The Marauders: Year One | #Wattys2016

Poetic Justice

Poetic Justice

"There's some justice to the fact that ol' Snivelly got the blame for the mess in the storeroom," said Sirius in a low voice to James and Peter later that day, when word had got around that Severus Snape had been caught stealing from Slughorn's stores. "A poetic sort of justice. He got off for Voldemort's mirror last term and now we've gotten off for Slughorn's store. Serves him right, being a prat."

Severus was glowering at them from across the Great Hall, in his seat at the Slytherin tables. Rumor had it that he'd been given detentions for a week - cleaning up the potions room each evening and helping Slughorn with whatever little jobs he may have need of doing. Nobody particularly enjoyed spending time with Horace Slughorn - he was a great, rambling old man with a bulging belly and a hunger for knowing-all-the-right-people. He could be quite condescending and there was a general feeling of not being good enough for him unless you had a famous parent. Sirius couldn't imagine doing one full session of detention with the man, not to mention a whole week's worth of them.

Remus had come back in time for lunch that afternoon and heard all the rumors pinging about the castle. "What would anybody want with a bicorn horn anyway?" he asked, confused, crinkling up his nose at the news. So far, the bicorn horn was the only thing that had been noticed for missing from the storeroom. Apparently Professor Slughorn's inventory skills were not precise enough to notice the missing sheets of Boomslang skin or the bushel of fluxweed.

"It's an ingredient in Skele-gro," said Frank Longbottom knowledgeably from down the table.

Bilius had grinned, "Perhaps Snape's a part of a black market for Skele-gro sales!"

"Is there a black market for Skele-gro sales?" Alex Tinnamin asked with raised eyebrows.

Bilius shrugged, "What the bloody hell else would anybody want with a ruddy bicorn horn?"

"Seems it was an ingredient in some potion Slughorn had told us about," Derek mused.

"Was it?" Bilius asked, "What potion?"

"Dunno," Derek shrugged, "There's a reason I'm sweating the N.E.W.T. for Potions, isn't there?"

Remus mused, "Odd." He looked at James, Sirius, and Peter, "What do you lot reckon he wanted the bicorn horn for?"

Peter turned scarlet.

"What would we know about it?" Sirius demanded. "Snivellus isn't our friend."

"Yeah, perhaps you ought to ask Evans what Snape's up to, since she's mates with him and all," James said.

"Ask Evans what?" James and Sirius, who were both back-to, turned around to find Lily standing behind them, her hands on her hips. "Ask Evans what?" she repeated.

Remus's lips quirked in amusement and he lifted a carrot stick off his plate, biting into it with a rather loud crunch.

"Just Remus was wondering what Snivellus Snape is interested in a bicorn horn for?" Sirius replied smoothly, "And James here thought you'd be the one to ask, seeing as you're friends with the bloke."

Lily snorted, then turned to walk 'round the table to the empty seat beside Remus.

Sirius looked at James, then turned back to Lily. "What's that about then?"

"What's what about?" Lily asked, reaching for a bowl of the soup that was lunch.

"That - the snort," James said.