038. She always said that
Word Count: 1,421
James watched Slughorn for any further signs of violence, but the man seemed to be momentarily content with muttering whatever it was he was muttering in Severus' direction, though the air in the classroom had become noticeably heavier.
Lucius kept his eyes on Severus. The less sociable Slytherin had his wand almost fully exposed, and he had braced himself to receive a strike while also shifting so that the werewolf was shielded behind him.
"You have nothing to gain by attacking me again," Slughorn proclaimed, finally breaking the tense near-silence in the room as he stood suddenly, knocking his chair onto the ground as he did so.
That statement was enough to have Severus on his feet. "You stole my proposal, you slimy old bastard!"
"Proposal?" James asked, only to have Lucius clap a hand over his mouth.
"Would you keep your mouth shut?" he hissed. "The less attention we get right now, the better."
"I want my research back!" Severus snarled, sounding oddly similar to Remus when the full moon was approaching. "And if I have to bleed you dry to get it, I won't hesitate."
Slughorn scoffed, taking a threatening step toward his student. "You wouldn't be able to make the first incision," he snapped. "Be it with your wand or a knife. And once I get you out of my way permanently, I'm going to take that beast behind you and subject it to every test I can think of."
Severus paused a moment as Slughorn took another step toward him, looking very much like he was hesitant in acting out his threat.
Remus took that brief moment to duck under the table behind him and crawl to the back of the classroom, hiding easily in the shadows.
"You've got nothing to say when faced with an actual threat from a qualified, certified Potions Master, have you?" Slughorn said, finally reaching Severus and taking hold of the hand that was not holding the young man's wand.
Still, Severus remained silent, though the heavy atmosphere seemed only to intensify as he smirked up at the Potions professor. "You will return my work to me or you will die for threatening a student," he said icily, sounding more like Lucius than himself.
Slughorn paused a moment, not sure how to interpret the statement, and that was his downfall. As his brow furrowed in confusion, Severus yanked his wrist back to his body, pulling the overweight Potions professor up against him. The second their bodies made contact, Severus stabbed the man in the side with his wand, a cruel glint in his eyes as he repeated the movement two more times.
"He's going to kill him," James murmured.
Lucius was watching the flow of blood silently, apparently entranced with the sight of it.
"Lucius?" James asked. No response. "Remus?" he asked, just as quietly.
The young werewolf crawled out of the corner and looked over at James, nodding to show that he had indeed heard him. He looked up at the scene in front of him and cautiously stood up, approaching the two Slytherins.
When he made it close enough to lay a hand on Severus' shoulder, the younger Slytherin had stabbed his head of house a total of seven times with his wand, and the man was unable to stand on his own. Slughorn was leaning heavily on the table in front of him, still blubbering out threats against both Severus and Remus despite the fact that he was bleeding heavily.
The contact from Remus startled Severus, and he whirled around to face Remus, for a moment pressing his wand into Remus' throat. He jerked it back when he recognized the Gryffindor, and an odd expression came over his face before he adopted an emotionless mask.
"That is enough," Remus said calmly, looking over at Lucius, who was still watching the blood seeping from Slughorn's side. "Lucius, lift the spells," he said.
James elbowed Lucius lightly, and repeated the instruction once he was sure that he had Lucius' attention.
As soon as the spells were removed, both Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall burst into the room and surveyed the scene before them. It was McGonagall who finally spoke. "I want all of you in the Hospital Wing immediately," she said shrilly, and the four students nodded, quickly moving to do as told.
James walked next to Lucius, who had refused to let go of his hand, and he did not miss the hardening in the Headmaster's eyes when the two of them brushed past him to leave the classroom.
Once everyone had gathered in the Hospital Wing and Madame Pomfrey had healed Professor Slughorn's wound - tsking when she realized that his assault had caused not only four broken ribs, but a punctured lung - Dumbledore ushered them all into Madame Pomfrey's office.
"Severus, my boy, assaulting a teacher is not only punishable by expulsion, but time served in Azkaban," the Headmaster said, glaring momentarily at James and Lucius before turning his focus onto Severus.
"It was warranted, Headmaster," Remus interjected softly, looking shyly at Severus, who refused to return his gaze. "Not only did Professor Slughorn steal private research, he also threatened to kill him."
"He also threatened to force Remy to undergo tests, like he was some sort of lab animal," James snapped, glaring at Slughorn, who was more than willing to return the hateful look.
"Is this true, Horace?" Dumbledore asked.
"Are you aware that the boy was conducting his research using potions materials that he stole from my storeroom?" the man asked.
Severus glared at the man, though he reached for his wand again, and only Remus' hand on his wand arm seemed to calm him.
"If that is true, it is a serious accusation, but that is not what I asked you. Horace, did you intentionally threaten two of my students with serious bodily harm?" Dumbledore asked.
Slughorn bared his teeth in a loose interpretation of a grin. "They had it coming to them! One is a pompous little orphan who likes to think he is better than his teacher and the other is just an animal masquerading as one of us," he snarled, glaring at Remus.
Both James and Severus reacted to that, and though they were both restrained within seconds, Horace Slughorn found himself struck with simultaneous Diffindo curses.
"Boys, that is enough," Dumbledore said, putting both James and Severus under full body binds. "That will result in a two hundred point deduction from both Gryffindor and Slytherin. James, you will be serving detention with me for the next two nights," he said.
James just bared his teeth at the Headmaster, unable to speak.
"Severus," the Headmaster started. "I will need to review your memory of what happened in the Potions classroom, but for assaulting a professor, I must place you on an academic probation and suspend you for two weeks, starting this evening," he said, releasing the two from their bindings.
"I want my proposal back," Severus snapped, glaring at the once-again bloodied Slughorn. "Before I accept my suspension."
Dumbledore nodded. "You will have it. Now, Lucius, would you be so kind as to escort your fellow Slytherin back to your dorm room?" he asked.
Lucius nodded and did so.
As Remus walked over to James' side, they both took note of Dumbledore speaking quietly with Slughorn as he healed the man's wounds. "I should have listened to Poppy when she first came to me about this behavior between you and Severus. She always said that you were too vindictive for your own good, and I suppose she was proven right this evening. You will likely be fired, Horace," he said.
The Potions professor seemed to have run out of things to say, because he stayed silent as Dumbledore tucked his wand back into his belt and walked James and Remus out of the Healer's office.