Chapter Three: Snape
Never saying a word, Snape led Mary through the halls of the school and down the dungeons where his office was. He motioned for her to have a seat and walked to the cabinet. Finally he spoke, "I want to make one thing clear right now. I'm not doing this because I care. I'm doing this because Dumbledore requested I do so. Personally, I think people who exhibit stupidity get what they deserve. Are we clear?"
Not trusting herself to speak without crying, Mary simply nodded.
"Good." He pulled several bottles out of the cabinet. "I'm going to make two potions. One will place you in a hypnotic trance - Dumbledore will administer that when you meet with him. The second is a mild sedative, though I don't see why they think you need it - you're lethargic enough." He began working on the two potions while Mary watched silently. When finished he placed the sedative in the large purple bottle and the other in a small green one. He handed the purple bottle to Mary. "Take this before you go to bed - and only take sip. Too much and you'll be out for days. I'll deliver this other one to Dumbledore's office." He looked at the girl. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go!"
Jumping up, Mary headed out of the office. Snape stopped her just as she was at the door, "And if I were you I'd stay away from that Potter kid. He's trouble. But then again from what I've heard so are you."
Mary turned and left the office, heading straight to her room. She had a feeling she was NOT going to like that man. What did he mean "from what I've heard"? What HAD he heard? What were people saying about her? No one was suppose to know. Not even her cousins. Sure they knew something was wrong, but they didn't know the details. The only people who knew anything was her aunt and uncle, Dumbledore, and Snape. Well her friend Amanda knew too...but that was a long story. She frowned. She didn't want people talking about her. But at the same time she wasn't willing to tell anyone yet.
***
Back at the feast, Harry and the others were beginning to get worried. Being told to follow Snape was NEVER good. And the situation was only made worse when Snape returned twenty minutes later without Mary.
"He killed her!" Ron declared, staring at the faculty table.
Hermione gave Ron a look, "I doubt it. What would he gain by killing her?"
"I dunno, but he did SOMETHING to her. Where is she?"
Hermione looked around while Harry looked at Ron, "Maybe she went back to Gryffindor tower."
"Maybe." Ron didn't sound too convinced.
"Would it make you feel better if we went to go look for her?" Harry asked. He knew Ron - Ron would sit and speculate and worry until they found her.
Ron nodded and the three stood, walking towards the door. As they passed by the twins, Fred turned and looked at them. "Where are you going?"
"Find Mary."
"Hold on. We're coming too." Fred stood, followed by George. Soon the group of five was headed down the hall.
***
The moment they stepped into the portrait hole door, they made a bee line for the stairs and the girl's dorm. Normally boys weren't allowed in the girl's dorm and vice versa, but this was an emergency.
They raced up the steps and Ron knocked on the door, "Mary?" No answer came. "Mary, it's Ron."
"Let me try," Fred nudged his younger brother out of the way. "Mary! It's Fred...George and I have something to show you."
There was still no answer. Fred frowned and tried the door, sure enough it was unlocked. Pushing the door open slowly he poked his head in, "Mary?" He opened the door all the way. The room was completely empty.
George frowned, "Where is she?"
Ron shrugged. Hermione walked over to Mary's bed, which just happened to be by a window. Picking up the bottle she turned it over slowly in her hands. "I wonder what this is."
Harry looked over, "It looks like a potion of someki...so that's why Snape wanted to see her."
"He's trying to poison her!" Ron cried.
"Ron, I highly doubt Professor Snape is trying to poison your cousin." Hermione told him.
"Yeah. Well...than what is that stuff?"
"I guess we'll have to ask Mary when we find her."
"If Snape hasn't killed her and done away with the body."
Hermione put the bottle back down, glancing out the window. "I found her."
"What?" Ron and the twins ran to the window, followed by Harry.
Hermione pointed to where Mary was flying about outside, ignoring the rain pouring down around her. "We should probably go out there and..."
"That's the spirit, Hermione!"
"I'll get the brooms!!" Fred and George raced from the room.
Hermione sighed, "I was going to suggest we make her come inside, but I see now that's not going to happen."
Harry gave her a small smile, "You coming?"
"No thank you. I prefer to stay dry." She headed back to the common room.
Harry and Ron shrugged and went off in the direction the twins had headed.
Never saying a word, Snape led Mary through the halls of the school and down the dungeons where his office was. He motioned for her to have a seat and walked to the cabinet. Finally he spoke, "I want to make one thing clear right now. I'm not doing this because I care. I'm doing this because Dumbledore requested I do so. Personally, I think people who exhibit stupidity get what they deserve. Are we clear?"
Not trusting herself to speak without crying, Mary simply nodded.
"Good." He pulled several bottles out of the cabinet. "I'm going to make two potions. One will place you in a hypnotic trance - Dumbledore will administer that when you meet with him. The second is a mild sedative, though I don't see why they think you need it - you're lethargic enough." He began working on the two potions while Mary watched silently. When finished he placed the sedative in the large purple bottle and the other in a small green one. He handed the purple bottle to Mary. "Take this before you go to bed - and only take sip. Too much and you'll be out for days. I'll deliver this other one to Dumbledore's office." He looked at the girl. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go!"
Jumping up, Mary headed out of the office. Snape stopped her just as she was at the door, "And if I were you I'd stay away from that Potter kid. He's trouble. But then again from what I've heard so are you."
Mary turned and left the office, heading straight to her room. She had a feeling she was NOT going to like that man. What did he mean "from what I've heard"? What HAD he heard? What were people saying about her? No one was suppose to know. Not even her cousins. Sure they knew something was wrong, but they didn't know the details. The only people who knew anything was her aunt and uncle, Dumbledore, and Snape. Well her friend Amanda knew too...but that was a long story. She frowned. She didn't want people talking about her. But at the same time she wasn't willing to tell anyone yet.
***
Back at the feast, Harry and the others were beginning to get worried. Being told to follow Snape was NEVER good. And the situation was only made worse when Snape returned twenty minutes later without Mary.
"He killed her!" Ron declared, staring at the faculty table.
Hermione gave Ron a look, "I doubt it. What would he gain by killing her?"
"I dunno, but he did SOMETHING to her. Where is she?"
Hermione looked around while Harry looked at Ron, "Maybe she went back to Gryffindor tower."
"Maybe." Ron didn't sound too convinced.
"Would it make you feel better if we went to go look for her?" Harry asked. He knew Ron - Ron would sit and speculate and worry until they found her.
Ron nodded and the three stood, walking towards the door. As they passed by the twins, Fred turned and looked at them. "Where are you going?"
"Find Mary."
"Hold on. We're coming too." Fred stood, followed by George. Soon the group of five was headed down the hall.
***
The moment they stepped into the portrait hole door, they made a bee line for the stairs and the girl's dorm. Normally boys weren't allowed in the girl's dorm and vice versa, but this was an emergency.
They raced up the steps and Ron knocked on the door, "Mary?" No answer came. "Mary, it's Ron."
"Let me try," Fred nudged his younger brother out of the way. "Mary! It's Fred...George and I have something to show you."
There was still no answer. Fred frowned and tried the door, sure enough it was unlocked. Pushing the door open slowly he poked his head in, "Mary?" He opened the door all the way. The room was completely empty.
George frowned, "Where is she?"
Ron shrugged. Hermione walked over to Mary's bed, which just happened to be by a window. Picking up the bottle she turned it over slowly in her hands. "I wonder what this is."
Harry looked over, "It looks like a potion of someki...so that's why Snape wanted to see her."
"He's trying to poison her!" Ron cried.
"Ron, I highly doubt Professor Snape is trying to poison your cousin." Hermione told him.
"Yeah. Well...than what is that stuff?"
"I guess we'll have to ask Mary when we find her."
"If Snape hasn't killed her and done away with the body."
Hermione put the bottle back down, glancing out the window. "I found her."
"What?" Ron and the twins ran to the window, followed by Harry.
Hermione pointed to where Mary was flying about outside, ignoring the rain pouring down around her. "We should probably go out there and..."
"That's the spirit, Hermione!"
"I'll get the brooms!!" Fred and George raced from the room.
Hermione sighed, "I was going to suggest we make her come inside, but I see now that's not going to happen."
Harry gave her a small smile, "You coming?"
"No thank you. I prefer to stay dry." She headed back to the common room.
Harry and Ron shrugged and went off in the direction the twins had headed.