Sea and Serpent (PJO/HP)

Chapter 20. Nicholas Flamel?

“You were about to insult it,” Hermione chimed in. She had already gone back to reading the book again while eating.

“They started it.”

“It’s from Hagrid,” Harry announced softly, reading the contents of the letter. “Inviting us for a cup of tea later. You too, Liss. Said he didn’t want to send an owl to you and have… well…”

“Be attacked by an owl? I’m good on that.” Amaryllis smiled gently at Hagrid’s kindness and that he remembered her dislike of owls. Or their dislike for her in general. She never had a problem with them before, though she had never seen an owl until it arrived on a branch outside their window. But their dislike for each other was now mutual. And Amaryllis had every right to dislike the animal for biting her for no reason.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟

“I’m telling you, Snape is behind it all,” Harry ranted for what Amaryllis felt was the fifth time.

Amaryllis blew out a frustrated breath. “You’ve said that. But I don’t see it.”

No matter how many times any of them said it, Amaryllis didn’t see Professor Snape in the same light. Sure, he needed to be punched in the face for the way he treated students, but it didn’t mean he was actively out to kill them. There was no doubt in the suspicion that surrounded Professor Snape’s leg that he had covered up what looked like a scratch that Harry informed her of as they walked down to Hagrid’s. One that would have come from a large dog when the teachers arrived at the girls’ bathroom after Hermione knocked the troll out. She knew what Harry had meant by that; that the three-headed dog was the one to inflict the wound and Professor Snape was trying to get below the trap door they had seen the night they snuck out of their dorms. It was surprising that she hadn’t noticed it, but then again, she guessed narrowly not being crushed by a troll trumped worries about whatever Dumbledore had thought to hide inside the school.

Even she had questions about how dangerous whatever it was that the professors thought a school with a bunch of students was the safest place to hide it—even with Dumbledore. Was there no one else competent enough to keep it safe?

If not, they were poorly incompetent to have a school as the safest place available that endangered its students. Which surely seemed to be closer than she liked.

“Then who else, Lissie? Snape has had it out for me from day one. You can’t possibly think it isn’t him.”

Professor Quirrel’s face appeared in her mind. There was nothing else she had to go by than the feeling she got every time she was around him. She just didn’t like the professor. “What about Professor Quirrel? He also sat behind Professor Snape during Quidditch. He might not have been mumbling, but he is the professor of the dark arts.”

“Wandless magic isn’t easy,” Hermione added, not lifting her head from the book she read at the table. “Not many witches or wizards can perform it. Besides, Snape was muttering while keeping eye contact with Harry’s broom. It had to be him.”

“Did you even look at another teacher, Hermione?” Her silence and crestfallen expression had given her the answer. “It’s also not impossible for it to be Quirrel, either.”

Hermione glanced between them all but didn’t answer.

She didn’t need to because no matter how small of a chance, it was still a possibility.