Chapter 34: Day 21 Ch 30 Spoilers
Day: TwentyOne/Two
Chapter: Thirty
Chapter Title: For What Motive?
Time and Date: Saturday 5 April. 10am.
Once more the teaching staff of Hogwarts found themselves in a stuffy, much too warm classroom of Hogwarts, with armchairs again at the courtesy of Minerva, squirrelled away from none other than Dolores Jane Umbridge.
At least they weren't in Hagrid's hut this time. That was all they could say- as last month, in a similar vein of whether to the current; it had been raining kneazles and werewolves- and Hagrid's hut leaked.
It was a Saturday this meeting, A.M., and marked the first meeting in months they had managed to get away from the toad.
Unfortunately, for Severus, it also marked the day that the Potter brat had managed to rattle the skeletons in his cupboard. After successfully invading the Potions Master's mind the night before, Severus had been privy to a night of Nightmare's, something that had not happened since the night that Lily had died.
Albus turned his attention to the Potions Master, whom was staring into space. The elder man sighed, really? When was he going to come back to Earth- properly come back to Hogwarts?
"Severus?" The Head Master called softly, but no quieter than usual.
Every teacher smiled to see the man wake himself up with a shake of his head. Since his 'illness', most teachers had noticed a change somewhat in his behaviour. It was quite odd- but they weren't complaining.
"I was just talking about Harry." Albus reminded, gently. Can't even chide the man, Minerva would have my head as a Quaffle.
"Harry who?" Minerva frowned as the Potions Master looked somewhat scared.
"Potter." Albus was dead- panned; unamused.
"Oh." The black haired teacher look down, almost guiltily.
Pomona looked to Filius next to her, about to ask but the little wizard in blue shook his head quickly,
"Now Severus, whilst I assure you I understand your reasoning for wishing to discontinue the lessons- I would appreciate it greatly if you continued them. You don't want all our labours to be for nothing now, do you?" Albus lightly said, a smile playing on his lips.
Severus slowly shook his head; goosebumps flying up his arms at the thought of Voldemort winning.
"So what are you going to do?" the Head Master popped a lemon hard boiled candy into his mouth.
Severus shook his head again, but quicker this time, as if he was unable to answer.
"Severus?" Merlin, Give me strength!
Most of the teachers missed it as the Potions Master's hands went from his lap to cradling his face, as he was leaned over and his head hung low.
Minerva however, concerned for her colleagues health- noticed it and fretted for a few moments before rising from her chair by Albus's side and kneeling down in front of Severus. After all, what was the worst he could do? Snipe at her?
Whatever she had expected when she pushed back a curtain of thick, black hair; was not a pale, trembling Severus, tears leaking from expressive dark eyes like the rain outside; and a mind that shattered into a million crystal pieces the moment that Minerva even tapped at the window.
Albus frowned, and was somewhat a-taken back. "Severus? M'boy?" He asked, a frown furrowing his brow.
"It's all just so hopeless." The Potions Master mumbled, through a mouthful of tears(in a excellent expression of Neville Longbottom after one of Snape's Lessons).
"Um... Severus?" Albus leaned forward in his armchair, not quite understanding.
"Don't you see?" Severus looked up from his tear-dampened hands, at the man who controlled his life. His eyes were large with crying, and shone like diamonds. "It's useless. I'm useless!" He stood up, and stared at Albus. "I couldn't save Lily- and now I can't save Harry!" He looked thoroughly broken as he contemplated this. "He won't let me save him..." Tears threatened to bubble over as his breathing hitched and he spent a few moments breathing shakily. "Why won't he let me save him?" He whispered to the old man, who was regarding Severus with a sense of confinement.
"Severus, I-"
"No, Albus!" Severus said loudly, stamping a foot and moving his hands in an expression of retired patience. "No more excuses. I have tried. For five years, I have tried. For eleven years, I have been hated- why? Because I failed to save her. And you know what?"
Severus paused, and for a moment he no longer looked to be in his late twenties, nor did he look his actual age of thirty five, but instead looked to be as old as Albus- a man centuries old contemplating everything that had gone wrong in a life lead down the path of treacherousness.
"I give up." He whispered.
At this declaration many previously uninterested heads snapped up; Minerva gasped, and grabbed Severus's arm; whilst Dumbledore simply regarded him coolly over the top of his golden spectacles.
The elder man waved a hand in the general direction of the door, carefully keeping his face staccato.
Minerva shook her head, an unseen before expression of pure shock (and a nasty one at that) crossing her face, and perhaps even more unusual, it stayed there.
"N-no! Severus!" She whispered, urgently and scared.
Watching the floor, not wanting to meet anymore uncaring eyes, Snape turned around.
Slowly, he raised his eyes to see where her hand wrapped tightly around his arm. "Will you be the one to prolong my suffering?" He whispered, pained.
Minerva let go as if burned. With a heavy heart she watched the man leave, one heavy footfall after the other; leaving by himself, and a lone tear ran down her face.
She looked to Albus- who was indifferent to any- thing that had just happened.
"Right." He clapped his hands. "Next on the agenda!" He sang with a happy smile.
"Aaaaeeeeiiiii!" McGonagall screeched, performing a 'levicorpus' before storming out of the room, desperate to find Severus before any- thing happened.