Chapter Twelve: Snape's Lesson in Loyalty
Professor Snape was in his office when he heard all the commotion coming from the corridor outside his office. He went to his door to see who was involved. When he opened the door he found Potter, Black, Granger, Ron Weasley, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Black and Malfoy were arguing and the others were just looking at each other threateningly. Just as Professor Snape opened his mouth to put an end to it, Black raised her wand.
"Expelliarmus!"
All seven students turned to see who had just disarmed Clarice. It was Snape. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle's faces widened with smiles. They knew she was in trouble.
"What is going on here?" Snape demanded.
"Nothing Professor," said Harry.
"Then why was Miss Black about to hex Mr. Malfoy?"
"Well, Professor-" Hermione began, but Snape interrupted her.
"Silence Miss Granger!"
"But Professor, Malfoy-" Ron tried to say, but he stopped him too.
"You would also do well to keep your mouth shut Weasley! Let's see there are four Gryffindors involved here so forty points will be taken from your house. Potter, Granger and Weasley, return to your dormitories immediately. Malfoy and Black, in my office. Crabbe and Goyle, you will bring these letters up to the owlery to be sent to their guardians. Wait here for a moment."
Snape went into his office with Clarice and Malfoy following Malfoy just sat there smirking at her, looking all triumphant.
"Miss Black, what is the name of your social worker at the orphanage?"
"Ms. Falcon, Professor, but I'm not at the orphanage anymore. I was placed in a home."
"Well what is your guardian's name, Miss Black?"
Clarice didn't want to answer. She tried her best not to answer him. When she didn't, however, Malfoy did.
"She lives with my family Professor Snape."
"Really?"
"Yes, I do, Professor."
"Fine."
He wrote a letter to Mr. Malfoy and gave it to Crabbe and Goyle to bring to the owlery to send it.
"I have requested Mr. Malfoy's presence at the school immediately. If these squabbles between the two of you doesn't stop soon, I am afraid you will be stripped of your prefect's badge, Miss Black. The two of you shall wait in here with me silently until Mr. Malfoy arrives."
Lucius turned up an hour and a half later. He went straight down to Professor Snape's office. When he knocked on the door, he looked furious. He looked from Clarice to Draco and then to Professor Snape.
"What is going on here, Professor Snape? I do not appreciate being pulled away from my work," said Lucius.
"There seems to have been quite the disagreement between Malfoy and Black. Just as I came out of my office to break it up, Miss Black drew her wand and was getting ready to hex Draco," said Snape.
"I see," said Lucius.
"If these problems don't stop, Miss Black will lose her prefect's badge and there will be the possibility of expulsion," said Snape.
"I understand. Clarice, I have told you about arguing with Draco. I have asked you to leave him alone. If I hear another word about you going after him, I will have to punish you for it when you return for the summer holidays," said Lucius.
"Why don't you just kill me, the way you killed my father, Lucius? It would be easier to handle than your punishments." Clarice cried out.
"What are you talking about child? Your father is not dead. Sirius Black is on the loose," said Lucius.
"SIRIUS BLACK IS NOT MY FATHER! ERIC DUMBLEDORE WAS!" shouted Clarice.
Lucius and Snape were both shocked. Snape had never heard her say anything about her family, with the exception of when he asked her back in November. Malfoy was shocked because he had never known that she was Eric's daughter.
"I will deal with you when you return to the manor Clarice. In the meantime, focus more on your assignments than on my son," said Lucius.
With that both Malfoys left the office. Snape asked Clarice to stay for a moment.
"Miss Black, I have not heard you speak your father's name since you were just a child. How do you know Lucius killed him?"
"He was their secret keeper, Professor. He betrayed them. They died because of it."
"Clarice, what is the punishment that he gives, that you would take death over?"
It was the first time she had heard Professor Snape call her by her first name while she was at Hogwarts. She was debating telling him. He was supposed to be her godfather, wasn't he? Maybe he would be able to save her from Malfoy.
"You were obviously very close to my father and Lucius. You still seem like you are friends with Lucius, am I right?"
"Yes."
"Then I am not sure if I should tell you. I mean it's really bad and I don't even know if you would believe me."
"Clarice, I am your godfather. Your mother and father made me your godfather because they knew if anything happened to them, I would see to it that you were safe. I would have had you all these years, had it not been for everyone thinking you were dead."
Clarice thought about it for a second. She decided she would tell him, but didn't know how. Before she could think it out she had done it.
"He rapes me and threatened to kill anyone I told about it."
Professor Snape was shocked. What should he do? His goddaughter just told him that one of his friends rapes her. If she was being honest, she was in trouble and needed him. If she was lying, she could ruin a friendship that preceded her birth.
"Look into my eyes and tell me that again."
She did. What he saw frightened him and made him angry. His friend was raping his goddaughter. She was also hurting herself to deal with the pain he was causing her. He had to make a decision of what he was going to do.
Professor Snape was in his office when he heard all the commotion coming from the corridor outside his office. He went to his door to see who was involved. When he opened the door he found Potter, Black, Granger, Ron Weasley, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Black and Malfoy were arguing and the others were just looking at each other threateningly. Just as Professor Snape opened his mouth to put an end to it, Black raised her wand.
"Expelliarmus!"
All seven students turned to see who had just disarmed Clarice. It was Snape. Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle's faces widened with smiles. They knew she was in trouble.
"What is going on here?" Snape demanded.
"Nothing Professor," said Harry.
"Then why was Miss Black about to hex Mr. Malfoy?"
"Well, Professor-" Hermione began, but Snape interrupted her.
"Silence Miss Granger!"
"But Professor, Malfoy-" Ron tried to say, but he stopped him too.
"You would also do well to keep your mouth shut Weasley! Let's see there are four Gryffindors involved here so forty points will be taken from your house. Potter, Granger and Weasley, return to your dormitories immediately. Malfoy and Black, in my office. Crabbe and Goyle, you will bring these letters up to the owlery to be sent to their guardians. Wait here for a moment."
Snape went into his office with Clarice and Malfoy following Malfoy just sat there smirking at her, looking all triumphant.
"Miss Black, what is the name of your social worker at the orphanage?"
"Ms. Falcon, Professor, but I'm not at the orphanage anymore. I was placed in a home."
"Well what is your guardian's name, Miss Black?"
Clarice didn't want to answer. She tried her best not to answer him. When she didn't, however, Malfoy did.
"She lives with my family Professor Snape."
"Really?"
"Yes, I do, Professor."
"Fine."
He wrote a letter to Mr. Malfoy and gave it to Crabbe and Goyle to bring to the owlery to send it.
"I have requested Mr. Malfoy's presence at the school immediately. If these squabbles between the two of you doesn't stop soon, I am afraid you will be stripped of your prefect's badge, Miss Black. The two of you shall wait in here with me silently until Mr. Malfoy arrives."
Lucius turned up an hour and a half later. He went straight down to Professor Snape's office. When he knocked on the door, he looked furious. He looked from Clarice to Draco and then to Professor Snape.
"What is going on here, Professor Snape? I do not appreciate being pulled away from my work," said Lucius.
"There seems to have been quite the disagreement between Malfoy and Black. Just as I came out of my office to break it up, Miss Black drew her wand and was getting ready to hex Draco," said Snape.
"I see," said Lucius.
"If these problems don't stop, Miss Black will lose her prefect's badge and there will be the possibility of expulsion," said Snape.
"I understand. Clarice, I have told you about arguing with Draco. I have asked you to leave him alone. If I hear another word about you going after him, I will have to punish you for it when you return for the summer holidays," said Lucius.
"Why don't you just kill me, the way you killed my father, Lucius? It would be easier to handle than your punishments." Clarice cried out.
"What are you talking about child? Your father is not dead. Sirius Black is on the loose," said Lucius.
"SIRIUS BLACK IS NOT MY FATHER! ERIC DUMBLEDORE WAS!" shouted Clarice.
Lucius and Snape were both shocked. Snape had never heard her say anything about her family, with the exception of when he asked her back in November. Malfoy was shocked because he had never known that she was Eric's daughter.
"I will deal with you when you return to the manor Clarice. In the meantime, focus more on your assignments than on my son," said Lucius.
With that both Malfoys left the office. Snape asked Clarice to stay for a moment.
"Miss Black, I have not heard you speak your father's name since you were just a child. How do you know Lucius killed him?"
"He was their secret keeper, Professor. He betrayed them. They died because of it."
"Clarice, what is the punishment that he gives, that you would take death over?"
It was the first time she had heard Professor Snape call her by her first name while she was at Hogwarts. She was debating telling him. He was supposed to be her godfather, wasn't he? Maybe he would be able to save her from Malfoy.
"You were obviously very close to my father and Lucius. You still seem like you are friends with Lucius, am I right?"
"Yes."
"Then I am not sure if I should tell you. I mean it's really bad and I don't even know if you would believe me."
"Clarice, I am your godfather. Your mother and father made me your godfather because they knew if anything happened to them, I would see to it that you were safe. I would have had you all these years, had it not been for everyone thinking you were dead."
Clarice thought about it for a second. She decided she would tell him, but didn't know how. Before she could think it out she had done it.
"He rapes me and threatened to kill anyone I told about it."
Professor Snape was shocked. What should he do? His goddaughter just told him that one of his friends rapes her. If she was being honest, she was in trouble and needed him. If she was lying, she could ruin a friendship that preceded her birth.
"Look into my eyes and tell me that again."
She did. What he saw frightened him and made him angry. His friend was raping his goddaughter. She was also hurting herself to deal with the pain he was causing her. He had to make a decision of what he was going to do.