1 : IMPERIO

CHAPTER 8: QUIDDITCH

Word count: 4465

Charlotte walked towards the dungeons and saw the door wide open with McGonagall and Snape inside. She silently walked in, and the two turned towards her. Snape was sitting on a chair calmly, but McGonagall looked angry.

"What was that supposed to mean Charlotte?" McGonagall snapped. "I've seen you have fun but this was reckless and absolutely dangerous."

"I'm sorry Minnie but Ron had said some mean things to Hermione and –"

"I do not care what happened. What worries me is that any of you could have died, and I won't let that happen. Is that understood?" Charlotte silently nodded and McGonagall marched out of the clod room. Sighing Charlotte made her way towards the desk and placed her purse on the table.

"Don't mind her; she just cares about you a lot." Said Snape and Charlotte nodded opening her purse, and pointing her wand to it.

"I know, she saw me grow up after all. Anyway where did you go to bleed?" she teased as two bottles jumped up in her hand from the small purse. Snape raised an eyebrow and cracked a small smile. Walking around the desk she kneeled down, and told him to show her the wound.

"Just a little scratch" he said and Charlotte observed the deep cut and looked up at him with a raised eyebrow.

"That's not a scratch, that's a bite, of bloody big teeth at that." Looking down she poured to potion from the bottle on a cloth and started cleaning the wounds. "Where did you get them from, a three headed dog?" she joked and felt Snape tense. Looking up at him with wide eyes her jaw dropped. "You did, oh god. Why would you even go up there?"

"How's Quirrell?" Snape asked changing topics, and Charlotte scoffed knowing she wasn't going to get any. Going back to cleaning the wound she answered.

"Weird, like he's trying to make everyone believe that all his stuttering is real, but I'm not going to fall for his act. And his class smells like ginger, it's disgusting really." She complained and closed the potion bottle opening the other. Pouring the potion directly on the wound she heard him hiss. "Why did you ask?"

Snape said nothing and then she remembered the look on Quirrell's face. "Dad –" she said placing the potion down. "– did in any case, Quirrell tried to steal whatever the Cerberus in the third floor's forbidden corridor was guarding, and you went there to save, and got bitten?"

"Where did you come to that conclusion from?"

"I saw his face in the bathroom. He looked like you've stolen his favourite candy." Snape chuckled at that and nodded.

"Yes, that is what happened. How did you know there was a dog, or it was guarding something?" Charlotte shrugged and got up. Walking around the table, she put the potions back in her purse and sat down.

"Encountered it along with Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville; got out of there screaming when we saw it." She saw Snape looked tense, and smiled. "Yes, they know it's guarding something too" she answered his unasked question. "What is it guarding anyway?"

"It's not for you to know." Snape said sharply and stood up. Charlotte held her hands up in defeat. She had no interest in a fight. "So –" he turned to her. "– you want to go plant? There is still time for your curfew." Charlotte nodded standing up a smile on her face.

The two walked outside. The whole castle seemed empty and extremely quiet. The father-daughter duo walked to the black lake and looked down at the plants.

"Dad, can I call Kara?" Snape looked hesitant. "Please?" he nodded and Charlotte hissed. She saw Snape flinched but composed. Hearing a slither and a hiss back a smile took over her face. "She's here –" and looked around in the dark. "– somewhere"