingesting all the hyper inducing holiday sweets that the elves where probably preparing for breakfast never mind what they had planned to serve at the Big Feast. The House Elves of Hogwarts were not beings who cared a whit about such idiotic decrees issued by the Ministry mad Witch.
ACHOOOO...ACHOOO...ACHOOOO" Severus sneezed several times suddenly with the realization that he had an even more serious problem, not only did he develop what at first felt like the flu but it seemed that every time he sneezed his magic lashed out involuntarily. The potion he had been brewing disappeared from the large large cauldron, which was then filled with candy corn to the top and overflowed, spreading out to a depth of two feet all over the floor. Pumpkin pastries appeared everywhere along with candy kisses and mounds of yellow, black and orange jelly beans plus a wide variety of chocolate in the shapes of ghosts, cauldrons, brooms and other Halloween treats.
He stared around his lab at the shelves which literally dripped candy of all sorts in among the various vials, bottles and other containers filled with ingredients he used in various potions." Dumbledores custom of Halloween pranking me in my rooms has once again started even though the Pink abomination forbade any form of holiday celebration " he muttered to himself. "Well I guess what she doesn't know won't hurt him or me." then with a malicious smirk and a wave of his wand - he bagged and banished the offensive candy which he sent directly to Dumbledores office. The old lemon sherbet pushing coot should be pleased with getting all those sugary treats sent back to him.
Severus frowned even as he felt another wave pain course through his head and then he sneezed again. To his horror his nice Slytherin green walls with silver trim became coated in Griffindor Colours. He wondered how Dumbledore managed to set that rather ingenious prank up. He must have had help from those Weasley twins.
Severus rummaged through his supplies and found three vials of flu potion of which he drank one vial full and placed the other two carefully inside his robe pocket for later. He then noted that it was getting on towards breakfast and decided to hold off preparing a fresh batch of Flu Potion for another day. He was just thankful that the Occumency lessons he was giving Potter was not scheduled for a few days. He then walked out of his lab and after warding it stalked down the dungeon corridors and then up the stone stairway to the entrance hallway where he noticed Filch with the arrogant Malfoy scion and the rest of Umbridge's inquisitorial squad who was informing the elderly unkempt caretaker that they had acquired some information concerning Harry Potter who was intending to place a massive order for dungbombs to disrupt the Halloween Feast.
Severus frowned as he wondered how the little sneak would know such information. Potter may be troublesome in his own way but Severus had to admit to the boys credit that he never seemed to be a prankster like his father and friends had been. Now if the order was actually for the Weasley twins... That he could see happening.
Severus wondered if a nice freezing cold shower would help smarten up Draco and those other idiots who where abusing the power given to them by the squat hag... er... witch that was not only causing unrest and distrust among the students but arbitrarily driving each member of the staff to the brink of insanity with her insinuations and intrusive inspections. He knew his turn was coming up and he hoped he would manage to keep from hexing her.
Still feeling a bit under the weather in spite of taking the flu potion, Severus sneezed several times even as Filch marched off towards the Owlery and then Malfoy screamed along with the rest of what Snape secretly thought of as a 'Goon' squad. Severus blinked as he stared at the steady stream of freezing cold rain that flowed from dark clouds that had somehow formed just above their heads. When Umbridge eventually found out about the prank there would be serious consequences for the perpetrators.
He spotted the Weasley twins further on and wondered if they had the same idea he had but had acted upon it. If so, he decided to let it go this time and snarled slightly at Malfoy and the members of his squad to go back to the dorm and get changed into some clean dry robes before they ended up with points deducted for unseemly behaviour.
Ignoring the astonished stares levelled at his stiff back he went into the Great Hall by the staff entrance and proceeded to sit down in between a depressed looking Headmaster and Professor McGonagall who was commiserating with Dumbledore over the loss of his Halloween fun.
"Are you feeling all right Severus?" Minerva whispered with concern as she noticed his pallor was even more pronounced than normal. "You look like Death warmed over.. Even more so than normal."
"I feel fine." Severus informed her snappily even as he hunched over a small serving of oatmeal swimming in milk and honey and proceeded to eat it carefully. A cup of hot strongly brewed black coffee completed his sparse meal.
"I wondered, considering you are not eating your normal repast." She explained "That is an awfully small serving of oatmeal. No Eggs and Bacon either."
Madame Pomfrey overheard their conversation and peered over at the sullen Potions Master and then leaned over and said in a firm no nonsense whisper, "I expect you to present yourself in the Hospital ward after breakfast for a check up."
Looking up Severus noticed that Albus also had a concerned look etched upon his face as he studied his youngest staff member with his piercing twinkling blue eyes.
Severus groaned and knew that he would have no choice but to agree to her request.
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Severus glowered at the fussy Mediwitch and closed his eyes, His head was throbbing and all he wanted was a bath... A very hot one at that.
Madame Pomfrey listened to his description of his symptoms while she scanned him with her wand and when he sneezed she startled a little when she saw one of her beds turn into a large tub of steaming hot water. "I ..er..." Severus' normally pallid face reddened in embarrassment. "I was just thinking of having a nice hot bath...to combat the chills I've been having."
"Oh my... I believe you have managed to come down with a new strain of flu. I must inform Saint Mungos of this new development. A new potion vaccine should be developed."
Severus' deep onyx coloured eyes widened in horror. "NO! I do not wish to go to Saint Mungos to be gawked at! I prefer to stay within my own quarters. I promise not to breathe on anyone."
"I don't approve of your being left alone in your quarters considering your obvious illness." She paused a moment knowing full well that he was an intensively private person and then agreed- a little grudgingly, "All right but on one condition, I will have my personal House Elf looking after you and reporting back to me... also I will be checking in with you several times daily." Pursing her lips and nodding she then said, "I think your idea of a nice bath would be excellent treatment... No more than 105 degrees should do it. Hopefully it will slow down the virus down enough to give your body time to identify the virus and start making the necessary antibodies. Not too deep mind you. We don't want to find you had passed out and drowned now, do we?"
Severus clamped his lips shut in a tight grimace and nodded his agreement to her suggestions. But instead of flooing directly to his quarters he decided to walk back even as he heard her parting words as the hospital doors closed behind him. 'I trust that you to keep your promise and remain confined to your chambers Severus till you have recovered. Rest and drink plenty of fluid..."
Knowing that the students should for the most part, already be in their classes and there would be a very small chance of him meeting up with anyone, Severus gave her a curt nod and moving as swiftly as he dared he left the Hospital wing with purposeful strides.
Unfortunately for his plans, Dolores Umbridge spotted the Potions Master as he strode by her without a second glance and was infuriated by what she perceived as a snub. "PROFESSSOR SNAPE! IF YOU PLEASE I WISH A WORD WITH YOU!" She managed to roar condescendingly in a terribly sugary tone of voice.
Severus rolled his eyes when he heard her voice. A look of utter disgust flickered momentarily even as he stopped and whipped around and stalked menacingly back to where the offensive bureaucrat was looking arrogantly at him and tapping her pink clad feet and bobbing black velvet bow in her hair
The students who were sitting in the classroom waiting for the dreaded Defense Against the Dark Arts class to begin heard the witch's screeching and being curious got up and peered out as did other students along with some faculty members in other classrooms nearby.
The crowd kept very silent and some even quaked in fear even as they watched for the confrontation between their terrifying Potions Master and the disgusting Ministry interloper with unusual fascination. Fred and George Weasley quickly took advantage of the situation and made Snape the odds on favourite to win the battle. Bets as to what the outcome would be flowed quickly among the students and the staff members who had appeared nearby. In anticipation they waited with bated breath.
'I wonder what bee that misbegotten bloody pink toad has in her bonnet this time." Severus muttered to himself as he sniffed with disdain, "Probably wants to inform me that she plans to attend one of my classes as an observer. ' It was at that most inopportune time that the tickling in his nose started once again and Severus sneezed hard several times and then he blinked... The officious squat witch was no longer standing there. Puzzled but not overly concerned he turned back and stepped on something that squished beneath his feet. He groaned as he instinctively lifted his foot and stepped backwards with his wand drawn to scorgify his boots and the stone floor as he thought he had accidentally stepped in a pile of pooh left behind by somebody's pet.
Some startled screams, a few gasps of horror and then oddly enough, cheers from the gathered audience echoed in his ears and many of the shaky students and staff were staring and pointing at the floor near his feet. It was a bit much and before he started in on the unruly crowd he looked down to see what it was that they where commenting on and at his feet there was a squashed pink toad with blank bulging eyes and black bow flattened beneath his boot.
A horrified silence then reined for several moments as everyone remembered the rumours of Snape's Death Eater past and some wondered how violent he could actually get. Then a pair of voices spoke up.
"Nice one Professor Snape." the Weasley twins said with awe. "You just mashed the toad."
"The toad? Severus frowned and then it dawned on him. He had sneezed while thinking of Umbridges uncanny resemblance to a toad... Pink, black velvet bow.. this squashed creature was... Umbridge.
Despite the fact that he had accidentally caused the unpopular pink abominations death, Severus thoughts was in a quandary. Would he be able to go to his quarters or would he find himself in Azkaban instead. Deep in thought, he only vaguely heard somebody mention that Dumbledore was on his way.
It wasn't too long after that the Headmaster who had been relaxing in his office enjoying what he considered a 'light' snack of candy corn, pumpkin pasties, Candy kisses and of course his ever present Lemon sherbets came up to stand beside the ill professor and studied the situation for a few seconds before commenting. "Oh dear, how deplorable. Another DADA professor has met an untimely fate." He then shrugged and patted Severus' shoulder while whispering in his ear, "Thank you for the wonderful collection of sweets. Now go on to your quarters and lay down Severus. You deserve our thanks and our deepest gratitude for ridding the castle of its 'pest' problem."
Severus felt relief flood him with the Headmasters forgiving approval he nodded slightly and speedily left the scene. He was looking forward to going straight to his quarters, having a warm bath and settling into his nice warm bed for a nice long nap without worries about having to deal with Halloween.
Dumbledore watched his young colleague leave and then turned to face the crowd, spread his arms out and then cheerfully declared in a very loud voice:
"Spread the word... I declare that the rest of today's classes as such are officially cancelled and a traditional Halloween is going to be celebrated here at Hogwarts this year children. Will one of you please go tell Hagrid that we have need of his Pumpkins for tonight's extra special grand feast."