Snape's Worst Memory
BY ORDER OF THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC
Dolores Jane Umbridge (High Inquisitor) has replaced Albus Dumbledore as Head of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
The above is in accordance with Educational Decree Number Twenty Eight
Signed:
Cornelius Oswald Fudge
Minister for Magic
The notices were up all around the school overnight, yet they didn't explain how every single person within the castle knew that Dumbledore overcame two Aurors, the High Inquisitor, the Minister for Magic and his Junior Assistant to escape.
No matter where he went in the castle, Arthur heard the topic of Dumbledore's flight. While some details were awry in the retelling (Arthur overhearing a second year girl assuring another that Fudge was now lying in St Mungo's with a pumpkin for a head), it was actually surprising how accurate the rest of their information was.
For instance, everyone knew that Arthur and Marietta were the only students to witness what happened in Dumbledore's office and, since Marietta's in the hospital wing, Arthur found himself besieged with many requests to give a firsthand account.
"Dumbledore will be back before long." Ernie Macmillan said confidently on the way back from Herbology, after listening to what Arthur said. "They couldn't keep him away in our second year and they won't be able to this time. The Fat Friar told me -" He dropped his voice, making Arthur, Mike, David and Chrys lean in to hear. " - that Umbrdige tried to get back into his office last night after they'd searched the castle and grounds for him. Couldn't get past the gryphon. The Head's office has sealed itself against her." Ernie smirked. "Apparently, she had a right little tantrum."
"Serves her right." Chrys said viciously as they walked up the stone steps into the Entrance Hall. "Trying to lord over all the teachers that stupid, ugly, power hungry -"
"Now, do you really want to finish that sentence, Ranger?"
Draci slid out from behind the door, followed by Crabbe and Goyle. His pale and pointed face was alight with malice.
"Afraid I'm going to have to dock a few points from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff." He then drawled.
"You can't take points from fellow Prefects, Malfoy." Ernie said at once.
"I know Prefects can't dock points from each other." Draco sneered, making his cronies snigger. "But members of the Inquisitorial Squad -"
"The what?" Chrys said sharply.
"The Inquisitorial Squad, Ranger." Draco said, pointing at a tiny silver 'I' on his robes just beneath his Prefect's badge. "A select group of students who are supportive of the Ministry of Magic, handpicked by Umbridge. Anyway, members of the Inquisitorial Squad do have the power to dock points… so, Ranger, I'll have five from you for being rude about our new Headmistress. Macmillan, five for contradicting me. Five because I don't like you, Pendergast. Merlon, your shirt's untucked, so I'll have another five for that. McGonagall, because you're related to the worst Head of house. Oh yeah, I forgot, you're a Mudblood, Ranger, so ten off for that."
David pulled his wand out, but Chrys and Arthur pushed it away.
"Don't!" Chrys whispered.
"Wise move, Ranger." Draco breathed. "New Head, new times… be good now, Penny… Murky King…."
He strode off with Crabbe and Goyle, laughing heartily.
"He was bluffing." Ernie said, looking appalled. "He can't be allowed to dock points… that would be ridiculous… it would completely undermine the Prefect system."
But the other four turned automatically towards the giant hourglasses set in niches along the wall behind them that recorded the house points. Both Gryffindor and Ravenclaw were neck and neck in the lead that morning. Even as they watched, stones flowed upwards, which reduced the amounts in the lower bulbs. The only glass that remained unchanged was the emerald filled one, representing Slytherin.
"I see you've noticed." Jack said as he and Kevin came down the marble staircase and joined them in front of the hourglasses.
"Draco just docked us all points." Arthur said in a cold fury, watching more stones fly upwards from the Gryffindor hourglass.
"Montague tried to do the same to us during break." Kevin said.
"What do you mean 'tried'?" David asked.
"He didn't get the words out." Jack replied. "Because we forced him headfirst into the Vanishing Cabinet on the first floor."
"But won't you get into trouble?" Chrys asked in shock.
"Not until that stupid twat reappears, which could take weeks." Jack said coolly. "Besides… we don't care about getting into trouble any more. With Dumbledore gone, we're gonna cause nothing but mayhem and give Umbridge the hell she deserves."
"But you'll be expelled!" Chrys said.
"We don't care about staying anymore." Jack told her. "We'd walk out right now if we wanted, but we're determined to do our bit for Dumbledore first." He then looked at his watch. "Phase one will begin. Be at the Great Hall for lunch, if I were you, therefore the teachers will see you had nothing to do with it."
"With what?" Mike asked.
"You'll see. Now go." Kevin said before he and Jack turned and disappeared into the swelling crowd descending the stairs towards lunch.
Ernie muttered something about unfinished Transfiguration homework before he scurried off.
"Let's get out of here, just in case…." Chrys said.
"Yeah." David replied and all four moved towards the doors to the Great Hall.
But then Arthur felt someone tap his shoulder and he looked to see that it was Filch. Arthur took several steps back since Filch was best viewed at a distance.
"The Headmistress would like to see you, Pendergast." He leered.
"I didn't even do anything." Arthur said, which made Filch's jowls wobble with silent laughter.
"Follow me." Filch wheezed.
He followed him into the Entrance Hall, walking against the tide of hungry students.
Filch has been in a much better mood since Umbridge became Headmistress as he hummed creakily under his breath, climbing up the marble staircase.
Upon reaching the first landing, he said "Things are changing around here, Pendergast."
"I've noticed." Arthur replied coldly.
"Yerse… I've been telling Dumbledore for years and years he's too soft with you all." Filch chuckled nastily. "You filthy little beasts would never have dropped Stink Pellets if you'd known i had it in my power to whip you raw, would you, now? Nobody would have thought of throwing Fanged Frisbees down the corridors if I could've strung you up by the ankles in my office, would they? But when Educational Decree Number Twenty Nine comes in, Pendergast, I'll be allowed to do them things… and she's asked the Minister to sign an order for the expulsion of Peeves… oh, things are going to be very different around here with her in charge…."
Umbridge probably didn't need much to convince Filch to be more loyal to him than to Dumbeldore. He also proved to be a dangerous weapon since he had immense knowledge of the secret passageways and hiding places around the school.
"Here we are." Filch leered when they reached the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom and were outside the door to Umbridge's office. He rapped three times on the door and pushed it open. "The Pendergast boy to see you, Ma'am."
Arthur entered and was shocked by how much the office changed in comparison to the previous occupants. The surfaces were all draped in lacy covers and cloths. There were several vases full of dried flowers, each residing on its own doily, and on one of the walls was a collection of ornamental plates, each decorated with large technicoloured kittens that wore different bows around their necks.
And across the front of her desk was a large wooden block that had gold letters on it that spelled HEADMISTRESS.
She truly is using all this to hide the fact that she's nothing but an evil hag.
Umbridge sat behind it, busily scribbling on some of her pink parchment, but looked up and smiled widely at their entrance.
"Thank you, Argus." She said sweetly.
"Not at all, Ma'am, not at all." Filch bowed as low as his rheumatism would allow before exiting backwards.
"Sit." Umbridge said curtly, pointing towards a chair, which Arthur sat in. She continued to scribble for a few moments.
Arthur watched some of the foul kittens all gambolling around the plates over her head, wondering what horror she'll throw at him.
"Well, now." She finally said, setting down her quill and looked like a toad that was about to swallow a very juicy fly. "What would you like to drink?"
"What?" Arthur asked, surprised by her question.
"To drink, Mr Pendergast." She smiled more widely. "Tea? Coffee? Pumpkin juice?"
As she named each drink, she waved her wand and a cup or glass of it appeared on her desk.
"Nothing, thank you." Arthur said, so sure that she tampered with them.
"I wish you to have a drink with me." She said, her voice now becoming dangerously sweet. "Choose one."
"Fine… tea." Arthur shrugged.
She got up and made quite a performance as she added milk with her back to him. She then bustled around the desk with it, smiling in a sinisterly sweet fashion.
"There." She said as she handed it to him. "Drink it before it gets cold, won't you? Well, now, Mr Pendergast… I thought we ought to have a little chat, after the distressing events of last night."
He didn't say anything as she settled herself back into her seat and waited.
Several moments passed in silence until she said gaily "You're not drinking up!"
Deciding to take a queue from Moody: to not drink from an enemy, he pretended to take a sip.
"What's the matter?" Umbridge said, still watching him. "Do you want sugar?"
"I hate sugar in tea." Arthur replied in honesty.
He raised the cup to his lips again and pretended to take another sip while keeping his mouth tightly closed. Umbridge's smile widened.
"Very well…" She whispered. "...very well. Now then…." She leaned forwards a little. "Where is Albus Dumbledore?"
"I don't know." Arthur said honestly, he genuinely didn't know where he is
"Drink up, drink up." She said, smiling. "Now, Mr Pendergast, let us not play childish games. I know that you know where he has gone. You and Dumbledore have been in this together from the beginning. Consider your position, Mr Pendergast…."
"I swear, I do not know where he is." Arthur said, pretending to drink again.
"Very well." Umbridge said, looking displeased. "In that case, you will kindly tell me the whereabouts of Sirius Black."
Arthur was able to not react to this as his stomach turned over, tilting the cup to his mouth in a way that some of the hot liquid can trickle down onto his robes.
"Like with Dumbledore, I do not know where he is." Arthur replied.
"Mr Pendergast, let me remind you that it was I who almost caught Black in the Gryffindor fire in October. I know perfectly well it was you he was meeting and if I had had any proof neither of you would be at large today, I promise you. I repeat, Mr Pendergast… where is Sirius Black?"
"Again, I don't know." Arthur said loudly. "You're wasting your time asking me these questions."
The two just stared at each other for so long that Arthur's eyes were starting to water.
Umbridge then stood up.
"Very well, Pendergast, I will take your word for it this time, but be warned: the might of the Ministry stands behind me. All channels of communication in and out of this school are being monitored. A Floo Network Regulator is keeping watch over every fire in Hogwarts - except my own, of course. My Inquisitorial Squad is opening and reading all owl post entering and leaving the castle. And Mr Filch is observing all secret passages in and out of the castle. If I find a shred of evidence…."
BOOM
The very floor of the office shook, making Umbridge slip sideways, clutching her desk for support. She looked shocked.
"What was -?"
She gazed at the door, giving Arthur the opportunity to empty his almost full cup of tea into the nearest vase of dried flowers. He could hear people running and screaming several floors below.
"Back to lunch you go, Pendergast!" Umbridge cried, raising her wand and dashed out of her office.
Arthur gave her a head start before he hurried after her to see what was the cause of the uproar.
It wasn't difficult to find because one floor down, pandemonium reigned.
It would seem that the twins had set off what looked like an enormous crate of enchanted fireworks.
Dragons that comprised entirely of green and gold sparks soared up and down the corridors, emitting loud fiery blasts and bangs as they went; shocking pink Catherine wheels five feet in diameter whizzed lethally through the air like many flying saucers; rockets with long tails of silver stars ricocheted off the walls; sparklers wrote swear words in mid air of their own accord; firecrackers exploded like mines everywhere Arthur looked, and instead of burning themselves out, fading from sight or fizzling to a halt, these pyrotechnical miracles and marvels just gained in energy and momentum the longer he watched in awe.
Both Filch and Umbridge stood, very much transfixed in horror, halfway down the stairs. As Arthur watched, one of the larger Catherine wheels decided that it needed more room to manoeuvre; it whirled right towards Umbridge and Filch with a sinister "wheeeeeeee". They both yelled with fight and ducked, and it soared right out of the window behind them and off across the grounds.
Meanwhile, several of the dragons and a large purple hat that smoked ominously took advantage of the open door at the end of the corridor to escape to the second floor.
"Hurry, Filch, hurry!" Umbridge shrieked. "They'll be all over the school unless we do something - Stupefy!"
A jet of red light shot out of her wand and hit one of the rockets. Instead of freezing in mid air, it exploded with such force that it actually blasted a hole in a painting of a soppy looking witch in the middle of a meadow; she ran for it just in time, reappearing seconds afterwards squashed into the next painting, where a couple of wizards played cards stood up hastily to make room for her.
"Don't Stun them, Filch!" Umbridge shouted angrily.
"Right you are, Headmistress!" Filch wheezed, who being a Squib, can't even Stun the fireworks if he even tried. He dashed to a nearby cupboard and pulled out a broom to start swatting at the fireworks in mid air; within seconds, the head of the broom was ablaze.
Arthur had decided he had seen enough; laughing, he ducked down low, ran to a door that he knew was concealed behind a tapestry a little way along the corridor and slipped through to find Jack and Kevin hiding behind it, listening to the yells from Umbridge and Filch and their quakes of suppressed mirth.
"That was absolutely impressive." Arthur said quietly with a grin. "You two will put Dr Filibuster out of business with ease."
"Thanks." Kevin whispered as he wiped tears of laughter from his face. "She'd better try Vanishing them next… they'll just multiply by ten with every try."
The fireworks continued burning and speaking throughout the school that afternoon. Though they caused disruption, especially the firecrackers, the other teachers didn't mind them that much.
"Dear, dear." McGonagall said sardonically as a dragon soared around her classroom, emitting loud bangs and exhaling flame. "Miss Brown, would you mind running along to the Headmistress and informing her that we have an escaped firework in our classroom?"
The upshot of it was that Umbridge spent her first afternoon as Headmistress running around the school answering the summons of all the other teachers, none of whom seemed able to rid their rooms of the fireworks without her.
When the final bell rang and they all headed back to Gryffindor Tower with their bags, Arthur saw, with real satisfaction, a dishevelled and soot-blackened Umbridge tottering sweaty faced from Flitwick's classroom.
"Thank you so much, Professor!" Flitwick said in his squeaky voice. "I could have got rid of the sparklers myself, of course, but I wasn't sure whether or not I had the authority."
Beaming, he closed his classroom door in her snarling face.
The twins were considered heroes that night in the Gryffindor common room. Chrys even congratulated them.
"Thanks." Kevin said, slightly surprised and pleased. "They're called Merlons' Wildfire Mega-bangs. But we used our whole stock, meaning we'll have to start again from scratch."
"But it was so worth it." Jack said as he took orders from clamouring Gryffindors. "If you want to add your name to the waiting list, it's five Galleons for a Basic Blaze box and twenty for the Deflagration Deluxe…."
Chrys returned to the table where Arthur, Mike and David sat doing their homework.
"I think we should have a night off." Chrys said as a silver tailed Merlon rocket zoomed past the window. "The Easter holidays are going to start on Friday, so we'll have plenty of time then."
"Are you alright?" David asked in disbelief.
"I'm fine." Chrys said happily. "I'm just feeling a bit… rebellious."
Arthur could still hear the distant bangs of escaped firecrackers when he, Mike and David went up to bed an hour later. As Arthur got undressed, a sparkler floated past the tower, still resolutely spelling out the word "POO".
He went to bed, yawning.
As he lay in his bed, Arthur was thinking about how Umbridge felt that her first day as Headmistress was ultimately a disastrous one, and how Fudge would react upon hearing that the school spent most of the day in a state of pure disruption.
With a smile, he started the process of closing his mind off and fell asleep, not even dreaming about the Department of Mysteries.
Arthur spent the next day feeling confident that he'll keep up with his progress in Occlumency.
By the time he set off for Snape's office after dinner, he was halfway across the Entrance Hall when Cho hurried up to him.
"Over here." He said, deciding he can postpone the lesson for once, and beckoned her to a corner of the Entrance Hall where the giant hourglasses stood. Gryffindor's was now almost empty.
"Are you alright?" Did Umbridge ask you questions about the DA?"
"Oh, no." Cho said hurriedly. "No, it was only… well, I just wanted to say… Arthur, I never dreamed Marietta would tell -"
"Is that so?" Arthur said angrily. He couldn't believe that Cho was defending Marietta after what she had done. It made him question her choice in friends, feeling she should have chosen them more carefully. Marietta was still up in the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey still hadn't made any improvement to her pimples.
"She's a lovely person really." Cho said. "She just made a mistake -"
Arthur looked at her in fury.
"She didn't make a mistake! She willingly sold us all out, including you! And because of her, Dumbeldore's gone and we have that toad as Headmistress!"
"Well… we all got away, didn't we?" Cho said pleadingly. "You know, her mum works for the Ministry, it's really difficult for her -"
"David's dad works for the Ministry too!" Arthur pointed out furiously. "And he didn't snitch on us, making him have sneak written across his face -"
"That was a really horrible trick of Chrys Ranger's." Cho said fiercely. "She should have told us she'd jinxed that list -"
"It's a fitting punishment after what your friend did." Arthur spat. "If you can't understand the severity of what Marietta did, we shouldn't even be friends."
He stormed off, leaving a now crying Cho.
"You're late, Pendergast." Snape said coldly when Arthur arrived, still fuming about Cho and Marietta.
Snape stood with his back to Arthur, removing, as usual, certain memories and thoughts into Dumbledore's Pensieve. He dropped the last silvery strand into the stone basin and turned to face Arthur.
"So." He said. "Have you been practising?"
"I have." Arthur replied, now needing to clear his emotions and thoughts.
"Well, we'll soon find out, won't we?" Snape said smoothly. "Wand out, Pendergast."
Arthur moved to his usual position, facing Snape with the desk between them.
"On the count of three then." Snape said lazily. "One… two -"
Snape's office door banged open and Draco sped in.
"Professor Snape, sir - oh - sorry -"
He looked at Snape and Arthur in some surprise.
"It's alright, Draco." Snape said as he lowered his wand. "Pendergast is for a private lesson. What is it, Draco?"
"It's Professor Umbridge, sir - she needs your help." Draco replied. "They've found Montague, sir, he's turned up jammed inside a toilet on the fourth floor."
"How did he get in there?" Snape demanded.
"I don't know, sir, he's a bit confused."
"Very well, very well. Pendergast, we shall resume this lesson tomorrow evening."
He then turned and swept from his office with Draco following him.
Arthur replaced his wand inside his robes and made to leave the room.
He was at the office door when he saw it: a patch of shivering light dancing on the doorframe. This made him stop and turned to see that the light came from the Pensieve on Snape's desk. The silvery white contents ebbing and swirling within.
Arthur was reminding himself that it contained the thoughts and memories that Snape didn't want Arthur to see if he ever broke through his defences.
Just that thought made Arthur decide that he should see what Snape didn't want him to see.
He walked right up to the desk and looked down at the Pensieve. He then looked over his shoulder, wondering how long it'll be for Snape to release Montague from the toilet and make sure he's alright, Montague is, after all, the captain of Snape's house Quidditch team, he'd want to make sure he's alright.
The silvery contents of the Pensieve started swirling very fast and Arthur leaned forwards over it, seeing that it now became transparent. He was surprised to see that he was looking down into the Great Hall.
Taking a great gulp of breath, he plunged his face into the surface of Snape's thoughts and found the floor of the office lurching, tipping Arthur headfirst into the Pensieve….
He fell through cold blackness, spinning furiously as he went, and then -
He now stood in the middle of the Great Hall, yet the four house tables were gone with more than a hundred smaller tables, all facing the same way filling the Great Hall, each having a student sitting at them.
Their heads were all bent low, scribbling on a roll of parchment. All that can be heard was the scratching of quills and the occasional rustle from someone who adjusted their parchment. It was an exam.
Sunshine was streaming through the high windows onto their heads, which shone chestnut and copper and gold in the bright light.
Arthur looked around, wondering where Snape was since this is his memory.
And there he was, at a table right behind Arthur.
He stared at the younger Snape, who had a stringy, pallid look, as though he were a plant kept in the dark. His hair was lank and greasy, flopping onto the table, his hooked nose barely half an inch from the surface of the parchment as he scribbled.
Arthur moved around behind Snape to see the heading of the examination paper: DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS - ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL.
So Snape had to be fifteen or sixteen, around Arthur's age.
His hand flew across the parchment; writing at least a foot more than his closest neighbours, yet his writing was miniscule and cramped.
"Five more minutes!"
The sudden voice made Arthur jump and turn, shocked to see the top of Flitwick's head moving between the desks a short distance away. He walked past a boy with untidy black hair… very untidy black hair….
Arthur moved so quickly that, if he was solid, he'd have knocked desks flying everywhere. Instead, he slid, very dream-like, across two aisles and up a third.
The back of the black haired boy's head drew nearer as he straightened up, putting down his quill and pulling his roll of parchment towards him so that he could reread what he had just written.
Arthur stopped in front of the desk and gazed at his fifteen to sixteen year old father.
He felt excitement explode within him: he felt like he was looking at himself, yet there were some inconsistencies. John's eyes were brown, his nose was slightly larger than Arthur's and there wasn't a scar on his forehead, yet they both had the same thin face, same mouth and eyebrows; John's fringes stood up exactly like Arthur and their hands were exactly the same as well.
John yawned before he rumpled up his hair, which made it look more messy than it was before. Then, with a glance towards Flitwick, he turned in his seat and grinned at a boy that sat four seats behind him.
Arthur felt another bolt of excitement upon seeing that it was Sirius, who gave John a thumbs up. Sirius lounged in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. Arthur found him to be really handsome with his dark hair falling into his eyes with a casual elegance that neither John or Arthur could ever achieve. A girl that sat behind him eyed him hopefully, though he didn't seem to notice.
Two seats along from the girl, Arthur's stomach giving another pleasurable squirm, was Remus Lupin. He looked pale and peaky (meaning the full moon's approaching) and was very absorbed in his exam: he reread his answers and scratched his chin with the end of his quill, frowning slightly.
This meant that Wormtail was around here somewhere and soon Arthur spotted him within seconds: a small, mousy haired boy with a pointed nose. He also looked anxious; he chewed his fingernails, stared down at his paper and scuffled the ground with his toes. Every now and then, he'd glance hopefully at his neighbour's paper. Arthur stared at him before he went back to his father, who was now doodling on a bit of scrap parchment. He drew a Snitch and traced the letters 'R.D.' Was that his mother's initials?
"Quills down, please!" Flitwick squeaked. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"
Over a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Flitwick's outstretched arms, which knocked him backwards off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the front desks got up, took hold of Flitwick beneath his elbows and lifted him onto his feet.
"Thank you… thank you." Flitwick panted. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"
Arthur looked down at his father, who hastily crossed out the 'R.D.' that he embellished, jumped to his feet, stuffed his quill and the exam paper into his bag, which he slung over his back and stood to wait for Sirius to join him.
Arthur glimpsed at Snape a short way away, moving between the tables towards the door to the Entrance Hall, still absorbed in his own exam paper. Round shouldered yet regular, he walked in a twitchy way that made Arthur think of spiders, his oily hair jumped about his face.
What separated Snape from John, Sirius and Lupin was a gang of chattering girls, and by planting himself in their midst, Arthur kept Snape in sight as he strained his ears to listen to his father and his friends.
"Did you like question ten, Moony?" Sirius asked as they emerged into the Entrance Hall.
"Loved it." Lupin said briskly. "Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent question."
"But it would be much easier for you to answer the question, wouldn't it?" John pointed out with a smirk.
"It was." Lupin said seriously as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. "One: he's sitting on my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin."
The only one who didn't laugh was Wormtail.
"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail…" He said anxiously. "...but I couldn't think what else -"
"I knew you were thick, Wormtail, but come on." John groaned. "You run round with a werewolf once a month -"
"Keep your voice down." Lupin implored him.
Arthur looked anxiously behind him. Snape remained close by, still buried in his exam questions - but this was Snape's memory, after all and Arthur was sure that if Snape chose to wander off in a different direction once they reached the grounds, Arthur wouldn't be able to follow John any further.
Much to his relief, when John and his friends strode off down the lawn towards the lake, Snape followed, still poring over his exam paper and seemingly had no idea where he was going.
By keeping ahead of him, Arthur maintained a close watch on John and his friends.
"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake." Sirius said. "I'll be surprised if I don't get 'Outstanding' on it at least."
"Same here." John said as he pulled out a struggling Golden Snitch from his pocket.
"Where'd you get that?"
"I actually nicked it." John shrugged, playing with it by allowing it to fly as much as a foot away before seizing it again, demonstrating his great reflexes. Wormtail watched in awe.
"Get a grip on yourself, Wormtail, I'm only keeping my reflexes sharp." John said as they stopped in the shade of the very same beech tree on the edge of the lake where Arthur and his friends once spent on a Sunday finishing off their homework, throwing themselves down on the grass.
Arthur looked over his shoulder and saw, much to his delight, that Snape had settled himself on the grass in the dense shadow of a clump of bushes. He was so deeply immersed in the O.W.L. paper, leaving Arthur the chance to sit down on the grass between the beech tree and the bushes to watch the Marauders under the tree.
The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake, on the bank of which was the group of laughing girls that left the Great Hall now sat, their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water.
Lupin pulled out a book and read it. Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking haughty and bored, but very handsomely so. John continued playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom further and further away, almost escaping, though he always grabbed it at the last second. Wormtail gasped and applauded, every time, John telling him to get a grip on himself.
Arthur noticed how his father kept rumpling up his hair, like it was a quirk of his. Every once in a while, he'd look at the group of girls by the water's edge.
"Put that away, will you…" Sirius said finally as John made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer. "...before Wormtail wets himself with excitement.
Wormtail turned slightly pink as John sighed.
"Alright, if it's bothering you." John said, stuffing the Snitch back into his pocket.
"I'm bored." Sirius said. "Wish it was the full moon.
"You might." Lupin said darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. here…. " He held out his book.
"I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all." Sirius snorted.
"If you're bored, look over there." John said quietly and darkly with a frown. Sirius' head turned and became still, like a dog that scented a rabbit.
"Excellent." He said softly. "Snivellus."
Arthur turned and looked over at Snape, who was on his feet again, stowing his O.W.L. paper in his bag. Just as he left the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, John and Sirius stood up.
Both Wormtail and Lupin remained where they were: Lupin still staring down at his book, his eyes no longer moving with a faint frown line forming between his eyebrows; Wormtail looking from Sirius and John to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.
"Hello, Snivellus." John said loudly.
Snape reacted so fast that it was like he expected an attack: he dropped his bag and plunged his hand inside his robes. His wand was halfway into the air when John shouted "Expelliarmus!"
Snape's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. This made Siirus let out a bark of laughter.
"Impedimenta!" He said, pointing his wand at Snape, who got knocked off his feet halfway through a dive towards his fallen wand.
Students all around turned to watch this. Some got to their feet and edged nearer. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained.
Snape lay panting on the ground. Both John and Sirius advanced on him, wands raised. Arthur was very taken aback by the dark and grim expression on his father's face. It was that of contempt and loathing. He then made a quick glance towards the group of girls at the water's edge.
Wormtail was now on his feet, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view.
"How was your exam, Snivelly?" John asked coolly.
"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment." Sirius said viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read it."
Several people that watched laughed; Snape was very much an unpopular student. Wormtail sniggered shrilly. Snape then tried to get up, but the jinx still operated on him; he struggled, like he was bound by invisible ropes.
"You - wait." He panted, staring up at John with an expression of pure loathing, matching John's expression. "You - wait!"
"Wait for what?" Sirius said coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"
Snape let out a stream of swear words and hexes, but since his wand was ten feet away, nothing happened.
"You should wash that dirty mouth of yours." John said coldly. "Scourgify!"
Pink soap bubbles now streamed from Snape's mouth, the froth covered his lips, which made him gag, choking him -
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"
Both John and Sirius turned round and saw that one of the girls from the lake edge walked up to them. She had thick, dark red hair that she had tied into a bun and had startlingly green almond shaped eyes - Arthur's eyes.
It was his mother, Rose Pendergast, or Rose Dentley as she'd be known at this point of time.
"Hello, Rose." John greeted her.
"Leave him alone." Rose repeated, looking at John with some dislike. "What's he done to you?"
"He was questionable the moment I laid eyes on him, how anyone can tolerate him is beyond me." John replied.
Some of the surrounding students laughed, including Sirius and Wormtail. Lupin, however, didn't, nor did Rose.
"I would've thought you were a decent guy if you didn't bully him, Pendergast." Rose said coldly. "Now leave him alone."
"I don't understand!" John said, flabbergasted. "How could you come to his defence, considering what he and his gang are up to? Don't you realise what they plan to do after they leave this school?"
Behind him the Impediment Jinx wore off and Snape inched his way to his fallen wand, spitting out soap suds as he crawled.
"OI!" Sirius said as he turned back to Snape.
It was too late; Snape directed his wand back at John and a flash of light formed before a gash appeared on the side of John's face, spattering his robes with blood.
John whirled about: a second flash of light later, Snape now hung upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal his skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underwear.
Many in the crowd cheered as John, Sirius and Wormtail roared with laughter.
Rose, whose furious expression twitched for a second, like she was trying not to smile before she said "Put him down!"
"As you wish." John said and jerked his wand upwards, making Snape fall into a crumpled heap on the ground.
After disentangling himself from his robes, he quickly got to his feet with his wand up, but Sirius said "Petrificus Totalus!", making Snape keel over again, rigid as a board.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Rose shouted, now having her wand out. Both John and Sirius eyed it warily.
"Don't make me hex you, Rose." John said, his voice cracking.
"Take the curse off him, then!"
"Fine!" John barked back before he muttered the counter curse at Snape.
"There." He said as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky that Rose was here, Snivellus -"
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"
Arthur felt like time had stopped. He felt nothing but beyond white hot fury and rage consumed him as his dislike for Snape reached levels that weren't even possible.
He saw his mother blink before a steely expression took over.
"Fine." She said coolly. "I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."
"APOLOGISE TO HER RIGHT NOW!" John roared at Snape, sounding like Arthur, his wand pointed threateningly at him.
"I don't want you to make him apologise!" Rose rounded on him. "You're just as bad as he is!"
"HOW DARE YOU!" John now roared at her. "I'M NOTHING LIKE HIM! I WOULD NEVER CALL YOU WHAT HE JUST CALLED YOU!"
"You may think that you're cool on your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, hexing and jinxing him any chance you have, but you're not! You make me SICK!"
Rose then turned on her heel and hurried off.
"ROSE!" John shouted after her.
She didn't look back.
"What is wrong with her?" John snapped at Sirius.
"I think she thinks you're conceited." Sirius said, looking scared at his friend's temper.
John physically shook and hissed through his gritted teeth, looking at Snape in pure fury.
"That's it…." He snarled.
There was another flash of light and Snape now hung upside down in the air once more.
"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"
Whether he did it or not, Arthur didn't know because a hand had closed up tightly around his upper arm in a pincer-like grip.
Wincing, Arthur looked to see who held him and, with horror, he saw the adult Snape standing beside him, white with rage.
"Having fun?"
Arthur now felt himself rising in the air; the summer day evaporated around him; he was floating upwards through icy blackness, Snape's hand still tight on his upper arm.
Then, with a swooping feeling like he was turned head over heels in mid air, his feet hit the stone floor of Snape's dungeon and he now stood again beside the Pensieve on Snape' desk in the shadowy Potion master's study.
"So." Snape said, gripping Arthur's arm so tightly that Arthur's hand now became numb. "So… been enjoying yourself, Pendergast?"
"No." Arthur growled back.
It was quite the sight: Snape's lips were shaking, his face was white and his teeth were bared.
"Amusing man, your father, wasn't he?" Snape said, shaking Arthur so hard that he was close to having whiplash.
"Liar!" Arthur barked back, making Snape throw Arthur from him with all his might, Arthur now fell hard onto the dungeon floor.
"You will not tell anybody what you saw!" Snape bellowed.
"I won't!" Arthur barked back in rage, getting to his feet and getting as far from Snape as he could.
"Get out, get out, I don't ever want to see you in this office ever again!"
Arthur bolted out through the door and sprinted as far as he could from the dungeons until he was three floors up. He leaned against the wall, panting and rubbing his bruised arm.
He didn't desire to return to Gryffindor Tower this early, not even to tell Mike, David and Chrys about what he saw.
All he felt was nothing but rage and fury for a couple of reasons: one, that he had just seen Snape call his mother a Mudblood after she defended him against his father. He now knew that Aunt Patty was talking about Snape when she said that his mother was with a foul boy.
And two, it seemed that his father was just as arrogant as Snape told him.
You don't just call someone an offensive term like 'Mudblood' unless a part of you is truly prejudiced. How anyone can defend Snape after what he called Rose, or Lily in the books, is beyond me.