Parkinson had vanished?
After Snape received the news and hurried back to Hogwarts, his face darkened further when Amicus Carro told him about Parkinson's disappearance.
"When was Parkinson last seen?" Snape asked with a frown.
"Friday afternoon. He was still teaching the fifth years as usual, but no one saw him after that." Amicus summoned Vincent Crabbe, captain of the Special Action Squad, and had him report the information they had gathered to Snape.
Neither the portraits, ghosts, nor students in the castle had seen Parkinson after Friday, so there was no way to determine whether the Dark Arts Professor had disappeared inside the school or elsewhere.
The main reason was that Parkinson often left school on weekends. Other than Dark Arts gatherings, he rarely appeared before students during weekends, and unfortunately, this weekend's Dark Arts gathering had been cancelled.
"Keep investigating."
After dismissing the Special Action Squad members, Snape turned to Amicus and said, "I'll contact Yaxley and have the Ministry of Magic send someone over to substitute for the students."
"You seem convinced that Professor Parkinson has come to harm?" Amicus found that rather surprising.
"I'm merely preparing for the worst."
Snape stared expressionlessly at the churning dark clouds outside the window. It seemed as though it was about to rain again.
"The worst?"
"You must have heard some unpleasant rumors about the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."
"What rumors?"
"That position is cursed. Every professor who takes up Defense Against the Dark Arts meets with some misfortune each year and cannot continue in the post." Snape said expressionlessly, "In fact, it isn't a rumor. It really does happen every year, yet no one has ever known why. I—"
"So you think Parkinson's disappearance has something to do with that ridiculous curse?"
Amicus impatiently cut him off.