Magic? || Years 1-5

Snape: Year 3

"Snape? What's Snape got to do with it?" Black asked sharply, tearing his black gaze away from the rat to stare at Lupin.

"He's here, Sirius. He's teaching here as well," Lupin replied, a hint of a warning in his tone before he turned to the rest of them. "Professor Snape was at school with us. He fought very hard against my appointment to the Defense Against the Dark Arts job. He has been telling Dumbledore all year that I am not to be trusted. He has his reasons... you see, Sirius here played a trick on him which nearly killed him, a trick which involved me -- "

"It served him right. Sneaking around, trying to find out what we were up to... hoping he could get us expelled..." Black growled lip curled up.

"Severus was very interested in where I went every month. We were in the same year, you know, and we -- er -- didn't like each other very much. He especially disliked James. Jealous, I think, of James's 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..." Lupin explained.

"That's right," A cold, scarily familiar voice snarled. And Snape pulled off the Invisibility Cloak, wand pointed right at Lupin.

Hermione screamed, Black leaped up, Harry jumped, and Amisty stumbled to her feet only for Hermione to drag her back down with a thump.

"I found this at the base of the Whomping Willow. Very useful, Potter, I thank you..." He threw the Cloak to the side, triumphant. "You're wondering, perhaps, how I knew you were here? I've just been to your office, Lupin. 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 at it told me all I needed to know. I saw you running along this passageway and out of sight."

"Severus -- " Lupin started.

"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 dreamed you would have the nerve to use this old place as your hideout -- " Snape cut him off.

"Severus, you're making a mistake. You haven't heard everything -- I can explain -- Sirius is not here to kill Harry -- " Lupin urged.

"Two 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 -- " He taunted coldy.

Amisty went rigid.

"You fool. Is a schoolboy grudge worth putting an innocent man back inside Azkaban?" Lupin replied quietly, reserved as ever.

There was a harsh, booming bang, and long tendrils unwound from the tip of Snape's wand and wrapped themselves around Lupin's body, holding him immobile.

Black roared, absolutely livid, and lunged for Snape, only pausing when the said Potions Master held his wand dangerously close to his face.

"Give me a reason. Give me a reason to do it, and I swear I will," He murmured, the threat hanging in the air.

Black looked ready to kill, but then again, so did Snape.

Harry looked back at them, eyes wide in alarm. Hermione was the first to react, getting to her feet shakily and stepping toward them.