Winter's Shadow

Disclaimer For The Entire FanFic: It all belongs to J. K. Rowling.

Prologue

"Evanesco." With a simple word the substance covering the desk and slowly pouring from the smoldering caldron disappeared. The silence in the room was deafening--not a good sign.

Neville stood by his newly clean caldron looking down at the floor waiting for the inevitable. Professor Snape stood in front of the frightened boy with his arms crossed, eyes narrowed, and lips pursed.

"And what, Mr. Longbottom, was the cause of this?"

Glancing up at the professor, Neville began to stutter.

"I...I...added the...uh..."

"TODAY, Mr. Longbottom!" The Slytherin's began to snicker at the boy's embarrassment.

"I added the Jobberknoll feathers first." Neville could hardly be heard, but it was still loud enough for Snape to hear. Snape began to walk around Neville's work area nodding his head. The seventh year potions class was truly unbelievable to the man. Seventh year--advanced students. Yet, somehow he managed to remain stuck with Longbottom. How the boy got through his O. W. L. s in fifth year to even be permitted in advanced potions was beyond him.

"Mr. Longbottom, this is a simple seventh year truth serum and you still manage to botch it up. Fifty points from Gryffindor." Snape turned sharply and walked to the front of the class. Standing in front of the board he looked at them and turned back to Neville.

"Mr. Longbottom, you do know how to read don't you?"

"Yes, sir." Neville's voice was becoming smaller by the minute.

"How did you manage to get enough O. W. L. s for this I will never comprehend. I assure you that if I was the one testing you, you would NOT be here. You will NEVER be a potions master. You'll be lucky to end up with an office job at...."

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Snape's head immediately snapped to the direction of that voice. His deep darkened eyes pierced into her honey orbs. She sat calmly at her desk, but the set look on her face said it all. She was beyond angry and Snape had seen this girl angry on more than one occasion, but never in his classroom--never like this. Her chocolate tendrils of curl fell over part of her face when she looked up to meet his gaze. Snape took a deep breath to calm him--he had seen this look before.

"What was that, MS. GRANGER?" The infamous Snape Stare no longer intimidated her and he knew it. The entire class grew silent waiting for a response, curious if the 'Know-It-All-Granger' would dare say it again. Snape however, had no doubts that she would. He was, after all, the reason for her temperamental mood recently. All because of one bloody summer that he was obviously going to pay for now. How did things go so wrong for his summer? In the middle of Snape's memory and thoughts Granger's voice could be heard very clearly reminding him of what it was that happened that summer to throw his school year awry--'oh yeh, Granger happened.'

"I believe I told you to SOD OFF!"