19. After the Fight

Snape took a few steps, the ends of his long cloak dragging on the floor. Every student in the room held their breath. The dim green light sharpened the professor's stern features. His presence was a warning to every Slytherin in the room: You must be very careful now.

His eyes swept the room, one by one. Montague was still regaining his balance, and Flint stood there with a look of confusion mixed with anger on his face. The other students, especially those who had attacked Dante, froze, trying to avoid the professor's sharp gaze.

Snape was silent for a long moment. The silence hung in the air like a heavy weight. Everyone waited to see what he would do.

Finally, his icy voice echoed through the room.

"I want to know what is going on."

It was not a question. It was an imperative.

After a moment's hesitation, Montague gathered himself and stepped forward. "Professor Snape, Dante attacked us!" he spoke quickly. "He suddenly reached for his wand and..."

"Yes!" Flint jumped in to support Montague. "We were just asking him why he was having dinner with the Gryffindors when he started casting spells. We were just defending ourselves!"

A few other students joined in, nodding their heads. They all spoke as if they had been told the same story.

Dante, however, had been watching Snape intently from the beginning. The professor's eyes swept over the students, who spoke coldly and carefully. He seemed to weigh their every word.

Finally, Snape blinked and spoke. "I don't think lying is befitting a pureblood wizard."

The faces of Montague and the others paled instantly. Snape's cold, penetrating voice added to the seriousness of his words.

The professor continued slowly. "Perhaps I should help you understand your mistake in my office."

Montague and Flint swallowed. Being summoned to Snape's office was no simple punishment. This was something much greater. Dante smiled slightly as he saw the fear on their faces.

Snape continued with his icy voice. "I can't wait to remind you how small you are."

Then he looked around the room at the other students. He cocked his head slightly to the side with an exasperated expression and spoke in a mocking tone:

"I didn't expect you to be so helpless in front of a first year, maybe he should be Slytherin prefect."

The words were like a slap in Montague's face. It was one of Slytherin's greatest embarrassments that Dante was called incompetent, let alone suggested that he was worthy of being prefect. Dante took great pleasure in seeing the effect of Snape's venomous words.

Montague took a step forward in anger. "Professor, I..."

But Snape gave him a single hard look and spoke sharply:

"I didn't let you speak."

Montague's mouth closed instantly. His face was red with rage, but he had to remain silent in the face of Snape's authority.

At that moment, a voice came from the corner of the hall. Another Slytherin, Cassius Warrington, grumbled from his seat. "He betrayed Slytherin," he said in a deep but clear voice. "He sat with Gryffindors. With our enemies. How can you defend that, Professor?"

The entire hall fell silent. This was a challenge. It took courage to say such a thing in front of Snape. Cassius, like most of the students, was one of the few who did not bow to Snape.

Snape slowly turned to him. For a long moment he said nothing, just stared. Then he spoke, calmly, but with a suppressed threat in his voice:

"I don't see that you've done anything wrong." **** "I think it is you who have betrayed me."

Cassius' eyes widened. Everyone in the room was trying to understand what Snape was trying to say.

The professor looked at the Slytherin students and continued with a cold smile:

"It is you who have betrayed a powerful and pure-blooded wizard in your own midst."

Snape's words echoed around the room. The Slytherins were silent for a moment, then bowed their heads in thought. Even Cassius fell silent without protest. For there was truth in Snape's words: Slytherin stood for strength and nobility. But now they had turned their backs on Dante, one of the strongest.

Dante smiled slightly, savoring the words. He hadn't expected Snape to support him directly. But the professor had been clever, as always: He had hit the Slytherins with their own beliefs.

Snape took one last hard look at the students and then smoothed the edges of his robes. "I hope this nonsense is over," he said sharply.

Then he fixed his eyes on Montague and Flint. "You two, come with me to my office."

Montague and Flint did not move. They obviously didn't want to leave, but Snape's stern look made them move. They bowed their heads and walked slowly to the door.

Snape went to the door to follow them, but just as he was about to leave, he turned his head slightly to look at Dante. There was the usual hardness in his eyes, but this time there was also a vague appreciation.

Then he opened the door and walked out.

As soon as he was gone, a deep silence fell over the hall. The Slytherin students stared at Dante, not knowing how to react. The humiliation of Montague, the silencing of Flint, and the inability of even Cassius to respond... these were all things that would change the dynamics of Slytherin.

Dante shrugged, satisfied with the looks in the room.

Then, without a care in the world, he sat down in one of the most comfortable chairs and began to slowly twirl his wand.

Things in Slytherin would never be the same.

_______________

Montague and Flint walked silently behind Snape, feeling as if they were being led to a death sentence. As they made their way through the cold stone corridors, they could both guess what was about to happen, but what punishment Snape would mete out to them was a mystery.

The professor didn't even turn around as he took long strides. His black robes fluttered like shadows as he walked. They passed the stairs leading down to the Slytherin dungeons and finally arrived at Snape's office.

He opened the door with a single movement and entered. Montague and Flint followed with tentative steps.

Without a moment's hesitation, Snape walked over to his desk and sat down. He ran his fingers slowly over the surface of the desk. The room was dark, the vials on the walls filled with creatures in twisted and grotesque forms. Unknown potions bubbled and boiled in dark corners.

Montague swallowed and dared to speak. "Professor, we really..."

Snape spoke sharply, not taking his eyes off him: "Enough!"

Montague took a step back. Even Flint cowered.

Snape narrowed his eyes. "First of all, I am ashamed of your incompetence as Prefect of Slytherin House. You attack your own house mate because you are afraid of him. But then you try to lie so blatantly."

There was silence for a few seconds. Snape picked up a small vial from his desk and stirred the liquid, which turned a dark green. A foul smell filled the room. Flint frowned and sniffed.

Then Snape spoke in a low voice.

"For one month, you will purify the snake bile used in the great cauldrons of the northern dungeons. With your hands."

Flint and Montague's faces turned white at the same time.

Purifying snake bile... This was one of the worst punishments at Hogwarts. Usually, students had to clean old parchment or cut up simple parts during detention. But snake bile... this was on another level.

This was the gallbladder fluid extracted from fresh snake corpses and used in cauldron potions. If it was not enchanted, it would spoil quickly and give off a foul, pungent smell. It also caused itching, burning, and blistering when applied to the skin in large quantities.

Flint tried to speak, but was silenced by the sharp look Snape gave him.

Snape continued, his voice mocking. "Of course, I cannot allow you to use gloves. You will have to work with your bare hands. You will come here every night for a month and clean these cauldrons."

Flint's face turned red. "But..."

Snape raised his hand to silence him.

"It's over."

There was silence. Snape stared at the two students, watching them struggle desperately to defend themselves. Then, straightening his robes, he rose from the table and walked to the door.

"Begin."

With that, without turning around, he opened the door and left the room.

Montague looked up at Flint. The same terror was in his eyes. Then they both looked at the huge cauldrons stacked on top of each other in the corner of the room. Inside each one was a murky, dark liquid... and the smell... that horrible smell...

One of them swallowed and took the first step.

Snape took long strides down the corridor as soon as he left his office. His expression was stern and unflinching. He took a few deep breaths before making his way to Dumbledore's office.

Finally, he arrived at the Diagon Alley. He raised his wand and muttered the password, and the stone stairs began to move upwards.

When he reached the door, he knocked once.

Dumbledore's warm, gentle voice came from inside.

"Come in, Severus."

Snape opened the door and entered. Dumbledore's office was as warm and bright as ever. Thousands of old books on the shelves, strange glowing instruments on the desk, and on the wall Fawkes slept peacefully with his shaggy head curled up.

Dumbledore looked at Snape with his usual relaxed expression.

Snape crossed his arms over his chest and spoke briefly and clearly. "I have done as you asked."

Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Thank you, Severus."

Snape squinted at him. "But I still don't understand."

Dumbledore tilted his head slightly to one side.

Snape continued: "Why are you so protective of this boy?"

The familiar wisdom flashed in Dumbledore's eyes. "Because I don't want him to become like the Dark Lord, or like his father."

Snape raised his eyebrows sarcastically.

Dumbledore continued slowly. "I want to preserve the good in him."

Snape grimaced at the words. Then he replied sharply:

"That is foolish."

Dumbledore blinked and smiled slightly. "Perhaps it is. But you know, Severus... the things you think are foolish are sometimes the most powerful."

Snape grunted, rolled his eyes and turned away, flapping his robes.

Dumbledore's voice echoed again as he walked out the door:

"Goodness sometimes springs from the most unexpected places, Severus."

Snape hesitated for a moment. But then, without a word, he walked on, closing the door behind him.

If you want to support me patreon com Talamo