Professor Neville Longbottom (A Harry Potter FanFic)

Chapter Six - Step Into My Office

MOST OF THE CHARACTERS IN THIS BOOK ARE THE WORK OF J.K.ROWLING NOT MY OWN.

Chapter Six - Step Into My Office

Neville stepped into the headmasters office feeling like a condemned man walking down death row. He knew that he was in severe trouble for using magic on Malfoy, but even more so because he put that snake down his top. He tried to supress a laugh but Snape had noticed his grin.

"What are you smirking at?" He snapped "You're not a child anymore Mr Longbottom, so please grow up and act your age."

Neville felt that the best way to deal with this comment was to just lower his eyes and say nothing. And anyway, why did snape tell him to act his age when he treated him like a child, not an adult. This man was infuriating and confusing at the same time.

Neville had been too busy concentrating on supressing his laughter that he hadn't had a chance to look around the office. Instead of the warm and welcoming office he was used to, this room was as dark and gloomy as the dungeons. The walls were black, as was the carpet. Silver and green drapes hung from the walls and eventhough headmasters weren't supposed to have favourite houses, Snape had always stayed loyal to Slytherin.

All the furniture was made of deep mahogany, and all the upholstery was silky black satin. The glass fronted cupboards that lined the dim walls were full of hundreds of different bottles. Boxes of strange ingredients and viles of potions sat on the shelves gathering dust, and Neville could see creatures moving inside jars.

Candles flickered on the walls and cast a dim glow that did nothing to warm the dingy room. Shadows danced across the threadbare carpet and made the already creepy room feel even creepier.

But to Snape, this was home. He felt better without expression and didn't feel the need that others did to be surrounded by colours and brightness. He couldn't feel the cold through all the layers of black clothing he wore, especially the longsleeve top which covered his death-eater tattoo.

Neville, however, was chilled to the bone. This room was eerie and the lack of light and warmth was some what worrying. He just wanted to get this over with so that he could collapse onto his bed and sleep.

Snape walked over to the extravagant desk which dominated the room. Once perched on his chair he peered at Neville through his dark eyes as one would to a specimin in a jar. A look of disdain was etched on his face and this unnerved Neville. All of his brave, Gryffindor spirit seemed to have drained out of him as soon as he stepped through the door.

"Sit." Snapes eyes never left Neville as he ascended the steps and sat down on the chair. It was hard and uncomfortable, and the silky black satin did nothing for comfort as Neville felt that he was going to slide off the chair at any moment.

"Now," Droned Snape "We both know that your use of magic on students is unacceptable. And the fact that it all seems to be aimed at young Malfoy is more of an outrage." Snape waited a moment before speaking as to let the importance of his words sink in.

"You are a very clever man, Mr Longbottom, so you must understand that this innapropriate use of magic has to stop. If there is one more incident of this manner then I will have no choice but to suspend you from teaching." Snapes eyes seemed to glimmer with jubilation as he unloaded this news onto Neville. He could have sworn that a hint of a cruel smile was forming on his lips and he  realised that Snape hadn't changed, he still enjoyed inflicting misery on others.

This made Neville angry. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his fists as he remembered how Snape was as his teacher. He was cruel then, doling out detentions and punishments as if they were sweets. Neville snapped.

"Why is this all my fault? You don't care about my side of the story, you only believe Him!" Neville spat out his name as if it was poison in his mouth. "You are wrong, You are SO wrong! This is not fair!"

"It may not be Fair," Hissed Snape, Putting emphasis on the word as if he saw it as a joke "Nothing is ever fair, but your behaviour was wrong. Now swallow your pride and leave my office."

"This is not YOUR OFFICE!!!" Neville screamed, all trace of respect he had for this man was gone "It is Dumbledores office, and you don't deserve to be here. It rightfully belongs to him, and you will NEVER measure up to that great man."

Snape fixed him with a scathing stare before growling "Get out, NOW!"

Neville leapt from his chair as if it was made of red hot coals. He stormed from the room and slammed the door, making the bottles in the cupboards rattle. When he reached his room he flung himself onto his bed and made an exasperated moan. Snape didn't understand how difficult Falco was. He didn't seem to realise that he had no respect and was a horrific student. Neville remembered that he had another class to teach, and he was already late. He grabbed his books off the desk in the corner of the room and ran down the halls towards the Herbology classroom.

Meanwhile, In his office, Snape was furious. "How dare he treat me like that!" He fumed. Longbottom was too agressive and pompous, he thought , and he knew who could take him down a peg.

"Rosalind?" he called, and the beautiful blond woman disapperated beside him. "Keep an eye on him." He ordered "Make sure he doesn't step out of line again, got that?"

Rosalind nodded, the tiny bells on her headband jangling with the movement. "Yes Father."