The Severus Snape Saga-Book 1, the Sordid Hat

Chapter 10: Slytherin vs. Hufflepuff

The next few days passed in a flurry of activity. Magical alarms and other defenses were rigged all over the castle. Many students found it not uncommon to pass at least three teachers instructing the portraits to keep guard duty, sweeping the floor with guilt ink (which marked the footsteps of the person responsible in blazing white, but left the other footprints well enough alone) or negotiating with armed security trolls.

And then there were the classes. Every class seemed to center around teaching its pupils how to protect themselves against Lord Voldemort now. Riddle was teaching them to brew smoke potions, which could produce a massive mist to shield you from your attacker when dropped on the floor. Professor Verbrechen was working them feverishly on Fwooper charms, which caused your wand to squawk so loudly that everyone in the castle could hear it. By the end of the class, Verbrechen's anti-eavesdropping charm had quite worn out.

But Defense against the Dark Arts was the most intense of them all. Pravus Snape was putting them all through a brutal crash course in self-defense which actually sent several people to the hospital wing. Only McGonagall and Binns seemed to be immune to the effects of Voldemort frenzy.

And as Severus rolled all this over in his brain, he suddenly noticed a huge crowd gathered at the doors to the great hall reading some kind of notice. Curious, he walked up and pushed his way through the crowd until he got to it. It read:

The first game of the season, Slytherin Vs. Hufflepuff, will take place on Saturday, November 13.

Severus' stomach did a nasty flip after reading the notice. The Slytherin team had certainly been practicing, but whether they were ready for a game was debatable. Michelle was her usual rock solid self as Keeper, but the beaters were uncoordinated at best and Severus and Antonin still hadn't bonded with the other chaser, Matthew Travers.

Well, "hadn't bonded" would be an understatement. Severus and Antonin had tried to make friends with Travers, but he had to be the most difficult person to make friends with (aside from Iago Zolario and Dolores Umbridge). In fact, when Severus and Antonin had first approached him about being friends, he had laughed and told them he wouldn't be friends with little kids. Severus and Antonin had tried to work out their maneuvers with him, but he acted like he was all above it and didn't need some upstart first years to help him. Severus knew that he'd been better on the pitch than Travers, but Travers didn't feel the same way.

"Why do we need Snape?" he had drawled once during a practice session. "With the way he flies, he might as well be a bludger!"

Ludo had promptly told him to get stuffed, but it seemed that Travers' resentment of Snape and Antonin would simply not abate.

And it certainly wasn't now, as Severus heard Travers' voice telling his friends:

"Well, let me tell you, Ludo is damn fortunate to have me on the team what with all the little over-eager babies we've got! That Snape kid especially! The kid simply won't coordinate himself in a team effort the way I will."

Severus stepped back from the poster in order to let its effects hit Travers. He watched as the pompous boy's face turned the color of stale porridge.

"Next Saturday?!" he gasped. "But...but..."

"Yeah, nice isn't it Travers?" asked Severus with a sneer. "So forgive me if I'm wrong, but maybe you'd better stop being such a git to us...what did you call us...oh yeah, overeager babies."

And with that, Severus snapped his fingers in Travers' face and walked away feeling wonderfully smug.

Travers seemed to take Severus' words to heart, as he cooperated much more nicely in the following Quidditch practices. By the end of the third one, Severus and Antonin had managed to drill a perfectly planned strategy into his head. Travers would fly up to the goals, pretend to shoot, but really pass the Quaffle to Severus, who would then shoot again. If he failed, Antonin would take the Quaffle from the opposing team and throw it to Travers, who would then repeat the strategy.

So, after a week of brutal, grueling training, loss of sleep and loud lectures on teamwork from Ludo Bagman, the game with Hufflepuff arrived. Severus found himself unable to sleep the night before and instead lay awake reading a book on Potions which he had borrowed from the library. However, just as he reached the recipe for earwig ointment, he happened to look at the clock. It was time for breakfast and all around him the others were stirring.

Sighing, Severus begrudgingly got on his uniform and walked down to the Great Hall, which was empty at that point since Severus had arrived before everyone else. He sat down at the Slytherin table and waited for the others. When the other members of Villa Severum had arrived and sat down next to him, Severus tried to talk as if nothing was the matter. However as soon as Michelle mentioned Quidditch, Severus went rigid and then fell forward onto the table and started to sob.

"We're going to LOSE!" he cried, losing his head. "We're dead and buried already! There's nothing we can do, no matter what you say!" He started banging his head on the table causing everyone nearby to stare. Antonin forced his head away from the table roughly and hissed:

"Get ahold of yourself!"

"Severus, we've been practicing relentlessly for the past week," consoled Lucius, pouring every ounce of Malfoy silk into his voice, "and you've seen what happens! The slowest I ever catch the Snitch is twenty minutes, you and Antonin and Travers have that great strategy, the beaters can unseat anyone and to put the icing on the cake Michelle's practically a human wall! In essence, we have the perfect team!"

"But what if we screw up?" said Severus hoarsely, accidentally trying to stuff his bacon into his ear instead of his mouth.

"We won't," said Bellatrix. "I'm not even on the team and I know that!"

"Relax, Sev," said Michelle. "By the time this match is over everybody's gonna be afraid to play us!"

"Yeah, I guess so," said Severus, but his nerves wouldn't quite let it go. "But if we lose..."

"Cheerful one, aren't you?" said Lucius.

Bellatrix was doing an imitation of Severus. "But what if I oversleep? But what if I forget the homework? But what if I get temporary amnesia and walk into the toilets thinking it's the Potions classroom?"

Severus laughed out loud. "Look, you're smiling!" said Michelle jovially. "I told you that today was a good day!"

The consolation of Villa Severum made Severus a lot more optimistic about the match and when he walked down to the Quidditch field and changed into his robes, he actually felt a bit confident. Ludo gave them one last lecture before they all strode out onto the pitch where the entire school was assembled, cheering.

"Aaand it's the first Quidditch match of the season!" came the voice of Arthur Weasley, the commentator. "Here's the Hufflepuff team: Diggory, Abbot, MacMillan, Christopher, Jobson, Samuels aand Lynch!"

Nearly everyone except the Slytherins cheered. Severus glared up at the Gryffindor end, where he saw James Potter clapping especially loudly. "We'll see whether he claps when this is over," thought Severus maliciously.

"And the Slytherin Quidditch t-" Weasley didn't finish because almost everyone was booing and hissing. "Yes...ermm, well I don't like them anymore than you do, folks.."

"WEASLEY!"

"Sorry, sorry, Professor. Here they are: Dolohov, Snape, Travers, Mulciber, Bagman, Stormblossom aaand Malfoy!"

Severus mounted his broom and sped out onto the pitch to the applause of the Slytherins and the hissing of everyone else. He spotted Bellatrix standing guard over a large banner which read:

Go, Villa Serpensum!

Vladimir Dolohov walked over when the teams had dismounted. "Shake hands!" he barked, and Bagman and the Hufflepuff captain, Samuels, shook hands. Dolohov blew his whistle and they flew up into the sky.

"And they're off! Hufflepuff in possession. Diggory to Christopher, Christopher to Samuels, Samuels back to...THAT UNFAIR SNAKE!"

Severus had circled Diggory and caught the Quaffle just as Samuels threw it.

"Slytherin in possession. Snape to Travers. Travers ducks two bludgers, Abbot, MacMillan and he's at the scoring area. He throw..wait a minute, Snape's up there to join him. Travers passes to Snape, Snape throws...no, wait, he was faking...SNAPE SCORES!"

Severus punched the air and gave Travers a high five before soaring back into the game. Samuels had the Quaffle and was speeding up towards the goals.

"Hufflepuff in possession. Samuels is like a bullet there...Samuels is in the scoring area. Samuels shoots and...BLOCKED by Slytherin keeper Michelle Stormblossom. Good looking girl, I must say, even if she is a Slyth..."

"WEASLEY!"

"Sorry, Professor. Slytherin in possession. Dolohov to Snape, Snape to Dolohov and...WHAT IS MALFOY DOING?!"

Lucius had plummeted towards the ground with the Hufflepuff seeker, Lynch, following him. However, Lucius pulled out the dive at the last minute and Lynch flew into the ground.

"THAT LOWDOWN, DIRTY SLYTHERIN..."

"WEASLEY!"

"Sorry, sorry, Professor. So, after that unfair and devious move..."

"WEASLEY!"

"I mean after that backhanded..."

"Weasley, I'm warning you now..."

"Sorry, Professor. Malfoy almost murders Lynch with the Wronski Feint. Perfectly acceptable move. Back to the game. Slytherin in possession. Dolohov is in the scoring area, Dolohov shoots and...BLOCKED by the Hufflepuff keeper Will Jobson. Hufflepuff in possession. Samuels to Christopher, Christopher to Diggory. Diggory getting ready to shoot and...now wait just a minute!"

Severus had zoomed in and snatched Quaffle just as Diggory threw it. He grinned at Michelle before shooting up the pitch with his trademark bullet speed.

"Slytherin in possession. Snape is shooting up the pitch...Snape is in the scoring area. Snape scores!"

Severus threw a sneer at the Hufflepuff keeper before flying off to talk to the beaters.

"Take out the keeper the next time I'm in the scoring area," he muttered to Bagman, who gave him a grin and flew off.

"Hufflepuff in possession. Wait a minute, what's Snape doing? Oh, God not again! Slytherin in possession. Snape to Dolohov. Dolohov back to Snape. Snape enters the scoring area and...BLUDGERS!"

The bludgers from Ludo and Mulciber both hit Jobson full in the stomach at once. Jobson fell off his broom with a groan and Severus scored easily.

"Jobson's down thanks to a dirty double-duty strategy from the Slyth..."

"WEASLEY!"

"Sorry, Professor. Huff...no, Slytherin in possession. Dolohov is in the scoring area. Dolohov scores, no surprises there. Hufflepuff in possession. Diggory flying with the Quaffle. Diggory to Christopher. Christopher to Diggorr....watch out, Christopher, that's a bludger!"

But Christopher had taken a bludger in the head and fallen off his broom. Severus grabbed the Quaffle and soared up the field, where he passed it to Travers, who put it through the open goal hoops.

As the game wore on, it became apparent that Slytherin was by far the superior team. When Antonin, Travers and Severus had seventeen goals through the hoops as opposed to Hufflepuff's mere three, the match started to look a bit one-sided.

But then things got bad for Slytherin. The two beaters on the Hufflepuff side had just pelted Bludgers straight at Michelle, who dodged the first one but took the second one in the chest. With a groan, she slipped off her broom and fell on the ground.

"Well, things are looking up for Hufflepuff with the Slytherin keeper down. Hufflepuff in possession. Diggory's shooting up the pitch...DIGGORY SCORES! Slytherin in possession. Dolohov ducks both bludgers and throws the Quaffle to Travers...intercepted by Samuels! Samuels tearing up the field, no--ARGH--Bludger from Bagman stops him! Slytherin in possession. Dolohov flies with the Quaffle, swoops up the field and...GOOD ONE, CHRISTOPHER!"

Severus saw Antonin's broom turn over as Edward Christopher's dealt it a dangerous blow from the side. Antonin's father did not find it as amusing as Weasley, however, and blew his whistle.

"Penalty shot to Slytherin for an unprovoked attack on their chaser!" he spat and hissed dangerously at Christopher, "NEVER foul my son!"

"Yes, Slytherin penalty. Dolohov takes the shot and--DAMN!--180-30 for Slytherin!"

Severus grabbed the Quaffle and soared up the field. But the Hufflepuffs were getting frustrated and Severus soon found the Beaters flying dangerously close to him. Deciding to really take a risk, he turned his broom over and flew upside down just as two bludgers rocketed right at where he'd been. Severus righted himself on his broom and leered at the beaters.

But the fouling was getting worse. Amos Diggory, one of the Hufflepuff chasers, tried to poke Travers in the eye which resulted in another penalty for Slytherin. Mulciber hit Diggory in the head with his club in retaliation and gave Hufflepuff a penalty. It was turning into a rapidly dangerous game and the Slytherins were starting to get hard-pressed to get anything past the Hufflepuffs.

Severus decided to play unfairly. He swooped over to Diggory and began circling him. At first Diggory didn't see what Severus was doing, but then the Hufflepuff beaters hit bludgers at Severus and Severus sped off, which left Diggory open to the bludgers.

WHAM!

Severus watched as Diggory made a downward spiral into the ground.

"YOU BASTARD, SNAPE! Why, I oughtta..."

"Weasley, please!"

"I'm being realistic, Professor!"

Severus turned and started circling Christopher. This time, however, he didn't fly away when the Bludgers came, but dodged them. Samuels threw the Quaffle and Severus caught it just as Christopher's hand stretched out.

"ARGH! Snape is really taking no chances out there. Does he ever wash his hair?"

"Weasley..."

"I mean, er...Snape in possession. Snape tearing up the field with the Quaffle--come on, stop him--I DON'T BELIEVE IT, JOBSON IS BACK ON HIS BROOM!"

It was indeed true, Jobson was back on his broom and he was glaring at Snape with a hatred that was almost palpable.

"Snape shoots and...JOBSON SAVES! Hufflepuff in possession. Christophers of Hufflepuff tearing up the field--come ON, Snape, give him a break!"

But Severus had intercepted the Quaffle again and was now soaring up towards the Hufflepuff goal posts.

But suddenly two Bludgers came out of nowhere. Severus did a cartwheel to avoid them, but lost the Quaffle, which was immediately picked up by Samuels. Samuels flew in the direction of the Slytherin goal posts but Travers flew out of nowhere and seized the Quaffle.

"ARGH--Slytherin in possession AGAIN! Travers with the quaffle, Travers zooming up and...TRAVERS SCORES! Lovely, just what they need..."

Edward Christopher had grabbed the Quaffle and was soring up.

"Christopher with the Quaffle...come on, Christopher, score--YES!--Christopher scores!"

But Severus didn't worry about Hufflepuff anymore. They were obviously too far in the head to get beaten unless Hufflepuff caught the snitch and his recent scoring efforts had made sure that even then they would lose...

The game wore on with Severus, Antonin and Travers scoring goal after goal against the helpless Hufflepuff keeper. Severus began to wonder why Lucius hadn't caught the Snitch yet, but then he saw something which made his eyes pop open.

As Severus made their twenty-eighth goal, Lucius opened his mouth and something gold flew out. Lucius stretched out his hand and, with no amazing effort, caught it. He threw a sickeningly smug smile at the Hufflepuff seeker before swooping around the field as a stunned Weasley managed to find his voice.

"Well, I SAY! Malfoy had the snitch in his mouth that whole time! Dirty, expedient..."

"Weasley!"

"Sorry, sorry, Professor. Anyway, SLYTHERIN WINS! I would say well done but Slytherin never does anything well..."

He was drowned out by the cheering and clapping of the Slytherins, who were pouring down on the fields and clapping every one of the players on their backs. Bellatrix had actually started conducting a group of other first year girls in a ridiculous victory song:

"Who will never lose and always win?

Slytherin! Slytherin!

Who's made of gold and not of tin?

Slytherin! Slytherin!

Who makes the other houses a has-been?

Slytherin! Slytherin!"

To cap it off, Michelle (who had recovered) actually used a hair style charm to make Samuels' hair braid itself into the words:

"The snakes kicked my sorry ass."

The only Slytherin who wasn't deliriously happy was Umbridge, who was looking with intense loathing at Severus and the rest of Villa Severum. When Michelle had magically colored the entire team's hair to be silver and green, she had snorted and when the team members were born into the school on the shoulders of the triumphant Slytherins, who were all singing Bellatrix's song, she simply huffed.

But Umbridge's mood did not dampen the spirits of the Slytherins at all. Even Professor Riddle got into the spirit and allowed his own hair to be colored green and silver and supplied the happy Slytherins with potions which sent out the words "We won!" into the air.

But Severus managed to disentangle himself from the crowd when he saw the one person who could set the seal on his victory walking towards them: Lily Evans.

"Good job, Severus," she said happily, though Severus saw that she too was disappointed in Slytherin's victory.

"Yeah, not a bad game was it?" said Severus delicately, not wanting to provoke Lily.

"Not bad at all. You, er...were quite...tenacious."

"Thanks," said Severus, thinking that "tenacious" was probably the best words of approval he'd get from Lily. "Listen, about that night..."

"It's ok," said Lily. "I understand you were just punchy, Sev. No need to apologize."

My Gods, you are amazing, Lily.

"So..." he said awkwardly. "I guess we're still friends then?"

"Still friends," said Lily firmly.

"Great," said Severus, and then he thought of something. "Lily...you didn't by any chance see who cast that curse on you, did you?"

"No," said Lily earnestly. "I was talking to Sirius Black and it just hit me."

"You didn't hear anybody cast a spell?" asked Severus.

"No," said Lily. "Sorry to disappoint you, Severus, but your guess is as good as mine who did that. Although if I were to make a guess I'd say...maybe....LORD VOLDEMORT!"

She pronounced the last two words with such force that Severus jumped backwards. He cracked a smile, though, when he'd finished getting his breath.

"Voldemort obviously. But what I'm still wondering is who Voldemort is."

"Ditto," said Lily. "Anyway...how are things in the sinister underworld of Villa Serpensum?"

"The same as always: Political, political, and--ARGH, I can't think of the word--POLITICAL!"

"Heh. Well, see you around, Severus. By the way, what are the extracurricular activities?"

Severus' mouth dropped open. HOW did she KNOW?

"I heard Malfoy and Dolohov talking about them at breakfast and they said you were involved. Well?" she asked.

"I'm sorry, Lily, but telling you that could get me expelled."

"What, you don't TRUST me?"

"No, it's just that there's a certain black haired boy hovering behind the goalposts listening to every word we say." Severus whipped around the goal post and seized James Potter by the collar.

"Just WHAT do you think you are doing, Potter?" he snarled, giving James a violent shake. Potter stared back at him with a terrified expression.

"Dammit, Snape, how did you KNOW?" he asked furiously. Severus leered.

"I'm a Slytherin. We see death threats everywhere. You know, Potter, I think it might be a good idea to run. As fast as you can, without looking back, if you please. And don't bother telling me to let go..." Severus released him and pulled his wand out. Potter looked at him with a mixture of anger and fear and ran. Severus turned back to Lily.

"He is a total prat, isn't he?" he asked as if he'd just been watering begonias and not threatening someone while holding them an inch off the ground.

"Yeah..." said Lily, who Severus got the feeling didn't know what else to say. "Severus, I don't know how to say this...but I really care about you."

Severus felt as though he'd just taken five bottles of Pepperup potion, as he expected steam to come out of his ears.

"I really...I mean, I really care about you too, Lil."

He found himself being hugged. When Lily let go of him she sighed.

'You know, Severus, you make me really wish I could have been in Slytherin," she said.

"And you do the same for me about Gryff...well, not really...but I do care," said Severus.

"You wouldn't like it, anyway," said Lily.

"The same goes for you and Slytherin," said Severus awkwardly. "It's too constipated for you."

"I didn't know you could speak that negatively about your own house."

"Hey, it isn't pleasant, but it's the truth."

"You don't seem very constipated to me, Severus," purred Lily.

"Maybe I don't, but I am. Lily, I've got to warn you, I'm terrified of getting close to anyone. It's just...I don't think I'll ever be able to be as unrestrained as you are," said Severus.

"Severus, I'm willing to accept that. Just don't try and push me away too much," said Lily, her voice rising a little. "I don't think I could bear it."

Severus felt an overwhelming desire to hug her back, but his fear wouldn't let him. Instead he muttered a hurried goodbye and rushed off into the school, mentally berating himself for not speaking to her. What kind of a prat was he, running away at a tender moment like that, a moment when he could forget that Lily was a Gryffindor and he was a Slytherin...

"You like the little one, do you, Severus?" hissed the most unwelcome voice Severus could have thought he'd hear at that point: The voice of Voldemort.

"Go away!" he snarled.

"Ooh, touchy. I seem to have struck a nerve. Severus, why fight it? I know more about you than you know about yourself."

"You don't know anything about me," Severus said in a tight voice.

"You are quite wrong. I know how you wish she had been in Slytherin with you. I know how night after night you dream of seeing the lion on her robes change to a snake. I know how day after day you look at her there among those worthless Gryffindors and think your heart will break. I know how whenever you look into her eyes you see a spirit with a fullness and generosity and love that you wish you could crawl out of your emotional shell to experience..."

"SHUT UP!" Severus had never felt so angry, or so vulnerable in his life. It was like Voldemort was violating him by reading every thought in his mind and using it to taunt him. It was like all his desires were being put on a platter and carved while he bled and moaned like a poor, unfortunate calf in a slaughterhouse.

"Yes, that is it, Severus, I know you hate me. But you don't hate me because I am hurting your friends, but because I understand you. You hate me for my understanding...you resent it. I know you resent anyone understanding you, Severus. I know how you fear anybody seeing through your defenses. I can practically sense the cold sweat coming down your head now."

Severus wiped his hand across his forehead and heard Voldemort laugh horribly. He forced himself to ignore the taunting laugh, to not listen, to block Voldemort from his mind. He forced himself to think of Lily, of the way she had treated him now. He didn't hate her, but she understood him....

"Yes, think of her, Severus. You think she understands you, but if you really thought that you'd have told her what you study night after night when no one is looking. You are only letting her understand what you want her to understand..."

Severus shivered at Voldemort's words. The monster was right, though he didn't want to admit it. He forced himself to keep walking. Voldemort laughed again and bid him farewell.

Severus walked through the dungeons with the disturbing, comprehending words that Voldemort had spoken ringing in his ears. Voldemort did understand him...no he didn't, if he understood Severus he would know that Severus would never join him. Voldemort would only understand what he wanted to understand. Severus banished the words from his mind and pushed open the door to the Slytherin common room...

And his mouth fell open. The room was dominated by a banner that said "CONGRATS, SLYTHERIN TEAM!" and it had other, smaller banners underneath it, each of them depicting the seven players. Severus saw the picture of himself pull of a spectacular goal the real him could never succeed at and throw the crowd a thumbs up. Very loud music was playing and the other team members were all standing at the center of it all, looking rather nervous.

But as soon as Severus entered, he found a couple of hands with long nails perched on his shoulder while two arms straddled his neck. He turned to find himself staring into the face of a red-haired second year he remembered from the start-of-year feast but couldn't place...

"Severus!" she said in a cackly voice that made Severus flinch. "Remember me? The name's Rita Skeeter. How are you? That was some flying out there..."

"Skeeter, leave him alone," came Lucius' voice. Rita detached herself from Severus with a blush and walked away. Lucius walked over to Severus and grinned at him.

"Live wire, that one," observed Severus, looking after Rita, who had just gone to drape herself around Travers.

"Nah, just pushy. She was bugging me for awhile too, you know. It gets really annoying." Lucius put on a high voice. "Oooh, Malfoy! That was SOOO cool out on the field! You'd think I was some kind of rock star!"

Severus thought that Lucius, with his long, platinum blonde hair, looked very much like a rock star, but he didn't say that. Instead, he stared around at the various decorations, food and other fixings.

"Where'd you get all the stuff?" he asked. Lucius chuckled.

"You'll never believe this, Sev, but Zolario got it. Apparently he has some connections in the kitchen."

"Zolario?! Iago Zolario?" asked Severus incredulously.

"Look, I know he's the last person you'd think of to do this kind of thing, but it's actually just an issue of earning his respect. The guy actually can be a real crack-up when you get to know him," said Lucius seriously. "So where were you anyway?"

"Talking. Lily Evans got out of the hospital wing and she wanted to talk. You know, catch up."

"Lily Evans? Isn't she that Gryffindor with the red hair?" asked Lucius worriedly.

"Yeah," said Severus, knowing what was coming. "Why? You got a problem with that?"

"YES! Severus, I don't know what you think you're playing at! She's a Gryffindor and a Muggle-born, the absolute OPPOSITE of who a Slytherin ought to be friends with!" exclaimed Lucius.

"Well, I don't care," said Severus, but considering that Lucius' nerves seemed to be stressed enough with fending off Skeeter, he said:

"Come on, let's join the rest of 'em."

The party was truly wild. Severus and the rest of the team seemed to be almost deified by the surrounding students. All the team members were pressured to make speeches, but politely declined. The food was great and to add a little fun to the occasion, Antonin had smuggled in a couple of Fillibuster's Fireworks.

It seemed that all the team members had developed fan clubs small fan clubs because Severus found himself being eyed continuously by a small group of third year girls who he had never spoken to in his life. When one of them actually tripped over her feet from looking at him, he walked over and helped her up, causing the others to jitter and squeal. When he'd managed to detach himself from the rather boring conversation he was having, he found Bellatrix looking at him.

"Congrats," she said, shaking his hand. "You've made a name for yourself."

"It'll be gone in a few weeks," said Severus. "And if I'm lucky, maybe shorter. I don't think I like the way those girls are looking at me." Indeed, his fan club was eyeing him hungrily, but some of them were glaring at Bellatrix as if she were Voldemort. He steered her gently away from them and sat down in front of the fire, where they both began playing chess.

"So," said Severus in a low voice, "any news on whether Rodolphus is better yet?"

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" came Rodolphus' voice, and Severus looked up to see Rodolphus smiling down at him.

"Rodolphus...you're back!" exclaimed Severus. He looked at Bellatrix, who was grinning.

"You knew!" raged Severus. "You knew he was back and you didn't tell me!"

"Oh, Severus, lighten up. Does it matter?"

"I suppose not," said Severus reluctantly, moving his knight to take out Bellatrix's pawn. But then an idea struck him. "Rodolphus, you didn't manage to see who attacked you, did you?"

"Yeah, I did," said Rodolphus. "He was wearing a big, black cloak and hood, though, so I couldn't see his face."

"That's some help," said Severus miserably as Bellatrix moved her queen a few squares forwards.

"Hey, at least I got this," said Rodolphus, pulling out a large rock. "The bastard dropped it as he was running away. I managed to pocket it just before I blacked out."

Severus took the rock and examined it. It seemed to be a perfectly ordinary rock but...

"I'm going to try something," said Severus, and he placed the rock behind him and sat down. Nothing happened.

"Ok, so it's not a Pogrebin," he said. "But it could be something else. I think we'd better test it for dark magic and find out what it does."

"If it does anything," said Rodolphus.

"Don't be thick, Rodolphus, no wizard just carries a rock around," said Severus, and he moved his queen so that it was almost adjacent to Bellatrix's queen. "Checkmate."

"Dammit, I don't understand how you can do that so easily," said Bellatrix angrily.

"Practice, Bella, lots and lots of practice," said Severus.

But then something happened. The rock began to speak.

"My lord? My lord, are you there?" it said in Corlagon's voice. Severus let his breath out slowly as Rodolphus and Bellatrix gaped openmouthed at the rock. Severus stepped up and did his best Voldemort imitation.

"I am here," he said in that cold, high pitched voice, hoping, praying...

"Are you alright, master? You sound like you have a cold," said the rock.

"My health is none of your business, Corlagon," Severus snarled at the rock.

"My apologies, master, my apologies," replied Corlagon. "Has Snape agreed to work for you yet?"

Severus was going to say no but he thought better of it.

"Yes, he's finally caved in. I've arranged for him to meet with you outside the forbidden forest tomorrow," said Severus. "At three o'clock sharp."

"Alright, master," said Corlagon zealously.

"Now leave me alone," hissed Severus.

The stone went dead. Severus looked at Bellarix and Rodolphus.

"BRILLIANT, Severus!" said Rodolphus.

"So what do we do now?" asked Bellatrix.

"Now we go to my dad," said Severus. "We have a culprit to catch."