Disclaimer: All recognizable people, places, and things belong to JK Rowling.
Chapter 7
Whatever happened to Neville?
By the time Hailey finished telling the crowd of Blue Goo slurping Beauties that filled the warm kitchen Hermione's astonishing tale of bravery and cunning, the hour was up and a sharp bell split the air.
"Oh my gosh!" Victoria jumped and splattered Elizabeth with the sticky blue substance. "We're going to be late!"
"Oh for crying out loud, Victoria!" Elizabeth sopped up the goop off her hideous outfit.
The herd of girls, in six single file lines, left the kitchen and went this way and that way.
"Come on Hermione!!" Hailey called as she swept away with the line going up the stairs.
Hermione would have followed if it weren't for the flash she caught out of the corner of her eye that seemed to be going down into the dungeons at the far end of the hallway.
"Wait up!" Hermione called following after it. If this is who she thinks it is…there's no way he could have changed!
Rounding the hallway into the dungeons, he heart leaped into her throat at the sight before her. The hallways widened and curved up into bright blue ceiling, and painting after painting of sea life hung from the walls. If Hermione didn't know better she'd almost believe that somehow Hogwart's had filled the walls with a tropical fish tank.
Quickly, she recovered herself and continued the chase after one of her dearest friends.
As she turned the next corner, she found herself facing down the largest black doors, she has ever seen.
Not one to chicken out, Hermione opened the door and slipped inside.
It was a huge classroom filled to the brim with boys, and by the looks of it Professor Snape's potions class is still located in the dungeon. The boys were all sitting facing the front and hadn't noticed her.
Neville sat all by himself in the back of the class, his hands, strangely webbed, gripped the edge of his desk. He looked like he would rather be any where than there.
Potions must still be his worst class, Hermione thought, smiling, she slipped quietly in the chair beside him.
"Hi, Neville," Leaning forward to whisper this into his ear. Almost laughing out loud when he jumped nearly a foot in the air in fright.
"Whaaa?'' He stared blankly at her as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
"Mind if I be your Potion's Partner?" Hermione whispered. "I bet you have trouble in potions, don't you?"
"Yes," he stammered. "I'm not very good at it at all, Professor Snape hates me."
"Don't worry," Hermione patted his hand reassuringly. "We'll tackle today's potion class together, okay?"
Looking at her adoring, he leaned close and nodded his head then squeaked like a dolphin. Just then Professor Snape came storming in from a door up front by his desk.
Without looking, he calmly spoke over his shoulder, "Neville, ten points from Gryffindor for that disgusting display of immaturity."
Neville winced. Hermione smiled reassuringly, as she flipped through his book.
"Now, Neville," Snape continued approaching the board, still not looking back. "what are the main ingredients for a the Decandem Solution? If you do not know, you will lose fifteen house points and earn a detention with Professor Riddle."
Neville looked like he was going to freak.
Quietly, Hermione leaned close and whispered into his ear: "Three toes of a sloth…"
Obediently, Neville repeated, "Three toes of a sloth…"
Professor Snape's head turned in surprise, just in time to see Hermione lean in close to Neville's ear to whisper the next ingredient.
"What in the hell!?!" He stormed up the stairs to where Hermione and a completely stunned Neville sat. All the boys jumping to their feet.
As quick as a cobra, Professor Snape struck. Throwing Neville's smaller frame up against the wall, His hand around his throat, eyes as dark as midnight, and his cape doing something so strange, it stunned Hermione at the very sight of it.
It was seeping across the floor. All the boys lined the wall in obvious terror of the seeping darkness.
Crack! Crack!
Neville's head thumped the wall, removing all traces of fear from Hermione. Leaping forward, she grabbed Professor Snape's right shoulder.
"Professor, let him go right this instant!"
As suddenly as the night covers Hogwarts on Halloween, Professor Snape turned on her.
"YOUR MINE!"
"Professor Snape!" Hermione grabbed his wrist. "Let go of his throat!" Jerking at his wrist Hermione got right up in his face. "You're suffocating him!"
Professor Snape looked down at her hand and took in the concerned look she was giving Neville as if he was having some sort of nightmare.
As quickly as the whole incident started, Snape was on the other side of the room. He stood, bare-chested, facing the wall, breathing heavily. He laid his hands on the wall and pressed his forehead against the wall.
One thought danced through his mind, He had lost her…
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/n: Sorry this took so long! Hope you like it! Please Read and Review!!!