A/N sorry this is the third time i have changed this chapter...
The Threat of Time
Chapter 6
Snape gripped his head firmly in his hands attempting to ease the pain. He stumbled forward and bumped into his desk. It rattled and bottles went clashing to the floor. He clenched his head tighter.
"Aarrggg!" he screamed in agony. What was happening to him? He fell to his knees and shook his head violently. This only made the high pitched ringing even worse. There were other sounds, ones that swarmed around him. Then touching, someone was touching him. He removed his hands and flung them in the direction he assumed the attacker was. He felt nothing, but something was still touching him.
"Get away!" he hissed, and made an effort to move backwards.
Whatever was touching him wasn't touching him now. He tried to see what who was there. Or what was there. He couldn't see anything. His eyes had gone blurry. Everything meshed together. It was as though he were going in and out of a dream. He reached for his wand and removed it from his pocket. He heard a shrilly gasp as he pointed his wand straight in front of him. He winced and put his hand to his temple, but stood his ground. He started to mumble a spell but something flung into his back. He spun around wide-eyed. Nothing. Then he began to drift. Back and forth, in a soothing motion. He relaxed. The pain subsided. He sighed with relief and allowed himself to sink to the floor. He lightly closed his eyes.
"Professor?" A frightened looking child looked down at Snape. He didn't dare get any closer.
"Professor?" his voice was shaky. "Uhhh, are...." he swallowed hard and stood up straight in attempt to give himself courage.
"Are you alright?" Snape opened his eyes. The boy was wearing Hufflepuff robes and clutched a thick book to his chest. The spine read, "Beginning Potions" in deep red letters. He shot up and looked around him. The boy fell backwards with shock. Snape stood and helped the boy to his feet. He looked at his horrified class. They all stared at him wide eyed. He took a step towards them and they gasped. He stopped, confused.
"You!" he growled at a shivering boy in the front row who nearly jumped out of his seat.
"Yes...yes sir?" he managed to squeak his blue eyes starting to teat up.
"What's going on around here? What's the matter with everyone?" He glared at his class, who in turn shrank into their seats. The shivering boy looked at Professor Snape questioningly.
"What?" Snape snapped. The boy twitched, "Na. nothing."
"Then what the hell is going on!?" He slammed his hand firmly on the boy's desk. It shook and the class cowered deeper into their seats.
"I....uhhh....you...you."
"I uh. I uh. I what?!" Snape was growing impatient. He couldn't take much more of this, or he was more then likely going to burst. "What are you talking about." A level of menace in his voice usually reserved for the children naïve enough to cross him.
"You don't remember?" he breathed.
"It'll be fifty points from Hufflepuff if you don't explain yourself." He rubbed his forehead and shook his head with disgust. These kids drove him crazy.
"You had a spasm." A braver kid in the back spoke up. Snape glided to where he was sitting and stopped abruptly in front of his desk.
"Explain." You could tell that the boy was scared, but he took a deep breath and looked Snape in the eyes,
"Okay, so here's what happened. You were writing the assignment on the board, when all of a sudden you grab your head. It looked like you were in pain or something, because then you were all like aaarrggg, or something. Then Tasha went up to see if you okay. But you told her to get away." Snape shot a look at Tasha and she blushed furiously.
"I'll get to you later." He said "Go on," he motioned for the boy to continue.
"So then you pulled out your wand and everyone was like ahhh. And you started to do something but then you looked around some more. You dropped your wand and started to like twitching. And that's when you fell." The boy looked at Snape awaiting his reaction. Snape thought for a moment. He could faintly recall...Wait! There was something! He had to get to Dumbledor, it was urgent. He knew where Harry was!
"Class dismissed!" he barked at the children before running out of the room. The children stared dumbly at each other then quickly scampered out of the room. If Professor Snape was going to let them get out of the quiz he had just assigned, it was fine with them.
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"Sire! Sire! Great news! We may have found Harry Potter!" Wormtail danced around with glee.
"Is that so? Well it seems that we will be paying our friend a little visit." His thin mouth curved into a wicked smile. "Very soon. Very soon."
Wormtail glanced happily at his master. Harry Potter had been found!
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"This isn't going to work."
"Ahhh ye of little faith. Trust me, it will work."
"This is all nonsense, it isn't practical. There are other ways..."
"What ways?"
"I could try..."
"We've been through this. You aren't trying anything anymore. It's wasting time. Try to look at this logically. What if you don't get your powers back in time? We have to try something. We may be to late. Just go with me on this."
"My powers WILL come back. I'm just in a funk."
"I don't have any doubt that your powers will come back sweetie. But right now, my best friend is God knows where, and we have to help him. Think of all the times he's helped us." Hermione looked stubbornly at her feet. She hated it when he was right. She couldn't sit around all day trying to do something that just wasn't working. And besides, this MIGHT work. Not what she would prefer, but she didn't have any better ideas.
"What does the book say to do next?" Ron looked at her.
"Oh, ummm, you're supposed to pour the foam over the crystal ball." She looked at the crystal ball with disgust. She hated divination. It was all nonsense. "Then wait till it dissolves..."
"Then?"
"Then peer on in." She said with sarcasm. Ron shook his head, but chose to ignore her. Divination wasn't exactly his favorite subject either. But he was doing some reading...he really was! And discovered that there was a way to spy, on a particular person's whereabouts. No matter where they are. He hoped this was true. He had to find Harry.
"Ron pay attention! I think it's ready!" Ron looked into the crystal ball. "Oh..Ye...great, ball. Errr, show us Harry Potter?"
"No no. You're doing it wrong. Move over." Hermione sighed and began the incantation.
"We come to you to ask you this
There is a person we sorely miss.
We wish to find where he might be
To look inside so we may see.
All we need is a little peek
Harry Potter is whom we seek."
"Bloody Hell, that was neat."
"What?" Hermione asked innocently.
"I didn't know you could do that. You sounded so far away."
"I don't know what you're talking about. Look! I see something!"
The crystal ball filled with a swarm of dark purples. The colors moved faster and faster and the ball began to spin on its stand.
"It's possessed!"
"Shhhhhhh!"
The ball was rising into the air! It changed to a bright yellow before...it began moving towards them.
"Ahhhh, it's after me!"
"Shut up Ron!" Hermione reached for the crystal ball. It glided perfectly into her hands. "See. There's nothing to be afraid of." Ron scowled. But moved towards the crystal ball anyways. By that time the color had changed to an off-white, and the spinning had slowed. Then they saw....'
TBC
A/N Tell us what you think...