A/N: Wow! This took a while… sorry to the few people reading this, school was ending and there were so many exams, projects, etc. But, finally I've nearly reached the end! Only ½ day of school left! Well, enough about me, let's get on about the new chapter! The title… Darkness is Near, well kind of obvious after you've read the chapter. As I said in a previous Author's Note, I might have fanart… and I got some! This one is by the very talented Gileonnen! It's VERY beautiful, but sadly I had to distort it because ff.net wouldn't take anything that was above 30 kb. Boo-hoo. About Snape and McGonagall, they DO NOT have any thing going on between them… McGonagall is just a concerned fellow faculty member. She just cares about his well being… and yes she's out of character, so is everyone else… I don't need to be reminded. A BIG thank you to Tulip, my beta reader! I did a TERRIBLE job of typing this, and she did a wonderful job of fixing my impossible mistakes. THANK YOU! She even did it late at night, just because I asked her! She's an angel! HEY!!! I have a challenge for you all! See if you can find the name of one of my favorite songs, hidden in this chapter somewhere! 50 points to whoever gets it, and a cameo in my next chapter (and if more than one people get it, I'll try to get as many as I can in)! Well… that's about it! ENJOY!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry, Hermione, Ron, or any of the people, places, things, or ideas that are found in the Harry Potter books. Everything belongs to J.K. Rowling (the Great). Even the major plot line does not belong to me; it belongs to Lois Duncan author of the novel Killing Mr. Griffin (which is a great read, by the way). I, in no way claim any rights to any of the trademarked material in this fanfiction. I make no money out of this. The only thing I own is Calista (and her mirror), which is my own character.
Killing Snape
Chapter 4: Darkness is Near
"You heard correctly," Harry said slowly. And then they told her the thing they were going to do.
* * * * * * * * *
Later, back at Hogwarts, Ron was walking Calista back to her common room.
"So do you like our idea?"
"You're just joking. You aren't really going to do that."
"Damned right we are."
"I don't believe it. You're making it up," she said.
"You can be in on it if you want to."
"Me? How?" Calista asked.
"You could pretend to need some help with that potion he assigned last week." Said Ron, "Ask him to take a walk with you and lead him onto the quidditch grounds, then we'll get him."
"Do you think it'll be that simple?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't it be? The best things in life are simple. Simple things work. We all have our parts," he said, "Harry and I are going to stun him and carry him into the forbidden forest. Hermione is going to provide the alibis, so later he can't blame anyone."
"He'll know I was part of it if I ask him to talk with me after class." Calista said. "He won't be stunned then."
"He won't even guess that you had something to do with it." Ron said. "To him it'll just be a coincidence. His student stayed after class for some help and you both go outside, and we're waiting there. You'll have to run before it happens though. You'll be totally out of the scene."
"But I want to know one thing; what is the reason for this? Why are you doing
it?" Calista asked.
"Because he deserves it, that's why. He doesn't treat his students right, so we're going to teach him a lesson. To let him know how we feel when he treats us like we're something lower than shit."
"I don't know, I've never done anything like this."
"Calista, none of us have ever done anything like this. And, come on, it's our last year here," his eyes gleamed as he said this, "why not have some fun, and teach Snape a lesson at the same time?"
"When are you planning to do it?"
"Wednesday. That'll give us some time to think about it. And Monday is when that potion is due, so he'll have our grades to us by Wednesday… that'll leave room for you to ask him questions. How about it Calista?"
"Well—"
"Come on."
"All right."
Calista couldn't believe she had just said that. Couldn't believe that she had just said she'd help in Snape's kidnapping.
"That's my girl!" Ron said.
And he kissed her lightly on the cheek.
Never, Calista thought, will I ever be this happy again.
And she was right.
* * * * * * * * *
In her dream, Calista was running from a rotting corpse. It chased her through a forest. It was close behind, and she could feel its hot, foul breath on her neck. She tripped on bushes and brambles. It grabbed her shoulder and turned her around, and suddenly it sprouted flaming red hair, and its bloody eye sockets suddenly became blue eyes. The mutated Ron pulled
out a blade, his familiar eyes gleaming. He pressed the blade against her neck. She watched it cut. Her blood trickled down the shiny edge.
"Nooo!" She screamed and she sat bolt up right on her four-poster. She was breathing heavily and her face and hands were dripping with perspiration.
"No, no, no." She said over and over. "No, no, no."
* * * * * * *
Snape sat in the professors' lounge, sipping from a goblet of pumpkin juice, and grading his students' potions.
The door creaked open and Minerva McGonagall stepped inside.
"Morning Severus."
"Morning." Snape said in return.
"Grading potions are you?"
"Yes, and having a good time too." Snape said.
"Whose is that one?" McGonagall asked.
"Whose do you think it is?"
"Neville's?" She laughed, "That's quite a concoction he has there."
Snape smiled lightly. He picked up Calista's next.
"Is that Calista's?"
"Yes it is."
"That girl is a darling." McGonagall said, as she sat down in an armchair next to Snape.
"Yes she is." Snape agreed. "She stands out among her classmates. She definitely has talent."
McGonagall paused. She watched Snape hunched over Calista's potion. "Severus?"
"Yes Minerva."
"Do you think that perhaps you're a little too strict, and expect a little too much out of your students?"
Snape put Calista's potion down and turned to McGonagall. He studied her.
"Do you think you could show a little more appreciation for their work?" She
asked.
"Minerva, you're right. I do expect a lot. But these children need to be given a push, a push to get them to them to think and do the best they can. Only when challenged can people discover their inner strengths. I push them to strive for the best. If I start telling them that they are doing very well, they'll get overconfident and stop trying to do better. To me there is always room to grow, mature and get a better understanding of life. Even the wisest of men can become wiser. I only push them to be the man who ventures out to become someone better, and doesn't stop after he has achieved that."
"Severus, I understand, and I agree with you. But everyone needs encouragement. Your students do try very hard, and they are doing well. I'm sure they would appreciate being told that; they need to know how you feel. Without your encouragement, Severus, they will only think they are doing everything wrong, and get discouraged."
Snape sat looking into Minerva's eyes. He took her hand in his and ran her words oven in his mind. He then slowly started nodding. "Yes," he said, "Yes, you're right. I should tell them. Especially Calista."
Snape looked at the clock. "I have a class at 8:30, I should get going." He picked up his bag and the container filled with vials of his students potions and got up. He said goodbye with a nod
"Good bye." Said Minerva.
And Snape left the room.
Minerva leaned over for the pitcher of pumpkin juice, when suddenly a feeling of terror swept over her. She sat gripping the edges of her armchair breathing heavily. Something was wrong. She looked at the door. "Severus…" He musn't go. Something awful is going to happen.
She jumped up, ran to the door, and flung it open.
"Severus!" She screamed, "Please Severus, don't go!" But her cries were drowned by the noise of the students in the hall, and he was gone.
She leaned limply against he doorway. As a child she had learned to trust her gut feeling, and right now it told her that something was very, very wrong.
* * * * * * * *
"All right Calista, today's the big day. We have potions last, and after class, ask Snape to talk to you. Keep him busy, so we have time to get ourselves ready, outside. Then lead him to the far end of the quidditch field, near the Forbidden Forest. Try to get his back to the oak out there, because that's where we'll be hiding. When you have him ready, I'll give you a signal, and that's when you leave. Run. And then we'll get him." Ron stopped, "Calista? Are you ok?"
She took a deep breath. "Yes."
"While Harry and I are taking Snape into the forest you can go back to your room. Hermione will come to get you after she is done with the alibis." He paused. "You all right with all that?"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Can you do it?" Ron asked.
"Yeah, I can do it."
Ron gave her an encouraging smile. "Come on, we should be getting to class." And then sarcastically he added, "we don't want to be late."
* * * * * * * *
All too soon, Potions had ended. Calista took a deep breath, this is it, she thought to herself.
"Professor?" she asked.
"Yes, Calista." Snape put his quill down and looked at her.
Calista glanced at the doorway, where Harry, Ron, and Hermione were gathered. Ron gave her a thumbs-up sign and the three left the dungeon.
"Professor, I wanted to ask you about my potion. Could you explain to me, how
could I have made it better?"
And just as she had expected, Snape started his lecture about the art of making the perfect potion.
"Uhh… sorry to interrupt you, Professor, but it is a little cold in this… dungeon. Could we perhaps go outside? It's a beautiful day." She said, feeling very tense. Don't spoil it, Calista.
"Yes you're right, it is a little cold."
Calista let out a silent sigh of relief.
"Let's go Calista, I can explain outside." Snape gave her one of his rare smiles.
I hope it goes well, and ends as quickly as possible, she thought to herself again.
* * * * * * * *
"Come on guys, we've got to hurry. We don't have a lot of time before Snape gets onto the quidditch grounds." Ron said, while he, Harry, and Hermione were in the halls.
"I hope that girl doesn't mess everything up." Hermione said.
"She won't. She can do it. She even said so." Ron declared.
Hermione raised one eyebrow. "How come you trust her so much?"
Ron stopped and turned around. And then he started laughing. "Hermione… the expression on your face…"
"Just shut up." Hermione said, trying very hard to be angry.
"God help you two!" Harry exclaimed. "We have to get serious, let's go."
"Yeah." Ron agreed. "Hermione, go to the library and make those alibis. Harry and I are going to go get his invisibility cloak, and the blind fold."
"See you in a little bit, Hermione." Harry said.
"Ok, good luck."
Ron smiled, "Thanks, we'll need it."
* * * * * * * *
Hermione walked to the very back of the library. She was looking for the perfect place to put the holograms.
"Oww! Watch where you're going!" She exclaimed.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to." A small first year said, rather embarrassed.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked, annoyed.
"Err… getting a book."
"I suggest getting out of my way, right now." She said nastily.
The first year scurried away.
"Ahha. Right here." She said to herself. She took out her wand and muttered a few words. And slowly a silvery, transparent figure floated out of her wand. The figure stood in front of her, and started developing her features. Then the color came into the "body."
Hermione stood there staring at the carbon copy of herself. She had practiced the spell before, but each time it was rather amazing and shocking to be standing in front of herself… if that made sense.
She pulled out a chair and seated her copy in it. Then she pulled out a book from the shelves and placed it in the copy's hands.
She repeated it two more times for Harry and Ron, so it would look like they were all studying. Madam Pince would look over and she would see them, so there would be no question about them being anywhere, but the library. Hermione put her hands on her hips, and stood back. She then pulled a few more books and scattered them around the table, at which the copies were
sitting at.
"Perfect." She said. And she went out of the library, being careful not to be seen.
A/N: That's it! This cliffhanger wasn't as bad as the last one, right? Next chapter: more magic, a "trip" to the Forbidan Forest, and surprises.