Three headed dog
"Ahhhh!" Four children screamed at the top of their voices. Pure terror shone in their faces. Why would someone keep such a thing like that in a school?
"Run!" Hermione shouted. She was the first who recovered her voice. Ron, Harry and Neville bolted into action and reached the door, squishing their way through at the exact same time. Stuck and in a panic, none of the three boys got the idea to step back and let the others through.
Suddenly, Harry heard a snap and felt a tug on his cloak. He immediately was jerked backwards. Ron and Neville toppled forwards as the passage widened in Harry's absence.
"Harry!" Ron screamed, turning around to help his friend. Latching on to Harry's hand, he pulled with all of his might.
Hermione watched horrified. Feverishly, she wracked her brain over what to do, but no spell came to mind that would be strong enough to put the beast out of action. But then a crazy idea struck her. She drew her wand and pointed it at the head that held Harry's cape in its mouth.
"Hermione, don't! What if you get Harry instead of the beast" Neville wailed.
"Don't worry. I know what I do!" The girl said with more confidence than she was actually feeling. She had no idea if this would work, but she had to give it a try, so she said "Creato Peppero!"
"Aaargh!" Harry yelled and closed his eyes. As he inhaled the pepper Hermione had conjured, he began to sneeze violently.
But he wasn't the only one. The Three-headed-dog also sneezed, releasing Harry as it opened its mouth wide. Ron pulled again at Harry's hand and they both toppled forward through the door, which they instantly flung shut behind them.
"Wow, that was close!" Ron exhaled.
"Yeah. Thank you, Her… haa… aaa… achoo!" Harry said in a shaky voice.
"Sorry, but that was the only thing that came to my mind!" the girl apologized.
"No, that was really great!" Harry assured her. However, his knees were still shaky. Harry had no idea how much longer they would carry him.
"Shouldn't we g… go?" Neville asked, still horrified.
"Yeah, let's go!" Ron agreed.
"Everything okay, Harry?" Hermione asked anxiously when she took one look at Harry's face. The boy was pale and leaned heavily against the door.
Harry just nodded weakly.
As the four friends reached the end of the corridor, they suddenly heard shuffling steps.
"Oh, no. That must be Filch!" Hermione moaned.
"Run!" Ron yelled and they instantly set off sprinting.
As they hastened through the corridors away from Filch and the horrible monster of a dog, Harry had difficulty keeping up. Still in shock, his feet refused to run faster. Little by little, he fell behind the others.
As Harry lost sight of his friends, he began to panic and doubled his speed. But suddenly he lost balance and tripped, landing on his stomach and gliding a short way across the polished floor. As he skidded to a halt, he found himself in front of a pair of black shoes, which did not belong to any of his friends.
"Potter!" a very familiar voice shouted "What are you doing outside of your common room at this time?"
"Professor Snape!" Harry gasped and felt instantly relieved. He still was breathing heavily as he tried to stand up.
Professor Snape studied the boy critically. "What the hell happened?"
But Harry could not speak. Still trembling, he flung forward and held on to the man in front of him.
The professor froze on the spot.
Since when did anyone take someone comfort in him?
His first intention was to push the boy away, but then he noticed that Harry was shivering all over. Carefully he glanced up and down the corridor. When he was certain that nobody was watching, he rested one arm across Harry's back.
"Harry, what happened?" he asked again, now in a softer voice.
But Harry did not respond; he clung to the professor for dear life.
"Let's go to my office," Severus finally said. And suddenly realizing what he had just done, Harry released him, embarrassed for acting so childish.
"Sorry…" he mumbled sheepishily
Ooo
Professor Snape held the office door open for the boy, and as Harry entered, Severus noticed that Harry's cloak was torn.
He frowned as he surveyed the tear. "What happened to your cloak?"
"We didn't mean it, Sir, please believe me!" Harry suddenly pleaded.
Severus' frown deepened, "Didn't mean what?"
"We were on our way back to the common room, but the staircase changed directions. We didn't know where we were until the torches on the wall lit up."
"And where exactly did you land?
"Erm…the forbidden corridor…" Harry whispered, scarcely audible as he dropped his head.
"And you didn't turn back, why?"
"Filch's cat! She came out of nowhere!"
"I see. You thought it was better to get torn to shreds than to get caught by the caretaker. I wonder, how did you get through the door at the end of the corridor?"
"Herm-" Harry stopped himself midsentence and blushed, he nearly revealed that Hermione was with him, then he stuttered "Erm... with…er…magic."
"And you went in, without knowing what you were getting into, even though the corridor was forbidden and Professor Dumbledore had warned you at the welcome feast not to enter that corridor if you didn't have a death wish?"
Harry shrank back a few inches. He knew it hadn't been the best decision.
"Apart from the fact that you put your life in great danger, you broke several school rules: Outside of your common room after curfew…trespassing in the forbidden corridor…performing magic outside the classroom and without supervision…" Snape glared and shook his head menacingly. "You understand that I'm not able to leave this unpunished?"
Harry gulped and then nodded.
"Very well, who was with you?"
The boy's eyes grew larger. He could not betray his friends.
Severus raised an eyebrow. "I know you were not the one who charmed the door open. And it is unfair to punish you for that."
Harry gulped again. "I… I can't say, Sir! I'm sorry."
Severus shook his head stunned. "Gryffindors…" he mumbled to himself. "Very well, Potter, as you wish. Detention tomorrow and the next two following days at seven o'clock in my classroom! You are dismissed."
But Harry did not leave. With a bowed head he sniffed. "I'm sorry, Professor…"
Severus signed. "Harry, what do you want me to say? You broke the rules, therefore you will receive detention! And as long as you refuse to tell me who was with you, you will have to sit in detention alone. "
Harry nodded miserably. "I swear, I'll never go in that corridor again!"
"You had better not, or so help me I will not hesitate to spank you."
Flushing hotly, the boy looked up with scared eyes. Did Snape really mean that?
For a long moment they both just looked at each other, saying nothing. Finally Snape asked, "Did the dog tear your cloak?"
Harry nodded and shivered at the memory.
"Do you have any idea how close to death you were today?"
Dismal as ever, Harry nodded again.
"How did you get free?" Severus was curious.
"Erm… someone conjured up a pepper spell and the dog sneezed."
Severus shook his head in disbelieve. First years came up with the most absurd ideas.
"Very well, do you feel well enough to find your way back to your common room by yourself or do you need company?"
For a short moment Harry's eyes lit up, but then he flushed and looked down, feeling like a great, sodding baby. "I can do it myself…"
Severus nodded once. "Fine. Use the lumos charm in the dark corridors." he advised the boy.
Harry nodded once more and gave his professor the smallest of smiles. "Thank you, sir."
"Thank me? What for?" Severus asked, bewildered.
"For being here at the right moment!"
"Right moment?" Severus echoed, "I daresay if the beast would have bitten your head off, than I would have been far too late!"
"But it didn't!"
"Good night, Harry…" Professor Snape remarked dryly, closing the topic as he headed to the door and held it open for the boy.
"Good night, Professor," Harry said and scurried through the open door.
"Wait!" Snape suddenly called out.
Curious, Harry turned around to see the professor pulling out his wand. Harry's eyes grew wide and he almost stepped back.
"Potter, don't look so scared. If I intended to harm you, I would have done that inside of my office, not outside where everybody could watch."
Harry relaxed a bit.
"Reparo!" Severus said, and Harry's cloak was good as new.
"Thanks!" Harry beamed.
"You are welcome. Now go. And keep your eyes open!"
Harry nodded and finally set off for the Gryffindor common room.
Severus watched the boy until he disappeared around the corner. He listened, smiling lightly as a soft "Lumos!" echoed from the far corridor, the light's reflection bouncing brightly off of the walls and the floor.
Severus sighed, pushed himself off the door frame and reentered his office. He was confused. He felt proud of Harry for conquering the lumos charm. But he was also scared. He was becoming too close with the boy. And though he was very different than his father, Harry was still the son of Severus' childhood archenemy.
Severus exhaled again. Why has the boy begun to trust me so easily? I haven't done anything to earn that trust!
The professor remembered Harrys words: "Thank you for being here at the right moment…"
In an odd way Severus knew exactly what the boy had meant by that. Harry was as white as a sheet and was trembling with fear when he had bumped into the professor. But the moment Harry had recognized Severus, relief had flashed across the boys face.
Severus shook his head. He could not deny that he was beginning to care for the boy. And the thought of where the boy had ended up today terrified him.
What if Harry had died?He rubbed a hand over his eyes in frustration. And why the hell do I care? It had been a long time since Severus had really cared for someone. And he had never cared for the students that much, aside from his Slytherins. So why Harry?
But try as he might, Severus couldn't shake the vision of the boy's familiar green eyes—the eyes of someone he had once cared for. The only pair of eyes that, in turn, once glimmered with compassion for him.