Disclaimer: See Chapter One
-CHAPTER TWELVE-
Night of the Serpent
Professor Snape didn't show up for breakfast the next morning; Harry guessed that he was still in the dungeons nursing his stinker of a hangover. So after a bowl of porridge and several rounds of toast, Harry returned to the common room but the thought of the snake in the tank down in the dungeons was praying on his mind, especially as Hermione had calculated that the Assassin Draft was only days away from completion. Harry wasn't sure how they were going to kill the snake without risk to themselves or arousing Snape's suspicions. Hermione and Ron had gone to the library to research a suitable method. Hermione was hoping that could find a spell that would freeze the snake or stop its heart while Harry was left to make a start on his detention essays. But he just couldn't concentrate something deep down gnawing in the pit of his stomach like a terrible sick hunger told him that they had to kill the snake soon.
In desperation Harry had decided to go down to the dungeons hoping that Snape had managed to crawl back to his chamber in Slytherin's Tower, if however Harry was unfortunate enough to encounter Snape then he would use the pretext he had come to ask him something regarding one of his essays. Harry was just trying to decide how he was going to tackle the snake, poison perhaps or maybe even just drop the heavy lid of the tank down on its head when he heard someone coming up the stone steps.
"'Ello Harry," smiled Hagrid as he stomped into view. "If yer looking for Professor Snape, yer just missed him, I'm afraid."
"Oh," replied Harry trying not to sound too relieved or interested in the current whereabouts of Professor Snape.
"Yeah, Professor Snape's bin asking my advice, he's been awfully worried about Cleo, she's been pretty agitated and looking a bit down. I told him, in my opinion, it was far too cold and damp in them dungeons, even with Cleo's tank being heated and all, to keep snake down there isn't healthy. So I gave him a blanket and some tonic that I've used to perk up Fang when he's been feeling under the weather, and told him to take little Cleo somewhere nice, light and warm, like his chamber." Hagrid beamed down at Harry full of pride that he had been able to come to the assistance one of the teachers mistaking the panic that flashed across Harry's face as disbelief.
"Honest…Professor Snape was very grateful for my help," insisted Hagrid. "No doubt he's got the touch when it comes to birds…but reptiles are another matter all together, got keep them warm and happy."
I bet Snape was grateful for Hagrid's help Harry thought bitterly as he slowly headed back to the common room to struggle on with his essay and wait for Hermione and Ron. Harry felt his stomach twist in dread, how were they ever going to kill the snake now it was safely tucked away in Snape's chamber, high in Slytherin's Tower.
"I don't believe it," cried Hermione, when Harry told her the bad news. She dragged him into the corner of the common room, safely out of everyone else's ear shot. "So what on earth are we going to do now? The entrance to the chamber at the top of Slytherin's Tower is somewhere on the fifth floor but it is hidden, it could take us weeks to find it. And even if we did, I really don't fancy having to explore Snape's chamber, for one thing we would have to deal with Bryon, that bird really does give me the creeps."
"I guess there is only one option left," Harry returned darkly. "We'll have to watch Professor Raven day and night until Snape makes his move."
"How are we possibly going to manage that?"
"Well, I'm willing to bet my share of that huge box of Every Flavour Beans that Ron knows exactly where Professor Raven's chamber is…so I guess we can set up a watch using the invisibility cloak."
Harry had been correct, yet at first, despite the appending danger to Professor Raven, Ron had been reluctant to divulge its location. But after some persuasion, including agreeing that Ron could accompany Harry on the first watch, bribes of sweets and Hermione offering to lend him her illustrated copy of The Hobbit, Ron relented and told them where the chamber was. So that night Harry and Ron set off under the invisibility cloak to watch over Professor Raven, while Hermione grudgingly remained behind, just in case someone came looking for the boys.
Although Professor Raven's living quarters were situated in Gryffindor Tower, they were on the floor above from Professor McGonagall, the head of Gryffindor House and the other teachers. This was due to all the chambers on the floor below already being occupied, but Professor Raven didn't seem to mind being alone and so high up in the tower. They clambered in the darkness up the spiralling stone steps which led to Professor Raven's floor and, on reaching the top step, saw Professor Raven sitting upon the window ledge gazing out into the night. She was dressed in a long black silk nightgown; a dark red velvet shawl wrapped tightly about her shoulders. She had unbraided her hair which fell almost to her slender waist in ripples of sleek jet. The door of her chamber was slightly ajar and from its candlelit depths there came the haunting sound of a violin concerto that rose into the cold night air like a melancholy phantom. Harry and Ron stood frozen, under the invisibility cloak, totally captivated but a little ashamed that they were somehow secretly spying upon an obviously private moment in which Professor Raven was lost in cheerless reflection.
"She looks really sad," Ron whispered.
"It doesn't seem right watching her like this, she does seem awfully unhappy," replied Harry, looking anxious. Suddenly there was a chilling, rasping squawk; Professor Raven looked up as Bryon landed upon the stone sill by side her. The raven cocked her head, regarding Professor Raven with her tiny glinting, black eyes, Professor Raven sighed.
"What are you doing here, Bryon?" she asked the raven as if the bird could give her an answer back, she glanced across towards Slytherin's Tower. Bryon hopped across the window sill gently nudging Professor Raven's hand expectantly with her beak, she seemed to treat Professor Raven with the same tender affection that she had displayed towards Snape and Harry could only therefore assume that Bryon was also very fond of her as well.
"I'm sorry Bryon; I haven't any food for you."
Byron flapped her wings, squawking her indignation as Professor Raven rose to her feet. "Don't look at me like that I know your jealous of that damn snake…but I'm not adopting you, you're just going to have to go back to your master and sort things out with him." Bryon gave a deep, angry squawk and hopped about along the window edge. "I guess your right, if it was that easy, I would have done it myself…my god, what am I doing, talking to Severus' bloody raven…go on Bryon shoo, go back to Severus." Professor Raven gently pushed the raven off the windowsill and then, stifling a yawn, retreated to her chamber.
It was nearly dawn when Harry and Ron finally stumbled back into the common room to find Hermione fast asleep, curled up on one of the leather armchairs.
"So," she yawned, rubbing her eyes, when Harry gently shook her awake. "How did it go?"
"Well apart from discovering that Professor Raven talks to Snape's raven, nothing much happened," Harry informed her sleepily.
"She talks to Bryon?" Hermione shuddered, her expression one of puzzled concern.
"Well the raven landed on the windowsill she was sitting upon and she spoke to her like Ron does to Scabbers sometimes…"
"There's nothing wrong with that," Ron yawned.
"I think she just needed someone to talk to, she did seem rather unhappy to me," Harry mused.
"Really?…In what sort of way was she unhappy?" asked Hermione, now wide awake, her mind buzzing.
"I don't know…sort of, melancholy, I guess," Harry said wearily glancing up at the stairs to the boys dormitories.
"Okay, you two better get some sleep, I'm too awake now so I'll just sit here and mull things over. See you in…about three hours."
Harry didn't know how he managed to make it through the day without falling asleep. It wasn't that he was really that tired although they had been keeping their eye on Professor Raven's chamber door for most of the night, both he and Ron had managed to catch forty winks while on watch and a couple of hours sleep once they had returned to their beds. But the Herbology lesson had been held in a stiflingly hot greenhouse and he always found keeping his eyes open in Professor Trelawney's classroom, with its sweet, heavy perfume and blazing fire difficult at the best of times. The same could not be said of their first lesson after lunch, Potions. As usual the dungeon classroom was freezing cold and Snape was as vile as ever.
That evening, Ron insisted that he go on the watch with Harry again and Hermione reluctantly let him go it was far less hassle than arguing that would only risk drawing unwanted attention to themselves. As they turned around the corner to climb the stairs Filch walked down the corridor, lantern in hand and Mrs Norris at his feet. The caretaker seemed to be looking for something as he muttered to himself and held the lantern up to flood the shadowy corridor in light.
"We'll have to go the other way, lets double back," Harry whispered in Ron's ear. The route to the main staircase took them passed Professor McGonagall's chamber, Harry would have preferred to have climbed the stone steps but dare not risk trying to get past Filch and Mrs Norris.
As they reached the last step of the staircase, Harry froze, there was a dark shape moving slowly down the corridor. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness he could make out a figure, clad in black that seemed to be bent, listening in at the door just across from the chamber occupied by Professor Raven. The figure straightened, Harry stifled a gasp as he recognised the sinister hooked-nose profile of Professor Snape.
"It's Snape!" Harry breathed, his heart pounding wildly in his chest as Snape disappeared down the stone steps to the next floor.
"He must be…" but Ron's sentence was cut abruptly short as a terrible scream pierced the night air.
"NO…" Ron cried as he slipped from under the invisibility cloak and ran up the corridor.
"Ron, wait!" yelled Harry as he dropped the cloak and chased after Ron.
"Alohomora," Ron cried pointed his wand at the lock of the chamber door, which to his surprise clicked open. They pushed open the door to discover Professor Raven sitting up in bed, her long wavy black hair hanging loosely about her pale shoulders, clutching the dark crimson quilt to her chest. Her violet eyes were wide with terror and fixed upon the yellow snake that was slivering up the bed. Harry was shocked to see the savage, jagged claw marks that scarred Professor Raven's shoulder, a hideous legacy of the werewolf attack she had suffered several years ago. The glint of green about Professor Raven's neck caught Harry's eye, she was wearing a golden charm necklace in the shape of a serpent, it was as if she had known that she would need to protect herself from the snake.
"Stay back," Professor Raven warned. "Don't make any sudden movements."
"It's been charmed," Harry croaked hoarsely, "given the Assassin Draft, to kill you."
"That's ridiculous," Professor Raven replied her voice hushed to a whisper as she slowly inched her trembling hand towards her wand, which lay next to a huge, leather bound book on potions upon the bedside cabinet. "That's an extremely complex and difficult potion; there aren't many people here who perform such a spell…"
"Professor Snape could," protested Ron as the snake reared up and hissed angrily at Professor Raven, who froze instantly.
"Morwenna, I heard a scream… Weasley, Potter what are you doing in Professor Raven's chambers?" Snape demanded angrily pushing the boys aside, Snape stopped dead, his dark angry gaze falling upon the snake, his lips narrowed into a thin taut line. "So…that where you've got to," Snape scolded. "Bad snake, Cleo." Snape stepped forward to retrieve the snake but Ron pulled him back.
"No…it's going to attack her," Ron blurted. "You've charmed it with the Assassin Draft."
"Nonsense, don't be so melodramatic, Weasley," snapped Snape rounding on Ron trying to prize the boy's grip from his sleeve. "Why would I want to charm Cleo?"
"You've found the snake, professor?" Filch stood in the door way, with Mrs Norris close behind.
"I don't care if the snake been charmed or not," said Professor Raven weakly unable to hide the fear in her voice. "Just get it out of here."
"My pleasure…" Snape laughed finally shaking free from Ron grasp.
"Leave her alone," Harry beseeched the snake, which upon hearing someone speaking in its own language turned to face him. The snake fixed its glittering, dark eyes upon him "No…I must kill her," it hissed as if in pain. "I must do my master's bidding…she must die…"
Professor Raven tried to use this distraction to grasp her wand but it slipped from her fingers and rolled off the bedside cabinet onto the floor below. She let out a scream as the snake turned from Harry and leaped toward her.
"Vipera Evanesca" Snape commanded waving his ebony wand at the attacking snake, which crumbled into a heap of smothering black ash.
"Thank you, Severus." Professor Raven sighed with relief as she slumped back against the pillows, she held his gaze for a moment and then as if she felt uncomfortable pulled the counterpane closer, up to her chin.
"Morwenna…Morwenna are you alright? Oh Professor Snape, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, what's going on?" it was Professor McGonagall; clad in her nightdress and tartan dressing gown.
"I'm afraid that Severus snake must have escaped, I woke to find it at the bottom of my bed and just panicked," Professor Raven explained meekly, her violet eyes were fixed upon Snape.
"Really?" exclaimed Professor McGonagall, her tone was more scolding than suspicious.
"Mr Filch and I have been looking for the snake since I discovered her missing, after dinner," explained Snape looking at the caretaker to back him up.
"Yes," replied Filch grumpily as he scooped Mrs Norris up into his arms, the cat turned to look at Harry and Ron with her huge, red, lamp like eyes flashed accusingly, it wasn't the first time that Harry had wondered if animals could see through the invisibility cloak.
"That damn snake could have attacked Mrs Norris, couldn't it my sweet," he gave her a pat upon her scrawny head. Snape glared at Filch, who just shrugged irately.
"But that's doesn't explain why Mr Potter and Mr Weasley should be out of bed at this late hour," McGonagall frowned down at the boys.
"We were trying to stop…" Ron began but was quickly interrupted by Snape in his silkiest voice.
"That is entirely my fault Minerva," said Snape, forcing a smile.
Harry exchanged secretly puzzled glances with Ron, and Professor McGonagall couldn't see the equally perplexed expression on Filch's face behind her as he stroked Mrs Norris.
"If that's all Professor Snape, I'll get back to my office," Filch scowled.
"Yes…yes thank you, Argus," replied Snape waving him away with his hand. Filch grunted and after biding Professors Snape, McGonagall and Raven goodnight disappeared back down to his office.
"I asked the boys…" Snape continued silkily. "to help me look for the snake, I thought Potter could be useful, being a Parselmouth," he shot Professor Raven a cautionary glance, who remain silent, just giving the boys a similar look of warning.
"That's right," Harry lied, giving Ron a sharp dig in the ribs to ensure he didn't blurt out something to the contrary.
"I see," replied Professor McGonagall looking at Professor Raven, who confirmed the story with a weak nod.
"And where is this snake now, Severus?"
"I'm afraid that I was forced to destroy it," Snape returned sounding a little distressed. "I don't know how I am going to break the news to Draco; it was his snake after all."
"I don't know why Albus let you keep that horrible thing in the first place," Professor McGonagall retorted in obvious disgust. "I told him it was a bad idea…and frightening poor Morwenna like that…"
"Well, you've got your way, Minerva," Snape snapped bitterly. "Cleo's gone."
"I'm sorry, Severus," Professor Raven broke her silence. "Surely you could get another pet snake," She sounded strangely sympathetic, even sad as she fingered the serpent charm that hung around her neck possibly in the vain hope its power could deter Snape from getting another snake.
"No…you don't understand," Snape replied. "Cleo was special, I…I…" Snape glanced at Professor Raven, then turned and swept out of the chamber obviously upset.
"Well really, it was only a stupid ugly snake!" Professor McGonagall sighed wearily. "Well Morwenna if you are alright, I think that it is high time that Mr Potter and Mr Weasley went to bed."
"Yes, Minerva, the snake gave me a fright but I am fine now," Professor Raven's watery; violet eyes seemed to linger upon the door that Snape had just stormed out of. "You're right; its late, the boys should be in bed."
"Bu…but Professor McGonagall the snake was char…" Ron started to protest.
"Now, come on, Mr Weasley…off to bed with you."
"I don't care what Snape said," Hermione said darkly as Harry and Ron had finished telling her what had happen.
"He only lied about you helping to save his own skin. First, that potted Belladonna, then the poisoned chocolates and that snake controlled by the Assassin draft…we've got to see Professor Dumbledore, first thing, before breakfast."
"But we still can't go accusing Snape of attempted murder, we've got no real proof," said Harry. As much as he loathed Snape and the series of events were damning, this was a serious accusation to make about anyone. If they turned out to be wrong, they would all surely be expelled and if they weren't, then Harry was sure that they would be forced to leave as Snape would make certain that they remaining years at Hogwarts were a living hell.
"No proof," grasped Hermione.
"Here we go again…bring up the chocolates, why don't you," Ron groaned. "The only time I get a spell right and still its wrong."
"Shut up, Ron, this is serious!" Hermione snapped at him.
"But Ron's right, if Snape didn't get rid of the Assassin Draft before he let the Golden Nile viper free you can bet all the gold in Gringotts that's what he's doing right now," said Harry.
"What about the photograph? And Madam Pince will be able to confirm that Snape borrowed the Apophis Cult book…" huffed Hermione. "Ron where is that photo?" Ron blushed and reluctantly pulled precious image from his jeans pocket.
"But I still don't think Snape's photograph is the one torn from the year book in the library," replied Harry taking the picture from Ron with frown. "This is yellowing and terribly creased as if he had been keeping it in his robe pocket for some time, besides there must have been hundreds of those year books produced, one for every pupil and teacher. I doubt Snape would risk getting caught by Madam Pince tearing Morwenna Raven's photograph out of the library's copy book when it is most likely he had one already."
"But why would Snape being carrying around a photograph of Morwenna Raven in his pocket and if he didn't tear out that picture, who did?" asked Hermione.
"Hey, don't look at me," Ron blushed again. "The year book was already torn when I took it off the shelf."
"Okay…suppose you're right but that doesn't mean that Snape didn't use his photograph to charm the snake…but you foiled his plans and there's only two days to the Halloween Ball."
"Which means…" Harry said with a gulp, "we've got to warn Professor Raven before Snape tries to kill her again."
TBC
R&R!