A Looping of the Scales ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 74 ~ Repercussions

The next morning in the Great Hall, Snape, Hermione, Harry and Ginny were enjoying their breakfasts together. Susan and Ron were eating their breakfast down by the lake so they could be together without complications. If they stayed inside, they’d have to sit at separate tables.

“Slughorn doesn’t look the least bit angry,” Hermione observed as the wizard smiled at them.

”I don’t think that’s good,” Ginny responded, frowning. “We destroyed his party. He should be furious.”

”Knowing Slughorn, he probably turned it around to his advantage somehow,” Snape said quietly.

Harry didn’t say anything, but he found it disconcerting there didn’t appear to be any repercussions for what they did.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over them and they all looked up to see a very tight-lipped Minerva McGonagall standing over them, her beady eyes glittering.

”Mr. Potter, Mr. Snape, Miss Weasley and Miss Granger, I expect to see you all in my office immediately after breakfast,” she said in a low voice. Then she turned and stalked back up to the dais.

”Uh, oh,” Ginny breathed.

Almost as one, the group slowed down eating, making breakfast last as long as humanly possible.

From his seat, Filch shook his head.

”I knew they’d get that boy in trouble,” he muttered over his porridge.

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Harry, Ron, Snape, Ginny, Susan and Hermione stood in front of the huge ornate desk in the headmistress’ office as if waiting for the order to shoot to be given to a firing squad.

Minerva was seated behind the desk, red-faced and looking at them furiously. She was so angry, she couldn’t speak. But that didn’t last long.

”Starting a brawl at Professor Slughorn’s party? How could you?” she demanded.

Everyone blinked but no one said a word.

“I don’t approve of Horace’s parties, but he was given permission to hold them here as part of his contract, and it was approved by the Board of Governors. But be that as it may, I expect any students that attend his functions to conduct themselves properly. You have no idea how upset I was to discover that students from MY house caused an all out wizarding duel!”

”But, headmistress, everyone was attacking Severus!” Ron blurted out. “They had him surrounded and were jeering him and calling him names and he couldn’t get away! What were we supposed to do? Let them treat him like that?”

This information seemed to catch Minerva by surprise. She blinked and asked Severus in a low voice, “Is this true, Severus? Were you surrounded?”

Snape nodded slightly.

Minerva’s lower lip began to tremble as she looked at her charges. They had stood up for Severus? Dear Merlin.

Minerva turned and looked at Albus’ empty picture frame, trying to compose herself as tears threatened to fill her eyes. She harrumphed a couple of times. Everyone looked at each other bewildered as they stared at her back. Presently, Minerva turned back around, her face pink.

“Well, be that as it may, you still caused a brawl in front of some very distinguished people. Professor Slughorn asked that you not be punished for the outbreak, but in my opinion, you all deserve punishment and so, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Weasley, Miss Bones and Miss Granger, you will all serve two weeks detention doing various duties around the castle. They will be assigned.”

Harry and Ron groaned, but the girls all took it stoically. Minerva’s black eyes shifted to Severus.

”It’s unfortunate that you had to go through that, Severus. I do empathize, but have it on good authority you were casting hexes along with the rest of them. Since you are a ward and not a student, I have no choice but to issue your second verbal warning. You have one left, and one write-up before you will be expelled from Hogwarts,” she said to Snape, “so I expect you to keep your nose clean for the rest of term.”

Ron helplessly snickered at this statement. Snape’s nose was so big, he probably couldn’t help some dirt and dust getting sucked up in there. Minerva and Hermione scowled at him and his expression turned sober although his blue eyes were full of mirth. Snape’s lip quirked as well at his little outburst. Ron was something else. A real free spirit.

”Now, out of my office, all of you,” Minerva ordered.

Harry, Ron, Susan, Ginny and Hermione all turned to leave, but Snape didn’t budge. Hermione noticed immediately.

”Come on, Severus,” she said softly as Minerva looked at him.

”No. I need to talk to the headmistress privately,” he told her, then looked at Minerva. “That’s all right, isn’t it?”

Minerva nodded, and Hermione reluctantly left the office, following the others down the stairs.

“I wonder what Severus wanted to talk to McGonagall about,” Harry mused as they emerged in the corridor.

”I don’t know,” Hermione said, “but I’m going to wait here and find out.”

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Minerva sat down behind her desk and gestured for Snape to take a seat in the armchair in front of it, which he did.

”Now, what did you want to talk to me about, Severus?” she asked him curiously.

Snape blinked at her a couple of times then said, “I don’t think it’s fair that they received detention and I didn’t. I was just as much at fault as they were, headmistress.”

”Yes, you were, Severus. But you are not a student of Hogwarts. Only students can be assigned detention. The rules concerning you are different.”

“But they were defending me. They wouldn’t have gotten in trouble if they weren’t trying to help me. Protect me.”

Minerva gave him a soft smile.

”Yes, that’s true, Severus. But each of them knew there would most likely be repercussions. They knew they would be punished.”

Snape looked at her, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed.

”Still, I’d like to serve detention as well. It’s only right.”

Minerva shook her head.

”I’m sorry Severus. I can’t assign it to you. However, you could volunteer to assist them on your own, if that would make you feel better about it,” she told him.

”I’d like that,” he said shortly.

Minerva studied him, a sad smile on her face.

”You have friends, Severus. Good friends. Friends willing to make sacrifices for you. It appears that you’re just as willing to make sacrifices for them as well.”

”It’s only fair,” Snape said tightly, frowning a little.

Minerva cocked her head at him.

”Fair? Most Slytherins would be pleased as pumpkin juice to have avoided detention,” she said.

”Maybe—maybe I’m not like most Slytherins,” he responded, standing up. “Goodbye, headmistress.”

”Goodbye, Severus,” Minerva answered and watched as he exited the office.

The moment the door closed, Albus’ portrait reappeared in the painting behind her desk. It had discreetly ducked out the moment it heard Severus was being summoned. No need tempting the wizard.

”I remember thinking that sometimes we Sorted too soon,” it said to Minerva, who turned in her chair to look at it.

”But now,” the portrait said, its blue eyes bright, “I’m sure of it.”

Minerva wasn’t sure she agreed with the portrait. Yes, Snape was showing a sense of fairness and loyalty, but only to those who were showing him the same fairness and loyalty. It was a simple case of tit for tat, which was definitely a Slytherin trait. The only thing different about Snape now as compared to his first time at Hogwarts, was that he had friends. Those Slytherin tendencies of resourcefulness and cunning still remained, she was certain of that.

Once a Slytherin, always a Slytherin.

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When Severus exited the stairwell, he was met by Hermione and the rest of his friends, who looked at him anxiously.

”What happened, Severus?” Hermione asked as the others gathered around him.

”I want you all to let me know what assignments you get for your detentions,” Snape said.

”Why?” Ginny asked him, her brow furrowed as Snape started walking. They all kept up.

”Because, I’m going to help you,” he said shortly.

”But, you don’t have to do detention,” Ron said. “That’s great.”

”Yeah,” Harry agreed.

Susan didn’t say anything and neither did Hermione.

Snape didn’t answer them concerning how great it was, because he didn’t think it was great at all that they had been punished for helping him while he only received a verbal reprimand..

”Just let me know what assignments you get,” he reiterated.

Harry and Ron shrugged at each other.

”All right,” they both agreed.

They walked in silence a bit, then Hermione said, “I’ve got to go. I have tutoring to do.”

She looked at Snape to see if he wanted to accompany her, but all he said was, “I’ll see you all at lunch.”

Then he sped up, leaving them.

“What do you suppose all that’s about? He’s totally in the clear,” Ron said, blinking after him.

”He doesn’t think it’s fair we got detention and he didn’t,” Susan said quietly. “He wants to do his part and support us now. It’s nice, really.”

Ron snorted.

“I’d be happy with just a verbal reprimand,” he said as Hermione scowled at him.

”You’re so thick, Ron,” she said witheringly. “A real friend wouldn’t want to see his friends punished while he wasn’t.”

”I am a real friend! And I think real friends would be happy to see someone get out of it,” he retorted. “Not everyone has to go down with the broomstick.”

”Thick!” Hermione hissed at him, walking faster and leaving them behind. She needed to get to her students.

”What’s wrong with her?” Ron asked Harry, Ginny and Susan, who all just shook their heads.

Ron was a good sort, but sometimes he missed things completely.

“Forget it, Ron,” Ginny said tightly.

Susan caught hold of his arm and gave him a soft smile.

”I’ll explain it to you later, Ron,” she told him.

”Thanks, Susan,” he replied, then his stomach growled.

”Have any cooking to do today?” he asked her hopefully.

”I’m sure I can whip something up.”

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Snape made his way down the dungeon corridor toward his office. He slowed as he distinctly smelled candied pineapples. There was only one person at Hogwarts who smelled like that. Snape frowned as Professor Slughorn stepped out of a niche with a broad smile.

”I hope I didn’t startle you, my boy,” he said to Severus brightly, only to be greeted by a rather sullen, “You didn’t.”

Snape walked right around him, heading for his quarters. Slughorn followed, a newspaper tucked under his pudgy arm.

”I hope Minerva didn’t lower the boom on you and your friends too hard. I tried my best to persuade her not to punish you, but she had other ideas. Most of my guests enjoyed themselves greatly last night, but there’s always one or two complainers in the bunch. That’s how you were found out.”

Snape didn’t say anything as he stopped in front of his office. Slughorn pulled out the newspaper and showed Snape the front page. In the lower right corner was a little article with the headline,

”Horace Slughorn’s Party a Wizarding Sensation!”

”I was a smash,” the wizard said delightedly. “Already I’ve been deluged with requests for invitations to my next party by some of the most influential people in the wizarding world, people I couldn’t get to attend before last night. It’s simply marvelous. I wonder if you might attend—“

”No,” Snape stated flatly.

”Severus, I promise you that you won’t be beset upon like—“

”No. I won’t be coming to any more of your parties, and that’s final,” Snape said angrily.

Slughorn’s face fell.

”Perhaps I could provide you with some form of recompense—“

”No. Nothing you have could make me attend another party. I only came to that one because of the Gobbarts you loaned me. I don’t need anything else from you.”

Slughorn sighed.

”A lot of people were impressed by your form,” the professor said, “powerful people.”

”No.”

Slughorn looked at Snape with disappointment.

”I had hoped that you would be willing to make important contacts, Severus. Contacts are very important to success.”

”I’ll get successful on my own,” Snape told him, pulling out his wand and unwarding his door. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, professor.”

”Certainly,” Slughorn said heavily, then watched as Snape entered his office and firmly closed the door behind him.

”He’s no more sociable than when he first attended Hogwarts. I thought it might be different for him this time around. He’s still going to be the odd man out. What a pity. He has so much potential. With the right advisor he could really go places. A shame really. At this rate, he’ll never amount to anything,” Slughorn muttered to himself as he walked up the corridor, wallowing in his own version of “sour grapes.”

He was right. Severus Snape did have a lot of potential. Fortunately, the young wizard was aware of this himself, and didn’t need anyone to “guide him along.”

He’d be just fine.

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A/N: Of course, they couldn’t just get away with disrupting the party. There had to be some repercussions. I think this is a nice way to end this part of the story and move into transitional chapters. Thanks for reading. ***