Gingersnapes

Severus began to entertain suspicions at approximately the same time as the second child in his class burst into flames.

Stalking towards the blackboard, he futilely attempted to ignore the 30 sniggering fifth years.

"Miss McDonald. I will have that, thank you," he purred, swooping on the small item she was attempting to conceal under her jumper.

He dropped it into his pocket, and continued to the front of the room. Sweeping his eyes - glare level five - over the classroom, he spat his venomous words at the class.

"The next person who spontaneously combusts will lose ten house points, and will be scouring the dungeon floors with their toothbrush."

The class quivered in unison, and turned back to their potions.

Thirty minutes later, Severus watched the last of them scurry through the door. Fishing in his pocket, his fingers closed around the mysterious item.

Retrieving it, he squinted at the gaudy packaging. A clumsy illustration of the Weasley twins waved at him as he turned the package over. Shaking his head, Snape read the excessively loopy script, a parody, he suddenly realised, of his own flowing handwriting.

Gingersnapes, read the large golden writing. Below that, in swirls of blue, was printed Guaranteed to set you aflame. Surprise your friends! Scare your enemies!

~~~

The small brass bell jingled, as the door swung open. George sighed reluctantly, from his position on the floor behind the counter.

"Fine. It's your turn next time, though. And don't even think about cheating. I will know. After all, I designed this game," he said, false modesty colouring his words.

He stood, and looked towards the front of the shop. Their single customer browsed, silhouetted by the late afternoon sunlight.

~~~

Snape turned smoothly on his heel, and stalked up to the insufferable Weasley brat.

"What, pray tell, is the meaning of this?" he hissed, placing the brightly coloured packet on the counter.

Fred popped up next to his brother, seemingly unaware of the large blue letters on his forehead spelling out the words LYING CHEATER.

"That's our latest line, Professor. Astonishingly popular."

"Amazingly so, in fact," his brother interjected.

"Actually, we've just -" Fred began.

George interrupted him. "Sold out. But we could - "

"Possibly get an order to you by - "

"Late next week?" They finished together, looking up at him with keen expressions.

Snape took a deep breath in an attempt to restrain his temper.

"If one more student combusts in my class, I will ensure you no longer have a shop from which to sell fripperies such as this," he snarled, through clenched teeth.

George laughed. "Just how are you planning to do that, Severus?" He put a mocking emphasis on his use of Snape's first name.

"After all, we're no longer your students. And we run a profitable and respectable business," put in Fred.

He turned, catching a glimpse of the blue scrawl on his brother's forehead.

"Hey! You cheated!"

~~~

Snape headed for the door as it became increasingly clear that the argument would be continuing for an extended period of time,

The bell jingled behind him.

~~~

The next child who burst into flames in Snape's class was covered in a mountain of fire-retardant foam.

He set aside the empty fire extinguisher and continued with his lecture on the protective qualities of rowan.