Impending Doom

"Albus, I'm getting rather worried about Severus."

Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and sighed. "Yes, Poppy, I must admit I am, too. He's acting most peculiarly."

"Do you think maybe he should ... take some time off?"

The two of them looked over at Severus' bed, where he was asleep. There was an angry, purple goose-egg on his forehead. Curiously, the goose-egg didn't look nearly as angry as the expression on his face. He was scowling furiously and muttering. "I'd suggest it," said Dumbledore, sighing, "but I'm not sure that he'd take too well to the idea."

Poppy shook her head. "How is Mr. Longbottom?"

"Oh, he's fine. Frightened, but I daresay he'll get over it quickly enough. He has, after all, managed admirably these past five years in Severus's class. I considered owling his grandmother but I fear that she will do something ... regrettable ... to Severus."

"Yes," sighed Poppy. "Old Mrs. Longbottom does have rather a quick temper."

"And a heavy handbag," added Dumbledore. "I don't think Severus would appreciate another bump to the head courtesy of the Longbottom family." He drained his teacup and stood up. "I must go. Someone from the Ministry is coming round for the annual inspection. Thank you for the tea, Poppy."

"Quite all right, Headmaster," said Poppy. She cast a quick cleaning charm on the cups and put them away. Checking Severus's temperature, she decided to make some cooling potions for fevers, as she was running low. It was rather a pity, she reflected as she gathered the ingredients, that Severus was in no state to help her. She had never made a very good cooling potion. It was good enough, certainly, but not quite up to Severus's standards.

With a sigh she went into her office. At least he was asleep. He couldn't harm anyone in that state.

In the otherwise empty hospital wing two black eyes opened and scowled dangerously around the room.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

"And I trust student-staff relations are well?" William Thimble, school inspector, asked, taking a sip from his cup of tea. "No major problems with student behaviour?"

Dumbledore thought briefly of his Potions Master and his relentless anti-Neville crusade. It wasn't so much student behaviour as staff behaviour he had cause to worry about. "Yes, the staff treat the students well. Of course, there is a bit of favouritism as far as the Heads of House go, but I daresay it would be pointless to try to stop that ..."

Thimble laughed loudly. "Of course, of course! I remember the Heads looking daggers at each other during Quidditch matches back in my time! Ah, those were the days ... Now, why don't we take a look at these NEWT results ...?"

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

I sat up slowly, the room spinning. Poppy was departing. Good. I was going to find Longbottom and destroy him. Take some time off, indeed. They'd be singing a different song when I had Longbottom bound, disarmed and on his way to Azkaban with an Order of Merlin, First Class to my name. Trying to ignore the feeling of nausea that swam over me whenever I moved, I put my feet to the floor and stood up tentatively. Dammit, I thought as the room swayed dangerously again. I looked at the clock. The students would be in the Great Hall just now. I closed my eyes briefly and made my way to the door.

I wandered the corridors aimlessly for a while, hiding behind statues any time anyone walked past. Where's Longbottom?

Then, as I turned onto the third-floor corridor, there he was. With Potter. He's trying to attack Potter again! I decided the best course of action would be to remain calm and try to take Longbottom down quickly and quietly. No use in causing a scene. I took a deep breath and prepared to sneak up on them. But my face, uncontrollably, unstoppably, was twisting and moulding into a mask of insane and horrifying fury. My mouth was opening and before I could stop myself a throat-ripping squawk emerged.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Harry and Neville were making their way back to Gryffindor Tower from the Great Hall to get a head-start on their Charms homework, which Neville had been having trouble with, when a noise echoed along the corridor from behind. To his horror, Harry recognised it as the mating cry of the male Manticore, which they had been learning about recently in Care of Magical Creatures. How had one got into the castle? They were extremely vicious at this time of year.

Harry jumped and whipped round with the reflexes borne of being the youngest Seeker in a century to see instead, to his great surprise, Professor Snape standing a few feet away, a predatory snarl on his face, his hands bunched into fists, and attired in a pair of blue and white striped pyjamas that stopped about half-way down his shins. Harry recognised them as being from the hospital wing.

Harry was of the opinion that Madam Pomfrey did it on purpose. That wearing those pyjamas, an exercise in abject humiliation, would stop further endangering of health out of the sheer desperation never to have to face the world again.

"YOU!" Snape roared. His shout emerged as a theatrical "Heeeyooooouuuigh!"

Suddenly, Harry found himself dearly wishing to be facing a rabid, snarling, ravening Manticore instead. It was, in his opinion, infinitely preferable to the rabid, snarling, ravening Professor Snape who was currently advancing towards them in a very raptorial manner. Harry didn't like the manic expression on his face. It was the look of a man who had nothing to lose, and was going to take final, bitter revenge ... at any cost ... Dimly, Harry realised that he looked rather like Sirius looked when he saw Pettigrew in the Shrieking Shack. But a lot uglier.

A quick glance over at Neville revealed that he looked as though his knees were going to give way. He grabbed Harry's arm in a painful Death Grip and let out a frightened, barely audible squeak.

"What?" demanded Snape. "What was that, Longbottom?"

Neville looked as though he wanted to turn tail and run, but couldn't move. Harry was feeling rather the same, but thought it would be safer not to make any sudden movements. He briefly considered getting his wand out, but chose against it, lest he attacked. Snape took another step forward and snarled again. It was a primal, Neanderthal sound. He was closing in ...

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

"Well, Dumbledore," said Thimble jovially. "Everything seems to be running like clockwork, as ever!" He let out a braying laugh. "And now I'd best be on my way. Lots to do, you know!"

"Of course, Mr. Thimble," Dumbledore said, getting up and moving towards his office door. "Thank you for coming."

"Not at all, not at all," Thimble said amiably as they made their way down the stairs. "I always enjoy my inspections here. I must say, this place has a lovely atmosphere. Very homely. Ah," he looked around mistily, "I did enjoy my time as a student here. Many, many moons ago now, though, I can tell you!" He laughed again.

Dumbledore chuckled. "You and me both, Mr. Thimble. You and me both."

Dumbledore's reply was cut off by a resounding wail, which sounded eerily like the notorious Bandon Banshee, echoing along the corridor. The next thing he knew, Neville Longbottom streaked past them in a white-faced, terrified blur.

Thimble looked slightly concerned. "Well," he began. Whatever he was going to say, Dumbledore never found out, though, because Severus Snape, fierce of face, wild of hair and bellowing like an injured Hippogriff, was bolting past them, hot on Neville's heels.

Dumbledore sighed. Maybe Poppy was right.

Thimble attempted a smile. "It's nice to see the staff and students playing together--"

A third voice echoed down the corridor and Harry Potter sprinted past, yelling, "Professor! Wait! Neville!"

"Ah!" said Thimble cheerfully. "There's young Harry Potter! I must say, it's been a while since I played chase. It's nice to see the staff on such friendly terms with the students. Who knew old Severus had it in him? It just goes to show, you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, eh?"

Dumbledore gave an indulgent smile. "Indeed."

"Although those pyjama bottoms could do with a Lengthening Charm on them ... Well, then, I'd best be off. Another glowing report for Hogwarts! Good day, Dumbledore!" And with that, he sauntered cheerfully down the corridor.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

Harry was close to panic. Professor Snape appeared to be closing in on Neville, who was now bounding up the stairs. Harry tried to speed up, but being short as he was, he was having trouble keeping up with Snape's long strides, despite his expertise in the area of Harry Hunting. He was actually rather impressed with Neville's stamina. He was still haring madly ahead of Snape, shrieking in terror and pulling ahead every time it looked like Snape was going to lunge.

Just when Harry was seriously considering taking out his wand and stunning Snape, a door to the right hand side opened. Harry barely had time to realise that a stunning spell wouldn't be necessary when Snape barrelled into it with a loud, painful-sounding SMACK! and fell backwards onto the floor.

Professor Lupin peered cautiously round the other side of the door, an alarmed expression on his face as he took in Neville's still-shrieking, rapidly retreating form, the unconscious Potions Master in too-short pyjamas and a pink-faced, thoroughly-exhausted Harry wheezing over to him.

"Harry?" he said, looking at him curiously. "What's ..." He broke off and gestured first to Snape, then to Neville, who had stopped running and was hovering fearfully at the far end of the corridor and gibbering nonsensically.

Harry gave him a weak smile. "Well, er ... Professor Snape ... Neville and I and, er--" He broke off, still gasping for breath.

"Dear me," said a voice from behind. It was Professor Dumbledore. Harry wondered why he wasn't even out of breath when he had taken so short a time to get there. The old Professor must have been sprightlier than he had thought. "What happened?"

"Severus here ran into my office door," said Professor Lupin, looking worriedly down at Snape. "But I'm not sure why he was running around. Wasn't he in the hospital wing?"

"Yes, he was," answered Dumbledore. "He must have left when Madame Pomfrey was elsewhere. Do you know what happened, Harry?"

Harry explained. "And then Professor Lupin opened his office door," he concluded.

"I think," said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully down at Snape through his half-moon glasses, "it is time we brought this business with poor Neville to a close."

Harry looked at him curiously. What did he mean?

"I didn't want to have to do it this way," said Dumbledore sadly, getting out his wand, "but I have to end it."

Harry's stomach jolted. He wasn't going to ...? He looked beseechingly at Professor Lupin, who smiled reassuringly in return. "It's for the best, Harry," he said.

Harry stared disbelievingly between the two men, who were both staring at Snape with resolute expressions on their faces. He might be a slimy sod but ... they couldn't!

Dumbeldore raised his wand. "I'm sorry it came to this," he said quietly.

"No!" shouted Harry. "You can't! It's not his fault! It's because ... because he's a spy! And it's made him think some things about some people that are maybe a bit ... wrong, and ... but ... you can't!"

Dumbledore and Lupin exchanged questioning glances. "Harry, what--"

But Harry was on a roll. "Just because he's a bit weird and really horrible and stuff, doesn't mean--"

"'Dutenshn, Pudr," muttered a thick voice from the floor. "I will nt be spukn 'bout like tha'."

Snape, apparently, had woken. Harry's jaw dropped at the unfairness. "Professor?" he said, dismayed. "I wasn't ..."

But Snape had lapsed into unconsciousness again.

Again, Dumbledore raised his wand.

"Professor," said Harry desperately. "You can't! Just because he's tried to kill Neville a few times, doesn't mean it's worked! It's no reason to ... to kill him!"

If Harry hadn't known better, he'd have said that Dumbledore looked amused. How could he find this situation funny? He shook his head dumbly and attempted to establish outraged eye-contact with Professor Lupin, but let his face sag once again into disbelief when he saw that the corners of Lupin's mouth were twitching.

"Harry," said Dumbledore kindly, and there was no mistaking the amused lilt in his voice this time, "I was simply going to erase the part of his memory that remembers what has been happened with Mr. Longbottom of late. I assume you have heard of the Obliviate spell?"

"Obliviate?" asked Harry dimly.

Dumbledore nodded, smiling. Harry looked in surprise at Lupin. The slight shaking of his shoulders and the fact that his hand was over his mouth belied the serious expression he was trying to adopt.

Harry turned red.

"Oh," he muttered. "Well, I'll just be ... going back to the common room, then."

Harry looked to the end of the corridor, but Neville was long-gone. "Well, er ... goodnight," he said, and began making his way back along the corridor.

"Goodnight, Harry," said Lupin, smiling.

"Oh, and Harry," said Dumbledore.

Harry turned around.

"I'm sure Severus would appreciate it. You don't have to do the detention. Do tell Neville that he is no longer in any immediate danger."

Harry gave him a pained smile, his face still hot enough to fry eggs on. "Yes, sir."

"Goodnight."