The Snake Within

Chapter Three: Quidditch Gear

If only it wasn't so bright and sunny that afternoon of the most remember able match of my life (save for when I mystically caught a light once). I got into my Quidditch armor slowly and tried desperately to drown out Avery and his version of a pep talk. It mostly consisted of, "We're gonna kill them!" Or "Knock them off their brooms at all costs, I don't care if it's cheating, do it!" It was slightly disappointing that he couldn't articulate it better, and have slowed down the process of grabbing the brooms and mounting to get ready to start.

Madame Hooch was the referee even then, and she's always had the same instructions about a nice clean game (mostly directed as us, as usual) and blew her whistle. The announcers voice filter softly into my sub conscience and it wasn't good.

"Good afternoon everybody! Today's game is RAVENCLAW!" Of course the usual cheering from everywhere, "...against SLYTHERIN!" Weak and feeble cheering from the Slytherin box, and of course, the Four had learned the Sonorus Charm, and was booing rather loudly all around the stadium. I wanted to look back to see them get in trouble, but I felt all they got was a 'Cut it out!' by Professor McGonagol.

I caught sight of a bludger-heading straight for our star Chaser, Grubb, so I descended upon it in my wraithish way. Imagining that the bludger was really Sirius Blacks head helped me pelt it away and right into the old and pitiful broom of the Ravenclaw seeker. I hadn't really been aiming for her, as much as the teams' captain claimed I was. Alas, we got our way and play was resumed with a reserve seeker for the Ravenclaws.

"And that was a bad call on behalf of the Slytherins! And Thompson is brought in to replace Goodbody!"

The game was beginning to get tight, with Slytherin in the lead with 75 and Ravenclaw just trailing at 60. Either way, catching the snitch would be the way to win. I hovered closely under our seeker, a small anorexic looking boy named Agripas. He'd always been quiet and determined in classes, he was my year, I recall vaguely. He was quite shorter than the rest of us, and he seemed more than just a mere child. In most ways I admired his ability to keep himself in check, while I, on the other hand, could not. If someone said something about my parents, I blew up. If you insulted my intelligence, I seethed with venom. So in many ways, Agripas was a much better Slytherin, with much more cunning, and snake like ability. What kind of snake gets angry with the charmer? Instead Agripas USED the charmer, and then when the fellow felt he had successfully done a job well done, he then struck the fool, and he didn't even know it was coming. Perfect Snake.

The perfect seeker as well. Just as I was musing over his obvious talents I was brought back into reality by the WHOOSH of a bludger heading straight for the kid. I kicked at the air and shot up at the bludger just in time to pelt it away from the frail boys face. He looked at me in an apparent relieved thank you glance. I shrugged and flew away before the kid adopted me as his hero and lost us the game.

I was nearly knocked off my own broom by a booming voice of James Potter (apparently the Sonorus was charmed only towards me, great) "SNAPE! LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING!" Then there was the deafening laughter, and the hit of a Ravenclaw pitched bludger right on the brushes of my broom. Suddenly, because that's how fast things truly happen in Quidditch, I was on the dirt on the bottom of the stadium. Sand was in my mouth and eyes, and I punched it angrily. Muttering a 'damn you Potter' and then getting up to inspect my broom. If it HAD been whole, I might have been slightly less angry. I took the two pieces and haughtily got off the pitch and headed to the locker room.

There she was, sitting in the Slytherin locker room. And there I was, half naked with a towel hanging off me. I tightened it in surprise.

"Lily! What are you doing here!? You're not supposed to be here!"

She smiled at me ruefully, she had a way of making me forget the embarrassing positions she put me in. She glided over the stone floor and poked me in the chest. It took a lot of will power not to stumble over in my shock.

"You were very good up there, today Severus. I just wanted to congratulate you. Good luck with Gryffindor next time!" She gave me an evil grin, and I blinked as she left quickly. In my stupor I had dropped the towel completely and just stood there staring after her. We were playing Gryffindor next, which meant we had won this match, but she said I had done VERY GOOD. No one had ever told me I was very good. In my excitement I didn't hear the din of the exploding Slytherin team as they came into the locker room, but to this day I cannot forget the laughter that ensued when they were confronted with my "white arse that is so tight a quill could stick out of it."

I gathered up my towel in silence, a glare at anyone who pointed at said arse, or any other parts, and escaped quickly into a bathroom stall and got dressed just as hastily. This was all Blacks fault; it was his idea to yell in my head, I'm sure of it. I completely forgot about Lily's visit until later that evening. That was only after I could get Lucius to stop talking about how stunned and stark white I looked standing there in the buff as they came in.

I went to bed early, before the rest of the boys could come in and harass me longer. Revenge would have to come sooner than planned, and I knew it would have to be on my grounds. Then I rolled over, a high pain in my stomach made me queasy as I fell into fitful sleep, and darling Lily Evans was the heroine.