Alligatorem Cognoscere
Chapter Four: The Alligator's Species

The alligator domineeringly swims around. His senses sharpen when he feels a movement in the water, and he turned to look at a boat that is approaching him. The alligator quietly stays where he is, and doesn't move a single muscle. In the boat are figures moving, figures that are quite big. When it comes too close, the alligator attacks the boat, then he quickly retreats in his hole. If he had been able to, he would have sighed and thought: "I am endangered, so stop bothering me."

*~*~*~*

Cassius stood up from his bed, thanked Poppy, and walked out of the Hospital Wing. He was completely healed, but felt the feeling you have when you get out of hospital; because you think you're still a bit weak, it feels like you are. He walked down the corridors, leading to the dungeons, and stepped into the classroom. Severus Snape looked up from his desk, and Cassius could see the irritation in his eyes.

"Er- Hello.." Cassius greeted, but he was interrupted by the Potions Master.

"Dismissed!" he snapped, and Cassius was relieved to see it wasn't meant for him; There were students sitting at the desks in the classroom, convulsively copying texts from their books on large pieces of parchments. They startled at the sound of Professor Snape's voice, and quickly collected their stuff, to rush out of the classroom.

"What is it this time?" Severus sneered, and Cassius did his best not to step back at the menacing look he was given.

"I actually wanted to thank you.. And to say I'm sorry."

Severus looked up, his face unreadable. "Sorry what for?"

"Well.. For misjudging you. What you did was very courageous. You would've fit in Gryffindor as well, you know."

Severus glared at him. "Are you trying to insult me, Ingaster?" he hissed between his teeth. "If so, I would warn you not to try it a second time. Now get out of my classroom."

Before Cassius could object, he felt some sort of warm, invisible blanket push him backwards. He stretched out his arms to push it away, but it didn't work.

"It was a compliment, not an insult!" Cassius said, while he kicked the air. He lost his balance, and fell on the ground. He grabbed the leg of a desk, but it was for no use as the desk was just pulled with him. When he had reached the exit, he quickly held on to the door. But when it closed, Cassius had to let go if he wanted to keep his hands. With the closing of the door, also the invisible power disappeared. Cassius stood up again, and pounded a few times on the massive door.

"I'm sorry!" he yelled. "I meant that you proved you really are loyal to Dumbledore. Severus? I'm not going to leave, you hear me?" He pounded again. Alohomora didn't help, but Cassius suddenly remembered the door behind the blackboard. Maybe there was another entry. The further he was walking into the corridor, the darker it was becoming. When he couldn't see any more, he touched the wall, and after walking further down the corridor, he found a door. He knocked on it.

"Hullo?"

Cassius heard a heavy sigh. "Why can't you just go away?" Severus said in a very annoyed tone.

"Because I still haven't said what I wanted to say." Cassius responded.

"Well then, say it!"

Cassius carefully pushed the door open, to walk into a room completely filled with cases containing potions, herbs, and books, probably all about potions. The room wasn't that big, but every available space was used. While Cassius walked past the largest bookcase, his mouth hanging open of fascination, he stroked the back of the books. Then he continued his little voyage of discovery, and strode forward to the cauldron that grabbed his attention. He watched the simmering of the green liquid, and recognised the vapours and colour. He surprised looked up to Severus. "This is a Sting-potion, isn't it? But that's dangerous!"

"True," Severus grumbled. "So you'd better not come to close."

Cassius quickly jumped away from a splatter. "What do you need it for?"

Severus hesitated a second, but then answered slowly; "Voldemort asked me to brew some."

Cassius startled at Severus' use of the name, but didn't say anything about it. Instead, he changed subject. "Oh, yes- what I came for. Albus asked if you had still thought about the socks."

Severus frowned at first, but then his expression became one of anger. "Yes, I have. And if he asks, I stored them in the room on the third floor, because it was the only room that could hold all of them."

Cassius stared at the ground. "I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I would've helped if I hadn't passed out."

Cassius saw Severus highly doubted that. "If that's what you came for, goodbye then."

"There's one more thing…" He looked up from the ground to see Severus' suspicious gaze. "Well, we—I and the 5th years—are currently working on a chapter about dark potions, and as I'm not so good at potions, I hoped you could tell them some more about it, and maybe bring something along?"

Severus looked at him in horror. "I don't think so."

He started to walk out of the room, but Cassius ran after him. "Oh, come on, why not? It won't do you any harm! The students will be thrilled when I tell them you will be teaching them!" Cassius laughed.

"Shut up, Ingaster." Severus spat, and started to walk faster. They were now in a dark corridor, and Cassius couldn't see a thing.

"Alright, I shouldn't have said that, but I really am terrible at potions. And besides, I thought you wanted the DADA job."

"Who told you that nonsense?" Severus' attempt to sound indifferent failed.

"Don't deny it, everybody knows..- Ouch! Why are you stopping?" Cassius had bumped into Severus, who suddenly stood still.

"Because I can't unlock the door while walking. Alohomora."

A door opened, and some light—not much, as there hardly was any light in the dungeons—shone into Cassius' eyes. Severus walked back to his desk. Cassius followed him.

"So? You'll do it?" Cassius asked with more than just a hint of hope.

"Absolutely not."

Cassius sat down on a chair. "Why not? Minerva volunteered to help me too."

"I am NOT Minerva."

"I never said THAT." Cassius sighed. The man was beginning to annoy him. "Severus, you are such a spoilsport. Always withdrawn, and the only contact you make is in the shape of sarcastic comments. You really need to-"

"I do not need your advice. And stop talking like you're my muggle head doctor." He wrote on some parchment.

"I'm not talking like a psychiatrist, so will you shut up and listen?" The bossy tone made Severus look up from his desk, and Cassius was glad he had finally got his attention. "Good. Er- now what was it that I wanted to say?"

Severus rolled his eyes, and stood up from his desk. He walked past Cassius, who followed him again. He was not going to get rid of him that easy. "Where are you going?"

"To my office. Where it is quiet." Severus added coldly.

Cassius gave up. Without saying another word, he took the other way and went back to his room.

*~*~*~*

Cassius sat in his room, gazing into the fire. Outside a storm was raging, and Cassius attentively listened to the raindrops that were hitting his window. It was 3 am, but he couldn't sleep. He imitated the thunder by tapping with his fingers on the couch. Like he was just awoken from a shock, Cassius rose on his feet, and grabbed a piece of parchment. After pondering a bit, he picked up a quill, and started to write, slowly. First the salutation, but after that, he stopped. What could he say? Everything seemed so ridiculous. He sighed, and let his chin rest on his chest. "If I was the ground," he said to himself, "would I still feel so helpless?"

As an answer, there was a loud thunderclap and lightning, and Cassius startled. He walked to the window, and by the next lightning he realised the thunder was hanging above the castle. He changed his pyjama for robes, and walked to the Great Hall. Of course it was completely empty, and Cassius' footsteps resounded. He walked to a table, and lay down on it, his face turned to the ceiling. It was wonderful how the lightning appeared at the same time as he heard the thunder. Cassius didn't know how long he lay there, but suddenly the storm subsided, and it was already becoming light. He stood up with pain in his back, and stumbled to his seat on the teachers' table. There he waited for the others to come in. The first ones were some 3rd years, and they looked so sleepy that Cassius didn't think they had noticed him. The first teacher was Professor Vector, but when she greeted him, he didn't respond. He was glad she didn't start a conversation with him.

Though he had to talk, when Albus came in. His clothes hurt Cassius' eyes; he had a red robe with yellow balloons, and his face wasn't drowsy at all.

"Good morning, Cassius!" he said with loud voice, so everybody in the Great Hall started.

"Morning, Headmaster," Cassius mumbled, "What's that festive dress for?"

"Well, have you forgotten?" said Albus while he took his seat. "Today is Severus' birthday!"

Cassius' stopped breathing for a moment, and he became aware of a very irritating noise in his head. "But--"

He kept silent for a moment, while Albus penetratingly looked at him. "Are you sure?" Cassius asked.

"Yes, I'm really sure. But don't feel sorry if you haven't bought him any presents; I don't think it'll bother him. Ah—there he is."

The doors of the Hall opened again, and Severus appeared. Cassius swallowed, and tried not to look at him too strikingly as he sat down.

"Happy birthday, Severus!" Dumbledore said as he grabbed the Potions Master's hand, and shook it powerfully. The students giggled, but when Severus glared at them, they continued staring at the table.

More and more students and teachers had entered, and in 10 minutes everybody seemed to be there. Breakfast had begun. Cassius tiredly looked around for something tasty. He stretched his arm to get some bread, and knocked over his cup with juice. He groaned, and quickly cleaned the mess up with a spell. With a yawn he poured in some coffee. When he drank it, Cassius immediately spit it out. His colleagues surprised looked up. "What is this?!" Cassius exclaimed.

Severus raised his eyebrow. "It's coffee."

"-Without any sugar or milk," Albus added after looking into Cassius' cup. Some professors chuckled, and Cassius reddened.

"Oh." he responded. He added some sugar, and drank the coffee. "And this," he muttered under his breath, "is only the beginning of the day…"