Chapter 6: The Discovery
Severus Snape woke up in an awkward position. His left leg decided to cramp up as he shifted in his sleep and briefly wondered why he was not in his bed, but rather in an uncomfortable chair smelling like over-used Scorifying spells.
Snapping his blurry mind into focus, Snape realized he was in the infirmary ensuring that Miss ranger stays stable as Madame Pomfrey too the night to sleep.
Sleep? Sweet Merlin, he was supposed to monitor her, not fall asleep on duty. Silently cursing himself, he let his eyes adjust to the bed that his student was sleeping in and noticed there was no sign of a mass of bushy hair.
Springing up from the chair, Severus Snape raced to the bed and felt the sheets. They were ice cold. Where ever she is, she left this place long ago.
"The witch could be anywhere right now." Snape said out loud while running a hand through his hair in frustration. Acknowledging that she still had a high fever before she fell asleep, Snape could only imagine the hallucinations she was experiencing roaming the nighttime halls of Hogwarts.
Or worse, outside.
Gathering his volumous robes, the professor altered the Headmaster through the floo via a note he scribbled on a bandage and ran to find the only person who could help him, as much to his dislike.
"Open up this bloody door, you sniveling excuse for a canvas painting!" bellowed Snape as he continued to pace back and forth in front of the Fat Lady and the entrance to the Gryffindor tower.
"I will do no such thing. As you are well aware PROFESSOR Snape, the passwords change at midnight, as they do every other night in order to ensure the safety of the students. It is your own fault that you didn't get the passwords earlier this evening," huffed the Fat Lady.
"So be it, woman," pointing his wand towards the painting "I shall erase your canvas stroke by stroke until there is nothing left of your annoying existence and then turn your frame into a Scottish hen!" Just as Snape lifted his wand to strike, the portrait spoke:
"Ah ha! The password. You may enter," she said in a self-satisfied tone.
"What do you mean, Scottish hen?" inquired a confused Snape.
"Well, there is no need to repeat it, is there? You are allowed to enter. Just next time, don't threaten my strokes or I will send Sir Calahan to guard while I go and tell the Headmaster of your abuse of poor portraits. Now that Granger girl, always helping the less fortunate with PUKE or whatever she prattled on about…"
Snape never heard the rest of the conversation because he was already halfway up the tower to the boy's quarters. Finding the room at the highest tower, he found four boys sleeping soundly.
"Potter!" spat Snape as he made his way to the foot of Harry's bed, looking as menacing as possible. "Wake up!"
"What kind of a dream is this? Not only does Snape haunt the halls while I am awake, he needs to haunt my sleep too! Miserable git." Moaned Harry as he rolled over, oblivious to the seething potions master pulling out his wand and yelling:
"Levicorpus!"
Harry felt himself jerk upside down and opened his green eyes to match the gaze of a surly, angered pair of black orbs. "Nice of you to join the awake world with shorts on, Potter. 10 points from Gryffindor for using such language in your sleep."
"Wh-what? What's going on?" Harry blinked, looking around and realized that Snape had him hanging upside down over his bed while everyone else was oblivious to their most hated professor coming into their room at night.
"Don't speak, Potter. I need something of yours right now. Don't lie about it. I know you have it and what it does. If you don't grumble about giving it to me, I may consider giving it back to you….at some point. Do I make myself clear?
Harry merely nodded, even if his eyes flashed dangerously.
"I need your map. NOW. Accio Map." With a flick of his wrist, Harry went flying back into his bed just as Snape exited the room with the map and something shiny in his hand.
All Harry could do was just sit, rubbing his head. "Again, what a git ," and went back to sleep.