Kill or Be Killed

Kill or Be Killed

Chapter Three: Discussions

Quiet settled on the Defence Againstthe Dark Arts classroom. Severus stood tensely at the door. He glanced around the room, quickly taking in where everyone was. Adrianna, Jake, and Maverick were fiddling with the instruments in the centre of the room. Potter appeared to be doing his best Malfoy impression, leaning against the wall opposite Severus. Loupacier was near the office door, conjuring up three comfortable chairs.

"Would you three please go occupy yourselves elsewhere?" Loupacierasked without looking back at the three musicians.

"What?" Jake asked, looking up from his drums.

"He's telling us to shove off, mate," Maverick said as he cuffed Jake.

Adrianna shook her head and led her two comrades into Loupacier's office.

Snape watched them go. Once the door closed, his black eyes refocused on Loupacier, who was lounging in the centre chair with a cup of tea. Loupacier was watching Harry. Harry, in turn, was watching his feet.

Loupacier glanced back at Snape. He let out an audible chuckle.

Snape sneered.

Harry looked up in surprise.

"Please, would both of you come and have a seat." It wasn't a request.

Harry moved first. As he sat down, Loupacier offered him a cup of tea. Without looking over at him, Loupacier extended the offer to Snape. Severus grudgingly walked over, took the tea and the empty chair to Loupacier's left. The Defence teacher cast a careful glance at the two disgruntled men on either side of him. Finally he took a breath and began, "Professor Snape, would you mind if I spoke to Harry first, seeing he has class in twenty minutes and your first class starts in a considerable amount of time?"

"Of course, Professor..." Snape started.

"Please, call me Connal. We are colleagues."

"Of course, Connal," he sneered as he thought, 'Infuriating man.'

"Harry," Loupacier started gently, "the Headmaster has told me of your, shall we say, club, which for reasons beyond me, had to meet in secret last year." He looked to Harry for confirmation.

"Yes, Professor?" he replied uncertainly.

Loupacier laughed heartily. "You're not in trouble, boy. I'm inviting you to continue with it," he smiled gently as a huge grin broke out on Harry's face.

Severus scowled. 'More glorifying rule breaking! You're brilliant Connal!' he thought viciously.

"And furthermore, if you ever need any help with anything, my office will always be open."

"Thank you, Professor!" Harry exclaimed, as he got up to leave.

"Unfortunately, that's not all I have to say." Harry's face fell. "It's the Headmaster's will that you take extra lessons with me. What we will be studying will never openly be studied at this school. It's a slight delving into the darker roots of magic. You must fight fire with fire, or risk being burned. You have no choice in this matter, and for that I am sorry, but it is necessary."

Harry looked torn between being annoyed at having more classes and excited at the idea of learning advanced material.

"Trust me," Loupacier explained, "After the first week or two you won't want to learn any more."

Harry's face fell again. A haunted look Severus found rather familiar seeped into the youth's eyes, then hardened into icy resolve.

"If it will help defeat Voldemort, then how can I not want to learn it? If it saves one life, how can it not be what I want to do?"

Loupacier sighed and leaned forward, his elbows on his knees and his head bowed.

"You will soon see, Harry. Trust me on that. And one more thing," he paused, "I know how hard it is to loose the ones you hold dear. I know that the loss of your best friend and godfath-"

"What do you know?" snarled Harry.

Loupacier and Severus both snapped their heads in his direction. Severus sneered at the outburst, but Loupacier looked curiously at him. Harry looked at the pair of them and exploded. "What do you know! How can you know what it's like to loose people and know that it was all yourfault? How can you know? What do you know about wanting so badly to hurt someone when they're right there in front of you and you can't because people won't let you fight? You don't know anything! How can you know what it's like to have people keep everything from you? How can you know what it's like to live with people that hate you? What do you know about living for 15 years in a house that knows only how to hate and fear you? What do you about being called crazy and insane and dangerous by an entire world? You know nothing," he snapped at Loupacier. He stood up and started to stalk out of the room.

Loupacier's temper reared up and he leapt after Harry, picked him up by the scruff and threw him back into his chair. Both Severus and Harry stared in shock at him.

"Harry," he began quietly, placing a hand on either side of the chair, "You are flinging accusations and assumptions everywhere. I will ignore your outburst this one time, but you only get one hit. You've had yours. So I suggest that you never, but never, explode like that to me again." When he finished his voice was dangerously low. His eyes were slits as he glared straight into Harry's eyes.

Harry's temper was still evident, but self-preservation took control and he looked away. Severus quietly made a mental note never to cross this man. Loupacier calmly reseated himself, and took a sip of tea.

"Now, if you are finished with your fits, and have yourself under reasonable control, you may head to your next class." his amber eyes had regained their calm benevolence.

Harry nodded curtly to his professor and stood to go.

"Oh, and Harry." Loupacier regained his attention.

"Yes, sir?" he replied, anger still prevalent in his voice.

"I will see you tomorrow evening at eight sharp to begin your training."

"Yes, sir."

"Good day, Harry."

"Bye," Harry replied as he closed the door behind him.

Severus stared at the young professor in front of him, as he calmly sipped his tea.

"Now, Professor Snape, I have a request of you." Loupacier looked at him over his tea.

The two men sat in silence. Loupacier sipped his tea mildly. Severus considered the man seated to his right. It was almost as if Severus was waiting for him to explode. Finally Loupacier cleared his throat and turned his attention to Severus.

"Professor Snape," he began. "It's come to my attention that four years ago a type of Duelling Club was formed. Is that true?"

"You could say that," scoffed Severus.

"It's my intention that the students in fifth year and above know how to duel. We are at war and there's little one can do to ensure the children's safety at all times other than to teach them to fight. I would ask for you to be my partner in this undertaking. That is if you're up to it."

The last sentence was a challenge that Severus felt in his very bones. "Why not have one of your...friends help you?" he replied coldly.

Loupacier chuckled softly.

"Jake is too kind to give any good display, Maverick might actually kill me by being a little overzealous, and the only magic in Adrianna is the bite." Loupacier sipped his tea, waiting for Severus' reply.

'She's a muggle?' Severus thought with a little disdain, but all he said was, "Oh?"

Severus watched as Loupacier nodded benignly.

"So, I suppose I can take that as a yes?" Loupacier brought his head up sharply and looked Severus straight in the eye.

Severus held Loupacier's eyes with his own and gave a measured yes in reply.

"Good. Now, I assume that you have a few questions regarding our collaboration," Loupacier offered after a moments silence.

"Yes," Severus started, and went on as Loupacier nodded for him to continue, "Why are you doing this to the students?"

"As I am sure you are aware, a resistance can be and is built up against the controlling potions, like Veritaserum, several of the sleeping potions, and Wolfsbane. I know that only a few trials with a potion won't cause a resistance, but it will allow the students to be aware if their food or drink has been tainted and hopefully give them a moment or two to escape to safety."

"I see," Severus said coldly.

"Come now! We both know the Dark Lord's love of these dark potions and dark curses," Loupacier snarled mockingly.

Severus mentally tensed. He knew Loupacier remembered him. He was aware that the man before him knew he was a Death Eater. The Potions Master knew this was as direct a threat as Loupacier could give. Shocked at being threatened in the only place he thought he was safe from real threats, Severus unwittingly allowed that shock to settle over his features.

"What's your real agenda here, Snape?" Loupacier snapped out every word, his face was drawn up in a wolfish snarl.

Severus quickly regained his composure and stared his colleague down, "That is none of your concern-"

"Like hell it isn't! Let this be a fair warning that if you step one toe out of line, if you dare to threaten a student, if you in anyway endanger anyone in this castle, I will have your head."

Severus' eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Loupacier.

"This meeting is over. I will owl the dates and times I need you here later."

"What makes you think I'd help you now?" retorted Severus seethingly.

"If you don't, you'll only confirm what I all but know. Good day." Loupacier stood abruptly and strode to his office, closing the door with a bang

Severus, now thoroughly alone in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom, blanched and allowed his head to fall into his hands.

'How am I going to explain this? I can't just go and tell this bastard what I'm doing! That would be an awkward conversation. 'Oh yes, by the way, I'm not actually a Death Eater. I do still participate in all their activities, but technically I'm spying for Dumbledore and his secret order.' 'Alright, I believe you, let's bebest mates now and go out for drinks.' Who am I kidding? This is turning out to be a very long year, and I haven't even taught my first lesson.'

TBC