Saturday. He scowled fiercely as he remembered just what that meant. Detention. McGonagall had been angry, but she hadn't asked too much about it, and she hadn't taken points. Which was good. It was also good that she hadn't asked. He really didn't feel like explaining himself again. With a sigh, he dragged himself up off the couch, giving Hermione and Ron a glance. They were both bent over a book about Arithmancy, which Harry knew Ron hated. He rolled his eyes. The things some people would do… He'd made it all the way to the picture and was about to climb through when Ron noticed. "Hey, mate, where're you off to?" Hermione glared at him, giving him a sharp jab with her elbow. "Ow!"
"He's got detention, remember?" Ron blushed slightly. "Oh, yeah. Sorry mate. I forgot." Harry grinned at him. "Yeah, Ron, I noticed. Oh! I'd better go. I don't want to be late!" He vaguely heard Ron mutter something about a 'greasy bat' as he slid through the portrait hole. He landed, proceeded to walk down the corridor, then paused to cast a Tempus. 4.50. He started to run.
Amazingly, he arrived at Snape's office with one minute to spare. Pausing to catch his breath, he knocked lightly on the door. No answer. Harry stared at the door, perplexed. He was sure that Snape had said—Abruptly he whirled as a hand grasped his shoulder. "Professor-- "
"Potter," Snape sneered in his most vicious tone. "What in Merlin's name are you doing here?"
"Sir—you said—deten—"
"Five points from Gryffindor for being utterly inarticulate. Get out of my sight!" With that, Snape swooped past him into the office, slamming the door ferociously. Harry stared after him, dumbfounded. What on earth was that all about? Probably some elaborate Death Eater plan. Harry knew he was being ridiculous, but he couldn't help but compare the Snape of two nights ago with the one he had recently encountered in the dungeons. Pity the man had reverted so fast. With that last thought, he realized he'd reached the Fat Lady. He gave her the password and wandered into the Common room wearing what must have been an extremely dazed expression, since Ron and Hermione were almost instantaneously upon him.
"Wow, Harry, that was the shortest detention you've ever had!" said Ron, cheerfully. Hermione chimed in, "Yes. It was a rather short detention. Did you really go?"
Harry opened his mouth to tell them, then stopped as a thought hit him. What if the night in the library had been a dream? At least the part with Snape in it. He remembered studying in the library, and he certainly remembered his theory about the Griffin Claw and Lionfish Spine. Thinking back to the encounter in the hall outside of Snape's dungeon, he realized he couldn't remember Snape wearing the ring. Come to think of it, he never remembered the man having a ring before that night. His musings were interrupted by Hermione poking him and asking, "Harry?"
Harry gave himself a mental shake. "Sorry, 'Mione. I did go for detention, but I must have got the time mixed up or something, because Snape wasn't there." He felt only a small pang of remorse over lying to his friends. Hermione looked puzzled, but accepted his story as the truth. Ron congratulated him on avoiding detention, then went back to 'studying' Arithmancy with Hermione, leaving Harry to his thoughts.
Harry puzzled over the night in the library. He felt as though he were missing something. The ring—That was it! The ring! It had the Snape crest on it. Harry had never seen it before, that he was sure of. The only reason he'd known it to be a crest was because of its shape. He sighed. What a mystery. Oh well. He was sure it would be solved the next time he and the Potions Master crossed paths.