Encounters
Max, Albus, Orion, Rose, Serpens and Severus sat around a table in the Gryffindor common room. Harry was at quidditch practice and Severus was feeling restless. It was a few weeks since Harry had made the team and the practice sessions were becoming more frequent as the first game of the season, Slytherin versus Gryffindor, was fast approaching. Severus hadn't been without his twin for this amount of time before and he didn't seem to know what to do with himself. Max watched as Severus paced between the table and the window, squinting to try to make out his brother on the quidditch pitch in the distance.
"Will you sit down," huffed Rose, as Severus jogged her elbow as he passed, "I'm trying to finish this transfiguration essay and you're distracting me."
"Sorry," said Severus, "just can't seem to sit still this afternoon."
"Why don't you just go and watch the training session?" said Serpens. "We're all trying to get homework finished here."
"Westerton said no spectators," said Severus, with a slight sneer, "he seems to think the other house teams will send spies. Anyone would think he was captaining the national side, jumped up little twat."
"Little?" said Serpens, incredulously, "Harvey Westerton is the size of a house. He has more muscles than the rest of the team put together. To be honest I'm always surprised his broom stays airborne."
"Which is why I don't say it to his face," grinned Severus, "I have a talent for trouble not a death wish."
"I've finished my homework," said Max, "why don't we go for a walk to Hagrid's?"
"Good idea." said Severus. "We can get a closer look at the pitch on the way. Just don't let Westerton see us."
XXXXXX
As it turned out, Hagrid was nowhere to be seen when they arrived at his hut. They hung around for a while, hoping he might emerge from the Forbidden Forest, but after half an hour there was no sign of him and it was starting to rain. Max and Severus headed back in to the castle. As they neared the doors Professor Strychnine pushed them open and stomped down the steps. He caught sight of two boys and stopped, glaring at them.
"What are you two doing sneaking around?" he snarled.
"We weren't sneaking," said Max, "we just went down to see Hagrid."
"A likely story," sneered Strychnine, "Hagrid is in London this weekend. What were you really doing? Finding things to contaminate my cauldrons with again?"
"We didn't touch your cauldrons," said Max, "and we didn't know Hagrid was away, we knocked and waited for a bit and then came back."
"Where were you going anyway?" said Severus.
"Mind your own business." hissed Strychnine. "I know you little brats had something to do with the explosions in my lab. If I get the slightest proof I'll have you out of this school before the dust has settled. Do not push me."
"But we didn't-" started Severus.
"Get out of my sight before I take points." snarled Strychnine, spittle flying.
Max and Severus needed no further telling and scampered back inside the castle quickly. Once they were down the stairs leading to the Slytherin common room Severus leant against the wall and let out a breath.
"What the hell is his problem?" Severus grumbled. "I'm tempted to put fireworks in the bloody cauldrons after that."
"Have you been the ones doing it then?" asked Max.
"No," frowned Severus, "but if he goes off at me for no reason again I may think of some other way to get revenge. I'm leaning towards flesh-eating slugs in his underpants right now."
"So why does he think it's us then?" said Max.
"No idea," said Severus, "but he's definitely up to something. Maybe we should have a nose around."
"If we get caught-" Max started.
"We won't get caught," said Severus, "we just saw him leaving the grounds. Lets just sneak a peek in his office. It's just up the corridor from the Slytherin dorms, we can just say we were going to get my broom."
Max looked at the hopeful grin on Severus's face, worry churning in his stomach. Strychnine would be gone long enough for them to have a little look. Maybe they could find out where he kept slipping off to. Felt a jolt of excitement. If they could get some dirt on Strychnine they might be able to make him leave Albus and the others alone. Or at least find out why the Potions Master was looking so pale and tired.
"Alright," he said to Severus, "but we have to be quick, I've got a lesson with your dad this evening and he hates it if I'm late."
They strolled casually down the rest of the stairs and up the corridor towards the Slytherin common room. The stone walls of the corridor were bare and Max wondered where the entrance to the common room was. They reached the end of the corridor and a heavy wooden door. Severus looked up and down the corridor before pushing the door open to reveal another narrow stone staircase, twisting deeper into the dungeons.
"This is the back way in to his office." whispered Severus. "Harry and I found it last year, before the office was in use. Was a handy place to hide from Filch."
"I thought your common room was down here?" said Max. "This is the only door off the corridor."
"The door only appears when you give the password," Severus told him, with a shrug, "Slytherin's like their privacy."
They crept down the stairs until they reached a wooden door. Severus pushed the door open slowly, wincing as the hinges gave a creak. They edged inside and the door swung shut behind them with a click. The door they had just entered through was now a bookcase, with no visible handle to get it open again.
"Damn," muttered Severus, "I forgot about that."
"Please tell me there's another way out." said Max.
"Yeah, the main door," said Severus, "but going up that staircase will blow our cover story."
"Let's just get out of here and come back with the cloak another day." Max hissed. "If he catches us here he'll have us expelled for sure."
"Alright," muttered Severus, "probably better to play it smart. Now hurry before someone comes."
They ran to the main door and swung it open, almost running headlong into Professor Mallory. She looked at them in surprise and then smiled.
"Severus, Max," she said warmly, "I'm sure you have some wonderful reason for your presence here. Are there any that I might actually believe?"
"Professor...I...we...erm." spluttered Severus.
"Can I assume Professor Strychnine is unaware of your visit?" she said mildly, smiling still.
"Yes," said Severus, looking dazed, "we snuck in through the back stairs, we were going to play a prank."
"How exciting," said Professor Mallory, "I didn't know there were back stairs."
"At the end of the Slytherin corridor," Severus grinned, "I found it last year."
"That was clever of you." Mallory said.
Max felt his mind going fuzzy as her smile warmed him. He had wanted to run away, but now he wanted to impress her with his daring, or something. He shook his head slightly.
"Why were you down here Professor?" he asked.
"I was looking for a headache potion," Mallory said, "I didn't want to bother Madam Longbottom if the Professor had one to hand. Come, I shall escort you both back to the entrance hall on my way. Don't worry boys, no harm done, I shan't mention seeing you."
"Thank you Professor." they said together as they followed in her wake, transfixed by her undulating body as she climbed the stairs.
When she left them in the Entrance Hall they stood staring after her until she disappeared from view. Max shook his head again and looked at Severus, who was wearing a soppy grin.
"Why did you tell her about the secret entrance?" said Max, "Now we won't be able to use it in future."
"I don't know," frowned Severus, "I just thought she would find it interesting. Anyway, she isn't going to tell anyone, if she was going to turn us in she would have taken us straight to McGonagall."
"Kinda blows our chances of having a snoop around though." shrugged Max.
"You're forgetting Mum's map and cloak." Severus whispered, leaning closer despite no one being around. "We'll do it next time Strychnine leaves the school. We'll watch out for him leaving on the map and we'll come get you."
"Okay," said Max, "now let's go back to the common room and see if everyone has finished studying. I feel like a game or two of chess."
XXXXXX
Late that night, in a grimy alleyway in Hogsmead, Mundungus Fletcher leant against a shop wall to get his breath back. He was getting too old for this game. Buying and selling stolen goods required a higher fitness level than he could manage these days. Running from people he had ripped off was getting more difficult the older he got. If he hadn't apparated away from Knockturn Alley that jewel smuggler would have hit him with the Cruciatus Curse. He shoved his free hand into one of his deep pockets and pulled out a handful of low quality diamonds. Not the best haul, once he had sold them on, but worth much more than he'd given the smuggler. He was safe in Hogsmead for at least a few days, he could lie low for a while and sell the diamonds when the smuggler had gone back to Africa. He knew of a few discreet inns in the village where a couple of these diamonds would ensure no questions were asked.
He adjusted the position of his suitcase in his other hand, feeling his shoulders creak in protest. A nice hot bath, that would help ease his aching bones, and maybe a Firewhiskey or two. He dropped the diamonds back in his pocket and swapped hands with the suitcase, groaning slightly as his legs throbbed. He walked deeper into the alleyway, heading for an inn. The shadows were inky black, but Mundungus was used to the darkness, he trudged on.
A darker shadow detatched itself from the side wall and blocked his way. Standing, silent and motionless, directly in front of him. He stopped a few feet away, squinting into the darkness. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, years of instincts for trouble screaming at him that something was wrong.
"Who-who's there?" he said, mentally cursing the tremor in his voice.
The shadow didn't respond, and he began to edge backwards, holding his suitcase in front of him like a shield. Suddenly two red pin-points of light appeared. The shadows eyes glowed as it glided towards him, but Mundungus found himself unable to move. His gaze remained fixed on the glowing red eyes, even as the skin on his neck crawled and his body tensed to run. It was as if he were frozen in place. He felt his heart hammering in his chest and his breathing became laboured. He could feel his heart struggling even as his vision began to fade. His head was buzzing and he felt like his chest was being crushed. His field of vision narrowed and all he could see was the red glow. He felt fear clawing at him as he realised he was going to die. Mundungus Fletcher fell forwards, face down in the dirt, his corpse drained of every drop of blood. The shadow glided away into the darkness.