Snape Victorious (HBP)

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Snape Victorious is the eighth chapter of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

1 Rescued
2 The Sorting Feast
3 The announcement
4 The warning

Rescued

Sad Tonks, fanart by Makani.

Harry Potter is trapped by a Body-Bind Curse inside the Hogwarts Express, under the Invisibility Cloak. He reprimands himself for his stupidity in letting Draco Malfoy put him in this situation (HBP7).

All the students leave the train. Harry remembers that some wizards, like Dumbledore (HBP3), can perform non-verbal spells, and tries to Summon his wand.

The train lurches, and Harry rolls over; he is now staring up at the underside of the seats. He suddenly feels the Cloak being torn away from him and a voice says, "Wotcher, Harry."

With a flash of red light, Harry's body unfreezes. He wipes the blood off his nose and looks up at Tonks. She tells him they have to leave; the train is about to start moving out of the station. They pull open the train door and jump to the platform.

Harry sees that Tonks is as mousy-haired and miserable as she was when they last met (HBP5). She fixes his nose with the spell Episkey, hands him the Cloak, and the two walk to the Hogwarts grounds.

Nymphadora casts a Patronus Charm to send word to Dumbledore of Harry's upcoming arrival. Her Patronus is an immense four-legged creature.

She noticed that Harry hadn't left the train and saw that the blinds were drawn only in that compartment. Tonks is now stationed in Hogsmeade, along with fellow Aurors Proudfoot, Savage and Dawlish.

Harry observes Tonks with puzzlement. She has changed a lot since the previous year, and he doesn't know whether it is the result of the Battle of the Department of Mysteries (OP35).

It is a long way from Hogsmeade to the castle. After a while, the tall pillars on either side of the gates, each topped with a winged boar, become visible. When he tries to open the gates, however, they are shut; Alohomora doesn't work.

Tonks mentions that Dumbledore bewitched the chains holding the gates shut; security has been heightened this summer. Harry suggests that he can climb a wall; Tonks mentions the Anti-intruder Jinxes on all of them.

Harry starts getting annoyed, but she points out that someone is coming for him: Severus Snape. The teacher opens the gate with a tap of his wand, taking fifty points from Gryffindor for Harry's tardiness, and twenty for his Muggle attire.

Tonks frowns, saying that she had intended for Hagrid to get the message; Snape says that the gamekeeper was late to the feast as well, and maliciously comments that Tonks' new Patronus is interesting ("I think you were better off with the old one. The new one looks weak.").

Tonks' face betrays her shock and anger. Harry says goodbye, and follows Snape to the castle.

The Sorting Feast

Harry feels fresh new waves of hatred towards his Potions master. He has always hated Severus, but the man's attitude towards Sirius had been one of the main reasons that the Marauder had left number twelve, Grimmauld Place on the night that he died.

Snape taunts Harry for his clothes and desire to show off; Harry manages not to retort. He wonders if he can put on the Invisibility Cloak to get to the Gryffindor table. As though reading his mind, Snape forbids him from wearing the Cloak.

Harry hurries to his table, and people soon start staring at him. Ron and Hermione point out that his face is covered in blood; she uses the spell Tergeo to clean off the dried blood.

Ron and Hermione are anxious to hear what happened, but Harry is conscious that Neville, Ginny, Dean, Seamus and Nearly Headless Nick are eavesdropping. He hopes that the story (which Draco will doubtlessly spread around the school) won't reach too many Gryffindor ears.

Hermione says that the Sorting Hat's message was similar to that of the previous year (OP11). She also mentions that Hagrid was a few minutes late to the feast; the half-giant is sitting at the teachers' table between McGonagall and, surprisingly enough, Sybill Trelawney, whom Harry has never seen at a Sorting ceremony before.

A glance at the Slytherin table informs Harry that Draco has begun boasting about the events aboard the Hogwarts Express to his classmates.

Harry tells Ron and Hermione that Slughorn wanted to know details about what happened at the Ministry, and they confirm that other people were questioning them as well.

Nearly Headless Nick intervenes, saying that the ghosts have been talking about it as well. Nevertheless, Nick, who is regarded as something of a Potter authority because he and Harry are friendly, has announced to his fellows that he will not pester the boy.

"Harry Potter knows that he can confide in me with complete confidence," he said. "I would rather die than betray his trust."

Ron points out that Nick is already dead and the ghost glides away, offended.

The announcement

Dumbledore stands, and greets the students with a broad smile and open arms. Several people, among which Hermione, notice his blackened and dead-looking right hand (HBP3). He dismissively shakes his purple-and-gold sleeve and tells them that it is nothing to worry about.

Harry whispers that he thought the hand would be cured by now, and she replies, "There are some injuries you can't cure... old curses... and there are poisons without antidotes..."

The Headmaster announces that Filch has announced a blanket ban on all prank items bought at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. Students hoping to play on the House teams or potential Quidditch commentators should give their names to the Heads of House.

Dumbledore introduces Slughorn, who is to resume his old post of Potions master. Stupefied echoes around the Great Hall reveal the students' surprise at the unexpected revelation: Severus Snape is to become the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.

Harry says, "No!" so loudly that several people glance at him. He glares at the teachers' table. After a while, he comments that there is one positive side to this: Snape will be gone by the end of the year, because the position is jinxed. He hopes that Severus, like Quirrell, will die before the end of the school year.

Ron suggests that Snape may resume his post as Potions teacher.

The warning

A few moments later, Dumbledore states to his audience that, as they all know (OP38), Voldemort is back. He says that the castle's defences have been strengthened, but that it is risky for any student to act carelessly.

They mustn't be out after hours. It is essential to report anything odd witnessed within the grounds. He then acknowledges that the student body is probably tired: "Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"

Harry is in no hurry to leave. He pretends to lace his trainer, and stays behind. Hermione rushes ahead to fulfill her duties as Prefect, but Ron remains with Harry, who then tells him what happened in the train.

Harry expects Ron to be shocked to hear of Draco's boasting, but the Weasley assumes simply that the Slytherin was showing off for Pansy Parkinson. Harry insists that Voldemort may need someone at Hogwarts.

Hagrid, coming up from behind him, reprimands him for saying the Dark Lord's name. He blames his tardiness on Grawp; Dumbledore found a new home for the giant, a big cave, and Hagrid lost track of time there.

The Care of Magical Creatures teacher proudly announces that he is planning on training Grawp to be his assistant. He says goodbye, mentioning that the first class is right after lunch—the boys should come early to say hello to Witherwings.

Harry and Ron throw each other a look: neither of them is taking Care of Magical Creature. Hermione isn't, either; they wonder what the gamekeeper's reaction will be when he discovers that his three favourite students have given up the subjects.