Severus Snape And The Marauders

Chapter 44

People Who Demand to Know but Refuse to Ask

On Wednesday evenings the Gryffindor common room was usually filled with the sounds of revising: quills scratching against parchment, pages turning in textbooks, and the occasional bout of McGonagall-bashing as students complained about their homework load.

On the first Wednesday of November, these noises were replaced with frustrated grumblings and the tapping of idle quills, because by that time Professor Umbridge had given every single Defense class in the school the same impossible assignment—two feet on demons. And every library book even remotely related to the subject was out, presumably thanks to the Ravenclaws, whose instinctive reaction to any crisis was to read up on it.

And so the Gryffindors were anxiously considering their two options. One was to fail.

The other was stretched across his bed upstairs, reading yet another Potions book and watching Remus beat both Sirius and James at wizard's chess.

"Pawn to E2."

"ARGH! No-no-no-no—"

"Relax, James," Sirius consoled as Remus' pawn shooed their knight off the board. "We still have a castle. And, uh, two whole pawns. We can still conquer!"

Severus glanced at Remus' arsenal of remaining pieces and snorted.

"Er, check," said Remus.

"Okay, make that just two whole pawns. We can still—"

There was a light knock on the door and Lily stuck her head inside their dorm. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Just Sirius' delusions," Severus murmured, turning the page.

Lily shut the door and sat by James at the foot of the bed. "I thought you lot ought to know there's probably going to be a riot in a few minutes."

"Oh? Did they finally discover where Filch keeps the pitchforks?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Remember that essay of Umbridge's that's due tomorrow? She gave everyone else the same assignment, and all the books on demons are out of the library. And so everyone's down there debating whether to come up and ask you."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "When they haven't acknowledged my existence since Sunday morning?"

"Yep. I just thought I should warn you. Personally, I don't care if I fail. She's a horrid excuse for a professor, anyway." Lily looked down at the chessboard as she stood up. "Merlin. Who's the one with no strategic ability whatsoever?"

"Us," James and Sirius chorused.

Lily laughed. "Well, I'll just leave you to Remus' mercy then."

She disappeared into the hallway. "What'd he say?" demanded at least twenty voices from behind the door.

"I didn't ask him! I was simply having a conversation! If you lot want information so badly, you go ask him," Lily snapped. "And no, Glenda, he does not eat people—ten points from Gryffindor for being absurd!"

Severus heard Lily descending the staircase; the voices quieted somewhat and he could no longer hear what was happening.

"Checkmate," said Remus.