Alligatorem Cognoscere
Chapter Two: The Alligator's Eyes

A tree-trunk laying in the water… The tree-trunk knows you're there, that you're staring at him, and trying to get to know a bit more about the creature in the water. But the tree-trunk does not want you to know more about him, because he who is open, will be hurt. Unfortunately his instinct tells the trunk to open his eyes. You look into his eyes, by which you give him the opportunity to look into your soul. Now you know a bit more about that trunk, but the trunk knows everything about you. Was that a good move?

*~*~*~*

When Cassius walked into his classroom, the 1st years were already there. Before Cassius could even open his mouth, all 20 children put up their hands.

"Yes?" Cassius said, pointing vaguely at a student, so vaguely that other students also felt addressed, and everybody started to shout questions in a roaring muddle.

"SILENCE!" Cassius shouted, and everybody abruptly shut their mouths.

"Good," Cassius sighed, and pointed at the boy sitting in front of him. "You're first." Once again he had made a bad decision, because the boy attacked him with, it seemed, hundreds of questions, all about the same subject. The attack on the school hadn't remained a secret. Cassius would have answered all of the questions, if Dumbledore had forbidden him from doing so.

"I'm sorry, I can't give you any more information." Cassius shrugged his shoulders and quickly started the lesson before anyone could protest. Thankfully the rest of the lesson passed without any trouble.

The first year Ravenclaws weren't the only ones who wanted to know more about the Death Eaters. All his classes, except for the Slytherins, were the same, and asked him questions he couldn't answer.

After class Cassius didn't go to supper. He had an empty feeling in his stomach, but he knew food couldn't fill. Because of the patrolling last night, he again hadn't been able to sleep well. Or maybe it had just been the things that had happened that day.

There was a knock on the door, when he asked whoever it was to come in, it was Sally Winters, a first year Gryffindor.

"Hullo," Cassius said, wondering what the girl was doing here.

"Hello Professor," the girl responded, staring at her feet. "You..- I need to learn some spells to defend myself from dark magic. Please?" She said it like it was no big deal.

"Oh." It was all Cassius could say for a moment. "Well, it's good that you're so studious, but you'll learn those spells soon enough."

"But I'd like to learn them now, before it's too late!" The girl sat down, and desperately stared at the table.

"Oh, come on, aren't you exaggerating things a bit now?" Cassius laughed, another mistake. The girl burst into tears, startling Cassius. "Okay, maybe you wasn't.." he said under his breath.

"I'm a half-blood, and everybody knows You-Know-Who first goes after the half-bloods! Half of my family was killed by death eaters, and I thought I was safe at Hogwarts! Now I know I am not, I need to find another way to protect myself, as nobody wants to tell me how they got in."

Cassius felt tears burning in his eyes. He couldn't take it when people cried. He quickly walked to the girl to put an arm around her, feeling pity for her. "I'm so sorry," he said, and he meant it. "But don't worry, Dumbledore has got everything perfectly under control. You won't need any spells to protect yourself, there are enough people who'll look out for you and the other half-bloods."

It had probably reassured her, because she stopped sobbing. When Cassius looked up, he saw Severus standing in the opening of the door. "Are you two ready?" he asked in a tone. Cassius gave one more look to the child, stood up, and walked with Severus out of the room.

"Well, it seems the beloved Professor isn't as good as he looks." Severus sneered, with a small hint of amusement in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Cassius asked, wiping away the tears from his eyes.

"You wasn't really honest to the girl, were you? Dumbledore has no idea how to prevent another attack."

Cassius wasn't in the mood for going into that. "Where are we going?"

"Dumbledore." Severus answered, the amusement gone.

From Cassius' classroom to Dumbledore's office was a pretty long distance, and Cassius hated the silence.

"So, why does Dumbledore send you to get me?" he asked.

"Because he wants to talk to both of us."

"Oh, of course." With short answers like that you quickly get through your subjects of discussion. Cassius studied Severus. Close up, his look was even sourer. And the way he walked… Like he was full of negative energy. Cassius tried to imitate Severus's staring at nothing.

"What are you doing?" Severus asked annoyed, and Cassius moved back.

"N-nothing! I only thought there was something on your cheek." If he hadn't realised just in time how silly it would be, he would have slapped himself in the face. That was the stupidest excuse ever, and Severus probably thought the same. He stared at Cassius like he was paranoid, and Cassius wished you could apparate on Hogwarts ground. Suddenly he became aware of a strong smell. He sniffed, and realised it was the smell of herbs, coming from Severus. *Good,* he thought, grinning. *The man at least doesn't stink.*

They finally arrived at Dumbledore's office. This time, Albus had a smile on his face again, and he chuckled when a surprised Cassius and an irritated Severus came in.

"Hurry, Albus, I've got more work to do," Severus said while he sat down. Dumbledore suddenly burst out in loud laughter, and the two other men looked puzzled.

"I've just got a call from Mad-Eye Moody—the real one, I hope—" he added, more laughter following. "He told me this fantastic joke-"

"Get to the point," Severus interrupted, and Albus stopped giggling. He folded his arms, and leaned back in his chair.

"You're right, Severus. As you already know, next weekend the students go to Hogsmeade. Normally Professor McGonagall, Sprout, and Flitwick lead the students to it, but under the current circumstances I think it's better that you two join them." He raised his hand to keep Severus from objecting, and continued. "You two are well-known to be good at the Dark Arts, and if it comes to an attack, then I think that you will be more use than any other professor at this school. Everybody ought to stay together, but I know there will be a few who try to escape anyway."

"Can't you get somebody else do it? You know how I feel about sunlight. And if you just consulted with Sybill, you know precisely." The sarcasm was too strong to not be noticed, even by the headmaster. There was pity in his eyes, but Cassius didn't know whom he was pitying; Sybill or Severus.

"Severus, don't raise objections. Now that Voldemort knows how to break into Hogwarts, we should be extra careful. Forewarned is forearmed."

Cassius looked at Severus, who nodded.

"In that case I'll need to transform again," Severus sighed. If looks could kill, Albus would've been worse than dead.

"Transform?" Cassius asked, his eyebrows raising. Both Albus and Severus looked up. It seemed that they had forgotten there was anyone else in the room. The headmaster unfolded his arms, and smiled.

"If Severus wants to fight against the death eaters, he can't do that as himself." he said.

"-Because that would reveal him as a betrayer," Cassius finished the explanation, in an attempt to show he was able to figure things out on his own, with some help.

"A spy, yes." Severus corrected, glaring at Cassius. "I'll transform into somebody else when there are Death Eaters or signals of Death Eaters near."

"Well," Dumbledore stood up and rubbed his hands. "If that's settled, than I have one more favour to ask. Can you buy me these?" He handed over a piece of parchment to Severus, who read it through. He angrily stood up, his chair falling on the ground.

"I am your employee, Albus, not your slave or household help." he dangerously hissed, threw the parchment to Cassius, and then stalked out of the office. Cassius picked up the parchment, and also read it. He couldn't suppress a grin. "Sure we'll get them for you," he chuckled, and Dumbledore nodded thankfully. When he read it again, he laughed louder. "I'm running out of socks, could you get me 2 pair of every colour they have? Just say it's for me, then they'll put it on my bill.", the parchment read.

*~*~*~*

Cassius walked into the laundry room, with his dirty clothes in his hands. He put it on the board with his name on it, and the laundry immediately disappeared. Where the clothes had been, there was now a small house-elf sitting, with a headphone and microphone. "A small delivery, they'll be ready in 2 minutes, sir!" the elf squeaked, and Cassius nodded. He looked around, and saw a huge basket on the plate of Severus Snape. It was closed. Cassius bit his lip. "Don't," a voice in his head said. "You've got nothing to do with him, and certainly not with his laundry."

He bit his lip a bit harder, sighed, and then walked to the basket. Not listening to the screaming of the voice in his head, he opened the basket with a simple spell, and picked out a robe. There was nothing unusual to see, but when he looked some closer, he saw red spots on it. The memory of the smell of blood popped into his head again.

"I don't know why you're searching in my laundry," the sharp voice of Severus Snape could be heard throughout the room, but also through Cassius' bones, and he quickly turned around. "But I can assure you there are merely robes in it."

Cassius reddened, and he quickly threw the robe back in the basket. "I- I wasn't trying to..- You're underwear doesn't interest me at all,-" He winced at the thought. "-Please stop drawing conclusions.. I was only wondering where that smell of blood came from."

Severus stared at him for a moment, then walked to the basket and grabbed it, but Cassius held on to it. "The soap hasn't worked, has it? I know you're a spy, but are you also allowed to kill people?"

"I haven't killed anyone. Now who is jumping to conclusions?"

Cassius was surprised by the man's certainty. It didn't sound like a denial, more like a fact. He let go the basket, but went after Severus when he left the room.

"Okay, you got me there. Can I just ask you some more things?" Without waiting for an answer, Cassius continued. "I haven't been in Hogsmeade before, so could you show me where that clothes shop is?"

"Now?" Severus asked annoyed.

"No, of course not now. When we get there." When Severus didn't respond, Cassius just took that as a yes. "Okay, and why did you explode when the Headmaster asked us to buy the socks? It's not that you have to make a trip around the world to get them."

With an aggressive move Severus turned to Cassius. Cassius had to look up a bit, as Severus was some inches taller.

"When Albus says 'socks in every colour', then he really means in every colour. Have you got any idea how many different colours there are in the wizarding world?" Severus barely whispered, and Cassius lifted his eyebrow.

"Probably many, or you wouldn't have overreacted like this."

Severus gave him one more penetrating look, and then left. Cassius sighed. "He's unbelievable." He walked back to the laundry room, and he froze when he saw what had happened to his laundry. Everything had shrunk.. He walked to the plate, and then gave it a punch. "Stupid elves! What was the temperature you used?!"

*~*~*~*

"I didn't know there were so many students going to Hogsmeade," Cassius sighed, desperately trying to count the dozens of children who kept moving. "Okay, we first go to that candy shop there. Everyone who wants to go, go now!" Cassius' voice could be heard by every student now, thanks to the Sonorous spell. All of the children wanted to buy candy, and of course they didn't fit into the shop. Severus divided the group into smaller ones, and after an hour everybody was provided with candy in all shapes and all tastes. Chocolate frogs jumped around while the group quickly moved to another shop. When the last group came out, Cassius heard Severus deducting 10 points. Cassius quickly walked to them.

"What's wrong?" he asked. A 5th years Gryffindor stood there with bent head, and started to sulk back to the shop. "Wait!" Cassius ordered, feeling Severus was just making a fuss about nothing again. "What's wrong?"

The boy showed a t-shirt, covered with 'School sucks'. "Professor Snape won't allow me to keep it.." the boy sighed. Cassius repeated the sigh.

"10 points to Gryffindor." Cassius said, and wanted to walk away. But he was pulled back on his sleeve.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Severus in a menacing voice.

"I'm rectifying your mistake, that's all." Cassius answered, fists clenching.

"There was no need to rectify anything, because there was no mistake."

"Then was it just in a fit of insanity you took away those points?"

"No, it was because I will not tolerate shirts that are trying to insult a teacher. Students must bear the consequences when they do."

"I didn't know teachers were allowed to take away points because the student's opinions are different from the teacher's." Cassius broke away from Severus, who was pulling his sleeve to the ground.

"They are, if the opinion can be seen as offensive."

"Well, I know you think much of yourself, but you are just a teacher, not a school. The only one who has the right to take this shirt as an insult, is the Headmaster, but I'm sure he would laugh about this."

Suddenly there was the high voice of Minerva McGonagall calling. "Severus, Cassius! What for Merlin's sake are you two doing?!" She pushed through the students, and as Cassius was nearest, she tightly grabbed his arm, then with her free hand she grabbed Severus' arm too. The students quickly jumped away, and Minerva dragged her two colleagues into a narrow lane. There Severus roughly broke away from her, and to Cassius' relief she also let him go.

"Well, could somebody explain what that was about?"

Before anyone could answer, a girl appeared. She had red hair and freckles, so it probably was a Weasley. "Professors!" she squeaked, "Ron, Harry and Hermione are gone!"