Second Year
Damn and blast! Where did the boy and his worthless sidekick go? How could I have let him disappear like that? Severus ran down the hallways towards the Infirmary, he was hoping against hope that the morons had decided to visit their bed-ridden friend for a final time instead of haring off to do something that could get them killed. He finally reached the Infirmary and practically threw open the doors, but there was no sign of the Dense Duo. There was just Miss Granger, looking rather pathetic in her petrified state. "Soon Miss Granger, the potion will be done soon and then you can go back to bossing those two dunderheads around. Hopefully then they'll learn to keep their noses clean. But I'm asking too much of the son of James Potter aren't I? Of course, why shouldn't he be held to different standards than the rest of the students?" There were footsteps behind him, but he knew who it was without turning around. "I thought that you had been banned from the premises?" "Once the governors heard that a student had been taken I was bombarded with owls begging me to come back. And so I came." "But not in time to stop that stupid brat from running off to face certain death yet again," Severus' words sounded bitter and brittle even to him, "How am I supposed to keep the boy safe if you allow him to do these things?" Dumbledore had the good grace to look slightly abashed, but only slightly. "How else is he going to learn Severus? I have taken you into my confidence, you know the full contents of the prophecy and you know that he is the only one that can defeat Voldemort, should he ever rise again." Severus snorted, "And it only took you a decade to do it. I know your opinions Dumbledore and it's high time that you know mine. Right now, as we speak, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley are in the Chamber of Secrets trying to rescue Weasley's little sister. Do you know what is down there Albus? I do, thanks to the diligent research of Miss Granger. A basilisk. How on Gaea's green earth are they supposed to defend themselves? You're right about one thing, the boy will never grow up to defeat Voldemort if he doesn't survive and learn from the experience." And only now did Dumbledore look alarmed, "Why didn't you tell me at once Severus?" And he dashed out of them room without saying a further word. "Didn't give the opportunity, did you?" And, with the knowledge that Dumbledore would somehow solve this problem (which happened to be partially of his own making), Severus turned back to contemplate the petrified bodies that currently inhabited the Infirmary. "Soon."