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Chapter 3
"The next day, the little wretch was even more fidgety. To my extreme horror, I had found that we would be brewing the same potion. And so I had consigned myself to the opposite side of the room from her.
'… There have been many attempts to brew an Invisibility Potion… the latest by Professor Horace Slughorn – currently in employment at Hogwarts – under strict Ministry guidelines. The potion, if made properly would be classed a Grade A potion – due to some extremely sensitive ingredients involved in its creation.
After extensive study and initial experimentation, Professor Slughorn concluded that to achieve the level of invisibility required, extremely rare and dangerous substances which the Ministry has forbidden, would be needed during the potion's brewing. Acromantula venom, for example, is required to induce the crystallisation of the Antipodean Opaleye Draught; another necessary prerequisite is Unicorn Blood-'
I stopped reading.
Unicorn Blood. They were asking me to use Unicorn Blood. This war had totally stripped the Ministry with any morals it possessed. Unicorn Blood!
"What's the matter Professor?" piped a small, annoying voice. I turned around. Pétale stood behind me, with an enquiring glance on her face. She must have seen me from across the room, and had probably marched towards me, determined to wrestle the truth out of me with her weak little hands. I must have looked pale. Of course I must have! They were asking me to use… Unicorn Blood. Even now I shudder. She stepped closer to me and peered up into my face, standing on her toes.
"What's the matter?" She reiterated. I gazed into her gently curious face.
Disgusted with my weakness, I turned, handing her the large book. She nearly fell with its weight and disgusted at her weakness, I snarled and snatched the book from her and placed it on a nearby desk, muttering an indignant "honestly!" in the process.
"Read."
She read. I watched her with interest. How would the frail little woman take something so heinous? Remarkably well it would seem. I was shocked beyond words when she said (with perfect clam and curiosity I might add): "What?"
What sort of Dark Wizard was she? How could she not respond to something so horribly treacherous? I told her as much. A blush arose in her pale face. I watched with satisfaction as she struggled in her embarrassment.
"What?" she repeated.
"You can read I assume Ms Black?"
She turned a withering stare on me. "Of course I can, Professor."
"Undoubtedly," I sneered, scorn etched all over my face, "not very well. You have absorbed the information about the Unicorn Blood?"
"Yes…"
"Well?"
"Well what?"
I sighed in exasperation. This incensing little wretch! "You do not know the curse of Unicorn Blood?"
"Curse…?" A blank look flitted across her pale little face.
"For the love of-" I turned around, infuriated. "You do not know…"
"Professor?" persisted the agonisingly irritating woman.
"Yes," I spoke through gritted teeth.
"About this curse…"
There was a tight pause. I sighed, and then stalked over to the book.
"Unicorn blood," I said, "has miraculous properties. The only way – at least the only known way – to obtain Unicorn Blood is to slay a Unicorn. This is one of the biggest and most monstrous crimes one can commit. A Unicorn is the essence of pure innocence. Unicorn Blood has miraculous healing properties like phoenix tears. Unlike phoenix tears however, Unicorn Blood is cursed if used to heal and keep someone alive; that person will lead a cursed life, a dark life, a half-life, because they have used the essence of pure innocence."
She shuddered. My own voice had descended to a whisper.
"But… we aren't using it to heal anyone. We're using it for a potion."
I nodded. "Which is why nothing will happen to us. Of course, where the Ministry obtained the Unicorn Blood is beyond me. That doesn't matter. What matters is that they're willing to use the blood of something so innocent for their own purposes. We, as brewers, are handling it, not for ourselves, but for the Ministry; nothing will happen to us, but I am still loath to touch the blood of pure innocence."
She had stepped close to me. She now looked up into my face. "And we have to use this blood to brew the Invisibility Potion."
I sighed. "That's what the encyclopaedia suggests. But I'm going to keep that as a last resort. I'm sure there is another way." I paused, racking my brains for a solution.
"How about using Dragon Blood? They're highly magical creatures."
I snorted. "Ms Black… I assumed you possessed a shred of knowledge regarding Potions. I was sadly mistaken."
"What?" Once again the blank look.
"Besides the puzzled repetitions of the word 'what' and the numerous examples of basic Potion knowledge that you seem to be lacking… you have not added anything useful to this conversation."
"Humph!" She snorted, raising one eyebrow and looking at me unbelievingly.
I turned to regard her, bringing the full weight of my stare on her little countenance.
"You are an Unspeakable. You work for in the Department of Mysteries, for the Ministry of Magic, brewing new potions and concoctions… and you have not one shred of knowledge telling you that Dragon Blood – although highly magical – cannot be used in a Potion simply because it is reacts devastatingly with practically every single magical substance known to wizard-kind" I smiled in triumph as I saw her face flush.
"You're being very rude Professor." She accused, her hands on her hips. She would have been formidable… if only she were a few feet higher.
"Rude? By all means, call me what you will. Humour yourself. There's a vial of Dragon Blood in the cupboard across the room. Why don't you mix it with a harmless substance like… oh say… the peppermint draught you managed to spill all over yourself yesterday?"
She blushed crimson. I was loving her embarrassment. This would show the arrogant little mademoiselle.
"You know Professor, being nice wouldn't be asking for too much."
"I'm afraid I cannot stand ignorance Ms Black. Ignorance despises genius. And genius inspires envy." I was enjoying the waspish look that was projected towards me from her face.
"Genius? I take it you mean yourself?"
"Why yes, I suppose I do."
"And you believe that I'm jealous of you?"
I replied in the affirmative, straightening to my full height, a good one and a half feet more than her. The little brat became more outraged.
"Jealous of you? What possible reason could I have of being jealous of you?" She spoke the last word as if it were poison.
I openly sneered. "Oh please, spare me your… wit. You are jealous of me. Admit it. You are jealous of my considerable intellect; of my reputation; of my skill and talent at Potions. In short, you are a jealous little busy body, who lacks the self-control to keep her temper under check. Why I can read your thoughts this very moment, you foolish little creature (quite literally, I thought to myself). So wallow in your self-indignant righteousness. If I knew I was to work with an amateur, I would have refused this job."
"Amateur?" Her anger was plainly shown in red hues across her face; her large eyes stared like daggers at me. Her hands were clenched into fairy fists by her side.
"Precisely. You do not even know the properties of Dragon Blood… an honour only a five year old can lay claim to."
"I would have you know… Professor… I've been brewing Potions since I was seven. And I did know the properties of Dragon Blood. I was only-"
"Testing me?" I interrupted.
She gazed unbelievingly at me. "Of course not. Don't be ridiculous. I know perfectly well that only Hungarian Horntale Blood is reactive. Other species of dragons have perfectly unreactive blood."
I was a little surprised. Not many people knew this. "But it is only the Horntale blood that would possess sufficient magic to make a potion powerful enough to induce Invisibility."
"I was merely suggesting Professor. I didn't-"
"O calm yourself woman. You'll hurt yourself." I stepped down and approached her. "You said you had been brewing potions since you were seven? And yet you lack the basic knowledge that is a prerequisite to any Potions Master, Mistress, or novice. Your little self applies to the latter category."
She slapped me. I admit, I was stunned. Only for a second, of course.
I looked at her contemptuously. "Perhaps you ought to grow a few feet before expecting your… slap was it? – it can hardly be called that – to hurt anyone beyond the age of nine…"
I stepped towards her.
She didn't back down, the minute little monster. Stooping down, I grabbed one of her fists – it was hot and clenched tightly. She tried to pull it away.
"What are you-"
"Be quiet child." I held her hand up. "You think this is the hand of a Potions Brewer?" I smirked, scornfully. "Why didn't you go into the field of Charms or Muggle Studies?"
She ripped her hand away, with fire in her eyes.
"You intolerable, overgrown… bat!"
"Really. Don't give yourself airs. Are you even qualified to be here?"
"You unfriendly, slimy- no wonder you didn't have any friends at Hogwarts!"
I stiffened. The insufferable little- "Friends? You didn't think that I perhaps chose to stay aloof?"
"Oh please! Snape, you couldn't befriend someone if they asked you to!"
I gritted my teeth, and clenched her skinny arm tighter. "Don't dare to talk to me like that," I snarled icily, my anger fully provoked. "You are to address me as Professor. I thought I made that clear yesterday. Or perhaps your addled brain cannot handle that one simple instruction?"
"And I thought I told you to call me by my first name. And what if I do talk to you like that? I may talk however I wish," she replied, a strangely triumphant look in her brown eyes.
I pulled her arms and drew her even closer to me, until our noses were almost touching. I could feel the heat from her little body. I infused my whisper with my most dangerous, deadliest iciness. "You will respect me if you expect me to follow suit. Or you might find yourself… seriously hurt."
There was a flicker of something in her eyes. She pushed me back and her voice quivered. "You disgusting man. How dare you threaten me! I've dealt with bullies ten times worse than you!"
I laughed contemptuously, retreating so I could see all of her. I swept my gaze over her whole body. She was young. The same age as me. Maybe slightly younger. I didn't know. I wasn't good with judging people's age. There was the mixture of the French and Black family blood in her; she was a "petite madame," with brown hair; a small, pale face; large brown eyes – that filled with emotion remarkably quickly as I had just noticed; a small mouth; almost a child-like figure; not too voluptuous – not that I cared. Of course, with her loose black robes I couldn't judge very well. I found her a silly little woman – too sensitive, with an unmanageable temper and hardly anything in the way of skill and talent. In short, she was nothing special. And yet… there was something about her. Something that I couldn't place. Almost… as if I'd seen her before somewhere. However, I judged that to be a silly fancy of mine, and so I banished the thought to the back of my mind.
I snorted in contempt, turning and dismissing her. She wasn't worth it.
"I was talking to you. How dare you turn away!"
Rage coursed through me. The annoying brat didn't know when to stop talking. "First of all Ms Black… I shall dare to do whatever I want to do. You would do well to remember that. Second of all, I will not be commanded by the likes of you. Since circumstances have forced us to work together, I suggest we keep this relationship entirely professional-"
"As if I'd want it any other way!" she had the audacity to mutter under her breath.
I chose to ignore her. "And third of all, I rather doubt that you have 'dealt with bullies ten times worse than me' as you so eloquently put it. I do assure you, I'm far worse than anything you have yet experienced in your sheltered little life, so I suggest you do nothing to provoke me, you little imp."
A furious look came into her eyes. "You are the most intolerable man I've ever met. Here I thought that I was going to be working with someone who would actually be… oh well you know… nice! From the moment I met you yesterday, you've treated me like I'm an inferior!"
"Oh? You ignorant woman… the world out there," I swept my arm in an arc to indicate said world, "does not run because of 'nice' people. You do what you have to to earn a living. And then you die! That's life Ms Black. Deal with it. Seldom in your life are you ever going to meet nice people." I finished this little speech on a serious tone. I meant what I said.
"You think so?" She asked me quietly.
"I don't think, I know. This is not Hogwarts, where you have your fellow gang of Gryffindors to back you up. This is the real world. Loyalty, honour, friendship… what are they but figments of imagination. You see how he-who-must-not-be-named, day by day, is slowly and steadily taking over our world? I'm sure he cannot lay claim to any friends. The only weapons in this world are fear and the intelligence to use that fear to your advantage. I pity those fools who suggest otherwise."
She had been listening to me. There was a strange look on her face. "You sound just like a Dark Wizard," she said quietly, her eyes sweeping my face.
An intolerable sadness swept through me. My anger of a moment ago was all but forgotten. "I do?" I replied quietly. "But you recognise the truth of my words?"
She shook her head. "I believe that there is such a thing as friendship. Look at Albus Dumbledore, the Order of the Phoenix; I'm sure they don't operate on your philosophy of instilling fears in others."
I pondered a moment. "Albus Dumbledore is a great wizard. Greatness inspires confidence. They say Dumbledore is the only one the Dark Lord fears. I don't refute or acknowledge this claim. But in time… mark my words… in time everyone realises the lesson that Slytherin teaches. In the great world there is only one person you can rely on and that is yourself."
She shook her head again, this time in evident pity. "What sort of a life is that? Do you not care for any friends?"
I laughed. "Don't be preposterous."
She fired up. "Can't you take anything I say seriously?"
I regarded her again. She looked away uneasily. "I have learnt… through hard lessons… that I am the only one that I can trust."
"Then I pity you. You've never had a friend."
"I do not want your pity. Nor do I want friendship."
She tutted, and then turned away. I shrugged. "So be it," I whispered. She whipped around.
"Did you say anything?" she asked sharply.
I glanced at her surprised. "No."
"You did. You said something. What did you say?"
I looked at her strangely. "What is the matter with you, you curious girl. Go do your work."
She whipped out her wand. "I thought I told you not to be-"
Before she finished her sentence, I had whipped out my own wand, and muttered quietly: "Accio wand." Her wand flew to my hands. "10 inches, oak, tail feather of… an Abraxan." I looked up surprised. "This isn't an Ollivander wand."
She marched up to me, tiny little fairy, tight-lipped. She snatched her wand from me. "You sordid, unkind, evil-faced man…"
I laughed. "You humour me."
She raised her small hand, almost as if to strike me again. "I told you did I not, woman, that it would be better if you didn't provoke me. You might one day find that I've accidentally spilt a few drops of the Draught of Living Death in your cup of tea… do not cross me. You might have had royal treatment in the 'most noble and ancient house of Black,' but don't expect me to bow down before you. I had enough of your type at Hogwarts. No more."
"My type," she was livid, crimson spots of rage on her cheeks. "Well yes I suppose you did. By the way, have you recently spoken to James or Sirius?"
I stepped back as if slapped. She laughed sadistically.
"Potter and Black? Ah yes, the Gryffindor heroes. Did you never notice that they always approached me together? Never alone? I could curse each and every Gryffindor to high heaven if only they were courageous enough to face me alone."
"Don't be ridiculous, Snape. As if Slytherins possessed any courage."
"Oh really?"
"Yes really."
I laughed a short laugh. "Get away from me. Do what you will… but stay away from me, you abominable, foolish… pixie!"
