The twins had spent the last evening regaling their friends with stories they had unearthed of the marauders, even showing Lee, Angelina, Alicia and Katie the map. Their main worry was not having any gold to buy the book that Harry said would soon be on sale, the same boy had just answered their prayers at breakfast with a promised refund for their Lockhart rubbish. Even heading down to Potions could not spoil their good mood but when they got there it felt like Christmas had come early.
They were sharing the class with the Hufflepuffs and neither group could hide their smiles at the shouting coming out of the potions lab, the door may be closed but at least one of the voices was instantly recognisable.
"You can't suspend me, I won't stand for it! I'm going to see Albus and get this sorted out, he'll soon show you who runs Hogwarts."
"By all means go and see Albus but he already knows who runs Hogwarts, we suspended him before coming down to see you."
"This is an outrage, Prince Potter shows up and the whole school can't wait to fall down and worship at his feet, well I for one won't be."
"That's right Snape you won't be, and you won't be firing any more curses at them either. Are you so stupid you didn't realise there would be consequences for your actions or does your arrogance tell you that you're above such petty things as laws."
"I am one of the foremost potion masters in the country, these children are lucky to have me."
"Not according to the figures published in today's Prophet."
"Well what do you expect with the dunderheads I have to work with?"
"Since those same 'dunderheads' excel in Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology, Runes and Arithmancy we expect your results to match those of properly taught courses. No one is disputing your expertise at brewing potions but it's your inability to pass this knowledge on that has us standing here. There is an emergency school board meeting being called for Monday where we will be investigating quite a number of things, until then you are suspended from teaching."
Since this was now Wednesday the board were hoping that by Monday the issues would be solved, thus saving them the trouble of acting.
Snape tried to glare at the group of students who should have been his first class of the new term but this was hard to do convincingly as he was 'hingin the pettit lip' and looked ready to burst into tears of frustration at any moment. The students at least had the good grace to wait until he was passed them before bursting into laughter, the raucous sounds of merriment echoed strangely off the dungeon walls as Snape swept away like a poor man's Darth Vader towards his master.
The class was dismissed and told to return to the great hall to use this as a study period, the twins led the way and their skipping antics were soon picked up by the rest of the delighted students as they made their way along the winding corridors of Hogwarts.
Severus burst into the infirmary to find Poppy's wand was swiftly in his face, "I thought I told you to get out of here?"
"It is imperative that I speak to Albus for a few moments." Poppy looked over at her patient and saw that this was necessary, but that didn't mean she had to like it.
"You've got five minutes, upset my patient and I'll throw you out on your ear."
He approached the bed where Albus was still looking haggard, "Is it true, have they suspended you as well?"
