jharad17 - Better Be Slytherin!

"I was --" Harry began, then trailed off as if he had no idea what to say.

Severus was struck by a sudden realization. Harry's behavior was far too anxious for a boy who had just finished his exams. He was near panic; it was in his eyes, and Severus had an inkling as to why. On his way to the staff room to meet with Minerva because Albus had been called away to London suddenly, Severus knew, somehow, that Harry knew about Albus, too. "You want to be more careful," he said in warning. "Hanging around like this, people will think you're up to something."

Harry flushed, but turned to go outside.

Snape called him back. He needed to make sure that Harry didn't do anything as foolish as try to stop a thief who was likely working for the Dark Lord. The boy could be killed, or worse if he got involved, and Severus could not allow that under any circumstances. He needed to stay within the safety of Slytherin's walls tonight, and every night, until Quirrell's connection to the Dark Lord was exposed and he was safely locked away. The only way Severus could think of at the moment to keep Harry from getting in trouble was to say, "Be warned, Potter -- any more nighttime wanderings and I will personally make sure your last days here are quite miserable. Good day to you."

He strode off in the direction of the staff room, not looking to see where Harry went. He did catch a glimpse of the Bloody Baron, far enough away from the boy that he did not seem to be hovering -- and perhaps Harry did not even realize he was still being trailed -- but still close enough to protect him, if it came to that. Good. That was one less worry. At least the Baron would let him know if Harry tried to be some Gryffindor hero.

--HPSSHPSSHPSSHPSS--

A chime sounded in Severus' sitting room in his private quarters late that evening, alerting him to someone at the entrance from the dungeons, which was odd for several reasons. First, other Professors and -- especially -- the Headmaster invariably approached his rooms via the Floo. Secondly, no students should be out at this time of night, and besides, none of them were made aware of where his personal quarters were, except a select few, including Harry Potter, but they had always been shown to them via his office. What it meant, then, was a student was likely in trouble and Filch had caught them and, rather than wait till morning to present the miscreant, he had decided the middle of the night was best.

Frowning, Severus approached the "front" entrance of his rooms and cast a simple " Reveleo " to see who stood on the other side. The door (from his perspective only) went transparent, showing Theodore Nott in the dungeon corridor. Alone. Curiouser and curiouser.

After donning a spare black teaching robe hanging on a hook by the door, he cancelled the spell and opened the door, openly scowling. "Do you know what time it is, Mr. Nott? Well after curfew, I dare say--"

"Professor," the boy broke in, "I need to tell you something about Harry."

Severus' heart immediately picked up speed. His hand clenched around his wand, and he used it to gesture the boy inside. He checked the corridor, but no one seemed to be lurking about, before he closed the door. "Where is he? Is he hurt?" It would be just like that little demon! After everything he had done to try and keep him safe, too!

"No . . . I don't think so. Well, I'm not sure where he is. I think . . . I think he's going after the Stone. I heard him and Millicent talking earlier, and they said the Headmaster had been called away. I think Harry believes someone will try to get the Stone tonight."

Unsaid, of course, was that Harry thought Severus was going to steal the Stone. But Harry might actually be right about someone would try for it; this would be the perfect chance, after all, for Quirrell, who had been growing more furtive -- and pungent -- every day.

If Potter was right and Quirrell (who was working for the Dark Lord somehow ) was trying to steal the Stone, and if the boy was giving in to his Gryffindor tendencies, then he was in a boatload of trouble, not least when Severus got his hands on him!

"How long ago?"

The boy startled. "How long?"

"When did you hear them talking?"

"This afternoon, just before dinner."

Just after he had spoken to Harry on the stairs then. No wonder the boy had been frazzled, making plans to sneak out, and then caught by the Professor he thought loathed him. "Why did you not tell me sooner?"

The boy bit his lip, uncharacteristically appearing worried. "I was keeping an eye on him tonight, and I would have stopped him from going . . . but he must have sneaked out with that cloak of his because I didn't see him leave, and when I checked a bit ago, he just wasn't there. That's why I came to you, sir."

"Very well," Severus said, his mind racing ahead to what Harry might be encountering at this very minute. "Thank you for telling me. Go back to your dormitory now."

"But, sir!"

"No arguments. Go to your dormitory now !" He opened the door to the corridor and fairly shoved the boy through it.

"Please, sir, I just wanted to say . . . Fluffy likes music."

Severus paled but nodded, then closed his door on the boy. He turned quickly and made his way to the fireplace. He would take the Floo to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and if he had any kind of luck at all, Quirrell would be there and not stealing Stones nor killing Harry Potter.

The Floo billowed green flames around him, leaving him to stalk out of the fireplace and into the dark and deserted classroom. Damn. He stalked to the door and into the second floor corridor and continued stalking until he reached the third floor corridor where the door to Fluffy's room was.

As he approached, he saw the door already opened the merest bit. Deep throated growls emanated from the room. The monster was awake, it seemed, and in a temper. Well, what had the Nott boy said? That the beast liked music?

Severus eased the door farther open and slid inside the room whilst humming the school song, the rendition the Headmaster seemed fond of singing each benighted Opening Day Feast. The three-headed hell hound with sharp, pointy teeth turned towards him, jaws opening wider. Severus hummed louder.

Then the beast yawned, blinked heavily and turned around three times and laid down, his third muzzle resting half on the trapdoor leading to the maze below. Double Damn. Still humming like mad, Severus grabbed an armful of Cerberus mouth and thrust it off the trapdoor. The hell hound squirmed and murmured in his sleep like a happy puppy. For Merlin's sake . . .

Severus kept humming until he had the trapdoor open and had dropped down into the Devil's Snare below. The vines pulled tight around him and wrapped him in their coils, but he simply relaxed and the snare loosened, letting him fall through into the room below.

That must've been Pomona's contribution, he thought, as he brushed off his robes.

He walked forward, keeping one eye peeled for anything charmed (by Filius) or transfigured (by Minerva) and the other watching for a foolish Slytherin boy who was liable to get them both killed.

TBC . . .

A/N:Thanks to everyone who reads and/or reviews! Sorry this chapter has been so long in coming, but RL has hit me pretty hard of late. There are only a couple chapters left in this story, and then it will be on to Year Two!

*Chapter 49*: Chapter 49

Better Be Slytherin! – Chapter 49

By jharad17

Warnings for language and some violence.

--HPHPHPHPHPHPHP--

Previously on Better Be Slytherin:

Harry closed his mouth and fumed. He had no idea, really, how he could save the Stone. He couldn't tell Dumbledore, as if he'd be believed anyway . . . maybe he could tell the Bloody Baron, if he could find the ghost, but he wasn't sure that would do any good. As it was, the Bloody Baron couldn't stop anyone from stealing the Stone, either, as he didn't have a real body. Unless . . .