Harry.looked.over.his.shoulder,.his.heart.now.pumping.harder.and.faster.than.ever..How.long.would.it.take.Snape.to.release.Montague.from.the.toilet?.Would.he.come.straight.back.to.his.office.afterwards,.or.accompany.Montague.to.the.hospital.wing?.Surely.the.latter….Montague.was.Captain.of.the.Slytherin.Quidditch.team,.Snape.would.want.to.make.sure.he.was.all.right..
Harry.walked.the.remaining.few.feet.to.the.Pensieve.and.stood.over.it,.gazing.into.its.depths..He.hesitated,.listening,.then.pulled.out.his.wand.again..The.office.and.the.corridor.beyond.were.completely.silent..He.gave.the.contents.of.the.Pensieve.a.small.prod.with.the.end.of.his.wand..
The.silvery.stuff.within.began.to.swirl.very.fast..Harry.leaned.forwards.over.it.and.saw.that.it.had.become.transparent..He.was,.once.again,.looking.down.into.a.room.as.though.through.a.circular.window.in.the.ceiling….in.fact,.unless.he.was.much.mistaken,.he.was.looking.down.into.the.Great.Hall..
His.breath.was.actually.fogging.the.surface.of.Snape.s.thoughts….his.brain.seemed.to.be.in.limbo….it.would.be.insane.to.do.the.thing.he.was.so.strongly.tempted.to.do….he.was.trembling….Snape.could.be.back.at.any.moment….but.Harry.thought.of.Chos.anger,.of.Malfoy.s.jeering.face,.and.a.reckless.daring.seized.him..
He.took.a.great.gulp.of.breath,.and.plunged.his.face.into.the.surface.of.Snape.s.thoughts..At.once,.the.floor.of.the.office.lurched,.tipping.Harry.head‐first.into.the.Pensieve….
He.was.falling.through.cold.blackness,.spinning.furiously.as.he.went,.and.then.‐.
He.was.standing.in.the.middle.of.the.Great.Hall,.but.the.four.house.tables.were.gone..Instead,.there.were.more.than.a.hundred.smaller.tables,.all.facing.the.same.way,.at.each.of.which.sat.a.student,.head.bent.low,.scribbling.on.a.roll.of.parchment..The.only.sound.was.the.scratching.of.quills.and.the.occasional.rustle.as.somebody.adjusted.their.parchment..It.was.clearly.exam.time..
Sunshine.was.streaming.through.the.high.windows.on.to.the.bent.heads,.which.shone.chestnut.and.copper.and.gold.in.the.bright.light..Harry.looked.around.carefully..Snape.had.to.be.here.somewhere….this.was.his.memory….
And.there.he.was,.at.a.table.right.behind.Harry..Harry.stared..Snape‐the‐
teenager.had.a.stringy,.pallid.look.about.him,.like.a.plant.kept.in.the.dark..His.hair.was.lank.and.greasy.and.was.flopping.on.to.the.table,.his.hooked.nose.barely.half.an.inch.from.the.surface.of.the.parchment.as.he.scribbled..Harry.moved.around.behind.Snape.and.read.the.heading.of.the.examination.paper:
.DEFENCE.AGAINST.THE.DARK.ARTS.‐.ORDINARY.WIZARDING.LEVEL..
So.Snape.had.to.be.fifteen.or.sixteen,.around.Harry.s.own.age..His.hand.was.flying.across.the.parchment;.he.had.written.at.least.a.foot.more.than.his.closest.neighbours,.and.yet.his.writing.was.minuscule.and.cramped..
.Five.more.minutes!..
The.voice.made.Harry.jump..Turning,.he.saw.the.top.of.Professor.Flitwick.s.head.moving.between.the.desks.a.short.distance.away..Professor.Flitwick.was.walking.past.a.boy.with.untidy.black.hair….very.untidy.black.hair….