Chapter 8 - Deductive

The next month at the castle was nothing short of chaotic for the students and staff at Hogwart's. The responsibilities of running the school added to the extra security measures and patrols were running everyone ragged. All of the professors were irritable and tired and the students were all gloomy and depressed. Well almost all of the students.

Thanks to Draco Malfoy, many of the Slytherins seemed to be particularly happy that Dumbledore was gone. At one point in class, Draco even made a comment in potions about Snape becoming Headmaster is Dumbledore's absence. As much as he wanted to, Snape could not say or do anything to silence the boy. Instead he faked a smile that he hoped looked convincing to placate his Snakes and politely reminded him that Dumbledore was only suspended and that he would most likely be back.

In the meantime, Snape tried to discern an appropriate time to corner Mr. Potter. As it turns out, the opportunity presented itself when Harry handed in an exceptionally horrendous potions essay assignment. He was able to use class time to call Harry's attention to his failure to understand the assignment and direct him to report to him immediately following the evening meal.

Harry waited until the Great Hall had emptied out before he approached the head table where Snape sat with Professor McGonagall. Thankfully the rest of the professors had already left to escort the students to their various common rooms. Naturally McGonagall was concerned that Snape was to be meeting with her student, but Snape was quick to assure her that it was purely for academic reasons and not punitive as she feared.

Snape was surprised at how somber and quiet Harry was as they walked in silence to his office. He supposed it was because he feared that he would be in trouble, but Snape sensed that it was more than that.

Immediately after Snape had closed the door to his office, Harry began speaking.

"I know I really messed up on this assignment, but I really didn't understand what you meant by the root properties and I normally ask Hermione for help, which I could obviously not do. I know you told me to come to you if I had problems, but we aren't allowed now to just go wherever we wanted and I just thought I could figure it out on my own," he finished glumly.

"Are you quite finished?" Snape said when the boy had finished speaking. "Contrary to what I lead you to believe, I did not call you hear to discuss your essay. Actually comparatively speaking your score, although atrocious was not among the worst in the class."

Harry looked shocked. He seemed at a complete loss as to why he had been summoned.

"It recently came to my attention that you were present at Hagrid's the night that he was taken to Azkaban," Snape began carefully. "I also know that you were using your father's old cloak in order to avoid detection. With your own friend, Ms. Granger lying in her petrified state in the hospital wing, is it really necessary for me to point out the foolishness of your actions?"

"I-I-I'm sorry, sir," Harry stuttered. "We only wanted to know what he had known about the Chamber of Secrets. We had heard that he was the one that they had blamed for the attacks twenty years ago and we knew that it couldn't be true. So we went to ask him ourselves."

Snape stared at the boy incredulously. How was it that he always managed to be so informed about everything? This is precisely what happened last year. It had to be Ms. Granger's need for constant information. Perhaps he needed to talk with Dumbledore when he returned and convince him to limit the amount of information that was made available to the students.

"Regardless of what information you managed to obtain, Potter," Snape said quietly, "That does not give you the authorization to go gallivanting about the grounds when there is some unknown person or persons out there wanting to cause harm to the students."

"But Hagrid is innocent sir!" Harry burst out. "He had nothing to do with what had happened then or now!"

"Do you think me an idiot, Boy?!" Snape barked. "Of course I know that he is innocent! Unfortunately there is no way for us to prove it now is there? Not without having another guilty party to present in his place. So Hagrid will have to be patient until we can get these students unpetrified and find out who was really behind the attacks."

Harry looked guiltily at his professor and muttered, "Oh."

Snape sighed. "I understand that you are trying to help, but you really need to stop thinking that we are all a bunch of helpless dolts. Information is shared with students only on a "need-to-know" basis. Can you think of a reason that we would do this?"

Harry shook his head.

"How about to protect the students? Allowing too much information to be released would not only put students in danger, but it would also create panic. Do you think we would be able to keep the school open if everyone knew that the culprit was still out there somewhere planning it's next attack? Of course not. And where would that put you? Right back to your aunt and uncle's house for a couple extra months," Snape explained.

Harry paled. "I didn't think about that, sir."

"Of course you didn't. Which is why you need to trust that we are doing what needs to be done and not get yourself involved in things that you only half understand," Snape said in a scolding tone.

"Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir. It's just that—Well…" he began. "What if I'm behind these attacks and I just don't know that I'm doing it?" his spit out quickly.

Snape was stunned. Where was this coming from? As usual the boy managed to turn things in a direction that completely confused and surprised him.

"What are you talking about?" he asked hesitantly.

Harry's voice trembled as he explained, "It's just that I didn't know that I could take to snakes and what if that means that I am doing other things that I don't know that I am. What if everyone is right and I am attacking people without knowing it?"

"Have you been waking up in strange places without knowing how you got there?"

A shake of the head.

"Do you find yourself missing chunks of time with no memory of how you spent that time? "

Another shake of the head.

"Have you had any dreams about attacking people that seemed or felt real at the time you were dreaming?"

"No sir."

"Well then you are not the one responsible for anything that has happened. The only way that a person can be made to do something without their knowledge or against their own free will is by a curse or by possession. If you haven't experienced any of the things I have asked about, then you have not been possessed or cursed," Snape clarified patiently.

"Then I don't understand how I could talk to a snake and not realized that I was speaking in another language. When I spoke it, it just sounded normal," Harry whispered solemnly.

"I can't pretend to understand how any of that works, nor why you can even speak it at all for that matter," he muttered almost under his breath," but being able to speak to snakes does not mean that you are responsible for anything other than being bilingual."

This answer seemed to somewhat placate the boy leaving Snape able to bring the discussion to a close.

"Back to the more pressing issue," he said sternly, "You need to stop putting your and your classmates lives in danger. I'm fairly certain that Ms. Granger's condition with inevitably put an end to your information assumption, but that only makes what I am saying more dire. Try having a little faith in the staff here at the school to do what is right for the safety of all. If you continue to think that you are above the rules that have been laid out for you there will be consequences. Do you understand, Mr. Potter?"

Harry nodded.

"If by chance you or any of your fellow students notice anything peculiar or anything that you think we may have overlooked you will notify someone. Is that understood?" Snape added.

"Yes sir."

"Good. Now let's get you back to your common room," Snape said feeling satisfied that he had covered all his bases.

As they walked, Harry asked, "Do you think that the hat was right when it had said that I would have done well in Slytherin?"

Stopping in his tracks Snape gaped at the boy, "It said that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, you certainly have the natural penchant for rule-breaking and pushing your luck," he quipped. "But no. I think your need to play hero definitely makes you a perfect Gryffindor. A Slytherin would be a bit more concerned about self-preservation than what you possess."

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Harry maintained his pensive silence until they reached the portrait hole that led to the Gryffindor Common Room.

Before uttering the password Harry turned to Snape and said, "Thank you, Professor."

Snape only nodded before turning on the spot and hurriedly retreating back to his quarters.

End of the years exams were always a huge undertaking for Snape since his exams were a combination of a written and a practical exam. His extra duties as the deputy headmaster plus his added security patrols were really starting to wear him thin.

The day that Professor Sprout had informed the staff that she could finally harvest the mandrakes for the restorative draught brought with it a huge feeling of anticipation throughout the entire school. It would take the better part of the day to allow for the potion to brew properly, but by late evening the draught should be ready to administer and they might finally have the answer to the aggravating mystery that had haunted them all season.

Of course, Snape was also very aware that the awakening of those afflicted would prove to be quite a threat to the originator of the attacks which meant taking extra security measures to secure and lock down the castle. He truly expected the offender to attempt to flee the castle upon learning about the draughts pending administration so he scheduled extra patrols around the grounds and all points of entry to the castle.

When the announcement calling all of the teachers to the staffroom came Snape was certain that it would be to announce that they had caught the person responsible. When McGonagall told them that a student had been taken into the chamber, Snape felt as though he had been punched in the gut. He supposed he should have considered the possibility that the offender would feel threatened and therefore forced to take drastic measures.

When Ginny Weasley was revealed to be the student taken, Snape was instantly put on alert. She was a pure-blood. Why the sudden change in pattern of victims? And why was she taken instead of just petrified like the rest?

As the tiny voice in his head was busy trying to piece together the pieces of the puzzle he had been presented, he was most distracted by the sudden and dramatic appearance of Professor Lockhart. The bumbling fool always had to make an appearance. Perhaps it was about time for him to make his exit.

Snape, along with the collective assistance from his coworkers, successfully goaded the imbecile into thinking that he was needed to save the girl. They each played on his previously incessant ramblings about him knowing where the chamber was and what creature it contained. Snape couldn't have been more proud of his fellows when finally Lockhart scrambled from the staffroom to get himself ready. The idiot would be long gone within the hour.

Faced with the more somber task of briefing the Snakes about what was happening and then preparing for the premature closing of the school. Before he could report to the dungeons, however, Snape felt that he needed to talk to McGonagall. She had already made it down the hall and around the corner before he had been able to catch up with her.

"Minerva, I need you to make extra sure than Potter is present in the Common Room," Snape said rapidly. "I have reason to believe that he has been sneaking out and fear his connection with the Weasley Family will prompt him to take drastic measures."

Minerva scowled at him, "Severus, this is not the time to worrying about anything other than your own students. Let me do my job as I see fit, will you?"

Snape bit back the snide remark as he simply, "My apologies. I was simply concerned."

"Hmpf" was the only response McGonagall offered as she stepped around him and hurried on her way.

It was late in the evening before Snape had been able to return to his office. After debriefing the snakes he and McGonagall had met with the Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge and the head of Auror office Rufus Scrimgeor. It was decided that a full auror task force when report to the school as soon as possible to begin combing for clues and search for the missing student.

Just as Snape was preparing to contact the office that was in charge of the Hogwart's Express, Moaning Myrtle who burst interrupted him abruptly by charging through his office door shouting his name. Since Snape had never seen her outside of her bathroom and was more than a little startled by her presence.

"Professor Snape," she said with a sick smile. "You'll never guess why I am here."

"I would not profess to try, so please do not make me play guessing games and tell me what you are here for. I have too much that needs to be done," Snape said sharply.

With a pout Myrtle said, "Well what fun is that? Harry Potter told me to get you. He is with Professor Lockhart and said that he needs you to come to my bathroom immediately. He knows where the chamber is and what kind of creature has been attacking the students."

Snape felt the color drain out of his face. "Did he say what the creature was?"

"Yep," she said with a giggle. "He said it was a basilisk. Isn't that awful? He will be able to help me haunt the bathroom!"

Snape knew that there was no time to lose. He ran right through Myrtle and kept on running through the emptied corridors. He knew that he should have been feeling rage towards the boy for his getting involved after being expressly warned against doing so. However, he instead felt grateful that Potter had used his head and thought to contact him before charging into danger. He couldn't even scold him for being out without being escorted. Oh but why was he with Lockhart? Of all of the professors to have with him.

More so than anything else Snape felt a great amount of fear as he thought about the possibility that the monster contained within the chamber was a basilisk. He tried to remember what he knew about the creature, but the only thing he could think of was its deadly stare. He had no idea how such a creature could be stopped, but he would be more than happy to leave that task to the auror team when they arrived later.

Arriving at the bathroom, Snape was shocked to see the large gaping pipe where there had once been a sink. Looking around, Snape was horrified to see that he was alone in the room which could only mean one thing. They had gone down into the chamber. With an irritated growl, Snape contemplated for only a short minute before cursing and jumping down the pipe himself.

When he had landed on the wet stone floor, Snape took a moment to collect himself before he realized that it wasn't as dark as he would have thought. He soon realized that just a short way ahead of him down the tunnel there was a light. Carefully making his way towards the light he was astonished to see Ron Weasley frantically moving large rocks away from where they were stacked apparently blocking them from going any further.

"Mr. Weasley," Snape snarled. "What are you doing down here?"

Startled Ron jumped and almost fell over backwards onto the blockade.

"P-P-Professor Snape," he stuttered. "Harry and I tried waiting for you to get here, but Professor Lockhart was trying to leave and fell into the hole instead. Then when we got down here, he stole my wand and tried to do take our memories, but my wand backfired on him and caused a cave-in!"

"Where is Professor Lockhart now?" he asked as he looked around the dimly lit space.

Ron pointed reluctantly to where Lockhart lay unconscious among the rumble.

"When the memory spell backfired he went flying backward and landed there," he explained awkwardly.

Snape quickly checked out the man and was only mildly relieved that he was merely unconscious. What was he getting at trying to cast a memory charm on the children? The buffoon was lucky that he had knocked himself out before Snape could get ahold of him.

With one quick, sudden move Snape stood up and spun around to face Ron and fearfully asked, "Where is Mr. Potter?"

"He got stuck on the other side when the ceiling collapsed," Ron said frantically. "He said that he was going to try to find Ginny while I worked to clear an opening for him to be able to get back through."

So much for the boy using common sense, Snape thought. He hurried over to where Ron was standing and began to assess he pile. His first instinct was to simply blast his way through, but he could see from where the ceiling had already fallen that any attempt to blast through could bring the entire chamber crashing in on all of them.

Fighting back an extreme feeling of hopelessness, Snape began using his wand to strategically move one rock at a time out of the way. He knew that time was running out for both Mr. Potter and the youngest Weasley and Snape feared that he would be too late to save either of them.