Disclaimer: Again, Harry Potter is the property of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers Pictures. This piece is for entertainment non profit use only; no copyright infringement is intended, and none should be inferred. I'm a poor college student anyway, so there's no money to take.

A/N: This second poem was inspired by the scene from OotP, where Snape is confronted by the Marauders after writing their Defense Against the Dark Arts OWL. He seemed prepared for the fight, almost as if he were expecting it, and I have no doubt that he spent long hours on his own praticising. Yet, I doubt he ever asked anyone else for help, choosing instead of work on his own strength in order to make himself feel better about himself. This piece touches on that, and explores how those thoughts enter his mind - how he fights the argument with himself - even when he doesn't mean to. I see the shoe as a metaphor for his own life - how it's easy to ask for help from others, but not necessarily the best to stand strong on your own.

Thank you whitehound for the fave, and duj for the review! I have a quick question, duj - were you implying good insight about the prose vs. poem decision or about the content of the piece:) I actually thought really hard about keeping it as prose, but I wanted to give it a shot as a poem just to try something different. If you think it would work better the other way, though, I can try the last piece as prose and see how it stands. Thanks!

Shoes

General recommendation:
Don't wear shoes when practising
An ankle hang spell.

You see, if you're out
Of practice
You'll accidentally grab
Your shoe instead
Of your foot.

The shoe will hang
On, of course – but only to the point
That you think
You're safe.
Just when you relax,
When you think you've pulled
Off an A-grade incantation,

The shoe lets go
And you drop.

Shoes are sadistic;
I don't really appreciate
Their sense of humour much.
Granted, they keep
Your feet
From hurting,
But what's not to say they make
Your soles too soft?

Feet can fend
For themselves.
A few calluses
Never hurt
Anyone.

That's why I'm practising;
I'm not about to hide
In a stupid shoe
And disappear.

Preparation is the key.

Rocks don't hurt
If you kick
Them out
Of the way
First.

Damn spell.

These shoes
are coming off.