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This Is The Way The World Ends.	By : tulipsaside Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Snape/Hermione Views: 7312 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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29. And the boy cried wolf.
Severus sat at the Slytherin table looking out over the sea of students and felt bitterness towards all of them. All chatting each other up about the mundane an trifling rot they considered essential to their life when in a little under twenty years the whole Wizarding world would be thrown into a war, a war that would be taking away the only comfort he had ever known; and for what, these cattle, these unworthy, dim-witted fools that were to be unleashed onto the world before long and then their children, which would most certainly act no better.

Severus hated all of them, he stood up in disgust storming from the hall and away from the noise, from the smell, from every sense that reminded him of how useless they were to have her fighting for them, how ungrateful.

He pushed open the front doors intent on the calm of the lake to ease his ire, when he saw a shadow pass over the grounds. Quickly, he moved behind a pillar watching as Madam Pomfrey hurried a cloaked figure pass the greenhouses. Severus� eyes narrowed, peering inquisitively at the pair as they stopped at the Whomping Willow, its branches thrashing about only to suddenly halt. Severus moved out from his shadowy pillar watching the hooded figure disappear INTO the tree as Madam Pomfrey turned back to the castle.

Madame Pomfrey shut the great doors behind her, leaving a hidden Severus standing in the courtyard and debating his next move. He wanted badly to know who had vanished into the Whomping Willow, a gut feeling telling him it had something to do with Potter.

He hesitated then sprinted towards the tree, stopping up short of its thrashing limbs. Thinking of how Pomfrey might have stopped the branches, �Immobulus� he pointed his wand at the tree, annoyed when the leaves gave an extra shake in contempt.

Severus braced himself taking one step closer towards the tree, he exhaled, satisfied with---

�Ummph� he thumped hard on the ground ten paces back from where he stood after receiving a good thrashing in the gut.

A loud grating snort filled the night, �I must admit its hilarious watching that tree beat the snot out of you, Snivelly,� said Black, leaning against a nearby yew tree his arms folded in front of him.

�By all means, try again.�

Severus stood glaring at Black before starting back towards the castle.

Black caught up with him in two strides, �Don�t you want to know what�s hidden in that old tree?� he asked cuffing Snape on the shoulder.

Severus shrugged him off, angrily, spinning around and shoving Black from him. �Do not touch me,� he snarled.

Black held up his hands in defence, �Fine, I suppose you won�t want to hear about the notch you press to make the branches freeze, then,� he said curtly.

Severus raised his eyebrow in doubt, �You expect me to believe anything out of your filthy and deceitful mouth?�

Black clucked his tongue, turning back and walking straight up to the tree, picking up a discarded branch and plunging it into the base of the tree, just above the root. Instantly the limbs, halted and a small hole could be seen carved into the tree.

Severus looked to Black sharply, �Who went down there?� he asked.

Black shook his head, �I didn�t see anyone go down there.�

�Then how do you know how to stop the branches?� he asked coldly.

�I know lots of things about Hogwarts,� he shrugged, �But you�ve got twenty seconds to get through hole before you�re throttled, not that I wouldn�t mind seeing you punted all the way back to school.� he said, throwing down the switch and striding pass Severus, knocking his arm as he went.

Severus looked to Black�s retreating back before diving towards the base and sliding down the gap.

�See you, Snivelly.� sniggered Black as the tree started swaying violently.

Black walked up the stairs and into the castle, his mood significantly improved since Filch had released them from Snivellus� and that trumped up Granger girl�s freezing charm earlier that evening. Thinking back on it though, he would gladly serve the detention scrubbing out bedpans now that it meant he would never have to see The Greasy Git again, and tomorrow the little chit would go back to Durmstrang� perfect!

�Hey, Prongs!� called Black to James� retreating form, an arm draped around Lilly�s shoulders.

James pecked Lilly on the cheek before trotting over to Black, �Alright, Padfoot?� he asked.

�More than alright, mate.� he said cheerily.

James gave him a questioning stare, �Why�s that?�

Black smirked, �Let�s just say, ol� Snivelly will finally be out of our hair.�

Potter smiled, �That is good news! Did he get expelled, do himself in now that his girlfriends leaving?� he asked pushing pass a second year on the stairs.

Black sniggered, �No we owe our thanks to Mooney.�

James stopped short, �What!�

�Yep, Snivelly was sneaking around like the great prat that he is and saw Madame Pomfrey taking Remus over to Whomping Willow. Snape was trying to get the tree to stop thrashing him, and its bad luck you missed him being thrown clear across� the� grounds�. What?� finished Black looking at the incredulous look James was giving him.

�You let him go into the tree, Sirius? It�s a full moon tonight, if he gets to the shack he�ll be killed��

Black laughed, �That�s what I�m planning on�� he started to say before James grabbed him by the shoulders.

�You prat, we�ll be expelled! Remus�. Merlin, Sirius, Remus will be killed, you know the Ministry won�t let him live if he attacks someone.� he said his voice a fierce whisper.

Black�s face paled, �I didn�t� I didn�t think of it like that��

�We�ve got to stop him,� said James.

Black just stared at him.

�Sirius, we�ve got to help Snape!�

James turned fighting his way back down the stairs against all students clamouring up to their dormitories.

�James, wait!� called Black: blocked on the stairwell where two hallways met.

James sprinted across the great hall out the double doors and into the night. His stomach clenching painfully when he saw that the moon was full and low in the sky.

Severus felt like he had been walking for ages. His feet were sore, he was tired, and the air in the tunnel was stale and hot. More than that, he felt foolish. He should have never listened to Black, never have let his curiosity get the best of him. For all he knew this tunnel went all the way to London and Severus would never be able to get� he stopped.

He listened hard, sweat dripping into his eyes. Up ahead he could hear a faint growl, perhaps it was more a scratching sound. Severus stepped slowly, keeping his stride silent against the pebbles underfoot.

He veered to the right as the path shifted and was hit full in the face with a rancid and soured smell. He pulled his jumper up over his nose, trying to gulp in some clean air to keep from gagging.

Again, he heard the sound, this time a bit louder: clearer, almost like the splintering of boards. Severus walked onward, his eyes having adjusted to the low light, barely making out the incline of the path.

Severus ducked his head under the low ceiling his hands digging into the dirt as he heaved himself up-

�Snape!� Potter shouted grabbing around his ankle and making Severus slip down the embankment.

A terrorizing howl tore through the passageway. Severus whipped his head around, his eyes level with the top of the incline. The sound of thumping, and snarling then the eerie pierce of wood straining before finally the splintering of wood.

�RUN!� bellowed James, pulling on Severus. �Come on!� he yelled again, when Snape did not move.

There above him, fifteen paces ahead, stood the outline of a werewolf, its teeth barred and its eyes ferocious.

Severus could not think, could not breathe, and felt nothing but an overwhelming fear that encompassed his whole body.

James pushed him away from Remus, �Severus, you have to get out of here, he will kill you.� his voice was hard, and terrified.

Severus took one look at James standing there, starring at him the werewolf looming over his shoulder in the background, and turned to run.

He heard a pop and then the sound of snarling again as he ran at a frenzied pace all the way to the entrance of the tunnel.

Severus burst through into the night air getting whipped and lashed by the trees branches but feeling nothing as he fell collapsing to the ground retching all over the dewy grass.

�Snape, where�s James?� said someone above him, shaking his shoulders as he tried to stand.

Blacks face blurred before him.

�Where�s James!� he demanded.

Severus felt rage well up inside of him, obliterating any fear he sensed seconds before. He let his fist fly, slamming it into Blacks face, sending him sprawling to the ground. Severus dropped on top of him, his hands balled in fury, punching Black with out consciousness.

James was above them, pulling on Severus� robe and shoulders fighting release Black.

�Snape!� Bellowed James, throwing Severus from Blacks bleeding form.

Severus knelt panting on the ground, his eyes hard, seething, watching as James helped Black up.

The three all stood starring at each other, resentment wafting about them like a dense wind.

Finally Severus stood, pushing his hair from his face, backing away slowly from James and Black before turning and sprinting towards the castle.
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This Is The Way The World Ends.