Nobody Cared

The Fiend

14 Jan 1992, Tuesday

Snape yawned. He then glowered forbiddingly in case anyone at the breakfast table had seen that tiny weakness. Everyone at the staff table were busy with their morning repast, and the students below them at their tables were a pleasant hum of yawns, morning chatter, and the sounds of enjoying breakfast.

Picking up his coffee and sipping at the bitter, heated brew, he looked down at his table of Slytherins. Before slipping off to his bed last night he had taken care to write a letter to Lucius to inform him of his children's transgressions of that night. Since the mail had not arrived, Snape was curious to see if the owls would be bringing in two Howlers to go along with breakfast.

For the moment it appeared that the Silver Trio were a bit out of sorts. Hermione was ignoring her brother, and Draco did not seem inclined to speak to Harry. Harry, far from being injured by the rebuff, seemed quite content to ignore Draco, as well. Snape decided he would give the tempers the day to heal before he would deign to intervene.

Just as another yawn, reminding him of how little sleep the older wizard had collected last night, tried to escape and embarrass him, Snape clamped down upon it, and finished the last of his coffee. He then left the Great Hall before anyone could offer any pleasantries for the day.

There were no Howlers in the day's mail for the Malfoy children, and although Hermione still worried about hearing from her new parents, Draco seemed content to think that, other than his Head of House's ire, he had gotten off scot free.

As the Great Hall was emptying well fed students to their classrooms, the Silver Trio, still silent, also left and were preparing to turn towards their first class of the day when an ebony black cane with the silver head of a fearsome snake shot down as though from nowhere across the three of them. All three children looked up into the equally fearsome face of the cane's owner, Lucius Malfoy.

Lucius ignored his two first years, turning his attention to the dark haired child. "Harry, since I am certain your father has already dealt with you, I shan't delay your progress to classes." He moved his cane just enough to let Harry, on the end of the trio, go. Harry glanced back at his friends. Hermione nodded at him, and Draco swallowed sickly. Harry then ran off towards Charms.

While Snape prepared the classroom for the first class of the day, there came a polite knock on the doorframe of the door. Without looking up from the chalk board where he was double-checking the recipe written there, he ordered, "Come in, Lupin."

Remus smiled sadly and shook his head as he loped in. "By your use of my last name, I am guessing that I am in trouble, Severus."

"Indeed," drawled Snape. He then turned to the left, and glared at the Deputy Headmaster. "You told Harry about his father and Black being Animagi." Snape crossed his arms over his chest as the stick of chalk floated impatiently at his elbow.

Remus' smile faded abruptly. "What did he do?"

"You know of the detention he and his friends received for breaking curfew, and for violating my private lab," Snape stated. "What I did not add into my report to you was that they planned to steal Chameleon Skin for an Animagus Reveal Potion." The Deputy Headmaster's eyes widened. The Potions Master glowered tautly, "I asked you to use discretion in telling Harry tales, Lupin. He is an impressionable, little boy."

Remus nodded, leaning his shoulder against the wall. "When I told him about their Animagi, Severus, I had made it clear that it was exceptional magic that they were working with."

Snape frowned at the Deputy Headmaster. "Harry is fascinated by tales about James, Lupin. Did it never cross your mind that he might wish to be an Animagus simply because James was one?" Snape's voice was a condescending razor.