A/N: I found the original in backups, but my new Quidditch game was better so this is the new chapter 21 with everything as meant to be.
Chapter 21-Ron's Last Quidditch MatchRemus Lupin was staring at one of the contained artifacts in Godric's sitting room. He held a tumbler of the ancient whiskey in his right hand and a letter that was never sent in his left.
'It was so long ago,' he thought. 'Who know if she still feels the same?' At that moment, the daughter of the woman in question walked in, her hair changing shape faster than a chameleon changes it color. Remus nodded toward Tonks and motioned to the bottle of whiskey to distract her while he tried to hide the yellowing letter behind him.
"Don't mind if I do," Tonks exclaimed as she poured her very own tumbler full of the ancient liquor, but not before she noticed the folded parchment in his left hand. She took a heavy swig of her drink and settled down in the chair next to Remus. Before she spoke, the alcohol took its effect and Tonks's appearance fell to normal. She jokingly asked him, "So wotcha got there, Remus? A long lost love letter?"
Remus nearly choked on his drink he was so surprised by her comment. Tonks grinned mischievously. 'No Gryffindor would let this slide,' she thought.
"Oooo. It is a love letter. So spill it, Lupin. Who's the lucky lady? Not someone I know is it?" As Tonks teased Lupin his face got redder and redder. He just never was a man who could easily hide emotion, especially after a couple tumblers of high-end whiskey. Tonks didn't need him to answer her question. She took his reaction in and continued to pick him apart, "I do know her then. Well, it's not me or you would have blushed a whole lot sooner than you did. Too bad too. I've had a crush on you since I've known ya." Then she mumbled, "Must be in the genes." She continued in her teasing tone, "Okay. If you won't tell me I'll have to guess." Lupin was wondering why he didn't take the cue and get up and leave, but he blamed the alcohol.
'Besides it was Tonks,' he thought. Sensing no objection she tried to guess who Remus was pining over,
"I'll just get rid of some obvious no's first. Professors Sprout, McGonagall, Vector, Spinistra, Arbella Figg, Viviane Fay. Hey, what about that new professor? She's about your age isn't she?" Remus frowned,
"Blanche Nouveau was Sirius's love not mine."
"Well, then. You're sure I know her?" He nodded to her.
"Not Mia!"
"Heavens no. Not that I hadn't thought about it. She has become quite the young woman. Blossoming in all the right places." Lupin dazed off for a bit. "But alas, I think she is better suited to someone else in the Order, and my heart was taken a long time ago. So, no."
"I know who I'd hope it'd be if not me."
"I love you Tonks, but not like that. Who?"
"Me Mum." Remus looked to the ground then to the letter. Tonks didn't notice his reaction because she was gazing out the window contemplating something. "You know, she has always loved you. She and Dad got along enough to have me, but I always thought she just was ready to settle down. When I found out she had a history with you I figured it out. Must be why I always liked you myself."
"You really think she still cares for me? It's been a whole lot of years, Tonks, and despite what you say about your Dad, they did have you together. There had to be something about him for her to drag him back here. At any rate, it would be too soon."
"When you walked in on her telling the story about how you became a werewolf, what did you feel?"
"I felt horrible."
"Horrible." A shocked auror's face looked at an unsteady hairy one. "Really? I sure didn't imagine that reaction."
"I was all tied up in knots like I hadn't been in years. I hadn't seen her or heard her up close since the last time we were at Si's cabin. I felt horrible because I knew I still loved her as much as ever, if not more, even though she was a married woman." Remus looked away from his friend, feeling the same knots coming back to his gut. Tonks turned back to the window and spoke softly,
"That's when I knew for sure, you know. The sparks between you were amazing. Even Harry grasped what was happening. When you isolated yourself from everyone, you hurt her enough for her to use her time turner to go years before you knew each other. And as you know that's how she found Dad. She had no way of living in the muggle world without someone to help her. She was in a cafe when the waitress asked for money to pay for her food, and all she had was a sickle. Dad saw this and chipped in for her breakfast provided she went out with him later. She needed him at the time. He wasn't a bad bloke, and pretty good looking. After she had me and I was walking around in my terrible toddler years, she told Dad she was a witch and they decided to go back to her time. Dad didn't have any family left, and he really was intrigued by the wizarding world. He knew about it, of course, and had already guessed what Mum was, so he was an easy sell. Mom wrapped her time turner around the three of us and that's how I got to be born in 1965 but am only about six years older than Harry. If she hadn't gone back, I might have been your daughter and still at Hogwarts with the Golden Trio. Maybe we'd been a quartet. Funny how things work, huh?"
Lupin stared out the same window Tonks was now standing at and wondered at it all. 'Wouldn't it be something if Ande never stopped loving me just like ... That's crazy talk.' But before he could think out the feeling behind his words, they echoed in the quiet room.
"I would have loved to be your dad, Tonks."
"I wouldn't mind having you be my dad, Remus. Give her the letter. Like the late, great Ted Tonks used to always say, better late than never." They stared out the window and finished their tumblers in silence. After Tonks had gone off to her chambers, Lupin, in a semi-drunken stupor, used a fellow Order member's raven to mail a letter.
Severus walked through Hufflepuff's Solarium looking for rare ingredients that might spark an idea for his research assignment. So far work on the actual talismans that the Forbidden Forest ritual was supposed to make, had made no progress. No one had any ideas on how to actually make them. Even the Weasley twins had been enlisted for help and despite their strong capabilities with charms, they had no idea when it came to ancient charms, which is what they needed. He'd even seen the vision multiple times, as had Harry and Hermione, but there wasn't so much detail on how to prepare the orbs for the ritual or whether a substance needed to be inserted into the orbs to be formed into the talismans. No one knew. Because the ritual was an ancient rite of Avalon, as far as anyone could tell, he thought an ancient potion with ancient ingredients might help catalyze any reaction that could occur. Along the same lines Severus was hoping there would be a way to remove his Dark Mark. 'Ancient spells needed ancient antidotes, purely logical.' Severus grew wary with his thoughts, so he sat down on one of the purple padded wooden benches in the inner clearing of the greenery. He hadn't been seated for long when Viviane Fay seemed to appear from the ether of the dewy solarium air in front of him. She looked at him as if examining his face.
"Arthur is spot on. I never realized it before. Then again, I never saw his portrait until last month."
"Madame Fay. I'll just leave you to whatever business you are attending to." Snape rose to get up not wanting to strike words with someone he didn't know, obviously forgetting that she was possibly the key to Avalon.
"Come now, Professor. I know you aren't one for strangers, but I can assure you I knew you years ago. Though you would have no remembrance of it." His nonchalant face didn't let on his curiosity.
"I knew Albus didn't pull you from the sky. I figured a glamour was in place." He looked her over in a similar fashion to how she looked at him a few minutes before. "A very strong glamour. Albus?" She smirked at his subtle cheek and with a bit of bitterness responded to him,
"Yes. Even without it you would probably not remember me. I was insignificant to you." He shrugged his shoulders and replied in cool monotone,
"Not many are significant."
"Yes, but I somehow didn't realize that at the time." She stood turned away gazing out the tower like a caged bird. Between the silence and his awakened curiosity, Snape somehow couldn't resist conversation. He broke the ice with his frosty nonchalance.
"So what was that you were babbling about when you appeared from no where?"
"Only that Arthur Pendragon is right about you resembling Lance. Do you know if the family Snape is related to the knight?"
"I wouldn't imagine so unless he's in a house other than Gryffindor."
"Oh, yes. He is actually one of the four portraits. He my house's ancestor, Hufflepuff that is." Snape looked at her with a puzzled face, keeping his surprise to himself.
'Hufflepuff, interesting.'
"I thought for sure he'd be along with Arthur in the blazing glory of Gryffindor."
"Hufflepuffs didn't used to be so timid. And can you imagine anyone as steadfast as Lancelot? Not many men at the time would have tried to resist Gwen let alone sleep with her and the king at the same time. Even after it all, he lived to serve Arthur." Snape nodded his head.
"Loyalty is an admirable trait."
"Yes. Nothing hurts worse than the knowledge that someone you trusted has deeply betrayed you."
"Experience?"
"Quite. You should speak to Lance. I find you've grown out of your shiftiness. Those Hufflepuff genes just might be there underneath your Slytherin stealth. Along with the bravery that once was held as high as Gryffindor's." Snape rolled his eyes.
"Ah. The boy I knew still exists. Though I hear your teaching techniques changed for the worse." Snape's eyes narrowed, picking up on the subtle hints. Looking for more evidence before flat out asking who she was, Snape subtly reminiscenced in better times,
"Yes. I remember being very different as a boy."
"Even as a teenager I'd wager. I seem to remember a quiet, but remarkably intelligent boy who, despite the house he was in, was generous in helping less remarkable students find the knowledge. I hope someday that part of you can resurface. For now, I believe you have a knight to talk to and talismans to create. Helga's library might surprise even you." Snape watched as the mysterious Viviane Fay started to walk out of the solarium. In a moments quick thought he realized what he had forgot earlier, and in his own subtle way tried to find out if she was the Lady in question.
"So Arthur is Gryffindor, Lancelot-Hufflepuff. I'd guess Merlin for Ravenclaw. Who is the Slytherin portrait?"
"I wondered if you'd ask. Viviane Le Fay. Morgan's aunt whose line Morgan continued, much like Molly's family."
"Le Fay. Interesting. Any relation?"
"Oh, we have our similarities. But I am no Slytherin. What of it?"
"Oh. Nothing. Just trying to find a pebble from a long lost beach where the flowers that bloom are much like those that grow here in this solarium."
"I think you may have tripped over that pebble, Professor. When the time comes all will be revealed to you."
"Now I'm convinced. You sound very much like a druid heir I know. Spending too much time around Albus I suspect."
Later that evening, the Golden Trio were waiting with much excitement to find out the next part of their defense training. Already Snape had them running five miles in the morning and evening, dueling practice three times a week, strategy discussions twice a week, and ad lib spy tactics after Occulmency training. While Snape was a demanding taskmaster as usual, after the initial month of getting back in shape, the three Gryffindors were enjoying the challenge. Now that they were caught up to where they needed to be they wondered what their coach would come up with now. They didn't have to wait long for an absent minded Snape to walk in on them. He was lost in some thought or another. Hermione heard what was on his mind.
'I'm Lancelot's heir? This whole situation just keeps getting more and more messed up. What a bundle of gilly weed! First, I'm supposed to be some knight of the Red Branches' incarnate. Next thing you know, Granger's reading my thoughts, I end up training the Gryffindor triangle, and now I'm Lancelot's heir with Hufflepuff blood to boot! Bloody hell!' Hermione stifled a giggle. The boys thought it was because their Professor was staring at the air above Hermione's head for a moment. Then, all of a sudden it hit Snape that he was not alone. His head snapped down, and his eyes narrowed while the rest of his face met their three stunned faces with a scowl.
"Well, what are you standing about for? Shouldn't you be practicing?"
"We would have been, Professor. But you asked us to meet here today, because you had an additional task to challenge us with." Hermione eyes lit up as she saw his own burst with fiery remembrance.
"Ah, yes. The challenge. As you know I have somewhat interesting extracurricular activities.' Harry snickered and mumbled,
"Yeah and look how long it took you to figure out we were here."
"It should be apparent by now that I mold with the shadows and use my stealth to my advantage. What I purpose is this. You will hide and I will seek you out. This is for tonight only. After tonight, I will seek you out at any moment of any day. If in either case you are unable to catch me before I do you, you will add three running miles to each day and owe me a favor." Hermione stood up and glared at him and with a challenging tone and an arrogant look on her face she asked,
"And what happens if we discover your presence before you catch us?"
"You get the pleasure of having outwitted a stealthy Slytherin." This time Harry replied,
"I don't think so. What's good for the goose is good for the gander." He circled Snape and rubbed he chin in thought, trying to come up with an equal but fair reward for the three of them. "I'd say if any of us are able to beat you at your game, we get a dare and a favor."
"I hardly think it appropriate that a professor of Hogwarts should play juvenile games with students."
"Oh, you're just afraid we'll beat you," Hermione stated not using her unusual talents to read his mind this time.
"Fine. Truth or dare is it. In that case for any winners the reward will be a truth or a dare, and a favor. Agreed?" He looked down at them eyebrows raised. When he got to Hermione he diverted his eyes, and she looked at him pensively.
"Okay. Rules. What constitutes a win? And what would be a tie?" Hermione asked always ready to set a plan into action.
"How about the winner is the first to bind the other's limbs and mouth and a tie would be if both parties manage to bind each other equally," Ron suggested.
"How will they be unbound if they both are bound?"
'Professor, since you'll always be involved, couldn't you just send me a thought?'
'As long as the tie belongs to one of the two dunderheads. Though quite unlikely. There actually isn't a problem.'
"Well, let's just say I mean it when I tell first years there will be no foolish wand waving. Mr. Potter and Ms. Granger are also talented in wandless magic. Or had you two forgotten the results of our first few Occulmency lessons. You use the same skills to perform wandless magic as you do Occulmency. It is all in your mind."
"That means I might have a go at it. I'm pretty good at blocking Luna's Legilimency."
"Good, then there you have it. No worries on the binding thing. Consequences and Rewards Truth or Dare. This could be fun. Could we up the stakes a bit?" Snape's eyebrows rose at Hermione. "It's no fun to be the hunted all the time. How about if one of the three of us beats you at your game we become the predator. That way we won't know who to expect as long as we don't tell each other when we've won. All rewards will be divvied out at the end of the term. How long are we doing this for?"
"Until the Holiday Break. That's five weeks."
"Okay then we can have the Truth or Dare thing after the holiday feast before people leave for home. Unless we all are going to be here anyway?" The three men nodded. "Okay. How about we pay up after the real Christmas Feast then? It will give us time to come up with good truths or dares. We need a way to keep score."
Hermione conjured a piece of parchment and wrote each of their names in blood red ink. After a few charms, she sighed and said, "There. The parchment will keep track of who owes who what and when we begin to divvy out consequences it will subtract them. Until after the Christmas Feast, I think we should hide it and all of us contribute to the lock, so none of us can peak." When she said this last bit she looked pointedly to Snape and Ron. Then, she shrunk the parchment and Snape handed her a black box. "Okay, password wards from each of us and that should do it."
"Perhaps the Headmaster could act as protector of the box while our "game" is in the works," Snape suggested. The other three looked at each other. "Unless you'd rather me not tell him of this extra challenge?"
"Well, you'd have to tell him anyway wouldn't you? What would happen the first time he ran into one of us body binding the other? I, for one, think he better be in on it to prevent awkward questions that could occur," Hermione reasoned out loud.
'Especially in regards to me being found bound alone with one of you lot,' she thought to herself forgetting that someone else present would hear that reluctant acknowledgement.
'Your virtue you mean.' Hermione blushed.
'Well, this school has a way with rumors.'
"Well we couldn't have that now could we, Miss Granger?" The two boys looked at each other, than at Snape. Hermione's feminine voice nearly giggled in his mind as she made him aware of what he had just done.
'You said that out loud you know.'
"Indeed." Harry, finally deciding he needed to know what was going on because this continually happened during his sessions where Snape and Hermione were both in the vicinity asked them,
"What is going on with you two?" Snape and Hermione glanced at each other than back to Harry. Snape shrugged and Hermione said calmly,
"Whatever do you mean, Harry?"
"You know. Don't play dumb Mia you aren't any good at it. Whenever the three of us are together I find myself feeling quite the third wheel. Not in the usual sense of the phrase but in that you two seem to share something the rest of us don't, and quite frankly it's driving me mad. Does it have something to do with the past lives?" Hermione nodded. "Well, what is it? I can't deny that I've noticed a change in both of you I wish wasn't there, but if I understand the theory correctly it can't be helped. Are you in love or something?"
'Or something, maybe.'
'Really?'
"There. See. You're doing it again. You blank out and you both become part of something else. It's like you aren't here anymore. Like you have your own little world that no one else can be part of. Again, what the bloody hell is happening?" Hermione walked over to her friend after casting an apologetic look at Snape and held Harry's shoulders to get him to look at her.
"Harry, I can't tell you." Harry's face grew red with anger. "But I can show you." Harry nodded and took her hands. When he looked into her eyes and whispered Legillimens he saw all her visions that lead to the theory and all the memories of she and Snape discovering what was going on between them. As a third party looking in, Harry had a different perspective on things. He saw two people connected beyond this life and he saw the two connecting again in a slow but completely sure path. In fact, by appearances he thought the Professor might already be there just waiting for Mia to get a clue and catch up. Before he left her mind he focused his thoughts and tried to show Mia what he saw. When they pulled away from each other, Mia was blushing more than any of them had ever seen.
"If that's all I'll just be going now," she said and left the three men to fend for themselves in the dungeons.
"Is anybody going to let me in on this secret?" Ron asked impatiently slowing coming to a simmer.
"Ron, Snape and Hermione can read each other thoughts," Harry explained, hoping Ron wouldn't need more than that. He didn't. Ron visibly cooled down and replied to both Harry and Snape,
"Oh. Well, that could be handy. I think you got the bad end of the stick, Snape. I'd hate to be able to hear Hermione in my head all day. All she does is think." Instead of agreeing and complaining about the misfortune, Snape turned to Ron and coolly said,
"Mr. Weasley, just because you have the mind of a kneasle, doesn't mean that there isn't anyone who can appreciate the thoughts of a brilliant woman." With that he exited, trying to seek the mind in question out. He wanted to know what made her react so flustered in front of really the three people who knew her the best.
The next Saturday was the first Quidditch match—Slytherin verses Gryffindor. Everyone at the school was excited to see the season begin, if only to prove that this year could be stable after all. Lee Jordan, however, looked a little less enthused than usual. After all, without the Weasley twins he didn't think there would be much to this year's Quidditch commentary. But he trudged on behind Professor McGonagall to the teacher's stand in order to be the com man for this game.
Heading up to watch his first game as a bystander by choice, Harry followed the trails of Gryffindor students up to their section of bleaches. Feeling a little solemn, Harry's head was down watching his feet move of their own violation. A yell across the bleaches sprung his head to attention.
"Harry, over here!" An orange haired woman yelled over to him. Next to her his last "uncle," Remus Lupin waved Harry over. The orange haired woman got up and began to climb down the bleaches toward him. As she stepped over the last set, she fell into Harry's arms.
"My, my Harry. Growing into quite the body aren't ye now," she smiled as he helped her to her feet. Harry blushed when he realized who the woman was.
"Hi Tonks." She grabbed his hand and dragged him over to where Remus and now Hermione waited for them. "So to what do I owe the pleasure of being escorted by the prettiest carrot top in the stands?"
"Oh, I just . . . I don't know. I wanted to make sure you saw us is all. It's already so crowded." Harry looked disappointed as he mumbled,
"Oh, I see. I thought . . . never mind." Tonks smirked and teased him,
"You thought I was excited to see you and wanted to make sure you sat by me, eh?" Harry smirked back and replied,
"Well, maybe. Where am I suppose to sit?" Tonks sat down two spots away from Remus, and as seductively as Tonks could, she patted the spot open between them and said in her best imitation of a sexy actress,
"Looks like this ones free, Snookums. Perhaps you'd like to help a lonely little lady keep warm for the game?" Taking up the challenge Harry sat beside her, and in a cool collected voice he whispered in her ear,
"Anytime, Nymphadora." Suddenly Tonks's hair sprouted into green dreads, then blond and black streaks, and then red curls. Harry reached out for her hand and whispered in her ear again, "I finally got a response out of you. It's okay, Tonks, I feel the same way." She visibly calmed down and her hair settled into her normal brown spikes. She smiled back at him, patted his hand, and moved closer to him. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said simply, "I'm glad I'm not the only one." Harry smiled and squeezed the hand that he vowed he wouldn't release until after the game once he'd helped her down the bleaches unscathed.
At the very moment Harry sighed with contentment, Tonks's head still resting on his shoulder, Lee Jordan started the game's commentary with less than usual gusto. "Sounds like someone misses the twins," Lupin said to Harry, and Harry just nodded in response. Lupin smiled and turned around toward Hermione smirking. All knowing Hermione smirked back. Then, Lee's voice sounded off each teams' players and Professor Snape released the snitch and tossed up the quaffle.
"Why's Snape refereeing this game?" Harry asked no one in particular.
"I heard Madame Hooch got hurt at a practice this past week. I guess Professor Snape is the only replacement referee," Hermione responded.
"Well, you would know. Figures. Just in time for Gryffindor verses Slytherin. Gee, I wonder who will win this match."
"Oh, stop it Harry. The professor is a fair man," Tonks said so everyone could hear her. Then, she leaned into Harry's ear still resting her head on his shoulder and whispered, "He just can't be publicly."
"And they're off," Lee stated morosely. Next to him, everyone in the stands could hear Professor McGonagall,
"Snap out of it Mr. Jordan or I'll take over myself."
The quaffle was tossed from Gryffindor to Gryffindor. Horatio Bradley the first year chaser was pulling off some particularly amazing fly work across the pitch. After a loopy-loo and toss from Johnson, Bradley scored the first goal of the game.
"That's Bradley with some fine flying for Gryffindor's first score. Looks like McNair's in for quite the workout guarding Slytherin's court today. Okay, so quaffle to Zabini. Toss to Nicoliava. Back to Zabini. Ooo. Watch the bludger, Nikki! That came from the new beater, Gryffindor fourth year Tom McPherson. Oh, Zabini lost the quaffle. Back to Bradley. Johnson. Bludger towards Thomas. Good save Seamus! Back to Bradley. Johnson. Bradley. Johnson with the goal. Gryffindor up 20!"
Meanwhile, up a bit higher in the air, two seekers were watching for the golden snitch. They both saw it at the same time fluttering around the Gryffindor goal posts and they zoomed after it. They weren't the only ones to notice. Crabbe and Goyle were instantly chasing down Ginny hitting bludgers toward her as they went. Their aim was good and Ginny found herself struggling to remain on her broom. Malfoy was closing in on the snitch, but of course, it was too early to catch it honorably. Soon Crabbe and Goyle's attention was taken yet again by the now infamous Horatio Bradley and his dazzling quaffle acrobats. Almost as if they were ordered to turn back they nodded to each other and proceeded to pester the opposing chasers with their heavy bats. Malfoy followed the snitch nonchalantly until Ginny finally found her way beside him on the chase.
Soon Gryffindor had made another four goals and the Slytherin's were looking a bit angry. Malfoy made a move for the snitch, but Ginny kicked him off it and reached for the golden ball herself. Before that point the game could have been called a rather clean match, especially considering the teams that were playing, but then all hell broke lose. As Malfoy and Ginny passed the Gryffindor court, Ron saw Malfoy pull something from his robes and speak into it.
On the other side of the pitch Crabbe and Goyle could been seen stopping instantly where they were mid-swing to 180 it and high tail toward the seekers hitting bludgers once again toward the red-haired Gryffindor. Ron was furiously watching from his goal posts and keeping eye on the quaffle, which managed to stay on the Slytherin side for most of the game. It didn't take the two Slytherin slugs long to lodge themselves on either side of Ginny. Soon enough, Ginny found herself in a snake sandwich against her will. She dove and side swiped and braked, but somehow the normally sluggish Slytherin beaters were right with her. All this time she still managed to keep her eye on Malfoy and the snitch. Then, the two brutes began bumping Ginny back and forth between them making her queasy in the process. Ron saw what was happening and singled to Angelina. When he couldn't get her attention, Ron shouted at Professor Snape and pointed. Snape blatantly ignored Ron and pretended to be busy keeping up with the quaffle.
Without much more of a thought, Ron was gone, leaving the Gryffindor goal to save his sister from certain peril. And he wasn't the only one headed to fend off Crabbe and Goyle. Harry had summoned his Firebolt from the stands and was instantly in the pitch beside Ron. The two Gryffindors met the bulky Slytherins head on and pushed them away from Ginny. Wrestling in the air became cumbersome for the two beaters and so they headed for the ground. Before anyone noticed, the four boys were off their brooms brutally beating each other muggle-style. Up in the stands Lee Jordan's voice could be heard in an outrage,
"Gryffindor's been disqualified on grounds of having an extra player on the pitch! Snape you're a $&(# bastard! After you didn't call the fouls on your beaters, you're giving them a win!! You bloody #hole! Those two bastards nearly killed the best looking fifth year!"
"Mr. Jordan that's quite enough!" Professor McGonagall shouted taking the mic away from him. In a moment of heated passion, the remaining team members headed down to the ground to help their teammates. Soon students were coming from the stands and an all out war between three houses and one broke lose. Hagrid pushed into the thick of the fight and began pulling apart the four boys caught in the middle. After the half giant pulled the four to the side and had Crabbe and Goyle held to his left and Potter and Weasley to his right, the crowd was silenced and froze by an outraged Headmaster's powerful magic, but he wasn't the wizard to fear at that moment. The wizard in question came down from his lofty spot and landed his broom. He walked coolly but menacingly toward where the four boys were being held. With more ice in his melodious voice than usual, when dealing with members of his house, he looked toward the two beaters. The two Slytherins cowered behind Hagrid for protection as Snape towered above the two. The professor's words came out clearly and calmly,
"My office. Now." Crabbe and Goyle sneaked out around Hagrid not letting their backs turn once toward Snape. Slightly relieved by the professor's actions to his Slytherins, Harry and Ron let out a sigh of relief, forgetting that in the public domain Snape still had to loath Gryffindor and all it stood for. Before they remembered that if Snape treated his Slytherins this badly, the worse was yet to happen, Snape was on them revealing a wrath that hadn't been seen in any form since the shrieking shack their third year. Through a magic no one knew Snape possessed, Snape's body seemed to tower even Hagrid as his normal cruel words came out with more heat than Mrs. Weasley's scoldings ever had.
"WHEN WILL IT BE, MR. POTTER, THAT YOU EVER LEARN TO STOP PLAYING THE HERO! YOU ARE THE ONE WHO DECIDED NOT TO JOIN THE TEAM THIS YEAR OR WAS THAT JUST A PLOY TO BRING YOUR SPOTLIGHT THAT MUCH CLOSER TO SAINTHOOD! MR. WEASLEY DO YOU BELIEVE A KEEPER IS MEANT TO LEAVE THEIR POST AND LET IN THREE GOALS IN HIS ABSENCE! WHAT KIND OF IDIOTS ARE WE PRODUCING IN GRYFFINDOR!
YOU TWO ARE OFFICIALLY RESTRICTED FROM THE QUIDDITCH PITCH FOR THE REST OF YOUR DAYS AT HOGWARTS, AND IF I HAVE MY WAY TONIGHT WILL BE YOUR LAST NIGHT! IF YOU AREN'T EXPELLED BY THE END OF THE EVENING, I WILL PERSONALLY SEE TO IT THAT YOU SPEND EVERY FREE MOMENT IN DETENTION!"
Before that moment, Harry and Ron had hoped it was all an act. But looking into Snape's normally emotionless black eyes and seeing fire waving within them, they knew he was serious. Both boys' faces paled and their heads dropped to the ground. Hagrid stood in front of them and tried to calm the wizard still towering above him in fury.
"Now. Now. Professor. They were on'y trying to save young Miss Weasley. 'oo can't want them expelled for doing the 'onorable thing."
"HONORABLE? HONORABLE? ARE YOU MAD! THE ONLY HONORABLE THING POTTER HAS DONE IS DECLINE HIS POSITION IN QUIDDITCH ONLY TO TRY TO PLAY REGARDLESS! AND MR. WEASLEY THERE, HE ISN'T CAPABLE OF DOING ANYTHING HONORABLE WITHOUT HIS IDIOTIC COUNTERPART OR WITH THE HELP OF A KNOW-IT-ALL!"
"That's quite enough, Severus," a calm, soothing voice said from behind Snape. Snape slowly began to come down to normal height, and despite the still obvious anger slithering behind his eyes, it was controlled in his usual cool, icy way.
"Headmaster, surely you aren't going to intervene on my punishment as referee?"
"I wouldn't dream of it, Professor as long as it is fair to the rules of the game. However, I find that three certain Slytherins were in it together to "get" Miss Weasley. I found an illegal communication device in young Mr. Malfoy's robes. I expect the other two to be amongst Misters Crabbe and Goyle's Quidditch things. It seems the punishment will fall to me as Headmaster of the school. This game will be thrown out to be replayed at another time."
"For now, I want you to go to your two Slytherin's and see if you can't find the devices still on them. I'm sure they didn't think to throw them out after seeing you in your glory." With that thought the Headmaster almost chuckled, and Snape visibly calmed, a twinkle in his eye. "You really are remarkable, Professor. Now go to your office and handle your boys. Don't be to harsh, my boy." Snape turned on his heal toward the school. If he'd been wearing his robes they would have billowed like there was no tomorrow.
"Now then. Mr. Potter. Mr. Weasley. I believe you have a young lady to comfort. Go and make sure Miss Weasley is okay. I have a frozen student body to thaw."
"Headmaster?"
"Yes, Mr. Weasley?"
"Am I really kicked off the team?"
"Only time will tell, my boy." Dumbledore smiled at the two Gryffindor boys and walked toward the heap of posed students. Hagrid patted the two boys on their backs and headed them off to find Ginny.
"Well, 'oo two sure know 'ow to bring heat to a November day."