Part 12 – The Missing Cup

Dumbledore sighed again and picked up some papers from his desk. "You know we have to notify parents and guardians whenever a student is admitted to the hospital wing, don't you?"

Severus nodded wondering where this was going.

"I sent an owl to your parents and received this letter…" he waved it towards Severus "…by return. I have responded to it but decided to wait until your health was improved before speaking with you."

Severus looked at the letter as it waved in front of his face. He was too far away to make out the words but he immediately recognised his mother's neat script.

"Your mother is very concerned about you." Severus looked up at Dumbledore who nodded in answer to his questioning look. "She wrote to me before the school year started, asking if I could keep a watch over you."

"She did?" Severus was startled out of the muteness that had come over him by this unexpected news.

"She's been worried about you for the last year or two. She felt that you were alone too much, and was concerned at how you would settle into the school environment."

Severus frowned as he realised that his mother had mistakenly believed him to on his own when he'd actually been meeting Lily. Her rules to keep his distance from the muggle children (or risk doing magic in front of them) had kept him alone for much of the youngest years of his life. He'd never told either of his parents that he'd discovered another witch living so close by. Lily had been his secret, his friend and his only real escape from the dismal home life he'd led before he met her.

"I must admit," Dumbledore continued "that I thought her concerns to be unfounded and didn't think I would need to tell you about her letter."

"But now you do?" Severus asked in a small voice. He had a suspicion he knew what was coming.

"But now I do," Dumbledore agreed. "Your mother says she has sent you an owl nearly every day since you arrived here and heard nothing from you."

Severus looked at the floor, his suspicions confirmed. How could he explain that by responding to his mother's letters he would be reminded of his life at home? A life he wanted to push as far to the back of his mind as possible.

"I'm not going to ask what happened to put you in the hospital wing." Dumbledore paused a moment and Severus knew he was waiting for him to offer the information himself. He remained silent.

"Are you happy at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked.

"Yes," Severus responded quickly; the last thing he wanted was to be sent back home.

"You're making friends?"

Severus nodded.

"Friends in your own year?"

Severus looked up again. What did it matter if some of his friends were older than he was? "Some," he answered eventually.

"Madam Pomfrey did say that Lily Evans had been visiting you. A pleasant young witch. Delightful girl." Dumbledore spoke more to himself than to Severus. He nodded as though answering an unspoken question. Severus waited until Dumbledore had worked his way through his thoughts.

"I believe she lives quite near to you, doesn't she?" Dumbledore asked.

Severus nodded silently in response.

"Well Severus," Dumbledore seemed to have finally reached some sort of a decision. "Promise you'll write to your mother. She doesn't deserve to be worrying about you."

Severus nodded again and felt his face flush with guilt.

"Is there anything you want to ask me? Anything you want to talk to me about?" Dumbledore stood up and walked round to where Severus remained seated.

Severus shook his head. "No Sir."

"Very well." Dumbledore sighed and once again Severus had a feeling that he had disappointed him. "Take your things to your common room and then go on down to dinner. Your classmates will no doubt already be there."

Severus nodded and left to rejoin the main school.


Any visions Severus had of being welcomed back by the rest of the Slytherin students were soon shattered by the reception he received in the Great Hall. A few of the students nodded absently in his direction but barely a word was spoken to him. He walked to where Avery and Wilkes sat with the other first years. They begrudgingly moved aside to let him sit down but didn't bother to ask how he was.

Looking across the hall he saw Lily talking with Veronica. Almost as if she felt his gaze on her she looked up and gave a small wave in his direction. He smiled back before helping himself to some dinner.

When he next looked across Lily was engrossed in her conversation again but another face at the Gryffindor table was looking in his direction.

James Potter glared at him from across the room for a moment before whispering something to Sirius. They both laughed loudly before casting nasty looking grins across the room at him. Severus shot a look of pure venom towards them in response before turning back to his dinner. They would pay for leaving him out in the storm if it was the last thing he did.

Once everyone had finished eating some of the students made to leave the Great Hall. They were stopped in their tracks by Dumbledore who had risen to his feet as if to make a speech.

Severus realised from the murmurs of the students that this was an unusual thing to happen in the middle of the term.

"If everyone could remain at the tables for just a few minutes," Dumbledore called out in his commanding voice. The students that had stood up and walked towards the door turned back around and took their seats again. When the room was silent Dumbledore continued.

"As you all know in the Trophy Room here at Hogwarts there are a great many awards and cups for students who work hard to have a chance of winning for their house or themselves." A few of the students nodded although most of the school looked confused. The awards were not handed out until the end of the school year. Why mention them now?

"It is with sadness that I have to inform you that it has been brought to my attention by Mr Filch that last night one of the cups went missing from the Trophy Room. The circumstances would seem to indicate that the Player of the Year Cup for Quidditch has been stolen."

A collective gasp of astonishment was heard throughout the room. Severus looked around at the shocked faces of students. Who would take one of the cups? How would they take it? He had read Hogwarts: A History and knew that the Trophy Room was well protected by spells so that it was impossible for thieves to steal any of the valuable cups. Apparently it was not as impossible as the author of the book had thought.

"I don't know if the cup has been taken for a prank or a game of some sort. If that is the case I expect it to be returned immediately and no further questions will be asked. If the cup is not returned by the end of the day I promise that whoever is responsible for the theft will be expelled."

The school remained silent, even after Dumbledore had indicated they could leave. Walking quietly back to their common rooms only the odd whisper sounded through the halls.

Severus found that he was leaving the Great Hall at the same time as Lily and he felt her press a small piece of paper into his hand. Instinctively palming it so that the other Slytherins would not see he gave Lily a small smile before hurrying after Martin and the others as they headed down to the dungeons.