Disclaimer: See Chapter One
-CHAPTER THREE-
'Professor Bane's Portrait'
"What's the rush?" puffed Ron, taking a bite from a slice of marmalade smothered toast as they hurried along the corridor.
"We want a good seat…" Hermione snapped, annoyed that Ron and Harry had insisted upon polishing off a second helping of breakfast.
"We don't even know if Professor Raven here, I didn't see her at breakfast," mumbled Ron through his last mouthful of toast.
"You don't even know what Professor Rav…" Hermione stopped suddenly as Professor Snape stormed up the corridor towards the staff room, his long black robes flapping round him like the wings of a crazed vampire bat. Snape was dressed in his usual sombre black but Harry couldn't help but noticed that he was wearing his smartest frock coat, the one his usually reserved for special occasions like the end of year banquet.
"No eating in the corridor,s Weasley," barked Snape, his hand just skimming the top of Ron's head as he hurried past them and disappeared through the staff room door.
"Did you see that?" Ron asked as he nearly choked on his toast in surprise. "Snape didn't even stop to give me a proper lecture."
"That's not like him," Harry agreed with a frown. "And what's he all dressed up for I wonder?"
"And it looked as if he had washed his hair too," Hermione added with a chuckle.
"Well it's about time! The greasy slimeball," smirked Ron just as Professor Snape reappeared in the doorway.
"Haven't you three got a class to go to?" Snape shouted angrily.
"Yes Professor Snape, Defence Against the Dark Arts," they all chorused.
"Well you better scurry off there then; it would seem that Professor Raven went straight to her classroom this morning keen to make a good impression on her first day I dare say…Well…what are you waiting for the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom is that way," snapped Snape, pointing down the corridor in the direction they had been heading.
"What do you reckons up with him then?" Hermione asked when they were safely out of Professor Snape's earshot.
"I don't know," shrugged Harry. "He was almost pleasant about Professor Raven…but I doubt his mood will last long."
"Maybe he's smartened himself up for an interview at another school?" Hermione suggested hopefully. "I read somewhere that at Durmstrang they actually teach the dark arts not just how to defend against them." Harry looked at her a little shocked.
"I know Hogwarts is considered the best Wizarding School in the world but maybe Snape had decided he'd settle for somewhere else so that he can teach the subject closest to his heart?"
"Nah…he hasn't got a heart besides we couldn't be that lucky…Blimely," Ron gasped, as they pushed open the classroom door and were greeted by the sound of loud electric guitar music coming from Professor Raven's office.
"That's The Haunted Cauldron!" Ron smirked. "They're a German dark rock band. Fred and George have been playing their new album all summer. Of course mum hates them but I think their music is pretty cool." Hermione just looked at Harry and shrugged as if to say is that music then.
"They got this choir of enchanted black cats and the leader singer Hans Van Morton is meant to be well into the dark arts. But George says that all just for publicity although he did graduate from Durmstrang. But he is also a member of the German Defence Against the Dark Arts League."
"Well that's nothing considering Lockhart was an honouree member," Harry reminded.
"Morton's married to the guitarist, she bloody gorgeous Fred has posters of her all over his bed room walls…this Professor Raven's pretty cool eh?"
"I suppose," replied Harry, cringing as he took his seat. He hoped that this Professor Raven wasn't just going to turn out like a teacher he had once suffered for a year at his muggle school. The sort of new teacher that thinks just because they are still young they can relate to the pupils by being into the latest pop groups or TV shows but just ended up being sad and pathetic. Harry was surprised to see that nearly all of the portraits that their last Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had lined the walls and cluttered every flat surface with were still left in the classroom. He supposed that having lost his memory Gilderoy Lockhart had forgotten all about his collection and no one else had been much bothered about dealing with them either. A sudden horrible notion filled Harry's head, what if their new teacher, Professor Raven was a fan would she be upset to learn that the dashing, suave Mr Lockhart had turned out to be nothing more than a hopeless, narcissistic fraud.
"Hell, that can't be the time already?" a soft, feminine voice could just be heard over the chorus of cats singing in German. The music suddenly clicked off and the class took this as a queue to scramble into their seats.
"Good morning year three, my name is Professor Raven and I shall be your Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher for this term at least."
A deadly hush fell over everyone, except for one of Lockhart's portraits that wolf whistled loudly as Professor Raven after giving the painting a disapproving glare walked down the stairs and stood in front of the class. She was tall, slender but with curves in all the right places extenuated by a tight fitting ankle length gown of black velvet. She worn a large silver Ankh on a long chain about her neck and another that was crafted from thicker links about her slim waist to which was attached an ebony wand. Professor Raven was young; Harry guessed about in her early twenties and extremely beautiful. She had an elegant, ashen face with finely arched eyebrows, high cheek bones and glossy black and purple streaked hair that was swept back into a long neat plat. But it was Professor Raven's eyes that were her most striking feature, they seemed to sparkle and were the most intense shade of violet that Harry had ever seen, not that he had seen anyone with violet eyes before. These were dusted with a shimmering silver powder and her delicate lips that smiled warmly at her pupils were painted black. She looked more like one of the glamorous models from the glossy pages of the fashion magazines that Hermione or Lavender would sometimes flick through than a teacher.
Harry glanced over at Ron who seemed to gazing at Professor Raven with a glazed looked in his eyes, he was already totally smitten.
"Right," said Professor Raven in a rich velvety voice as she fixing her dazzling violet eyes upon the class. "I don't know what Gilderoy Lockhart taught you last year. I can't stand the man myself."
"She's got taste then," Ron whispered, to Harry with a stupid grin.
And with a casual wave of her wand Professor Raven dispensed with all his portraits. "But I suspect you can pretty much forget everything he ever taught you."
That won't be too hard; he has, thought Harry giving Ron a knowing nudge but Ron was too engrossed, watching Professor Raven as if she was the first woman he had ever clapped eyes upon.
"Okay let us start with something simple, a creature that most of you wouldn't consider as a servant of the dark forces but a damn nuisance all the same. Mr Weasley isn't it?"
Ron gulped hard as Professor Raven walked towards his desk.
"Er…yes..." Ron nodded his cheeks had become suddenly flushed, still grinning away stupidly "But…but..."
"Thought I recognised that handsome Weasley profile and red hair, I went to school with your older brothers Charlie and…
"Bill" Ron offered
"Ah yes Bill, I do hope that they are both well? You must send them my regards the next time you see them."
"Er…yes," replied Ron, who had decided he would defiantly have to write to Charlie now, he had his suspicions that his older brother and Miss Raven may have been more than just members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team!
"Anyway back to the lesson, so Mr Weasley how would you deal with an infestation of Gnomes?" and to everyone's surprise most of all Ron's as Professor Raven spoke several of the creatures in question suddenly appeared upon his desk. One of the small leathery-looking creatures with a large knobbly, bald head that resembling a potato grabbed Ron's quill and started pocking him in the eye with it shrieking with mischievous glee.
"Well at home when mum needs the garden de-gnoming we tend to grabbed them by the ankles and toss them as far as we can throw them," Ron confessed, weakly as he tried to unsuccessfully to pull his quill out of the clutches of the gnome.
"And does that work?" Professor Raven asked trying not to break into a smile.
"Er…yes…er I mean no…well it keeps them off the lawn for a while." Ron blushed as he was now attempting to rescue a scroll of parchment from the other gnome that was busily chewing it. Ron tugged at the scroll but the gnome screamed and sank its tiny sharp teeth into Ron's fingers.
"Ouch…bloody thing," cried Ron as he let go of the parchment and letting the now chuckling gnome continue eating it.
"Would anyone care to help Mr Weasley out?" Professor Raven asked with some amusement in her voice.
Hermione's arm shot into the air as fast that she almost jumped out of her chair.
"Miss Granger?"
"Disappearum" Hermione said standing up and pointing her wand at the gnomes that vanished in a puff of blue smoke.
"Very good Miss Granger, five points to Gryffindor…now let all have a go." Professor Raven smiled as with a wave of her wand several gnomes popped up on everyone's desk.
"Come along class just follow Miss Granger example, if you can't deal with a few Garden Gnomes then how can you hope to face something like a Screaming Banshee or a Shroud Demon?" Professor Raven smiled as folding her arms she lent back against her desk and watched her pupils deal with the tiny creatures.
"Disappearum," Harry shouted, firmly making a gnome that was dangling from his glasses vanish and then turned his wand upon its companion who was jumping up and down on his copy of The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection. But not everyone was as quick or successful as Hermione or Harry. A gnome had jumped from Lavender Brown's desk and was busy pulling books from the shelves and throwing them in every direction. Dean Thomas was desperately wrestling two gnomes to regain control of his wand, that had blue sparks flying out from it and poor Neville Longbottom had somehow managed to conjure up several more gnomes, two of which were now swinging merrily from his ears.
"What on earth is going on in here?" Professor Snape snarled angrily as he thrust open the classroom door to see a number of small brown leathery gnomes running riot. His black eyes seethed with rage as he jumped out of the path of a heavy, dusty volume on werewolves that missed his head by inches. The three gnomes that had thrown the book now shrieked with laugher from the bookcase before poking their knobbly tongues out at him.
"Exspellus pestermum," Snape snarled waving his wave across the classroom making all the gnomes disappearance with a flash of green light and terrible pain filled shrieks.
"Now what is the mean of this? Oh…Professor Raven…I didn't see you there."
"Obviously," Professor Raven replied haughty as she slowly rose from the desk. "Don't you think that spell was a bit harsh Severus, the gnomes weren't doing any real harm?"
"Really…it didn't appear that way to me," Snape snapped as he bent down and retrieved the weighty volume that had only just missed hitting him off the floor. He glanced down at the title of the book and then with a disgruntled snort walked over to where Professor Raven now stood, her arms folded somewhat defensively across her ample bosom.
"The students need practical lessons on how to defend themselves against even the lesser minions of the dark forces…it would be like trying to brew the simplest potion with out a cauldron or ingredients."
"True…" Snape replied in his silkiest voice as he handed Professor Raven the book. "But maybe just a little too ambitious for your first lesson considering you are teaching the likes of Longbottom and Weasley." He gave the whole class a menacingly glare.
"I think Mr Weasley coped admirable and I shall call upon the services of Mr Longbottom should I never been in need of a gnome or two…the class was handling the gnomes in their own way and I had everything quite under control thank you Professor Snape."
"So I see," Snape sneered sarcastically, he raised a mocking dark eyebrow as he surveyed the empty bookshelves and shredded parchments before turning and sweeping out of the room.
"Slimy git," Ron muttered under his breath as he bent down to retrieve his pathetic looking quill that was now shredded of feathers and snapped in two bedraggled pieces. "Just look at it."
"Allow me," said Professor Raven pointing her ebony wand at the quill "Plumeus repairum," and before Ron's eyes the quill became whole again.
"Wow! Thanks!" Ron replied, stroking the eagle feather appreciatively with a big grin.
"Well we can't have you beginning the new school year without your quill Mr Weasley as you are going to need it to write up a report on dealing with an infestation of gnomes…and the next time your mother needs the garden de-gnoming you could also try pouring a mixture of one part fresh aspholdel, one part wolfsbane and two parts Hemlock down their burrows," she winked at Ron. "It won't kill the Gnomes but it does give them a nasty rash. Couple of doses of that and they'll soon be packing their bags and looking for someone else to bother. Professor Snape could have told you that if you had asked him. He is the Potions Master after all."
Yeah right thought Ron Snape's more likely to suggest a potion that gave me a nasty rash instead.
It was the first time that Harry, Hermione or Ron had ventured forth into the part of the castle that was known by most students as Slytherin's Tower. This nickname had come about mainly due to the fact that the Slytherin common room was situated somewhere in the dungeons below and above that were their dormitories, but also because Salazar Slytherin himself had chosen to reside in a lofty chamber at the top of the tower. This chamber which overlooked the Forbidden Forest was only accessible via a narrow stone staircase that had a secret entrance somewhere on the fifth floor. Harry had heard a rumour that Professor Snape now used the chamber as his living quarters, which didn't surprise him in the least; Snape was hardly the most sociable of people even at the best of times.
As they climbed the long, never ending sets of staircases up to the seventh floor they passed paintings of prominent and some notorious former members of Slytherin House. Harry could help but feel as if he was being watch by a hundred pairs of disapproving and unfriendly eyes.
"Blimely!" gasped Ron as they reached the top of the sixth staircase and were faced with a life-sized portrait of a tall, striking but sinister looking wizard. The portrait loomed over them and the wizard glared down at them his opaque, grey eyes full of suspicion, a disquieting smile playing upon the cruel slash of his thin lips. Ron shuddered it was the exact same smile that Professor Snape always gave him just before dishing out a particularly nasty detention. The wizard was sallow skinned with a long, narrow nose and high cheek bones; he could have been rather handsome if it wasn't for his arrogant expression and malicious sneer. His head was bald but he sported a neatly trimmed black goatee upon his pointed chin. He was dressed completely in black, a silk shirt with a high necked collar that was fasted by an ornately crafted silver pin, an elegant, finely tailored suit and teaching robes. The wizard had been painted in what Harry guessed could have only been the potions classroom. He stood in front of the familiarly gruesome shelves, all crammed with their glass jars of floating dead things, one of his pale hands rested upon a table on which lay a small leather bound note book, a rack of test tubes and a human skull.
"Are we lost little Gryffindor?" the portrait suddenly hissed with mocking amusement; his voice was cold and rasping. Harry glance down to read the tiny brass nameplate at the bottom of the frame, Professor Marcus Bane, Potion Master and Head of Slytherin House 1935 – 1975. So Professor Bane must have taught my father Harry thought a little dismayed.
"Please, Professor Bane, we're trying to find the Study of Magic Artefacts classroom," Harry said politely. He had already decided that as this was the only way to get to Professor Planchette's classes they really didn't want to upset this portrait, Professor Bane didn't strike him even if just a portrait as someone you wanted as your enemy.
"Really?" retorted Professor Bane with a hideously spiteful laugh as he leant forward to take a better look at Harry. A couple of the portraits hanging near by cackled in agreement. Professor Bane cupped an ashen hand over his long, pointed chin as he regarded Harry for a moment as if he was trying to place a name to a long forgotten face.
"Such a pathetic waste of your time…" Professor Bane continued as he leant back against the shelves his eyes still fixed upon Harry. "Now the beauty of the softy simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through the human veins…"
Harry and Ron exchanged glances with raised eyebrows each thinking the same thought Professor Bane sounded just like Snape or rather Snape sounded just like Professor Bane.
"That is exactly how Professor Snape described it on our first lesson," Hermione interrupted, suddenly feeling brave.
"We've been learning the art of potion brewing for two years now but we really need to find the Magic Artefacts classroom."
"Snape?" cried Professor Bane nearly making Ron jump out of his skin.
"Ouch..." complained Hermione as he landed back down on her foot.
"Sorry," Ron shrugged sheepishly.
"So…my little prodigy is the Potions Master at Hogwarts?" Professor Bane's thin lips curled into almost proud smile. "And does Severus teach you well?"
"Oh yes," they all chorused, suddenly hoping that they had given the answer Professor Bane wanted.
"I love potions…Professor Snape is such a wonderful teacher and he's also the Head of Slytherin house," Hermione added with a weak smile.
"Severus Snape; the head of Slytherin. I always knew he showed great potential. Maybe I was wrong to doubt him, this is even more than I hoped for…but how long has he been back at Hogwarts?" Professor Bane enquired his rasping voice suddenly filled with urgency and bitterness.
"I…I don't know sir," Harry managed to reply in a small voice, he didn't like that way the Professor Bane's kept looking at him.
"Idiot boy," Professor Bane retorted scornfully as he leant forward again, his icy, grey eyes fixed upon Harry. "I want you to tell your Potions Master that Professor Bane needs to see him, it is a matter of great importance."
"Er…yes…but we won't have Potions again until Friday," Harry replied suddenly desperate to get away from the portrait.
"Just make sure you pass the message on…"
"We will," replied Harry curtly suddenly sprinting off up the remaining flight of stairs.
"Just make sure you do…or else…" Professor Bane shouted angrily after him.
"What was all that about?" snapped Ron as he and Hermione hurried to catch up with Harry who was already half way down the corridor.
"Oh yes…I love potions, Professor Snape is such a wonderful teacher" he taunted Hermione with a soppy voice as they stopped to catch their breath. "Anyone would think that you fancied him…oh please don't tell me that Snape's the one you secretly love?"
"Of course not," Hermione snapped. "I was just saying that to butter up that vile portrait." Hermione's healthy tanned complexion remained blush free so Ron had to conclude somewhat relieved that she wasn't harbouring a secret passion for Professor Snape.
"Besides, I doubt any witch could actually fancy Snape!" she added as if for good measure.
"Yeah," agreed Ron. "I mean he is such a greasy, hooked-nosed old git…imagining snogging him…yuck!"
"I would rather not," retorted Hermione.
"He knew who I was," said Harry in a voice that was serious and strangely apprehensive.
"Who…Professor Bane?" Ron questioned with a frown. "But how could he know Harry?"
"If he taught Snape then he must have…"
"Also taught your parents," Hermione finished Harry's sentence for him.
"And he left Hogwarts the same year they all graduated…I wonder if that means anything," Harry mused.
"I don't know maybe…but did you see those dates Harry? Professor Bane starting teaching over fifty years ago which mean that he must have also…"
"Taught Tom Riddle," Harry said in barely a whisper.
Suddenly a door was thrust open and Professor Planchette poked his head around frame and spotted them standing in the corridor.
"I thought I heard voices, come on in don't be shy!" he said with a broad smile.
"Okay" Planchette beamed revealing his prefect white teeth as Harry, Ron and Hermione settled into the vacant seats. "Now that we are all 'ere I shall begin by introducing myself. I am Professor Planchette." Everyone waited in hushed silence for Professor Planchette to say something more about himself but he just smiled at them. "I am delighted to see you all managed to get 'old of Adventures into our Magical Past" he held up the book in question with a great swept of his arm, the long sleeves of his dark chocolate robe tumbling down over his hands and engulfing the book.
"Don't worry class if you 'aven't 'ad time to look through it yet," Planchette continued with another flurry of his long sleeves as he placed the book back down on the desk in front of him. "You will all soon become familiar with its contents as we shall be using it as our main source of reference throughout zis course. I am sure that you will become so gripped zat you will end up reading it cover to cover…"
"I bet 'Ermione already 'as," Ron whispered into Harry's ear with a grin. Hermione glared at him from her seat next to Lavender Brown.
"As it is a truly fascinating book even if I do say so myself," Planchette enthused.
Harry gazed down at the cover and his heart sank as he read Adventures into our Magical Past by Professor L J Planchette. It was Gilroy Lockhart all over again.
"But then I am slightly biased considering that Professor Louis Jean Planchette was my father. I am sorry to disappoint all of you that thought it was me that had discovered all those wonderful magical artefacts but alas I'm afraid I just wasn't cut out for an adventurer's life."
"But why not professor?" asked Ron his interest suddenly sparked he liked knowing that he wasn't the only one who didn't feel brave, unlike Harry.
"My father took me to an ancient temple in Mexico once…great disappointment," Planchette mused.
"Why didn't you find anything of interest?" Hermione asked.
"No…I was the great disappointment, too many damn spiders you see, I can't abide ze zings. Anything with more zan four legs just give me ze creeps. And unfortunately ancient temples and catacombs tend to be crawling with zem. But that doesn't mean zat we can't enjoy reading about ze exploits of those a little braver, and of course Hogwarts has a fine collection of ancient magical artefacts that we can take a look at as well, fetishes, talismans, amulets…now lets us turn to page fifty five, the ten most commonly used charms…"
Harry thought as he slowly packed his books and parchments into his bag that he was going to enjoy Professor Planchette's lessons. He was quite a character, flamboyant, excitable and a bit on the dramatic side but he seemed genuine enough, Harry still couldn't believe that he could have been Snape's best friend; they were like chalk and cheese. As the rest of the class started to file out of the classroom eager for lunch or to enjoy the still warm sun shine Harry awkwardly approached Professor Planchette who raised his gaze from the large encyclopaedia he was reading with a smile.
"Arry you not 'ungry? I on the other 'and could eat a 'orse!" his smile quickly fade as Harry's expression remained serious. "A bad joke…no?"
"No…it was rather good," Harry forced a smile. "It's just we passed Professor Bane's portrait on the way up here and I was wondering if you could tell me what he was like?"
Professor Planchette suddenly went quite pale and shuddered "'E was an 'orrible man 'Arry, truly 'orrible. 'E could freeze your blood with one look and 'ad a temper on 'im that would make Professor Snape seem like a pussy cat. I am thinking of asking Professor Dumbledore if we can 'old zis class somewhere on perhaps the fifth floor then I won't 'ave to endure his 'orrible taunts every time I 'ave to pass 'im."
"Professor Bane didn't like you?" Harry asked but not really surprised.
"No..'Arry 'e didn't like me in fact 'e 'ated me, I zink he resented my friendship with Severus, thought I was a bad influence on 'im," Planchette sighed.
"And were you a bad influence on him?" Harry asked
"Well if you call trying to get 'im to lift his nose out of a potions or dark arts book for long enough to enjoy life zen yes I was guilty. Bane had his favourites, zere was this little gang, not zat Severus always enjoyed being the teacher's pet, your father 'Arry teased 'im somezing rotten. But Severus didn't seem to care, 'e was in awe of Professor Bane…but enough of zis I zink we should go down to lunch.
After some pestering by Ron, Harry and Hermione finally agreed to go with him to ask Professor Raven for the potion for de-gnoming. Ron had insisted that it couldn't wait until their next Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson which was on Friday after double potions but Harry suspected that Ron just wanted an excuse to see Professor Raven, Ron was truly smitten.
It was nearly time for the evening meal to be served but they headed for the staff room in the hope that Professor Raven was still there. Although the heavy oak door had been left slightly ajar with the two stone gargoyles that flanked it glaring down at her Hermione decided it was best to knock. But as she raised her curled fist to rap upon the door a sinisterly familiar voice filled the air.
"Did you get my note?" Professor Snape asked anxiously "I was expecting to see you at breakfast…"
"Yes Severus," Professor Raven replied quietly "I got your note…I just didn't fancy breakfast, too nervous I suppose being back here has brought back a whole load of memories, both good and bad."
"So…why have you come back to Hogwarts, after all this time?"
"Professor Dumbledore asked me."
"Then Dumbledore's even more of a brainless old fool than I thought," Snape sniped back. Harry felt a ripple of anger flutter through his stomach, Snape's obviously disrespect for the headmaster was just another reason for Harry to hate him all the more.
"I am sorry if my appointment has upset you Severus, I know how badly you've wanted the position teaching the Defence Against the Dark Arts, but I got the job on my own merit and I believe that I can do it just as good as you."
"You really think so?" Snape's tone sounded like a challenge, but Professor Raven chose not to answer, not rising to his goading.
"She doesn't need to prove herself to that hooked-nosed git," Ron muttered defensively as he crouched down and squinted through the tiny gap in the doorway, one of the gargoyles snorted in disgust. "I bet she would knock him flat in a wizard's duel."
"You're really enjoying humiliating me, aren't you?" Snape sneered angrily.
"Humiliating you? What about this morning storming in on my lesson, I was quite capable of dealing with a handful of pesky little gnomes…what's really troubling you Severus? This is more that just the fact that I've been given the job that you think should rightly be yours" Professor Raven questioned.
"I would think that was bloody obvious…" Snape snapped "Or has the time you've spent since you left Hogwarts gallivanting about the globe trying to civilise werewolves erased it from your memory completely."
"I am sorry Severus, what can I say but…"
"Save your breath Morwenna…did you honest think after all you've done that just a simple apology was going to set things straight between us. I know you took that amulet, but I didn't say anything at the time as I put it down to high jinxes during the graduation ball…I thought you would return it the next day and Dumbledore would have been none the wiser…"
Ron glanced first at Harry and then Hermione, his expression caught somewhere disbelief and bewilderment. Harry just shrugged weakly and Hermione looked full of concern.
"But you played me for a complete fool," Snape continued "When you suddenly disappeared, you forced me into an awkward and most embarrassing position; you knew full well that I had broken Dumbledore's confidence telling you about the amulet. So when he discovered that it was missing the conceited old fool suspected me of the theft. It was only Professor McGonagall's intervention and that obviously he had no evidence against me that stopped Dumbledore from sacking me. But he's punishing me refusing to allow me to teach the Defence Against the Dark Arts…And then to stick the knife in even deeper he goes and offers you the job. Why did you accept it Morwenna, do you really hate me that much?"
"I don't hate you Severus…and I didn't take the amulet," Professor Raven protested.
"I don't believe you," Snape hissed losing his temper. "You're lying, you were never any good at hiding the truth from me when you were my pupil and you're no different now… "
"It's been seven years since I graduated Severus, I've seen a lot of the world since leaving Hogwarts. What happened is all in the past, surely we can both be mature about this…" Professor Raven pleaded.
"Mature…You were the one that ran away. You should have never come back Morwenna, you've torn open old wounds, ruined everything, perhaps it would have been better for the both of us if you had died in that werewolf attack because right now I wish you were dead," Snape's voice was shaking with emotion, Harry had never heard the Potions Master sound so bitter and angry.
Hermione clapped a hand to her mouth the stifle a gasp, while Harry had to grab hold of Ron's collar while he fumbled in the folds of his robe to find his wand, fearing his friend was going to burst into the staff room and attack Snape.
"Surely, you don't mean that Severus? I was extremely lucky not to have been bitten but if it hadn't been for that anti-lupine potion you created in my final year then I dread to think what would have become of the poor man…" replied Professor Raven, deeply hurt by his vicious remark but trying to keep her composure.
"Put out of his misery with a silver bullet? How fortunate that the one student I choose to share that potion with is the one that goes and gets themselves attacked by a werewolf," Snape returned rather unkindly. "But the anti-Lupine draft is a very complex potion even for someone of your great talent Morwenna; you couldn't have possibly brewed it after such an attack…" Harry thought he detected a sudden concern creep into Snape's voice.
"No, fortunately I remembered Professor Stoker telling that Prague was crawling with werewolves so I brewed several bottles of the potion as a precaution, it now helps Jason lead a happy and almost normal life."
"How very touching…but against my advice, you ended up in Prague…I didn't teach you everything I know Morwenna just so you could go and betray me, running off to play nursemaid to a bunch of stinking werewolves…I had so much higher hopes for you," he hissed angrily all concerned that he might have had for his former pupil had quickly faded.
"But Severus…you don't understand…" Professor Raven protested, her voice trembled, verging on tears.
"Can I help you, Mr Weasley?" the stern voice of Professor McGonagall made Harry and Hermione turn around, while Ron banged his forehead on the door in his eagerness not to be caught spying into the staff room. Professor McGonagall stood stiffly, her arms folded, staring down at them over the top of her glasses and her mouth fixed in a thin critical line.
"Er…I was…" Ron stuttered still reeling from nastiness Snape had spat at Professor Raven.
"Just about to see if Professor Raven was free so we could ask her again for the ingredients for de-gnoming she suggested to Ron in class, neither of us remembered to write the ratio of aspholde to wolfsBane," Hermione quickly saved Ron.
"I see..." Professor McGonagall replied raising an eyebrow, she did not sounding too convinced.
"Yes, I want to send it to my mum, we are always overrun with the bloody things," Ron explained as the door of the staff room was flung open.
"Severus, I am so sorry come back we need to talk about this," Professor Raven pleaded tearfully.
"Oh…Professor McGonagall, I'm just leaving," Snape replied as he stormed through the door nearly knocking Ron over.
"So I can see," she replied curtly. "I heard raised voices, Severus is everything alright?"
"Yes Minerva …of course, why shouldn't there be?" he snapped glancing back into the staff room.
"I don't know Severus…But please don't take your disappointment that you were overlooked for the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher again out on Morwenna, if you've got a grievance then you should take it up with Professor Dumbledore." Snape didn't answer just stomped angrily down the corridor, his black robes flying out behind him.
"I'll just ask Professor Raven if she has time to jot the ingredients down on a piece of paper for you Mr Weasley…Morwenna?…Morwenna are you alright?" Professor McGonagall ran into the staff room only to reappear a few moments later. "It's alright…now you better make your way to the great hall; dinner is just about to be served."
"You were right, Harry; Snape's good mood towards the new Defence of the Dark Arts teacher didn't last long…but you don't think he really meant it?" asked Ron as they all sat down at the Gryffindor table for the evening meal.
"That he wished Professor Raven was dead." His voice hushed to a whisper as Seamus Finnigan took up the empty space next to him. Harry frowned, as Seamus usually preferred to sit next to him with their backs to the Slytherin table claming that the sight gave him indigestion, he had done the same at breakfast as well.
"No…of course not," Hermione said reassuringly as she poured a goblet of pumpkin juice. "People can say all sorts of things when they are really angry or upset. You should have heard some of the things my parents called me when they first discovered that I was a witch and I bet Mr Finnigan had a few things to say when he first found out he had married a witch, isn't that right Seamus?" Hermione nudged him with a smile but Seamus didn't seem to notice.
"Are you alright?" asked Harry as dishes brimming with steaming soup and crispy, still warm bread rolls arrived before them. Seamus seemed to be distracted, staring at the Slytherin table with a blank expression.
"What?…Er yes…that smells good..." Seamus seemed to be snapped out of his daze as the delicious the aroma of tomato and basil soup wafted up from his bowl. Harry glanced over his shoulder but could only see Millicent Bulstrode and Lucy Featherstone, a pretty girl with really long blond hair trying to prise the salt seller from Crabbe's fat, stubby fingers, while Pansy Parkinson laughed; she seemed to relish the new influence she had on her fellow Slytherins now she was Malfoy's girlfriend.
"I guess you're right..." Ron continued to grumble. "Snape must be pretty humiliated that he didn't get the job again."
"But what I am more interested to know is…" Hermione said leaning forward her voice in a hushed whisper "What is this amulet that Snape's accusing Professor Raven of stealing? He seems to think its disappearance is the reason he gets passed over for the Defence Against the Dark Arts job again and again."
"But surely, if Professor Dumbledore suspected Professor Raven of taking the amulet, he wouldn't have offered her the teaching position and risk her stealing something else?" added Harry.
"I don't believe she would steal so much as a scroll of parchment from Hogwarts!" Ron said indignantly.
"Oh you're just biased Ron," retorted Hermione, although she liked Professor Raven she had learnt from experience never to judge their Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers by their appearances (Professor Quirrell had been infested by Lord Voldemort and the dashingly handsome Professor Lockhart hadn't done any of the things that he had claimed in his numerous books) alone. "What if Professor Dumbledore's hoping just that…another artefact will go missing only this time he will ready and waiting to catch the thief," she said cautiously.
"Nah…I reckon Snape took the amulet, he tried to pin the blame on one of his pupils but it all backfired and now he's just bitter," added Ron. Hermione remained silence for a moment, deep in thought as she scraped the last of the soup from her bowl.
"That does seem to make more sense Hermione," agreed Harry, as he glanced up at the long table, which seated the members of staff. He noticed that Professor McGonagall had taken the chair next to Professor Snape that was usually occupied by Professor Planchette who was now sitting in her place and next to Professor Raven. Professor Dumbledore seemed most pleased with the new seating arrangements as it gave him the opportunity to chat to Professor Raven, offering her a sherbet lemon from a paper bag that he kept in his robe pocket.
Although Professor Raven smiled warmly, engaging in small talk with both the headmaster and Professor Planchette, Harry got the feeling that she was still pretty shook up by her argument with Snape. She kept giving Professor Snape sidelong glances down the table only to quickly looked away almost fearful that he would catch her looking at him. Professor Snape sat his chin resting upon his hand, an elbow on the table, nodding slowly while he listened to Professor McGonagall as she lent towards him whispering low into his ear. Harry wished he could lip read but he guessed that she was firmly insisting that in the interest of staff unity he would have to apologise to Professor Raven. Good thought Harry, Snape had certainly surpassed himself in sheer spitefulness and he hoped that Professor McGonagall was giving him one of her sternest lectures.
Snape glanced towards where Harry was sitting making him shuddered as those cold, dark eyes full of loathing bore into him. Harry felt a sudden fearful sickness in the pit of his stomach, he couldn't get the words of Professor Trelawney's prediction out of his head: Professor Snape is lying on the ground and he is bleeding, there is so much blood, so much blood on your hands …the life is slowly bleeding from Professor Snape and it was you that dealt the killing blow…you Harry Potter kill Professor Snape."
TBC
R&R!