CHAPTER 7- TROUBLE.
McGonagall's hawk-like eye surveyed the scene of chaos and madness she found before her. She saw black shards of potion, she saw first-years cowering under their desks at Snape's hurried command. Grey potion covered the walls like wallpaper, and in the middle of it all stood a very angry Snape.
"Severus! What is happening?" she said stiffly. Joe could see, however, that her face was not stiff- on the contrary, she was just about ready to explode (no pun intended) with laughter. "These abysmally foolish children-" here he looked at Joe and Laura- "seem to have mixed their potions wrong. They have managed to destroy everything they have managed to do so far," he said it coolly, but a vein was throbbing in his temple. Joe knew it couldn't be long till he broke.
"I shall see to a punish-" McGonagall started. She was cut off, however, by a finally irate Snape. "You will not!" he screamed holding on to his hair. "These children will come to my office IMMEDIATELY! The cane shall be waiting!" With this he strode off in the direction of his office.
"Looks like Professor Snape wants us in his office," Joe said with a hint of sarcasm touching his voice. They walked off together in the direction of Snape's office. Snape stood in the middle of his circular office with a thin wooden stick in his hand. Joe winced, but Laura looked at it with a look of complete awe on her face.
"Bend over, boy, and pull your trousers and underpants down. I'll give you seventeen of the best!" he shouted. Tears sprang to Laura's eyes as Joe, helpless, obeyed Snape's command. Screams of pain filled the room as Snape whacked Joe across the butt with the cane. The sequence grimly repeated itself- swish, crack, owwww!
Joe pulled his trousers back up and, close to tears, exited the room. Laura was left alone in the study with her father. "Laura, hold out your hand," he hissed. Sobbing, because of Joe's pain and what was to be her own, she held out her hand. "Wait!" she snapped. Snape, taken aback from her sudden yelp, stopped and stared at her. "I didn't do anything!" Snape rolled his eyes. He sat on the desk and stared right through her. "Little missy, I was simply saying that your friend-" "HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING EITHER!" she shouted. Snape's face contorted into an evil smile. "You really need to learn some manners, Laura." He said. "Perhaps a few lashes of the cane will teach you something!" "That won't solve anything!" she screamed. "You teachers are all the same. It's always me, me, me!" Joe's ear was pressed against the door and upon hearing the scream of Laura to the cool voice of Snape. He rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Laura! You'll only make things worse!" he thought. But Laura wasn't losing this one. Not now.
"I will not tolerate behaviour like this, Laura. Hold out your hand. I said hold it out!" Snape hissed in her ear. Laura tutted, but held out her hand. "Even hitting me with this abomination won't silence me, Dad. I'm the last angry-ow!- woman, and I won't stand for it!" Laura shut up, however, when her father brought the cane up again. Swish-crack-owwww!
Joe walked back toward the door when he heard its rusty hinges creak. "Laura!" He ran toward her and said, "What did that monster do!?" he shouted when he saw the red, raw stripes across her hand. "Caned me," she said casually. Her eyes were close to tears, but she remained calm and cool. "Oh no!" he shouted. "Afraid so." she muttered. They walked back toward the Great Hall together, in silence. Joe then muttered, "I'll get that bastard.even if he is your dad!"
McGonagall's hawk-like eye surveyed the scene of chaos and madness she found before her. She saw black shards of potion, she saw first-years cowering under their desks at Snape's hurried command. Grey potion covered the walls like wallpaper, and in the middle of it all stood a very angry Snape.
"Severus! What is happening?" she said stiffly. Joe could see, however, that her face was not stiff- on the contrary, she was just about ready to explode (no pun intended) with laughter. "These abysmally foolish children-" here he looked at Joe and Laura- "seem to have mixed their potions wrong. They have managed to destroy everything they have managed to do so far," he said it coolly, but a vein was throbbing in his temple. Joe knew it couldn't be long till he broke.
"I shall see to a punish-" McGonagall started. She was cut off, however, by a finally irate Snape. "You will not!" he screamed holding on to his hair. "These children will come to my office IMMEDIATELY! The cane shall be waiting!" With this he strode off in the direction of his office.
"Looks like Professor Snape wants us in his office," Joe said with a hint of sarcasm touching his voice. They walked off together in the direction of Snape's office. Snape stood in the middle of his circular office with a thin wooden stick in his hand. Joe winced, but Laura looked at it with a look of complete awe on her face.
"Bend over, boy, and pull your trousers and underpants down. I'll give you seventeen of the best!" he shouted. Tears sprang to Laura's eyes as Joe, helpless, obeyed Snape's command. Screams of pain filled the room as Snape whacked Joe across the butt with the cane. The sequence grimly repeated itself- swish, crack, owwww!
Joe pulled his trousers back up and, close to tears, exited the room. Laura was left alone in the study with her father. "Laura, hold out your hand," he hissed. Sobbing, because of Joe's pain and what was to be her own, she held out her hand. "Wait!" she snapped. Snape, taken aback from her sudden yelp, stopped and stared at her. "I didn't do anything!" Snape rolled his eyes. He sat on the desk and stared right through her. "Little missy, I was simply saying that your friend-" "HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING EITHER!" she shouted. Snape's face contorted into an evil smile. "You really need to learn some manners, Laura." He said. "Perhaps a few lashes of the cane will teach you something!" "That won't solve anything!" she screamed. "You teachers are all the same. It's always me, me, me!" Joe's ear was pressed against the door and upon hearing the scream of Laura to the cool voice of Snape. He rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Laura! You'll only make things worse!" he thought. But Laura wasn't losing this one. Not now.
"I will not tolerate behaviour like this, Laura. Hold out your hand. I said hold it out!" Snape hissed in her ear. Laura tutted, but held out her hand. "Even hitting me with this abomination won't silence me, Dad. I'm the last angry-ow!- woman, and I won't stand for it!" Laura shut up, however, when her father brought the cane up again. Swish-crack-owwww!
Joe walked back toward the door when he heard its rusty hinges creak. "Laura!" He ran toward her and said, "What did that monster do!?" he shouted when he saw the red, raw stripes across her hand. "Caned me," she said casually. Her eyes were close to tears, but she remained calm and cool. "Oh no!" he shouted. "Afraid so." she muttered. They walked back toward the Great Hall together, in silence. Joe then muttered, "I'll get that bastard.even if he is your dad!"