Severus' face is looking very pinched and drawn.

Severus- *his voice hissing with barely concealed venom* Half brother, actually.

Fitzwilliam goes over to him his face serious. He holds out his hand to Severus, who childishly slaps it away.

Fitzwilliam *puts his hand on his shoulder*- Don't you think it's about time this whole thing ended?

Severus looks at him for a long moment. Everyone is staring at the two, Elsie with a hard look of curiosity, Sebastian with one eye open from his prone position on the floor, and Chester with perplexity as he fans Sebastian's face.

Severus brings his face very close to Fitzwilliam, who stares back unflinchingly.

Severus *in a very quiet dangerous voice*- I swore that I would never forgive you for what you did and I will keep to my word until the day I die.

He removes Fitzwilliam's hand curtly.

Fitzwilliam- It wasn't my fault Severus.

Severus *his face flushed a sickly green*- Then who's fault was it?!

Fitzwilliam *quietly*- You know who's fault it was.

They stare at each other for a moment. The air is filled with tension.

Chester *in an inappropriately loud whisper to Sebastian*- Er, do you know where the little boy's room is?

Everyone turns to look at Chester.

**********************************************

The tension has been broken in the room.

Severus and Fitzwilliam have fallen silent. Everyone else in the room is burning with curiosity as to Sevvy's and Fitzy's little spat but they ain't talkin' and nobody's askin'.

Dumbledore- Down the hall to the left, but if you could hold on for a moment I believe Severus had some urgent news to part with.

Severus- Thank you Headmaster.

He clears his throat.

Sev- This rather insignificant boy who appears to be nothing more than a walking genetic disaster and a squib to boot.

(Chester- aww, my ears are burning. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me.

Elsie looks at him with a look caught between disbelief and disdain, as an emotional tear rolls down Chester's misshapen cheek)

Sev- .is in fact much more. Somehow he has managed to find out. *pauses for dramatic effect*... where Judemort is.

Dumbledore looks sharply alert and exchanges a meaningful glance with Fitzwilliam and Orlando- who's casual manner seems to instantly disappear.

Fitzwilliam (sharply)- Are you sure?

Severus- Well, it's in his mind somewhere, just where I don't know. Yet with a simple memory charm.

Orlando-.. That will probably break his mind completely!

Severus smiles coldly

Sev- I think that's a price worth paying.

Orlando looks at him half in disbelief. Chester is looking very nervous.

Dumbledore- Though no one doubts that your intentions are good Severus, I think that there are other ways.

Orlando looks at Chester intently who smiles nervously back. Orlando hasn't the heart to tell him that the gesture seems to have caused one of his eyebrows to fall off- at least he thinks it's an eyebrow.

Sebastian takes a breath as if about to speak. Snape swirls round instinctively and glares at Sebastian who glumly exhales with a sad little poof sound.

Elsie- Oh Master Snape

Snape- Call me Severus.

He attempts to smile, but his muscles rebel and he manages a sort of grimace. Elsie looks at him slightly confused. He stares at the floor, casually kicking his foot against it and twiddling his thumbs. The sudden strange juxtaposition between Snape, bad-tempered meanie and his sudden transformation into his alter ego, lets call him Sev, a shy romantic sort, seems somehow obscene. He keeps it up for a full ten seconds before giving in to his nature and sneering.

Chester- What's he sneering at?

Sebastian- Oh he just likes to sneer. You know in general. They say he was born with a sneer on his face and a malicious glint in his eye.but that turned out to be a terrible squint that blighted his childhood. He had to wear a patch over his left eye from the age of three to sixteen. You could say it left him a little bitter.and twisted.and yeah a little sadistic.and maybe part of him is evil.and sure he's done terrible things the average person couldn't imagine.and yeah he's really, really in to causing torment and insufferable agony.and maybe he should have been drowned at birth like the evil piglet in a litter who mentally tortures the other piglets and makes them feel ashamed to be pigs.and yeah he's bullied me in the past.and the present.and in all probability the future.and when all is said and done he's got a bit of a thing about Dark Arts.and at the end of the day if you were gonna choose who was most likely to be the Anti- Christ well no-one would blame you for choosing him.and plus he eats babies.

Chester looks aghast. The expression causes a pustule to somehow, ignoring all laws of physics and decency, jump from his forehead to his chin, while his eyelashes go for a quick stroll on to his scalp.

Sebastian- Ok I made that one up. But what I'm trying to say is.er.no.wait sorry, lost it. But I'm sure it was something to do with Uncle Sev being evil.

Elsie butts in.

Elsie- But doesn't he have any redeeming features?

Sebastian thinks long and hard.

Sebastian- Weeeelllll.... he does make a fabulous crème brulee.

Elsie nods in appreciation. It seems to redeem him somewhat. After all mafia bosses who can cook up a first class lasagne are rarely single.

Meanwhile, Severus got occupied by a piece of lint twirling through the air, and therefore missed his entire character assassination.

Fitzwilliam and Orlando are discussing what to do.

Orlando- Maybe some veritaserum.

Fitzwilliam- No, no, I mean if the memory is as badly repressed as it seems to be, it wont be any use.

Dumbledore is watching them discuss it with a slight smile.

Dumbledore- You know I am a Legilimencer.

Orlando turns round to look at him.

Orlando- And you left it so long to tell us because?

Dumbledore merely looks completely innocent. Now we aren't suggesting that Dumbledore has a somewhat sadistic streak.but remember he is an old man.