Severed Ties || Severus Snape

12. Merlin, God, Whoever Is Listening

"SILENCE!" With his wand to his throat to enhance his voice, Dumbledore addressed the students. "Prefects, please lead your house-mates to your dorms quickly and calmly. Slytherins, you stay here. Students, follow the prefects' instructions. You may go."

He put his wand down as the prefects stood up and began shouting commands. "Teaching staff," he continued, "please make sure your respective houses find their way to their dorms safely. Do a head-count when they arrive. Make sure every student is accounted for."

Heart pounding, Emma followed Pomona Sprout, the head of Hufflepuff, towards their dorm, herding the Hufflepuffs together like sheep, while keeping an eye out for danger.

"No dawdling!" Pomona kept shouting. "Hurry up, hurry up. Stick together, leave nobody behind!"

Just ahead of her, a few first-year girls huddled together, their eyes wide with fear. "What if it finds us?" they kept whispering. "How did a troll get into Hogwarts? If it finds us, we're dead!"

Sick to her stomach with worry, Emma couldn't find it in herself to reassure them. Almost there, she kept telling herself. We'll make it.

When they finally reached the portrait with the fruit bowl, Pomona nodded to her. "Thank you for your help, Professor Moore. I can take it from here. Go and see if any of the others need anything."

Emma nodded and left the Hufflepuff common room without another word. She raced through the hallways, up the stairs, stopping at every corner to make sure there was no monster on the other side.

If it came to it, would she be able to fight off a troll? She wasn't so sure. She'd never been much of a dueller. Severus had taught her a few things, years ago, but she'd never really gotten the hang of it. She was a healer, not a fighter. So what in Merlin's name am I going to do if I run into that beast?

Her heart hammering, she snuck onwards, all the way up to the Gryffindor tower. She'd almost made it to the Fat Lady when her portrait swung open, letting through a pale-faced Professor McGonagall.

"I have three first-years missing," she said, voice cracking. "Potter, Weasley, and Granger. I'll search this floor. Go. And tell all teaching staff you come across. We must find them."

Unable to find her voice, Emma turned wordlessly and sprinted back down the stairs. Three students. Three students missing, while a huge, dangerous monster lurked in the castle. What if it found them? First-years – they'd barely had three months of education in magic. If they came across a troll, there was nothing they could do. They could barely cast a single spell, let alone fight off a full-grown monster.

"Please, keep them safe," she whispered while running. "Merlin, God, whoever is listening, please don't let anything happen to them."

When she reached the fifth floor, she stopped, turning a full circle. Two floors and I haven't come across a single soul. I won't find them. Not like this.

She took a deep breath and rubbed her face with both hands. Think, Emma. Where could they be?

Three first-year students, alone in the castle, unaware of any danger. Where would they go on Halloween evening?

The Great Hall, came her immediate answer. They'd be in the Great Hall, but they weren't there, for fuck's sake! Where else?

She ripped the elastic band out of her hair, letting her fingers work automatically to recreate the braid while her brain worked in overdrive.

Perhaps I'm looking at this the wrong way, she suddenly thought. Perhaps I don't need to find the kids. Just the troll. If the kids aren't with the troll, then they're safe. And I know where the troll is...