A Hogwarts Legend: Changing Paths [3]

Chapter Thirty One

Unedited

Chapter Thirty One - "Snape's a twat, an unconscious twat."

Hermione screams. Black leaps to his feet. I jump as though I've received a huge electric shock.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow," says Snape, throwing the Cloak aside, careful to keep his wand pointing directly at Lupin's chest. "Very useful, Potter, I thank you ..."

Snape is slightly breathless, but his face is full of suppressed triumph. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here?" he says, his eyes glittering. "I've just been to your office, Lupin. You forgot to take your Potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did ... lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along the passageway and out of sight."

"Severus -" Lupin begins, but Snape overrides him.

"I've told the Headmaster again and again that you've been helping the old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout -"

"Severus, you're making a mistake," says Lupin urgently. "You haven't heard everything - I can explain - Sirius is not here to kill Harry -"

"Two more for Azkaban tonight," says Snape, his eyes now gleaming fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this ... he was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin ... a tame werewolf ..."

"You fool," says Lupin softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?"

BANG! Thin, snake-like cords burst from the end of Snape's wand and twist themselves around Lupin's mouth, wrists and ankles; he overbalances and falls to the floor, unable to move. With a roar of rage, Black starts towards Snape, but Snape points his wand straight between Black's eyes.

"Give me a reason," he whispers. "Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will."

Black stops dead. It's impossible to say which face shows more hatred.

Harry and I stand there, paralysed, not knowing what to do or who to believe. I glance around. Ron looks just as confused as I do, still fighting to keep hold of the struggling Scabbers. Both Maya and Elinor look unsure. Hermione, however, takes an uncertain step towards Snape and says, in a very breathless voice, "Professor Snape - it - it wouldn't hurt to hear what they've got to say, w-would it?"

"Miss Granger, you are already facing suspension from this school," Snape spits. "You, Potter, Weasley, Eaglestone, Wragg and Swift are out of bounds, in the company of a convicted murderer and a werewolf. For once in your life, hold your tongue."

"But if - if there was a mistake -"

"KEEP QUIET, YOU STUPID GIRL!" Snape shouts, looking suddenly deranged. "DON'T TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" A few sparks shoot out of the end of his wand, which is still pointing at Black's face. Hermione falls silent.

I want to punch him so bad.

"Vengeance is very sweet," Snape breathes at Black. "How I hoped I would be the one to catch you ..."