Snivellus

18

'Welcome to the duelling club, with I, Gilderoy Lockhart.' Lockhart's white teeth blind everyone as he smiles.

Darah looks up at her father, he's rolling his eyes. He takes out his wand and points it defensively at Lockhart.

'Expelliarmus.' Snape says simply and Lockharts wand drops from his hand and falls to the floor.

'Ah. That is an example of why you should always be ready!' Lockhart tells everyone, he bends down to pick up his wand. 'How about some students have a go?' He points to Harry. 'Harry, come up here.'

Harry looks around at everyone's staring faces and reluctantly gets up onto the platform.

'Talk about favourites.' Draco rolls his eyes at Darah.

'Draco, you come up here.' Snape commands. Draco smirks, proudly and steps up onto the platform.

Their duel begins. Harry shoots a spell that sends Draco flying backwards, high into the air.

'Oi!' Pansy shouts from the crowd.

Draco gets up and fiercely shouts a spell at Harry. A snake appears at his feet. Harry looks down at it, still and unmoving. The snake hisses and turns away, it moves down the platform to the crowd of students.

Darah steps back, her eyes fixed onto the snake that is edging towards her. Snape steps forwards but pauses as Harry begins to mutter.

The snake hisses right in Darah's face, everyone's eyes darting between Harry and her. Harry is hissing at the snake as it rises, closer and closer to Darah.

Snape comes back to reality and shoots a spell, killing the snake. Darah's shoulders relax and her teeth unclench. She sends a glare at Draco and then one at Harry.

She pushes through the crowd of students whilst Lockhart instructs everyone to leave. She reaches Snape at the end of the hall and looks at him ferociously.

'Father!' She whispers angrily.

Snape looks at her, his eye brows raised.

'You were a big help out there.' She says sarcastically. 'I could have died.'

'You would not have died, Darah.'

'Oh yeah? Then I guess you didn't hear Harry saying all that stuff. He tried to kill me!'

'I will have a word with Potter.' He replies simply.

Darah huffs at him and turns away, striding down the hallway and back towards the common room.

Snape looks around the now empty room, swings his cape as he turns and walks out too, making his way to Dumbledore's office.

'Sherbert lemon.' He says coldly.

The gargoyle creaks back, revealing the old, stone steps, spiralling up to Dumbledore's office. Snape proceeds to climb up.

'Headmaster, a word if you please.'

Dumbledore looks at Snape from his desk, over the top of his half-moon glasses.

'Yes, Severus?'

'Potter is a parseltongue.'

Dumbledore looks at Snape over his glasses, quizzically. 'I thought as much.'

Snape looks at Dumbledore dumbfounded. 'You mean to tell me you knew?'

'I simply, wondered. Given the circumstances of course.'

'It is dangerous, he is dangerous.'

'There is nothing dangerous about talking to snakes.'

'He tried to kill my daughter!' Snape snaps at him, furiously, his greasy hair swinging in his face, wrinkles appearing on his forehead.

'You have to relax, Severus. I can assure you that Potter means to harm to your daughter. Miss Snape will be just fine.' Dumbledore remains calm as Snape's heavy breathing continued.

'I will not have it! Darah is not safe here!' Snape's voice breaks in the middle of the sentence. 'I should never have sent her here.' He tries to regain himself but a single tear trickles down the side of his cheek.