I am back with another chapter! After writing chapter eight, I just had to keep going so here's the next installment of The Son's Silence and the Serpent's Secret! Enjoy!
Severus Snape strode down the hallway silently. He was nearly there. He would have been there sooner but he had to send an owl, bearing a note that explained the situation, which would hopefully catch up with Albus Dumbledore. Time was of the essence. He was hoping those two young Gryffindors hadn't gotten to the third floor corridor yet.
The dark-haired man waved his wand in a sharp motion as he reached the forbidden corridor, making the door snap open. His entrance was immediately met by vicious growls and barks. Prepared this time, Severus stayed towards the door, just out of reach of the creature's nasty jaws and sent a silent charm to the harp, which started to play. It didn't take very long for the beast to fall asleep. Pathetic, how easy it was to get past the mutt once the trick was discovered.
As the harp continued to play, Professor Snape strode towards the open trapdoor with determined steps. He was too late to prevent the Gryffindors from going in, but he could hope that he could catch them before they caught up to Quirrell and his master. Carefully but quickly, the professor lowered himself through the hole, grimacing as he did so. Once he landed on the Devil's Snare, he cast a lumos to prevent the plant from strangling him.
Yet another easy trap to bypass. Severus Snape had seen more security at Gringotts. It was no surprise that Quirrell and two students would be able to find the bloody stone.
After the Devil's Snare was Professor Flitwick's trap. Once again, it was very simple to bypass but that may have been due to the fact that the key was lying on the floor by the door, unable to fly with two broken wings. The battered key fluttered pitifully in his hands as he picked it up.
Walking into the next room, Severus Snape came across the sight he was dreading to see. Ronald Weasley was lying among the shattered chess pieces, unconscious and bleeding. Ash and grime was smudged all over his skin and clothes. He lay there limply, looking very vulnerable.
The Potions professor cursed under his breath and strode over to the lifeless boy, looking around for any more traps or sudden surprises. He was also looking for the Granger girl, who was missing. Had she moved on?
Upon reaching the redheaded boy, Professor Snape promptly began checking vitals and for any severe injuries. Upon seeing a few bruises on the head, Professor Snape started to treat the boy as if he had a spinal or neck injury. He didn't want to do anything that could paralyze the boy in an irreversible fashion.
After his tests came back negative, Professor Snape transfigured a stretcher out of one the broken chess pieces and carefully moved the eleven-year-old on to it. He still hadn't ruled out a potential spinal or neck injury, along with potential brain damage. There was always that risk when being knocked unconscious. Another quick spell, and the stretcher began to float.
Professor Snape stood up from his kneeling position, ignoring the slight creak in his bones. He approached the door but before he could leave the board, he was cut off by two of the remaining chess pieces. The other chess pieces were reforming and moving back to their original positions. They wanted another game.
"Move aside," the professor snapped testily at the chessmen blocking him. "I am a professor of this school that means no harm. All I want is to retrieve my students, who are in harm's way. Now move aside before I blast you to pieces."
He hadn't expected it to work, but he had forgotten that wizarding chessmen understood what their players were saying. The two white pieces jumped aside, opening up a path for the professor to pass through. He nodded currently and, taking long, hurried steps, walked to where the next door was waiting for him. Quirrell's test lay on the other side. Knowing the man, it was probably something nasty. He prayed that he wouldn't find the Granger girl's mangled body on the other side of the door.
As the door opened, a disgusting smell made the Potions professor want to gag. He was used to revolting smells, as he regularly worked with animals' livers and hearts. Lying in front of him, knocked out and bloody, was a very large mountain troll. Professor Snape sneered at the sight. It seemed that trolls were Quirrell's weapon of choice. This was the second time this year that he had used one.
As Professor Snape reached his trap, he reflected on how painfully easy it had been to get past the traps each teacher had set up. He was the third party to pass through and he had managed to get through everything in less than half an hour. It was as if Dumbledore had wanted someone to break through the traps and get to the end. It was very like the man.
And Severus Snape knew exactly whom the Headmaster had wanted to test. He was so grateful that Harry had been Sorted into Slytherin and not Gryffindor. Had the boy been in Gryffindor, he probably would have been right alongside Weasley and Granger. The boy might not have even survived this long.
Severus already knew what lay on the other side of the door in front of him. He had set this trap. He knew how hard it would be to bypass. Unlike the other teachers, he had taken his job seriously. Only an extraordinarily bright individual would be able to escape it.
Unfortunately Hermione Granger could be considered an extraordinarily bright individual.
"Put that bottle down, Ms. Granger!" Professor Snape barked as the girl lifted one of his seven bottles to her lips. He recognized it instantly. It was the bottle that would enable her to go forward. He had gotten there just in time.
"Professor Snape?" Hermione looked at the professor in confusion as she lowered the bottle. She could have sworn he had already gone ahead. Was he not the one after the Sorcerer's Stone?
"What on earth did you think you were doing?" Professor Snape demanded furiously.
"Um…I thought—I mean, Ron and I—we thought—the Sorcerer's Stone—you—"
"In coherent sentences, please, Ms. Granger," Severus Snape seethed.
"RonandIthoughtyouweregoingto stealtheSorcerer'sStoneandwantedtostopyou," Hermione spat out quickly, turning a bright red.
"Well, as you can see, that is clearly not the case," the Potions professor snarled. "Did you ever think of what you might have been walking into? What could have been lying behind that fire?"
"We were sure that it was you," Hermione said in a quiet voice. She fidgeted anxiously under Snape's hard gaze and twitched as he paced closer to her. Professor Snape's glare intensified as he grabbed the bottle filled with the potion that would allow them to go back.
"Drink this," he ordered. "We are going back and you are going to be very fortunate if you are not expelled."
"But what about whoever's on the other side?" Hermione questioned. "What if they get the Stone?"
"Professor Dumbledore has one last test waiting on the other side of the fire. Professor Quirrell, even though he has been lucky thus far, will not be able to get past it. The Stone is safe enough for the time being."
"Pr-Professor Quirrell?" Hermione stuttered, looking shocked. "Professor Quirrell is the one after the Stone?"
"Yes, he is. Now drink!"
Obediently, Hermione took the bottle and lifted it to her lips, taking enough that she would be able to pass through but leaving enough for Professor Snape. The professor took the bottle back and finished it off. He shuddered as liquid ice flooded his veins and pointed Ms. Granger towards the purple flames.
"Go. Now." He ordered. Hermione obeyed and he followed her.
"You know," Hermione said as they approached the floating stretcher that held Ron, two rooms back, "your test was really brilliant. Most wizards and witches don't have an ounce of logic."
"Including eleven-year-old Gryffindors," snarled Professor Snape. Hermione flushed an even deeper red. She was nearly the color of Weasley's hair. "Did anyone else know about this adventure of yours?"
Hermione nodded sadly.
"We tried telling Professor McGonagall but she didn't believe us," she said. "And as we were leaving, Neville tried to stop us. He didn't want us to get into any more trouble."
"You should have listened to him," Professor Snape said coldly. "He may be a complete dunderhead but even I can see that he had a point."
Hermione's blush, which had been fading, returned in full force.
At the sound of footsteps echoing in the next room over, Snape pulled out his wand and pushed the Granger girl behind him so that she was shielded. He was ready for an attack. The footsteps came closer and closer until they were right at the door. The lock turned and the large door creaked open.
It was Professor Dumbledore. Severus had rarely seen the man look so worried.
"Ah, Severus, I see you're already here," said the older man. "I assume you've got the situation under control."
Professor Snape's lips thinned.
"I shall be taking Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley to the hospital wing and contacting their head of house. I will leave you to deal with Quirrell and his master," he replied shortly. Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly.
"You don't mean to say that he is here—in the castle?"
"I suspect he has been in the castle for quite some time, Headmaster. You might want to check what is really under that turban of his. Now, if you don't mind, I will be taking these two up where they will be out of the way and under close eye."
Professor Snape didn't wait for a reply. Instead, he snapped his fingers in the direction of the floating stretcher and gripped Hermione Granger under the arm. He pulled her along as he made his way back through the traps Professor Flitwick and Professor Sprout had laid. He didn't let go or stop moving until they were safely out of the third floor corridor and almost at the hospital wing.
Madam Pomfrey had been sound asleep until a furious banging on her door startled her from her sleep. Disoriented, she made her way to the door and opened it to reveal an intimidating and furious Professor Snape, a shaken Hermione Granger, and an unconscious Ronald Weasley.
"What on earth—" she began.
"We require your assistance immediately," Professor Snape said in a cold voice. "I expect Professor Dumbledore will be up here shortly to explain everything."
He had saved two kids' lives. He had done his saintly duties for the night. He didn't want to have to explain his actions. Right now, he only wanted to go to bed.
Madam Pomfrey nodded, still slightly confused, but she knew from past experiences that it was best not to ask. Everything would be explained in its own time. Instead, she drew on an over-robe and busied herself with running diagnosis tests and retrieving the needed potions. While she did so, she pretended not to notice the tired Professor slipping out of the hospital wing quietly. She trusted the man to be able to take care of himself. He was one of the few that had that privilege.
The next morning by breakfast, the Great Hall was abuzz with the newest rumors—Professor Dumbledore had fought off a mysterious visitor inside Hogwarts! There were speculations as to why two students had been involved and why Professor Quirrell had mysteriously disappeared, but the rumors couldn't even add up to what had really happened.
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger stayed out of Professor Snape's way for the rest of the week, avoiding even the slightest of eye contact with the severe man. They were among the few that knew the actual, full story and could not easily forget that not only had he not been the one after the Sorcerer's Stone, but he had also saved their lives.
The night after everything took place, Harry took a trip down to Professor Snape's office. He had been trying to talk to the professor all day but he had never been able to get the man in private. After spending most of the day beyond frustrated, the dark-haired boy decided to take things into his own hands.
As he approached the head of Slytherin House's office, Harry felt his courage wavering. Could he really do this? Would Professor Snape believe that Harry was overstepping his boundaries? However, before Harry could retreat back to the common room, he had knocked on the door. The boy winced at the loud sound. Now there was no going back.
The door opened slowly and Harry shuffled inside awkwardly.
"What is it, Mr. Potter?" Professor Snape asked as he opened the door for the boy. He hadn't been visited by Harry before.
"I—err—" Harry attempted to say something but found himself failing miserably.
"Yes, Mr. Potter?" Professor Snape prompted.
"I wanted to thank you for what you did last night. I know you aren't particularly fond of the Gryffindor students but I'm glad you protected them."
Severus Snape didn't know what to say. He had never expected that someone would seek him out to thank him, let alone his son who hadn't even been involved in the whole incident. Instead, he merely nodded.
"Is that all, Mr. Potter?" he asked. Harry shook his head. He had a few more questions to ask.
"Who was after the Stone, sir?"
Professor Snape sighed. Of course the boy wanted to know. He was curious about everything, a trait he would have shared with his father.
"Professor Quirrell was acting under orders of Lord Voldemort," he replied carefully. "Lord Voldemort himself was there to ensure that he would end up with the Stone."
"What happened to the Stone, sir? Has it been moved again?"
"The Sorcerer's Stone has been destroyed," Professor Snape replied simply.
Harry was taken aback.
"What?" he asked.
"Last night, after Professor Dumbledore overwhelmed Lord Voldemort, he and Nicolas Flamel had a talk. They decided it was best that the Stone was destroyed."
"So the Flamels will die," Harry said in a sad tone.
"Yes," Professor Snape replied, "but that is life. No one can ever be immortal, Mr. Potter. Death is not something to be messed with."
Harry nodded.
"I understand, sir," he said quietly. "Thank you for answering my questions and thank you for protecting Hermione and Ron."
Once again, Severus Snape could say nothing as Harry Potter slipped away. His son was certainly unique, he decided after a minute. Not many people could manage to leave him speechless once, let alone twice.
Everyone in Slytherin House was excited for the end of the year feast. All the first years had been told by the older students that it was a feast that possibly outdid the start of term feast. Their excitement grew even more as they realized that Slytherin had maintained their lead and would win the House Cup for the seventh year in a row. According to the stories they had been told, the Great Hall would be decked out in Slytherin colors of green and silver and banners would be hanging on the walls, brandishing the Slytherin serpent and crest.
However, the stories couldn't compare to the actual feast. The end of the year celebratory feast definitely outdid all the other feasts Harry had been to at Hogwarts. He could tell that just by looking at it. But, before the students could dig in, Dumbledore had one last speech to give.
"Another year gone!" said Dumbledore cheerfully. "Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were…you have the whole summer ahead to get them nice and empty before next year starts…
"Now, as I understand it, the house cup here needs awarding, and the points stand thus: In fourth place, Gryffindor, with three hundred and twelve points; in third place, Hufflepuff, with three hundred and fifty-two; Ravenclaw has four hundred and twenty-six, and Slytherin, four hundred and seventy-two."
The din at the Slytherin table was deafening. Harry took no notice of the scowls the students from the other houses were sending their way.
"Yes, yes, well done, Slytherin," said Dumbledore after the cheering died down. "However, recent events must be taken into account."
"The room went very still. The Slytherins' smiles faded a little. Harry felt like he was about to be sick. Would Slytherin lose the House Cup? It wouldn't be fair!
"Ahem," said Dumbledore. "I have a few last-minute points to dish out. Let me see…yes…
"First—to Mr. Ronald Weasley…"
Harry glanced over at Ron, who was the deepest shade of red he had ever seen
"…for the best-played game of chess Hogwarts has seen in many years and for the willingness to sacrifice without hesitation, I award Gryffindor house seventy-five points."
The Gryffindor cheers rivaled the previous Slytherin cheers. When there was silence again, Professor Dumbledore continued.
"Second—to Miss Hermione Granger…for extraordinary bravery to face the unknown and for the use of cool logic in the face of fire, I award Gryffindor House seventy-five points."
The Gryffindors gave another roof-raising cheer. They were up one hundred and fifty points. Now they were only ten points behind Slytherin. By this time, Harry wasn't the only Slytherin that looked sick.
"Third—to Mr. Neville Longbottom…" said Dumbledore. The room went deadly quiet. "…as it takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies but even more to your friends. I award ten points to Neville Longbottom."
Gryffindor and Slytherin were tied in first place now. Harry couldn't believe it. This seemed like complete favoritism. He glanced up at Professor Snape, who was wearing a stony expression on his face. The Slytherins glared up at Dumbledore and the Gryffindors looked up at the High Table hopefully. Would there be a deciding point awarded to someone in either house?
"Finally," Professor Dumbledore continued on, "I have some points to award to a student who, once he knew students were in danger, reported it at once, even though they weren't students of his own house. In doing so, he saved at least two lives, if not many more." Dumbledore paused briefly before continuing. "Therefore, I award fifty points to Mr. Harry Potter."
The cheer that came from Slytherin House was so loud and deafening that Harry was sure that the villagers in Hogsmeade could have heard it. Harry sat at the table, looking up at Professor Dumbledore, stunned. He had won the House Cup for Slytherin? Him?
Between all the congratulatory hugs and slaps on the backs, Harry stole a glance at the Gryffindor table. The Gryffindors, who had been so ecstatic moments before, were now looking extremely disappointed, furious, and lost. They had been so close to winning for the first time in seven years and they had lost.
Harry looked up at the High Table where Professor Snape was sitting. The man was shaking Professor McGonagall's hand with a hint of a smile hidden in his sneer. Upon seeing that expression, Harry decided that this was the best night of his life. He had won the House Cup for Slytherin, making Professor Snape proud, and subsequently 'S.' Nothing could compare.
A few mornings after the feast, exam results were posted. All the first years had passed their exams. Harry found himself placed close to the top of the class. Hermione Granger took top marks with Draco coming in second. Harry had never seen the boy look so sour.
After the exam results were posted, the students slowly began to pack. Notes were handed out to the students, warning them not to use magic over the holidays if they were underage. Harry took time in between packing to sneak down to Hagrid's hut one last time.
Hagrid didn't look surprised to see him. Instead, he seemed to have been expecting Harry.
"I meant to get ter yeh before, but I was busy," he explained. "I have a present fer yeh."
"Really?" Harry looked up at Hagrid, slightly excited. He couldn't imagine what Hagrid wanted to get him. The large man handed over a crudely wrapped present.
As Harry unwrapped it, Hagrid began to explain.
"I sent off owls ter all yer parents' old friends, askin' fer photos. I knew yeh didn' have any."
It was a large, leather-covered book. Harry opened it and found it full of wizard photographs of his mother and father, smiling and waving up at him.
"I planned ter give yeh more, but I haven' gotten around ter askin' certain people yet."
Harry smiled up at Hagrid.
"It's perfect," he said. "I love it."
And love it he did. There was only one thing he wished for but he knew he probably wouldn't find it in the pages of the photo album. He was sure that there was no photo of 'S.' in the album.
The train ride back to London was peaceful. Harry spent most of his time with his Slytherin yearmates, chatting and laughing over memories they had of the school year.
"You should spend some time with us over the summer," Daphne Greengrass said to Harry. "I'm sure you would be glad to spend some time away from those Muggles."
Harry grimaced.
"Yeah," he said. "I'd look forward to getting away. Write to me?"
The girl nodded in affirmation.
"Don't let them walk all over you, Potter," Draco sneered. "Remember, you are a wizard."
Harry let out a small smirk.
"Oh, don't worry about that," he said in response. "I'm not going to tell them I'm not supposed to use magic during the summer. They'll be terrified."
Draco and his friends nodded approvingly.
As Harry got off the train and platform nine and three-quarters, he spotted the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon looked furious and purple. Aunt Petunia and Dudley were hidden behind him as much as possible, looking terrified. Harry let out a large grin. He was definitely going to have fun this summer. He was a Slytherin after all.
Sneak Peek (to take place much later on in the story):
"Everyone needs reminding of their place at one point or another. I'm just happy to provide it. Plus it's entertaining."
Review please!
