Harry Potter One Shots

(2) Reconciliation

All rights belong to the author, MaxArkem

"Crucio!" Amycus's wheezing laugh echoed through the halls as the young girl writhed on the ground. The young Hufflepuff had been caught smuggling food to one of her housemates in the dungeons. That student was still chained to the wall under guard by a few zealous Slytherins, but his hapless would-be saviour had been dragged by the Carrows upstairs to be tortured in full view of the castle.

Snape had heard the screaming from his office as they dragged her past. Alecto's wand rose again. "Crucio!" her rasping voice was lost in the fresh screams from the Hufflepuff on the flagstones. Amycus, watching with undisguised enjoyment, had his own wand out too, discouraging intervention from the group of students who had gathered, horrified, around the scene.

A door crashed open down the hall; Minerva sailed out, her hat askew, wand out, fury on her face. Amycus threw Snape a glance of ill-disguised fear, and jostled his sister, who stopped for a moment. The girl on the ground whimpered, and hugged her legs to her chest.

"ENOUGH!" Minerva thundered. Her eyes blazed as she took in the scene. "So help me, Alecto..." she trailed off, catching Snape's warning glare. A muscle in her jaw flexed. For a moment, he thought she might attack the Carrows and to hell with the consequences. Then, with a visible effort, she calmed herself.

The Death Eaters had flinched back under the force of her arrival; now, reassured, they cackled. "What are you going to do, Minerva? You can't do anything for the little mudblood, can you?" Amycus gave another wheezing laugh.

"She had it coming," Alecto sneered, "We'd given the other brat detention. She was going against strict instructions from the headmaster."

Minerva turned on Snape, eyes shooting fire. "Well, headmaster?" she asked, voice dripping scorn. "Are you content that this young woman's punishment has been sufficient given the serious nature of her infraction?"

There was a murmur among the watching students. Several had their wands out; Snape noticed a handful of Gryffindors murmuring to each other, and caught a glimpse of a Dumbledore's Army medallion being pulled from someone's robes. Things could get out of hand, here.

"Alecto, I think Miss. Hawthorne has learned her lesson, don't you?" Snape said coldly, his voice betraying no emotion. The Carrows were spoiling for a fight, but even they had finally caught on to the tension in the hallway. Amycus scoffed.

"I should hope so," he sputtered, eyes darting around at the hardened faces and drawn wands.

Alecto seemed less willing to give up. "I'm not sure, headmaster," she spat, throwing the prostrate Hufflepuff a venomous look. "I think she might need further punishment."

Snape saw his chance, and took it. "Very well then. Miss Hawthorne, detention, with me, tonight. Nine o'clock, don't you dare be late." He didn't so much as glance at the whimpering girl on the floor. Turning on his heel, he stalked back to his office.

He paused at the door, and looked back. Left behind, and badly outnumbered, the Carrows had finally conceded defeat. Minerva watched them skulk away, then, shooing the students back to class, she bent to help Hawthorne to the hospital wing.

She came to him when her class ended. "Once more, like that, Severus, and I swear I'll kill that sadistic hag," she exclaimed as she closed the door behind her. She collapsed into the chair before his desk. "They're children, we have a duty to protect them."

Snape met her gaze, and she softened when she saw the pain behind his eyes. He nodded, sharply. "I know. But there are bigger things at stake here." He ran a hand through his hair. "Amycus and Alecto are here because the Dark Lord knows they're bumbling idiots. If they were to be attacked, however, he might decide to take a more direct role."