“Why in the world would Dumbledore ask you to meet him in an empty classroom instead of his office?” Ron wondered out loud as he and Hermione accompanied Harry to the classroom where Dumbledore had asked Harry to meet him earlier that morning.

“Who knows,” Harry shrugged, “he must have had his reasons to do so.”

“Do you think he will be giving you extra lessons in advance magic, Harry?” Hermione asked eagerly.

Ron gave a shudder at Hermione’s remark. “As if we don’t have enough to do already, that reminds me, can you look over my potions essay for me, Hermione? I don’t want Snape to have anymore reasons to fail me.” pleaded Ron.

Harry grimaced at the thought of his still unfinished potions essay. He had no doubt that Snape would probably fail him whether he finished it or not, but then, like Ron, Harry does not want to give Snape an legitimate excuse to do so.

“I guess we’ll see you later tonight then mate.” Ron’s voice jarred Harry out of his musings. Realizing that they have reached the designated classroom, Ron and Hermione turned around and headed back to the Gryffindor tower.

Harry paused at the door and gave himself a little shake to dislodge the sense of apprehension that had come over him all of a sudden. Harry knocked on the door and hearing no response, he opened the door slowly and slipped into the classroom closing the door behind him.

For a minute, Harry thought that he entered the wrong classroom. For sitting at the front of the class in the teacher’s desk was not Dumbledore, but the teacher he detested the most: Severus Snape.

“What are you doing here, Potter? And where is the rest of your fan club?” sneered Snape looking up from whatever he was reading.

Harry’s fists clenched and for a second considered giving Snape a sharp retort but then decided a simple answer would serve him best. “Professor Dumbledore asked me to meet him here.”

“Well, as you can see, he is not here yet.” Snape replied gesturing the empty classroom, head bending towards the book he was reading prior.

Harry, seeing that there is nothing he could do but wait, took a seat in the back as far away from the front desk as possible and looking everywhere and everything but the front desk.

After examining the graffiti on his desk for five minutes, Harry began to get restless and wondered when Dumbledore will arrive. As much as he had tried to ignore it, the presence of Snape was starting to get on his nerves. Not to mention the only sounds in the room were the ticking of his wristwatch and the sound of Snape turning the pages of his book. Harry decided that he would rather wait outside the classroom where he could be away from Snape’s presence and lookout for Dumbledore in the hallway.

Having decided his course of action, Harry pushed back his chair and walked towards the classroom door, Snape, taking absolutely no interest in his surrounding, remain concentrated on his volume.

Harry turned the doorknob to pull open the door. But to his surprise, the door did not budge. Thinking that he was not pulling hard enough, Harry tried again to yank open the door. Fighting down a wave of panic that he locked in a classroom with Snape, thinking that someone must have locked the door by accident, Harry took out his wand, pointed it at the lock and murmured “Alohomora”

Harry frowned as he tried to open the door again but to no avail. This spell had been infallible so far, why was it not working this time? Harry returned to his seat thinking of all the spells that he knows. There were several curses that he could employ, but he has no doubt that using any one of those curses would result him in losing house points as well as a year long detention probably cleaning the dungeons. Besides what would Dumbledore think when he comes and sees that Harry blasted a classroom door?

Still ignored by Snape and perfectly fine with it, Harry went to the door and tried the unlocking spell again. After casting the spell a few times and still failing to get the door to open, Harry developed the urge to pound on the door and scream at the top of his lungs to be let out.

Glancing at his watch and seeing that they had been waiting for Dumbledore for more than thirty minutes, Harry decided to approach Snape about the problem. Squaring his shoulders, Harry marched up to Snape’s desk. “Er… Professor Snape?” ventured Harry, starting to feel very foolish about what he is going to do. “We have been here for thirty minutes and the door won’t open.” Harry said the last part very quickly.

Severus Snape did not appear to have heard what Harry said, so he tried again. Louder, this time. “Excuse me, Professor, it has been half an hour and Professor Dumbledore has not yet arrived and I can’t get out.”

Seeing Snape still absorbed in his book, Harry strolled back to the door and tried to wretch it open. “I assure you, Mr. Potter, that I am not deaf and I heard you the first time.” came the voice from the front of the class. “However,” continued Snape not looking up from his book, “Although, it is unusual for the Headmaster to be late. But he is a busy man and I suggest that you take a seat and wait for the Headmaster.”

Having nothing else to do, Harry sat at the desk spinning his wand on the desktop. All of a sudden, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye and immediately looked up. Snape had gotten out of his seat and walked towards the door. ‘Ha, so you are not as patient as you make out to be either’ thought Harry relishing in the fact that it was Snape who had gotten up first.

After Dumbledore’s failure to show up and Harry failing to open the door, Snape’s senses alerted him that there was something wrong with this. Dumbledore was never late for anything and this was totally uncharacteristic of him, besides he had received instructions from the man himself to come here tonight.

After unable to open the door by force, he realized that Mr. Filch probably locked the door by accident and took out his wand to spell it open. After trying several unlocking spells to no avail, Snape realized that something was wrong, very wrong.

“Out with it, Potter, what did you do to the door?” Snape demanded turning to look at the boy.

Unwavering green eyes looked back at him, “I didn’t do anything to it. I was trying to get it to open. I’ve been trying to tell you that.”

Muttering under his breath, Snape turned back to door trying to unlock it. After several more unsuccessful attempts, Snape decided to blast the door off its hinges. Stepping back well away from the door and motioning for Harry to stand beside him, Snape raised his wand and was ready to blast the door when a voice behind him said, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Severus.”

Upon hearing that voice, both Harry and Snape swerved around to see Albus Dumbledore standing behind them, smiling. Dumbledore surveyed the two people in front and waved for both of them to sit down. “Professor…”, “Headmaster…”

Dumbledore raised one hand to stem their questions and proceed to explain. “As I was saying, Severus, it would not be a good idea for you to blast the door with your wand, for I have put a shield charm on it. I am also the one responsible for locking the door.”

“But why…” began Harry

“I ask both of you to refrain from questioning me until the very end, Harry.” Dumbledore said kindly.

“Voldemort’s ability to spread discord among his enemies is well known. I will need the both of you to put aside your differences to prevent Voldemort from taking further advantage of this. Harry, I believe you know the blessing and the curse of your scar.” Dumbledore said turning to look at Harry, “that is why I am giving the both of you the opportunity to settle your differences for once and for all. Ah, yes, you will be needing this.”

With a wave of his wand, Fawkes and a trunk appeared beside Dumbledore. “You will find everything you need inside.” said Dumbledore as he grabbed onto Fawkes’ tail and disappeared leaving both Snape and Harry gaping open mouthed at the spot where Dumbledore stood a moment ago.