The Last Maruaders: Year One

Chapter Nine: Professor Snape (Ryan's POV)

As Ryan was in the library a couple days after term started again, working on her essay on Switching Spells, she came across a curious line in one of the textbooks she was using as a reference: Switching spells cannot be used to switch an Animagus form. Flipping through the book, she found the page. An Animagus (pl. Animagi) is a witch or wizard who can transfigure themselves into an animal and back again at will. "Look, Daphne, this sounds cool."

Daphne read the short paragraph. "It sounds complicated. What animal would you even want to turn into?"

"A bat. Since Shadow left."

Daphne giggled. "Maybe when we're out of school, Ryan."

Ryan wrote down the book on a spare bit of parchment and tucked it away. She'd look into that later. She quickly finished her essay and started putting the books that both girls where finished with. "I'm going to go ahead to Potions."

"Alright, I'll be right behind you."

As she passed Professor Snape's desk, she smiled brightly. "Good afternoon, Professor Snape."

He didn't respond.

Daphne rushed in a couple minutes later, taking her seat. And of course, Harry and Ron were nearly late, Harry sliding into the seat on the other side of Ryan. Snape flicked his wand at the board. "Well, what are you waiting for? Start brewing."

Ryan immediately got to work, her potion coming along quite well. Coming to the end of part one on the instructions, she waved her wand and sat down, watching her potion for the next forty minutes.

"Black!" She nearly fell off her stool, her head turning to the Potions Master's desk.

She quickly went up to him, her heart racing. "Yes, Professor?"

He handed her back her essay on dragon's blood in potions and she seen an O in the corner. He scowled. "Go."

She grinned, excited to get the highest grade on the essay. Snape rarely gave any students an O. When he'd finished handing everyone's essays back, he started his rounds, peering into everyone's cauldrons. "Ten points to Slytherin, Malfoy."

Ryan glanced over at her peer's potion. It was a shade darker than hers. Snape caught her eye, almost like he wanted her to say something, but she didn't. Ryan just bottled her completed assignment and left it on his desk as she walked out, ready for DADA. At least he'd given her a fair grade on her essay finally, instead of the A's on her previous essays for him. "He's such a jerk." Harry was fuming, coming up behind Ryan. "Did you hear he's going to be refereeing my next match?"

"Who? Professor Snape?"

"Yes, Ryan." Harry huffed. "He's awful to us both. Why do you just...not care?"

"Maybe he'll start to like me when he figures out I'm really good at Potions." Ryan suggested.

Harry snorted. "Yeah, or after he finally gets rid of me."

"I don't think he wants to kill you- Quirrell was also invested in something when your broom went crazy."

"Quirrell was probably trying to save me."

"Yeah, maybe."

They separated in Quirrell's class with Ryan going to sit with the Slytherins and Harry sitting by Ron and Hermione. Quirrell was writing on his blackboard and Malfoy kept making fun of Longbottom, causing Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy to laugh. Ryan rolled her eyes, ignoring their comments, and waited with her quill and parchment ready.

Quirrell finally finished writing. "C-copy these n-notes down, students. We're talking about w-werewolf bites."

"Ahooooo!" Malfoy howled at the back of the classroom, causing most of the class to laugh when Quirrell jumped at the sudden noise.

"F-five points from Slytherin, Malfoy." Quirrell tried to sound stern. "Quills need to b-be moving."

Ryan quickly ran up the bleachers, trying to find a spot to sit down. "Hey, Ry!" She turned her head, seeing Oscar waving at her. "We've got a spot here!"

She made her way through the crowded seats, finally plopping down by her Ravenclaw friend. "Thanks!"

"No hay problema. Supporting your house?"

Ryan shrugged, even though she wore her warmest Slytherin green jumper under her cloak. "I just really like watching Quidditch."

"Me too. It's safer than playing." Elijah chimed in. "This way, we can't fall."

"And we're off!" The commentator, Lee Jordan, announced the beginning of the game. "Potter's already on the lookout for the elusive Golden Snitch and the beautiful Angelina Johnson's got the Quaffle, and she misses! Blatant foul missed by the apparently blind referee, Professor Snape-"

"Jordan!"

"Sorry, McGonagall." Lee sounded insincere. "Slytherin scores! A dirty cheat of a team, but that goal was valid. Ten to nothing, our teams stand."

"Come on!" Oscar yelled. "Can't they do anything?"

"Snape's the referee this match." Elijah pointed out. "He's not going to penalize his house."

Ryan, having borrowed Oscar's binoculars again, was watching Harry evade the Slytherin Seeker, shooting past Snape. "GO!" She yelled, jumping to her feet. "Guys, he's seen the Snitch-"

"Harry Potter has caught the Snitch! Gryffindor wins!" Jordan shouted from the commentator box.

Ryan pushed through the crowd going to the pitch. "You did it!" She cheered, jumping up and down. "That was so crazy!"

She walked down to the broom shed with him after waiting for everyone to finish congratulating him on the spectacular win. His smile never left, enjoying the victory. "I can't believe we're in the lead."

"I know! Because of you! That was probably the fastest catch in history."

"Probably not." Harry laughed. "But it was cool. Wood told me to catch it as fast as I can."

"And you did."

"Yeah. Hey-" He stopped mid sentence, looking up at the castle. "Look."

Ryan followed his line of eyesight, seeing a hooded figure sneaking off into the Forbidden Forest. "Is that Professor Snape?"

"I think so." He grabbed his broom. "Come on!"

Ryan climbed on, holding tight to him as they rose in the air, straining their ears to hear voices. As soon as he did, he flew lower and lower, finally landing in a huge beech tree.

"... d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places, Severus..." Quirrell's stutter was impossible to mistake.

"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy. "Students aren't supposed to know about the Sorcerer's Stone, after all."

"What's the Sorcerer's Stone?" Ryan whispered.

"Shush!" Harry hissed. "Listen!"

"-- your little bit of hocus-pocus. I'm waiting." Snape's voice was cold.

"B-but I d-d-don't --"

"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."