Letters By Night

"Professor," said Dumbledore to Alanna the last evening before Christmas break over dinner, "I hear you are...ah...having trouble with teaching. As to that, I think I may have an idea."

She looked at him, afraid to speak for the mashed potatoes in her mouth.

"There is a...telescope of sorts called the Eye of Thoth. I believe it may interest your more advanced students. But there is...one problem. It must be purchased at Knockturn Alley."

Alanna raised her eyebrows.

"Professor Snape will go with you."

She nearly choked on her potatoes. "Him?" She glanced to her left at Snape with revulsion.

"What is it now?" he snapped, looking extremely undignified with bread in his mouth.

Dumbledore looked severely at Snape. "I said you will accompany Professor Reid to Knockturn Alley."

Snape dropped his fork with a clatter. "What?!"

Dumbledore looked at them over his spectacles in a way that completely ended all argument.

"I don't need you to protect me," she said out of the side of her mouth.

"It's not exactly a trip to the Apothecary for me either," he muttered.

A whole afternoon with Snape, what fun! she thought sarcastically. Alanna suddenly found herself straightening her hair. What am I doing?

He was waiting impatiently for her by the door. "Come now, I haven't all day to be baby-sitting." He swept out the door, his black cloak billowing behind him. She hurried after him, her shoes making noise on the gravel pathway.

"Look, we're stuck with each other for now, so you could at least try to be civil."

"You could try not to be so irritating," he said without looking at her.

"What's your problem?"

He pointed over his shoulder at her.

She rolled her eyes, walking quickly to keep up with his strides. "No, really. Why do you have to be so hostile?"

He raised his eyebrows and looked at her as he might a first-year (had Alanna been a first year, she'd have run for the hills). "Don't pry."

He didn't slow down until they reached an Apparation point at the gates of Hogsmeade. Then he held out his hand reluctantly.

She was confused. "What?"

He sighed. "Severus, you'd better not lose that poor girl mid-Apparation," he said, in an uncanny impression of Dumbledore. A sinister smile curled his thin lips. "He seemed to think I was inclined to do something of the sort."

"Comedian, you are." She frowned and put her hand in his. They Apparated at they edge of Knockturn Alley, and she lost her balance when they appeared on the cobbled street, pulling Snape to the ground as well. He quickly released her hand.

"Clumsy twit," he grumbled, dusting himself off. Alanna tried to get up but slipped on the stones. Snape sighed in exasperation and pulled her upright himself; she fell forward into his arms. "The idiot can't stand either," he said slowly, his face very near to hers. He let her go hurriedly. "Come on, we've got to find this Thoth thing, then we can get the hell out of here. That is, if you remember how to walk?"

But Alanna was a bit preoccupied with all the green-tinted people passing by, leering.

"Come on," Snape said again. He sounded almost nervous. She followed him with great haste, wide-eyed and speechless.

His walking became wary, and she followed him into an unfamiliar shop.

"I think this is where Dumbledore said we'd find it."

Alanna merely squeaked in reply.

Snape walked up to the store's counter, his black eyes darting around nervously. "Calm down, girl, you sound like a pixie," he whispered commandingly at her. She fell silent.

A disgusting-looking man (Even more revolting than Snape, thought Alanna) with an eye that appeared to be trying to get out of his head was suddenly behind the counter. "Can I help you?" His voice was oily, and he scrutinized Snape, and leered at Alanna.

"We're looking for the Eye of Thoth," Snape said shortly.

"Ah, yes..." said the man. He rummaged around underneath the counter and pulled out a tarnished telescope, which looked pretty ordinary: except where the lens should be, there was an eye. Alanna backed away in horror as the enormous green eye blinked and watered, unaccustomed to the light.

"Fifty Galleons," growled the man. Snape looked at Alanna, and with a small jump she came out of her reverie.

"Fifty Galleons," Snape repeated, in a way that made it clear that there was no way he was paying for it.

She shoved some gold into the clerk's greasy hand. "H--Here."

Snape rolled his eyes as they left the shop, Alanna clutching the Eye in a bag.

"Pull yourself together, Professor, or they'll snatch you up before you have a chance to scream."

Alanna shivered. "Very comforting."

"Shh!" he said abruptly, holding out a hand to stop her.

"Well, well, we do have ourselves a traitor, I believe." A man in a black cloak, his face hidden, walked slowly and deliberately toward Snape. "And a girl even?"

"Back off, Avery," hissed Snape, standing in front of Alanna.

She gasped; right before her eyes, a dozen or so identical cloaked men drew closer in a menacing way, behind the first man.

Snape took out his wand, glaring daggers at all of them.

"So, my friend, we meet again," said one of the other cloaked figures. "Never imagined you'd have the gall to show your face, Snape."

"Don't push it, Nott," said Snape, hardly moving his lips.

"There are too many of them," whispered Alanna, in panic.

"Shut up, you stupid girl, I know that," he muttered. "On three, Disapparate." He grabbed her hand as the Death Eaters closed in. "One, two..."

They landed heavily on the ground in front of Hogsmeade. Alanna and Snape stood up gingerly, both breathing quickly. "Blasted Death Eaters," muttered Snape.

Alanna looked around. "Where's the Eye?"

"Don't tell me you've left it."

Her breathing began to slow. "Okay, I won't tell you. And...Professor?"

"Hm?" he said, examining the dirt covering his usually spotless robes.

"Thank you."

What she really wanted to say, she kept to herself: why were the Death Eaters after him? But she knew she'd never get an answer.

Snape stood there looking at her, then actually slowed his pace and walked beside her back to the castle.