Title: On the Road To Hogsmeade
Date: 27 May 2005
Author: )
Rating: PG, so sorry, no smut
Spoilers: PoA
Warnings: none
Sections: 1/1, very short
Word Count: approx. 750
Summary: After the Boggart incident, Neville must face his worst fear. Part of FloraHart's Alphabet challenge. My chosen characters were Snape & Neville and my word choice was "quartz".A/N: sorry it took so long, but I've had three days of the headache from lower Heck. Thanks to chazpure for the beta. :)
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DISCLAIMER: This non-profit material was produced out of love for the Harry Potter Universe and is not intended to infringe upon JK Rowling, Warner Brothers, Scholastic Books, nor any other holders of Harry Potter copyrights, in this or any other universe...
He heard footsteps behind him and his heart raced. Neville struggled to put on more speed.
Why, oh why had Professor Lupin seen fit to show his deepest fear? He had been proud of his successful Riddikulus spell, however, the Slytherins had not taken the spectre of their head of house in a dress with good humour. They'd been shoving him in between classes and sabotaging his potions. Sometimes in the presence of teachers! What would a Slytherin do to him if they found him walking by himself?
He moved even faster at this thought. Was it his imagination that the footsteps behind him also increased stride? Why, oh, why hadn't he been able to wake up in time to join his classmates going to Hogsmeade?
He turned to look back, to see who was following when the stone he stepped on broke and he fell heavily. His hands stung from the sharp gravel, but aside from that and having the breath knocked out of him, he felt okay.
"Trust a Gryffindor to attempt walking whilst looking behind him."
Neville froze. Snape. The one person, besides Voldemort or his grandmother, that he did *not* want to see.
He looked up now into the Potions Master's glare and quailed. To his surprise, the dour-faced man extended a hand to him. To his shame, Neville flinched from it. Snape scowled at this.
"Get up, you ridiculous child. Or are you injured?"
"W-what?"
To his horror, Snape bent over and grasped his forearm, lifting him from the ground.
Neville found his balance, opened his mouth to speak, but the look Snape had as he assessed him gave him pause. He looked angry. Would he do something now? At this thought, Snape suddenly grabbed his wrists and turned them up, studying his hands. He let them go, pursed his lips and then looked up at Neville who swallowed.
"Hold still," Snape ordered, whipping out his wand. Neville froze. Snape pointed it at him and all logical thought fled from Neville's mind. He ran.
Neville heard Snape's startled breath of sound and tried to put on more speed, but the angry shout made him jump, "Stop this instant or I'll hex you, boy!"
Neville stopped, shaking. He could hear those booted footsteps again and he waited nervously for whatever Snape would do.
"Let me see your hands, Longbottom."
Unable to control his trembling, Neville held out his scraped and bloodied palms.
"Curatio sinistera."
At Snape's wand wave, the bleeding scrapes on his left hand sealed up. Neville swallowed.
Snape then made an odd jabbing gesture with his wand and intoned, "Avoco calx ab dextera."
Neville gasped as the ground-in pebbles squirmed, then lifted out of his right palm. Snape assessed it and frowned. A sparkle of light caught Neville's eye; a crystal was still embedded in the heel of his hand.
"Avoco crystallus ab dextera."
He was ready this time for the odd sensation of wiggling under his skin as the crystal worked itself free and flew out.
"Curatio dextera," Snape finished quietly, and then bent to retrieve the bloody crystal. He studied it. "Fascinating."
"W-what is it?"
"A form of milky quartz. Quite useful in some potions. With your permission, Longbottom, I would like to use this for my research."
"S-sure."
"Without question?"
"W-why would I q-question...?"
"Are you really this imbecilic, Longbottom?"
"S-sir?"
"This quartz has your blood on it, boy. Some less-ethical potion makers would not hesitate to use it. I am a Potions Master, however, and I am oath and honour bound not to cause harm through my potions," he explained icily. His eyes narrowed. "Now. With your permission, I would like to use this for my research."
Neville found his voice. To his surprise, he heard himself ask, "What if I d-don't give permission?"
The Potions Master studied him for a moment, then pointed his wand at the quartz. "Scourgify!"
The quartz was soon thoroughly clean of his blood. Snape held it out to him. Neville took it, a bit stunned, wondering what had just transpired.
"Regardless of what you might hear or what you might think of me personally, Mr. Longbottom, I am not entirely free of ethics. Please keep that in mind."
That said, Snape turned and headed toward Hogsmeade, totally ignoring the stunned boy. Neville swallowed, caught his breath, looked at the quartz then over to the retreating back of his most-hated Professor.
He had survived his worst fear... again, and this time he hadn't even needed a spell.
Neville smiled, pocketed the quartz, and started walking toward Hogsmeade once more.
~ FINIS ~
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27 May 2005. The characters are JK Rowlings. The situations they're in are the author's.
Not meant to infringe on any legal holders of Harry Potter copyright. No profit was made on
this or any other fanfic by this author. Please do not reproduce for anything other than
personal reading use (including fanzines) without written consent of the author. Thank you.Comments, questions to:
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