DISCLAIMER: J. K. Rowling's created these wonderful characters. I am merely releasing them from their state of enforced inactiveness for the time being...
BETA READER: snarkyroxy - thanks a lot for your help!
Chapter Three
Some time during their schooling, things had gotten out of hand; when, though, she couldn't say. Neither did Minerva have any idea how things could have gone so far as they had. Nobody had seen it coming.
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The Headmaster's summons via the Floo came shortly after midnight. The school year neared its end, bringing enormous amounts of assignments to grade and essays to correct. Minerva McGonagall reluctantly placed her quill into its brass holder and closed the ink pot. Muttering a Siccare to avoid smearing the red ink all over the fourth year's essay, she wondered what might be the reason for this urgent call in the middle of the night.
She didn't have to speculate too long, though. Reaching the grand staircase, Minerva heard the panting breathing of Hogwarts resident Potions master and Head of Slytherin House, Horace Slughorn. She waited for the pot-bellied man to work himself up the stairs. He was an unfamiliar sight this night, dressed in casual clothing, a heavy dragon hide apron still tied around his stomach, his fashionable robe, normally neat and tidy, crumpled, the collar turned down.
"G'night, Minerva," he grumbled as he reached the landing. Horace then stood, gasping, before he continued. "One day these stairs are going to the death of me," he panted.
"No, Horace," Minerva answered, laughing, as they both continued their way up to the Headmaster's office, "one day good wines and crystallised pineapples are going to be the death of you."
"Minerva, you're such a spoilsport!" Horace complained jokingly. "Begrudging an old man the one pleasure he has in life."
Minerva only snorted. If anybody was an expert in 'savoir-vivre' it was Horace Slughorn. "If I remember correctly, you've just last weekend been to the Ministry's annual charity meeting, Horace," she teased sharply, "and by pure chance I happen to know that they have not replaced the customary five-course dinner with bread and water."
"Ah, you know me too well, my dear!" Horace laughed, patting Minerva's arm. "Any idea of the reason for this 'witching hour' meeting?"
"I've no idea, Horace," Minerva answered honestly, "I'd venture a guess, though, seeing that you have gotten the same call," she muttered darkly. It really wasn't hard to guess these days, which students were concerned when the Heads of Slytherin and Gryffindor were summoned to the Headmaster's office.
"Yeah, well… seems to have become a habit, hasn't it," Slughorn said easily. How the man could take all these quarrels so lightly was beyond Minerva's understanding, and it annoyed her.
"You sure you've not lost track of your students, Horace?" she quipped. "Are they all sound asleep in their beds?"
It had come across too harsh, she recognized, the moment Horace huffed next to her. Merlin, she'd surely had enough of this! One and a half years to go and they'd all be gone for good! During the last years she had on more than one occasion brooded on whether or not she was still suited for the job. It wasn't that she disliked teaching or dealing with the students - far from that - the tense situation outside the castle's safe walls, however, was tearing on her nerves and made it all the more difficult for her to cope with inter-house enmity.
"I do believe you're in need of a good long vacation, Minerva, so going to ignore this underlying insinuation, just this once."
My, Horace truly sounded miffed, and rightly so. She wasn't prejudiced against Slytherin. She really was not and tried so hard not to be. It was just damn hard not to lump everyone in that House together. "Just because one or two more famous representatives of my House have decided on more… let's say 'extremist' positions, it doesn't mean we're all on the same road, Minerva!"
"I know, Horace, I know. I'm sorry," Minerva replied, rather guiltily. Her older colleague was right of course, but sometimes, in face of the spreading racism and terror, it was hard to stay unprejudiced. Too many of the newly forming Dark Army were Slytherins.
They had reached the stone gargoyle that guarded the staircase to the Headmaster's office. It sprung open at once, its shadow becoming distorted in the most eerie way in the silvery full-moon's light. Minerva shook her head as she followed Horace up the spiral staircase. This did not bode well.
The Headmaster's office presented a strange view. Several things caught Minerva's eye immediately upon entrance, as she glanced over Horace Slughorn's shoulder, and she stopped dead in the doorway.
Several candlesticks with newly added candles brightly lit the Headmaster's desk. This was going to be a long meeting.
Heaps of parchment, open books and a half-emptied tea-cup showed that Albus had been surprised by this incident, too, whatever it was.
Albus stood, facing the window, his head lowered, hands propped up against the window-sill. He still wore his purple house coat.
Next to Albus, Fawkes was on his perch, shifting restlessly, spreading his wings and ruffling his feathers. The bird was nervous, more so than Minerva had ever seen it. So was the Headmaster, if the phoenix was as much a familiar to Albus as she had always thought him to be.
The rest of the office was only dimly lit, walls and corners lay in the dark.
Six chairs had been placed around the desk, four to its right, two to its left. Albus clearly was awaiting more visitors.
The atmosphere was tense, and when Albus did not react upon their entrance Minerva was thankful for Horace's blunt and unswerving nature. "What's the matter, Albus?" he barked, entering the office and lowering himself into a chair right away. Yet Albus did still not react.
Minerva heard a rustle to her right then and spun around, stunned, not having noticed anybody else before.
She really shouldn't have been surprised, as these meetings usually had only one reason. Yet today, the circumstances having had their effect, the sight of James Potter set her teeth on edge and she narrowed her eyes on him, critically.
"Professors," the young man mumbled, nodding at her, but it did nothing to calm Minerva's worries, on the contrary.
She knew a bad conscience if she saw one. And James Potter certainly had something on his mind. Gone was his usually cool and overconfident behaviour. Now, he stood slightly hunched, staring at his shoes. He nibbled on his lower lip, uncertainly squinting up at his Head of House from beneath a mop of tousled black hair.
It only caused Minerva to look him over even more sternly. "Mr Potter," she acknowledged him, her voice sharp. He seemed to become conscious of his behaviour and stopped nibbling his lip, then smiled at her, somewhat sheepishly.
The boy had something, she'd always known it, something that made it impossible to be cross with him for any significant length of time, whatever trick he had played. But now he clearly felt more than uncomfortable. Not knowing what to do with his hands, he brought the left one up, his right arm clasping his stomach, and started biting his fingernails instead.
Horace Slughorn had turned around in his chair. Recognizing James Potter, he winked at Minerva. "Now, what were you saying about my students not being sound asleep, Minerva?" he asked.
Minerva cleared her throat uncomfortably, then swallowed, thereby nearly missing James Potter shifting uneasily from one foot to the other at Slughorn's words.
"Albus, what happened? What are we waiting for?" she asked, taking a step towards the desk.
She winced when she saw the older wizard turn around, his face worried, yes, even pained. Yet before Albus could say anything, the door opened again and Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew entered the office. Still in their school robes, they had obviously not been to bed either. In an instant Minerva saw the tense glances the boys threw at each other: James Potter's face guilty, Sirius Black's questioning, somewhat furtive and Peter Pettigrew's insecure, seeking encouragement from Potter.
No, this certainly did not bode well, and the Slytherin part of this little meeting was still missing.
"Albus?" Minerva inquired again, suddenly sure that she was not going to like what was to follow.
Albus gave the three boys a long, stern and scrutinizing glance before he nodded towards the chairs to his left. "Take a seat," he said sombrely, and Minerva firmly gestured the boys to comply immediately.
Black tried signalling something to Potter, who firmly shook his head at his friend, an expressive look on his face. Black didn't seem satisfied, though, shrugged and mouthed a confused 'What?' towards the other boy.
"Silence now, Black, Potter!" Minerva snapped at them, placing a firm hand on each boy's shoulders. "Whatever you've been up to this time, you're in serious trouble already and Merlin help you if you're going to make everything worse by your unruly behaviour."
Albus had remained unusually silent. He who normally always protected the students if Minerva's harshness was getting away with her, was now watching the three boys attentively, his eyes remaining on each of them for a while. Minerva couldn't be sure, but she suspected Albus was using more than his ability to judge character here.
When he spoke, the Headmaster's voice was solemn, his face grave. "Minerva, Horace," he said, "this night there's been a serious incident involving one of your students, Horace: Severus Snape…"
'Now, why am I not surprised?' Minerva asked herself, her eyes wandering from the Headmaster to her colleague, who suddenly seemed much more alert than before. Then she followed Horace's critical glance and studied her own House's students. If anything had changed in their faces, James looked even more guilty, Peter's expression had become a worried one and Sirius Black stared darkly at the opposite wall of the room.
Albus wasn't finished though. "…and the missing part of Gryffindor's quartet: Remus Lupin."
'Merlin!' Minerva thought, as suddenly the facts slid together like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. "No!" she gasped. "Albus! What happened? Is anybody hurt?"
Before Albus could continue, though, muffled voices were heard from outside the office. Minerva could discern the insistent words of Hogwarts' Mediwitch Poppy Pomfrey, which were suddenly interrupted by Severus Snape's infuriated voice. "No, I'm bloody well not taking your stupid Calming Draught; now leave me the hell alone!"
The door opened with a bang, and a pale and ruffled-looking Severus Snape stood in the doorway. He gave a somewhat worn-out impression. Following the Headmaster's gentle, "Ah, Mr Snape, please enter!" the boy straightened, however, his eyes darting quickly around the room. If looks could kill, Gryffindor would have been three students and two teachers short within seconds.
The situation, already tense to the point of tearing, seemed to escalate, though, as Potter, tried to stand, muttering an awkward, "Snape…." yet was held back by Black.
Severus Snape had his wand out in an instant, as had Black, Potter and Pettigrew.
Minerva and Horace were at their students' sides immediately, trying to prevent the seemingly unavoidable escalation. This was going to be difficult.
Snape shrugged his teacher's hand away. His face displayed utmost irritation, yet there was also something else, an almost malicious glee. The air flickering around him, he spat, "Just shut your face, Potter. This time's been one too many!" To Slughorn, he continued, "And don't you touch me!" His eyes were gleaming almost madly as he collapsed into the last empty chair. Even now, obviously tired and shaken, Severus Snape had something dark and hostile about him and Minerva did not like it.
"Silence now, all of you!" Albus barked, something he seldom did and only if the situation required a clampdown.
The students had understood his tone as well and settled down again, albeit reluctantly. They were still agitated and glaring daggers at each other across the room. Minerva questioned whether they were likely to listen at all to what the Headmaster was going to say.
She, however, would listen closely, for she still didn't know exactly what had happened.
Albus Dumbledore breathed deeply. His hands tightly clutching the chair back, he looked at every single one of the boys before continuing in a frighteningly calm voice. "You all know why we are here tonight. Mr Snape here had a not-quite-coincidental, yet rather unexpected and therefore nearly fatal encounter with a werewolf tonight. This is a very serious situation, and one that should never have happened…"
At that moment, a sarcastic snort was to be heard from Snape, yet the Headmaster ignored it. "…though obviously having laid too much confidence in the responsibility of juvenile boys, I am partly to blame myself. I am, however, truly disappointed, and this incident cannot possibly go without consequences."
Minerva's eyes were closely on her students; for a moment, however, she glanced over to Snape, just to see a look of triumph flickering over his pale face. 'What is going on here?' she wondered.
Then James Potter straightened in his chair, quickly exchanging glances with Black.
"You have something to say to this, Mr Potter?" the Headmaster asked gravely.
"I- yes." James swallowed thickly. Seldom had Minerva seen the boy this subdued. "Remus has nothing to do with it. He… he didn't know."
"Liar!" was Snape's immediate, quick-tempered response. "Of course he-" But he was cut short by Horace's soothing hand and Albus', "A moment, please, Mr Snape. All in due time."
And Snape turned silent. Though obviously miffed, he leaned back into his chair, a dark scowl on his face.
"Now, Mr Potter, you claim Mr Lupin did not know about this… 'plan'? Did you know, then?"
'What plan?' Minerva asked herself. 'Surely he cannot mean this had been an organised prank?'
"I…" James hesitated, looking down to his lap, but Minerva saw Peter's eyes darting quickly between Black and Potter. "I… could have guessed, but… I didn't know… not until…" He stopped, biting his lip again.
"What, Potter?" Minerva asked sharply. "Or can you tell me more, Pettigrew? Black?" She stared at them pointedly, not wanting to believe what was being uncovered here.
"I didn't know either!" Pettigrew said hastily.
"As if!" Snape snapped sarcastically. "They're all lying!"
Suddenly James looked at the Headmaster pleadingly. "You have to believe me, Professor Dumbledore; Remus… he… he didn't know… he mustn't know… he'd never…" James threw a pained, somewhat guilty glance at Black. "He'd never agreed." So, it was Black's doing, but what…?
Albus straightened, coming around the desk. "So you did know what Mr Snape here was going to do and yet you did not try to prevent it in time, Mr Black?" he inquired, his eyes firmly fixing Sirius Black.
Black did not look at the Headmaster, but glared darkly at Snape. "He's spied on us the whole year," he said scornfully.
"It was your idea, then, to lure him – I understand that's what you did?"
Black shrugged. "If you want to call it that…."
"Mr Black, a bit more detail, if you could. What did you tell Mr Snape?"
"I merely told him that he would find something interesting at the Shack, something having to do with Remus. How should I have known he'd run there right away?"
Minerva couldn't believe it. "Sirius Black!" she snapped exasperatedly, shocked how the boy could be so hateful against his Slytherin classmate.
"What concern is it to me, if he can't keep his overly large nose out of other people's business!"
"Sirius! Stop it!" James hissed, elbowing his friend in the ribs.
Black only shrugged. "But it's true. It's none of his damned business." He nodded derisively in Snape's direction. "Anyway, he just got what he deserved…" He continued muttering something else, yet Minerva didn't understand any of it, as his words were drowned out by Potter's insistent whispering.
"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Sirius, just listen to yourself. Did you think about Remus for one second? What if he… you know… he couldn't… damn it, Sirius, this could have gone so wrong!"
While all of this was right, of course, Minerva did not look forward to the prospect of telling Remus Lupin that he had come within hair's breadth of killing a fellow student. The boy had difficulties enough, coping with his condition. So, while all of this was true and right, Minerva was shocked that her students' concern seemed to be only and exclusively directed at Remus, not also at his almost victim.
"Sure! Now Lupin's the poor and abused, is he?" Snape sneered. "The next second it will be my fault alone, won't it?"
"Oh, shut it, Snape! Nobody told you to go to the shack. It's entirely…."
Within a moment the boys were arguing wildly, and this time it was Horace's sonorous "Silence, boys!" that brought them to silence.
"Now, Severus," he said. "Why don't you tell your view of the whole story?"
Minerva nipped any protest from her boys in the bud with one of her infamous looks.
"Do proceed, Severus!" Albus nodded.
"Frankly, what's there to discuss?" Snape addressed the Headmaster, sardonically. "They attempted to get me killed by a class five designated Dark Creature that you are keeping at the school, Headmaster, and-!"
"A decision I did not make lightly, I can assure you, yet one I have never regretted and do not now. Tell me, Mr Snape, have you ever before felt any threat to your life in the presence of Mr Lupin?"
Snape scowled darkly. "By Lupin? No, but…"
"What happened to you, Mr Snape, was a terrible accident, one that should never have happened, and I am truly sorry for it, my boy, you have to believe me." Albus was clearly shaken by this incident, suddenly looking worn-out and aged.
Snape huffed. "A terrible accident!" he scoffed. "Attempted murder – that's what it was!"
Minerva saw Albus flinch at these hard words of accusation. "Surely that's not been the case, Mr Snape," he said quietly, yet sending inquiring glances at Black and Potter.
But Snape talked himself into a rage then. "Attempted murder! I'm sure they hatched it together. 'Teaching slimy Snape a lesson.' They were all in on it. Black, Potter, Lupin – all of them. I presume I am supposed to be grateful now as well, for Potter getting cold feet, am I? Well, I'll tell you what, Potter, I am not!"
"Courageous now, are you, Snape?" Black sneered. "I've been told you've had the jitters an hour ago, Snivellus!"
The situation was on the verge of becoming explosive once again.
"Twenty points from Gryffindor for your tone, Mr Black. That's quite enough now!" Minerva truly was disgusted.
Severus Snape, however, had become pale at Black's words. Part of it was a reaction of his anger, Minerva was sure of it, but the near-encounter with a fully grown werewolf apparently had shaken him more than he was willing to let on. She could see his fingers cramping around the armrest, and little beads of sweat glittered on his trembling upper-lip.
"I'm going to get you for that, Black!" he hissed. "You're so going to pay!"
"And that goes for you, too, Severus. That's enough now!" Horace placed a firm hand on his student's shoulder, yet Snape once again shrugged it away.
Albus had been silent, thoughtfully listening to the boys' words. He sighed heavily now, sitting down behind his desk.
"As I said before, this is a serious incident. I cannot believe how you could have acted so irresponsibly, all of you! Yes, that goes for you, as well, Mr Snape!" Albus added at Snape's snort. "Whereas these three young men here were immaturely and recklessly endangering your life…" the Headmaster looked at Black "…or were failing to prevent what was to follow…" Albus nodded meaningful at Pettigrew and Potter, "…your fault, Mr Snape, lays in leaving the castle after curfew and without permission."
The three Gryffindors were very silent and tense. Surely they knew their behaviour had been absolutely unacceptable, an expulsion pending at least for Sirius Black. The House Cup – Gryffindor's victory had been foreseeable – was now farther away than ever.
Snape, however, seemed to be certain of victory, a confident, yes, even gloating smile on his face. Minerva couldn't help but think that it had perhaps been more than pure coincidence on Snape's part that had lead him to the Whomping Willow. He's too self-assured, Minerva suddenly thought.
Yet when the Headmaster spoke, she knew he was not going to take the most drastic measures.
"I don't know how to express my disappointment with your behaviour," he addressed Black, Potter and Pettigrew. "Not only have you immaturely let yourself being carried away by petty House rivalry, no, you furthermore endangered a fellow student's life and your friend's well-being. Rest assured that I will not tolerate any one of you breaking the school rules like this again."
A deep scowl had become visible on Severus Snape's face at these words, yet he kept quiet, struggling with himself to do so.
"Now for your punishment: One-hundred-and-twenty points will be deducted from Gryffindor, and you, Mr Black, will spend two evenings per week in detention with either Mr Filch, or any other member of staff, for the remainder of the year. Do not complain." Albus cut down any argument on Black's part. "I know very well that the concept of house points is lost with students of your age. The detention will be colliding with your revision time, of course, but you'll have to blame yourself for that. And remember, Sirius, not another step out of line!"
Snape couldn't keep quiet anymore. "What?" He gave a disbelieving laugh. "That's it? Points and some bloody detentions?"
"No harm's been done, Mr Snape. You have not been injured, or have you?" Albus asked seriously.
"No, but that's bloody well not the point! They tried to kill me, Headmaster! They should be expelled, all of them!"
"Now, Mr Snape, that is a very serious accusation, and one that – Iknow for sure – cannot possibly be correct. I believe in due time you'll come to see, as well, that this has been a simply prank. A prank gone terribly wrong, mind you, but not attempted murder."
"I should have known you'd believe them, not a Slytherin," Snape said glumly, slouching back into his chair.
"Severus, I'm sure this has nothing to do with our House," Horace pointed out quietly.
"I'd thought you at least would side with me, Professor, but as it seems I was mistaken…"
There was a silence. Snape staring darkly into nothingness, nervously fingering his wand. Albus and Horace were watching him closely. Minerva saw Albus' hand twitching as if to reach out to Snape. This had been difficult for him, but he'd made the best out of the situation. Expelling Black for this prank would have caused a series of unpleasant consequences, questions by the Ministry and, even worse, consequences for the young werewolf, Remus Lupin.
"Now as for you, Mr Snape," Albus finally continued, "I told you already, you left the school after curfew, thereby violating the school rules and endangering yourself. As harsh as it might sound to you, had you not illicitly tried to enter the tunnel below the Whomping Willow, none of this would have ever happened. We agree on that, don't we, Mr Snape?"
"Is it my fault now, is it?" the boy glowered darkly.
"No. I never said that. You are, however, partly to blame, and therefore forty points will be deducted from Slytherin and you'll attend a detention – with whom is yet to be determined."
The Gryffindors gloated, not quite subtly. Sirius Black threw a triumphant 'told-you-so'-glance at Potter and Pettigrew. The young man had no guilty conscience at all.
"There's absolutely no need for you to rejoice, Messrs." Albus addressed them coolly. "Your lack of responsibility to begin with will cost Gryffindor fifty points each. I remind all of you, that this hostility between the five of you, cannot possibly go on. We're facing difficult times and it is important, now more than ever, to stand together."
The Headmaster remained silent then, letting his words sink in. But not only Snape had reacted with a dark grunt. Minerva heard Black mutter, "With him? Never!", Potter was looking more than sceptical and Pettigrew was staring at the floor.
"Thirty points will be awarded to you, Mr Potter, however, for keeping a level head and saving Mr Snape from near death."
James' soft, "Thank you, Sir," was drowned out by Snape's acerbic laugh.
"Ridiculous!"
"I will, herewith, consider this matter over and done with." Albus ignored any objections. "And I remind all of you, once again, that your childish grudges have gone too far and will not be tolerated anymore. And that goes for all of you!"
"I don't have to remind you – and that's for your ears, especially, Mr Snape – that what you have learnt this night is a danger to Mr Lupin's education at this school, and therefore none of it will leave the walls of this room. Is this understood?"
Snape grunted, sarcastically. "You can't make me, Professor," he spat.
"I don't intend to 'make you' do anything, Mr. Snape," Albus answered quietly. "I just want to remind you of the consequences of your choices, your actions. Now, listen to me, my boy…"
Minerva followed the conversation from behind her boys' chairs. Time and again she had to admonish them to silence, yet with no success. The three of them were smirking, and it didn't escape Snape's notice either. Only half-heartedly did he listen to the Headmaster's words, glowering darkly in their direction.
Minerva couldn't help herself; she doubted Albus would achieve anything with this talk, not with her boys listening to what must seem to Severus Snape a solid telling-off, no matter how careful Albus chose his wording.
"I appeal to your sympathy for your fellow student, Mr Snape; do not speak of this to anybody," Albus finally ended.
"Sympathy!" Scorn gleamed in Snape's eyes. "You're keeping a Dark Creature at the school, one that nearly killed me. Surely, you don't expect me to-"
"What I expect from you, Mr Snape," Albus interrupted the boy, "I am making this quite clear, I hope, is absolute silence about the condition of your fellow student, Remus Lupin."
"Now what is it about you not making me do anything?" he muttered darkly, and Minerva couldn't help but agree with him. "I couldn't help it if I… say, accidentally let it slip, could I?" One didn't need to look too closely to see that Snape, irritated as he was, had no intention whatsoever of complying with the Headmaster's demand.
"You wouldn't like the consequences, Mr Snape, I assure you. Is that quite clear now?"
Snape stood then, abruptly. "Crystal!" he snapped. "If this is all then, Headmaster, Professors." Hurt and anger were written all over his face as he stormed out of the office. It was quite obvious that he felt betrayed, not only by his fellow students, but by his teachers, as well.
A/N: A story about Snape cannot go without a look on this incident, I thought. What do you think of Minerva's point of view on this night? Please leave me a review!
A big 'Thank you!' to all having reviewed already!! I really appreciate the feedback :0) As always, you can find the answers to your reviews on my livejournal.
Since the last chapter apparently caused some disapproval about how I described Snape's schooldays, I did some longer explaining why I wrote it that way. You can find my statement as well on my livejournal and I'd be happy to hear your opinions and to discuss, if you want to…
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