Late Arrivals and Lifetime Rivals: Snape's Worst Halloween

Silence…

Chapter 5: Enemies Of The Heir, Beware!

He appeared to be dressed as a snake.

Snape, had apparently, (with few experiences at parties and assuming he had not attended a Halloween bash in at least twenty years, if ever), gone last minute to a muggle shop and the rest is surely worthy of a mention in "Hogwarts: A History."

He had on his usual black robes although only pieces of the material were visible. On top of his robes was a stuffed snake costume with shiny green skin and bright green sequins. However, it was so puffy and badly sewn that he looked more like a dinosaur stuffed animal that a muggle child might own.

The costume, I might add again, not well made, pretty much covered his whole body and a huge stuffed tail with protruding scales trailed him in the back. It was this that Flitwick closed the door on, as Snape attempted to enter the doorway. Finally, in frustration, he entered sideways but noticed he still could not budge.

"Sorry, Professor Snape, let me get that for you," offered Flitwick.

Flitwick released the tail from the door and it fell with a loud thud to the ground.

Snape's eyes, nose, and mouth were barely visible. Strands of sweaty, greasy, black hair clung to his face and kept getting caught in his mouth. Atop his head was a huge stuffed snake head piece. Completely disproportionate with the rest of his rather hefty costume, the large bugged out snake eyes were two, red, felt pieces of cloth. Under his snake eyes flowed a large red, forked tongue that fell into Snape's face and was tangled at times between his triangular fangs of cloth.

Still in shock, the guests, one by one started to turn away and make the appearance of going back to what they were doing.

Snape, unable to stride as he did so often at work, could only wobble towards Molly Weasley.

A deep, soft voice emerged from near the snake's head. "Mrs. Weasley, I need to use the lavatory facilities."

I knew there was no way (to borrow Hagrid's stunned expression) in the ruddy hell that Snape could fathom asking Sirius Black at this very moment to use the loo.

Molly, speechless a first, merely pointed at the staircase. She then recovered and managed to get out with some difficulty, and supreme effort on her part, "Third door on the left, Professor Snape."

Snape nodded and his snake head shifted violently. He grabbed his tail under his arm and led with his right foot up each and every step.

It was not a second after he finally reached the top of the staircase and entered the bathroom that all ruddy hell, did indeed, break loose.