.You.re.late,.Potter,..said.Snape.coldly,.as.Harry.closed.the.door.behind.him..
Snape.was.standing.with.his.back.to.Harry,.removing,.as.usual,.certain.of.his.thoughts.and.placing.them.carefully.in.Dumbledores.Pensieve..He.dropped.the.last.silvery.strand.into.the.stone.basin.and.turned.to.face.Harry..
.So,..he.said...Have.you.been.practising?..
.Yes,..Harry.lied,.looking.carefully.at.one.of.the.legs.of.Snape.s.desk..
.Well,.we.ll.soon.find.out,.won.t.we?..said.Snape.smoothly...Wand.out,.Potter...
Harry.moved.into.his.usual.position,.facing.Snape.with.the.desk.between.them.
.His.heart.was.pumping.fast.with.anger.at.Cho.and.anxiety.about.how.much.Snape.was.about.to.extract.from.his.mind..
.On.the.count.of.three.then,..said.Snape.lazily...One.‐.two.‐..
Snape.s.office.door.banged.open.and.Draco.Malfoy.sped.in..
.Professor.Snape,.sir.‐.oh.‐.sorry.‐..
Malfoy.was.looking.at.Snape.and.Harry.in.some.surprise..
.It.s.all.right,.Draco,..said.Snape,.lowering.his.wand...Potter.is.here.for.a.little.remedial.Potions...
Harry.had.not.seen.Malfoy.look.so.gleeful.since.Umbridge.had.turned.up.to.inspect.Hagrid..
.I.didn.t.know,..he.said,.leering.at.Harry,.who.knew.his.face.was.burning..He.would.have.given.a.great.deal.to.be.able.to.shout.the.truth.at.Malfoy.‐.or,.even.better,.to.hit.him.with.a.good.curse..
.Well,.Draco,.what.is.it?..asked.Snape..
.It.s.Professor.Umbridge,.sir.‐.she.needs.your.help,..said.Malfoy..
They.ve.found.Montague,.sir,.he.s.turned.up.jammed.inside.a.toilet.on.the.fourth.floor...
.How.did.he.get.in.there?..demanded.Snape..
.I.don.t.know,.sir,.he.s.a.bit.confused...
.Very.well,.very.well..Potter,..said.Snape,..we.shall.resume.this.lesson.tomorrow.evening...
He.turned.and.swept.from.his.office..Malfoy.mouthed,..Remedial.Potions?..at.Harry.behind.Snape.s.back.before.following.him..
Seething,.Harry.replaced.his.wand.inside.his.robes.and.made.to.leave.the.room.
.At.least.he.had.twenty‐four.more.hours.in.which.to.practise;.he.knew.he.ought.to.feel.grateful.for.the.narrow.escape,.though.it.was.hard.that.it.came.at.the.expense.of.Malfoy.telling.the.whole.school.that.he.needed.remedial.Potions..
He.was.at.the.office.door.when.he.saw.it:.a.patch.of.shivering.light.dancing.on.the.doorframe..He.stopped,.and.stood.looking.at.it,.reminded.of.something…
.then.he.remembered:.it.was.a.little.like.the.lights.he.had.seen.in.his.dream.last.night,.the.lights.in.the.second.room.he.had.walked.through.on.his.journey.through.the.Department.of.Mysteries..
He.turned.around..The.light.was.coming.from.the.Pensieve.sitting.on.Snape.s.desk..The.silver‐white.contents.were.ebbing.and.swirling.within..Snape.s.thoughts….things.he.did.not.want.Harry.to.see.if.he.broke.through.Snape.s.defences.accidentally….
Harry.gazed.at.the.Pensieve,.curiosity.welling.inside.him….what.was.it.that.Snape.was.so.keen.to.hide.from.Harry?.
The.silvery.lights.shivered.on.the.wall….Harry.took.two.steps.towards.the.desk,
.thinking.hard..Could.it.possibly.be.information.about.the.Department.of.Mysteries.that.Snape.was.determined.to.keep.from.him?.