That afternoon, Slytherin had Herbology.
The Third Greenhouse at Hogwarts smelled of damp earth and the sharp scent of plants.
Will idly prodded a potted Cape of Good Hope Man-Eating Plant with the tip of his Wand. The plant seemed eager for his touch; its tightly closed, dark-red bud unfurled a little, like a mouth opening in a lazy yawn.
Just then, someone shoved the Greenhouse door open. Everyone turned to look.
The newcomer was a Potions Class professor at Hogwarts with a keen interest in Defence Against the Dark Arts, a tongue sharp enough to draw blood, a reputation as Gryffindor's harshest point-deductor, and hair he rarely washed.
Snape strode in, his loose Black Robe billowing behind him and stirring up a gust of wind.
He went straight to Will and seized his arm. "Will, come with me!"
Professor Sprout seemed to come to her senses only then. "Severus? What are you doing?"
"Pomona, I have an extremely urgent matter to discuss with Will." Anxiety filled Snape's face. His usual measured gloom had given way to undisguised gravity, and Professor Sprout did not stop him.
Severus's venomous tongue could have drowned a Troll, but he had always respected the boundaries between professors. He would never disrupt someone else's class without good reason.
Unless something serious had happened, he would never have lost his composure so completely that he forgot even the most basic professorial decorum.
A few minutes later, in the Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts.
Snape stood before the broad desk, his expression dark as a storm.
Will stood beside him, calm except for a slight lift of his brow. Behind the crescent-shaped desk, Dumbledore still held half a slice of chocolate cake he had not managed to swallow. His bright blue eyes were full of bewilderment. He had