Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe was created by J. K. Rowling.
No monetary profit is being made from this writing
Summary: Snape seems to take delight in having Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville over for detention.
Rating G - Humourish
Enjoy!
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IN THE DUNGEON ...
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville sat, unenthusiastically down in the dungeons in detention. Harry and Ron practically seething that Malfoy wasn't there, seeing he was the one who started the whole kerfuffle, but Harry mused, Snape was hardly ever fair to Gryffindor. If he was, Harry realised, he would be rather afraid indeed, but for now, he sat, idly staring into his cauldron.
"Don't just sit there," Snape snapped. "Make yourselves useful and clean up this mess."
Even more unenthusiastically, the students began picking things up from the floor, straightening chairs and putting books back in their proper places.
"And, Longbottom," Snape said, "next time, do enquire about which ingredients you shove into that cauldron of yours."
Neville tried not to go red. Harry glared at Snape. The Professor knew full well that Malfoy had thrown some mugwort into Neville's cauldron, but Snape had pointed out that the potion would not have exploded, had Neville previously added enough elf leaf and no sandalwood and so ignored Harry's glare.
"Yes, Professor ..." Neville said, shyly, feeling stupid, which was something he had wanted to avoid, by adding what he thought was the right ingredients and proportions at the time.
Hermione gave him a sympathetic look.
"I don't recall saying you could stop work, Miss Granger."
Hermione flushed, and wanted to tell Snape just what she thought of him, but he would just take points of Gryffindor and she was sure he already knew. Harry and Ron, picking things up from the floor, felt the same, but didn't stop them wishing Snape would accidentally mix wormwood and asphodel and fall asleep for the next thousand years or more, but Snape knew his stuff and that was highly unlikely.
"Honestly, Longbottom," Snape went on, I doubt you could make a cake."
That was enough. Harry stood up. "Leave him alone. It's not his fault that-"
Snape glared dangerously at Harry.
"I didn't give you permission to speak, Potter!"
"I wasn't aware I needed permission, this isn't the army, *Sir.*"
Snape looked incredulous and stood, looking rather imposing.
"Twenty points off Gryffindor for your cheek, Potter. Be thankful it's not more."
Harry wished more than anything students could take points off for unfair teachers. He would have taken a million points off Slytherin, and then some he thought, glaring at Snape. Harry shook his head. He wasn't going to let Snape win this round.
"That's' your favourite thing to do isn't it?"
If Snape had ever looked more dangerous, it was now. Harry didn't care. "You've got nothing else better to do, have you?"
"Get out."
Snape's voice was barely a whisper. It didn't have to be louder. for a moment Harry thought he'd really done it.
"Get out!"
"Fine with me!"
Snape looked murderous. "And wait outside. If you have so much as *moved* when I come out ..." he didn't have to finish his sentence. Harry got the gist. "And you two can join him." Snape indicated Ron and Hermione. Neville hoped the Professor not motioning to him was an oversight.
"Not you, Longbottom."
Apparently not. Neville's heart sank. Harry and the others felt like hosting a jailbreak, but he thought Snape would have them all for dinner if they so much as breathed out of turn, but Harry thought, whatever Snape had in store for Neville, he was sure he could break Snape's 'curse.'
Alone in the classroom with the person he most feared, Neville bit his lower lip. It was all he could do to keep himself from whimpering incessantly. He wished he could disappear ... he thought Azkaban and the Dementors would be preferable to this ...
Snape took a few steps toward him. Neville wished *he* would disappear.
"Why do you bother?" the professor asked.
The question threw Neville for a moment, and then he realised, he was getting yet another dressing down.
Professor Snape repeated his question and continued with, "when you know you can't?"
"I ... I ..."
"Quiet."
Neville shut up in an instant.
"Do you always do everything everyone asks you to do?"
"I ..."
"Don't you ever get tired of being a doormat?"
Harry, Ron and Hermione listened in from the sidelines, through the slightly ajar door.
"I hate him," Ron hissed. "I so hate him. We should tell him where to go right here and now."
Hermione shook her head. "Neville's got to learn to stand up to him."
Harry gave a reluctant nod. "She's right."
Snape continued with his merciless barrage. "I don't know why you even bother to show up for class at all."
Neville wanted to say 'because you'd take points off Gryffindor if I didn't' but he didn't because he thought Snape would take points off Gryffindor.
"I mean you last attempts were abysmal." Snape purposely drew out the last word.
Neville looked ashamed. "I did ... try..."
"I have seen better attempts from first years, and why try, Longbottom, when you know you can't?"
Something stirred within the young boy, Snape saw the flash in his eyes, and continued. "Face it, you know you haven't got what it takes."
Neville felt anger rise within him, but fear kept it down.
"You remind me of a student in my class when I was your age," Snape said. "Hopeless..." Snape shook his head. "Quit in his third year and never amounted to anything. He was almost as bad as you." Snape paused. "If I were you, I'd quit too. You'll probably never amount to anything either."
Neville stood slowly. "Yes ... I ... will..." The words forced themselves out of his mouth.
Snape raised an eyebrow.
Neville looked right at him, heart pounding, but he stood his ground. "I may not be as smart or resourceful as Hermione..." (She blushed outside) "Or as interesting as Harry..." (Harry almost blushed too; Ron was a bit upset that he didn't get a mention, but all were cheering silently at Neville's gusto, and hoped Snape didn't repay him by taking points away, mind you, they thought, he probably would.) Neville was relieved Snape seemed content to listen and so he continued. "I do believe I have what it takes, Professor Snape. Yes, I know I'm a slow learner and it may take me longer to get there, I may even have to repeat a year. I know I'm not genius, but I'm not going to quit. I know I have potential and I know I *will* make it, and nothing you, or anyone else says is going to take that away from me. Take points of Gryffindor if you will, but I'm nobody's doormat."
Neville slowed his breathing, and closed his eyes for a moment, feeling though he was in front of a firing squad. He had no idea how long the silence lasted, but it was excruciating. The longest seven seconds of his life.
"Very good," Snape said, sitting down and Neville expected a cauldron of sarcasm. "Perhaps next time it won't take you four years to realise that. Dismissed."
The words took a while to sink in, and longer for Neville to believe what he had just heard.
Snape looked up at him. "Why are you still here?"
"I ... uhh ..."
"Go. And take your friends with you."
Neville didn't have to be told twice.
And his friends were just as struck dumb as he.
"I ... I don't believe it ..." Ron gasped as they traversed the stairs and began to walk along the corridor.
Even Hermione was at a loss.
"He was actually ... trying to ..."
"Help him..." Harry said, eyes wide.
"... Reverse ... psychology ..." Hermione managed to get out.
Harry nodded, his head spinning.
"I still can't believe it ..." Neville said. "He ... actually cared..."
"I wouldn't quite go that far," Ron said.
"But then why would he..."
"My whole world is falling apart..." Harry said. "Do you realise this means that we can't hate Snape anymore?"
"Touched Potter," Snape said, walking past them in the corridor. "Oh, and ten points from Gryffindor for being late for detention."
"Then again ..." Harry said with a twinkle in his eye, but Snape was already halfway up the corridor, his cape swirling behind him, and not a soul, besides Peeves, who was spying at the time, would ever know that he was smiling.
*