Celandine's Chronicle (celandineb) wrote in cels_fic_haven, @ 2011-01-05 13:48:00 |
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Entry tags: | hp ficlets albus, hp ficlets neville, hp ficlets severus |
HP ficlet: The Headmaster Asks a Question [Neville, Snape, Dumbledore, general]
Title: The Headmaster Asks a Question
Author: celandineb
Fandom: HP
Characters: Neville, Snape, Dumbledore's portrait
Rating: general
Length: 550 words
Summary: Neville isn't sure why the new Headmaster has summoned him. Neither is Snape.
Note: Written for juniperus for the 2010 3fan_holidays exchange.
Neville's cough was loud in the still air.
"You wanted to see me, sir?"
The summons to the Headmaster's office had come while he was in Charms class. Professor Flitwick had looked concerned and told Neville that he had better go at once. Neville had dreaded the Headmaster's office even when Dumbledore had occupied it; to walk in and face Snape was far more daunting, but there was no alternative.
"Longbottom." Snape's voice was as contemptuous, as filled with silky malevolence, as ever. "Do sit."
Neville would far rather have remained standing, but he sat in the indicated chair and waited. The room was as chilly as the rest of Hogwarts Castle these days, and there were no decorations to relieve the gloom. At last Snape spoke again.
"Do you expect to go home for the Christmas holidays?"
The question startled Neville. "Yes sir. My grandmother will be expecting me," he added.
"Ah." Snape's expression was unreadable, to Neville at least. "Yes, of course, you live with old Augusta. Very well, that will be all, Mr Longbottom. Dismissed."
Neville blinked. Surely that could not be all that Snape had summoned him here for? To enquire about his holiday plans?
"Dismissed," Snape repeated irritably.
"Yes sir. Thank you, sir." Neville grabbed his book bag and nearly fell down the stairs on his way out, so quickly did he move.
He returned to Charms where the class was reviewing the Reductor Curse, which luckily Neville knew well.
"What did Snape want?" whispered Dean to Neville at lunch time.
"He just asked me if I were going home for Christmas," said Neville. "If it had been one of the other teachers, I would think he was concerned that I had somewhere to go... but this was Snape. I don't know what he wanted."