Chapter Four - A Wizard Is Never Late

All in all, Severus Snape was a grumpy man. Which wasn't surprising, given his dour countenance and overall lack of vitamin D. The fact that he spent his free time experimenting with dangerous ingredients certainly didn't help his case. But the thing that made Severus Snape the most irritated... was his students. The impudent pests they were. Never following his instructions, always blowing up perfectly simple potions.

But today... Today took the cake. It was his first day teaching the new students from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, and he hadn't been so, for a lack of better words, pissed since that bratty spawn of James Potter joined last year. At least Harry Potter had shown up to his first class.

'Silias Wallow... If I remember correctly, he's the dullard who made a fool of himself in front of the entire school.'

Severus cursed the absentee after finishing the register. Not wanting to waste time, he looked up and addressed the whole class.

"One of your classmates has deemed this class not worthy of his time."

His beady eyes gazed over the students, staring into the eyes of each. Most flinched and turned their heads in fear. A slight smirk broke on his lips when he saw them shiver. However, one student didn't flinch, or avoid his gaze. In fact, she actually met it, held it, and had the gal to smile. He wanted her and her smile, whether it wasn't genuine or not, out of his classroom.

"You."

He drawled.

Luna took an index finger, which was previously taking part in a war of thumbs between her right hand and her left hand, and used it to point at her face.

"Me?"

She replied.

Severus pale skin seemed to lose even more colour, if that was even possible.

"Go and get the missing boy, and bring him here quickly."

His silky voice spat.

In response Luna nodded her head seriously, and began walking out the classroom.

"Quickly."

She heard from behind her, to which she switched from walking to skipping.

When she was out of sight, Severus' crack of a mouth began to curve. He was thinking about how he would punish the boy for being late. Seeing this, the rest of the class collectively decided to never get on his bad side… If they could help it.

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It had been 45 minutes since he had sent the girl to find that cursed boy. Although the class was two hours overall, and the practical section started in just over ten minutes, Severus was not having it. The class had watched as his teeth had clenched, and his knuckles whitened, and his forehead creased. Even a blind person could tell the man was fuming, if not from the occasional cursing under his breath, then by the amount of house points he had removed from both the houses. Ravenclaw took it especially hard, seeing a they were home to both the missing persons.

Just as the man was about to remove five points from a poor Hufflepuff — named Ben Ostley — for dropping his quill on the ground, the door too the classroom crashed open. Revealing a white haired boy carrying a blonde haired girl piggyback style. His face was red and he was panting, whilst the girl kept her focus on the strange grey hat the boy was wearing. Making sure to keep it in the perfect position.

"Sorry — we're — late —Professor."

The boy heaved for air between words.

"I found him Professor Snape.."

Luna said, almost cheerfully. At that point the spectators collectively drew a breath. Sucking all the oxygen out of the room, which probably made it even harder for the boy to breath.

"Do you have any idea how late you are?"

Spat the man at the boy, with an intensity even the seventh years had yet to see.

"And you. I sent you to get him, not get a new hat, nor to ride on his back like a toddler!"

He hurled his words towards the non-plussed girl who still fixed her attention on the boy's grey hat. The man's face was vibrating in anger, and spittle flew everywhere.

After a moment of silence, filled with shock at the vitriol the man could spew, he spoke once more.

"100 points from Ravenclaw for being unreasonably late and undermining my authority, and Mr Wallow, I'll see you in detention for the next month. Now get off his back immediately, and take those ridiculous hats off."

The light in the eyes of all the Ravenclaw students went out. There went their chances of winning the house cup this year. Some took it worse than others, turning their fiery gazes towards the two students who were still in a piggyback carry, and glared with hatred.

"But Sir…"

The girl sang.

"These aren't just any hats, they're beanies! Although it's not my place to give them out, I'm sure if you asked nicely, Silias might let you borrow one for a while. After all your skin does look quite cold."

She motioned with her hands towards the teachers almost blue face.

"Luna…"

Silias used the hand he had under her thigh and shook her gently in an attempt to get her to stop.

"Also, my dad always says that a wizard is never late! So I really do hope that you understand and forgive him. He must've had something that was incredibly important that couldn't wait."

She said almost proudly, whilst patting Silias on the head. The boy cursed inwardly, knowing that the man wouldn't see him wanting a bit more sleep as 'incredibly important'.

The ensuing silence was broken by the sound of a snapping quill, and a genuinely gobsmacked laugh from Severus. Who proceeded to look down at the register to refresh his memory on the the girls identity, and spoke once more, in an eerily calm voice.

"Miss Lovegood, you will be joining him in detention for the month as well."

The girl tilted her head for a second before looking down at the boy who was still carrying her.

"Silias! Isn't it great? We get to go together!"

The girl hurrahed after putting both hands on the boys cheeks. Silias, who had been frozen in place. Let the girl off his back, put his hand over his face and closed his eyes.

'School is going to be much harder than I thought.'