Chapter 5: Things Turn Around
There was a lot of catching up to do when Severus got back to his classroom. Unfortunately the Umbridge woman couldn't be counted on to do anything right and was just as incompetent in Potions as she was in fashion with her ridiculous outfits.
The classroom was a mess of jars, ingredients and powders that had been put back on shelves without regard to its alphabetical order and level of potency that Severus had so meticulously arranged when he started at Hogwarts. Now everything was a complete mess and to top that off when Severus asked for a full report of the student's progress in Potions all Umbridge could say on the matter was, "I've done my best, Professor, certainly you're not going to question my methods of teaching."
"No, of course not, but I need to know where my students are so I'll know how to properly assess them." Severus answered back.
"They are where they should be as I see it." She smugly replied.
So that means they know next to nothing… He thought to himself. It seemed he would have to start all over and that was just from the one day he missed. This had completely ruined his schedule. If he had known just how badly this would throw him off he would have stayed in the Hospital wing and claimed extended leave of absence due to 'severe shortage of rope'.
He excused himself from the annoying woman's gaze and stormed into his office.
"Oh no, this is too much…" He stood there in complete unbelief.
Apparently the Umbridge woman had thought Severus was going to be in the Hospital wing far longer than necessary. Not only were his Potions books re-arranged along with the jars (which had been covered by a white crocheted blanket) but she had the nerve to try to re-decorate.
He had against his better judgment given her permission to enter his office when she threatened to set an inquiry on him because of his doorway jinx which had given her quite a shock and ruffled a few of her frills. When she tried to set foot in his office, the doorway not only pushed her back forcefully but emitted a series of electric jolts and spine tingling shocks that, according to Madam Pomfrey, sent her hair on end. Normally this would have been hilarious to Severus (and the rest of the teachers) but due to the extremely tense situation it had only made matters worse because Umbridge then threatened to bring in Fudge, the Minister of Magic.
So Severus had told Umbridge, through Madam Pomfrey, the secret incantation to remove the jinx. And now his office was in thorough need of re-setting.
He ripped the stupid rule posters off the wall which had covered his own detailed drawings of herbs, poisonous creatures and fungi and sneered in disgust at some of them.
Rule number one stated, "All students must greet the teacher with the appropriate salutation—Professor, Madam, Head Inquirer or Lady." Severus snorted at that one. There was another ridiculous one about how students should dress, keep themselves clean and sit along with another rule about how they should think. "Any thought that is not appropriate to the class, school or teacher/inquirer should never be expressed aloud or allowed."
Severus always took it for granted that most of his students (those who were not Slytherin) were cursing him behind his back and never bothered to regulate what they were thinking. He thought this rule was a bit much and had struck a much darker chord too close to home.
Then there was the final rule which gotten him under the skin. "A learning environment is a happy environment and should be kept so." This disgusting twist on Umbridge's idea of a happy environment seemed to consist of lurid pink table cloths, sappy kitten plates and too many stinking flowers—all of which Severus threw away from his office. Filch had cleaned up the items as fast as Severus threw them out into the hallway.
No doubt to store in his closet of an office as a memento. As soon as Severus thought this he shuddered. Filch and his crush on Umbridge was definitely unnatural.
Now that his office was back to normal it was time to get back to work.
It was good to be back…
He had some unfinished business to attend to.
--
"I finally did it!"
Neville gave an ecstatic cry and surprised Hermione out of her studying trance during lunch.
"Did what?" she asked distractedly.
"I did what you told me to do, well, almost." He smiled at her.
"Oh…" she still looked blank, "I'm sorry but what did I tell you to do?"
"About Professor Snape. I didn't let him get to me and now I'm not afraid of him at all. In fact, after yesterday I think I sort of understand him much better now. I know why he's so grumpy all of the time. He's just lonely and doesn't have any friends."
"Right…" Hermione shut her book and looked hard at Neville. "Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine." Neville actually looked a little giddy.
"What happened yesterday that made you feel this way today?" she asked.
"I baked Professor Snape some cookies."
"You did what?" Hermione's enormous book fell off her lap as she sat forward and stared into his face. She could not believe what she was hearing. "Why did you do that? I didn't tell you to bake him some cookies—"
A horrified look came into her eyes. "Oh no, you didn't actually give them to him did you?"
"Yeah but don't worry I made them without any milk ingredients." Neville was about to go into how he knew about Professor Snape's lactose intolerance when Hermione jumped up, totally unaware that the twenty pound book she was reading had fallen on her foot.
"Oh no, oh no! This is bad, quick we have to do something… The hospital wing, maybe Madam Pomfrey can smuggle them out… oh no…" Hermione was wringing her hands desperately.
"What are you talking about? He already ate them and he liked them, all the cookies were gone." He felt a bit hurt that Hermione didn't trust his cooking skills.
"But you can't give cookies to Snape! Not only is that the most outrageous thing to do but—" she gave him a glance, "He might think you're up to something…"
"I'm not up to something! I was just trying to be nice after what happened to him and that was partly your fault!" Neville got up from his bean bag chair and stormed out of the portrait hole from Gryffindor tower. He hadn't expected this from Hermione but wanted to be congratulated on a job well done. It wasn't everyday that a student could brag about making cookies for Professor Snape and live to tell the tale. He thought that Hermione was probably just jealous because she hadn't managed to break the ice with Professor Snape and understand him as well as Neville did.
Later during Care of Magical Creatures Neville thought he would back up his theory about Professor Snape and why he was so miserable. Neville felt partially responsible for making Snape feel so bad, figuratively and literally.
He decided to ask Hagrid about his thoughts on the subject.
"Do you talk to Professor Snape a lot?"
"Not if I can help it." Hagrid answered gruffly.
Neville had asked Hagrid this as he stood in the shade of Hagrid's enormous bulk while he helped clean up the last of the stalls for the Nifflers. The Nifflers were cute but they made an awful mess in their pens and it took a half an hour just to re-patch all the dirt the Nifflers dug up.
"Why not? You helped him with that Garffghoul creature."
"That was only on Dumbledore's behalf and no more." Hagrid brushed the last of the dirt from his hands and accidentally rained clods of dirt on Neville's head. "I try to avoid Snape most a'the time. I don't much like him 'ter be honest." He turned and put his massive shovel in the corner of the animal pen.
"I know he's mean and pushes people away but I've always wondered what he's really like, especially since I've gotten to know him better." Neville mused.
"Really now?" Hagrid stopped and looked at him. "What brought this on? I thought you wanted nothin' to do with him."
"I used to think that but… I've changed my mind. I think maybe he's misunderstood and just wants someone to talk to, you know, like a friend." He tried to explain this to Hagrid but was met with an incredulous stare.
"Well now… Don't be puttin' too much on 'yer self now. I don't think Snape needs anyone for a friend anymore than a Manticore does, if 'ya know what I mean."
Well maybe you're wrong. Neville thought this to himself as he helped Hagrid close up the pen. The Nifflers were sleeping soundly after their lunch, about as soundly as their grumbling snorts would allow.
Neville was not deterred by Hagrid's comment but was only more determined to prove he was right and also get more information about Professor Snape. This led him to the unfortunate conversation with Filch.
"What do you want?!" Filch looked over from his stained parchment and his eyes bulged at Neville as if to accuse him of a crime he had yet to commit.
"Excuse me, sir, I just wanted to talk to you about something…" He wasn't sure how to begin. It was only by his determination that he was here in Filch's office. If anyone else knew he was here he would probably die of embarrassment. Filch was not a favorite of the student's and so Neville assumed he shared the same unpopularity as Professor Snape in that department. Who better to ask about Professor Snape than Filch?
"Who's done it this time? The Weasley's I bet, doesn't matter which one, just tell me where they are so I can get to it—" Filch brought out a menacing piece of rawhide strip that looked suspiciously like a whip. His cat was curled up on his lap and looked at Neville with her yellow eyes. It made him nervous.
"I wanted to ask about Professor Snape, sir—" Neville rushed out.
"Professor Snape?" Filch spit this out like a sour grape. "What does he want?"
"Nothing, sir. I just wanted to talk to you about him." He started to sweat.
"Why would you want to do that?" Filch's gaze on Neville matched that of his cat.
"I just wondered if he talks to you about anything, that's all." He slowly backed out of the office as Filch leaned over the desk to look at Neville with a near-sited stare.
"What is this about?" He growled.
"Uh—nothing. Sorry to bother you." With that Neville quickly walked away from Filch's office as fast as his stocky legs would carry him. He would just have to find another source of information.
It took him an hour to find his way to the kitchens where the elfs were busy preparing for dinner. He spotted Winky by her usual spot but like Filch, she didn't look like she was in a mood to talk to anyone. Neville was about to leave when there was a pop and Dobby appeared.
"Hello again, Neville!" He was certainly a cheerful welcome opposite of Filch.
"Hi Dobby, do have a few minutes to talk? I wanted to ask you something." Neville carefully seated himself away from Winky and faced Dobby who was as eager to talk as he was about everything else.
"Yes, certainly! What is troubling you?" He politely listened to Neville.
"It's not something that's troubling me exactly…" He wanted to phrase his question carefully, keeping in mind Hagrid's reaction. "But rather, it's what's troubling Professor Snape."
This seemed to have put Dobby off and there was a stunned expression on his face.
"But why would Neville, sir, care about Professor Snape?"
His confused face almost made Neville laugh but he said instead, "I want to know why he's so miserable most of the time."
Dobby looked away and for a moment Neville didn't think he would answer but at last he said, "There is much that troubles Professor Snape but of course, I am only a house-elf and do not know anything about those matters…" He paused then continued, "Professor Snape does not tell his troubles to anyone but as to why he's miserable it might be because he shuts himself away so much in that dark dungeon of his and—" Dobby clapped his hands to his mouth.
"And what?" Neville urged him to go on.
"Oh no, I've said too much already. A house elf does not say things like that…" He looked around and Neville remembered what Harry had said about house-elfs punishing themselves.
"Don't worry I won't say anything about what you said. I just want to understand Professor Snape better in order to try to talk to him." And maybe be his friend, he added.
"But that is very brave of you, Neville, sir. Foolish but very brave." Dobby nodded.
"Why did you say it was foolish?" He was getting disappointed again.
"Professor Snape keeps to himself for a reason and that is a reason he shares with no one." Dobby added in a whisper, "I don't think even the Headmaster Dumbledore knows why."
Neville thought back to the ghost girl he saw in the bathroom. Maybe people (or ghosts) like that preferred being miserable. But he couldn't stand the thought of someone making themselves miserable on purpose unless they had done something really bad and were guilty. Neville didn't want to think about that and instead resolved to cheer Professor Snape up the only way he knew how.
"I'm going to bake some more cookies."
Dobby gave a nervous smile and watched as Neville set out to accomplish an impossible task but wished him luck just the same.
--
Not even his detention with Professor Snape had put a damper on his mood. He had his cookies ready to bring with him on the tray and with his other hand raised it to knock but before he did that the door opened and he stood face to face with the Headmaster Dumbledore.
Neville nearly dropped the tray of cookies.
"Oh, hello, Professor—uh, sir—uh Headmaster…" He forgot which title he should use.
"Oh just call me Dumbledore, everyone else does." The Headmaster eyed the tray of cookies with interest. "What do we have here?"
"Um cookies, sir—Dumbledore." He nervously raised the linen cover and before he could protest the Headmaster took one and tasted it.
Oh well, I don't think Professor Snape will notice one missing, he thought before the Headmaster took another one.
"These are delicious! Did you bake these yourself?"
Neville nodded.
"Wonderful! I think you've found your calling." The Headmaster took a few more.
"I just came here for my detention with Professor Snape." He nervously looked past the door but couldn't see him yet.
"Ah yes. Are you two getting along well?" There was a twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes as he said this but even with all of his years in experience with students, he still wasn't prepared for Neville's answer.
"Yes, much better, sir. Thank you."
Dumbledore stopped chewing for a moment then swallowed. "Well, I'm glad to hear it." He looked confused but only for a moment. "I must be going then… Umbridge doesn't like to be kept waiting."
The Headmaster gave Neville a friendly nod but he noticed Dumbledore seemed to be dawdling just a bit on his way as if he too were facing a detention he would rather not go to.
Neville looked at his batch of cookies, there were still some there, and went inside the dungeon classroom.
He thought now it would be a little easier since he had broken ground with the cookies.
He was wrong.
--
Severus was not in a mood for conversation.
Dumbledore had just left his office after giving him a terse reprimand about Umbridge.
"She may not be an elected official by us but she still is an official, a Ministry official and I would remind you, Severus, to keep that in mind."
It just went on and on.
And now the little Longbottom brat was trying to strike up a conversation with him as if they were (he almost retched) friends.
"What do you like to do in your spare time when you're not teaching?"
The boy was busily working scrubbing the gunk from under the tables and chairs of the classroom. Something like this normally would've been a dreadful assignment but somehow this boy didn't even notice as he chattered away incessantly.
"First of all, Longbottom, you will address me as sir and nothing else—do you understand?"
It was only a moment's notice the boy took before he opened his mouth again, "Sorry, sir. I just wanted to know what your interests were."
"It is none of your business what my interests are!" He had said furiously as he looked into the big naïve eyes of a boy who used to fear him.
For a long time he said nothing which made Severus wonder if he had finally gotten through to the boy. A teacher and student were not meant to talk about such things, especially a Slytherin teacher and a Gryffindor student. But as usual this boy was thick in the head.
"What else do you like to eat, sir?"
That was the final straw.
"Enough of this!" Severus got up and stormed toward the boy. "You are not allowed to ask me such questions and I will certainly not answer them to the likes of you. Where did you ever get the idea that I would wish to talk with you?"
The Longbottom boy looked stunned and answered sheepishly, "I didn't mean to be rude. I just thought you would like to talk to someone since you're always alone."
"I don't want to talk to anyone, particularly you." Severus answered tersly.
"I was just trying to be nice." Longbottom stopped scraping the sticky substance off the floor and looked up at Severus. "I don't know why you're being so mean. You liked the cookies I brought you well enough. I don't see why you're in such a bad mood."
"My mood is none of your concern, now get back to work." He immediately stalked back to his desk and pulled out a book and started reading while the boy (thankfully) went back to cleaning up the classroom gunk.
The minutes passed in silence as Severus pretended to read through meaningless lines and words until he saw the blanks between the sentences forming into pictures that played in his mind.
Finally the silence was broken but not by him.
"Why do you like potions so much?" Neville asked him
"What makes you think I like potions?" he glanced up and stared at the boy from his book.
"You must like what you do or you wouldn't be so good at it." Longbottom calmly dropped his scraping spatula into the bucket of filthy water and waited for a reply.
Severus thought back to when he mixed his first potion (or rather drink)…
--
His father was always a heavy drinker. (Though he never knew why until he was older but that's another story). So, there were always many liqueur bottles on the high table that Severus' father would go to every afternoon, morning, evening and night.
His father would go over to the wet bar and from the many different colored bottles that there were, he would take one and pour it into a glass. As Severus watched from his hidey-hole under the stairs his father would take another bottle and then another, each time pouring the contents into the glass until he was satisfied, then he would take a drink.
These bottles mystified Severus with their different shapes and different colored contents. He would stare at them while the afternoon sunshine filtered through the curtains, making the bottles glow as they threw amber colored patterns on the wall.
One day while his father was away, Severus decided to try to open the bottles, just to see what was inside.
After he had pushed a chair over to the wet bar and climbed on he brought a bottle over to him and with a short tug, pulled the cork out of the square bottle holding the brown liquid. He stuck his nose in and winced, it smelled terrible and he couldn't imagine his father wanting to drink anything as horrible as that.
Then again, Severus thought to himself, maybe that's why his father kept mixing all the other bottles together—to get rid of the bad taste.
So with that thought, he took another bottle and then another and poured it into the big square one that had held the brown bad-smelling liquid and took a swig. It immediately burned his throat but as he coughed the liquid make him choke and worse yet, it was coming out of his nose. Severus turned around as he sputtered and accidentally knocked the big square bottle over. It crashed to the floor and broke, spilling brown and amber liquid all over the rug.
While he was still in his coughing fit he managed to clamber down the chair to pick up the pieces and shove them in the cabinet under the wet bar. The rug was wet but it would dry. However, as Severus looked up at the bar, it was obvious his father would notice the big square bottle wasn't there. He climbed back onto the chair and put the rest of the bottles back. He was going to need a replacement for the one he had broken but he had a plan.
Severus always had a plan.
He went up to his mother's room and on her dressing room table found a similar bottle just like the one his father kept the liquor. It had a different cork in it but he could switch that with the other one. Severus came out of his mother's room and went into the bathroom then poured the bottle of perfume down the sink. It smelled a lot better than what his father drank.
He came down the stairs and got up onto the chair while being careful not to drop the bottle as he put it back where the other one had been. He had already mixed more of the liquids from the other bottles into the big one before he switched the stoppers and moved the chair back. He saw the dark brown rug had absorbed most of the spilled liquor and the stain wasn't as noticeable as before.
Everything looked as it should have and so Severus went upstairs and back to his mother's room. He had seen more bottles on her dressing table and wanted to experiment with their contents.
It was a lot more fun than mixing the liquor had been.
Unfortunately, Severus' father didn't appreciate having his drink mixed together in one bottle. As Severus found out from watching under the stairs, his father didn't like anything changed at all.
It was later in the evening when Severus' father came home and Severus took his usual place under the stairs.
He saw his father pour the liquor from the square bottle into a glass and after adding ice, his father took a big sip—before he spat it out.
"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?" he shouted out into the empty room.
Severus crouched back in case his father should happen to spot him.
His father slammed his drink down on the bar and ran upstairs.
As Severus slowly came out of his hiding place he could hear his father yelling at his mother. He didn't pay much attention to this usual 'evening conversation' between his parents so he went over to the bar and standing on the tips of his toes, he reached for the drink.
He stuck his nose in the glass and smelled the liqueur. It still smelled bad but Severus also thought he could detect a trace of his mother's perfume in it. He took a sip and retched. Now the drink tasted like turpentine and his mother's lily perfume.
He had forgotten to rinse the square bottle out first before replacing it.
It was a hard lesson for Severus to learn. 'Never leave a trace when you replace'. But he knew better now. That was his first experience in mixing different liquids together. He had always enjoyed experimenting to see what would happen but unfortunately the only thing that happened with his experiment that time was a foul concoction of bad tasting liquor and a beating from his father.
However, that didn't stop Severus from experimenting afterwards and he still tried to mix everything he could to see its effect. His mother hadn't minded that Severus had mixed her perfume and even congratulated him on coming up with another scent for her to wear—away from his father, of course.
Severus had a real knack for mixing things which came in extra handy when he was finally brought to Hogwarts. Severus was pleased because now he could mix much more interesting things together. Like poisons.
--
Severus answered with a smirk, "I just do."
He shut the book he wasn't really reading then looked at Longbottom. "Wash those buckets out before you go."
"I'm dismissed?" He asked incredulously.
"Yes, you'll need your strength for tomorrow. There's something I've been working on and I want your… input." Severus twisted his mouth into a wry smile which the boy mistook as he cheerfully wished him a good evening before he left.
The boy was going to be surprised but it would not be a happy surprise, not at all.
--
Severus held a vial of greenish black liquid.
It was a modification of what he had been working on before he had been interrupted by Umbridge and her annoying 'check-ins' with the teachers.
It was all he could do not to chuck the bottle at her frog-like face as she reminded him with a sickening smile that she was allowed to do whatever she pleased.
"I've been given permission by the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, in order to ensure the proper education and running of this school which I am—"
And of course this went on for several minutes while Severus was busy putting the vials away before she could see what was in them.
Yes, I know, Severus thought while she was speaking, You're allowed to butt in, change the rules, re-arrange and re-decorate my office with sickening displays of frills and stick your big, fat, ugly, little—
He didn't have time to finish as he was interrupted again by her, she seemed to have asked him a question.
"I'm waiting for your answer, Professor."
"I'm sure you will do whatever your job allows you to do and I will do my job as I see fit." That sounded pretty good.
"You will do your job, Severus, as I see fit for you to do it. That is my job." She finished smugly.
"Yes, of course." He brushed by her to the door and held it open, as he spoke, "Now if you'll excuse me…"
She gave another smug smile as she left and he could have vomited right then.
It wasn't until that evening that he got his wish.
--
"Come here, Longbottom, I want to test this…"
"What is it?" the boy asked in his usual quivering and irritating tone.
"It's poison. I need to test it."
"No!" he backed away from Severus, outraged. "I'm not going to be your guinea pig for your poisons! You can't make me!" He resolutely folded his hands over his mouth.
"Fine then you little coward, I'll take it myself. I need to test its potency. Here…" Severus took out another small bottle and held it in front of the boy's wary eyes. "You will give this to me after I take the poison because I will be unable to do it myself as I will shortly be paralyzed and unable to move. You will give this to me…" Severus repeated dangerously, "Right after I have taken the potion, do you understand?"
The boy nodded, still holding his mouth shut.
"Good. Now take your hands off your mouth you stupid boy and take the vial—no, not the poison you dolt!" The boy almost dropped it. "Take this bottle with the antidote!"
Severus wrenched the stopper off the bottle then took a swig. Immediately the world started going dark. Apparently he had used to much of the—
--
"Professor?" Neville stood there for a moment before he dropped down to his knees next to the sprawled pale body of his former nemesis. "Oh no, please…"
He fumbled for a moment with the antidote before his trembling fingers managed to pull the cork off. He poised the bottle over Snape's mouth, unsure of the amount to use he poured all the contents into it, nothing happened.
"Oh no!" Neville was beside himself and all he could do was shout, "Help! Somebody help!"
Frantically he whipped out his wand before he remembered what Hermione said about using magic on a teacher which was just as well because the only spell he could think of was Expelliarmus and that wouldn't solve anything.
Professor Snape had poisoned himself and there was no one else except Neville to save him. Neville, who knew next to nothing about potions, poisons or antidotes. He felt just as foolish as he had the first time, the first day he took potions when he came to Hogwarts. He had injured himself then too and nothing had changed since that time. Nothing except now his Potions Professor was lying on the floor dying while he stood around helplessly.
"HELP!" he yelled again.
An answer came but it was someone he hadn't expected. There was a loud pop and Dobby appeared.
"What is it, sir?" he looked just as worried as Neville felt.
"He's poisoned himself and I don't know what to do—" Dobby looked helplessly back and forth from Neville to Snape.
"Oh, if only Potter were here, he'd know, sir…" The elf moaned piteously but Neville thought back, to that very first day in Potions class. It wasn't Potter who knew what to do, it was Hermione. Something about a stone—the Sorcerer's Stone?—No, another stone—from a goat!
"A goat!" Neville yelled.
"What, sir?" Dobby yipped.
"A stone from a goat, uh a…" he couldn't think of what it was called, "from it's stomach, a stone from a goat!" He racked his mind but still couldn't find the name.
He was taking too much time, Snape would be dead for sure.
"A…" Salazar…Beelzebub… a—"Bezoar!"
"Yes, sir!" Dobby seemed to know what he was talking about and Disapparated at once before he Apparated again holding a stone.
Neville quickly shoved it in Snape's mouth and held his head up then remembered the Professor was unconscious and couldn't swallow. He put the stone under his tongue and hoped the remedy method with aspirin worked the same with the Bezoar stone.
The elf Disapparated again and it wasn't long until both the Headmaster Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey came.
Neville couldn't have been more grateful or more guilty. He didn't know which he felt more and didn't care. He just hoped Professor Snape was still alive.
--
"You saved his life."
Dumbledore was standing over the bed of the unconscious Potions teacher, Severus Snape, while Madame Pomfrey rushed about, as usual, muttering sentences about incompetent teachers and dangerous poisons.
Neville Longbottom, who never in his life accomplished more than a good grade in Herbology, was numb with shock and stood beside Dumbledore.
"He's alive?" he asked trembling.
"Yes, of course. He's just paralyzed for now but still alive." He gave an assuring smile which did nothing to cheer Neville up.
"Oh."
"Well, I better let Umbridge know he's all right before she moves her things in his office again." He turned to Neville and said, "Snape always underestimates the strength of his poisons, among other things." Dumbledore gave his usual mysterious wink to Neville while he was left to think about what Dumbledore said and why.
"Venomous Tentacula sap! Of all the things for him to experiment on!" Madame Pomfrey was whispering so loudly to Dumbledore that Neville couldn't help overhearing some of it. He was about to get up and leave when he heard a groaning moan on the hospital bed. Neville looked at Snape, whose pale face was scrunched in pain.
"Ughhh…" he groaned, "I feel like crap."
"Well, you did just get poisoned, sir." Neville answered him and as usual, it was the wrong thing to say.
"What am I doing here?" Snape frail voice was creeping up to a growl and he unsuccessfully tried to sit up then groaned again.
"I think you better take it easy, that poison you made was pretty strong. I'm not sure how that Bezoar stone saved you but it might have some bad side effects. I guess you'll have to spend another night in the hospital wing." Neville apologized.
"I'm not spending another—wait a minute, did you say a Bezoar stone? How did you know a Bezoar stone saved me?" Snape eyed him suspiciously.
"Well, that's what I used when I…uh," Neville backed away from the bed as he saw that Snape looked ready to pounce (sick or not he could still attack), "I saved your life…" he trailed off.
"YOU WHAT?!" Snape tore the covers off and was about to grab him by the throat when he felt his vision going black again.
"Lay down, Severus." It was Dumbledore who spoke this time and his voice issued a warning to Snape, who immediately obeyed.
"I will not suffer the humiliation of being saved by a Griffindor brat, a Longbottom brat especially—"
"That's enough, Severus." Dumbledore had walked over to Neville and gently put a hand on his shoulder. "I think you had better head back to your common room. I believe you've done enough for tonight." He nodded to Neville who gave one last look at Snape (he shouldn't have done so, it would give him nightmares tonight) and quickly made his way out of the hospital wing.
--
"This is unbearable, insufferable, inconceivable—" Severus swore out loud.
"Severus…" Dumbledore chose to ignore the swearing and kept his eyes averted.
"Unbelievable, unconscionable, intolerable—" he couldn't find the words to express his outrage.
"Severus—" Dumbledore started.
"Unthinkable, unimaginable, implausible—" he kept on.
"Severus!" Dumbledore wasn't going to be interrupted now, "Aside from your obvious responsibility as Professor, you must know the responsibility you have under your obligation to me and this school…"
"Yes, of course, but—" Severus started but Dumbledore put his hand up.
"To the students, as well as Potter and—"
"Now, Longbottom." He finished.
Dumbledore said nothing for a moment but stood in silence as Severus sat in the hospital bed, deep in thought.
"I need not tell you that Neville Longbottom may prove a valuable asset to you in the future." Dumbledore broke the silence.
"I doubt that," sneered Severus.
"Still," Dumbledore calmly replied, "I do think he has gained from you more than you'll ever know."
"It was your idea that I spend detention with him, otherwise I would've have just sent him over to Umbridge." Severus pointed out.
"Yes, but I don't think Umbridge would've gained much of an ally with Neville, as you have done."
"He's no ally to me! He is mistaken, that is all, a foolish folly that has made him think of me as a friend." He finished with his usual sneer and was about to settle himself down when Dumbledore spoke again.
"A person could use a friend, especially a person like you, Severus."
"A person like me doesn't have any friends—and for good reason." Severus stared Dumbledore down but the old man only sighed and nodded then left the room.
Whatever Dumbledore had thought would happen with Neville and Severus was a mistake. And if Dumbledore thought that Severus was going to help Neville, that was also another mistake. Severus was as different from Neville as night and day and that was the way it was going to stay. No matter what Dumbledore had set up.
Severus settled down to a restless sleep as his troubled dreams left him no comfort.
Tomorrow was another day, same as before.
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A/N: Sorry to end on such a low note but I wanted to emphasize what was going on between Neville and Snape (and Dumbledore's part in it) to tie up some loose ends. Next chapter: Detention with Umbridge! Dun, dun dun! Do you think Neville will lose it? Read all about it! (When I get it posted…) Thanks for your Support!