The House Competition

Slytherin

Muggle Studies

Standard

First Line, "It all started on a Friday in March"

Word Count: 2219

It all started on a Friday in March. It had been a chilly, damp morning, and my woolen robes wore heavy against my skin. I stood gazing out at the morning mist through a large, gothic window in the first floor corridor. The steam from the mug of tea I carried with me danced through the air, and was lost in the low, light dew. It wasn't often that I experienced moments of peace as still as these, and I wouldn't have long to enjoy it, I knew. Soon the students would wake, rush through their morning routine and fill the halls with noisy chatter and clatter. And then of course, I was expected to teach. And so I tried to absorb as much serenity as I could, but it was shattered abruptly by an ear-splitting screech.

I nearly dropped my mug, but managed to catch it with a hooked finger, spilling tea down the front of my robes. I gritted my teeth, dreading having to appear before faculty with a stain down my front. Still, I rushed toward the source of the scream, and stood over Minerva, who was bent over a student. Stepping around her, I could see that it was the Boot boy. I wondered what he'd been doing in the hall before the situation fully sank in. His color was off, and it wasn't until I leaned in beside McGonagall that I realized he'd been turned to stone!

"How could this have happened?" She panted, trying to smooth her face back into her usual composure. "I thought the You-Know-What had been dealt with."

"It has. Potter slew it with a sword." He muttered, already running through alternative theories in my mind. There were only three possibilities it could have been, to my knowledge; another basilisk, which was tremendously unlikely, a gorgon, which was even more unlikely, or a cockatrice. None of these creatures, save for the Basilisk of Salazar Slytherin, had been seen in well over 500 years, again, to my knowledge. Perhaps this was some sort of new petrificus charm that had gone horribly awry. Though I hadn't seen a student create a new spell in my tenure at Hogwarts, I knew it was possible. I'd done it myself. Perhaps a gifted, troubled youth had modified the charm, and it got away from him. Or, done exactly what was expected, and we were dealing with someone who had nothing left to lose. That could make them dangerous.

"Who was on duty in the halls last night?" I demanded, rising to my feet.

"M- Me. And I saw nothing. And I suppose Filch was lurking about. You might ask if he's seen anything either."

"I will do so, but first, we'll have to get Mr. Boot to Madame Pomfrey. She and I will have to work something out. I have a sneaking suspicion that the usual anti-petrification measures will not be quite as effective in this case." I lifted my wand from the inner pocket where I kept it, and waved it over Boot's body. "Leviosa."

The body rose off the ground and continued to float upward until McGonnagall reached for his shoulder and guided him clumsily back down. We navigated the stiffened student through the halls quickly to avoid being seen by anyone else. Both she and I knew it wouldn't be to have this get out before we knew what was going on. If we could avoid a mass panic, it would certainly make my job a lot easier, as well as lessen my mounting headache.

"Another one?" Pomfrey gasped, gesturing to a cot in the back behind a curtain. "I thought we'd done with that."

McGonnagall shook her head. "I thought so too, and yet, here we are."

"But the last ones were just stiffened. This one's actually a stone!"

I nodded. "I have cause to believe the usual measures won't be quite so effective. Do what you can while I do research. If I can discover what petrified the boy, then perhaps I can work out an antidote."

Both women exchanged a look, and returned their gazes to me. I did not wait for a reply. I turned on my heel, and went in pursuit of the facts.

My first stop was perhaps not the most unbiased one. I found the Gryffindor prefect, and asked to speak to Mr. Potter. I stood outside the portrait hole, all-the-while under the glare of the one they call the Fat Lady. She didn't seem to appreciate me loitering there, but I had business within. A few minutes later, Potter emerged with rumpled robes and clearly uncombed hair, though neither of those features were out of the ordinary.

"Yes?" He demanded, leaning against the door frame.

I already wanted to see him turned to stone, and it wasn't even noon yet. Adopting a civil tongue, I began my inquiry. "Potter, one of your classmates was found in a rather unusual state this morning. You wouldn't happen to have been out and about last night, would you have?" He narrowed those striking, green eyes at me. I must confess, I was struck with deja vu strong enough to throw me off guard. I tried to get my bearings again, and set my jaw.

"No sir. I went straight from dinner to the common room, and then to bed. That's all."

It was my turn to narrow my eyes. "Really? That doesn't sound like your usual brand of mischief-making. Are you sure you didn't visit the Groundskeeper's hut? Or make an excursion to the Forbidden Forest?"

"I try to stay out of the Forbidden Forest if I can help it, sir." He pronounced the last word, clearly mocking my authority.

I could hear the crack as my jaw tightened. "I see. Well, I do have others to speak with this morning. But I will be checking in with you again soon, Mr. Potter. Very soon."

"May I go to breakfast now?"

"Go."

That had yielded nothing, and had only served to wear on my nerves. I determined the next person on my list ought to be Hargid himself. In truth, if I had started with him, I might have had the answer to this riddle in hand before breakfast. But I'm afraid I find Harry Potter synonyms with "trouble."

I found Hagrid on his way out, locking up. He turned, and having not noticed my approach, he jumped. I couldn't help but smile. There was something about startling a man almost twice my height that was...oddly satisfying. "Hello, Hagrid."

"Uh...Mornin' Professor Snape." In his countryside dialect, the "p" in my name was almost lost to a little gulp in his throat. "What brings you around here at this hour?"

"I wonder if you might be able to assist me in locating something," I began.

He almost visibly held his breath. "W-what would that be? I'm always ready to help when I'm needed."

"Oh yes," I goaded. "Anyone or anything in need always has a friend in Rubeus Hagrid." I paused, letting him shift uncomfortably under my gaze before continuing. "In fact, the thing I'm looking for may very well be in your field of expertise."

"Oh, heh, fancy that." He cleared his throat and leaned against his hut door. I noticed then that I hadn't heard a single sound from within. Usually that mongrel of his lets loose whenever I draw near. But today, not a whimper or sniff.

"Professor McGonnagall was unfortunate enough to come across a completely petrified Terry Boot this morning."

His eyes grew wide for an instant before he made an attempt to regain his composure. "Oh, that's awful. Poor lad. Well, luckily our Madame Pomfrey knows her way around anti-petrifyin' charms these days. I believe she'll have him sorted out before lunchtime."

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. This time, the victim was not merely petrified, but turned to literal stone. The sequence of magic required to reverse such a fate is complex, and very dangerous." Under all the hair, he blanched. He was no longer able to keep up the facade of calm, and I took a step forward before continuing. "Now, to my mind, there are only three creatures capable of a petrifying gaze, and only two of them reduce the victim to stone. Would you happen to know what those creatures might be?"

"Nope. I have no idea. Not even the foggiest. Oh!" He blurted everything at once before turning to unlock his hut. "If you'll excuse me, I think I left the kettle on." He swung the door open to admit his massive frame, and in that instance, I caught a glimpse of a dog's hind-quarters. It was poised, as if to attack. But it did not move, nor did it make a sound.

I put my foot under the door to prevent him from closing it completely. In hindsight, this was the worst plan I have ever had. Aside from anything having to do with You-Know-Who. His giant's strength smashed my foot in the door, trapping part of it beneath it. I was unable to suppress a cry of pain, and Hagrid threw the door open again, scraping my foot inside my boot.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I mean, I wasn't expectin' ye ta…"

I glared at him until a blur of feathers and scales came careening through the door frame, squeezing itself between Hagrids shoulders. It let out an unearthly screech and flashed me its wings. A cockatrice landed on the ground in front of me, raking its talons in the dirt, and preparing to charge. I threw an arm over my eyes and raised my wand in its direction.

"No! Don't hurt him!" Hybrid cried. "He's got his blinders on! He can't hurt anybody this way!"

Slowly, I lowered one arm and looked down the other to focus on the beast. It charged at me, but I was able to step out of the way before it could crash into me. It seemed to sense I had moved, and turned to try again. I raised my wand, but Hagrid jumped in front of me, arms spread wide.

"I'll gather him back up and get him on his leash. I was just lettin' him have breakfast without it."

"Where do you even find these beasts?" I raged, still brandishing my wand. "The last cockatrice was seen over 500 years ago!"

"I know a fella who deals in the exoticcs. He found an egg, but didn't know what was in it. So he says I can have it for half, and this is what come out of it. Please don't make me give him up! I just started trainin' him up."

"Training him up?" I demanded, pointing my wand at him now out of instinct. "That appears to be going as expected. Your dog has never been more obedient."

This only seemed to make him angry. And I firmly believe if he hadn't been wrestling the cockatrice back into the hut, he would have stricken me. Despite that, I continued. "And were you aware that he petrified a student? Is that part of his training?"

Hagrid's head drooped and his eyes filled with shame. "I didn't know he'd gotten out until I found him crowin' at the sun. I don't know how he got out of his pen. I built it myself!" When I responded with a roll of my eyes, he sighed. "I was just gonna pop by Madam Pomfreys for an anti-petrification charm to help fix up Fang. I had no idea he'd gotten a student. I...I'll double-lock him in at night."

It was my turn to sigh. "Have you ever wondered why there are so few cockatrice left? It's because they were nearly destroyed for being a major threat to wizard and muggle kind alike. Don't you think we've seen enough of those these last four years?"

If it were possible, he drooped even lower. "I understand. I'll take care of it today. Just...let me do it. He's my responsibility, and I already let him get away with too much." Fat, greasey tears welled up in his eyes and slid into his beard.

I shifted my gaze, unable to stomach a crying giant. "Fine. As long as you do so by this afternoon, I see no reason to involve the Ministry. Just be quick about it."

He nodded and shut himself away, leaving me to limp across the green back to the castle's main entrance. I wasn't so sure about leaving him to his own devices with a dangerous creature he so obviously cared for, but I supposed that, if he killed it and managed to turn himself to stone in the process, then that would be two annoyances with one stoning. I knew that we were all supposed to be on the same side, but my respect for Albus Dumbledore did not fully extend to the company he kept.

Breakfast was just concluding as I entered, and I was swept up in the crowd of students. No rest, no peace, and a devastated foot for all my trouble. I wish I had time for another cup of tea.