The minutes slipped into hours while Severus sat reflectively at his desk.
He awoke, as if from a distant dream at the sound of a door slamming, and
footsteps coming down the corridor, followed by hurried steps.
The door of his office was thrown open. 'You!' the owner of the footsteps roared. Yes, indeed, me, thought Severus. He looked up, inquiringly. 'Now come, Hagrid, you know it wasn't his fault. He didn't mean it anyway.' Said a voice he recognised. He suddenly realised how dark the room had become, and made out the shapes of the two men talking to him. 'Might I enquire, Headmaster, of what I did not mean to do, and how it was not my fault?' He asked icily. He was getting quite good at talking like that, so that whoever he addressed felt like they were being stabbed by a million icicles while having a bucket of water thrown over their head. 'I'll show ye! I'll show you what yer've done!' Hagrid stormed out. Severus followed, puzzled. Albus looked at the brightly striped socks, which were still sitting on Severus' desk, in amusement, then made his way quietly to his office.
Outside, Hagrid showed him. 'Look!' he roared. Severus looked. He saw three figures through the gloom. He was not in the mood. He was never really in the mood for this kind of thing. But today he really wasn't in the mood. Besides, his robes were getting wet from the newly fallen snow. He hated having wet robes. 'Look!' said Hagrid again. Snape looked and then he saw. He grinned malevolently. He had meant to do this, and it was his fault. The three hippogriffs were glaring moodily around. They were obviously not comfortable with their present situation, which was at the moment pink. At any moment they would turn to a different colour. When he looked over to them again, they had turned an acid green. He had been looking for something to vent his anger on. And the proud hippogriffs were an easy target. A simple potion added to their water, and they would turn different colours at 30-second intervals. It was simple, brilliant and would provide some much needed entertainment. 'I suppose you want me to make them normal again.' He whispered. Hagrid glared at him in confirmation. 'I will have the potion ready tomorrow.' 'Tomorrow? Ye mean they 'ave to be like this until tomorrow?!' He roared in disbelief. 'The potion must have time to brew and boil. Unless you want them to stay like this of course.' He said vindictively. He turned and made his way up to the castle. The snow was falling lightly, making Hogwarts look like a picture from of a Christmas card.
Severus was staring at the rising moon, reflecting on another year gone when he was rudely interrupted by a puddle of icy water. He stepped out of the puddle, and was soaked shin-high in icy water and mud. All he needed now was a giant birthday cake and the whole of Hogwarts to sing him 'Happy Birthday' to succeed in making this the worst day he could remember. He made his way to his office to find some dry clothes. Delightful smells were wafting up from the kitchens. He ignored them and squelched his way through the dungeon passages. He peeled off his wet socks, opened his drawer and stared in horror. The draw was completely bereft of socks. It was completely bereft of every thing, as this was the draw which held only socks. The thought of the striped socks on his desk made him shudder. He was starting to wish the package and the note had exploded. He found some clean robe and resignedly picked up the pair of socks and pulled them over his feet. The sight of them made him shudder. He made sure that the socks did not show under his robes, and then stalked up the passages to the Great Hall.
He looked into the hall and sighed with relief. At least Sybil had had enough of showing herself in the physical world. He didn't know why she bothered to leave her solitude; she only made people annoyed and cross when she did.
Dinner went on much as it usually did. Except that Albus was wearing that smile he was wearing at breakfast and lunch. Minerva looked as though she knew something he didn't. This didn't alarm him; he knew that she knew more about turning desks into pigs than he ever wanted to. But this air she was assuming was especially annoying today. He didn't know why. Maybe she always acted like this and he only noticed it once a year.
The meal ended and the plates were cleared away as usual and the students were preparing to leave. The doors of the Great Hall opened, and through them came a trolley of unusually large size. The trolley was covered in a white cloth which fluttered peacefully as it glided towards the front of the hall. Albus stood and raised a hand to call for silence. The confused whispers of the students died away, but the silence did not end their confusion.
'Today is a very great day. I doubt whether most of you know this, but today marks the anniversary of a very special event.' Confused whispering circulated the Great Hall. Professor Snape looked at Albus in utterly disbelief. He could not believe Albus would do this. He must be talking about something else, he must be, Severus thought. 'So now,' Albus beamed around at everyone, 'I would like you all to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Professor Severus Snape.' With these words the cloth was lifted from the trolley, revealing a huge purple cake, which changed colour at 30-second intervals.
The whole of Hogwarts stood up and started singing: 'Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday.' Severus glared around the Great Hall. He managed to scare some first years into silence, but many were too busy enjoying the moment to pay him any attention. '.to Professor Snape, happy.' His glares were having little, almost no effect, and he had to stop them, and soon. So Severus did the unthinkable. He stopped glaring and assumed a big, wholesome smile. The effect was staggering. The entire hall went silent, stared, then all gasped in horror in unison. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad day after all, thought Severus.
THE END
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The door of his office was thrown open. 'You!' the owner of the footsteps roared. Yes, indeed, me, thought Severus. He looked up, inquiringly. 'Now come, Hagrid, you know it wasn't his fault. He didn't mean it anyway.' Said a voice he recognised. He suddenly realised how dark the room had become, and made out the shapes of the two men talking to him. 'Might I enquire, Headmaster, of what I did not mean to do, and how it was not my fault?' He asked icily. He was getting quite good at talking like that, so that whoever he addressed felt like they were being stabbed by a million icicles while having a bucket of water thrown over their head. 'I'll show ye! I'll show you what yer've done!' Hagrid stormed out. Severus followed, puzzled. Albus looked at the brightly striped socks, which were still sitting on Severus' desk, in amusement, then made his way quietly to his office.
Outside, Hagrid showed him. 'Look!' he roared. Severus looked. He saw three figures through the gloom. He was not in the mood. He was never really in the mood for this kind of thing. But today he really wasn't in the mood. Besides, his robes were getting wet from the newly fallen snow. He hated having wet robes. 'Look!' said Hagrid again. Snape looked and then he saw. He grinned malevolently. He had meant to do this, and it was his fault. The three hippogriffs were glaring moodily around. They were obviously not comfortable with their present situation, which was at the moment pink. At any moment they would turn to a different colour. When he looked over to them again, they had turned an acid green. He had been looking for something to vent his anger on. And the proud hippogriffs were an easy target. A simple potion added to their water, and they would turn different colours at 30-second intervals. It was simple, brilliant and would provide some much needed entertainment. 'I suppose you want me to make them normal again.' He whispered. Hagrid glared at him in confirmation. 'I will have the potion ready tomorrow.' 'Tomorrow? Ye mean they 'ave to be like this until tomorrow?!' He roared in disbelief. 'The potion must have time to brew and boil. Unless you want them to stay like this of course.' He said vindictively. He turned and made his way up to the castle. The snow was falling lightly, making Hogwarts look like a picture from of a Christmas card.
Severus was staring at the rising moon, reflecting on another year gone when he was rudely interrupted by a puddle of icy water. He stepped out of the puddle, and was soaked shin-high in icy water and mud. All he needed now was a giant birthday cake and the whole of Hogwarts to sing him 'Happy Birthday' to succeed in making this the worst day he could remember. He made his way to his office to find some dry clothes. Delightful smells were wafting up from the kitchens. He ignored them and squelched his way through the dungeon passages. He peeled off his wet socks, opened his drawer and stared in horror. The draw was completely bereft of socks. It was completely bereft of every thing, as this was the draw which held only socks. The thought of the striped socks on his desk made him shudder. He was starting to wish the package and the note had exploded. He found some clean robe and resignedly picked up the pair of socks and pulled them over his feet. The sight of them made him shudder. He made sure that the socks did not show under his robes, and then stalked up the passages to the Great Hall.
He looked into the hall and sighed with relief. At least Sybil had had enough of showing herself in the physical world. He didn't know why she bothered to leave her solitude; she only made people annoyed and cross when she did.
Dinner went on much as it usually did. Except that Albus was wearing that smile he was wearing at breakfast and lunch. Minerva looked as though she knew something he didn't. This didn't alarm him; he knew that she knew more about turning desks into pigs than he ever wanted to. But this air she was assuming was especially annoying today. He didn't know why. Maybe she always acted like this and he only noticed it once a year.
The meal ended and the plates were cleared away as usual and the students were preparing to leave. The doors of the Great Hall opened, and through them came a trolley of unusually large size. The trolley was covered in a white cloth which fluttered peacefully as it glided towards the front of the hall. Albus stood and raised a hand to call for silence. The confused whispers of the students died away, but the silence did not end their confusion.
'Today is a very great day. I doubt whether most of you know this, but today marks the anniversary of a very special event.' Confused whispering circulated the Great Hall. Professor Snape looked at Albus in utterly disbelief. He could not believe Albus would do this. He must be talking about something else, he must be, Severus thought. 'So now,' Albus beamed around at everyone, 'I would like you all to sing 'Happy Birthday' to Professor Severus Snape.' With these words the cloth was lifted from the trolley, revealing a huge purple cake, which changed colour at 30-second intervals.
The whole of Hogwarts stood up and started singing: 'Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday to you. Happy Birthday.' Severus glared around the Great Hall. He managed to scare some first years into silence, but many were too busy enjoying the moment to pay him any attention. '.to Professor Snape, happy.' His glares were having little, almost no effect, and he had to stop them, and soon. So Severus did the unthinkable. He stopped glaring and assumed a big, wholesome smile. The effect was staggering. The entire hall went silent, stared, then all gasped in horror in unison. Perhaps this wasn't such a bad day after all, thought Severus.
THE END
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