Snape's Grudge Part 2
It was Snape... which he quickly hid in his pockets.
Sirius sighed. Perhaps this would stop Harry from risking his life further.
"Come with me, Potter,"... without Snape noticing.
Severus almost laughed. He doubted his older self had missed it. He wasn't a spy for nothing.
They walked down the stairs to the dungeons and then into Snape's office.
"Surely, he should have been taken to his head of house," Remus said.
Harry had been in here only once before... a strange story, Potter," said Snape.
Draco struggled not to look triumphant. This was perhaps one of the only times he'd fairly gotten Harry into trouble.
Harry didn't say anything... Harry tried to look mildly surprised.
Everyone laughed. Harry couldn't act to save his life.
"I don't know, Professor. "... Floating in midair. "
Sirius almost laughed. Snape was exceptional in his role of terrifying teacher.
There was a long silence... "If he's seeing things like -"
The lions all smirked and a couple even laughed. Sirius frowned. Harry could be just as cheeky as his father sometimes.
"What would your head... permission to be in Hogsmeade. "
A couple of people chuckled.
"I know that," ... "Like you told -"
"Is this the first time Harry has gotten in trouble for breaking the rules because he actually wanted to?" young Flitwick asked.
"Do you know I think it might be," Minerva said thoughtfully.
"Not bad," young Flitwick said. "I wish my ravens were as well behaved as Potter. Not that I'm condoning going to Hogsmeade without permission, mind you."
"Can anyone confirm that?"... But famous Harry Potter is a law unto himself.
Sirius had to remind himself that the Severus in the chamber hadn't been the one to say that.
Let the ordinary people worry... no thought for the consequences. "
Harry frowned. "I hated the way Snape always used my fame as a weapon."
"Professor Sna-" Mrs Weasley began.
"I will try to remember that, Mr Potter," Severus cut across her.
Harry stayed silent... The resemblance between you is uncanny. "
Severus grimaced. The young man he was coming to know was nothing like James Potter. And his older self was being unnecessarily cruel. Was he really so embittered from his own childhood that he couldn't even see the boy in front of him?
"My dad didn't strut,"... "And neither do I. "
Sirius laughed. "Hate to break it to you, Harry, but your dad definitely did strut."
"Your father didn't set much store by rules either,"... His head was so swollen -"
The teachers all glared at Severus as if he'd actually said these words. He hadn't said them yet and he didn't intend to ever say them.
"SHUT UP!"
"HARRY!" Mrs Weasley screeched. "You can't shout at your teachers."
"And why not?" Harry demanded. "He was out of line. Do you have any idea what its like to constantly be compared to someone you've never even met? Someone you know nothing about except that you look alike and his name was James. I knew NOTHING about my dad. Except that he died trying to protect me. So, yeah, I shouted at my teacher. Sue me."
"Personally I think my older self was probably trying to goad you into getting angry," Severus said with a sigh. "I'm sorry for that."
Harry was suddenly on his feet... the black eyes flashing dangerously.
Everyone felt slightly nervous. They didn't see angry Harry often.
"What did you say to me, Potter?"... You wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for my dad!"
"Oh, dear," Sirius groaned.
Snape's sallow skin had gone the color of sour milk.
"That's a horrible image," George said.
"And did the headmaster tell you... precious Potter's delicate ears?"
Sirius sighed. This wasn't good.
Harry bit his lip... got cold feet at the last moment.
"That's not true," Sirius said quietly, forcing himself to look at Severus. "It was all me. James had nothing to do with it."
Severus said nothing. He'd had an apology and he didn't really want to bring this all up again now. He was quite enjoying the tentative truce they'd formed.
"Peter told James. He thought it was funny," Sirius admitted. "James wasn't involved. I can swear on my magic if you want. James and Remus didn't talk to me for a whole month after I did that."
Remus nodded. He knew that much was true.
There was nothing brave... his own skin as much as mine.
"No. He wouldn't have," Sirius said. "It wasn't him. But he was saving Remus and me - I suppose, not that I deserved it. But I'm not sure he thought about that at the time. He was really worried about you."
Severus almost laughed. He couldn't believe it. But Sirius had offered to swear on his magic. He must mean it.
"He hated you. Hated the fact you were friends with Lily," Sirius said, "but he didn't want you dead."
"What actually happened?" young Harry asked.
Sirius sighed. He didn't want to say. This was perhaps the worst thing he'd ever done and that was saying something. "Right well... Everyone knows that Remus is a werewolf, right?"
There was a murmur of accent.
"I-told-Severus-how-to-get-into-the-place-where-Remus-transformed," Sirius said in a rush.
Remus took pity on him, noticing just how ashamed his friend looked. "Severus came looking for me, and nearly... Well, he caught sight of me fully transformed. He was lucky he wasn't bitten or killed. Your dad heard what happened and came and pulled him out of there."
"The book explains it," Harry said, seeing the horrified looks on everyone's faces.
"You would have been executed," young Amos said to Remus.
Remus nodded. "Yes. Most likely. It was hushed up for that reason. This was before the Wolfsbane potion so I was highly dangerous when transformed."
No one knew what to say. From their expressions it was clear that they were in shock. Sirius couldn't look at anyone, especially Severus. He wasn't proud of what he did.
"You should have been expelled!" Augusta said pointedly to Sirius.
He nodded. She wasn't wrong. "They couldn't. Not without telling everyone about Remus. I was punished though. Spent the rest of the year in detention and was removed from the Gryffindor Quidditch team."
Severus was tempted to say he deserved more than that, but he knew Sirius knew that. And in fairness, the man had apologised.
"You could have been charged with attempted murder," Amelia said. "How old were you?"
"It was fifth year," Sirius said. "I was sixteen."
No one said anything. They couldn't believe what they were hearing.
"It's the worst thing I've ever done," Sirius admitted, glancing at Severus.
"You've already apologised, mutt," Severus said. "It's water under the bridge. No point crying over spilled potion now."
Everyone gaped at the potions master, especially those that knew just how much the two men despised each other.
Had their joke succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts. "
"I would have been," Sirius said, "but that's not the worst that would have happened." He couldn't bring himself to say what had ran through his mind for months afterwards. Thoughts of both Severus and Remus dead. On repeat. For months.
Snape's uneven.. "He brought them back from Hogsmeade last time -"
"He'll be a fool to believe that," Remus sighed.
"Indeed?... His hand moved toward the fire.
Sirius growled.
"No!" Harry said quickly... without passing the Dementors?"
Sirius smirked. You had to give Snape credit. He wasn't stupid.
Harry blinked... touching the wand to the parchment.
"That won't work," Remus said confidently. He was quite proud of the spellwork on that map.
Nothing happened... information you conceal!" Snape said, hitting the map with his wand.
Sirius grimaced. This wasn't going to be pleasant.
As though an invisible hand... abnormally large nose out of other people's business. "
At least one lion struggled not to laugh. They didn't trust this Snape not to give them detention. They could just imagine him making them scrub cauldrons here in the chamber.
Snape froze... Professor Snape is an ugly git. "
YoungGeorge and Fred shared a smirk.
It would have been very funny... an idiot like that ever became a professor. "
Sirius grimaced. "Sorry."
Harry closed his eyes in horror... advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball. "
Severus did not look impressed.
Harry waited for the blow to fall... "I want a word!"
Remus sighed. Of course, Severus would know it was theirs.
Utterly bewildered, Harry stared at the fire... An odd, closed expression appeared on Lupin's face.
"Been practicing your occlumency have you?" Sirius asked with a chuckle. Remus had always been terrible at the mind arts.
"Well?" said Snape... full of Dark Magic.
Sirius and Remus both laughed. He wasn't wrong technically. Although, legally he was certainly wrong. The ministry certainly wouldn't agree with his assessment.
This is supposed to be your area of expertise... warned him not to interrupt.
"He thinks you gave it to him," Sirius said to Remus, who nodded slowly.
"Full of Dark Magic?"... I imagine Harry got it from a joke shop -"
Sirius sniggered under his breath. His childhood ambition had been to open a joke shop.
"Indeed?"... directly from the manufacturers?"
"Yes, he definitely thinks my older self gave it to Harry," Remus said with a sigh.
Harry didn't understand... Nor, apparently, did Lupin.
"Oh, he understood," Sirius said.
"You mean, by Mr. Wormtail ... "It looks like a Zonko product to me -"
"As if Zonko's could make anything as brilliant as our map! Sirius said aghast.
Right on cue.... ages - ago. . . "
Everyone laughed at Ron's timing.
"Well!"... excuse us, Severus -"
"I'm surprised I let you take it," Severus said, shaking his head.
Harry didn't dare look at Snape... astounded that you didn't hand it in.
Sirius stared at his friend in surprise. Hand in the map? Never.
Particularly after what happened... And I can't let you have it back, Harry. "
"Didn't really think you would," Harry said with a shrug.
Harry had expected that... They'd think it extremely entertaining. "
Sirius and Remus frowned at that. Remus should have told him the truth. Harry clearly agreed if the way he was glaring at the book was any sort of clue.
"Do you know them?"... gambling their sacrifice for a bag of magic tricks. "
"That's a low blow," Remus said with a sigh. He couldn't believe his older self had actually said that. "I'm really sorry, Harry. That was uncalled for."
Harry blinked. He hadn't expected an apology.
He walked away... at any point in Snape's office.
Remus sighed. That wasn't the way to handle the situation.
Slowly, he and Ron mounted the marble staircase... we shouldn't've done it -"
Sirius nodded. It was good to see Ron take some responsibility for his part in what had happened.
He broke off;... had she told Professor McGonagall?
Hermione tried not to feel too offended. She had threatened to after all.
"Come to have a good gloat?"... "Or have you just been to tell on us?"
Sirius groaned. He'd had enough of their constant arguing.
"No," ... Buckbeak is going to be executed. "
As sad as he felt for Hagrid, Sirius couldn't help but hope this would be what Ron and Hermione needed to finally put their differences aside.