The Disgraced of the House of Black - A Multi-Character Fanfiction - Part One

55. Rivalry of the Most Natural Sort

"But," Harry said in confusion, "what did you do?"

"Severus was very interested in where I went every month," Remus explained. "We were in the same year, you know, and we - er - didn't like each other very much."

Amara snorted, crossing over toward the door as she listened to him talk, muttering, "Understatement of the century."

"He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James' talent on the Quidditch field...anyway Snape had seen me crossing the grounds with Madam Pomfrey one evening as she led me toward the Whomping Willow to transform. Sirius thought it would be - er - amusing, to tell Snape all he had to do was prod the knot on the tree trunk with a long stick, and he'd be able to get in after me. Well, of course, Snape tried it - if he'd got as far as this house, he'd have met a fully grown werewolf - but your father, who'd heard what Sirius had done, went after Snape and pulled him back, at great risk to his life...Snape glimpsed me, though, at the end of the tunnel. He was forbidden by Dumbledore to tell anybody, but from that time on he knew what I was..."

"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," Harry realized. "Because he thought you were in on the joke?"

"That's right," a slow, drawing voice said.

Amara jumped as she felt an arm wrap tightly around her throat as a wand tip was pressed to her temple. Sirius jumped to his feet, looking angrier than ever before.

"Severus," Amara whispered, her voice barely more than a breath.

"Hello, dear sister," Snape snapped. "So I wasn't real enough for you, was I?"

Instantly, Amara felt her veins surge with anger.

"Get the hell off me!" Amara shouted, struggling against him before a flash of light shot from his wand.

Amara winced as the wand tip scorched her skin.

"Let her go, Severus!" Eliana cried, quickly pulling Althea, who was the closest to him, behind her and out of harm's way.

Tossing aside the Invisibility Cloak he had been wearing, Snape remarked, "I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow. Very useful, Potter, I thank you."

"Severus," Amara said again, this time unable to hide her desperation.

Ignoring her, he remarked, "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here? I've just been to your office, Lupin. Eliana never came to me for more wolfsbane which means you forgot to take your potion tonight, so I took a gobletful along. And very lucky I did...lucky for me, I mean. Lying on your desk was a certain map. One glance told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus," Lupin began.

"I've told the headmaster again and again that you're helping your old friend Black into the castle, Lupin, and here's the proof. Not even I dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout."

"Severus, you're making a mistake," Lupin tried again.

"Professor-" Althea began.

"Silence!" Snape snarled. "I thought I'd told you once before your mouth was better shut!"

"Talk to her like that again and I will end you," Eliana snapped.

"Or perhaps I'll end her," Snape retorted, pressing his wand further into Amara's temple. "Three more for Azkaban tonight. I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this..He was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin...a tame werewolf-"

"You fool," Lupin said softly. "Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man and your own sister in Azkaban?"

His lip curling, Snape said, "Oh, my sister isn't going to Azkaban. I intend to finish what I started seventeen years ago."