CHAPTER THREE
"Cannot anyone tell me what happens when you mix ragsweed and ground tripes bones together?" Severus Snape's voice cut glass through the dank dungeons.
As usual, Hermione Granger's hand was waving wildy in the air.
"If I see that arm in the air once more, Miss Granger, I will amputate it!" Snape snarled.
Hermione's face turned a dark shade of crimson and she slowly lowered her hand. The Slytherins burst into sniggers.
Snape paced the front row of students, letting his hard gaze linger on them--until he saw Neville Longbottom shaking in his seat.
"LONGBOTTOM!" he thundered, causing half the class, especially Neville, to jump in their seats. "What happens when ragsweed and ground tripe bones are together mixed?"
Beads of sweat rolled down Neville's forehead. "I...I...I don't kn...know, sir," he stammered.
"What's that, Longbottom?" Snape said loudly. "You sound like Quirell, boy, speak up."
"I--I don't know," Neville forced.
"Don't know," Snape said silkily. "Tisk tisk. 'Tis a pity. If you would have read the material you would have known the answer. Five points from Gryffindor."
Snape ignored the buring stares of the Gryffindor House and walked over to Draco Malfoy, who had cooly raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"
"The correct answer, sir, when ragsweed and ground tripe bones are mixed together they cause a powerful sleep potion," he drawled smugly.
A thin smile formed on Snape's lips. "Very well done, Malfoy. I see someone has read the material." He purposly scanned the Gryffidors, his gaze finally landing on Neville. "Ten points to Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy's outstanding display of intellegence."
Snape turned his back to the class and returned to his desk as Slytherin broke into cheers.
"That's not fair."
Without thinking, Snape spun on his heel. His eyes furiously scanned the class. "Who said that?"
Silence.
"Who said it?" he snarled, pacing the front row.
"I did," a voice challenged from the back row.
Snapes's eyes darkened. "Potter," he said softly.
"It's not fair," Harry Potter bravely said again.
"And why is it not fair?" Snape sneered, trying to hold back his rage.
"Hermione had her hand up. She knew the right answer. And you told her to put her hand down. And you knew Neville didn't have the right answer, but you take points away from Gryffindor. You call on Malfoy and give Slytherin ten points! Hermione knew the answer before Malfoy. You should have gave Gryffindor ten points!" Harry called.
Dead silence filled the room.
Snape stood rooted to the floor, taken aback by Potter's extreme audacity. He was ready to rip that dratted scar off the boy's brow once and for all. He growled and stode furiously to the back of the room, ready to do major destruction, when a voice interupted him:
"Professor Snape?"
"WHAT?" he bellowed, turning around.
"Professor Dumbledore sent me a message that he would like to see you in his office, professor." It was Filch.
Snape sucked in a purpose-filled breath and tried to collect himself. "Yes, of course, Filch."
Snape shot one more look of death to Harry Potter before he swept out of the potions class with his black robes billowing around him, but not without hearing Ron Weasly whisper, "He looks like a great overgrown bat when he does that."
Once there, Snape stood outside the doors to Dumbledore's office for a few moments, trying to collect the extreme rage that was coursing through him at this moment. After a few deep breaths, he knocked twice on one of the large doors. It opened by itself.
Snape stepped inside and saw Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, dressed in striking emreald robes. "Please, do come in Severus."
Snape entered, his shoes clicking on the floor. "Headmaster," he said.
"Please, do have a seat," Dumbledore commanded.
Snape sat in one of the plush chairs in front of the desk.
"Severus, I would like to introduce you to the Diamonds," Dumbledore said, motioning with his hands to the other chairs.
Snape jerked his head to the Diamonds. He hadn't even seen them as he came in. There he noticed Dunner Diamond, his bright blonde hair making a striking contrast with his black robe. Dunner's face was tearstreaked and his electric blue eyes glistened with unshed tears. Past Dunner, was his sister, Dia. Snape took her in. He had a hint of a recollection of her, and by all means she did not look half veela, yet like she did when she was a student at Hogwarts. Her silvery blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytale and huge glasses covered her electric blue eyes. She wore what looked like--Muggle cloths.
"I'm sure you remember Dia Diamond, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.
"Why, yes, of course," Snape lied.
Dia nodded in his direction. Snape did not return the greeting.
"Now, Severus," Dumbledore said seriously, folding his hands on his desk. "I strongly feel that at this time Dia should be with Dunner..."
"Stay at Hogwarts, sir?" Snape asked.
"Precisly. Now, I wish during Dia's stay with us that she will not be doing just nothing. I understand that Miss Diamond was an excellent Potions student?"
Dia's face went red and Snape stumbled for a reply.
A smile crossed Dumbledore's face. "How would you like a Potions assistant, Severus?"
"A what?" Snape and Dia yelled at the same time.
"I think that to keep Miss Diamond busy, she should be an assistant to one of the professors. And since she was a very good Potions pupil, I thought that you might use her," Dumbledore said.
Snape was at a lose of words. How much worse could his day get?
"Be an assistant, Headmaster? I would not want to impose on Professor Snape!" Dia cried.
"Nonsense, Dialeste," Dumbledore replied warmly. "I'm sure the professor could use your help."
Dia exchanged glances with a very surly-looking Snape. She gulped.
"Headmaster Dumbledore..." she pleaded.
Dumbledore held up a hand to quiet her. "What do you say, Severus? Can you use Dia?"
All Snape could do was sigh and heavily say, "Yes."
"Cannot anyone tell me what happens when you mix ragsweed and ground tripes bones together?" Severus Snape's voice cut glass through the dank dungeons.
As usual, Hermione Granger's hand was waving wildy in the air.
"If I see that arm in the air once more, Miss Granger, I will amputate it!" Snape snarled.
Hermione's face turned a dark shade of crimson and she slowly lowered her hand. The Slytherins burst into sniggers.
Snape paced the front row of students, letting his hard gaze linger on them--until he saw Neville Longbottom shaking in his seat.
"LONGBOTTOM!" he thundered, causing half the class, especially Neville, to jump in their seats. "What happens when ragsweed and ground tripe bones are together mixed?"
Beads of sweat rolled down Neville's forehead. "I...I...I don't kn...know, sir," he stammered.
"What's that, Longbottom?" Snape said loudly. "You sound like Quirell, boy, speak up."
"I--I don't know," Neville forced.
"Don't know," Snape said silkily. "Tisk tisk. 'Tis a pity. If you would have read the material you would have known the answer. Five points from Gryffindor."
Snape ignored the buring stares of the Gryffindor House and walked over to Draco Malfoy, who had cooly raised his hand. "Yes, Mr. Malfoy?"
"The correct answer, sir, when ragsweed and ground tripe bones are mixed together they cause a powerful sleep potion," he drawled smugly.
A thin smile formed on Snape's lips. "Very well done, Malfoy. I see someone has read the material." He purposly scanned the Gryffidors, his gaze finally landing on Neville. "Ten points to Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy's outstanding display of intellegence."
Snape turned his back to the class and returned to his desk as Slytherin broke into cheers.
"That's not fair."
Without thinking, Snape spun on his heel. His eyes furiously scanned the class. "Who said that?"
Silence.
"Who said it?" he snarled, pacing the front row.
"I did," a voice challenged from the back row.
Snapes's eyes darkened. "Potter," he said softly.
"It's not fair," Harry Potter bravely said again.
"And why is it not fair?" Snape sneered, trying to hold back his rage.
"Hermione had her hand up. She knew the right answer. And you told her to put her hand down. And you knew Neville didn't have the right answer, but you take points away from Gryffindor. You call on Malfoy and give Slytherin ten points! Hermione knew the answer before Malfoy. You should have gave Gryffindor ten points!" Harry called.
Dead silence filled the room.
Snape stood rooted to the floor, taken aback by Potter's extreme audacity. He was ready to rip that dratted scar off the boy's brow once and for all. He growled and stode furiously to the back of the room, ready to do major destruction, when a voice interupted him:
"Professor Snape?"
"WHAT?" he bellowed, turning around.
"Professor Dumbledore sent me a message that he would like to see you in his office, professor." It was Filch.
Snape sucked in a purpose-filled breath and tried to collect himself. "Yes, of course, Filch."
Snape shot one more look of death to Harry Potter before he swept out of the potions class with his black robes billowing around him, but not without hearing Ron Weasly whisper, "He looks like a great overgrown bat when he does that."
Once there, Snape stood outside the doors to Dumbledore's office for a few moments, trying to collect the extreme rage that was coursing through him at this moment. After a few deep breaths, he knocked twice on one of the large doors. It opened by itself.
Snape stepped inside and saw Dumbledore sitting behind his desk, dressed in striking emreald robes. "Please, do come in Severus."
Snape entered, his shoes clicking on the floor. "Headmaster," he said.
"Please, do have a seat," Dumbledore commanded.
Snape sat in one of the plush chairs in front of the desk.
"Severus, I would like to introduce you to the Diamonds," Dumbledore said, motioning with his hands to the other chairs.
Snape jerked his head to the Diamonds. He hadn't even seen them as he came in. There he noticed Dunner Diamond, his bright blonde hair making a striking contrast with his black robe. Dunner's face was tearstreaked and his electric blue eyes glistened with unshed tears. Past Dunner, was his sister, Dia. Snape took her in. He had a hint of a recollection of her, and by all means she did not look half veela, yet like she did when she was a student at Hogwarts. Her silvery blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytale and huge glasses covered her electric blue eyes. She wore what looked like--Muggle cloths.
"I'm sure you remember Dia Diamond, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.
"Why, yes, of course," Snape lied.
Dia nodded in his direction. Snape did not return the greeting.
"Now, Severus," Dumbledore said seriously, folding his hands on his desk. "I strongly feel that at this time Dia should be with Dunner..."
"Stay at Hogwarts, sir?" Snape asked.
"Precisly. Now, I wish during Dia's stay with us that she will not be doing just nothing. I understand that Miss Diamond was an excellent Potions student?"
Dia's face went red and Snape stumbled for a reply.
A smile crossed Dumbledore's face. "How would you like a Potions assistant, Severus?"
"A what?" Snape and Dia yelled at the same time.
"I think that to keep Miss Diamond busy, she should be an assistant to one of the professors. And since she was a very good Potions pupil, I thought that you might use her," Dumbledore said.
Snape was at a lose of words. How much worse could his day get?
"Be an assistant, Headmaster? I would not want to impose on Professor Snape!" Dia cried.
"Nonsense, Dialeste," Dumbledore replied warmly. "I'm sure the professor could use your help."
Dia exchanged glances with a very surly-looking Snape. She gulped.
"Headmaster Dumbledore..." she pleaded.
Dumbledore held up a hand to quiet her. "What do you say, Severus? Can you use Dia?"
All Snape could do was sigh and heavily say, "Yes."