Saving Snape
The sand grains of time would fall slowly as the world stepped into the first week of June. The rain and heat caused a large amount of humidity, not very natural for the weather at all, though the weather was unpredictable nowadays.
The stickiness of the atmosphere seemed to play a major factor and brought a new element to everybody’s lives. All students in Hogwarts were restless. Tempers flared frequently, outbursts were now extremely common, and (on top of that) people were more than a little stressed about the upcoming exams.
James thanked Merlin he wasn’t doing his O.W.L exams this year. He would surely have failed.
James gazed off into the distance as Professor McGonagall lectured and reviewed how to change one’s hair colour. He loosened his gold and scarlet tie and rolled the sleeves of his white shirt up.
During the days after the final Quidditch match, James noticed a sudden silence (for the first time) from Sirius. It seemed as though Sirius had decided to try to avoid talking altogether. James also observed that Sirius always seemed disconcerted by everything around him, and any conversation remotely concerning a “relationship” angered him.
James recalled a time when Peter was animatedly expressing how “amazing” Natasha was while eating breakfast. Mid-way through Peter's talking, Sirius suddenly stood up and tossed his cup of pumpkin juice into the air furiously to have it land on top of Professor Flitwick’s small head. Sirius left the Great Hall before he saw where his cup had landed though.
“Just talk to her, Sirius,” advised James a few nights ago when Peter had gone out with Natasha for a walk, and Remus was on prefect duty.
Sirius had just turned to him darkly and trudged out of the room, bumping him along the way.
James told Sirius to talk to Audrey, because he thought that it was the best for the both of them. James, however, felt guilty that he had not attempted to talk to her either.
“Alright, remember to read chapter seven and eight thoroughly. Class dismissed,” announced Professor McGonagall, and the entire class began to pack up and file out.
James grasped his Transfiguration text book and ink bottle, and shoved them carelessly into his book bag. When he looked up, he noticed that Sirius had already left the classroom with Remus and Peter hastily.
I’ll meet up with them later. thought James to himself as he slung his black book bag over his right shoulder.
The last of the students sped out of the room as Professor McGonagall approached James who was now standing by her desk.
“I believe, Mr. Potter, this has been the most delayed detention I have ever given,” said McGonagall with a slight smile. “Delayed five months?”
“Something like that,” replied James casually with a slight smile.
He remembered that this detention that Professor McGonagall was calling him for was the one he had taken for Lily going into the Forbidden Forest back in December.
The reason why the detention was so delayed was because Professor McGonagall didn’t want to distract James during the Quidditch season with a detention. She hated her house to lose at Quidditch.
“Well, since you led the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory, I’ll let you choose. Do you want lines or Trophy Room?”
“Do you even have to ask, Professor?” inquired James with a smirk coming across his face.
Professor McGonagall rolled her eyes. “The bucket and sponge are already in the Trophy Room, Mr. Potter.”
By the time James finished polishing every single piece of shiny object in the Trophy Room, his stomach was rumbling from hunger. He had spent a bit longer than he had anticipated cleaning all the trophies, and he was surprised to see that it was already dark outside when he was done. After cleaning, James dropped off the bucket and sponge (like usual) at Professor McGonagall’s office and headed to the Gryffindor common room to put his book bag in his room. He was also planning to catch some last minute dinner.
James loosened his tie further, for it seemed to make him sweat more than he would have liked.
This humidity is killing me. James told himself as he rounded a corner.
Then, an abrupt thought came into his mind.
Swinging a right, he followed a lengthy flight of stairs that led straight to a large oak door.
As soon as he stepped through the door and outside, the night air hit him and refreshed all his senses. The cool air soaked right through him and calmed him as he made his way across the grounds. The moon was full, and the light created from it littered the grass with a mysterious glow. James noticed a few thick, black clouds coming in toward the school, which signified a storm was to come soon.
James understood perfectly well why Sirius, Remus, and Peter had left Transfiguration in such a hurry. The three wanted to catch an early dinner in preparation for tonight. It was full moon, and Remus would have already made his transformation. The two other Marauders were most likely already accompanying Remus within the Shrieking Shack while they waited for James to show up as a stag.
They can keep themselves occupied while I get a quick bite.
James rustled the back of his hair and adjusted his book bag strap as he caught site of the large Whomping Willow. He never really paid too much attention to the vicious tree (seeing as he had paid it a visit several times), but tonight something had caught the edge of James Potter’s eye. Momentarily, he swore he saw a figure sneaking around the base and disappear into the shadows with another blink of an eye.
Thinking that perhaps the moonlight was playing a cruel joke on his eyes, James shook his head and quickened his pace. He still shot one glance back at the tree though before heading inside the humid castle once again.
James climbed the stairs to the seventh floor and approached the portrait of the Fat Lady which led into the Gryffindor common room. He muttered the password lazily, and it swung aside sluggishly.
The weather is too sticky when even the portraits are lazy. thought James as he came up to his dormitory door and pushed it open.
To his surprise, James saw Sirius and Peter snickering by the window as he entered. James closed the door noticeably so that the two would know that he was present.
“Oh, Prongs,” greeted Sirius through laughter, “how was detention?”
“Great, as always,” replied James rather uneasy at Sirius’s tone.
Sirius had not been happy, let alone laughing, after the incident with Audrey.
Peter had tears in his eyes and was having a giggling fit as he glanced out the window with what looked like a Muggle tool called binoculars.
“Padfoot, Padfoot, he’s going in! That’s hilarious! I can’t believe he believed you! What a fool!” squeaked Peter excitedly, and Sirius turned back to peering out at the window.
“Let me see, Wormtail! Give me the binocular thing!” commanded Sirius, and Peter handed the binoculars over reluctantly.
“Aren’t you two supposed to be with Remus already?” asked James curiously as he threw his robes from his book bag onto his four poster bed.
“Well we were, but we decided to have a bit of fun instead,” answered Sirius, and Peter squeaked delightedly again.
“What type of fun?”
“Let’s just say that the Hospital Wing will have one more patient after tonight,” said Sirius, still looking through the binoculars to the grounds below.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” questioned James somewhat aggressively.
“It means Snivelly will get what was always coming to him,” replied Sirius, while tearing his eyes away from the binoculars and facing James.
“It was great, Prongs! Snivellus was trying to catch us doing something ‘bad’, and Padfoot told him to get lost. Then, when Snivelly wouldn’t, Padfoot told him to go to the Whomping Willow and poke the knot under the tree to find out where we and Remus always go! It was an awesome prank!” informed Peter, and he turned towards James with a smirk. “Do you wanna watch?”
James dropped his black book bag down on the wooden floor with a thud. His heart pace quickened so rapidly it felt as though it was going to burst out of his chest. He turned and left the room without saying another word and dashed down the stairs while nearly colliding with a few other Gryffindors. He heard Sirius and Peter call after him, but he didn’t want to talk or explain anything to the two. He was revolted by them.
When going through the portrait hole, he caused a Gryffindor girl to drop all her books, but he didn’t care. He had more things to worry about.
James slung around a corner and immediately through a short cut that took him directly down to the first floor. He panted vigorously as he pushed his already fatigued body down a short flight of stairs and into the Entrance Hall. Grasping the gold handles of the prominent doors, he flung them open to have his eyes meet with pouring buckets of rain.
Without a second thought, James rushed outside and across the muddy, wet ground with all the speed he could muster. The rain was cold and hard as it splashed against James’s sweating and hot body. His jet black hair and clothing were already soaked by the time he caught site of the Whomping Willow through his water spattered spectacles.
Please let me get there in time. Please! Please! yelled James’s mind as he saw the Whomping Willow get closer and closer.
James observed the tree stir at his presence, and he immediately used the wetness of the ground to slide across the mud at the base of the tree. He saw a branch nearly come down on him before he fell roughly onto the dirty ground of the long hallway leading to the Shrieking Shack. He gathered himself up with lightening speed as he sprinted through the long passageway that he had taken so many times in the past.
James felt his lungs constrict as he neared what looked like a crack of light coming from an opening of a door; the door of the Shrieking Shack.
Instinctively, James grasped his wand from the back of his pants as he saw Severus Snape slowly open the door.
Severus glanced about the run down shack with utmost curiosity but caution. He whipped out his wand hastily and peered around the dark and dank room. A small candle that was placed on a small wooden table flickered furiously and casted awkward shadows around the room. Suddenly, he froze in place with fear and disbelief as his dark eyes were met with a real life, uncontrollable, vicious werewolf. The werewolf caught site of Severus immediately and began to approach the greasy haired teenager.
Severus instinctively shouted a spell impulsively at the beast, but it missed horribly. The werewolf (upon seeing the attempted attack) came running at Severus as it prepared to pounce with its claws…
James grabbed Severus by the collar harshly and jerked him back fiercely. The black eyed teen tumbled back and just out of the reach of the werewolf.
“You idiot, you bloody idiot,” shot James bitterly as he pulled Severus up with strength that Severus was well unaware James had.
“P- Potter?!” questioned Severus incredulously, but James just pushed Severus in the direction back to the Whomping Willow.
“RUN NOW!” shouted James as he caught site of Remus starting to come into the passageway.
Severus stalled half because he was unsure, and the other half due to fear.
“I SAID RUN!” screamed James as he turned around to glance at Severus. “BEFORE- “
Then, James felt an excruciatingly painful stabbing sensation creep down and across his back. His back felt like it had just been partly split open and filled with burning fire.
He had just been clawed by Remus.
James’s breath was caught momentarily inside his throat, and he felt hot sweat coming down from his forehead. He grasped his wand tighter and pushed Severus forward once again.
“Impedimenta!” cried James at Remus, and the werewolf’s movements slowed immediately.
Severus finally began to run as fast as his thin legs could carry him down the long winding pathway to the Whomping Willow. James ran behind him while watching out for Remus coming again from behind.
James peered in front of him to see a sliver of moonlight coming from the hole of the Whomping Willow. Severus scrambled through the hole hastily, and James raced to clamber right after him. Then, Remus (who had worn off the jinx) decided to pounce and tackle down James, pulling him down from the opening of the hole.
James felt himself fall on top of Remus and roll around. During the frantic scramble, he lost the grip he held on his wand. Finally, the werewolf was victorious as it pinned James on the ground and bared its teeth menacingly.
The moonlight shot down on James’s hazel eyes to show that it held fear in them; fear of a werewolf bite.
Shutting his eyes, James conjured all his courage, spirit, and every magical power still within him to summon his mahogany wand.
When Remus’s drooling mouth came closer to James’s face, a sudden something flew into his hand.
“PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!” shouted James with his voice cracking in the process.
Remus instantly froze on the spot and fell backwards giving James enough time to clamber through the hole above and out.
“SEVERUS!” hollered James desperately through the pouring rain and screeching winds. “SNAPE!”
To James’s utter horror, he saw no sign of Severus Snape. He tiredly ran across the grounds calling Snape’s name over and over again until his voice was lost, and he collapsed onto the muddy ground. James slammed the ground with his fist and grit his teeth.
A brilliant bolt of lightning touched down and illuminated the sky before being followed a few seconds later by booming thunder.
Remus would be discovered. Severus would tell everybody. It would all be over. He had failed one of his best friends.
James heaved himself to his feet and made his way clumsily over to the Entrance Hall doors. He threw them open with all the energy he had left in him and stumbled across a hallway before leaning against a wall to catch his breath.
He was soaked from head to toe, and his back was burning from Remus’s hit on him. James glanced down at his hand to see blood mixed with sweat and mud. His glasses were slightly fogged up and were dripping with water onto his mud spattered face and tie.
Then, footsteps began to approach him.
He didn’t care who it was, and he didn’t care if he got ten thousand detentions for being out after curfew. He no longer cared.
As James glanced up to see who had caught him, he noticed that the person was just as unbalanced and wobbly as himself. The person seemed to be walking around without a real purpose or direction.
“James Potter,” addressed Lily Evans. “What the hell are you doing?”
James’s eyes widened as he saw that she was clutching what looked like a large bottle of Firewhisky. Her eyes were on fire but so were her cheeks, and her movements seemed somewhat careless.
“I…” began James, but he was cut off immediately.
“You know what? Forget I even asked!” she stated and took a large gulp of her Firewhisky. “I don’t give a bloody hell what you are doing! And I shouldn’t! I used to always wonder what you were doing, you know. I asked my friends, and I even asked Brendan about it often. He told me to forget it, because a gal like me shouldn’t be fazed by that, but I was, alright?! So I keep saying things about you! You: James Potter!”
She shoved James against the wall with her free hand, and he winced in pain with the collision between the wall and his bleeding back.
“So, I was fine, alright! I’m not saying I’m NOT fine right now, oh, that’s not the case.” She chuckled to herself slightly. “So, I decided to right the wrong, and come down on your git-like, bullying, arrogant ways. Then, you tell me to buzz off. So, I should find it just dandy that that is EXACTLY what I want. Unfortunately, a girl like me, doesn’t always know what she wants, at least that’s what her Quidditch Captain boyfriend says when he dumps her! Yeah, not me dumping him and being too good, but he dumping me, and do you know why, Potter?”
Lily was now inches from James’s face, and he could smell her breath was drenched in alcohol. She dropped her bottle of Firewhisky to have it shatter on the flagstone floor (echoing through the hall) and creating a puddle of whisky by her feet.
“Let me answer for you, since I know you appear to be utterly speechless. He says that I have feelings for you, not him! Don’t you find that just funny? Very funny, isn’t it? He says I’m in denial! I told him I loved him because he was exactly what I needed. Not arrogant, not dumb, not pranking, not dumb, and an actual person who cares about other people, not only themselves. To put it simply: he's a nice guy! I might have feelings for you, and I might not! I know that doesn’t make perfect sense, but it’s clear like mud, isn’t it? I guess I don’t know a good thing until it’s gone. At least that’s what he said.”
Lily backed away from James still a bit uncoordinated.
“I’m glad we had this talk, Potter. I’m very glad. Glad I could tell that very important piece of information to you. Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to…to… go…”
At that exact moment, Lily stumbled unstably and fainted right into James. He grasped her quickly and tried to balance himself against the wall. He glanced down at her red hair fall over her fine face as his heart beat sped up in a panic. James watched the water from his face trickle down onto her hair before sighing and whispering, “Evans…”