My Name's Severus!

Chapter 6: More trouble for Dumbledore

It had been a good idea of Dumbledore to give Severus that recipe. Severus spent most of Friday and the following weekend in the library occupying a whole table with the many potions books he was studying. His efforts were in vain though. There was nothing in those books that he didn't know already. He would have needed access to his own books or at least to the forbidden section, but both requests were denied him.

Still he continued searching through book after book and that kept him too busy to do much mischief. There were only a few fights with minor injuries during the weekend and a few firecrackers went off here and there. Dumbledore wasn't even sure the later had anything to do with Severus. It might just as well have been the Weasleys.

Yes everything would have been fine except for what happened during that last lesson of the week. Dumbledore was just trying to explain the recipe for a shrinking potion to a particularly slow first year Hufflepuff when suddenly the door opened and Professor Callisto Calligra burst into the class.

"Albus, I quit!" she announced by way of explanation.

Dumbledore stared at the ancient runes teacher in surprise. So did the first years. Some of them vaguely remembered seeing this woman at the teacher's table at mealtimes, but most had no idea who she was. Whatever might she be doing in their class?

"Quit, Callisto?" asked Dumbledore. "Quit what?"

"Quit this job!" shouted Professor Calligra. "I'm leaving Hogwarts tonight."

"Now, now, Callisto. Calm down!" soothed Dumbledore. "Whatever could be so bad that ..."

He didn't get time to finish his sentence.

"What could be so bad?!" screeched Professor Calligra. "How about that Malfoy kid! He keeps insulting me in front of the whole class! And then the Slytherins started throwing their books at the Ravenclaws and the Hufflepuffs were sitting between them and got scared and I had to follow them outside and convince them it was save to return to class. And then Severus and the Granger girl got into an argument over how to interpret the text and next thing I knew they were teaching my class. That's it, Albus! I'm going to pack my stuff and catch the next train to London. Don't expect me to still be here for dinner!"

Before Albus could say anything she turned on her heel and dashed out of the room. Everybody stared after her. Albus blinked a few times. Minerva McGonagall's words echoed in his head. 'It will be like teaching in a madhouse.' And Neville and Harry didn't even take ancient runes.

He considered running after the enraged teacher, but he knew that he didn't stand a chance to change her mind. When Callisto Calligra had decided to do something she would go through with it no matter what happened. He would need a replacement. ... And he'd better check on her class.

Albus Dumbledore sent off the first years early, which prompted loud cheers, and then hurried off towards the runes classroom without even cleaning the additional blackboard he had brought in after the original had for some mysterious reason cased to show anything he wrote upon it.

For once he didn't find the fifth years fighting or shouting at each other. The door to the classroom was wide open and the first thing he saw when he stepped in unnoticed were the Ravenclaws, who were busily studying their textbooks. The Hufflepuffs were huddled up in the center of the room whispering amongst themselves. The Gryffindors were playing exploding snap in the back of the room, all except Hermione, who was standing by the teacher's desk together with Severus. Those two seemed to be still arguing over their translations.

When the headmaster walked up to the front of the room, Greenie who had been snuffling around on Professor Calligra's desk looked up at him and sniffed his nose in recognition. 'Ah, the funny guy again.'

Severus glanced up at the sound and saw Dumbledore.

"Hi, Albus!" he mumbled distractedly and returned to his text.

"Hm?" was the only reaction from Hermione. She was much too engaged in her work to be distracted by such trivialities as the arrival of the headmaster.

Albus slowly checked the class again. Where were the other Slytherins? He discovered Draco quietly sitting by the window scribbling away at a piece of parchment. Was Draco Malfoy actually working? And if so why was he using coloured pencils? Dumbledore didn't spend much time wondering about Draco, though. He kept looking for the other Slytherins, but didn't find them. He tried to remember which Slytherins were supposed to be here. Maybe Severus and Draco were the only ones? No, they were the only boys, but there ought to be two or three girls there as well.

"Where are the rest of the Slytherins!" he demanded sternly.

The class started and looked up at him in surprise. Where had the headmaster come from all of a sudden?

"They walked out." piped up Hanna Abbot of Hufflepuff after a moment.

"Yes, they said they had better things to do then wait for a hysteric teacher to calm down." explained a dark haired Ravenclaw, whose name, if Dumbledore remembered correctly was Boot, Terry or Tommy Boot, or something like that.

"Well, normally they shouldn't have, but this once I suggest that you all follow their example. Provessor Calligra has just announced that she is leaving Hogwarts. I promise to try to find a temporary replacement before Monday, but today's lesson will not continue."

For the second time that day he watched cheering pupils race out of a classroom. Now to call another emergency staff meeting in his office.

"Oh Albus!" came a voice from behind him. "Could you take a look at this text and explain to us ..."

"No Severus, I can't! I do not teach ancient runes. Please collect your books and hedgehog and leave so I can lock this room. You too, Miss Granger. Grab your stuff and go!"

Grumbling at his uncooperativeness the two of them left.

Albus walked to the door, then decided to cast another quick glance through the room before locking it. Maybe one of the Ravenclaws was still ...

"Mr. Malfoy!"

No reaction.

Albus walked back into the room and towards the boy.

"Mr. Malfoy!" he shouted. "Do you want to stay locked in this room over the weekend?"

"Huh?"

"What is so interesting that you don't want to leave this class, anyway?" asked Dumbledore reaching for the piece of parchment Draco had been scribbling on.

"N...n...nothing!" stuttered Draco blushing and quickly packed it away and raced out the door.

But Dumbledore had gotten a quick glance at the parchment anyway. A picture? Of Ginny Weasley?

The staff meeting wasn't too pleasant either. Almost every teacher had some complaint to make about Severus. Only Madam Hooch and Professor Trellawney were smiling contently leaning back in their chairs. Of course, Severus didn't take their subjects.

When Dumbledore told them about Professor Calligra they were shocked. For a moment nobody spoke and Dumbledore could see Hagrid lean over and whisper something into Madam Pomfrey's ear. Madam Pomfrey shook her head and whispered back. Then Hagrid whispered again. He seemed to be pleading.

Finally Madam Pince agreed to stand in for Professor Calligra until a replacement could be found under the one condition that somebody had to take her place in the library during the lessons as she did not want to close it entirely.

But who could take over there? All the teachers had to be in classes as well, Dumbledore was already teaching potions. Filch flat out refused claiming not to have the time. Madame Pomfrey couldn't leave the hospital wing for that long in case of an emergency.

In the end they reluctantly agreed to ask the house elves to help out and thus the very next day a very worried looking Madam Pince showed a very excited Dobby how to operate the library.

Only half an hour after the staff meeting Dumbledore received word from Madam Pomfrey that Hagrid had a bad cold and would not be able to teach for a week or two.

Strange. Hagrid had looked just fine during the meeting.

Since Draco hadn't gotten a chance to finish his picture of Ginny he decided to go look for the real thing instead. He knew what classroom she had to be in right now and he had more than enough time to get there and hide near the door.

He had to be careful not to be seen trailing Ginny. She had developed the habit to stick close to her friends whenever she knew he was around. That was why he hadn't been able to catch her alone again since that one attempt at conversation in the library.

But this time he was lucky. Nobody noticed him following Ginny around. Well, maybe it wasn't all due to luck. After all practice makes perfect and Draco had gotten a lot of practice by now.

It was nearly dinnertime when he saw Ginny enter the girl's bathroom on the third floor. Her friends walked on in the direction of the great hall. The corridor was deserted.

Yes, he had her! But he couldn't follow her to the bathroom. He had to wait outside and hope nobody would come by before she'd come out and he'd gotten his chance to talk to her.

Draco waited glancing up and down the corridor nervously. Nobody came. Most of them ought to be at dinner by now, anyway. This was a perfect opportunity.

Why did Ginny take so long? Probably brushing her hair to look nice for dinner. Maybe she'd wear it open again. That was how she looked the prettiest, Draco decided. She always looked pretty though.

Finally the door opened and Ginny stepped out.

"Hi, Ginny!"

Ginny started and backed away into a corner.

Yes! Draco followed her quickly. Now she had nowhere to run. This time she'd have to talk to him.

"Listen ... um .... Ginny..." great, he was stuttering again.

'Come on Draco! What do you want to say to her?'

".... um ... Ginny .... I .... um ... Ginny ..."

'Idiot, all you're saying is her name. Say something interesting so she can give an answer!'

"Ginny ... I ... wanted to ... um ..."

'Ask her something! She has to answer if you ask something.' That was it! He'd ask her to go to Hogsmede with him.

"Ginny I ... wanted to ask you ... um ... if you'd ..."

Ginny had withdrawn further and further into the corner. Now she was pressed tightly against the wall with nowhere to go. She had to get past Draco to get away. How could she make him leave?

"Leave me alone or I'll tell my brothers!" she threatened.

Draco stared at her for a moment.

"Your brothers? I don't care about your brothers." he said. "I LIKE you!"

SLAP!

Draco stepped back in surprise as her hand connected sharply with his cheek.

Ginny seized her chance, darted past him and ran for the great hall.

Draco watched her go fingering his stinging cheek. What had gone wrong? Why had she run away again? He'd actually managed to say something. Something nice at that! And she'd slapped him and run away?

He must have done something wrong. But what? How did one convince a girl that one wanted to go out with her? He needed to ask someone for advice. A friend who could help him out.

But who?

Usually he'd talk about complicated things to Zabini. He was the most intelligent of his friends. But Blaise was an absolute zero when it came to emotional problems and somehow Ginny slapping him seemed rather emotional.

Not Blaise then. That left only Crabby and Goyle. Gregory was so stupid that nobody in their right mind would ask him for advice about anything. He'd just stare blankly or suggest to beat Ginny up. That wasn't the kind of solution Draco was looking for.

Not Gregory. Vincent it was then. Vincent was more intelligent than Gragory and he had more of a hart than Blaise, not that either thing was saying much. Vincent was still nothing but a big stupid bully. And what did he know about girls? Nothing. When he heard that Draco liked a girl he'd tease him mercilessly. And then the whole school would notice.

No, he couldn't ask Vincent. But who else was there? Who did he know? 'The girls mustn't know! They'd be even worse than Vincent.' He definitely couldn't ask a teacher. Who else was there in this school? Severus' hedgehog? ... Severus! Severus had to know about girls. He had to have had lots of girlfriends at his age. He definitely had to know how to ask them out. Yes, he had to ask Severus.

Ask Severus! What was he thinking? Severus was out to get him. He had said so. 'I'll get you next time.' he'd said because he didn't have any mousetraps left. He couldn't possibly allow Severus to know about him and Ginny. He'd use it to embarrass him in front of the whole school. He'd be even worse than Vincent and the girls together.

And then Draco realised that Severus already knew. He'd known from that first moment when he'd been watching Ginny in the great hall. Oh no! What could he do? If only he had a real friend to talk to.

"Whoa, she looks angry." remarked Vincent when Ginny stormed into the great hall and past the Slytherin table.

"Hope she didn't kill him." said Severus pushing another tiny piece of steak in front of Greenie's nose. The hedgehog seemed to like steak. Which was lucky for both of them because Severus did not.

"Kill?" asked Gregory having heard one of his favourite words. "Kill who?"

"Draco. Who else would make her this angry?" responded Severus and resumed cutting his steak into hedgehog mouth sized bits.

"Don't you think a whole steak is a bit much for one hedgehog?" asked Vincent. "I'd eat the rest myself if I were you."

"I'll just give him as much as he wants now and put the rest in his cage for a midnight snack." explained Severus. "I'm definitely not gonna eat THAT."

"What's wrong with eating steak?" asked Gregory shoving half of his piece of meat into his mouth in one bite.

"Nothing." declared Vincent and followed his friends example.

Severus decided not to look at them again while they were eating. Well, at least Vincent didn't talk with his mouth full.

"Unlike you two fat morons I don't just eat every bit of trash I come across." he sneered.

"Steak ain't trash." declared Blaise.

"It tastes like trash."

"I ain't fat." complained Gregory with his mouth full.

The fourth year sitting beside him burst into laughter. Gregory grabbed her and another food fight might have erupted if they hadn't been distracted by Draco's entrance.

Draco was still holding his cheek when sat down at the table.

"Where have you been, all this time?" asked Gregory.

"Yeah, we haven't seen you since care for magical creatures." added Vincent.

"Don't know." murmured Draco distractedly.

"Are you gonna talk about Ginny again?" Gregory asked Severus.

Severus nodded and winked at him. Gregory grinned broadly. He had figured something out: When Draco gave odd answers Severus always started talking about Ginny. Wasn't that a discovery to be proud of?

"Have you got a toothache?" Blaise asked Draco.

"Mmm ... no."

"Then why are you holding your cheek?"

Draco quickly dropped his hand and began eating.

"Hm, that sure is a nice handprint you've got there." grinned Severus inspecting Draco's cheek.

Draco's hand shot back up.

"Little Ginny sure is a fiery Girl." Severus continued unperturbed. "No wonder with all that red hair. I take it this means she's not gonna go out with you this week?"

Draco felt his face go red. He ducked over his plate hoping that Severus would shut up if he didn't react. Then he saw Vincent's big grin. 'Oh no! Here we go.'

"What do you know?" grinned Vincent. "Draco's in love with a Weasley."

"Congratulations, Vincent!" sneered Severus smirking like Draco usually did. "It only took you a week to find out. And it was so obvious, too."

Draco grabbed his glass of pumpkin juice and upended it over Severus' head. That was probably not the wisest thing to do, but he had felt like it. He wondered what was wrong with him. It wasn't like him to lose control like that or to stutter when talking to an ordinary girl. Well, Ginny wasn't ordinary.

Severus sat there balancing the upended glass on his head fighting down laughter. Poor Draco! But he looked so funny with his face all red.

Minerva McGonagall raced over to the Slytherin table to prevent another food fight. Luckily Severus hadn't retaliated yet, but she didn't expect that to last very long.

"What is going on here?" she demanded in her sternest voice.

"I've got a glass crown." responded Severus pretending to be serious.

Minerva took the glass off of his head and put it back on the table fighting down her own laughter.

"And why is that?" she asked having regained her composure.

"Draco's in love." giggled Vincent.

"Is he? Really?" Gregory asked McGonagall. She was a teacher. She had to know.

"Yes, he is." grinned Vincent.

Draco grabbed for another glass of pumpkin juice and would have 'crowned' Vincent, too, but Minerva grabbed him by the collar of his robe and pushed him back into his seat.

"Mr. Malfoy, that will be ten points off Slytherin for assaulting your classmates! Now eat, before I give you detention as well!" Professor McGonagall folded her arms over her chest and resolved to remain standing right behind Draco for the rest of the meal.

Draco glared up at her sulkily.

"I'm not hungry." he declared, got up and walked out of the great hall.

Saturday night when he was sure that all his dorm mates were asleep Severus quietly slipped out of bed and put on his cloak and socks. He decided against shoes however. He could sneak around more comfortably if he didn't wear loud shoes. He'd just have to be careful not to slip and bare with the cold for an hour or so.

He slipped into the bathroom and quickly fished Greenie out of his cage. The hedgehog a nocturnal animal after all seemed rather excited at the prospect of a nightly adventure and blinked at him happily.

Quietly he walked through the common room. It had been only ten minutes since Dumbledore had checked their dorm and if there had been anything unusual in one of the other dorms he might have been held up. The last person Severus wanted to be caught by sneaking out of bed was the headmaster.

Filch, he knew, wouldn't be too strict with him and McGonagall wasn't likely to come into the dungeons at all. She probably hadn't been here since her own last potions lesson, would most likely not even find the classroom anymore. No, Dumbledore was the most dangerous thing that could happen to him tonight.

Gently he pushed open the secret door. He knew exactly how far he could open it before it creaked. Smiling he closed it again behind him once again without the slightest sound. He wondered how many of the kids were able to accomplish that. Draco most likely was. But he doubted that his other three dorm mates could even open it without that telltale creak.

He hasted to the next corner of the corridor and cautiously peered around it before stepping out behind it.

Severus reached the potions classroom without incident a shadow in the dark and found the door unlocked. 'Trust Albus to forget to close off the class so every last fool can break in and steal my supplies. Let's just hope none of them know how to brew drugs.' Hermione probably did know, but she wasn't likely to do it. No Potter and company were more likely to end up with something explosive or to turn themselves permanently invisible. But what of some of his own Slytherin seventh years? Those were likely to experiment with drugs. Maybe not for their own consumption, but to sell to foolish younger students.

'I have to warn Albus about leaving this door open over night. It's just too dangerous.' But he couldn't admit that he'd been here. 'Well, maybe just a general remark about how dangerous some of my supplies can be and that they need to be kept under lock and key.'

He smiled when he entered the familiar classroom. This was home.

Severus walked over to the office door in complete darkness. He could easily find his way blind around most of the dungeons and this was his classroom after all. He walked as swiftly as if the room had been fully lit. But he would need light to choose the books he was going to take back to his dorm with him. 'I can't take too many or else Albus will miss them.' And he would certainly know where they had gone to.

"Lumos!" Severus whispered to his wand as he pushed open the door to his office.

Blinding candlelight flooded out of the room illuminating the small boy with his softly gleaming wand. Albus Dumbledore turned away from the shelf he had been arranging potion ingredients on.

Severus still blinking against the blinding light realised that his precious supplies had been taken out of their cupboards and off their shelves and were currently sitting in un-orderly heaps on the table and the floor.

Dust was whirling around the room and caused Greenie to sneeze and sniff at Dumbledore disdainfully from his safe place in Severus' arm.

"What are you doing in here?" asked Severus staring at the scene in horror.

"Alphabetisaising the ..." began Dumbledore. Then it dawned on him. "What are you doing in here? You are supposed to be in bed!"

Ups. Caught.

"Sleepwalking?" cute puppy dog look. He knew that one wouldn't work, but it was still worth a try.

"Severus!"

"I couldn't sleep." smirk. He had gotten good at imitating Draco. Maybe that would make Albus laugh.

"Severus!"

"That's the truth!" pouted Severus. 'Come on, Albus!' If the pout wouldn't get him nothing would.

"Severus!"

"What are you doing to my office? I won't be able to find anything!" Sometimes attacking is the best way to defend yourself.

"Right now this is my office and I wasn't able to find anything and therefore I'm now systematically rearranging this mess you've made here!"

"You're the one who's made a mess! You can't sort those by their names! You have to keep them according to their use and requirements! Some of them have to be kept warm, some cold, some dry, some wet and some are dangerous and need to be locked away! You can't just drop them in heaps on the floor like ... like ... like ..."

"I can do whatever I like and it is none of your business!" shouted Dumbledore enraged.

He was over tired and had too much on his mind already and had only remembered that he hadn't cleaned up the potions classroom when he had come to check up on the Slytherins at night. He had hurried over intending to quickly clean the blackboard and put away the ingredients left on his desk, but once again he hadn't remembered what went where and in a fit of rage he had pulled everything out and set to rearranging it according to his own ideas, when all he really wanted to do was go to bed and sleep for at least a week. And then Severus had shown up clearly intending to do some experimenting of his own with that dangerous substance that had nearly killed him and started accusing HIM of creating chaos in his un-orderly office!

Albus grabbed Severus by the shoulder with one hand, took Greenie in the other and marched them back into the common room.

Greenie rolled into a ball immediately. The funny guy had him! And he wasn't handling him too gently. Greenie wanted to be back with the nice one. That funny guy was probably dangerous.

Getting his fingers stung by a frightened hedgehog ball didn't exactly improve Albus' mood.

When Severus tried to say something to defend himself and his hedgehog he just snapped "Shut up!" and Severus didn't dare to argue anymore. It seemed like he really had lost his only friend this time.

Albus dropped Greenie back into his cage (it was a while before the poor little fellow dared to poke out his nose again) and slammed shut the bathroom door with such force that the sound woke the entire house.

Four very confused and startled boys stared at them as Albus pushed Severus into the dorm.

"Now get into your bed and stay there!" Dumbledore shouted loud enough that every word could be understood next doors. "Fifty points off Slytherin and if I ever catch you in any teacher's office again it will be a hundred points and you'll spend the rest of your life in detention!"

"That's my office!" protested Severus fighting tears. "You can't just rearrange my office without even asking me first."

But Dumbledore had already walked out and closed the door.

"Albus!" Severus called after him suddenly gripped by an irrational fear that he might never see him again. "Albus?"

If Dumbledore had heard him he didn't react. There went his only friend, the only person he trusted, the only one he had counted on. Was it his fault? What had he done? Nothing Harry Potter and hundreds of other students hadn't done before. And Dumbledore had forgiven all of them, had never gotten this angry with any of them, still continued to favour Harry above all others.

"You'll pay for this, Albus!" he whispered into the darkness not caring that the others could hear him.

Draco lay awake for a long time after that listening to the soft suppressed sobs coming from Severus' bed. He had wanted to know how the other teachers reacted to Severus' unusual situation. Now he knew. Had Dumbledore really rearranged the potion master's office. How could he! He was only teaching for a few weeks. It was still Snape's office. And Dumbledore had obviously no idea how to teach potions. How could he do that to Severus? And Snape would never have dragged a pupil in like that, no matter what they had done. He wouldn't have woken the whole house just to embarrass them in front of their whole dorm. And hadn't Dumbledore noticed that they didn't like Severus? Couldn't he guess that the others would pick on him after that?

And hadn't it mostly been their fear of the other teachers that had kept them from harming Severus? But McGonagall had clearly demonstrated that she didn't like Severus. Or had she? Well, she wasn't defending him anyway. Lupin ignored him. And the other teachers didn't really matter. Only those two really scared the Slytherins. Those two and Dumbledore. It had been their fear of Dumbledore that had held them back. But now Dumbledore had pushed Severus away. Severus had lost his protector.

All that was left now was their fear of Severus himself. He was a good fighter and he could be very mean, but he was also very small and he was alone. Loners did not fare well in Slytherin. That was why Draco stuck close to those idiots Crabby and Goyle. He might be able to help Severus, to defend him, but if he did he would turn his own allies against him. The two of them would be facing the whole house. And if that happened could he rely on Severus to defend him? No, not likely. He'd end up wearing the next mousetrap.

Still to come: More problems with homework, that last mousetrap, some more adventures at night, a problem with sweets and money and Severus promises to make a friend