𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗹, draco malfoy

˗ˋ 23

CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
✧
-: third year :-

── IN WHICH LUPIN INVESTIGATES

. . .

Cold with dread, Harry slowly pulled out the bag of Zonko's tricks and Marlie pulled out the Marauder's Map.

Snape picked up the Zonko's bag. "Ron gave them to me," Harry explained . "He brought them back from Hogsmeade last time —"

"Indeed? And you've been carrying them around ever since? How very touching... and what is this?" Snape had picked up the map, looking towards Marlie.

"Spare bit of parchment." She shrugged, looking blankly at him. "Never know when you might need to write something down.. oh- was there not a pen in my pocket? Drat, that means I've lost it." She added, a sigh escaping her lips as her hands dived around her pockets, attempting to find the imaginary pen.

"Surely you don't need such a very old piece of parchment?" he said. "Why don't I just — throw this away?"

"No-" Marlie jumped forward without thinking, then her eyes widened and she stepped back, clearing her throat. "Oh don't do that Sir, I was planning on using it on Monday." She added, words dying off in a whisper.

"So!" said Snape, his long nostrils quivering. "Is this another treasured gift from Mr Weasley? Or is it — something else? A letter, perhaps, written in invisible ink? Or - instructions to get into Hogsmeade without passing the Dementors?" The twins blinked and Snape's eyes gleamed.

"Let me see, let me see.." he muttered, taking out his wand and smoothing the map out on his desk. "Reveal your secret!" he said, touching the wand to the parchment. Nothing happened. Marlie clenched her hands to stop them from shaking.

"Show yourself!" Snape said, tapping the map sharply. It stayed blank. Beside her, Harry was taking deep, calming breaths. "Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!" Snape said, hitting the map with his wand.

As though an invisible hand were writing upon it, words appeared on the smooth surface of the map.

Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business.

Snape froze. Harry stared, dumbstruck, at the parchment. Marlie couldn't even laugh, too shocked by it. But it didn't stop there.

Mr Prongs agrees with Mr Moony and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.

It would have been very funny if the situation hadn't been so serious. And there was more.

Mr Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor.

Harry closed his eyes in horror. Marlie tried to stop herself from laughing - the map had had its last word.

Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.

"So.." said Snape softly. "We'll see about this.." He strode across to his fire, seized a fistful of glittering powder from a jar on the fireplace, and threw it into the flames. "Lupin!" Snape called into the fire. "I want a word!"