Thanks to my reviewers - enjoy an amazingly fast updated chapter :)


Severus Snape was currently sitting in very bad spirits, charged as he was with the care of a mass detention. A situation had been called in earlier that morning, the Death Eaters were razeeing a little of inner-city London and as it was, Voldemort hadn't given him enough notice to take the day off. So, instead of being able to vent some of his aggression at the upstart aurors that thought they ran the school just because a ministry department sanctioned them there. He was stuck with not only his own hefty Saturday morning detention load, but that of the Order professors, the aurors and then suddenly every detention that had been given for Saturday was sent to be supervised by him. They only needed one teacher after all, and with so many already, what were a few more students to Severus? Why should everyone suffer when Severus could just as easily do the job for them?

'Why indeed' he thought maliciously, ideas of mass death of the students before him flashing across his mind's eye. Lucius would surely be up for it, he could get a few of their friends together and gleefully watch his Saturday morning detentions disappear before his eyes. If the aurors were too stupid and gung-ho to stay back and guard the school – as was their job, and he was smart enough to leave no survivors… or evidence rather… Then what difference did it make. Dead here or dead there, everyone was dead eventually and he'd rather have his morning free.

However, Dumbledore 'trusted him wholeheartedly with the safety of the students'. Which was a bit rich considering the man didn't really trust him to take a piss without examining his conscious for dark intentions. Once upon a time Severus had put his faith in the man, risking his life, and they had formed a strong friendship. As usual however, when his word was put against that of a Gryffindor he came out with nothing. Out of respect for the friendship they had and because Severus was very good at what he did, Dumbledore kept him alive and out of Azkaban, allowing him to keep his job.

Not killing his students was about all Severus could bring himself to do in return. He liked having his job, so he left all attempts to kill fellow staff members and students to the battlefield but he was no double agent. Not anymore. He served loyally the one man who had never let him down and actually held him above others, morals be damned.

Bored of his self temptation, Severus moved his attention to scanning the room before him, the great hall in fact. He purposely sat in the headmaster's seat, that way it would stir the students up and he could give most of them more detentions… but with their original teachers. Passive aggression worked.

There were at least sixty children sitting about the tables of the room, 30 of which were from the Gryffindor table, 19 of whom had acquired their detention from him in the first place, 28 of which would now be serving another two detentions with their head of house. Sometimes you had to make your own justice in the world.

Spotting Draco and further opportunity to stir the lions den, he motioned the boy towards the head table. Draco did little to withhold his smirk at the professor's games and quickly packed up his books and made his way up to the head table, plonking himself insolently in the Deputy Headmistresses chair at Snape's invitation.

"Granger, Longbottom detention" Snape intoned loudly across the room. '30' he mentally cheered. Draco was resting his chin on his hand smirking at Snape and trying not to laugh out loud.

"Good morning Draco?" Snape questioned calmly.

"Increasingly so" Draco laughed back quietly.

"There was no sense in both of us perishing from lack of stimulation. Regale me with tales of your dramatic young life! Why are you on detention?" Snape asked with drawling, almost enthusiasm.

"McGonagall the bint, I didn't hand in my homework and she didn't like my excuse" Spat Draco.

"Draco don't be obscene, especially not about women old enough to be your grandmother. What was your excuse?" reprimanded Severus casually.

"Eww" Draco remarked pulling his lips back in a horrified sneer "Don't you be obscene! That's disgusting! Gah!" He shook himself, "All I said to her was I couldn't do the task because I didn't have the time… or the slightest inclination to associate myself with such utter bullshit" Draco finished simply, causing Snape to laugh so hard inside both of his eyebrows twitched… thrice!

"I see" he said, a laughing smile hidden behind his thin mouth and gleaming black eyes. "So besides that, how goes life?"

"The usual, Dumbledore and his garbage about moral paths or whatever" replied Draco derisively.

"Oh yes, I'd almost forgotten about that" said Snape, his interest peaked, "How did your little chat with Dumbledore go yesterday?"

"Well" started Draco, frowning in confused humour, "I have nearly absolutely no memory of the specifics of what Dumbledore was saying, because for Merlin-knows-what reason, he had Professor Flitwick there too. So I spent the whole time trying to work out why. At first I thought maybe it was to show 'neutrality' but he never actually said anything, just squeaked every now and again. So then I thought maybe Dumbledore figured I was afraid of him and having a midget present would make me more open or something. Or, alternatively he had some nasty fetishes to play out if I pledged allegiance to the 'light' side" he finished cheekily.

Air escaped Snape's pursed lips in what could almost be described as a chuckle.

"For someone who over thinks these things so much you certainly make conclusions that are far away from logic" he stated. "It is required in any allegation of sexual assault that there be more then one adult present at interviews" Snape concluded simply.

"There was no bloody allegations!" spat Draco defensively, "A nut job, who I have never met in my life started spouting the kind of insane babble nut jobs spout. It doesn't make it true!" he growled finally.

"I wasn't asking Draco" Snape said calmingly, "and I won't. If you don't want to talk about it, I regard you no lesser, but never lie to me, that's pointless" he grinned somewhat playfully.

Draco just pursed his lips and examined the smooth grain of the table intently, tracing the pattern with his index finger.

"What happened with the nutcase anyway" he asked, changing the subject.

"Not a lot" replied Snape indifferently, "He thought he was dead, and we were dead, and Potter was his father, and we could teach a phoenix French, and my personal favourite – that he had killed the Dark Lord single-handedly."

Draco laughed derisively, "What a psychopath!"

"Yes well the bloody gamekeeper tried to argue his ability to take over the school by destroying the lawn" Snape spat incredulously, gripping his brow as if pained by the very thought. "Give me a psychopath over a moron any day" he said resolutely, relaxing back in his chair.

Hissing laughter was Draco's attempt to display sympathy and it was cut off by a huge wailing alarm that reverberated around the school. Students immediately began to panic, yells and screams filled the great hall and there were sounds of scraping benches as they tried to evacuate.

"SILENCE!" Snape yelled dangerously across the room "Resume your seats now and sit soundlessly or I will kill you myself" he said determinedly staring down any who did not immediately obey. With the students controlled down to many panicked mutterings, Snape gave a flick of his wand in the direction of the hall's outside facing wall. Rather like the enchanted ceiling that showed the night sky, the wall changed to reveal the outside world. Swiftly Snape spotted the alarm's trigger, it was the boy. Once the students spotted him the panic became speculation and many returned to their work, albeit a little distractedly.

"I wonder who he thinks he's buggered this time" stated Draco sarcastically.

"I hope it's Granger" whispered Snape "I'd pay galleons to see that interview" he said mockingly. To the students on detention he spoke more loudly, "You may leave this room at 12pm, no sooner. I will know if you do" That said he motioned to Draco to return to his seat and made his way out to intercept the mentally ill teen.

No sooner had the door shut behind him, than he was met with Professor McGonagall.

"Ah, Severus – I was just coming to see you. I take it you're aware of the boy" she said briskly. Snape simply hummed in response.

"Yes, good" she continued, "Well, Dumbledore has advised that we do not interfere with him, so I shall be meeting and guiding him from here" she concluded firmly.

"What you mean to say Minerva" said Snape, smirking, "Is that Dumbledore wishes I do not interfere with him. That is fine, here are your detention slips for next weekend" he concluded simply, motioning with his wand to drop an avalanche of scrolls into the woman's arms. She thanked him tersely, without reply he turned on his heel and glided away to the dungeons.

She was just trying to wrestle her wand around the papers when she looked up to notice that the boy had already slipped noiselessly into the hall and had paused only as she looked up.

Startled uncharacteristically she let out a slight yelp and fumbled the scrolls, dropping her wand and sending them all flying in the process. Suddenly defenceless she stared frozenly at the form of the battered boy, her heart beating rapidly in tense anticipation.


Now then, skipping my usual reviewless rant this update to talk politics...

The International Whaling Commission is currently meeting in Chile to discuss and debate the reinstation of commercial whaling. This is an inhumane industry that needs to be shut down.

Boycott all products of pro-whaling countries (Japan, Norway, Iceland etc) - economics speak!

I support the anti-whaling movement - do YOU?

Of course asking the majority of fanfiction writers to boycott anime would be like asking an emo to smile... There's no evidence, but I suspect it might kill them - so don't risk it! :)

Write little writers and cry little emos, the world will still turn

Well that was something different hehehe

Katty xx