Two Natures of the Beast

Chapter 5, in which Snape and Dumbledore have a Chat, Snape makes a Plan, and there is Quidditch

When Aurora awoke, it was because she sensed a presence hovering over her. Cautiously, she opened her eyes, but it didn't hurt like it had before. In fact, other than some residual pain in her ankle, she felt one hundred percent better. As her vision swam into focus, she recognized the presence she had felt was no other than Professor Dumbledore. His blue eyes were twinkling at her as he spoke.

"Welcome back, Aurora. I trust you are feeling more the thing this morning?"

"Oh, yes," she answered, tentatively flexing her muscles. She sat up slowly. "How long..."

"Two days. Professor McGonagall took your classes. I must say, Madam Pomfrey did an excellent job on you. You looked most disturbing when Severus brought you in." The headmaster shook his head as if clearing the image from his mind. "Do you feel up to visitors? There are a few students who are inquiring after you."

"Yeah, sure. But Professor, Severus, he....he came back for me?"

"Why, yes, of course." He seemed surprised that she should ask. He rose and went to the door. "I'll let your visitors in. Take it easy, Professor."

Shortly after Dumbledore left, Harry, Ron and Hermione piled in. Ron, looking especially guilty, kept alternately apologising and thanking her. After Aurora reassured him for the tenth time, he finally quit it. After a little while, Hermione reminded them that they had to be off to Care of Magical Creatures, and after a few more thank yous all around, they left. As they were doing so, a far more interesting visitor arrived. Draco Malfoy stepped into the room, Harry looking at him askance, but at a tug on the sleeve from Hermione, he left it alone and exited.

Draco hesitantly approached Aurora. After she gestured to him to take a seat, he pulled a chair up next to her bed. Aurora had a feeling this was not just a top student visiting one of his teachers, so she waited for him to speak first. He looked at his lap for a moment, so unlike the usual arrogant pose he struck. With uncharacteristic nervousness, he said, "I've had an owl from my father."

"Really?" Aurora tried to keep her voice neutral, wondering how much Lucius had told his son.

"Are you really my cousin?"

"Oh. Well, um, yes, I really am."

"I don't understand why Father didn't tell me before." Draco looked sideways at Aurora, clearly expecting her to shed some light on the matter.

"Well," she said slowly, "I don't think he knew. We, that is my family, haven't really kept in touch with my mother's side of the family. You know, we were in America, and, well, my mother didn't really have our grandfather's approval to marry my dad."

"How did he find out, then? He didn't," Draco paused, "he didn't have any thing to do with what, er, happened to you, did he?" Draco's silver eyes pleaded with her to say otherwise.

She debated how much to impart to her cousin. On one hand, his father was an evil bastard. On the other, Draco clearly looked up to his father. In the end, compassion won out. "No, of course not. I'm sure Professor Dumbledore or Professor Snape must have mentioned it to him."

Draco was obviously relieved. "Oh, thank god!" He looked at her more fully now. "You're my favorite teacher. DADA sucked before you took over. I'm glad we're cousins, and I don't care what my father says."

Curious, Aurora asked, "What does you father say?"

Draco actually blushed. Aurora mused that it had a nice effect on him. Vulnerable, without the customary sneer, Draco's features were softened, and she could see what a striking boy he was. It was a shame he didn't let his guard down more often.

"Oh, erm, he said...he said that you were a do-gooder and a Mudblood," he rushed out.

Aurora laughed. "Well, that's true enough. I hope you won't hold it against me?"

Draco smiled. "I'll let it slide. Wonder what House you would've been in? I reckon you're a Gryffindor."

"I don't know about that. Maybe I should try on the Sorting Hat."

Draco stayed and chatted until Madam Pomfrey kicked him out. Aurora hoped he would never find out what his father had done. Ron had admitted that he had never actually seen his captors, and since she and Snape had not been authorized to do their little rescue mission, Aurora knew no formal charges would be brought against Lucius and his cronies. The slimy git was off the proverbial hook again. Oh well, she rationalized, it was better for Draco anyway. No fifteen year old boy needed to find out that his father had tortured his cousin.

Madam Pomfrey gave Aurora some more bone healing potion, and Aurora fell asleep under its drowsy effect.

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Meanwhile, Severus Snape was teaching his first year Gryffindor/Slytherin Potions class. The room was utterly silent, for the normally irritable professor was in a downright foul mood. He had taken ten points off of a young Gryffindor for breathing too loudly. Even his own Slytherins were not exempt from his ire, as every few minutes Snape looked up from the papers he was grading to survey the class, which was supposed to be very quietly cutting up dried flobberworms for a Night Vision potion. He glared at the students as his eyes swept across the dungeon room. When he glanced back down at his desk, a piece of parchment appeared before him, bearing the headmaster's seal. Snape rolled his eyes; trust Dumbledore not to use an owl when a bit of fancy magic could be substituted. He broke the red wax seal and unfolded the parchment.

Dear Severus,

Ê

It has come to my attention that I have not yet had a full accounting from you of the other night's events. Although no official investigation can be conducted, I feel that a complete understanding of what happened to Professor Jackson will help in our fight against Voldemort. I know you've got some free time after this class, so please meet me up in my office. I thank you in advance for you time.

Oh, and Severus, do try to cheer up a bit; you're frightening the students.

Albus Dumbledore

Cheer up a bit? Not bloody likely. Snape rubbed his hand over his face and back through his hair, which was rather more greasy than usual; he'd been too distracted to wash it lately. Since their jaunt to Malfoy Manor, he'd stayed up late, pacing, usually falling asleep in his office. He was not looking forward to this meeting at all, not looking forward to reliving that night. It was his own fault, he knew. He deserved the pain. He deserved it.

It was with a heavy heart that Severus Snape ascended the stone staircase leading to Dumbledore's office. He didn't know how he would bear telling Dumbledore out loud how he had failed him again. Even worse was the knowledge that the headmaster would insist that he hadn't, and would in all likelihood comfort him, telling Snape not to be so hard on himself, while all the while Snape would know in his heart of hearts that it wasn't true; he had every reason to be hard on himself. He was supposed to be a soldier in the war against Voldemort, yet he couldn't even protect one young woman. At this rate, he would never repay the trust and acceptance that Dumbledore had shown him.

Listlessly, he paused by the stone gargoyle that guarded the headmaster's door. Feeling ridiculous, he muttered, "Snickerdoodle." The passwords that Dumbledore came up with...The heavy door swung open, admitting the Potions master to Dumbledore's inner sanctum. The older man was seated behind his enormous desk, which as usual was covered with a jumble of unusual artifacts. He smiled at Snape as he settled himself in a cushy leather chair opposite the desk. Snape did not return the smile, continuing to wear the grim expression on his sharply planed face. His long, thin hands gripped the arms of the chair, and one of his feet swung back and forth in an agitated manner.

"Come now, Severus! There's no need to be looking so irascible!" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at Snape as he addressed him.

"Sir, with all due respect, I believe the gravity of the situation calls for some seriousness on my part," Snape answered tersely.

Dumbledore shook his craggy head. "Gravity of the...it's not so serious as all that! Why, Aurora is just fine, was just visiting her myself."

"Yes, sir, but be that as it may, I still allowed her to become hurt in the first place." Snape felt a wave of self-loathing crash over him.

"Enough, Severus!" the headmaster said sharply. "Why don't you tell me what happened, leaving out the self recriminations, and let me determine what you did or did not 'allow'."

Dutifully, if somewhat chastened, Snape recounted the run in between Ron and the "monster", Aurora's use of Truthseeking, the trip to Malfoy Manor, the botched rescue attempt, and finally his retrieval of the younger professor. He clenched his hands, a knot of nausea forming in his stomach as he described Aurora's appearance when he found her.

"...and so, I brought her to you and Madam Pomfrey," he finished.

Dumbledore remained silent for a few long moments, his hands steepled beneath his chin. Wonderful, thought Snape, This is the part where he tells me he no longer needs my services. At last, the old wizard spoke.

"So, you brought Ron to safety?" he asked.

"Er, yes," Snape answered.

"And you managed to escape being unmasked throughout the ordeal?"

"Well, yes, sir."

"You only left at Aurora's insistence, in order to save the boy?"

"Yes...Sir?" Snape wondered where Dumbledore was going.

"How do you suppose you could have done anything differently? You did the best you could under difficult circumstances, in which there was precious little time to plan ahead. Did you know, Severus, that Aurora Jackson had marks near the top of her class at the San Francisco Auror's Academy? If she was overwhelmed, I doubt your presence would have made any difference. You would only have risked your self and young Mr. Weasley's safety. I think, Professor, you have gotten in the habit of being entirely too hard on yourself."

Dumbledore's face was stern as he delivered this speech. Snape was stunned.

"Sir, I could have locked the door to Malfoy's room! I could have left Weasley at Honeydukes and come back sooner! I could have knocked Narcissa unconscious before I left! I could have-"

Dumbledore interrupted Snape's impassioned outcry. "Enough! You did what you did. You are not personally responsible for what happened to Aurora. She is a grown woman with Auror training. She made the decision to stay behind. If she doesn't blame you, surely you should not blame yourself. You. Are. Not. Responsible."

The fire seemed to leave Snape. "Yes, I am, "Snape whispered brokenly. "Just like I am responsible for Lily and James' death. Just like I am responsible for Sirius' imprisonment." He lowered his dark head into his hands.

"Severus, you cannot still blame yourself for that. You had every reason to believe that Sirius Black was the Potter's Secret Keeper. It took courage to betray the Dark Lord, to tell me that Voldemort had gotten information that only the Secret Keeper would know. You were trying to save them. And after all, you had seen betrayal from Sirius firsthand."

"Shunning me after we were Sorted is hardly comparable to being an accomplice to murder. Typical Slytherin, I was so Êeager for retribution that I didn't see the forest for the proverbial trees! I didn't question what I was told by Voldemort's cronies. If I was going to turn on him, I should have done a proper job of it! Albus, I should have known that Sirius wasn't the Potter's Secret Keeper. I was so eager to prove that I had changed, and I only proved my fallibility. I let my anger at Sirius cloud my judgement, and for what?" Snape's eyes blazed as he answered his own question. "For an eleven year old boy's grudge." He hung his head again. "Lily and James dead, Sirius imprisoned for twelve years and on the run now, all because I felt left out. Because Sirius Black didn't want to be best friends with a Slytherin, I let anger rule my head as well as my heart. So he liked James better than me once he was a Gryffindor- so what?"

"Are you quite finished, Severus?" Dumbledore asked wryly. "You know, I have always considered you an intelligent, even brilliant man, but I must say that was the most idiotic speech I have heard fall from your lips."

Snape looked up, indignant, as the headmaster walked around the cluttered desk and perched on the edge in front of him. Dumbledore leaned forward, his face very close to Snape's as he searched into Snape's nearly black eyes with his bespectacled ones.

"Is this errant nonsense why you've been beating yourself up for the past fourteen years?" Dumbledore asked.

Snape said nothing, but squirmed a little in his seat. Somehow, having Dumbledore reduce all the self recrimination he had been doing every day of his adult life to "errant nonsense" made him feel both angry and foolish at the same time. It most certainly was not "nonsense" to him, and yet...Dumbledore was seldom wrong.

"Severus, listen to me," Dumbledore said in a not-to-be-brooked authoritative voice. "The things that happened during the Reign of Terror were horrible and inexplicable. Awful things happened to good people. No-one can say why these things happen. It is a question humanity has struggled with since Job asked it of his God. I know, son, that you would never have intentionally allowed events to unfold the way they did. I know that underneath your abrasive demeanor, your heart is good. Why don't you know that?" The Headmaster put his knobbled hand over Snape's fisted hand. "Why don't you take a long look in the mirror? You've spent such a long time trying to use your outward appearance to convince the world of what an ugly person you are inside. You may have convinced yourself, but you haven't convinced me. Maybe you should reflect, pun intended, on who you truly are, Severus.

"Severus, have you ever heard the phrase, 'two natures of the beast'?"

Snape frowned. The phrase seemed familiar, but he couldn't think what it had to do with the topic at hand.

"You'll be familiar with Niccolo Machiavelli, I assume? After all he did help set down the doctrine that became the Slytherin Code of Conduct." Dumbledore continued at Snape's nod in the affirmative, "In The Prince, he advised that man should take upon himself the nature of two animals- the lion and the fox. The lion was selected for his courage, and the fox for his cunning. You, my dear Severus, possess the two natures of the beast. It is up to you to decide how you wish to use them. I suggest you think on that."

Dumbledore stood up, pulling Snape up with him. The old wizard pulled the tall man into his embrace. Once Snape got over his initial shock, he returned the hug. It had been a long time since anyone had taken him into their arms. He had forgotten how safe it made one feel.

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Later, ensconced in the privacy of his chamber, Snape decided to take Dumbledore's advice. Not sure how much good it would do, Snape planted himself in front of the gilt edged oval mirror he usually only made a passing glance at. Taking deep breath, he met his own eyes in the mirror. Good god! Do I really look that terrible? His eyes were sunk deep into his pale, knife-edged face. Lank strands of oily black hair tumbled every which way over his shoulders, most definitely far too long for a thirty five year old man. His posture was reprehensible, hunched at his angular shoulders, belying his six foot frame. As he grimaced, he caught sight of his yellowed teeth, which for the most part were neglected other than a perfunctory brushing, since he never smiled.

Just as Dumbledore had said, he had let his appearance mimic the way he felt about himself internally. For a moment, he fancied he saw his countenance rearranging itself into one that was much younger. At eleven, he had been an awkward yet cautiously handsome boy. As kids, he and Sirius Black had been dubbed the Gruesome Twosome by their mothers, a joke since the two women agreed that the seemingly inseparable pair were well on the road to being future heartbreakers. Then they had come to Hogwarts.

The Sorting Hat had sent Sirius off to Gryffindor, Severus off to Slytherin, lickety split, just like that, and the bonds of boyhood friendship had been broken. That alone Snape could have handled; the Houses did tend to keep to themselves. What had twisted in his gut, making its way to his face as a sneer, was the utter about-face Sirius had made. The other boy had cemented his friendship with James Potter by taunting and teasing his former best friend. Hate and vengeance occupied Snape's heart, sent over the edge by the so-called prank of sending him to Lupin's hidey-hole. Somewhere along the line the ugliness inside had risen to the surface. By the time Snape had joined the ranks of Voldemort's Death eaters, he looked the part of an evil maniac. Even elevated to power by Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy, he still had harbored that hate of Sirius and James inside him. The events of October 31, 1981, had only cemented his sense of self loathing. He only thanked whatever God still listened to him that he had had the sense of decency enough left to go to Dumbledore and beg for a chance for redemption.

Was it even possible for him to recapture the carefree boy he had been before he let anger and self pity run his life? Should he even try? Where would he start? He intuitively sensed that it would have to start within. He needed to be able to believe what Dumbledore had said. Glancing again at his greasy hair, he though, he also needed a good conditioner. His cunning Slytherin mind kicked into gear, formulating a plan. First step: he meant to go have a chat with Professor Aurora Jackson.

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The knock on her door startled Aurora, who had been in the middle of happily settling back into her own chamber after being released from the hospital wing. It was probably Charity, she mused, yanking open the door with a huge grin on her face. Her jaw nearly dropped to the floor when she saw Snape's tall form filling her doorway. He hadn't even visited her in the infirmary; she had hardly expected him to turn up at her personal rooms. She managed to maintain a composed, cool expression on her face, arching an eyebrow quizzically at the dour man in front of her. She stepped back, gesturing grandly for him to enter the room.

"You're wearing Muggle clothing," he said accusingly as he stepped in.

"Hi, Severus, it's nice to see you, too! I'm doing just fine, thanks!" she fired back at him. Did the man always have to be so contrary?

"Hello, Ms. Jackson. I didn't mean to be rude, but you must admit your attire is a bit, er, distracting. Mages don't usually wear Muggle things, unless circumstances necessitate it."

Jeans and a button down were distracting? He should see some of the get-ups her sister wore.

"Well, it's different where I'm from," she answered testily. "Look, what are you doing here?"

Snape's face grew sterner as he remembered the task at hand. "I wanted to discuss what happened at Malfoy's the other night."

Aurora groaned. "Oh, honestly, do I have to? I already told Dumbledore what happened. I know I was totally stupid to let my curiosity get the better of me. I don't need a reprimand from you, too."

"Whatever are you on about? I'm not here to reprimand you." Snape wondered what the hell she was talking about.

Aurora sighed. "I should have left with you. I shouldn't have stayed behind, but I was stubborn and determined to let Lucius know who I was. *And*, I know better than to let myself be overwhelmed physically like that. I let my emotions cloud my judgement; Dumbledore said I shouldn't be so hot-headed," she explained, giving Snape a strange look.

He had burst out laughing. In the two or so months she had known him, Aurora had never seen Snape so much as crack a smile, much less dissolve into laughter. His shoulders shook as he tried to regain his composure. Finally, realizing how alarmed Aurora looked, he stifled his hilarity.

"Actually, I was here to apologize to you," he said.

"For what?" she asked, stunned. "You saved me. In fact, I should be thanking you for coming back."

He waved a hand dismissively at her, choked laughter still escaping from him, despite his best effort to the contrary. "No, no, I regret ever leaving you in the first place. I felt terrible when I saw how badly you had been hurt. Aurora, I am so sorry. Can you forgive me?"

Exasperated, she shouted, "I wanted you to leave! It was my fault I got hurt, not yours, and I still don't see what's so funny about it!" She put her her hands on her hips and stamped her foot, her temper starting to flare up.

"Because," he answered slowly, "Here we were both thinking that it was our fault."

"Yeah, well, I guess we both screwed up. Does that make you feel better?" She let out her breath, relaxing as she began to see the irony of the situation. She grinned at him. He smiled back.

Wow, two smiles in one day. Then, realizing that she was still grinning at him like an idiot, she made an awkward attempt at conversation, asking Snape if he was planning to attend the Quidditch match later that evening. She still didn't feel entirely comfortable with the man in front of her.

"Gryffindor versus Slytherin? I wouldn't miss it for the world. I'm sure you've noticed the little bit of rivalry between my House and the Gryffindors?" He smiled yet again, getting used to the facial expression he hadn't used for many years. He had concocted a bleaching potion to put on his teeth the night before ( smiling more was another part of his Plan, and his teeth were simply too revolting in their current condition), and he was taking them for a test-drive, so to speak. So far Aurora didn't look revolted, so he must have brewed it correctly. Then again, she had never seen him smile before, so she had no basis for comparison. Still, her reaction seemed to indicate success.

"Yeah, I'd noticed. I'm teaching them hexes, remember?" she said wryly. "I'm not usually into sports, but since both Draco and Harry are playing, I thought I'd check it out. Not sure who to root for, though, since I haven't got a House affiliation." Aurora said a bit disingenuously, for she was secretly glad she didn't have to take sides.

"Gryffindor's debuting a new Keeper, since theirs graduated last term. Slytherin has two new Beaters as well, and both teams will have new captains. It should be an interesting match.," Snape said thoughtfully. "I just hope You-Know-Who doesn't try anything."

"Do you think he will?" It hadn't even occurred to Aurora that he might. She was really getting rusty, she thought, if she wasn't even thinking like an Auror any more.

Snape shrugged. "You never know; it's happened before. It's probably wise that you are attending. I'll see you there, then?"

"Yes. And I'll make sure I wear a proper set of robes," she assured him with an impudent grin.

Snape swept out of her room, black robes swirling out behind him, feeling infinitely better. Aurora stared after him, completely flabbergasted.

Well, that was definitely weird.

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After supper, Aurora and Charity headed out to the Quidditch pitch. Partly because she had told Snape she would, but mostly because it was bloody cold out, she wore heavy woolen robes with a warm cloak over them. She looked every inch the Hogwarts professor once more. Her hair was tightly coiled at the nape of her neck, her face pale since her time in Great Britain had effectively removed her California tan. Charity had fussed over her Muggle clothing also, although her reaction had been more favorable; she insisted that after the match Aurora let her try it all on.

Up in the stands, a familiar figure was motioning to Aurora to come sit down.

"Aurora, why is Severus Snape waving at you?" Charity asked disbelievingly.

"He said he'd see me at the match. I suppose he's saved us a seat. C'mon," Aurora replied, heading in Snape's direction.

"You've got to be joking! No-one willingly sits with that sourpuss!" Charity protested.

"He's not so bad." At Charity's incredulous look, Aurora offered, "He even smiled earlier today."

"Has he got a fever? He smiled?"

"Yup. Three times. Weird, huh?" Aurora was unable to hide her own grin as Charity's eyes widened even more.

"It's beyond weird. We might have to change your name to Mary Sue if that kind of behavior continues."

"No, no, it didn't have anything to do with me. He was already in a good mood when he came to my rooms," Aurora protested.

Charity arched an eyebrow at her. "Your rooms, eh? Now I know what put that smile on Snape's face!" she teased, tossing her short dirty blond curls in a mock sexy simper.

Aurora blushed. "Whatever, Charity. Puh-lease. You and I both know that I'm not exactly a head-turner. I'm hardly the one to make men change their wicked ways. Besides, it wasn't like that. He was just...checking up on me."

Charity frowned. While Aurora wasn't a conventional beauty, she was far from plain. She had a gorgeous head of hair, if she would ever take it out of those prim buns. Then again, Aurora had shown Charity her family photos. Next to Odessa, it was easy to see why Aurora felt she was lacking. She tried to imagine her friend glammed up a bit.

Charity's train of thought was interrupted by their arrival at the staff section of the stands. Aurora shot her a pointed look and sat down next to Snape. Snape turned to say something to them, but whatever he might have said was lost as Lee Jordan's voice boomed out to announce the start of the match. There was a gasp of surprise and a cheer from the Gryffindors as Dean Thomas was announced as their new Keeper, and an even louder cheer when Fred and George Weasley were announced as co-captains. Likewise, Slytherin debuted Crabbe and Goyle as their new Beaters, and Draco as their new captain to cheers from their House. Unabashedly, Aurora clapped when both Harry's and Draco's names were announced.

The game started typically, with Gryffindor scoring right off the bat. Harry hovered above, circling for a glimpse of the golden Snitch. Draco dogged his every move. Aurora was impressed at her young cousin's ability to keep up with Harry, who in addition to having a superior broom, was considered something of a prodigy at Quidditch. The score was nearly even, Gryffindor leading, when Harry suddenly wheeled his broom around and zoomed towards the other end of the pitch. Draco followed behind him, slowly catching up to the Gryffindor. Aurora yelled, not sure for who, but loudly and enthusiastically. Snape leaned forward, a tense look on his face, but remained stoic. Charity was yelling "Go Harry!" and pumping her fist in the air.

One of the Slytherin Chasers realized what was happening and flew to Harry's other side. At a nod from Draco, the Slyth Chaser blocked Harry's path, giving Draco a chance to speed forward. A hiss arose from the crowd.

At Aurora's gasp of dismay, Snape leaned over and said, "It's a perfectly legal maneuver." She just glared at him, thinking it was still pretty dirty playing.

Draco grinned triumphantly as his hand closed around the Snitch for the first time in a match against Gryffindor. Harry caught up just a half a second too late. Draco landed on the ground and raised his hand high, displaying the golden Snitch to all who were looking. Not waiting for Lee to announce it, he bellowed, trying to drown out the booing Gryffindors, "Slytherin wins by 140 points! Game to Slytherin!"

Only Slytherin House members were cheering. Snape clapped his hands, praising, "Well done, Slytherin!" Everyone else looked dumbfounded; Gryffindor had not lost a Quidditch match to Slytherin since Harry had become their Seeker. Draco's smile stretched across his face, glad to have proven his ability as captain. He caught Aurora's eye. His expression changed briefly from victorious to confused as she sadly shook her head at him. Then his teammates hoisted him up and carried him off the field.

"He's a Slytherin, honey. The end justifies the means," Charity murmured, trying to calm her furious friend.

"Let's go," Aurora said angrily, leading Charity out of the stands.

Snape didn't understand why she was so skeeved, but shrugged it off. The game had been Voldemort free, and it was, after all, a glorious day for Slytherin House.

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Snape didn't take long to continue enacting his Plan. He put the next step into motion at the end of one of his fifth year Potions class. After dismissing the class, which had had abysmal results with a Shrinking potion- Longbottom had actually made his toad even larger, which Snape supposed was slightly better than blowing it up- he asked Harry to remain behind. The boy looked nervous, so Snape tried smiling at him to reassure him, but this seemed to only increase his apprehension. Finally, irritated, he snapped, "Oh, do relax, Mr. Potter. I assure you that you are not in any trouble- for once."

He gestured for the teenager to to come closer to his desk. Harry moved forward, coming to stand in front of his Potions teacher, holding his textbooks and parchment defensively against his chest. Privately, Snape thought he could do with a little of James'brashness and swagger, but he did admit to deriving a small bit of pleasure out of the boy's discomfort with him. If he couldn't get respect from Harry, he'd take fear. Fear ensured obedience, according to certain experts.

"Mr. Potter, I need a favor from you," Snape opened.

Harry looked surprised. A teacher, especially Snape, needed a favor from him? Somehow, he had the feeling that he wasn't going to like what Snape was planning to ask him.

"Erm, what do you want me to do, Sn- Professor Snape?"

"I need you to put me in touch with your, ah, godfather."

"What?" No way, Harry thought. His face closed up, and he stared hard at Snape. What was the sneaky professor up to?

"I'm well aware he's innocent, Harry," Snape purred. "I'm not planning to do anything dastardly, like turn his location over to the Ministry." Snape cleared his throat, not wanting to tell Harry more than he had to. He chose his next words carefully. "There is a matter that I need his opinion on."

Not quite believing his own daring, Harry asked, "What matter?"

Snape sneered, "Nothing that concerns you, Mr. Potter. Will you owl him for me or not?"

It seemed harmless enough to Harry. He could use Hedwig to carry Snape's letter, and still keep Sirius'location a secret. "All right, give your letter to me, then."

"Thank you," Snape said, surprising Harry again. He handed Harry a tightly rolled bit of parchment, sealed with black wax. Then he said something even more amazing. "Take ten points for Gryffindor, for helping someone you don't like out of altruism." Noting the look on Harry's face, he added, "Don't worry, Mr. Potter, I'm sure Mr. Longbottom will lose at least double that next lesson. You may go. If Sirius writes back, bring the reply to my office immediately."

He lowered his attention to the stack of papers on his desk. Harry just stood there in disbelief. Sensing that the boy hadn't moved, Snape lifted his head again.

"Go, before I change my mind about those points."

Harry nodded. "Yes, sir." Quickly he turned and left the chilly dungeon classroom.