The following morning Harry arrived late for breakfast. He had finally fallen asleep, from sheer exhaustion, just as the sun was rising.

Hermione and Ron moved aside to let him sit down between them. They had been looking at that day's schedule.

"Double Potions with Slytherins!" Ron groaned. "It can't be! Didn't we just have that?"

Harry leaned over to see. A quick calculation told him that he would be on his way to Snape's office just as the class ended. Could he endure that much Snape in a single day?

"We have Care of Magical Creatures today also," Hermione reminded them.

Hagrid was still away, and the new instructor preferred that they learn from books rather than practical experience. History of Magic remained the only class that was more dull.

"Ugh," Ron said through a mouthful of pie.

Harry said nothing. If he told them that he would be meeting Snape later that day, they might sympathize, but they would also want to know why. If Hermione found out that he had been to the Restricted Section, there would be no stopping her until she had the whole story.

Fortunately there were many morning announcements, and he had good reason to stay silent.

Morning classes seemed to pass in no time, even Care of Magical Creatures seemed to end far too soon. Before he knew it, Harry was walking into the Potions classroom.

"Out of my way, Potter," Malfoy pushed past Harry, knocking his book bag off his shoulder.

Harry's eyes flashed and a retort sprang to his lips, but he remembered just in time that his predicament was bad enough already. From across the room, Snape was staring right at him, apparently waiting for the chance to take House points. When Harry stayed silent he looked positively aggrieved.

It was a terrible class. Malfoy flicked beetle-eyes at him behind Snape's back. Hermione hissed every few minutes that his potion was too watery. Finally, Harry spilled a saucer full of frog brains as he yawned, and Snape pounced on him.

"Do you find my class monotonous, Mr. Potter?" he demanded. "Or perhaps you feel that you have already mastered this potion?"

Harry looked up at Snape from the floor, where he was trying to gather up the slippery brains. He didn't answer, knowing it didn't make one bit of difference now that Snape had found a target.

"Well?"

"No, Sir," Harry tried to look timid.

"Really? I never would have. . ."

There was an explosion behind him, and Snape whirled around, forgetting Harry for the moment.

"Longbottom!" he roared.

Harry could just see Neville through the thick cloud of smoke rising over his melting cauldron, and Neville looked terrified.

The smoke was the only thing that saved Neville, since Snape hesitated to go straight through it to reach him.

The door opened and Dumbledore looked in.

"Is everything all right, Severus?"

"Everything," Snape said through gritted teeth, "is just fine."

"I'm glad to hear it. May I see you outside for just a moment?" Dumbledore shot a sympathizing look in Neville's direction as he shut the door.

Snape looked around the room, not even sparing the Slytherins his seething glare.

"Twenty points from Gryffindor!" he managed to spit out, focusing his wrathful eyes on Neville. "And have that mess cleaned up by the time I return!"

Harry, Hermione, and Ron rushed to help Neville, who had sunk into a chair, looking very pale.

They had more than enough time to remove Neville's ruined cauldron and to wipe up the sticky mess that covered his desk.

Snape returned, his lips pulled into a thin line and his eyes betraying the anger he had been forced to suppress.

"Class dismissed," he announced.

No one moved. There was still a quarter of an hour left of class, and Snape had never before let them out early.

"Did you not hear me?" Snape repeated. "Class is dismissed."

He looked around the room at the blank faces.

"Get out!"

They scattered, gathering up their books hastily.

Outside the classroom, Hermione and Ron waited for Harry, who was one of the last to exit. He had hoped that they would go on ahead, making it unnecessary for him to explain why he would be staying down in the dungeons.

"Come on Harry, hurry up," Ron waved him over. "We can get in a decent game of chess before dinner."

"I have to see Snape in his office," Harry grimaced.

"What?" Hermione looked dismayed. "When did that happen?"

"Between classes," Harry lied.

Hermione and Ron both frowned, not recalling when Harry had been alone that morning long enough for Snape to corner him.

"Sorry, Harry," Ron finally said. "We'll see you at dinner?"

"Sure," Harry tried to look cheerful.

Left alone in the gloomy dungeons, he felt anything but cheerful. Snape's office was just down the corridor, and Harry decided that he might as well wait for Snape there.

Snape was still in the classroom, and Harry could hear the clang of cauldrons as they were forced back into cupboards.

When Snape was mistreating Potions equipment, it was best not to interrupt him, Harry decided.

Snape's office was unlocked. Harry went in and sat down, staring around the dimly lit room. Since the last time he was there, Snape had acquired a number of bizarre items, not the least of which was a pickled two-headed snake in a jar that sat in the center of the desk. Harry shuddered at the sight of the milky white eyes and barred fangs.

Voices and footsteps sounded outside.

"Was it necessary, Lupin, to involve Dumbledore?" Snape's voice demanded.

Harry couldn't hear Lupin's response over the sound of his own heart beating.

"You thought wrong," Snape continued.

"We have a right to the truth!" Lupin's voice rose angrily.

There was a brief silence, and Harry leaned forward in his chair. So, it was Snape that he had heard Lupin arguing with that day!

"Then you shall have it," Snape's poisonous voice was low and bitter. "Since you insist."

"I insist."

Was it Harry's imagination, or did Lupin sound apprehensive?

"Come into my office."

Harry froze. His eyes darted around the room. He had no doubt that he did not want to be found, and something in him desperately needed to stay and hear what was said.

The cupboard! Snape's private stores were in there, Harry knew, but there just might be enough room for him.

Not a moment too soon he shut the cupboard quietly behind himself and crouched on the floor. The door opened and he heard Snape sit down behind the desk.

"So," Snape's mocking voice broke the silence, "you want to hear the truth?"