"I will find out," he repeated, his voice carrying throughout the silent chamber, "and when I do, the dark and hideous consequences will be spoken of for years." Now most of the younger Hufflepuffs were weeping in terror, and even his snakes were positively green. They knew, better than most, just what happened to those who incurred his displeasure.
After scanning the Hall with one last ominous glower, Snape turned back to Harry. He snatched the broom from the boy's hand and shrunk it before the brat could do more than yip in protest. "This will remain with me, Mr Potter!" he announced, placing the tiny broom in his pocket of his robes. "And since you are obviously too dimwitted to resist suicidal dares from other little dunderheads, it follows that you are also too immature to be allowed to board like the other students. You will reside in my quarters like the foolish little boy you are until you have proven yourself trustworthy to live without my constant supervision."
"Noooooo!" Harry howled in loud dissent, even as the rest of the Hall broke out in excited whispers. Snape ignored them all and dragged off the boy, still bitterly protesting. As the doors shut behind the two, the noise level skyrocketed as students and staff alike started animatedly discussing what had just happened.
Dumbledore rose quickly, intending to go after them. He should have anticipated something like this. Exposure to his godfather would doubtless provoke Harry into mischief, and Albus had a strong suspicion that Sirius was the one who had dared Harry to behave so badly. He must have known that it would enrage Severus, and the punishment that Severus would have no choice but to mete out would only drive the boy away from the stern professor and into the waiting arms of his "playful" godfather. Albus sighed. Sirius unquestionably had reason to be bitter, but he had hoped he wouldn't involve Harry in his revenge. Turning the child against Severus might wound the Potion Master deeply, but in the end it would harm Harry as well.
Well, whatever he suspected could or should be laid at Sirius' feet, he needed to get down to Severus' quarters right away. He trusted the Slytherin implicitly, but any parent could lose his temper and say or do something he would later regret. He rather doubted Severus would harm Harry physically тАУ that one episode aside, Snape was too terrified of turning into his father to use much corporal chastisement тАУ but the man's tongue practically dripped acid when he was upset, and for all the remarkable improvement Harry had made since arriving at Hogwarts (or, to be fair, since being taken under Snape's wing), he was still very fragile. Snape's verbal vitriol could have devastating effects.
Severus was too irate to be left alone with the poor boy just now, and while Albus could appreciate Severus' point about Harry's susceptibility to dares, he couldn't permit the misguided man to deprive Harry of his friends in the dormitory. Surely some more traditional detention and maybe a loss of points would тАУ To his surprise, a firm hand caught him by the back of his robes and jerked him to a halt before he could leave the table.
"Oh, no, Albus," McGonagall told him, a steely glint in her eye. "You sit yourself right down again."
"But тАУ but, Minerva тАУ" he protested, so stunned by her interference that he automatically sank back into his chair. Surely she should have been pounding on Snape's door by now, demanding the return of her little lion!
"You had the care of the boy for ten years, Albus, and we won't talk of that result. You will now give Severus the chance to manage Harry as he sees fit."
Dumbledore opened his mouth to argue but at Minerva's expression, he meekly shut it again and silently turned his attention to his food. Powerful he might be, but he hadn't reached his advanced age without learning a few important survival skills, and something told him that arguing with Minerva over this would be a very, very bad idea.
Meanwhile, Snape all but threw Harry through the door to their quarters, then came through himself, warding it after him. Once they were secure, but before he could start to shout at the boy for his deathdefying idiocy, Harry rounded on him.
"That hurt!" Harry said accusingly, clutching his still-smarting bum. "I want a healing potion! That was almost as bad as one of Uncle Vernon's whacks."
"You deserved it," Snape retorted, nevertheless Accio'ing the appropriate potion. "Your recklessness could have killed you. Flying a broom тАУ AND CHASING A SNITCH тАУ in the close confines of the castle? Have you lost the few wits you normally possess?"
Harry swallowed the potion and grimaced. "Yuck. Well, I had t'do something big. I bet everyone is talkin' about it now," he added, grinning. "The guys will talk an' talk about it tonight in the dorm, an' Pettigrew will hear an' he won't be surprised I'm not there."
"The whole purpose of moving you out of the dorm was to keep you safe," Snape scolded. "Breaking your neck flying inside the castle defeats the entire exercise."
"It was the Great Hall," Harry protested. He hated having his professor angry at him.
"Even so! Brooms тАУ particularly one like the Nimbus 2000! тАУ accelerate much too quickly for use in such a limited space. What were you thinking, you naughty child? I'm going to hex that idiot Black for suggesting you do something so dangerous!"
"Padfoot only said I should fly around a bit. The snitch was my idea," Harry admitted. His spirits rose as he remembered his flight around the Hall and everyone's open-mouthed admiration as he landed with the snitch. Okay, he had been pretty naughty, but there was no denying it was a wicked prank.
"WHAT?" Snape fumed and held out his hand. "Give me back the potion. You deserve that stinging backside."
Harry grinned cheekily and displayed the empty vial. "Too late! Sting's all gone!"
Snape raised one eyebrow. "Then I shall just have to reapply the cause of the sting," he said coldly.
Harry gulped and hastily seated himself on the nearby couch. "It's not fair to punish me twice for the same thing," he argued reproachfully, making sure his bum was pressed against the cushions. He didn't think his professor would make good on his threat, but he didn't want to push it. "I'm sorry, Pr'fessor. Honestly. An' remember, you said you don't hit to hurt. Besides, you know I only did it 'cause of Pettigrew, right? I wouldn't do somethin' like that just as a prank."
Snape huffed, but deep down, below all the irritation with the brat, he was pleased to see that the Weasleys had indeed been rubbing off. Harry was no longer the downtrodden boy who meekly accepted every punishment, no matter how severe or undeserved.
"Um, Pr'fessor?" Harry ventured, heartened by the fact that it didn't look like he'd be getting smacked again. "When c'n I get my broom back?"
"On your 30th birthday," Snape retorted.
Harry pouted. "That's not fair! It was all an act!"
"You could have easily injured yourself with that ridiculous stunt, and if you think you will not be punished for such a stupid idea, you obviously hit your head during all that grandstanding! Such reckless behavior is classic James Potter gloryhounding!" he snapped.
Harry subsided at this last demonstration of his guardian's disapproval. He knew that his father had often targeted Snape with his pranks, and Harry felt bad that he had тАУ however unwittingly тАУ reminded his beloved professor of such unpleasant memories. He'd thought his professor might be a tiny bit pleased at his flying skills, not to mention impressed with his ability to think up such an outrageous stunt so as to be the talk of the school. He had just been trying to show that he wasn't too young to help, but тАУ as usual тАУ he'd just messed everything up. Now his guardian was mad at him, and Sirius and Remus would probably be too. Harry's shoulders drooped dejectedly.