Snape felt a very slight pang to think of it - it was unavoidable, of course, but he had grown strangely fond of sniping with Minerva, over the years. But he could worry about that later.
"Now?" He let his fingers tap lightly on the page. "Slughorn is a coward who'll align himself with whoever seems strongest - but fickle, obviously. Pittiman seems to be a friend to the cause. If only Dolores hadn't resigned," he said, fighting the small smile that was creeping onto his face. I might have strangled her myself, last year. "You'd have been in luck."