Part 8 – The Bravest Gryffindor

The next few days passed by in a blur and all too soon it was Friday and the day before Severus was due to come face to face with James Potter. Sirius had passed him a scribbled note the previous day.

Saturday 5pm Behind Hagid's Hut

Underneath one of them had doodled a cruel sketch of Severus laying on the ground with James' foot on his chest.

In a little over twenty four hours they would duel.

In the meantime Severus had one thing to look forward to, his Defence Against the Dark Arts class which was held on Friday afternoons. It was his favourite subject even if he had to take it in the same room as the Gryffindors.

Severus arrived for the class with Martin Avery and waited outside of the door for Professor Knott-Bolt to arrive. Gradually the rest of their classmates arrived starting with the swaggering James Potter and Sirius Black.

"You ready to be humiliated?" called out James as they approached the classroom.

"A-a-are you?" he retorted, his stutter returning with the nerves he felt over the upcoming duel.

James laughed out loud.

"The D-d-d-dark Arts expert sounds a little nervous, wouldn't you say?" cackled Sirius as Peter arrived and joined in the joke.

"You're the ones who should be s-scared." Severus reached into his robe and pulled out his wand.

"You're pathetic," spat James as he pulled out his own wand and waved it menacingly towards Severus.

"We'll s-see who's p-p-pathetic tomorrow, w-won't we?" Severus cursed his tongue. He could not remember the last time he had stuttered this badly. Usually it was only his father who got him in this much of a state. But somehow James Potter had found a way to reduce him to a stammering wreck.

"Maybe I should just finish you off now?" suggested James.

"Yeah, go on," encouraged Peter with a look of great anticipation on his face.

Sirius glanced down the corridors. The Professor was nowhere in sight. He nodded his agreement.

Severus stepped back a pace and looked towards Remus. He thought that Remus looked a bit uncomfortable but this time he did not try to stop James from doing what he wanted.

"What do you think?" asked James. He placed the forefinger of his free hand under his chin and struck a pose of concentration.

Severus continued to point his wand at James but his mind had gone completely blank with rage and no matter how he tried he could not recall any hexes or curses.

"I've got it," announced James after a moment.

"Good," said Sirius. "Hurry it up will you?"

"Furnunculus" James shouted and pointed his wand directly at Severus.

But James joy at hexing Severus was short-lived as he gathered his wits about him just in time to duck out of the way and the curse went over his head for a direct hit at Martin Avery.

Martin screamed and his hands flew to his face where boils were erupting at a rapid pace. Within a minute his face was hardly recognisable and his lips were too swollen to speak.

"Lousy aim but what a result," laughed Sirius.

"Even if it missed the greasy little git, at least it hit a Slytherin," roared James.

"What's going on here?" the commanding voice of Professor Knott-Bolt echoed down the corridor and the laughter stopped instantly. The only sound was the muffled cries of Martin as his face continued to break out in boils.

Taking in the situation in an instant he despatched Martin to the hospital wing, gave James a detention, and opened the doors to the classroom.

"First years," he grumbled as he swept into the room. "Can't leave 'em alone for a minute."

The class filed in behind him and took their seats.

"Right, class. Today you are going to be working in pairs and learning how to deflect minor jinxes. If you have all been studying what you have been taught so far this year you should have no problem."

The class shifted excitedly in their seats. So far all they had done in this class was theory. Now at last they would be getting to do some practical.

Severus looked at the empty seat beside him and quickly looked about the room. With Martin in the hospital wing the number of students was odd and it was clear that he was the one without anyone to work with.

Professor Knott-Bolt had also spotted the problem. "Ah yes, Severus. You will have to join one of the other groups for today."

Severus looked about the room. The other Slytherin students were suddenly very engrossed in their books and no one made a move to call him over to them. Instinctively he looked towards Lily who was whispering something to her friend. He wondered whether to simply go over there and join her, he knew she wouldn't send him away. But a small measure of pride kept him in his seat.

"Who wants Mr Snape to join their group?" called out Professor Knott-Bolt.

The class remained silent.

Severus looked towards Wilkes who had looked up from his books. Wilkes looked to where James and Sirius sat smirking at the table behind him; then he gave Severus an apologetic look before turning back to his reading. Severus frowned when he saw the look and realised immediately what it meant. Not one of the Slytherins wanted to draw James's attention to them. They would not let him join their group in case they found themselves joining Martin in the hospital wing.

Too late he recalled that the Slytherins were not known for their bravery, but for saving their own skins.

"Come on now," called out Professor Knott-Bolt, "it's just for today."

Severus looked down at his book and wished that the floor would open up and swallow him. Was no one going to risk the wrath of James Potter?

"Severus can work with us." The familiar voice came from across the room and Severus felt his heart leap in response to it. Unlike the Slytherins Lily hadn't let him down.

"Thank you Miss Evans," said the Professor with a sigh of relief. "There you go Severus." He pointed towards the table at the front of the class where two girls were sat.

Severus gathered his books together and quickly shuffled across the room to the two Gryffindor girls.

"Thanks," he muttered quietly as he sat down.

"Did you think I'd let you down?" Lily asked with a small smile. "Do you know Veronica?"

He shook his head and stuck out his hand. "Severus Snape," he offered. Veronica shook his hand briefly, dropping it as quickly as she could. "Veronica Mott," she replied.

"Just ignore James," Lily advised. "You know he likes to show off."

"So I noticed," Severus gave a grimace. "But he's not so easy to ignore."

He looked back towards James and Sirius where they were laughing about something. When he turned back to the girls he saw that Lily's green eyes had narrowed slightly and she was frowning in the direction he had been looking a moment before.

"You're not really going to duel him are you?" whispered Lily. She cast a cautious glance at the Professor to check he was out of earshot. Severus followed her gaze and shrugged.

"I can't not turn up," he muttered. "They'll think I'm scared."

"Who cares what they think?" Lily retorted. "Just don't go!"

Severus scowled in response. She didn't understand; she wasn't the one who would have to put up with the taunts all year.

"Maybe you could come along and judge?" Severus suggested after a moment. "Check they fight fair?"

"I'm not having anything to do with it." Lily frowned in disapproval. "Duelling is against the school rules. You'll get into trouble."

Severus was saved from replying by Professor Knott-Bolt who was making the rounds of the class and heading in their direction, probably to see why they had failed to start working.

Severus tried to put James and Sirius out of his mind and concentrate on the lesson but he did not miss the frequent frowns that Lily aimed in both his direction and James's. Keeping his head down as much as he could he stole equally frequent glances through his long, dark hair at the only person in the class who had been brave enough to stand up to James Potter on his behalf.

Eventually the class came to an end and Severus gathered up his books to leave before James and Sirius spotted him.

"Severus, wait," Lily caught hold of his arm as he turned away. "Would you like to join our study group?"

"What?" Severus stopped in his tracks. He hadn't even been aware that Lily was part of a study group.

"I meant to ask you before," answered Lily. "But I thought you might be in one with your friends in Slytherin already. But after today…"

Severus frowned as he realised what she was going to say. That he had no real friends in his own house had been made very obvious by the reluctance of any of the Slytherin students to let him work with them.

"The rest of the group won't mind?" Severus asked, slightly unsure of himself but eager to accept her offer.

"Of course not," Lily assured him with a smile. "Right Veronica?"

Veronica didn't look exactly pleased but she nodded mutely.

"Okay," answered Severus after a moment of indecision.

"Great," said Lily with a smile as she gathered her books and she and Veronica strolled past Severus and out of the classroom.

"Class is over Mr Snape." Professor Knott-Bolt stood at the door waiting for Severus to leave so that he could lock up.

Severus had not even noticed the rest of the students had all gone. He startled the Professor with a wide grin as he hurried out of the room and try as he might he could not wipe the smile from his face for the rest of the day.