CHAPTER FIVE
Remus emerged from the boys' bathroom feeling fully revived and ready for the day ahead. The shafts of bright sunlight streaming in through the windows illuminated the scarlet and gold decor of the Gryffindor common room. James and Peter were now up, and looking through the Daily Prophet. Remus went and stood in front of them.
"I'm starving. Are you two going to come down to breakfast?" he asked, putting his index finger on the newspaper and pushing it down. James looked at him from over his glasses, which had slipped down his nose.
"Remus, my friend, we have been waiting for you to get out of the bathroom for that very purpose!" he smiled. Peter nodded in agreement and rubbed his stomach, feigning a hungered expression.
"Well what are we doing here then? Come on!" Remus concluded.
Putting down the newspaper, the three of them left the common room for the Great Hall. The Hall was quiet, as a lot of the students had been in earlier so they could be ready to go to Hogsmeade. The trio was tucking into their bacon and eggs with fried bread, when James broke the silence.
"Did you see Sirius this morning Remus?" he asked chewing on his fried bread.
Remus shook his head. "His bed was empty when I got up, and it had been made!"
"Do you know," added Peter, "we didn't see much of him yesterday afternoon either. I wonder what he's up to?" he said curiously. James and Remus shrugged their shoulders and carried on eating.
*
Sirius was sitting in the library poring over Quidditch Through the Ages. The picture of Joey Jenkins, the famous Beater, was whizzing in and out of the picture, bat in hand, chasing the zooming black bludger. He had a look of grim determination on his face, as he leaned into his broomstick, his orange robes billowing behind him as he flew. Sirius looked up as he heard footsteps approaching. Snape was striding towards him with a serious look on his face. He sat in the empty chair next to Sirius, and glanced at the book.
"Trying to pick up a few pointers?" he smiled. Sirius gave him a pained expression. He was also mildly alarmed at the sight of Snape actually smiling. Snape carried on talking. "I can't hang out with you today, 'cos I'm going to go into Hogsmeade," he concluded.
Sirius looked panic stricken, but Snape didn't notice.
"You will be back before tea though won't you?" asked the former.
Snape looked casually back at Sirius. "Oh yes, well in time for tea, we can meet up then if you want?" he replied. Sirius nodded, and Snape rose from the chair. "Well I'll be going then, see you later Sirius!" he waved as he left.
Sirius sighed inwardly, and went back to his book.
*
The little village of Hogsmeade was buzzing with the excited chatter of Hogwarts' students. Snape made his way through the throng of activity, almost invisible to those around him. As he approached the Hogs' Head Pub, he faltered a little, but quickly he regained some composure he continued on his journey. The pub was dark and smoky. The room was empty, apart from a grizzled old wizard nursing a glass of amber liquid. Snape moved towards the bar confidently. The barman leered at him.
"What can I get you?" he asked Snape suspiciously. Snape leaned towards the barman, and gestured with his index finger for the man to come closer.
"I'm looking for Lucius Malfoy. Is he here yet?" he whispered. The barman nodded, and pointed to a door on the other side of the room.
"He's in there," he said casually. Snape looked in the direction of the pointing finger and moved away from the bar. Cautiously he knocked on the door.
"Enter!" came the muffled reply. Snape slowly opened the door, and entered the room. He closed the door quietly behind him, and walked to the two men seated at the table that dominated the dimly lit room.
"Ah Severus, so glad you could make it!" said Malfoy genially. Snape smiled awkwardly, his gaze resting on the hooded man sitting next to Malfoy. Malfoy's eyes followed Snape's gaze, and he gestured his hand towards the hooded man. "I would like to introduce you to Lord Voldemort," he announced proudly. Voldemort removed his hood and looked at Snape. His eyes pierced through Snape like a knife, and Snape was glad that his robes concealed the fact that his knees were knocking.
"I have been looking forward to meeting you Severus." Voldemort's reedy voice was cold and unfeeling. "Lucius here has told me good things about you, and I think it's time we got a little closer," he smiled vaguely. Snape shivered. Voldemort's appearance was visibly disturbing to him. His grey skin was almost translucent; he had a flat wide nose, that was in itself snake-like. Snape was jerked away from his thoughts as Voldemort spoke again. "You know what's expected of you today Severus?" he enquired lazily.
"Yes I do my Lord!" he breathed.
"And you are content with this arrangement?" Voldemort asked dryly.
Snape pulled himself up to his full height and said earnestly, "My Lord, it is my one wish that I serve you, and only you." He then added, "Even if it costs me my life!"
Snape was scared, he had to admit that, but he was certainly not going to let them see how scared he was. Voldemort gave Malfoy a sideways glance, and raised an eyebrow in approval. Voldemort turned his attention back to Snape.
"Come forward Severus," he commanded. Snape took a few steps towards the Dark Lord. Voldemort drew his wand with his long bony fingers. "Lift your sleeve, and bare your forearm," he said nonchalantly. Snape did as he was instructed. Voldemort pointed his wand at Snape's forearm and red sparks appeared at its tip. Snape winced as the sparks struck his vulnerable skin. The tattoo in place, Voldemort replaced his wand. "You are now a Death Eater, and as such, you will do my bidding," he drawled. "When the Mark appears you will know that is a sign that I want you to join me with my army." Snape nodded. "You had better go before you're missed," Voldemort said dismissively. Snape gave a thin smile, then turned and walked towards the door.
Snape blinked as he walked into the bright sunshine on the main street of Hogsmeade. Breathing a sigh of relief he made his way towards the students' pub, the Three Broomsticks. He needed a drink. Absentmindedly, he rubbed his arm as he walked into the throng of students and teachers that crowded the bar. He pushed his way towards the bar where Madam Rosmerta was serving a rather dubious looking goblin. Handing the goblin his drink, Rosmerta looked at Snape, giving him a winning smile that she reserved for all her customers as she greeted him.
"Well hello Severus! What can I get for you?"
Snape pondered for a moment; there wasn't an awful lot he could have. What he wanted was a glass of Fire Whiskey, but he knew she would not serve him one of those, so he came to a decision.
"A Butterbeer please," he replied. Madam Rosmerta grabbed a tankard from the shelf above her, and placed it under the nozzle of the Butterbeer pump. Every vein in her arm stood out as she pulled the handle, allowing the liquid to gush into the tankard. Once the drink was poured, she handed it to Snape.
"Thanks," he muttered. Bringing the heavy tankard to his lips, he drank deeply, only stopping as he noticed Madam Rosmerta's surprised look.
"A bit thirsty are we dear?" she enquired.
"Um, yes I, I suppose I must be!" he stammered. Madam Rosmerta smiled again, and turned away as someone else came to the bar. Snape felt the Butterbeer warming him now, and he felt a lot better. Taking the rest of his drink a lot slower now, he gazed around the room to see if he could see anyone he knew. Over in a corner booth, he spotted Wilkes talking to Crabbe and Goyle. Don't think I'll bother! he thought. Gulping down what remained of the drink, he walked towards the door. May as well get back to school, he mused.
*
The lake was calm, and the only disturbance from beneath the water was the giant squid's tentacles. Remus, James, Sirius and Peter were sitting on the bank talking.
"Where's Lily?" Sirius enquired.
James grinned at him. "She's putting together some things that we may need tonight," he said brightly. Remus raised his eyebrow at James with interest. James became defensive. "What? She wants to help!" he exclaimed. He looked at his friends sheepishly. "I couldn't say no, now could I?" he asked shrugging his shoulders. Remus smiled shaking his head slowly.
"Ah James, James, I can see where this is leading," he sighed. James gave him a puzzled look. Sirius and Peter were sniggering.
"Where what's leading?" James asked blankly. Placing his hand on his shoulder Remus began to explain.
"My dear James, Lily is obviously the dominant one in this relationship," he mocked. James's eyes narrowed. "You can't say no to her, that means that you are already under the thumb, my old mate!" he laughed. James blushed profusely. Remus' eyes twinkled with mischief at his friends embarrassment. "Oh James, I'm sorry! But it's so easy to tease you lately," he joked. James looked sullen, saw Remus' worried look then he smiled and winked at him. Relief washed over Remus, for the last thing he wanted to do was really hurt his friend's feelings.
Peter's stomach growled loudly. "Is it tea time yet?" he asked, rubbing his stomach. Sirius checked his watch, and shook his head.
"Not yet, we have another hour to wait still," he muttered. Peter groaned, Sirius laughed. "Peter, you are always hungry!"
Peter scowled. "No I'm not!" he grumbled.
"Peter, I'm sure you can afford to miss a meal or two," Sirius grinned cheekily.
"For your information Padfoot, this is not fat! It's muscle!" he lied, as he pinched the folds of loose skin around his midriff. The others chuckled. Peter's face was the picture of innocence.
"Whatever you say Peter, whatever you say!" said Sirius smiling. Sirius' gaze wandered towards the castle to see Snape heading up the steps to the great oak doors. He needed to catch up with him. Sirius raised his arms above his head and he stretched mightily. Pretending to yawn, he stood up from his spot on the bank of the lake. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "I think I had better go to see Madam Richmond, in the Hospital wing."
James looked alarmed. "Are you feeling ill Padfoot?" he asked, standing beside Sirius.
"No mate, I just think I need some Pepper-up potion," he replied casually. The others were looking as concerned as James now. Sirius smiled, his dark eyes mirroring the smile. "I'm fine, honestly! I have just had a lot of work to catch up on, and I think I may need my wits about me tonight, that's all," he finished. James still looked concerned.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Sirius nodded, smiling. "I'm sure," he said. James looked placated by this, and let Sirius go.
James shouted after him, "See you in the Great Hall for tea?"
"Yep! See you later!" Sirius shouted back, and waved.
*
Snape was making his way back to the Slytherin common room when Sirius caught up with him.
"Hey Severus, wait up!" Sirius called. Snape whirled round with a look that can only be described as a rabbit caught in a car's headlights.
"Wh- what are you dong here?" Snape asked in bewilderment.
Sirius had a puzzled expression on his face. "Well Severus," Sirius leaned in his face close to Snape's ear, "in case you hadn't noticed I go to school here!" he whispered, tapping the side of his nose secretively. Snape sniggered, raising his index finger to wiggle in his ear.
"Hey, that tickled," said Snape. Sobering, he turned to Sirius. "You just surprised me that's all."
"Do you fancy a game of Wizards' Chess?" Sirius asked brightly. Snape nodded. "Ok, I'll get the game, and meet you in the Great Hall," Sirius grinned.
Snape watched the tall, dark Gryffindor turn, and make his way to the marble staircase. He then sloped off in the direction of the Great Hall. Rubbing his tattooed forearm for the umpteenth time, he pondered on the events of the day. "Malfoy never told me that this thing on my arm would hurt so much! Come to think of it, he never told me I would be branded in the first place!" he thought contemptuously. He sat at the end of one of the long tables that was unoccupied. Lifting his eyes upward, he gazed at the enchanted ceiling above him. The ceiling reflected the sky outside, and by the looks of things it was threatening rain. Snape let out a long sigh, and watched for the arrival of his new friend.
Snape was surprised at how well he got on with Sirius. He was a bit of a loner and didn't make friends easily. He was studious and loved Potions and Defence Against The Dark Arts classes. He was in fact top of both classes, and he knew his parents were proud of him. On finishing Hogwarts, he actually planned to teach his favourite subject, Defence Against The Dark Arts. Just then Sirius appeared at the entrance to the Great Hall. Flushed with exertion, he jogged to where Snape was sitting. Placing the chessboard, and a wooden casket containing the chess pieces on the table Sirius sat opposite Snape. As they set out the pieces on the board, Sirius grinned devilishly at his opponent. "Are you ready to be thrashed Severus?" he goaded gleefully.
Snape gave a wry smile. "You speak too soon my friend," he challenged. "Black or white?" Snape offered.
"Well black, of course!" Sirius said offhandedly.
Snape stared down at the white chess pieces in front of him with a furrowed brow. "Knight's pawn forward two," he commanded. The pawn glided up the board two spaces.
Sirius looked thoughtful. Scratching his head, he spotted a move. Making his command, the ebony pawn slid across to its square. Sirius looked up at Snape, who was contemplating his next move.
"Did you get anything good in Hogsmeade?" he enquired.
Snape's eye twitched nervously. "Yes I got some Chocolate Frogs from Honeydukes," he lied. And a most fetching tattoo from The Dark Lord! he thought sarcastically. "Knight to queen five," said Snape, without looking up. The ivory piece slid along, and then the horse completely smashed the ebony pawn that blocked its way. Sirius frowned. "That's one to me," said Snape smugly. They continued the game in relative silence, chess pieces being smashed to smithereens in spasmodic intervals. After losing his bishop to Sirius' queen, Snape made an observation.
"I saw you with Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew on my way back from Hogsmeade," he said distastefully. Sirius looked up and met Snape's gaze. "Are you still friends with them?" he queried.
Sirius arched his eyebrow. "Well it's funny you should ask me that," he replied, closing the gap between them, and lowering his voice. "I had a bit of an altercation with them today," he muttered. Snape's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Never," said Snape in disbelief. "What was it about?" he probed. Maybe I can use this information to sort Potter and his cronies out for good, he thought gleefully. Hmm, having Sirius as a friend isn't such a bad idea after all.
Sirius continued with his tale. "Well what happened was, I told them about our friendship-"
"And?" Snape interrupted.
"And, they said that if I wanted to have you as a friend, then they would no longer be mine!" Sirius grumbled. He looked to Snape for a response.
"What did you say to that?" said Snape eagerly.
Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "I just said that if that's how they want it, then fine! And I left," he concluded, with a cheeky grin.
Snape couldn't believe his ears. "So you're telling me that you dropped that lot," he gestured towards the lake with his thumb, "for me?" he exclaimed. Snape shook his head, as if what he had just been told would not register in his brain. "Why?"
Sirius leaned back in his seat. "Well for one, I like your company. And two, I don't have to pretend to be what I'm not with you," he smiled.
Snape looked puzzled. "I don't understand," he said, with a quizzical expression.
Sirius rubbed his hand on his neck. "They think they're better then everybody else, and I'm not like that!" he spat angrily. Snape nodded in agreement. "Anyway," Sirius continued, "why can't I have other friends as well?" Sirius was on full tilt now, and he wanted to make sure that Snape took the bait. "They can't have been true friends anyway, to drop me over something so trivial! They deserve a little punishment I think!" he ranted.
Snape's eyes shone. "What did you have in mind?" he asked
Sirius looked thoughtful. After a few moments, his eyes lit up. "They are planning to go off school grounds tonight, after sundown," he whispered. Snape listened with his mouth open. "We can catch them, and tell Dumbledore. That'll teach them," he grinned wickedly.
Snape thought that all his Christmases had come at once. "What's the plan?" he asked, with a gleam in his eye.
"There is a secret passage to Hogsmeade via the Whomping Willow," he confided. Shifting his position on the seat, he continued, "There is a long stick nearby. Use that to push the knot in the tree, and the passage will reveal itself." Snape just sat there looking at Sirius in amazement. "Just follow the passage to its end, and I'll catch you up when I can," he said deviously.
Snape nodded, and rubbed his hands together. This is it! My chance to get Potter and his stuck up friends into some real trouble, he thought contemptuously.
Remus emerged from the boys' bathroom feeling fully revived and ready for the day ahead. The shafts of bright sunlight streaming in through the windows illuminated the scarlet and gold decor of the Gryffindor common room. James and Peter were now up, and looking through the Daily Prophet. Remus went and stood in front of them.
"I'm starving. Are you two going to come down to breakfast?" he asked, putting his index finger on the newspaper and pushing it down. James looked at him from over his glasses, which had slipped down his nose.
"Remus, my friend, we have been waiting for you to get out of the bathroom for that very purpose!" he smiled. Peter nodded in agreement and rubbed his stomach, feigning a hungered expression.
"Well what are we doing here then? Come on!" Remus concluded.
Putting down the newspaper, the three of them left the common room for the Great Hall. The Hall was quiet, as a lot of the students had been in earlier so they could be ready to go to Hogsmeade. The trio was tucking into their bacon and eggs with fried bread, when James broke the silence.
"Did you see Sirius this morning Remus?" he asked chewing on his fried bread.
Remus shook his head. "His bed was empty when I got up, and it had been made!"
"Do you know," added Peter, "we didn't see much of him yesterday afternoon either. I wonder what he's up to?" he said curiously. James and Remus shrugged their shoulders and carried on eating.
*
Sirius was sitting in the library poring over Quidditch Through the Ages. The picture of Joey Jenkins, the famous Beater, was whizzing in and out of the picture, bat in hand, chasing the zooming black bludger. He had a look of grim determination on his face, as he leaned into his broomstick, his orange robes billowing behind him as he flew. Sirius looked up as he heard footsteps approaching. Snape was striding towards him with a serious look on his face. He sat in the empty chair next to Sirius, and glanced at the book.
"Trying to pick up a few pointers?" he smiled. Sirius gave him a pained expression. He was also mildly alarmed at the sight of Snape actually smiling. Snape carried on talking. "I can't hang out with you today, 'cos I'm going to go into Hogsmeade," he concluded.
Sirius looked panic stricken, but Snape didn't notice.
"You will be back before tea though won't you?" asked the former.
Snape looked casually back at Sirius. "Oh yes, well in time for tea, we can meet up then if you want?" he replied. Sirius nodded, and Snape rose from the chair. "Well I'll be going then, see you later Sirius!" he waved as he left.
Sirius sighed inwardly, and went back to his book.
*
The little village of Hogsmeade was buzzing with the excited chatter of Hogwarts' students. Snape made his way through the throng of activity, almost invisible to those around him. As he approached the Hogs' Head Pub, he faltered a little, but quickly he regained some composure he continued on his journey. The pub was dark and smoky. The room was empty, apart from a grizzled old wizard nursing a glass of amber liquid. Snape moved towards the bar confidently. The barman leered at him.
"What can I get you?" he asked Snape suspiciously. Snape leaned towards the barman, and gestured with his index finger for the man to come closer.
"I'm looking for Lucius Malfoy. Is he here yet?" he whispered. The barman nodded, and pointed to a door on the other side of the room.
"He's in there," he said casually. Snape looked in the direction of the pointing finger and moved away from the bar. Cautiously he knocked on the door.
"Enter!" came the muffled reply. Snape slowly opened the door, and entered the room. He closed the door quietly behind him, and walked to the two men seated at the table that dominated the dimly lit room.
"Ah Severus, so glad you could make it!" said Malfoy genially. Snape smiled awkwardly, his gaze resting on the hooded man sitting next to Malfoy. Malfoy's eyes followed Snape's gaze, and he gestured his hand towards the hooded man. "I would like to introduce you to Lord Voldemort," he announced proudly. Voldemort removed his hood and looked at Snape. His eyes pierced through Snape like a knife, and Snape was glad that his robes concealed the fact that his knees were knocking.
"I have been looking forward to meeting you Severus." Voldemort's reedy voice was cold and unfeeling. "Lucius here has told me good things about you, and I think it's time we got a little closer," he smiled vaguely. Snape shivered. Voldemort's appearance was visibly disturbing to him. His grey skin was almost translucent; he had a flat wide nose, that was in itself snake-like. Snape was jerked away from his thoughts as Voldemort spoke again. "You know what's expected of you today Severus?" he enquired lazily.
"Yes I do my Lord!" he breathed.
"And you are content with this arrangement?" Voldemort asked dryly.
Snape pulled himself up to his full height and said earnestly, "My Lord, it is my one wish that I serve you, and only you." He then added, "Even if it costs me my life!"
Snape was scared, he had to admit that, but he was certainly not going to let them see how scared he was. Voldemort gave Malfoy a sideways glance, and raised an eyebrow in approval. Voldemort turned his attention back to Snape.
"Come forward Severus," he commanded. Snape took a few steps towards the Dark Lord. Voldemort drew his wand with his long bony fingers. "Lift your sleeve, and bare your forearm," he said nonchalantly. Snape did as he was instructed. Voldemort pointed his wand at Snape's forearm and red sparks appeared at its tip. Snape winced as the sparks struck his vulnerable skin. The tattoo in place, Voldemort replaced his wand. "You are now a Death Eater, and as such, you will do my bidding," he drawled. "When the Mark appears you will know that is a sign that I want you to join me with my army." Snape nodded. "You had better go before you're missed," Voldemort said dismissively. Snape gave a thin smile, then turned and walked towards the door.
Snape blinked as he walked into the bright sunshine on the main street of Hogsmeade. Breathing a sigh of relief he made his way towards the students' pub, the Three Broomsticks. He needed a drink. Absentmindedly, he rubbed his arm as he walked into the throng of students and teachers that crowded the bar. He pushed his way towards the bar where Madam Rosmerta was serving a rather dubious looking goblin. Handing the goblin his drink, Rosmerta looked at Snape, giving him a winning smile that she reserved for all her customers as she greeted him.
"Well hello Severus! What can I get for you?"
Snape pondered for a moment; there wasn't an awful lot he could have. What he wanted was a glass of Fire Whiskey, but he knew she would not serve him one of those, so he came to a decision.
"A Butterbeer please," he replied. Madam Rosmerta grabbed a tankard from the shelf above her, and placed it under the nozzle of the Butterbeer pump. Every vein in her arm stood out as she pulled the handle, allowing the liquid to gush into the tankard. Once the drink was poured, she handed it to Snape.
"Thanks," he muttered. Bringing the heavy tankard to his lips, he drank deeply, only stopping as he noticed Madam Rosmerta's surprised look.
"A bit thirsty are we dear?" she enquired.
"Um, yes I, I suppose I must be!" he stammered. Madam Rosmerta smiled again, and turned away as someone else came to the bar. Snape felt the Butterbeer warming him now, and he felt a lot better. Taking the rest of his drink a lot slower now, he gazed around the room to see if he could see anyone he knew. Over in a corner booth, he spotted Wilkes talking to Crabbe and Goyle. Don't think I'll bother! he thought. Gulping down what remained of the drink, he walked towards the door. May as well get back to school, he mused.
*
The lake was calm, and the only disturbance from beneath the water was the giant squid's tentacles. Remus, James, Sirius and Peter were sitting on the bank talking.
"Where's Lily?" Sirius enquired.
James grinned at him. "She's putting together some things that we may need tonight," he said brightly. Remus raised his eyebrow at James with interest. James became defensive. "What? She wants to help!" he exclaimed. He looked at his friends sheepishly. "I couldn't say no, now could I?" he asked shrugging his shoulders. Remus smiled shaking his head slowly.
"Ah James, James, I can see where this is leading," he sighed. James gave him a puzzled look. Sirius and Peter were sniggering.
"Where what's leading?" James asked blankly. Placing his hand on his shoulder Remus began to explain.
"My dear James, Lily is obviously the dominant one in this relationship," he mocked. James's eyes narrowed. "You can't say no to her, that means that you are already under the thumb, my old mate!" he laughed. James blushed profusely. Remus' eyes twinkled with mischief at his friends embarrassment. "Oh James, I'm sorry! But it's so easy to tease you lately," he joked. James looked sullen, saw Remus' worried look then he smiled and winked at him. Relief washed over Remus, for the last thing he wanted to do was really hurt his friend's feelings.
Peter's stomach growled loudly. "Is it tea time yet?" he asked, rubbing his stomach. Sirius checked his watch, and shook his head.
"Not yet, we have another hour to wait still," he muttered. Peter groaned, Sirius laughed. "Peter, you are always hungry!"
Peter scowled. "No I'm not!" he grumbled.
"Peter, I'm sure you can afford to miss a meal or two," Sirius grinned cheekily.
"For your information Padfoot, this is not fat! It's muscle!" he lied, as he pinched the folds of loose skin around his midriff. The others chuckled. Peter's face was the picture of innocence.
"Whatever you say Peter, whatever you say!" said Sirius smiling. Sirius' gaze wandered towards the castle to see Snape heading up the steps to the great oak doors. He needed to catch up with him. Sirius raised his arms above his head and he stretched mightily. Pretending to yawn, he stood up from his spot on the bank of the lake. "Whoa!" he exclaimed. "I think I had better go to see Madam Richmond, in the Hospital wing."
James looked alarmed. "Are you feeling ill Padfoot?" he asked, standing beside Sirius.
"No mate, I just think I need some Pepper-up potion," he replied casually. The others were looking as concerned as James now. Sirius smiled, his dark eyes mirroring the smile. "I'm fine, honestly! I have just had a lot of work to catch up on, and I think I may need my wits about me tonight, that's all," he finished. James still looked concerned.
"Are you sure?" he asked.
Sirius nodded, smiling. "I'm sure," he said. James looked placated by this, and let Sirius go.
James shouted after him, "See you in the Great Hall for tea?"
"Yep! See you later!" Sirius shouted back, and waved.
*
Snape was making his way back to the Slytherin common room when Sirius caught up with him.
"Hey Severus, wait up!" Sirius called. Snape whirled round with a look that can only be described as a rabbit caught in a car's headlights.
"Wh- what are you dong here?" Snape asked in bewilderment.
Sirius had a puzzled expression on his face. "Well Severus," Sirius leaned in his face close to Snape's ear, "in case you hadn't noticed I go to school here!" he whispered, tapping the side of his nose secretively. Snape sniggered, raising his index finger to wiggle in his ear.
"Hey, that tickled," said Snape. Sobering, he turned to Sirius. "You just surprised me that's all."
"Do you fancy a game of Wizards' Chess?" Sirius asked brightly. Snape nodded. "Ok, I'll get the game, and meet you in the Great Hall," Sirius grinned.
Snape watched the tall, dark Gryffindor turn, and make his way to the marble staircase. He then sloped off in the direction of the Great Hall. Rubbing his tattooed forearm for the umpteenth time, he pondered on the events of the day. "Malfoy never told me that this thing on my arm would hurt so much! Come to think of it, he never told me I would be branded in the first place!" he thought contemptuously. He sat at the end of one of the long tables that was unoccupied. Lifting his eyes upward, he gazed at the enchanted ceiling above him. The ceiling reflected the sky outside, and by the looks of things it was threatening rain. Snape let out a long sigh, and watched for the arrival of his new friend.
Snape was surprised at how well he got on with Sirius. He was a bit of a loner and didn't make friends easily. He was studious and loved Potions and Defence Against The Dark Arts classes. He was in fact top of both classes, and he knew his parents were proud of him. On finishing Hogwarts, he actually planned to teach his favourite subject, Defence Against The Dark Arts. Just then Sirius appeared at the entrance to the Great Hall. Flushed with exertion, he jogged to where Snape was sitting. Placing the chessboard, and a wooden casket containing the chess pieces on the table Sirius sat opposite Snape. As they set out the pieces on the board, Sirius grinned devilishly at his opponent. "Are you ready to be thrashed Severus?" he goaded gleefully.
Snape gave a wry smile. "You speak too soon my friend," he challenged. "Black or white?" Snape offered.
"Well black, of course!" Sirius said offhandedly.
Snape stared down at the white chess pieces in front of him with a furrowed brow. "Knight's pawn forward two," he commanded. The pawn glided up the board two spaces.
Sirius looked thoughtful. Scratching his head, he spotted a move. Making his command, the ebony pawn slid across to its square. Sirius looked up at Snape, who was contemplating his next move.
"Did you get anything good in Hogsmeade?" he enquired.
Snape's eye twitched nervously. "Yes I got some Chocolate Frogs from Honeydukes," he lied. And a most fetching tattoo from The Dark Lord! he thought sarcastically. "Knight to queen five," said Snape, without looking up. The ivory piece slid along, and then the horse completely smashed the ebony pawn that blocked its way. Sirius frowned. "That's one to me," said Snape smugly. They continued the game in relative silence, chess pieces being smashed to smithereens in spasmodic intervals. After losing his bishop to Sirius' queen, Snape made an observation.
"I saw you with Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew on my way back from Hogsmeade," he said distastefully. Sirius looked up and met Snape's gaze. "Are you still friends with them?" he queried.
Sirius arched his eyebrow. "Well it's funny you should ask me that," he replied, closing the gap between them, and lowering his voice. "I had a bit of an altercation with them today," he muttered. Snape's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Never," said Snape in disbelief. "What was it about?" he probed. Maybe I can use this information to sort Potter and his cronies out for good, he thought gleefully. Hmm, having Sirius as a friend isn't such a bad idea after all.
Sirius continued with his tale. "Well what happened was, I told them about our friendship-"
"And?" Snape interrupted.
"And, they said that if I wanted to have you as a friend, then they would no longer be mine!" Sirius grumbled. He looked to Snape for a response.
"What did you say to that?" said Snape eagerly.
Sirius shrugged his shoulders. "I just said that if that's how they want it, then fine! And I left," he concluded, with a cheeky grin.
Snape couldn't believe his ears. "So you're telling me that you dropped that lot," he gestured towards the lake with his thumb, "for me?" he exclaimed. Snape shook his head, as if what he had just been told would not register in his brain. "Why?"
Sirius leaned back in his seat. "Well for one, I like your company. And two, I don't have to pretend to be what I'm not with you," he smiled.
Snape looked puzzled. "I don't understand," he said, with a quizzical expression.
Sirius rubbed his hand on his neck. "They think they're better then everybody else, and I'm not like that!" he spat angrily. Snape nodded in agreement. "Anyway," Sirius continued, "why can't I have other friends as well?" Sirius was on full tilt now, and he wanted to make sure that Snape took the bait. "They can't have been true friends anyway, to drop me over something so trivial! They deserve a little punishment I think!" he ranted.
Snape's eyes shone. "What did you have in mind?" he asked
Sirius looked thoughtful. After a few moments, his eyes lit up. "They are planning to go off school grounds tonight, after sundown," he whispered. Snape listened with his mouth open. "We can catch them, and tell Dumbledore. That'll teach them," he grinned wickedly.
Snape thought that all his Christmases had come at once. "What's the plan?" he asked, with a gleam in his eye.
"There is a secret passage to Hogsmeade via the Whomping Willow," he confided. Shifting his position on the seat, he continued, "There is a long stick nearby. Use that to push the knot in the tree, and the passage will reveal itself." Snape just sat there looking at Sirius in amazement. "Just follow the passage to its end, and I'll catch you up when I can," he said deviously.
Snape nodded, and rubbed his hands together. This is it! My chance to get Potter and his stuck up friends into some real trouble, he thought contemptuously.
