Chapter 11
Once again I was outside Gryffindor tower; this time I arrived first only as I used Potter's shortcut. I waited another five minutes before Potter finally arrived at his own portrait hole. I noticed he was paler than he had been at Dumbledore's funeral.
"Harry are you alright?"
"No the lower year Slytherin's seem to be in a state of shock; and I don't blame them sir."
"What? Talk to me Potter."
"Zabini, friend of Malfoy said something about him Malfoy; tearing out his own heart due to a lack of a wand, sir."
I sank to the floor outside the fat lady's portrait; we both looked like we'd be sick to our stomachs. But this was Draco he would know the meaning of suicide; and he'd force one of the first years to do it first – well to his logic they were called `first' years for a reason.
"Potter stay in Gryffindor tower, try to sleep and I am sorry for not getting to finish our talk."
"It's okay sir, go sort out your house I'm certain that the rest of the school will help." We nodded to each other as I leapt from the floor and ran back towards my house, if this was true than the Slytherin's would know the true meaning of Slytherin rage. If not well they'd get the softer version of Slytherin rage. I yelled the password at the painting that protected the common room, so much for my vow all those years ago; but this was an emergency.
"For god's sake you oversized doddle open!"
"Insult me all you like Snape I will not open until you get it right; it is a password you use most often." I imagined Draco's words earlier.
"Lily," it was a voice only the woman I loved should hear but now it was the house password; I'd have to pull rank and change that later. Finally the entrance was revealed, on the floor in lake of blood was a body, but it was not Draco Malfoy; it was Tobias Snape. I saw the left arm, so my seemingly goody-goody brother had been marked; and now he was dead. I was the last Snape; again. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the short blonde hair of Malfoy. "Draco, are you going to strangle me this time or are you only trying to save your own skin?"
"Own skin," he whispered as he shot out of the portrait hole, which had opened to allow Madame Pomfrey to enter in order to collect the body.
"Wasn't that Malfoy?"
"Yes, I'll get him another day but now Poppy we need to deal with Tobias." I pointed to my brother's hollow form.
"I thought he was,"
"At the base of the astronomy tower?" I finished for her, "So did I," I turned to my mutinous senior year Slytherin's looking far more like first years without Malfoy to guide them. "Was this just an elaborate plot to interrupt my sleep or did you have some plan? Goyle, explain." After a long winded explanation that explained nothing I gave up.
"Enough, as of tomorrow morning you lot will know how it feels to be Gryffindor's in my class. Unless you behave accordingly to the situation before you; sleep well." I left my house for once all the students were scared of me as opposed to just the small ones. Madame Pomfrey left also but for a nice change she didn't follow me. Not that I wanted to sleep, I had too much to worry about. I had far too many enemies out there.