fluent in cliché, as required of fanfic characters
Snape swept through Knockturn Alley, robes billowing out in cliche (he was fluent in cliché, it was a requirement of being a fanfic character, especially when writers were trying to overcome the blank page). It was a dark and stormy night, as all gothic vampire fics are required to begin. Although, the author reflected in a Dickensian rabbit trail, it seems odd that danger should ONLY lurk during the times that one would actually be on guard for it - and as the professor had many times traversed that illicit alley in search of ingredients for potions that would appease the Dark Lord, his guard was only moderately up. After all, it was ALWAYS a "dark and stormy night" in Knockturn Ally. Small-scale pick-pockets like Mundungus Fletcher were the greatest danger, and cowards like him were unlikely to provoke the wrath of the Dark Lord by targeting one known to be in his intimate service. So despite the dark and stormy night, the potion master's thoughts turned more toward wondering whether Lucius' house-elves would be serving fish - again! - than to guarding against more than the most baseline of threats. But what was stalking him was not a baseline threat, and his normal (though formidable) defenses were not attuned - as he would learn to his cost.