Albus lifted his head from the Pensieve Severus had brought to him and his eyes were no longer merry and twinkling.  Instead they were glittering with barely suppressed fury.  "I have given Victor a second chance here, a chance to redeem himself from the debacle he made of his career at Durmstrang and this is how he repays me? By filling students' heads with Death Eater propaganda, by encouraging pureblood supremacy, hatred, and intolerance? After the last discussion I had with him regarding Holly, I would have thought he would heed me and realize that such ideals lead only to ruin.  I thought that after we snapped Cross's wand he would note that such practices are not tolerated in my school and adjust his attitude and curriculum accordingly.  It would seem, based on your findings and the statements of these students, Severus, that I was mistaken."

The elder wizard looked suddenly tired and worn, his eternal optimism blunted.  It made Severus angry to see his mentor that way, and he said, "Don't blame yourself for believing that skulking pretender.  He played us all for fools."

Dumbledore looked at his Potions Master, whom he loved like a son, and said shrewdly, "All save you, Severus.  You never trusted him.  I did, if only for a short period of time, and look at what he has done."

"Albus, who was that always told me to forgive myself for my mistakes and learn from them? I believe it was a certain Headmaster. I would suggest you take your own advice, Albus.  The important thing is that we discovered what he was doing to the students in time to stop him before he subverted them to his cause.  Now that we know his agenda, we can take steps to bring him down."

The twinkle returned to the Headmaster's eyes.  "Indeed, my boy.  Forgive me for wallowing in guilt.  With this information, I have grounds to sack him, and more I can question him under Veritaserum, as his actions have placed the lives of my students in jeopardy, and he has violated the contract I made him sign at the beginning of the term."

"I can bring him up under formal charges of child endangerment and willful intent to harm a child as well," Severus said.  "If word ever got out to the press about what Throckmorton has done . . .I wouldn't be the only parent out for his blood."

Dumbledore's eyes gleamed.  "It would be most unfortunate," he agreed slyly.  "With so much pressure put upon me by the parents, I would have to call an inquest, and then question him to determine the veracity of his innocence.  And if he were found guilty, I could then dismiss him, and perhaps get him a seat in Azkaban as well."

"Such a shame, that he made such poor decisions," Snape said, a wicked gleam in his eyes. 

Dumbledore pulled out a sheet of parchment from his desk.  "Normally I would hesitate to do this, but in this case, it is a necessary humiliation. Will an anonymous tip work to Prophet, do you think?"

Severus nodded.  Then he intoned a spell to copy all the student affidavits and handed them to the Headmaster to put in the envelope with a letter explaining what they were, signed A Very Concerned Individual.

* * * * * *

Within three days, there was a new headline in the Daily Prophet.  It read-New Hogwarts Professor Corrupt! Victor Throckmorton's Hidden Agenda-Are Your Children At Risk?  The article detailed several eyewitness accounts of Throckmorton's classes and teaching methods, stressing the superiority of purebloods and disregarding or humiliating half-bloods and Muggleborns.  It was even speculated that Throckmorton had former ties to the Death Eaters. 

The paper was delivered in the morning at breakfast.  About three hours later, Dumbledore received his first owl from an outraged parent.  After that it was like a deluge. 

Throckmorton was protesting loudly, claiming it was all false accusations by some student who disliked him and wished to paint him as a villain.  "Lies and slander!" he raged at the latest staff meeting.  "What are you going to do about this, Dumbledore?"

"Do? My dear fellow, there is only one thing I can do."

"What is that?" demanded Throckmorton furiously.

"Prove to the parents and the public that they are wrong, of course."

"How?"

Severus fought to keep from smiling.  The arrogant fool had walked neatly into their trap. 

"By conducting an inquiry, of course," Albus said, giving the professor a slightly befuddled smile. 

"What?  You cannot truly expect me to submit to questioning like a common criminal!" exploded Throckmorton.

"If you are innocent, Throckmorton, then why would you not wish to have your name cleared?" Severus asked sharply.

Throckmorton whirled on him.  "Stay out of this, Snape!" Flecks of spit edged the corners of his thin mouth and he glared at Severus as if he wished to roast him over a slow fire.  "Keep your interfering, pointed, inferior nose out of things that don't concern you."

Severus met him glare for glare.

  The other teachers watched the confrontation with varying degrees of alarm and satisfaction.  Throckmorton had not endeared himself to the staff by mocking their Potions Master and looking down his nose at the rest of them, and nearly all of the professors were of the opinion that the rumors were probably true and wanted to see the smug man get his just comeuppance.   

"On the contrary, Professor, this concerns me greatly, for I will soon have a child attending here, and I would not want my son to be influenced by a dark wizard."

Throckmorton looked as if he wanted to jump over the table and throttle Severus.  "You dare accuse me?"

Severus sneered at him.  "Only the guilty fear the truth, Throckmorton.  If you will not submit to an inquiry, then you are guilty."

"Ridiculous!" sputtered the other, trying to recover.  "You have no proof, only hearsay."

"Actually, that is not so," Albus said.  "A Pensieve has recently come into my possession.  It revealed some very interesting things about your, ah, nocturnal habits, Victor."

Throckmorton went pale.  "More lies!" he blustered. 

Dumbledore sighed.  "You cannot use false memories in a Pensieve, Victor.  They will not register.  But if you think I am mistaken, why don't we take a walk down to your quarters?"

The professor's eyes darted about, clearly panicked, but trying not to show it.  "I have nothing to hide, Dumbledore!" he bluffed.

"Good.  Then you won't mind if I have a peek inside, now will you?"

Trapped, Throckmorton had no choice but to agree. 

Dumbledore rose and escorted the Defense teacher to his quarters, followed by Severus. 

"Why is he coming?"

"To see for myself if you are what you claim," answered the Potions Master coldly. 

They reached the Defense professor's quarters and Throckmorton disabled the wards and started to enter the room.  "Let me just tidy up a bit . . ."

"That won't be necessary, Victor.  Your apartments can't be any worse that the student dormitories," said Albus, and he pushed open the door and entered Throckmorton's chambers.

He quickly located the shelf of forbidden texts and the lists that had been in the Pensieve.  "Such interesting reading material you have here, Victor," the Headmaster said, he could have been talking about the weather. 

"Uh . . .I have them for study, so I can teach students how to deflect dark curses," Throckmorton said, sweating now.

"How convenient," Severus mocked.

"You cannot talk, Snape! For you were almost convicted of being a dark wizard yourself ten years ago!" cried Throckmorton triumphantly.

"Wrong, Throckie.  I was never convicted of anything.  I was a spy, working undercover to ferret out those who were Death Eaters.  Such as yourself!" Severus moved then, swift as a snake striking, and grabbed Throckmorton by the left wrist.  He shoved the other wizard's sleeve up, revealing an arm scarred by numerous thin white lines.  "Blood rituals." Severus hissed, his lip curling.  Then he flipped the arm over, despite the other man's attempts to pull free, and there was the Dark Mark, the skull and the snake.  "And the truth is revealed at last! What were you doing at the meetings, Throckie? Certainly a hell of a lot more than watching!"

Throckmorton struggled to reclaim his arm from Snape's grasp.  "Release me, you bloody cretin! You have no right to interrogate me!"

"No, but I do," Albus interjected, his voice hard.  Once again power crackled about him.  "You have betrayed our agreement, Victor Throckmorton, you swore upon your wand that you would do no harm to my students, and here I discover you have been tutoring them in the ways of the dark path!"

Throckmorton shrank from him, but managed to say, "You have kept them ignorant of their blood heritage, deprived them of the power that is theirs by right, Dumbledore.  They are meant to rule, not be friends with half-blood and Mudblood trash! My teachings are designed to help those who deserve it find their true potential."

"As dark wizards? Minions for your Dark Lord?" Severus demanded, shaking the other sharply.  "Magic is might and the mighty shall rule?"

"Yes! And we will rule, half-blood scum! And you and yours shall be crushed beneath us!"  There was a burning rage in the other wizard's face now, he scorched the Potions Master with his contempt and hatred, but Severus held firm. 

"Victor Throckmorton, I charge you with willful intent to harm children under your care, and consorting with dark magic, and being in league with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Severus announced.  "How shall you answer these charges?"

"Go bugger yourself, Snape!" He twisted his arm free and went to leave the room, but Dumbledore cast a spell over the door and Throckmorton was thrown backwards.  Before he could recover, Albus snapped a Binding Charm, and pocketed the other's wand.

"My office, Severus," he ordered crisply.

Severus levitated the other into the air and they departed the Defense professor's quarters, going up to the Headmaster's office. 

There, Severus shoved Throckmorton into a chair while Albus Flooed the Auror Department and requested an Auror team be sent to witness an inquiry. 

Two minutes later, Williamson and Shacklebolt stepped through the fireplace. 

"Caught another one, did you, sir?" Williamson said, nodding at Throckmorton, whose sleeve was still rolled up and the Mark visible. 

"This was my Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," Dumbledore stated.  "But after this testimony, I shall no longer be employing him.  Severus, if you would fetch some Veritaserum?"

Severus nodded, and summoned a vial with a casual gesture.  He approached Throckmorton, vial in hand.

The other wizard fought against his bonds, but it was futile.  He tried to avoid opening his mouth, but Severus was experienced in giving reluctant children medicine they hated and simply pinched the other's nostrils together and pulled the other's head back.  "Open and swallow, Throckmorton."

The sorcerer's eyes blazed, but he stubbornly kept his mouth closed until the lack of air forced him to gasp for breath, and then Severus administered the three drops of truth elixir and stroked his throat to make him swallow. 

Throckmorton's face went slack and his eyes glassy as the potion took effect.

"Headmaster, you may begin," Severus said, for Veritaserum worked almost immediately.

Dumbledore began, establishing that Victor Throckmorton had an unsavory reputation at Durmstrang for whipping a child nearly unconscious , which went beyond the bounds of even that school's policy of discipline, though they did practice corporal punishment.

Williamson and Shacklebolt's faces twisted in disgust as the questioning continued, and it was revealed that Throckmorton was indeed a Death Eater, who had been sent to Hogwarts by Lucius Malfoy to scout potential new recruits for their cause.  His mission had been to introduce the pureblood children to the power that was their birthright, and show them the path to true power.

Under the drug's influence, Throckmorton freely admitted encouraging Cross to torment Filch, and confirming all that the children had said about him.  He detested those not of pure blood with a deep abiding hatred, Squibs especially. 

"That's enough to guarantee you a nice long stay in Azkaban, traitor," remarked Shacklebolt.

"Yeah we don't take kindly to some racist trash filling kids heads with that kind of pureblood superiority crap," Williamson stated, glaring at Throckmorton viciously.

"You may take him as soon as I finish filling out the forms for his termination of employment," Dumbledore said quietly, removing Throckmorton's wand from his pocket and setting it on the corner of his desk while he sat down and began to write out the form. 

"As of this day, March 2nd, I formally dismiss you from my staff upon grounds of gross misconduct . . ."Albus began sternly, scribbling rapidly.

He had just finished signing his name with a flourish, and motioned for the two Aurors to come and sign their names as witnesses, when Throckmorton shuddered violently.

"What? Albus, he's having some kind of fit," Severus declared.  He moved to see what was causing Throckmoton to react like that, and in the next instant, Throckmorton's body shimmered, twisted, and became a raven, freeing himself from the Incarcerous Spell.

It flew at Severus, its sword-sharp beak stabbing at the Potion Master's eyes, forcing the other wizard to stumble back and cover his eyes with a hand.   

"Snape, look out!" yelled Williamson, trying to Stun the bird, but it was too close quarters and he missed.

The raven cawed at him, then flew down and plucked his wand off the desk and flew out the door with it.

Williamson and Shacklebolt threw Stunning spells after him, but none of them landed.

"Animagus!" Severus spat, furious at his oversight. 

He bolted after the fleeing raven, followed by the others.

Throckmorton flew through the gargoyle portal, which unfortunately was not set to keep visitors from leaving the office, only entering, and then he was in the Entrance Hall, where bunches of students were milling, having just been let out of class for lunch.

He felt his wings start to wobble and he quickly landed and transformed back, breaking Dumbledore's binding had weakened him considerably, enough so he couldn't maintain his Animagus form.  He knew he didn't have much time, the others would be coming for him, and he glanced about swiftly, panicking. 

The students were staring at him and then he spotted Harry, Draco, and their accursed Squib sister making their way towards the hall. 

"Professor McGonagall said Dad went with Dumbledore to his office, something to do with Throckmorton, the nasty bugger," Harry was telling Draco.

"I hope they're gonna sack him," Holly added.  "He's an awful man, worse than Lucius." Then she looked at Harry and asked, "Do you think Dad will mind if Narcissa takes us to Hogsmeade for ice cream?"

"No, probably not," Harry answered, then yelped as something knocked him down.  "Hey! What the heck. . . ?"

Holly screamed as two hard hands grabbed her and crushed her against a set of indigo robes, and a familiar hateful voice hissed, "Before I'm sacked, I'll see you in hell, little Squib brat!  Be still or I'll hex your arms and legs off."

Holding the whimpering little girl under his arm, Throckmorton began running for the entrance.

Harry was helped to his feet by Draco, who shouted, "Harry, quick, get your dad! He's got Holly!"

"What? Who does?" Harry's first thought was Lucius.

"Thick-moron!" yelled Draco, using the name the children had coined for the Defense teacher one day.  Then he started to sprint after the teacher.  "Hey, put my sister down, you bloody bounder!" His practice wand was in his hand, though he didn't really know any offensive spells.  Still, he wasn't about to allow the scum to kidnap his little sister without trying to stop him.

Harry was just about to run over to the gargoyle statue, when it burst open and his father and Dumbledore and two other wizards he didn't know raced out of it. 

"Dad, he's got Holly!"

"Damn it!" Severus swore, his heart freezing.  "Where did he go, Harry?"

"Outside, he grabbed Holly and ran away with her, Dad.  And Draco's trying to catch them!" Harry reported.

Severus swore.  This was all he needed.  He sprinted through the doors and saw Throckmorton dragging a struggling Holly down the path towards the Forbidden Forest, and Draco racing after them. 

Severus shot a Stunning hex at him but Throckmorton ducked at the last second, whirling about to face him.  He had Holly pinned to his chest like a shield, his wand pointed directly at her throat.  "Not another step, Snape! Unless you want your precious Squib daughter to become a human torch.  All it takes is one little word and she'll go up like a candle on Midwinter night!"

Holly whimpered, utterly petrified, tears rolling down her cheeks.

Severus halted immediately, and so did Draco.  "Let her go, Throckie.  Put her down and you can walk away."

By then Williamson, Shacklebolt, and Dumbledore had caught up to them also, but all of them halted, wands out, when they saw that Throckmorton was holding a child hostage. 

"That won't help you, Victor," Dumbledore said quietly.  "Release Severus's daughter and it will go easy with you."

Throckmorton spat at the Headmaster, his eyes wild.  "Back off, all of you, or I'll kill her.  You know I will, Dumbledore! What's one less Squib in the world?" There was a maniacal gleam in his eyes and his wand jabbed Holly in the neck painfully.

She shuddered, and implored Severus desperately with her eyes.  Help me!  Please!

The pleading desperation in the sapphire eyes nearly broke his heart, but Severus dared not cast anything while Holly remained within Throckmorton's hold.  "Victor, if you release her, I'll drop the charges," he persuaded, stalling for time.  If only there were no Anti-Apparition wards active, he could Apparate Holly out of the other wizard's arms.  Think, Severus!  There must be a way to make the bastard release her. 

And then he recalled the one other member of the Snape family that had yet to appear on the scene. 

Severus whistled sharply, praying the great wolf was close to the school, and not hunting deep within the forest.  Silver usually returned from his hunt at this time, and the Potions Master prayed he had not deviated from that schedule.

All of the teachers, Aurors, and even Throckmorton and Draco looked at him as if he had gone mad. 

But Holly's eyes glowed with hope, for she knew what the whistle meant.

A few seconds later, Snape caught something gray moving out of the corner of his eye, running with huge bounding leaps over the grass, right behind Throckmorton. He gave no indication that the wolf was coming, however, instead fixing his gaze upon his daughter and her captor. 

Throckmorton was sneering and laughing.  "What was that, Snape? Trying to conjure a spell with music?  Too bad it didn't work, but then you've not the gift of the spellsingers." He backed away slowly, his wand against Holly's throat. 

Silver slowed as he approached the crowd of wizards, trying to puzzle out why Severus had summoned him.  The big wolf smelled hatred and fear and desperation, and the fur rose on his back and he bared his teeth silently. 

Then he saw Throckmorton, whom he hated, and the other wizards standing before him, hesitant and unmoving.  And then he smelled Holly-and the girl's fear hit him like a slap. 

An instant later he was airborne, springing silently at the dark wizard, his teeth closing on Throckmorton's shoulder, knocking the tall wizard down. 

"Holly!" Severus called, trying to see his daughter in the tangle of robes and legs and wolf. 

Holly screamed, but more from shock that actual pain, for Throckmorton had cushioned her fall.  She tore free from his arms, since he was fighting to get Silver away from him, and managed to crawl away from the wolf and the wizard upon the ground.

Silver was snarling horribly, tearing at Throckmorton's arm, and the dark wizard was screaming and kicking at the big wolf. 

"Severus!" Holly sobbed, running to him and hugging him.  

"Holly, are you all right?"

"Yes, he . . .he . . .didn't hurt me, just scared me," she managed to say through her tears. 

Severus held her close and murmured, "Thank you, Merlin!"

Suddenly there came a red flash and a yelp from the wolf and Harry cried out.  "No! Silver!"

Throckmorton shoved the limp form of the wolf off of himself and staggered to his feet, panting and holding his arm, which was bleeding badly from Silver's attack. He muttered a healing charm and the wound closed. He kicked the wolf's unconscious body viciously and snarled, "Take that, you bastard animal!"

"Leave Silver alone, you bloody creep!" shouted Harry. 

Severus set Holly down and whispered, "Stay by your brothers." Then he started forward, his face set in grim lines, his black eyes promising swift revenge.

Several students had come outside, drawn by the commotion and upon seeing the furious look upon Snape's face and the way he was advancing upon their hated Defense teacher, began clapping and yelling, "Give it to him good, Snape! Mop the ground with him! Kick his arse, sir!"

Harry was hanging onto Holly's arm and shrieking, "Go, Dad, nail his coward arse!"

"Yeah, kick him all the way across the ocean back to wherever he came from!" Holly was yelling as well, flanked by Harry on one side and Draco on the other.

"And stick your wand up his bloody arse too!" added Draco, repeating something Lucius had once threatened to do to a stupid Ministry official.

"Draco  Anthony Malfoy! You don't use such language, am I clear!"

Draco yelped as Narcissa grabbed his ear.  "Ow!  Mother, please!"

"Honestly, I don't know where you pick up those vulgar phrases," she scolded.

"Father said that one." Draco said sulkily, rubbing his ear.  "Now let's watch Severus smear Throck-Bock-the-Chicken all over, okay? You can wash out my mouth later."

"Don't think I won't." Narcissa snorted, then she too turned to watch the duel.  "Hex him good, Severus!" she cried, then gasped.  "Merlin, did I just say that?"

The children grinned at each other, then watched avidly as Severus stalked Throckmorton across the lawn.

"Well, Throckie, you've been waiting the chance to duel me since our first meeting, wouldn't you say?" Severus inquired silkily.  "Here's your chance, you vile sadistic child abuser."

Throckmorton smiled eagerly.  "Yes, let us see who is the better combat master, Snape, you half-blood pansy-arsed whelp!" he pointed his wand and intoned a Blasting Curse.

Severus deflected it with a lazy counterclockwise twist, sending the curse bouncing off to explode on the lawn far from the school.  "We'll see all right, Throckmoron. See you on the ground with your tail between your legs like a whipped puppy.  Arciae auriae!"

A storm of hail shot out of Snape's wand, striking Throckmorton in the face and the chest, sending him staggering backwards, chanting a Shield Charm frantically.  Frost rimmed his hair and robes and he shivered, glaring daggers at the other wizard. 

"A bit slow are you? Tsk! Tsk! Looks like you didn't pay attention when your teacher taught reflexes and tactics, eh?" sneered Severus, then followed up his Ice Storm with a Gust of Wind Hex that threw the other wizard a good six feet across the lawn.

Throckmorton climbed to his feet, aching and furious that twice now Snape had been quicker than he was to cast.  "Incendio maximus!" he shouted, and a fireball exploded from his wand and hurled at Snape.

The spectators gasped in horror as the fireball slammed into the shield Severus threw up. 

The Potions Master staggered, but kept his shield up despite the deadly heat of the fire, then chanted a quick "Aguamenti maxima!"   Water gushed from his wand and put out the blaze surrounding him, and Severus stepped free of his shield, wand at the ready. 

"Is that the best you've got, lackey? Really, I thought you were tough! A fifth year could do a better job."

Throckmorton waved his wand and summoned up a swarm of bees that he set upon Snape with a fierce howl. 

Severus spoke rapidly, and a hole opened in front of him, it was a portal to a fragrant meadow with clear skies and masses of flowers. 

The bees soared into the hole without hesitating. 

Throckmorton nearly screamed in frustration.  Then he snarled, "Crucio!"

Those watching who knew that curse for what it was cried out in protest and terror, expecting to see their Potions Master writhing in pain from the Unforgivable. 

But, amazingly, Severus deflected the curse and spat, "Resorting to an old standby are you, Throckie? No doubt what you are now, is there? Time to finish this, I think.  It grows old."

"B-but how?" sputtered the other, shocked that the Unforgivable could be deflected. "That's impossible to deflect!"

"Wrong! You simply have to have something called willpower, imbecile.  Langlock!"

Instantly, Throckmorton found himself unable to speak, since his tongue was glued to the roof of his mouth.  Powerless to cast, he started to run, but he barely got three feet before Snape's transforming hex hit him. 

Throckmorton fell forward as his lower half suddenly sprouted hooves, a tail, and a very large posterior. 

Some of the students cheered and clapped, for the professor had given Throckmorton an ass's backside. 

"Quite fitting, don't you agree, Victor?" taunted Severus, a diabolical smirk coming over his features.  "This is payback for all those students you've humiliated during class, Professor!"

Throckmorton tried to run away, but he couldn't stand up, and could only manage a kind of jumping crawl, much to everyone's amusement.

Severus whispered another incantation, and several blades of grasses turned into a bundle of whippy willow switches and proceeded to beat Throckmorton all around the lawn. 

Throckmorton tried to flee, but could barely manage a hopping run, and weird braying sounds issued from his tongue-tied mouth as the switches walloped him.

Students and teachers alike giggled and laughed at the ridiculous yet satisfying sight of the cruel professor getting a taste of his own medicine.

"And that's what happens to naughty boys who torture other people, Mr. Throckmorton!" Severus scolded, waving a reproving forefinger at the scuttling yelping half-assed magician. 

More laughter followed his statement. 

"Shall I remove the spell, Throckie?" demanded Snape after the other had completed three circuits of the field.  "Yes?" He cancelled the tongue-lock spell abruptly.

Throckmorton hopped towards him, bawling and whimpering.  "Stop, Snape!"

Severus crossed his arms over his chest and scowled down at the transfigured Death Eater.  "Stop? Why? Have you learned your lesson, you wicked boy?"

"Yes! Yes! Take it away!"

"Say please, Throckie.  Something I doubt you've ever said in your life."

Throckmorton cast a withering glance at Snape, grinding his teeth.  "Never! I'll never say that to a dirty half-blood Squib lover!"

He yelled as the switches redoubled their chastisement. 

"All right! I'll say it! I'll say it!"

"Do so."

"Snape . . .please . . .take the spell off."

Severus gestured and the switches became grass again.  "Well, you can dish it out, but you can't take it, now can you?  Impedimenta!"

Throckmorton immediately fell over, held frozen by Snape's Impediment Jinx.  Another wave of his wand and Throckmorton's ass half was replaced with the wizard's original body.  "Much as I hate to give you back your original form, you do need to be able to walk for your trial." Severus sighed deeply.  "Locomotor mortis!"

Throckmorton rose and hovered behind Snape as he walked back across the field.

The students applauded wildly and then began to chant, "Sack him! Sack him!"

Various things began to fly through the air and land on the floating Throckmorton, thrown by the irate students.  Several tomatoes, rotten fruit, eggs, shoes, mud, a pickled eye, moldy fishbones, a cascade of garbage fell all over the confirmed Death Eater until the Headmaster held up his hands and intoned, "Enough!"

The students subsided, grumbling about how Dumbledore ruined their fun.  Strangely, not one bit of refuse had landed on Snape during the barrage. 

Severus halted in front of Dumbledore and the two Aurors, who were trying not to burst out laughing.  "I believe you have some unfinished business with this . . . person, Headmaster?" The way Snape said person made it clear that he was being generous in addressing Throckmorton that way.

The students began to revive their chant of "Sack him! Throw the bugger out on his ear!"

"Quiet!" Severus bellowed, and the students hushed immediately. 

"I do indeed, Severus, and thank you," Dumbledore said, pitching his voice to be heard all across the lawn. 

"You have a wicked sense of humor, Snape." Williamson commented.

"Thank you, Aubrey.  I try."

"Remind me to never make you mad," the young Auror said, then bowed to him.

Severus snorted, but amusement glinted in his black eyes.

Dumbledore cleared his throat pointedly, then said, "I hearby dismiss you, Victor Adolf Throckmorton, from this institution, and hope you never darken its doors again." There were loud whoops from all the students.  "Severus, release him from your spells, if you would.  There is one other thing I need to address."

Puzzled, Severus obeyed, standing the other wizard upright and cancelling the Impediment Jinx and the floating charm.  Throckmorton simply stood there, looking dazed and sullen, clearly all the defiance had been knocked out of him by Severus.

Dumbledore scowled, his long eyebrows coming down over his nose and said in a tone that was quiet yet filled with anger, "I believe we once discussed what I would do if ever you harmed a student of mine or humiliated one, did we not, Victor Throckmorton?"

Throckmorton looked panicked.  "I  . . I . . .don't remember," he lied.

"Pity.  For I do.  I said if ever you crossed the line with a student, I would dismiss you and you would be lucky if you left here on your own two feet.  It would appear that you thought I was bluffing, would it not?" Dumbledore inquired calmly, and yet all felt the sudden drop in air pressure and the sudden surge in magical power, it roiled and crackled through the air, and everyone trembled upon sensing it.

Dumbledore drew himself up, and gone was the befuddled Headmaster who was everyone's friend.

In his place was the warrior mage, hard as stone, his eyes flaring blue lightning. He pointed a finger and Throckmorton vanished.

In his place was a small white mouse. 

"I never bluff when it comes to my students, Victor." Dumbledore said, still in that deathly calm tone, that nevertheless sent shivers down the spine of those who heard it.  "Now begone!"  He waved a hand and the mouse raced away down the path. 

"Dumbledore, that's our quarry," protested Shacklebolt softly.

"Oh, you can have him, Kingsley.  The spell will wear off in an hour and then you can bring him in.  Unless a hawk or a cat eats him first." He pointed to where the mouse was running in confused circles. 

Williamson shook his head.  "Blimey! And I thought Snape was bad."

Dumbledore chuckled.  "Where do you think he learned it from, my boy?"

Before anything more could be said, there came a sudden flash of talons and wings, and a large red-tailed hawk swept down and snatched the mouse-Throckmorton up in its talons and flew away with it. 

"Oh, well.  That's one alternative to Azkaban," Shacklebolt commented.  "Serves him right." He turned to his younger colleague.  "Let's go, Aubrey, we're done here.  Farewell, Headmaster."

The two began to walk towards the front gates of the grounds, Apparating when they stepped outside the gates. 

Albus turned about, beginning to herd the students back inside, assisted by the other professors and Narcissa. 

"You were awesome, Dad!" Harry said, his eyes shining with pure hero-worship. 

"Really?" Severus arched an eyebrow.   

"Yes, very awesome!" added Holly.  "But now can you heal poor Silver?"

"Of course." Severus moved over to the still form of the great wolf and cast the reverse of the Stunning Hex that had knocked the animal out.

In a few minutes the big wolf yawned, shook himself, and sat up.  "Are you all right, Lupin?" Severus whispered, laying a hand upon the broad head.

Silver whuffed in answer and nodded.

He started to rise, only to be mobbed by two very happy children, who hugged and petted him and said that he was wonderful and a hero just like their dad.

"I'm so glad you saved me, Silver," Holly said, hugging him close.  "But you missed the best part-Severus thrashing that bully all over the place. And then Professor Dumbledore changed  Thick-moron into a mouse and a hawk came and ate him."

Silver gave a disappointed whine and licked her face.  Then he stood up and the two children walked one on either side of him back into the school.

Professor Snape paused before following, glancing once more at the empty sky.  That hawk . . .coincidence or design? He wondered.  There had been something odd about the way it had been there right at that precise moment.  Then he sighed and turned away.  

Throckmorton's shadow was gone from Hogwarts and that was what mattered.  And yet, Severus still felt a frisson of uneasiness crawl down his spine.  Lucius was still out there, he reminded himself.  He would still have to be alert, for often the worst evil is the one that remains hidden.