Disclaimer: See Chapter 15
This is an interesting chapter.
Neville Longbottom was the first to come right out and say it, a few nights later at dinner: "Does anyone else think Professor Snape is acting a bit.peculiar lately?"
"Seems the same as always to me," Fred Weasley answered. "Same old cranky dried-up twig," George Weasley picked up the thought.
"Wouldn't have him any other way."
"How many points has he hit us for this time?"
"None! That's just it," Neville exclaimed, accidentally knocking over his water goblet. Hermione hastily picked her textbook up off the table.
"I had to make up a Potions I missed today," Neville went on. "We were studying Levitation, and I guess I got it backwards. Dipped a feather in my stuff; felt like it weighed fifty pounds. I couldn't hang onto it; it broke a couple of phials. Anyway, that's the sort of thing Snape loves to take points for, right? So you know what he says to me? 'Don't worry about it. You're not expected to know it all; that's why you're here.'"
There was a stunned silence at the table. "Doesn't sound like Snape," Fred agreed.
"Not at all," George followed. "Wonder what's wrong with him?" Harry asked. Hermione slammed her book shut. "Oh, it is so obvious! Obvious to all but you BOYS!" She stressed that last word a little too hard for most of their liking. "Come on, Hermione," Harry tried. "We're not as thick as you paint us!"
"Tell me that the next time you fly a car to school."
Fortunately, Neville leaped it. "Well, I wasn't part of that. Are you going to be mean to me as well?"
In truth, she wasn't. In fact, she was looking for a way to break the news. She would have mentioned it anyway in another minute. This way, she took a dramatic look around to make sure that nobody else was listening, then lowered her head to the table. "Professor Snape is."
***
Cliffhanger, yes, I know, but I'm going to put up the next chapter in like five minutes so R/R!
This is an interesting chapter.
Neville Longbottom was the first to come right out and say it, a few nights later at dinner: "Does anyone else think Professor Snape is acting a bit.peculiar lately?"
"Seems the same as always to me," Fred Weasley answered. "Same old cranky dried-up twig," George Weasley picked up the thought.
"Wouldn't have him any other way."
"How many points has he hit us for this time?"
"None! That's just it," Neville exclaimed, accidentally knocking over his water goblet. Hermione hastily picked her textbook up off the table.
"I had to make up a Potions I missed today," Neville went on. "We were studying Levitation, and I guess I got it backwards. Dipped a feather in my stuff; felt like it weighed fifty pounds. I couldn't hang onto it; it broke a couple of phials. Anyway, that's the sort of thing Snape loves to take points for, right? So you know what he says to me? 'Don't worry about it. You're not expected to know it all; that's why you're here.'"
There was a stunned silence at the table. "Doesn't sound like Snape," Fred agreed.
"Not at all," George followed. "Wonder what's wrong with him?" Harry asked. Hermione slammed her book shut. "Oh, it is so obvious! Obvious to all but you BOYS!" She stressed that last word a little too hard for most of their liking. "Come on, Hermione," Harry tried. "We're not as thick as you paint us!"
"Tell me that the next time you fly a car to school."
Fortunately, Neville leaped it. "Well, I wasn't part of that. Are you going to be mean to me as well?"
In truth, she wasn't. In fact, she was looking for a way to break the news. She would have mentioned it anyway in another minute. This way, she took a dramatic look around to make sure that nobody else was listening, then lowered her head to the table. "Professor Snape is."
***
Cliffhanger, yes, I know, but I'm going to put up the next chapter in like five minutes so R/R!