1
"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making,"
he began. He spoke in barely more than a whisper, but they caught every
word—like Professor McGonagall, Snape had the gift of keeping a class
silent without effort. "As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of
you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really
understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering
fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins,
bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teаch you how to bottle
fame, brew glory, even stopper death—if you aren't as big a bunch of
dunderheads as I usually have to teach."
More silence followed that little speech. [...]
"Potter!" said Snape suddenly. "What would I get if I added powdered
root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"
[...]
"I don't know, sir," said Harry.
Snape's lips curled into a sneer.
"Tut, tut—fame clearly isn't everything."
He ignored Hermione's hand.
"Let's try again. Potter, where would you look if I told you to
find me a bezoar?"
[...]
"I don't know, sir."
"Thought you wouldn't open a bok before coming, eh, Potter?"
Harry forced himself to keep looking into those cold eyes. [...]
Snape was still ignoring Hermione's quivering hand.
"What is the difference, Potter, between monkshood and wolfsbane?"
[...]
"I don't know," said Harry quietly. "I think Hermione does, though, why
don't you try her?"
[...]
"Sit down," he snapped at Hermione. "For your information, Potter,
asphodel and wormwood make a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the
Draught of Living Death. A bezoar is a stone taken from the stomack of a
goat and it will save you from most poisons. As for monkshood and wolfsbane,
they are the same plant, which also goes by the name of
aconite. Well? Why aren't you all copying that down?"
[...]
Over the noise, Snape said, "And a point will be taken from Gryffindor
House for your cheek, Potter."
"Blasted thing," Snape was saying. "How are you supposed to keep your
eyes on all three heads at once?"
Harry tried to shut the door quietly, but—
"POTTER!"
Snape's face was twisted with fury as he dropped his robes quickly to
hide his leg. Harry gulped.
"I just wondered if I could have my book back."
"GET OUT! OUT!"
"Be that as it may, fighting is against Hogwarts rules, Hagrid," said
Snape silkily. "Five points from Gryffindor, Weasley, and be grateful it
isn't more. Move along, all of you."
"...d-don't know why you wanted t-t-to meet here of all p-places,
Severus..."
"Oh, I thought we'd keep this private," said Snape, his voice icy.
"Students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's Stone, after all."
Harry leaned forward. Quirrell was mumbling something. Snape interrupted
him.
"Have you found out how to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"
"B-b-but Severus, I—"
"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," said Snape, taking a step
toward him.
"I—I don't know what you—"
"You know perfectly well what I mean."
An owl hooted loudly, and Harry nearly fell out of the tree. He steadied
himself in time to hear Snape say, "—your little bit of hocus-pocus.
I'm waiting."
"B-but I d-d-don't—"
"Very well," Snape cut in. "We'll have another little chat soon, when
you've had time to think things over and decided where your loyalties lie."
"But what can we—"
Hermione gasped. Harry and Ron wheeled round.
Snape was standing there.
"Good afternoon," he said smoothly.
They stared at him.
"You shouldn't be inside on a day like this," he said, with an odd,
twisted smile.
"We were—" Harry began, without any idea what he was going to say.
"You want to be more careful," said Snape. "Hanging around like this,
people will think you're up to something. And
Gryffindor really can't afford to lose any more points, can it?"
Harry flushed. They turned to go outside, but Snape called them back.
"Be warned, Potter—any more nighttime wanderings and I will
personally make sure you are expelled. Good day to you."
I might be able to hold Snape off for a while, but I'm no match for him,
really.
2
"Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind them, "he's waiting to
hear why you two didn't arrive on the school train."
Harry spun around. There, his black robes rippling in a cold breeze,
stood Severus Snape.
"In!" he said, opening a door halfway down the cold passageway and
pointing.
They entered Snape's office, shivering. The shadowy walls were lined
with shelves of large glass jars, in which floated all manner of revolting
things Harry didn't really want to know the name of at the moment. The
fireplace was dark and empty. Snape closed the door and turned to look at
them.
"So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Harry
Potter and his faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did
we, boys?"
"No, sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it—"
"Silence!" said Snape coldly. "What have you done with the car?"
Ron gulped. This wasn't the first time Snape had given Harry the
impression of being able to read minds.
Snape loomed behind them, half in shadow, wearing a most peculiar
expression: it was as though he was trying hard not to smile.
[...]
"If I might speak, Headmaster," said Snape from the shadows, and Harry's
sense of foreboding increased; he was sure nothing Snape had to say was
going to do him any good.
"Potter and his friends may have simply been in the wrong place at the
wrong time," he said, a slight sneer curling his mouth as though he doubted
it.
[...]
"I'll make it," Lockhart butted in. "I must have done it a hundred
times. I could whip up a Mandrake Restorative Draught in my sleep—"
"Excuse me," said Snape icily. "But I believe I am the Potions master
at this school."
Deliberately causing mayhem in Snape's Potions class was about as safe
as poking a sleeping dragon in the eye.
Snape's upper lip was curling. Harry wondered why Lockhart was still
smiling; if Snape had been looking at him like that he'd have been running
as fast as he could in the opposite direction.
Lockhart and Snape turned to face each other and bowed; at least,
Lockhart did, with much twirling of his hands, whereas Snape jerked his
head irritably. Then they raised their wands like swords in front of them.
"As you see, we are holding our wands in the accepted combative position,"
Lockhart told the silent crowd. "On the count of three, we will cast our
first spells. Neither of us will be aiming to kill, of course."
"I wouldn't bet on that," Harry murmured, watching Snape baring his
teeth.
"One—two—three—"
Both of them swung their wands above their heads and pointed them at
their opponent; Snape cried: "Expelliarmus!"
There was a dazzling flash of scarlet light and Lockhart was blasted off
his feet: He flew backward off the stage, smashed into the wall, and slid
down it to sprawl on the floor.
[...]
"Stop! Stop!" screamed Lockhart, but Snape took charge.
"Finite Incantatem!" he shouted; Harry's feet stopped dancing, Malfoy
stopped laughing, and they were able to look up.
[...]
"A bad idea, Professor Lockhart," said Snape, gliding over like a large
and malevolent bat. "Longbottom causes devastation with the simplest spells.
We'll be sending what's left of Finch-Fletchley up to the hospital wing in a
matchbox."
Snape was looking as though the first person to ask him for a Love
Potion would be force-fed poison.
Snape stepped forward.
"Just the man," he said. "The very man. A girl has been snatched by the
monster, Lockhart. Taken into the Chamber of Secrets itself. Your moment
has come at last."
Lockhart blanched.
Harry reached his wand just in time. Lockhart had barely raised his,
when Harry bellowed, "Expelliarmus!"
Lockhart was blasted backward, falling over his trunk; his wand flew
high into the air; Ron caught it, and flung it out of the open window.
"Shouldn't have let Professor Snape teach us that one," said Harry
furiously, kicking Lockhart's trunk aside.
3
"Potter, you can skin Malfoy's shrivelfig," said Snape, giving Harry
the look of loathing he always reserved just for him.
"Please, sir," said Hermione, "please, I could help Neville put it
right—"
"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger," said Snape
coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville.
"Longbottom, at the end of this lesson we will feed a few drops of this
potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you
to do it properly."
"Five points from Gryffindor," said Snape, which wiped the smiles from
every face. "I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed."
Snape said, "Leave it open, Lupin. I'd rather not witness this."
He got to his feet and strode past the class, his black robes billowing
behind him. At the doorway he turned on his heel and said, "Possibly no one's
warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would
advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss
Granger is hissing instructions in his ear."
"Miss Granger," said Snape in a voice of deadly calm, "I was under the
impression that I am teaching this lesson, not you. And I am telling you
all to turn to page 394."
[...]
"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger,"
said Snape coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an
insufferable know-it-all."
Snape's eyes were boring into Harry's. It was exactly like trying to
stare down a hippogriff. Harry tried hard not to blink.
[...]
"What would your head have been doing in Hogsmeade, Potter?" said Snape
softly. "Your head is not allowed in Hogsmeade. No part of your body has
permission to be in Hogsmeade."
[...]
"And did the headmaster tell you the circumstances in which your father
saved my life?" he whispered. "Or did he consider the details too
unpleasant for precious Potter's delicate ears?"
[...]
I would hate for you to run away with a false idea of your father,
Potter," he said, a terrible grin twisting his face.
"Have you been imagining some act of glorious heroism? Then let me
correct you—your saintly father and his friends played a highly
amusing joke on me that would have resulted in my death if your father
hadn't got cold feet at the last moment. There was nothing brave about what
he did. He was saving his own skin as much as mine. Had their joke
succeeded, he would have been expelled from Hogwarts."
They had Potions that afternoon, which was an unqualified disaster.
"So that's why Snape doesn't like you," said Harry slowly, "because he
thought you were in on the joke?"
"That's right," sneered a cold voice from the wall behind Lupin.
Severus Snape was pulling off the Invisibility Cloak, his wand pointing,
directly at Lupin.
"Two more for Azkaban tonight," said Snape, his eyes now gleaming
fanatically. "I shall be interested to see how Dumbledore takes this... He
was quite convinced you were harmless, you know, Lupin... a tame werewolf—"
Snape had regained consciousness. He was conjuring stretchers and
lifting the limp forms of Harry, Hermione, and Black onto them. A fourth
stretcher, no doubt bearing Ron, was already floating at his side. Then,
wand held out in front of him, he moved them away toward the castle.
"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE!" Snape roared, now very close at hand. "YOU
CAN'T APPARATE OR DISAPPARATE INSIDE THIS CASTLE!
THIS—HAS—SOMETHING—TO—DO—WITH—POTTER!"
4
Professor Snape was forcing them to research antidotes. They took this
one seriously, as he had hinted that he might be poisoning one of them
before Christmas to see if their antidote worked.
Snape had arrived. The Slytherins clamored to give their explanations;
Snape pointed a long yellow finger at Malfoy and said, "Explain."
"Potter attacked me, sir—"
"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry shouted.
"and he hit Goyle—look—"
Snape examined Goyle, whose face now resembled something that would
have been at home in a book on poisonous fungi.
"Hospital wing, Goyle," Snape said calmly.
"Malfoy got Hermione!" Ron said. "Look!"
He forced Hermione to show Snape her teeth—she was doing her best
to hide them with her hands, though this was difficult as they had now
grown down past her collar. Pansy Parkinson and the other Slytherin girls
were doubled up with silent giggles, pointing at Hermione from behind
Snape's back.
Snape looked coldly at Hermione, then said, "I see no difference."
[...]
"Let's see," he said, in his silkiest voice. "Fifty points from
Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley.
Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."
"Antidotes!" said Snape, looking around at them all, his cold black
eyes glittering unpleasantly. "You should all have prepared your recipes
now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then, we will be selecting
someone on whom to test one..."
Snape's eyes met Harry's, and Harry knew what was coming. Snape was
going to poison him.
"Then flee," said Snapes voice curtly. "Flee—I will make your
excuses. I, however, am remaining at Hogwarts."
"Ten points from Ravenclaw, Fawcett!" Snape snarled as a girl ran past
him.
"And ten points from Hufflepuff too, Stebbins!" as a boy went rushing
after her. "And what are you two doing?" he added, catching sight of Harry
and Ron on the path ahead. [...]
"We're walking," Ron told Snape shortly. "Not against the law, is it?"
"Keep walking, then!" Snape snarled, and he brushed past them, his long
black cloak billowing out behind him.
Snape suddenly did something very strange. He seized his left forearm
convulsively with his right hand, as though something on it had hurt him.
Moody laughed. "Get back to bed, Snape."
"You don't have the authority to send me anywhere!" Snape hissed,
letting go of his arm as though angry with himself.
"I have as much right to prowl this school after dark as you do!"
"Ah... reading magazines under the table as well?" Snape added,
snatching up the copy of Witch Weekly. "A further ten points from
Gryffindor ...oh but of course ..." Snapes black eyes glittered as they
fell on Rita Skeeter's article. "Potter has to keep up with his press
cuttings..."
[...]
"'Harry Potter's Secret Heartache... dear, dear. Potter, what's
ailing you now? 'A boy like no other, perhaps... '"
Harry could feel his face burning. Snape was pausing at the end of
every sentence to allow the Slytherins a hearty laugh. The article sounded
ten times worse when read by Snape. Even Hermione was blushing scarlet now.
"'... Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows
his heart upon a worthier candidate. 'How very touching," sneered Snape,
rolling up the magazine to continued gales of laughter from the Slytherins.
"Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your
minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives.
Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson.
Potter—that table in front of my desk. Move. Now."
[...]
"It is Veritaserum—a Truth Potion so powerful that three drops
would have you spilling your innermost secrets for this entire class to
hear," said Snape viciously. "Now, the use of this potion is controlled by
very strict Ministry guidelines. But unless you watch your step, you might
just find that my hand slips"—he shook the crystal bottle slightly—"right over
your evening pumpkin juice. And then. Potter... then we'll find out whether
you've been in my office or not."
[...]
There was a knock on the dungeon door.
"Enter," said Snape in his usual voice.
"Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why
Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts, he
was famous for it at school..." [...] "Snape knew more curses when he
arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year...
"I have given evidence already on this matter," he said calmly. "Severus
Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However, he rejoined our side before Lord
Voldemort's downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk. He is
now no more a Death Eater than I am."
Snape strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his
robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who
recoiled.
"There," said Snape harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear
as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it.
Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a
means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him.
When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and
Apparate, instantly, at his side. This Mark has been growing clearer all
year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt
the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark
Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be
sure of a welcome back into the fold."
Snape had not yelled or jumped backward, but the look on his face was
one of mingled fury and horror.
"Him!" he snarled, staring at Sirius, whose face showed equal dislike.
"What is he doing here?"
"Severus," said Dumbledore, turning to Snape, "you know what I must ask
you to do. If you are ready... if you are prepared ..."
"I am," said Snape.
He looked slightly paler than usual, and his cold, black eyes glittered
strangely.
|
1
"Вы находитесь здесь с целью обучения тонкой науке и точному искусству
изготовления зелий, – начал свою речь профессор Снейп. Говорил он почти
шепотом, но класс ловил каждое его слово: подобно профессору МакГонагалл,
он обладал даром поддерживать тишину в классе без малейшего напряжения. –
Ввиду того, что в этом курсе почти совсем нет дурацких размахиваний палочкой,
многие из вас могут решить, что изготовление зелий – не вполне магия.
Собственно, я и не ожидаю, что вы сумеете осознать красоту медленно
закипающего котла, мерцание паров, нежную власть жидкостей, крадущихся по
венам, околдовывающих душу, обольщающих чувства... Я научу вас процеживать
славу, дистиллировать почет и даже – останавливать смерть... если, конечно,
вы чем-то отличаетесь от той стандартной толпы болванов, которых мне обычно
приходится учить".
За этой небольшой речью последовало молчание. [...]
– Поттер! – внезапно воскликнул Снейп. – Что получится, если добавить
порошок корня асфоделя к полынной настойке?
[...]
– Я не знаю, сэр, – сказал Гарри.
Губы Снейпа тронула усмешка. Он поцыкал языком:
– Тц-тц... да, похоже, одной славы недостаточно.
Поднятую гермионину руку он полностью игнорировал.
– Попробуем еще раз. Поттер! Где вы станете искать, если я велю вам найти
безоар?
[...]
[...]
– Я не знаю, сэр.
– А что, открыть учебник перед школой вам в голову не пришло, да, Поттер?
Гарри заставил себя выдержать взгляд этих холодных глаз. [...]
Снейп по-прежнему игнорировал дрожащую руку Гермионы.
– В чем состоит разница между аконитом и волчьей пагубой, Поттер?
[...]
– Я не знаю, – тихо сказал Гарри. – Наверное, Гермиона знает, может, вы
у нее спросите?
[...]
– Сядьте, – прикрикнул он на Гермиону. – К вашему сведению, Поттер, асфодель
в сочетании с ... используется для приготовления столь мощного эликсира, что
он известен под названием Глотка Живой Смерти. Безоар – это камень, который
извлекают из желудка козла; он служит противоядием против большинства ядов.
Что же касается аконита и волчьей пагубы, то это одно и то же растение, которое
известно также под названием "борец". Ну? Почему вы не записываете?!
[...]
Перекрывая шум, Снейп сказал:
– А за вашу дерзость, Поттер, я снимаю с Дома Гриффиндор один балл.
– Чертово отродье! – говорил Снейп, – ну и как ты будешь контролировать сразу
все его три головы?
Гарри попытался тихо прикрыть дверь, но в эту минуту -
– ПОТТЕР!
Лицо Снейпа исказилось от ярости; он быстро опустил полы мантии, чтобы закрыть
раненую ногу. Гарри судорожно проглотил слюну.
– Я просто хотел книжку попросить...
– Убирайтесь прочь! ВОН!
Как бы то ни было, драки запрещены правилами школы Хогвартс, Хагрид, –
сказал Снейп вкрадчиво. – Пять штрафных очков Дому Гриффиндор, Уизли, и
благодарите, что не больше. А теперь разойдетесь. Все разойдитесь.
– ...н-не знаю, ппп-почему ттт-ты захоттт-тел увидеться иммм-менно
здесь, С-ссеверус...
– О, я просто подумал, что нам ни к чему лишняя огласка, –
сказал Снейп ледяным тоном. – В конце концов, студентам не должно быть
известно о местонахождении Философского камня.
Гарри наклонился вперед. Квиррелл что-то промямлил. Сней перебил его:
– Так ты выяснил, как пройти мимо этого Хагридова зверя?
– Н-нно, Северус, я –...
– Н-но, С-Северус, йя-яяя...
– Уверяю тебя, не стоит становиться моим врагом, Квиррел, – сказал
Снейп, надвигаясь на него.
– Й-яяя н-не знаю, что т-ты имеешь в...
– Ты прекрасно знаешь, о чем я говорю.
В этот момент громко ухнула сова, и Гарри чуть не свалился с дерева.
Когда он вернул себе равновесие, Снейп заканчивал фразу:
– ...про твой небольшой фокус-покус. Я жду.
– Н-нно ййяяя-яя...
– Хорошо же, – отрезал Снейп. – Вскоре мы еще разок
поболтаем о том, о сем, – когда ты хорошенько все обдумаешь
и решишь, на чьей ты стороне.
– Но что мы можем...
Гермиона ахнула. Гарри и Рон обернулись, проследив направление ее взгляда.
За ними стоял Снейп.
– Добрый день, – любезно произнеc он.
Ребята вытаращились на учителя.
– Вам бы не следовало находиться внутри в такой прекрасный день, –
сказал Снейп со странной искаженной улыбкой.
– Да мы... – начал Гарри, у которого не было ни малейшего
представления о том, что он собирается сказать.
– Вам надо быть осторожнее, – продолжил Снейп. –
Болтаетесь в замке с неясной целью... Люди могут подумать, что вы... что-то
задумали. А ведь Гриффиндор уже не может позволить себе терять штрафные
очки, правда?
Гарри вспыхнул. Они развернулись и пошли к выходу, но Снейп снова их
окликнул.
– Предупреждаю, Поттер: еще одно ночное путешествие, и я лично
позабочусь о том, чтобы вас исключили из Школы. Всего хорошего.
Может, я и смогу сколько-нибудь задержать Снейпа, но я, конечно, ему
не ровня. Это точно.
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