Matilda Matlock

The Next Step

"You don't have to ask these kids if they have anything to say," Fred said cooly. "We'll answer for you."

"Matilda isn't here," George said in a firm voice.

"And why... should I believe... you?" Snape said.

The twins looked at each other, then back at him. Fred stepped forward.

"Because we don't have any reason to lie to you," he said, staring the stone-faced Headmaster straight in the eyes. "We're here now. You'll sick the dogs on us whether we tell you anything about her or not. Isn't that right, Sev?"

Snape scoffed, but his face barely moved.

"You boys made a poor decision coming here tonight," he spoke.

Matilda swallowed, heart racing in her chest. She tightened her grip on her wand.

"Aw, come on, Professor..." Fred cooed, "...we brought the party for you!"

That's when a whole swarm of footsteps was heard from the doorway of the Great Hall. Everyone turned again.

Matilda twisted around to see the Order of the Pheonix walking straight into the room, wands in hand, eyes fixated straight forward at Snape.

She felt herself smiling... and she heard Luna and Ginny both release a breath.

Snape blinked at the new arrivals but didn't dare allow his expression to falter. He shifted back on his feet while the Order was positioning themselves at the back of the Hall, the students spreading wider to allow them to take over.

"If you need someone to give credit to for the invite, it was my brilliant idea," Fred said with a smile.

Snape looked back at Fred standing a couple of steps in front of George. "You have no idea what you've done..."

It all happened in what felt like a flash of light to Matilda...

Snape quickly wound his arm back and threw a spell at the boy-

Only for Eloise Baker to lunge out in front of Fred and block it a moment before it even brushed his shirt.

Many students gasped. Fred had looked away from Snape and down at the girl slowly straightening up in front of him. Snape was recoiling his arm and staring, wide-eyed, a look Matilda hadn't often seen on the man, at Eloise.

"Oh, I like her."

Charlie's voice emerged from the back of the Hall. He was smiling.

Matilda couldn't let anyone else's life become threatened right in front of her. She threw off her robe and pushed past Ginny to step out into the opening.

There was a moment when Matilda and Snape locked eyes with one another, and she didn't care about the chorus of gasps and shocked exclamations and whispers, all she seemed to be focusing on was tightening her grasp on her wand and not breaking eye contact with the Professor standing about ten feet in front of her.

"Matilda... Matlock."

"That'll be enough for tonight, Professor," Matilda said.

"No..." he uttered, raising his wand, "...this will..."

And he fired a blast of light towards her before a woman came stepping in front of the girl, striking it away with a firm jerk of her arm.

Matilda gulped at the sight of Professor McGonagall standing directly in front of her with an arm out to shield her student.

She was staring down at Snape, who was slowly lowering his arm.

Matilda was still trying to process what to do next, whether to push the woman aside to safety and attempt to hex Snape herself or watch as two Hogwarts teachers went head-to-head right in front of her when McGonagall suddenly fired another spell at Snape.