Chapter 54

Days When You Want To Punch Your Professor

Sam sat through his classes, unable to think of anything except Lily. It was one week after she had been hospitalized and Dumbledore had insisted he get back on a normal schedule again.

When he had asked about her, all Dumbledore had said was that she was once again stable.

Once again? Sam had thought. "What do you mean, 'once again'?" he had asked suspiciously.

Dumbledore had looked awkward, like he'd said too much. "There was one small incident, but Miss Evans is fine now."

He had departed quickly after that, leaving Sam no time to ask more questions.

So, there had been something wrong. Something bad. Sam couldn't bring himself to think of the terrible things that could have happened. He would only be torturing himself.

Professor Slughorn was droning on and on about something, but Sam was hardly listening. Eventually, he became aware he was being asked a question. Snapping out of his funk he said, "I'm sorry; could you please repeat the question?"

Slughorn chuckled, exactly the opposite of what Sam felt like doing. "Oh dear boy, so lovesick. Ahh…" he sighed. "I remember when I was young and in love…" He started off on his story, and Sam turned his thoughts once more to Lily, tuning out Slughorn, so he was no more than an annoying buzzing in the background.

"How is dear Lily doing?" Slughorn asked kindly.

Sam stared at him. "I have no idea. They won't exactly let me in to see her at St. Mungo's."

"I'm sure she'll be fine, Samuel."

Sam bristled at the use of his full name, and the implication that Lily would be 'fine'. She would not be 'fine'.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but she will not be 'fine'. She was tortured." He spat the word out like the evil, disgusting thing it was.

"She may be dead. But I don't know. No one does."

The class looked shocked. Slughorn looked completely taken aback. "Well, well, well! Don't you have some spirit!" he chuckled at Sam.

Sam was flabbergasted. How could he be talking about Lily like that, like it didn't matter whether she lived or died? Wasn't she supposed to be his favorite student?

"Excuse me, Professor, but I have to go." He shouldered his bag, and swept out of the room, seething with pain and anger. Everything was one big joke to Slughorn. But not to Sam. This was real. Lily might never come back, and Slughorn was acting like she was on vacation! Sam couldn't take it anymore. He didn't care what Slughorn thought. He didn't care what his classmates thought. He just needed to get out, out, out.

He swung around corners and pounded up stairs, unsure where he was going, just sure that he needed to go somewhere.Anywhere but there, with Slughorn.