Chapter 7
Severus sat down uneasily at the feast. McGonagall gave him a concerned look, but quickly frowned. She was still testy from their argument about Potter being recruited for the Quidditch team.
He sneered at her, but still had to ask it. "Where is Professor Quirrell?"
She looked a little confused and glanced around. "I'm sure he's around. The feast hasn't even started." Then she remembered to be annoyed with him and quickly turned away.
Severus rolled his eyes, wondering how the grown, accomplished woman could still act like such a school girl. He turned his gaze toward the rest of the room, spying Potter and Weasley entering alone, without the usual company of Granger.
Severus remembered that Granger had admitted to seeking out the troll herself. She hadn't been punished enough, in his opinion. But even at the time he thought it sounded a little strange. Granger was the definition of a know-it-all bookworm, but she didn't have the rash stupidity of Weasley and Potter. He hadn't known her very well, at the time, so he didn't dwell on it.
Now Severus wondered at her absence. She couldn't have gone after the troll already. Nobody knew it would be coming. He stared at Weasley and Potter, looking to them for clues. They looked a little unsettled. Weasley more than Potter; the red-haired boy looked downright guilty. Potter was entranced by the enchanted bats flying overhead.
Severus looked to his side, half-expecting Lily to make some comment that would be simultaneously inane and enlightening. But she wasn't there. Severus wasn't too worried, though, she had promised not to leave him. And, in a strange way, he could feel her there; the same as he could feel McGonagall beside him. But Lily was not seen or heard. However, he felt that if he were to call out, she would appear.
He turned his attention back to the boys, wondering if there was something here that he missed the first time around. Then he wondered if it was even important. After all, Quirrell was due to make an appearance soon.
Not a moment after the feast had been served, the stuttering fool rushed into the Great Hall.
"Troll—in the dungeons—thought you ought to know." He fainted against the table and the Hall exploded in panic and mayhem. Dumbledore calmed the students and sent them away. He then turned to the professors, directing them on how to deal with the situation.
Severus was only half paying attention, his eyes following Potter and Weasley. The boys were looking worried, sticking close together and whispering hurriedly. There was something else going on, besides the troll; Severus could see it on their faces.
The Professors were moving around him, some heading towards the dungeons, others to assist the students. Severus found himself facing Dumbledore. His eyes were blue and sharp. "I trust you know what to do?" he asked.
Severus knew exactly what he had to do. He nodded shortly and whirled around. He melded into the mash of students exiting the Hall. Lily was beside him. "Severus-" she started.
"Keep an eye on Potter," he broke in, whispering harshly. He couldn't believe he was doing this. "I might lose him in this madness."
He wasn't looking at Lily, but her form seemed to warm beside his. He felt something like a soft hand against the side of his neck. But he ignored it as he tried to keep his eyes on Weasley's hair, which stood out among the crowd.
Entering the hallway, Severus almost lost sight as the Gryffindors collided with Hufflepuffs. But Lily pointed down a less crowded hallway. "They went that way."
Severus untangled himself from the students and strode down the hallway. He hadn't seen Potter or Weasley, but he had to trust Lily.
He had to trust Lily.
He turned the corner and only saw an abandoned hallway. He walked a little more slowly, trying to listen and think. He had found Potter and his friends in the girl's bathroom. Where was the girl's bathroom? Were they there now? He walked on, heading up some stairs.
A high scream made him miss some steps. Severus caught himself before he could completely fall down. He whirled around, rushing back down the stairs.
"Hermione!" It sounded like Potter and Weasley. There was an open door down the hallway and Severus sprinted to it. The smell of the beast and the sounds of its roars hit Severus before the sight of it.
Severus almost wished he had chosen to go after Quirrell. The scrawny man looked much easier to defeat than the giant troll that barely fit in the small girl's bathroom. They were all in one corner, facing down the troll.
"Confuse it!" Potter shouted. Weasley whirled on the beast, looked pale and terrified. They hadn't seen Severus and the man had no idea what to do. Potter was in the corner, trying to coax the petrified Granger to the door. Weasley threw a metal pipe at it, distracting it.
Severus found his wand arm reacting instinctively. "Stupify!" he shouted, running into the room. The spell managed to make the troll stagger, but not fall. It stumbled around, angry and confused. The troll raised its club, smashing it against the walls. Tile and porcelain rained on them all. Weasley screamed, throwing himself into the hallway and out of the debris. Severus launched himself at Potter and Granger, covering them as best he could. Something hard hit his shoulder and he fell to a crouch.
Severus turned quickly, shouted two other stunning spells in succession. The troll was stunned only slightly and swayed on the spot, the beady eyes obviously trying to focus again. It raised its club blindly and threw it, obviously losing its grip. Severus hadn't even time raise his wand for a shield. The club hit him on his chest, near his shoulder. He fell against the wall, hearing something made a crunching noise in his chest.
Dazed, he barely had time to look up and see Potter launching himself at the beast. Small, and quick, he jumped up on his back. Whether intentionally or not, his wand was rammed up the troll's nose. That was more of a distraction than anything it had encountered so far. It screamed and Weasley screamed as well. "Wingardium Leviosa!"
Severus still had enough logical thought to think that Weasley must have chosen the least helpful spell from his idiotic collection.
The troll's club rose into the air, however. And with the control of horned slug covered in salt, Weasley whirled his wand around and miraculously managed to hit the troll on the back of the head without touching Potter.
Potter fell off and dodged aside as the troll fell forward. Dead or knocked out, Severus could tell that it wasn't getting up anytime soon. Severus staggered to his feet, just in time to hear McGonagall bursting into the ruined bathroom. Quirrell was behind her and paled at the sight of the troll face first on the floor.
McGonagall took all of two seconds to start screaming. "What on earth-!? Professor Snape!?" She made a move towards him, but Severus held up his hand.
"I'm fine, the troll has been subdued."
She looked at all of them, clearly confused. "What happened here, Severus?" Weasley looked stunned, Granger was staring at her feet, and Potter was staring at him. Severus felt his chest and shoulder aching, but ignored it.
"I arrived after these three had already been engaged in battle with the troll. I attempted to stupefy it, but was… unsuccessful." He pursed his lips, feeling a little ill. He couldn't believe he was doing this. Lily's hand was on his neck again, warmer and stronger. He looked at McGonagall. "Potter and Weasley managed to defeat it after I had thoroughly distracted the beast." It felt strangely like praise, and he bit down an insult to compensate.
The woman was stunned. "What?" She looked to the boys. "You two brought it down?"
Weasley still had his wand raised, unable to speak. Potter looked from Severus to McGonagall for several moments before deciding to speak. "Yes," he offered meekly. He hesitated, but continued. "But Professor Snape stunned it enough that we could do something."
Severus stared at Potter now, feeling a little confused. Not that Potter was painting him a glorious figure, but he had never heard the boy offer any sort of regard. McGonagall was looking to Severus again, also a little confused. She got over it quickly enough.
"Why were you three here to begin with?" She didn't sound angry anymore, just curious.
Granger spoke up. "I was here first. Then the troll came in. Harry and Ron must have heard the commotion."
"Why were you here, Miss Granger, and not back at the dormitory?" McGonagall asked sternly.
Granger flushed and then Severus noticed that her eyes were red. He had seen her screaming and looking faint from the troll. But she hadn't been crying. The way her eyes now were rimmed with red and swollen, showed that she had been crying, perhaps for hours. She hadn't come to the feast because she was here. The troll was here and she hadn't heard the announcement.
Severus suddenly thought it was all simple. Potter and Weasley must have had some argument with her. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence throughout the rest of their years. Severus remembered on several occasions Potter being only among one friend or the other. In this case, Granger was upset and didn't attend the feast. She hadn't sought out the troll at all. But she had previously lied so that Potter and Weasley wouldn't be blamed for coming after to her.
Granger was still trying to come with an answer, obviously unwilling to reveal whatever argument her and the two boys had. Severus stepped forward. "I'm sure it's unimportant to the matter at hand, Minerva," he cut in. "We first have to figure out how the troll appeared up here and not in the dungeons." He looked quickly to Quirrell and the man visibly flinched.
McGonagall nodded. "Yes, I suppose that is more important. I'll go report this to the headmaster. Severus, do come up after you've visited the hospital wing." She turned to Quirrell. "Oh, and Professor Quirrell, please clean up the mess, will you?"
The man stuttered and Severus felt like spitting on him. Spotting the familiar glint in McGonagall's eye, Severus quickly left the room before he could hear her give points for the tremendously stupid occasion.
The hallways were abandoned and Severus took his time walking to the hospital wing. He held his elbow, trying to keep his shoulder steady, but it jarred with pain with every step.
He saw Lily come into view beside him. "Severus… thank you." Her eyes were soft and green. Severus could only look away.
"Don't thank me," he muttered hoarsely. "I'm trying to decide whether being mauled by a giant three-headed dog or being smashed by the twelve foot mountain troll is better."
She smiled, soft. "I'm sure we'll find out."
He stared at her, wondering what she meant.