60 Days Of Summer (Severitus)

Chapter 16 - 'We have something to discuss'

Snape walked briskly to his study, his mind swirling with thoughts that refused to settle. The events of the past twenty-four hours were unraveling faster than he could anticipate, and he knew he needed to contact Dumbledore immediately.

He slammed the door behind him, sealing off the rest of the world. He quickly dismissed the thought of using an owl to deliver his message. Owls could be intercepted, and there was no room for error. Not now, when everything seemed to be spiraling out of control. Voldemort was back, and with him, the darkness that threatened to consume everything. Snape's role as a double agent was becoming more precarious with each passing day. And now, as if matters weren't complicated enough, the Ministry appeared to have sent Dementors after Potter. The boy had barely escaped with his life.

Snape's brow furrowed as he considered his options. Apparating directly to Hogwarts was impossible—Dumbledore had ensured that with the castle's impenetrable protective enchantments. He couldn't afford to waste time, either. Leaving Potter alone at night while he was sleeping was one thing, but doing so in the middle of the day was out of the question. The boy had a knack for getting into trouble even under Snape's watchful eye. It was frustrating, to say the least. Despite the countless spells and enchantments Snape had discreetly placed around the house to prevent Potter from doing something reckless, the boy had still managed to slip away—even when Snape was actually there. It was unbelievable, almost like a bad joke.

Snape moved to his desk, his hand trembling slightly as he reached for a key hidden beneath a stack of old parchments. With a click, he unlocked the drawer and pulled out a small, silver-framed mirror. It was a two-way mirror, one that Dumbledore had given him for situations just like this. Snape turned it over in his hands, his reflection staring back at him from the glass. He had little faith that Dumbledore would be there on the other side; after all, today wasn't their pre-arranged day for communication. But he had no other choice—he needed to speak with the Headmaster immediately.

He gazed into the mirror, his breath held in anticipation. The surface remained still, showing only his own gaunt face staring back at him. It seemed his fears were confirmed—Dumbledore wasn't there. They had agreed on specific times to use the mirror, once a week, for security reasons. But today wasn't one of those days, and Snape knew he might have to wait until Dumbledore magically decided to check in.

Or so he thought.

Just as Snape was about to lower the mirror, the surface rippled like water, and the familiar, wise face of Albus Dumbledore materialized before him, his eyes twinkling with an understanding that often unnerved Snape.

"Severus," Dumbledore's voice was calm but tinged with concern. "What is it? What's wrong?"

Snape didn't waste a moment. "Albus," he began, his tone clipped, urgency lacing every word. "There have been developments—serious ones. Dementors have been near my home. They attacked Potter, when he foolishly tried to escape last night. He conjured a Patronus, but there were too many of them. He would have been kissed if I hadn't intervened."

"Dementors? That's highly unusual..." Dumbledore's tone was laced with concern. "Why would Harry try to escape? What exactly transpired?"

"Lucius Malfoy visited yesterday," Snape began, his voice steady but tense. "Potter overheard our conversation."

Dumbledore's expression darkened as he began to piece together the implications.

Snape recounted the events of Malfoy's visit, detailing the growing distrust among the Death Eaters, the rumors surrounding his loyalty, and how Potter had misinterpreted the conversation. He described the ensuing confrontation, Harry's ill-conceived attempt to flee, and the Dementors' attack. Snape held nothing back.