Snape gave James a hollow-eyed stare and slowly and ceremonially unfurled one spindly arm. One of the cabinets that lined the office walls opened, and a bottle blurred across the room, slapping its neck into his outstretched palm and spitting out its cork. He upended the bottle into two deep tumblers, pouring a shortlived river of dark blue fire. One tumbler of firewhiskey floated over to James, and the other settled into Snape's free hand.
With the same slow and ceremonial elegance, he turned and flung the empty bottle. It went spinning end over end, and hit the back of the fireplace with a crash and a glittering spray of razor shards.