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Many people in the small crowd cheered； Sirius； James and Wormtail roared with laughter。
Lily； whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile； said； 'Let him down！'
'Certainly；' said James and he jerked his wand upwards； Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground。 Disentangling himself from his robes he got quickly to his feet； wand up； but Sirius said； 'Petrificus Totalus！' and Snape keeled over again； rigid as a board。
'LEAVE HIM ALONE！' Lily shouted。 She had her own wand out now。 James and Sirius eyed it warily。
'Ah； Evans； don't make me hex you；' said James earnestly。
Take the curse off him； then！'
James sighed deeply； then turned to Snape and muttered the counter…curse。
There you go；' he said； as Snape struggled to his feet。 'You're lucky Evans was here； Snivellus …'
'I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her！'
Lily blinked。
'Fine；' she said coolly。 'I won't bother in future。 And I'd wash your pants if I were you； Snivellus。'
'Apologise to Evans！' James roared at Snape； his wand pointed threateningly at him。
'I don't want you to make him apologise；' Lily shouted； rounding on James。 'You're as bad as he is。'
'What？' yelped James。 I'd NEVER call you a … you…know…what！'
'Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick； showing off with that stupid Snitch； walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can … I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it。 You make me SICK。'
She turned on her heel and hurried away。
'Evans！' James shouted after her。 'Hey； EVANS！'
But she didn't look back。
'What is it with her？' said James； trying and failing to look as though this was a throwaway question of no real importance to him。
'Reading between the lines； I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited； mate；' said Sirius。
'Right；' said James； who looked furious now； 'right …'
There was another flash of light； and Snape was once again hanging upside…down in the air。
'Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants？'
But whether James really did take off Snape's pants； Harry never found out。 A hand had closed tight over his upper arm； closed with a pincer…like grip。 Wincing； Harry looked round to see who had hold of him； and saw； with a thrill of horror； a fully grown； adult…sized Snape standing right beside him； white with rage。
'Having fun？'
Harry felt himself rising into the air； the summer's day evaporated around him； he was floating upwards through icy blackness； Snape's hand still tight upon his upper arm。 Then； with a swooping feeling as though he had turned head…over…heels in midair； his feet hit the stone floor of Snape's dungeon and he was standing again beside the Pensieve on Snape's desk in the shadowy； present…day Potion masters study。
'So；' said Snape； gripping Harry's arm so tightly Harry's hand was starting to feel numb。 'So： been enjoying yourself； Potter？'
'N…no；' said Harry； trying to free his arm。
It was scary： Snape's lips were shaking； his face was white； his teeth were bared。
'Amusing man； your father； wasn't he？' said Snape； shaking Harry so hard his glasses slipped down his nose。
'I … didn't …'
Snape threw Harry from him with all his might。 Harry fell hard on to the dungeon floor。
'You will not repeat what you saw to anybody！' Snape bellowed。
'No；' said Harry； getting to his feet as far from Snape as he could。 'No； of course I w…'
'Get out； get out； I don't want to see you in this office ever again！'
And as Harry hurtled towards the door； a jar of dead cockroaches exploded over his head。 He wrenched the door open and flew along the corridor； stopping only when he had put three floors between himself and Snape。 There he leaned against the wall； panting； and rubbing his bruised arm。
He had no desire at all to return to Gryffindor Tower so early； nor to tell Ron and Hermione what he had just seen。 What was making Harry feel so horrified and unhappy was not being shouted at or having jars thrown at him； it was that he knew how it felt to be humiliated in the middle of a circle of onlookers； knew exactly how Snape had felt as his father had taunted him； and that judging from what he had just seen； his father had been every bit as arrogant as Snape had always told him。
… CHAPTER TWENTY…NINE …
Careers Advice
'But why haven't you got Occlumency lessons any more？' said Hermione； frowning。
'I've told you；' Harry muttered。 'Snape reckons I can carry on by myself now I've got the basics。'
'So you've stopped having funny dreams？' said Hermione sceptically。
'Pretty much；' said Harry； not looking at her。
'Well； I don't think Snape should stop until you're absolutely sure you can control them！' said Hermione indignantly。 'Harry； I think you should go back to him and ask …'
'No；' said Harry forcefully。 'Just drop it； Hermione； OK？'
It was the first day of the Easter holidays and Hermione； as was her custom； had spent a large part of the day drawing up revision timetables for the three of them。 Harry and Ron had let her do it； it was easier than arguing with her and； in any case； they might e in useful。
Ron had been startled to discover there were only six weeks left until their exams。
'How can that e as a shock？' Hermione demanded； as she tapped each little square on Ron's timetable with her wand so that it flashed a different colour according to its subject。
'I dunno；' said Ron； 'there's been a lot going on。'
'Well； there you are；' she said； handing him his timetable； 'if you follow that you should do fine。'
Ron looked down it gloomily； but then brightened。
'You've given me an evening off every week！'
That's for Quidditch practice；' said Hermione。
The smile faded from Ron's face。
'What's the point？' he said dully。 'We've got about as much chance of winning the Quidditch Cup this year as Dad's got of being Minister for Magic。'
Hermione said nothing； she was looking at Harry； who was staring blankly at the opposite wall of the mon room while Crookshanks pawed at his hand； trying to get his ears scratched。
'What's wrong； Harry？'
'What？' he said quickly。 'Nothing。'
He seized his copy of Defensive Magical Theory and pretended to be looking something up in the index。 Crookshanks gave him up as a bad job and slunk away under Hermione's chair。
'I saw Cho earlier；' said Hermione tentatively。 'She looked really miserable； too： have you two had a row again？'
'Wha… oh； yeah； we have；' said Harry； seizing gratefully on the excuse。
'What about？'
That sneak friend of hers； Marietta；' said Harry。
'Yeah； well； I don't blame you！' said Ron angrily； setting down his revision timetable。 'If it hadn't been for her：'
Ron went into a rant about Marietta Edgebe； which Harry found helpful； all he had to do was look angry； nod and say 'Yeah' and That's right' whenever Ron drew breath； leaving his mind free to dwell； ever more miserably； on what he had seen in the Pensieve。
He felt as though the memory of it was eating him from inside。 He had been so sure his parents were wonderful people that he had never had the slightest difficulty in disbelieving the aspersions Snape cast on his father's character。 Hadn't people like Hagrid and Sirius told Harry how wonderful his father had been？ （Yeah； well； look what Sirius was like himself； said a nagging voice inside Harry's head： he was as bad； wasn't he？） Yes； he had once overheard Professor McGonagall saying that his father and Sirius had been troublemakers at school； but she had described them as forerunners of the Weasley twins； and Harry could not imagine Fred and George dangling someone upside…down for the fun of it： not unless they really loathed them： perhaps Malfoy； or somebody who really deserved it：
Harry tried to make a case for Snape having deserved what he had suffered at James's hands： but hadn't Lily asked； 'What's he don