Revert To Type

Disclaimer: I own little to nothing of what it is named/referred to and am making even less from it.

Chapter 5.

Severus leafed through the parchments he had collected from the students almost two and half hours ago. Said students were all at breakfast at present and he was readying himself for the return of the Seventh year class. He had managed to read their reports already and had only just managed to restrain himself from correcting them as he went along.

The Head of Slytherin had actually been particularly surprised by how coherent they were, even when taken as a whole. The Gryffindors had provided fairly analytical and detailed descriptions, especially Miss Granger, while his own students it seemed hadn't strayed too far from the truth as the Gryffindors had told it. They had, either through sheer lack of observance or malice, avoided any detail whatsoever.

The sound of footsteps trampling down the stairs rang out above his head, making it fairly obvious that the first period was due to start shortly. He sat silent and still at his desk as he heard them congregate outside the door, noting that they seemed far more subdued than usual and was tempted to blame this on loss of sleep rather than an awareness of what had actually occurred.

"Enter." He called more than loudly enough to be heard over their quiet murmuring.

They did enter the room and in a much more orderly fashion than was usual of them. He waited impatiently for them to seat themselves and stop shuffling around book bags before he stood.

"You may, or may not, have gathered from our conversation earlier this morning," he began, sweeping out from behind his desk, "That yesterday's accident was not quite as innocent as it may have at first seemed.

"Now I will be honest and tell you that I am hardly surprised by my colleague's lack of concern over what happened, which I'm certain would have been increased dramatically had she been able to foresee its consequences. I am more disappointed in your own lack of awareness. Surely I haven't been teaching you for six years already to have you not even pick up the basics of laboratory safety! Longbottom, perhaps you can tell us all what the standard practise is after an accident of the sort that occurred yesterday afternoon?"

"As the…" The boy began. Though both his competence and stutter were greatly improved, it seemed that the potions master's mood was making him nervous. Severus backed off ever so slightly but continued to loom to the best of his ability.

"When someone gets splashed with an incomplete potion, one that you have reason to suspect may have gone wrong or been tampered with, then the person affected ought to report immediately to a medical facility and a sample of the potion ought to be taken and stored, just in case."

"For once in your life, Mr Longbottom, you are entirely correct. I'm sure I needn't point out that the potion that ended up drenching Professor McGonagall was at least one of these things if not more. Now would one of you care to tell me what exactly my esteemed colleague did do?" He looked around the room and eventually let his gaze fall on another Gryffindor. "Succinctly if you please, Miss Granger."

"She used a Scourgify charm to clean both herself and the rest of the potion up before giving Malfoy detention." Well that just about covered it.

"Correct. And did any one of you numbskulls actually think to point out what recommended practice was to her? Did any one of you feel the need to go tell one of your other Professors or perhaps even Madame Pomfrey that there had been an accident?" The volume of his voice had increased dramatically and he had let his anger and frustration show, something he rarely did.

This had obviously been of some effect as the previously cowed students' now looked petrified. Taking a deep breath, he continued a little more calmly even if his seething tones were extended to whole new measures.

"However there is some doubt as to the nature of the accident, isn't there." He let his gaze sweep the room before finally turning to look at the undoubtable culprit.

"I think it's fairly safe to say that we are as certain as it is likely to be able to be, as to whom is to blame for this incident, and I think that said individual should be aware that he is both a disappointment and scourge on the name of his house. Slytherins are supposed to be valued and admired for their stealth and cunning, neither of these traits were evident in the incident in question as it seems that everyone including the victim herself saw what was going on as sited by the fact that she awarded the individual a week's worth of detentions.

"I would also like it to be known, that considering the ultimate repercussions of their actions, if said student is here long enough for the duration of these punishments, then I for one will be extraordinarily surprised." As he spoke, his intensity had grown even further and when he came to the end he had to take several steady breaths before he spoke again.

"Class dismissed." He said firmly, retreating behind his desk once more.

Most of the Slytherins were up and out as soon as the words crossed his lips. Draco stood and looked toward him for an instant, and the boy's Head of House made no effort in hiding his disdain at the young man's actions. The blonde quickly lowered his head and gathered his belongings. Severus felt sorry for the child, really he did, but now that the war was officially over, he supposed that the child had a far higher chance of eventually seeing the light and it just seemed that it seemed he was not going to be the one to show it to him.

In any case his actions had been both childish and ill thought-out. If they had been committed by a younger student, even with similar results, they would perhaps only have been suspended, but any seventh year ought to know better than that. It took him a moment to realise that there were still a number of pupils in the room.

"I wouldn't have thought that two words were beyond even your Neanderthal comprehension. I said - 'Class Dismissed'. Surely you have someone else to go bother, some of us have work to do." He swept an arm around indicating the tomes that still littered it from his initial spree of research earlier that morning.

"We just…" It was Potter speaking this time and although Severus had been grudgingly forced to acknowledge that the boy had matured into an almost normal young adult who was in fact not James, it certainly didn't mean he liked him.

"Spit it out Potter."

"Well – you never did say what actually happened to the Professor."

"Really? You don't say Mr. Potter? Is it beyond the grasp of your ken that I might have left out the potion's effects on purpose?"

"She's not…She hasn't died has she?" This was Longbottom and for a moment the genuine concern that was shining in his eyes struck him. Sighing he ran a hand over his face. There was really no chance of the truth being concealed for any length of time in this school and he supposed that it would be better that the truth was out there somewhere.

"I think you'll find that Minerva McGonagall is actually perfectly fit and healthy." He paused and took satisfaction in the confusion on the faces of the others. "She's three years old but seems well with it." He continued taking even more gratification from their faces now. Granger seemed the first one to snap back to reality.

"Do you know how long…"

"Miss Granger – at present we can't even begin to know what the active ingredients in the potion that was created were, and therefore 'I have no idea', would be the answer to your question. Hence the fact that some of us had things we had better be getting on with."

"Oh." Came the response from several of them.

"Ummm, yeah. We'll be off then." Weasley said, his face looking as blank as ever. When they had in fact made good on their word and left, Severus let his head fall into his hands and sighed. He had a feeling that the next few days were going to be hectic beyond belief.

A/N: Hello again grin Hope you enjoyed this short and sweet instalment if you did (or even if you didn't) please let me know.

--- feeling starved of attention…. And generally pathetic grin

any case. Thanks for reading. Thanks to M for beta-ing and to steve for pointing out my idiocy wink