i am snape

"Oh, Moaning Myrtle, thank you for telling me. That was very helpful." Snape felt a pang of regret; if only her conversational skills were more like Ron's.

Still, he was pleased with what he'd gained. Even if he had to ask Dumbledore to act as a "doorman" later, at least he had a good excuse.

"Will you come back to my lavatory to see me again?" Myrtle asked sadly, seeing Snape walk towards the door. "It's the first time anyone's talked to me so much."

"We'll meet again," Snape said. He was certainly coming back here, so it wasn't a lie.

"Goodbye," Myrtle murmured wistfully.

Snape grasped the doorknob and pulled the lavatory door open just a crack.

As he prepared to peek out and see if the corridor was clear, the hairs on the back of his neck suddenly bristled. A powerful sense of danger washed over him.

Without a second thought, he lunged sideways, rolling sharply, oblivious to the grime and standing water on the floor.

The moment he rolled away, with a loud "BANG," the door was violently flung open, and a scorching red light sliced through the air, shooting inside.

The spell hit the already cracked mirror. With a "CRASH," shards scattered everywhere.

"AHH!" A shrill female scream pierced the air. Myrtle was plastered against the wall, her eyes wide with terror.

"Murder! There's murder in the lavatory! Murder!"

"Stupefy!"

A gust of wind swept in, continuing to fire spells.

The spell missed slightly, shattering the toilet behind Snape, sending a jet of water gushing out and flooding the surrounding floor.

It was James Potter's voice!

But Snape saw no one. James must have been wearing that Invisibility Cloak!

Snape rolled to his feet and swiftly dodged behind a sink, pulling out his wand to retaliate.

"Sectum—Reducto!"

With a bang, the candelabra bracket near the door instantly twisted and toppled to the floor.

The candle stub rolled into the standing water, and with a faint "plop," the flame flickered and died.

The lavatory plunged into darkness.

Spells flew wildly, whistling through the air.

"Stop it! Stop it!" the crying Myrtle shrieked, her voice echoing in the pitch-black lavatory. "My lavatory! Stop it! Don't fight anymore!"

"Petrificus Totalus!" Snape waved his wand frantically.

Suddenly, the spells aimed at him ceased, and then he heard something fall with a splash into the standing water.

"Lumos."

Using the light from his wand, Snape reached down to feel the floor.

Finally, he found an invisible bulge slightly raised from the floor.

Tearing off the transparent Invisibility Cloak covering James, Snape saw that detestable face.

James lay sprawled on his back in the flooded floor, his mouth wide open, completely unable to move.

Kicking the wand that had fallen beside James far away, Snape leaned down to examine him closely.

"Potter, how dare you come after me alone?"

"How should I reward your bravery?" He gazed into James's eyes. "Let me guess how you knew I was here."

"And before, how did you know Lily and I were in Slughorn's office..." Snape emphasized Lily's name.

He bent down, searching through James's robe pockets.

"What's this interesting little thing?"

Snape held a slightly creased blank piece of parchment in his hand, looking at James with amusement.

"Mr. Potter, why would you be carrying a blank piece of parchment with you?"

He then walked to an intact toilet and pressed the flush button on the cistern, so James wouldn't hear what he was about to do.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." He gently tapped the parchment with his wand, lowering his voice.

A small black dot was moving towards Moaning Myrtle's lavatory.

"Mischief managed." Snape tapped the map with his wand tip again, and it immediately became blank.

"Right, time's up," he said, tucking the parchment into his robes and looking at Myrtle. "Myrtle, we're friends, aren't we?"

Myrtle was still huddled in the corner, softly sobbing.

Hearing Snape's words, she looked up in surprise, her face filled with disbelief. "Oh... you want to be friends with me?"

"Why not?" Snape said.

Just then, the door behind him burst open: Professor McGonagall rushed in, wand raised.

She was wearing a tartan dressing gown and a hairnet, and her expression was stern.

"Snape, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

She then saw James lying on the floor. "Potter! What is the meaning of this?!"

"Professor, I was chatting with Moaning Myrtle here when Potter suddenly attacked me—"

"—Yes, I can confirm!" Myrtle did a joyful somersault in the air. "Severus and I were having a party, and he burst in and ruined my lavatory! Professor McGonagall, look at the state of this place!"

"Silence!" Professor McGonagall said sternly, releasing the Petrificus Totalus charm on James. "And you too, Potter, be quiet."

"Gallivanting around in the middle of the night, casting spells on your classmates!" Her lips were pale, and her voice held a chilling anger. "You two, with me! To the Headmaster!"

They silently followed Professor McGonagall down the moonlit corridor.

Arriving on the eighth floor and turning a corner, Professor McGonagall stopped in front of a hideously ugly, colossal stone gargoyle.

This was Snape's second time here this year. The last time, besides James, a pale Remus Lupin had also been present.

"Lemon Drops," Professor McGonagall said.

The gargoyle suddenly sprang to life, hopping aside. The wall behind it split in two, revealing a moving spiral staircase. The staircase slowly ascended, like an escalator.

The three passed through the gap in the wall, and the moment they stepped onto the stone staircase, they heard a rumble behind them as the wall closed again.

The staircase wound its way upwards, rising higher and higher, finally delivering them to a gleaming oak door with a brass griffin-shaped knocker.

Although it was nearly midnight, voices could be heard from within the room, a chaotic murmur, as if Dumbledore were entertaining at least a dozen people.

Professor McGonagall tapped the griffin knocker three times, and the voices abruptly ceased, as if switched off.

The door opened automatically, and she led Snape and James inside.

It was a spacious, beautiful circular room, filled with all sorts of curious little sounds.

The room was dimly lit, and the bizarre silver instruments on the tables hummed and whirred, emitting wisps of smoke.

The portraits of past Headmasters on the walls snored gently in their frames, their chests rising and falling softly.

Behind the door, a magnificent, golden-red feathered bird, as large as a swan, swayed its long tail feathers on its perch, blinking at them amiably.