Chapter Eleven
Dumbledore had walked in and ushered Snape to follow him. As they left the room, Harry leaped up and ran to the door, undoubtedly, to listen. There at first, was mumbling, but soon their voices grew louder until Harry could hear.
"What? You can't do that!" Snape was yelling in a quiet whisper, and Harry could see his silhouette through the curtains, and he was throwing up his arms in dismay.
"Now, Severus, please stay calm. You do not want to draw the attention of everyone inside, do you? I'm sorry, but I must. It is the only way. He summoned you, you must go back!" Dumbledore's voice was becoming louder also with more worry, but he calmed it immediately.
"Go back? To him?! I've gave it up, long ago. I came back after you had told me to leave at the end of last school year, I am not going to miss a whole year of school just because of his reign." Snape said, and at this Harry realized they were talking about Lord Voldemort.
"Headmaster, sir, who will replace me? I have taught this school every year since I graduated, I do not want to be replaced. I also do not want to work with Lucius Malfoy. He is rude and ignorant, I wish not to see him ever again." Snape requested, talking in with a quick voice. He was looking around, until his eyes laid upon an object down the hall. Soon, a third person entered the discussion.
"Hello, again, Severus, Albus. Great to see you, old chaps!" The person greeted them calmly, his voice in a joyful manner. He was taller than both of them, which is much to say, noting that Snape was actually very tall.
"You couldn't be..Are you? Much too gleeful for a descendent of..." Snape trailed off, his mouth open at the sight of the new man standing next to them.
To Harry's disappointment, Madam Pomfrey soon came in, but she said he may go. He slowly exited out, not letting anyone see him. He slowly walked behind a suit of armor, and nobody had noticed. Or at least, he didn't think anybody did.
"Yes I am, I have come to replace you. Of course, not to be rude! Dumbledore summoned me, just as my brother had summoned you!" He said, this time his voice quivering. Harry gaped at the man, who was looking around the corridor with interest.
The man was leaning against the wall, his completely black hair was sleekly brushed back and looked like a black cat upon his head. His eyes were glaring with a bright fire, for they actually had a tint of red in them. His smile was jovial, yet his face showed a sorrow all together if you looked at it long enough. He was tall and gangly, much like Ron.
At this moment, he was wringing his hands, his smile gone. Apparently, Dumbledore had said something under his breath, which made him go rigid.
"He..He has? But why? Why must he do this?! We must stop him immediately, Albus!" The man said, looking straight at Harry. Harry stopped breathing, their eyes locked, until he looked away. He had seen Harry, but did not want to tell neither Dumbledore nor Snape. They all looked down at the floor in silence, until Snape spoke up.
"Well, if I must, I must. I shall address the students in potions tomorrow. I must go and get ready to leave now, please excuse me.." Snape said in a very grave voice and slowly walked down the corridor and turned.
"Now, I must leave. You may wander around until Snape's room is ready, but until then, do not go near him. He is in a deathly state, and will be extremely angry with you." Dumbledore warned, and then walked past Harry to the other end of the corridor, to his room.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't little Mr. Potter, hearing in on the secret discussion of three very important men at this time. I've heard much about you. Blocking my brother's spell cast upon you, only to reflect it so that it bounds upon himself. Yes, I am the unknown brother of the Dark Lord. But I am not dark." At this, he smiled at walked over towards Harry, which, in turn, made Harry stand up and stride away from him.
"Why the hesitation? I will not harm you, I am not evil." He said, this time his voice with a cold dreary air. Harry still didn't believe him, but he thought "Well, Dumbledore summoned him, so he can't be that bad, right?" At this, Harry walked up, and shook his hand for a mere 2 seconds, and walked back again.
"I ought to be off now." The mysterious man said, and he turned on his heel and walked off, leaving Harry staring at him with extreme curiosity.
Harry returned to reality and decided to tell Ron and Hermione. He bolted down corridor after corridor, until he reached the Gryffindor Common Room. He muttered the password, and entered, seeing Ron, Dean, and Seamus whispering in a corner. Harry thought for a second that it was quite odd to see Ron in a group without Hermione, until he looked to the other corner.
Hermione, Lavender, and Parvati were all in one of their little groups, whispering. Hermione was crying, and Harry noticed that Ron looked upset. He walked up to Ron and looked at him.
"Hey, what happened? You okay?" He asked, looking to Hermione, who was still sobbing in the other corner.
"Crookshanks...Pig....." He muttered and pointed to an orange and light brown heap on the floor. Harry was about to retch, until he saw Hermione looking up at him.
"Hermione, what happened?!" Harry managed to say and decided he would not break down and retch on the scene, thinking, It would only make Hermione feel worse.
"Crookshanks jumped up and caught Pig, who was flying in the air after delivering a note to Ron. Pig struggled, but Crookshanks ate..most of him." Dean explained, knowing Ron nor Hermione would not want to talk about it.
"Yeah, and then Ron yelled and put a weird curse on Crookshanks and now Ron and Hermione are mad at each other." Lavender finished for Dean, who smiled at her.
"Well, just revive them." A voice in the shadows muttered, and Alex walked out from behind the fluffy chair.
"What?" Hermione asked, drawing her attention to the 15-year-old who looked even more stunning with his eyes furrowed.
"Revive them, Hermione! Surely, the top witch knows how to do at least one resuscitation spell?" Alex questioned, looking straight at her, which, in turn, made her feel much better about the situation.
"Well, no. I haven't come across one, yet. Oh, Alex, please say you know one! I'd be so heartbroken to never see Crookshanks r-running around, or Pig flying!" Hermione said, her voice stuttering just a bit, for it was quite cold out, even if it was August.
"Yes, I do! Quite a coincidence, I do say.." He muttered and pulled out his wand. Harry noticed it was extremely shiny, and made of Ebony. It was one wand that did not fit Harry at Mr. Ollivander's shop 5 years ago.
Alex muttered something under his breath at which nobody could hear. Suddenly, as if a miracle, although magic is a miracle, Crookshanks rose and the heap was no more. Pig darted up and flew around Ron's head, shrieking madly.
"Thank you Alex!" Ron and Hermione both screamed and Hermione ran and hugged him. Of course, Ron didn't, for he wasn't like that.
"I've got something to tell you guys!" Harry muttered to Alex, Ron, and Hermione, drawing them all into a small corner, apt with attention.
"Snape is being replaced this year" Harry began, at which Ron yelled with joy, until Harry finished. "And a new teacher is here! It's Voldemort's brother..! Snape was summoned to Voldemort himself, and Voldemort's brother came here! Scary!" Harry finished, with Ron and Alex shuddering every time Harry said his name.
"No way! That's strange! VOLDEMORT HAS A BROTHER?" Hermione said, raising her voice just a bit.
"Yes, now sshh! Snape's addressing us at potions!" Harry said, and after a long and boring talk about what to do with Snape gone, each person went up to bed and fell asleep, actually wanting to go to potions the next day.
( A/N: REVIEW PLEASE! Fine. I have only 10 reviews and 8 of them are because I told my friends to review. xD..Funny. Yeah. Baibai. )
