Chapter Text
Silent empty corridors in the middle of the night should have been commonplace inside the walls of Hogwarts. But Severus Snape's life was never that easy.
He silently swept along the halls, prepared for the shuffling sound of students out of bed. It was a nightly occurrence, even with the Professor Umbridge's reigning tyranny. The Hufflepuffs sneaking from their common room to the kitchens for a midnight snack, the Ravenclaws wondering back late from the library, and the Slytherins sneaking about doing goodness knows what trying not to get caught. But the worst of them all was the Gryffindors, and their nonsensical search for adventure and ridiculous attention seeking.
The timid patter of careful footsteps led him to an alcove not far off a forgotten corridor. The old history classrooms, once used when there were enough students to require more rooms, but the devastation of war diminished their numbers greatly.
He followed quietly, noting that there only seemed to be one person moving light feet. Had he not been paying attention he may have missed them. Perhaps he had caught them on their way to meet someone? Perhaps there was a gathering or a common place he had yet to discover? This path was leading further and further beyond the normal patrolling paths of some of the more lax teachers routes. But his due diligence would repay him. It often did.
The footfalls were slowing as they reached what he presumed was their owners destination. Snape sneered, he never would have been so careless to allow someone to follow him all of this way only now to check. He waited around the corner for them to make their assessments of the hallway before hearing a door open and close.
Snape cast a muffliato charm. It wouldn't do him any good to discover them now, and allow them time to hide their plots before he couldn't thoroughly punish them.
He strode confidently forward and approached the door at the end of a narrow hallway. Hogwarts was a home he was familiar with, but some of the more neglected areas of the castle could still hold some mysteries and this was one of them. Snape couldn't quite recall what was beyond the door, but knew that it faced out onto the quidditch pitch and further still the forbidden forest. The other rooms on the walk there provided him that surprisingly beautiful view.
With the element of surprise he strode forward and spelled the door to burst open. The student was on their feet instantly staring in shock, wand aloft.
Snape scanned the room carefully for any concealments and other people out of bed. "Harry Potter, I should have known," he stepped further into the room. No one else seemed to be present, but you could never tell with Potter's bloody invisibility cloak.
The wand in the boys hand lowered, "Professor, I-".
"There is no use for excuses. You have earned yourself detention with me for the next week." The boy looked as though he might protest, "any pitiful excuses will earn you a fortnight," Snape sneered. Gryffindor's would always try foolishly to rebuff his punishments.
"I already have detention with Professor Umbridge for the next month, Sir," Potter declared, words soft and head tilted. The light of the moon shone through the windows on his pale face. The bags under his eyes from countless sleepless nights, were a deep purple.
"And just how, Mr Potter, did you manage that within the first fortnight of term?" Snape waited for a reply eyebrow raised, the boy looked ill and the Ministry's Interfering Toad surely couldn't have dug her claws in so deeply to have tempered him this fast.
Potter rubbed absent-mindedly at the back of his hand, looking solemnly at the floor.
"She said Cedric's death was a-an accident. Like he just dropped dead of his own accord," Potter chocked out. His voice riddled with emotion "She wouldn't even admit that it was unnatural, just blamed me for making the Minister look bad. I don't control the newspapers! And Dumbledore's not doing anything! He won't even talk to me! Not about the Dementor's, not about Cedric, or Umbridge!" The boy's anger was fierce. He was pacing the floor, gesturing wildly, and had tears rolling downs his cheeks in rivers.
"But that's fine-" Potter continued, "Just 'keep my head down' and 'don't draw attention to myself', like that's bloody possible!" The walls of the room quivered with suppressed magic. Clearly, barely held back emotions had obviously been eating away at the child.
"Potter." Snape said firmly "What are you talking about? Surely you understand the delicate position the Headmaster is in regarding the Ministry."
Snape's attempt to calm the boy had failed. He hair sparked wildly with the release of more anger. How no one had seen how powerful he was baffled Snape, this child had the power to topple Dark Lords and no one had yet seen fit to temper or train him.
"You want to- You know what FINE! THIS! THIS IS WHAT I HAVE TO DEAL WITH!" Potter aggressively shoved his hand under Snape's nose. His hand that noticeable lacked a wand, which would have been very odd if not for the words carved into the flesh.
I must not tell lies.
Snape grasped the hand and pulled it closer to inspect the wound. For that is what it was a wound, on a child. It could only have been inflicted on him inside of the castle walls and any implement that could cause such a mark would have been caught out by the wards unless of course it belonged to their new interloper. His mind was running away from him, surely Dumbledore had to know of Umbridge's torture devices?
Potter hadn't tried to take his hand back, but his anger had noticeably calmed. Snape's own anger however was slowly growing, but was known to simmer and burn for a very long time.
"Potter, when exactly did this take place?" He would have to hear it confirmed for action to take place. If the boy didn't admit it there was nothing he could do as his teacher other than take him to Madam Pomfrey to see about healing the damage.
"Umbridge's detentions," he stated plainly, "The last few days she's made me use this quill of hers for a few hours. Why do you want to know? It's not like you can do anything."
The insinuation was insulting, but if he had already sought help from others, and they had told him nothing could be done, then he could understand the child's reticence. "That is where you are wrong, Mr Potter. Starting today you will be taking detention with me, in place of your detentions with Madam Umbridge," At this the boy looked up, surprised, "Furthermore, I will be speaking with the headmaster. The use of this type of implement is illegal for use on adult wizards, let alone on children."
The hope in Potter's eyes was not something he had aimed to inspire this late in the evening but something had to be done. The Toad was not well liked among the staff, nor the student body, so her public opinion was already at an all time low. This should result in her removal, but there were always other methods to ensure. Snape almost felt like thanking Mr Potter for giving him the ammunition he needed, but that would be too out of character, even for him.
"Now, Mr Potter, I believe it is past curfew. 50 points from Gryffindor."
"What!? But I though the detentions-"
"You thought incorrectly. The detentions alone are not enough to dissuade you. Now to your dormitory." Snape finished with a sneer, pointing to the door.
The boy eyed him contemplatively, before picking his cloak up off the floor, (the blasted thing) covering himself and shuffling past him out the door.
Snape was indeed correct, the view over the Quidditch pitch and across to the Forbidden forest was something to behold. And tomorrow would be ever sweeter for the ammunition Potter had provided him.