Part Three

DISCLAIMER:

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

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"Madam Pomfrey!" Harry and Ron's cries rang out over the infirmary producing an adrenalin producing rush. "Madam Pomfrey, come here quick!"

The Mediwtich dropped the vial she was decanting, stared at Dumbledore to whom she had been talking and ran over to the two teenagers in a flurry of robes and starched pinnifore. "What on earth is it boys?"

Ron Weasley, looking slightly green stepped back, clutched Pomfrey's arm and begged. "Please stop it!"

Madam Pomfrey considered the stricken red head with a frown and was about to tell him off for shouting about a situation she could do little about, when the Head Master's quiet sigh stopped her.

"Oh…" Albus murmured exclamation caught her attention. Clearly this was not about the permanence of transformation spells. "Step aside Harry, there's a good chap, allow Poppy to handle this."

Harry Potter obediently moved aside to reveal the sunny diorama of an infirmary tabletop... and the horrific scene being played out upon it.

"Snape's eating Hermione!"  Harry's mouth was slightly agape and his eyes widened in shock behind his glasses. He gulped, looked bilious and carefully repeated the words. "Snape is eating … Hermione?"

Instantly Pomfrey fumbled on a pair of heavy latex gloves and nodded. "You boys go and stand over there by Lavender."  The boys retreated to the small pen in which a pig was stretched out, fast asleep and snoring on a nest of hay.

"One minute Hermione was chirping, the next that thing's -!" Ron pointed a shaky finger of accusation at Snape, "Eating her!"

Poppy gingerly grasped the end of the adder's coiled tail and slid it across the table, hoping not to startle the creature into clamping it's jaws shut and bisecting the protruding body of the little green frog that was Hermione Granger.

Dumbledore stroked his beard and mused. Of all the untimely deaths at Hogwarts, death by ingestion by snake was hardly becoming for a Head Girl. What would he tell the parents?

"Professor Snape! I really must protest!" Poppy gripped the snake's head and scolded it. 

By her tone of voice she was hoping to remind Snape that he a transformed wizard and a man not a reptile (contrary to popular opinion) and such behaviour was both undignified and uncalled for.  "For the last two days all you've done is sulk in your cage. Filch brings you mice and you refuse them. Eating Hermione Granger is not an option!"

Gently yet persistently she tapped his head until Snape grumpily opened his jaw and allowed the small frog to plop down onto the tabletop.

"Is she alright?" Ron asked nervously, as he and Harry approached the table.

"I think so." Dumbledore said as he gazed down upon the flatten amphibian. He smiled as the frog puffed herself upright and appeared to nod her head. "I apologise Hermione for Professor Snape's lack of control. It's been a strain for all of us."

"A strain? You try to get Severus to try any of my potions! His such a baby." Poppy put Snape back into his glass cage and lowered a heavy lid down on top of it. The small snake slid angrily away and coiled up in a corner with its face to the wall. "Eat a mouse, Severus." She told him, but he ignored her.  She added sweetly, "If you eat a mouse you can sun yourself tomorrow."

Poppy looked up at Dumbledore and shrugged. "I give up. There's little I can do. All the texts and experts say is that the curse has to be reversed by the person who cast it."

"Ah yes…" Albus nodded. "We live in hope that the boy will develop a conscience."

Harry and Ron exchanged meaningful looks. "You know who did this?"

"Sadly yes." Dumbledore nodded. "But forcing him to do the right thing may be a worse consequence. Magic is such a tenuous thing it needs to be performed voluntarily or not at all. Anything else is-"

"As bad as you-know-who." Pomfrey finished, removing the gloves and folding her hands before her. "Come now boys, I think Hermione's had enough of a visit today."

"I'll say." Ron murmured. "Her parents may be dentists but I bet they don't that up close and personal with their clients mouths."

Harry screwed up his nose at the thought of Hermione inside Snape's mouth. Ewwww! "I think Hermione would appreciate a good long swim, Madam Pomfrey." He said as he led Ron toward the door.

"I'll see to it Harry." She smiled and watched them go filling up a small bowl of water at the sink and putting it on the table. "There you are Hermione. Listen to Harry and do a couple of laps." She watched Hermione painfully hop over to a small bowl of water and jump into it with a tiny splash. "Good girl."

Returning to Dumbledore, she led him away from her 'patients' and murmured. "Albus we can't keep going on like this. It's hardly fair on any of them. Frogs eat flies, pigs eat slop and adders eat live vermin. The mice Filch provides are dead and if Severus' sees a small animal his predatory instincts will always win out. The longer they stay in their animal form the more like the creatures they become."

"I have spoken to Mr Malfoy." Albus softly confessed, "But he is unwilling to help. I can only hope he will see how devastating this is for his house, but I hold little hope." The Head Master had wandered over to Snape's glass aquarium; he tapped the glass cage and spoke. "Severus?"

Snape uncoiled his tail and angled his head to look up at the man. "Please try to remember that for you chewing and spitting out students is acceptable behaviour, but digesting them is not." Dumbledore told him. "Do you understand?"

Sullenly the small snake nodded its head.

"Good." Albus nodded. "I'd offer you a lolly but I doubt you would appreciate it." He smiled. "Swallow your pride and eat a mouse, Severus. Mrs Norris says they're very good…" he began to move away, but stopped. "Oh and when you're back to normal I expect you to fully apologise to Miss Granger!"

Snape slitted his black eyes, flicked his forked tongue and expletively hissed. "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhsshhhhhhhhhhh."

Albus exhaled in exasperation, "Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin."

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tbc