The Speaker and His Wraiths

Umbridge's Downfall - 2

Chapter 55

Severus Gets Involved
"You will do well on your exams." Severus said firmly to his students. "All of you."

"Don't worry Professor, we've studied." Malfoy drawled. "We'll ace this, just watch." Bulstrode raised a skeptical eyebrow at the declaration, and Malfoy shoved her lightly with a grin. Crabbe and Goyle snickered from next to her.

"At the very least, I will." Nott smirked, and Greengrass at his side giggled a little while Zabini rolled his eyes. Parkinson was also standing with their little group, smiling easily with one arm slung around Greengrass' waist. They all seemed incredibly close.

Oddly, Severus had noticed Tracey Davis and Anne Runcorn were always separated from their fellow fifth years. The others were so tight, practically glued to one another, but Davis and Runcorn were always kept completely separated. They seemed to know it too, but never said a word about it. Malfoy and Parkinson hadn't said anything about casting them out, so it probably didn't have anything to do with the Slytherin Code... Severus hadn't yet pressed them on the subject, but if the trend continued into their sixth year he'd have to find out what prompted the sudden isolation.

"It's time." Severus said, "Your classmates are just arriving." He gestured boredly in the direction of the approaching Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. He didn't see Minerva or Potter with the latter group, and Severus scowled. If Potter tried to pull some stunt and delayed Minerva because of his ridiculous antics, Severus would be thoroughly irritated. Screwing around during O.W.L. season was idiotic, reckless, and exactly the kind of nonsense Potter would do. Severus wouldn't be the least bit surprised if Potter failed half his exams because of it.

As soon as he realized the track his thoughts had taken him, Severus turned on his heel and shook them off. He forcibly reminded himself that the Speaker would be incredibly angry if he did anything to Potter, and sighed as he headed back down to the dungeons. He didn't want to think about Potter. It was too complicated.

Back to the tasks at hand, Severus had work to do. The other Professors would have time to relax before they needed to retrieve their students and return them to their Commons for the night. Unfortunately Severus was not so lucky, as he had Potions to deliver.

Severus wanted to strangle the idiots who worked themselves too hard during exam season. Whether it was the fifth years and their O.W.L.s, or the seventh years with their N.E.W.T.s, it was always a mess every year. Every June an infuriating quantity of students overworked themselves and ended up in the Hospital Wing for their stupidity.

Just in the past week there'd been six Ravenclaws who'd studied for three days straight and ended up passing out from sleep deprivation or dehydration. Four Hufflepuffs, two Gryffindors, and six of his Slytherins needed Pepper-Up Potions because they'd gone hysterical with anxiety or broken down with stress, and that wasn't even counting the random kids other than fifth and seventh years that somehow kept injuring themselves as well!

Poppy Pomfrey had no time to purchase or brew the needed Potions herself, so every year Severus ended up brewing Potions for her so she'd not run out of stock. It was exhausting and irritating, but it was necessary and he hated that. Add Umbridge to the mix and it was probably the worst year he'd had since he first started teaching - back when Dumbledore worked him to the bone as a sort of punishment for his days supporting the Dark Lord. Severus did deserve it, but he'd hated it nonetheless.

Severus recently brewed a fresh batch of Dreamless Sleep Potion, which was highly addictive and shouldn't be offered to students too often, but Poppy seemed to hand them out like candy. So Severus resignedly dropped by his Office to collect the Potions, and made his way to the Hospital Wing. It was a tad ridiculous that the Hospital Wing was on the highest floor of the Staff Tower, completely impractical for student access, and Poppy's quarters were up there too so she'd be close by if she was needed in the middle of the night. Severus hated it mostly because of the very long trek up the Tower all the way from the dungeons.