Chapter 9: The Return of the Dark 

"Come on, Lucy," Snape called from outside of his compartment from where Lucy still sat with her Ancient Runes book and parchment flooded around her. "It's time to go." 

"But I'm not done!" She whined as Snape slid open the compartment door and began putting her parchment in her bag and after that he snatched her book off of her and placed it in her bag, closed it and pulled her off the train. "That one time you stop me studying and I'm actually enjoying myself..." 

"Yes, well, I had to. I don't think you'd want to be left on the train to be taken back to London do you?" 

"Not really," she laughed nervously then the two hopped off the train and headed towards the carriages that would take them up to Hogwarts like usual. But Lucy stopped in her tracks. She looked at one of the carriages already being pulled off to Hogwarts; there was Umbridge and another woman with her. Lucy stared at her then she looked at her, and winked. 

"What are you looking at?" Snape asked. 

"Nothing, come on, lets go." 

Lucy dragged Snape to one of the carriages and they sat down opposite each other until they had reached Hogwarts. Snape got off first then helped Lucy down and then they headed up to the great hall. 

The kids bumbled into the great hall as children were sorted into houses and feasts filled stomachs. Lucy was eating some jelly lazily as well as some of Bertie Botts every flavour beans as Dumbledore prepared for his welcome speech on top of the golden owl.

“What do you think he’ll talk about this time?” Lucy asked the group that surrounded her. Shona was the only one who answered.

“Got to either be about his beard or the pink tutu he’s got hanging in the corner,” Shona muffled underneath her food. Lucy stared over to the thing in pink before her eyes widened.

“That’s that woman!” Lucy yelled before covering her mouth and Shona dropped her potato.

“What woman?” Shona asked curiously as she looked for someone with a knife or something dangerous like something out of a horror movie.

“That woman...you know!” Lucy pointed and hid behind her tall friend. Shona rolled her eyes.

“No,” Shona said confused as Lucy put one of Shona’s books in front of her face.

“She tried to kill me on the trian!” Lucy exclaimed. Lucy felt so foolish but it was only when she saw her from such a distance did the pink and wrinkles flash back into her mind. Both gulped.

“Don’t worry, Lucky, she’s trying to kill Snape at the moment!” Shona giggled as Lucy peeped over.

To her humorous discovery Snape had been positioned by the woman who was eating with minute mouthfuls. Snape seemed to be eyeballing her like she was a pink accessory in his wardrobe. “Oh yes Snape! Being owned I think. Pink is so this year...blacks so five years ago!” Shona added in a posh voice.

“Good evening children! I do hope that all of you will have a pleasant time on your holidays, and for our O.W.L.s students the best of luck for this year.” Dumbledore flicked his papers over as Snape feebly clapped along with the others, Umbridge looking at him as though she didn’t know clapping even existed.

“Look at her though. Thinking she’s the best,” Lucy whined as the woman in pink inspected Snape secretly. Shona just drank more pumpkin juice.

 “I would like to say for anyone taking magical creatures this year that Professor Hagrid will be on temporary leave. Professor Grubly Plank will be taking over for that time. And I would like to introduce our new defence against the dark arts, Professor Dolores Umbridge!” He clapped, students slowly following his lead.

“She looks a bundle of laughs,” the twins chorused together as others began to notice her. The lady perched her pink hat at an angle on the top of her head and smiled cheaply.

“Hagrid isn’t in?” Shona quizzed to Harry who shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s a bit odd,” Hermione whispered as the noise died down.

As Dumbledore went on though, she let out a mousey cough. The teachers stared at her as she stood up with her pink handbag, Lucy wouldn’t have been surprised if she kept Norbert the dragon in there like some small pooch.

Dumbledore moved away from the stand, but Umbridge preferred to stand on her own by the Ravenclaw table. She nodded at Dumbledore who smiled sweetly.

“Thank you headmaster for those loving and generous words of wisdom,” she squeaked behind pearly white teeth. “How nice it is to see you all smiling at me! I was also very impressed with all of your co-operation on the train! I’m sure if this carries on we are all going to be very, very good friends.”

“That’s likely,” the twins murmured. Lucy giggled but stopped as Umbridge laid her eyes on her. Lucy’s smile was snatched away by the pink woman.

“The ministry and the minister have always carried the importance of learning close to its heart. Although each headmaster has bought all kinds of new and wondrous time to this historic school…” she praised Dumbledore who kindly nodded his head. “Progress for the sake of progress must be discouraged. Let us preserve what must be preserved, perfect what can be perfected and prove what should be prohibited.”

She walked off suddenly as Dumbledore decided to clap. Everybody dumbly followed.

“What?” Ron said dumbly and forked more jelly into his mouth. Shona sighed and turned to him

“I saw her on Lucy’s trial, she’s no unicorn I’m telling you that. She will twist your insides without you knowing.”

“So what’s she trying to say, Worthing?” Seamus giggled as Dumbledore went on about Filch’s hallways. Shona grunted and spoke to him.

“It means she going to be inspecting us, trying to throw the cat amongst the pigeons. The ministry is going to interfere with Hogwarts.”

*       *       * 

As the feast ended, the teachers were sent out the back door and into the headmaster’s office through a passageway. Umbridge lead them all in as and the teachers stood waiting for orders. Dumbledore was going to take his usual seat, but Umbridge pointed him to stand aside next to her.

“What I said to the students is true,” she said with a grin “I shall hold the upmost respect for this school, but nevertheless, gain full whereabouts of what is happening.”

The teacher didn’t reply. Flitwick coughed slightly and Professor Sprout patted him on the back and nearly sent him flying into Umbridge.

“I would also like to introduce my own private secretary, Fiona Wave.”

Dolores looked into the corner where no one had even noticed the woman with black hair writing furiously. She wore designer glasses and a feminine suit. She smiled at the teachers politely before Umbridge sent her a look to continue. Fiona nodded in apology and continued her work silently.

Snape gritted his teeth and felt his pulse increase. He had an odd feeling of anger bubbling inside of him…

“And that is all!” Dolores concluded.

 Snape blinked as other clapped around him wondering what announcement he had just missed. The teachers strode out the office, Snape trying to hide his inner thoughts and confusement as he made his way down the steps. He took one last look into the room and scanned the woman. The second look confirmed his fears.

Just wait a second...he thought to himself. It couldn’t be, Dumbledore wouldn’t allow it. But still Snape grieved to know. He had to know now, people lives could depend on it.

Snape skulked in the darkness waiting for a sign of life from the gargoyle. He spread himself into the shadows as Dumbledore merrily skipped past, humming a tune that sounded like it had something to do with raspberry’s.

Finally Umbridge emerged with Fiona Wave.

“Don’t worry dear, this place is massive! I’ll get you to your—”

“May I be of assistance?” Snape said casually as though he had just walked down the corridor.

“Professor,” Umbridge smirked. “Would you mind taking Miss Wave to the guest rooms? I trust you know where they are.”

“But of course,” he said in a low voice.

Snape looked into the corner of his eye to see Fiona, who had no expression whatsoever. Umbridge smiled and walked off, leaving the two in the darkness.

At once Snape took out his wand and aimed it at the woman. It was inches away from her face and she panicked, she got out her wand in retaliation.

“Drop your wand,” Snape snarled.

She instantly obeyed and started to back away but Snape used all his power to smash her to a nearby wall, purple bruises seeping up her side.

“Don’t think you can fool me again, you’ll be in a chamber faster than you can put a fang to anybody’s neck!”

“What on earth are you talking about?!” She yelled.

“I think you know damn well what I’m talking about...Jessica Stone.” 

“Who?”

“Jessica Stone; don’t act like you don’t know your own name,” he seethed. At one moment the woman looked at him with shock which slowly turned into a normal, blank face.

“We need to talk, Severus Snape; right now,” she said quietly but Snape ignored this.

“The only place you’re going is to the chamber! You…”Snape was about to go on but he couldn’t. He had a million things he wanted to say but for some reason his lips banning him from doing so. “Why are you…”

“Here? Dumbledore,” she said quickly and confidently as Snape kept his wand close to her face. “But we need to talk somewhere else.”

“Prove it,” Snape spat sourly. Jessica then went out and pulled out a necklace. He looked at it before recognising it.

A resistance badge.

Dumbledore had shown him them in the summer holidays. It was a plain piece of leather stamped with their logo on it.  It was a doe, a phoenix and a wolf on top of a shape, which represented their patronus’, as well as the medieval islands. He knew these couldn’t be faked.

 “How do I know…?” he said as she turned it.

Her initials were engraved onto the back. Dumbledore had told him always to look out for that, meaning of higher status. There was no faking that.

At once Snape unpleasantly pushed her in front of him and snarled into her ear.

“To the dungeons.”

*      *      * 

Jessica knew the whereabouts of the castle from last time but Snape was dragging her by her heels anyway. She said nothing as the dwelled deeper and deeper down into the chambers and eventually down the spiral staircase leading to his office.

In one clean movement Snape pushed his door open, threw his enemy in and glided in himself. He rammed the door shut and casted some spells at the door before turning.

“You,” was all that he could slur and stormed over. He shoved the wand back into the vision of Jessica Stone.

“Snape…”

“Why has Dumbledore sent you here?” He spat, rolling his eyebrows in disbelief.

“To keep an eye on Dolores Umbridge, he believes I am the only one suitable enough…”

“Suitable. Never heard such a lie...” Snape snarled as he began to loose the little control he had.

“He asked me to come along. After that stunt with Lucy he knew she’d try to tangle you up in this as well; especially McGuire...”

“But why you? Why would Dumbledore choose a pesky little murder like you?” Snape hissed as he pushed the wand closer. Jessica lost her cool.

“Because I’m head of the resistance!” She yelled as Snape eyeballed her. “The most powerful anti army to date in the world! Umbridge can’t sniff me out, even if she did, she wouldn’t suspect Jessica Stone being on the good side would she? She would instantly blame Zuc, which is what Dumbledore wants if so.”

She had a major point but Snape still had a bad feeling inside his chest. Dumbledore would never trust a vampire, not after what she had caused in third year. But shock flew over him at the same time

“Head of the resistance?” He rebounded as Jessica nodded slowly, the low light showing of her face to him

“Cat got your tongue?” Snape did not reply, “I’m not here to… I’m here to protect you from anything...”

“What? An attack on the gifted? Oh really!? Three blood curling inhuman swine’s attacking two innocent school girls that could have died!” Snape’s eyes flashed dangerously at her.

“Professor Snape!” She yelled at him outraged but Snape had a mad glint in his eye.

“I can’t trust you, I can barely trust myself because of you. I can’t trust you ever again,” Snape snapped at Jessica who looked horrified at him. Snape mumbled something like ‘move’ and grabbed her arm. Jessica let out a yell at the action and recoiled back and smacked him in the face.

 Snape snarled and the two battled out like cats. Jessica shrieked as Snape tired to fire a spell at her. Slowly the door clicked open. Everything stopped. Snape glared at it as Professor Dumbledore merrily walked in

“Oh the cucumbers and the raspberry’s…” he hummed the tune softly as he shut the door with ease. He turned to them both who had separated themselves very quickly.

“What is she doing here?” Snape demanded angrily.

“Professor! He won’t believe me! Tell him its true!” Jessica begged and went to walk closer to him. Snape seemed to let out a type of bark and pushed her back with his wand, keeping her in front of him.

“She is a spy! She’s bewitched you,” Snape told himself and pointed to Dumbledore. “Yes, now you can take the gifted back to Zuc and have him finish us off!”

“I tell you, Severus, she Is not. I have entrusted her with the difficult task of looking after you three. I would love to help, but there’s a certain woman who will be snooping around my leash. I know how awkward this must be for the both of you, but it’s the only way.” He said calmly.

Snape’s face was a brilliant picture. If Shona had been there, she would have drawn it and hung it on a wall for all to see.

“Dumbledore employed me after he heard of my forming of the resistance to help you. He told me of this Umbridge woman who needed keeping an eye on and of the dangers she could pose to you. So here I am.”

“Liar,” he groaned softly and raised his wand dangerously. Jessica tried to remain calm but stood back behind Dumbledore.

“Severus,” Dumbledore warned sharply.

Snape reluctantly placed his wand to his side as Jessica put hers away normally.

“That’s better. Now will both of you keep it a little more quiet? I could hear you from the Transfiguration classroom”

“Thank you, Professor,” Jessica said softly. Albus put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring look.

And with that he walked off and away, carrying on his own made up tune until it died away. Snape went to storm out the classroom but went up to Jessica and glared her in the eye. For once, Jessica was glad her wand was in her pocket in case.

“Don’t talk to me, Miss Stone. And don’t even try speaking to my daughter.”

“But...” she argued but Snape stooped closer until his face was a foot away from hers.

“I will find out,” he said each word one by one with added sourness. “Keep your distance. Just because Dumbledore trusts you doesn’t mean I have to.”

Snape went over and unlocked his door as Jessica said her last sentence.

“Very well.”

Snape turned round with lighting force, eyes gouging into her. Jessica gulped as he slowly turned and stomped off. Jessica felt like air had just been given to her and she breathed in sharply. She tried to control her heart beat and her emotions. Jessica had hoped to apologise for biting him and leaving him that night; for using him like a twig. She knew there was only a slim chance now.