Halloween proved to be just as eventful if not more so than the night before, much to Snape's disgust. The day progressed uneventfully, leaving Snape a chance to breathe and plot. He'd already planned to speak with Dumbledore about what he'd witnessed but something in the way Dumbledore secretly watched Quirrell told him that Dumbledore already knew.

Dumbledore always knew. Snape really wished he knew how the old man knew everything moments after it occurred. It could be so blasted useful with a houseful of delinquents like he had in Slytherin.

Dinner approached and Snape observed Quirrell being more jittery than usual. In a flash of worry, he wondered if maybe Quirrell's little devil on his shoulder had told him of Snape's presence last night. The thought was enough to make Snape sick at the stomach. If Quirrell could perform the Avada Kedavra curse, no little Snapes would be making an appearance in the future for his father to croon over. Period.

Taking another sidelong glance at Quirrell, Snape relaxed. Quirrell didn't have the nerve to perform the curse even if he did have the ability.

Herding his 'delinquents' into the dining hall that was eerily full of sound of fluttering bat wings and decked out in festive orange and black drapery brought back a rush of memories to Snape. As he sat down with McGonagall (who was still ribbing him about Potter being Seeker for Gryffindor), Snape ruminated that no matter how much time had passed Hogwart's always remained the same, right down to the festive decorations for all the holidays. It was oddly comforting.

Halfway through the dinner, Flitwick came tearing into the banquet hall, puffing from the exertion. "Troll!" he panted loudly. "In the dungeon!"

Snape's insides twisted and he immediately looked down the table to where Quirrell was sitting.

No Quirrell.

Looking around quickly, he spotted the Dark Arts professor ducking through a side door and Snape quickly followed while he overheard Dumbledore shouting orders for house prefects to take the students back to their respective dormitories. Snape wondered for a brief moment if it would be too much to hope that the troll would be in the Slytherin common room and would take out the Terrible Trio. He supposed it would.

Snape got lost in one of the corridors (he swore this one led to the fourth floor only on Saturdays) and had to backtrack. Knowing that Quirrell now had a good head start made Snape slink along the third floor more quickly, yet maintaining his stealthy silence.

He got to the locked door (which was standing open wide) and he sprinted in, intent on taking Quirrell and his invisible sidekick by surprise. Fluffy had Quirrell boxed into a corner again.

Without thinking, Snape snapped out, "You stupid mongrel! Let him go!" Fluffy turned around, blinking only once. Snape groaned when Fluffy turned his full three-headed attention on him. 'That was dumb,' he thought to himself, dodging the snapping jaws of heads one and three. Number two caught the flapping hood of his robes, tearing it off with a sharp ripping sound.

Snape saw Quirrell dart back out into the corridor and, intent on keeping track of his quarry, Snape dodged head number one, jumped on top of head number two, pushing it to the floor with a jaw-crushing thud, and whacked head number three with a clenched fist on his way out the door. He slammed the door shut with a locking click and started back down the hallway. His arm was throbbing where he'd bashed the dog.

A piercing scream from the other end halted his progress. Some stupid student didn't obey orders to return to the dorms and was now no doubt up against a troll.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it," cursed Snape as he about-faced and sprinted down the corridor towards a girl's bathroom. He skidded to a halt, barely missing bumping into Professor McGonagall.

"Snape!" she sputtered before shoving the door open. Snape followed her in, sensing someone behind him.

On the floor was a male troll with a distinct body odor that was reserved only trolls in Snape's experience. He crouched next to it as McGonagall began harshly scolding the three students looking in shock at what they had accomplished.

Snape took great pleasure in noting that Potter and Weasley were in deep with Granger. "Five points from Gryffindor!" was all he heard as he turned to find himself nose to nose with Quirrell.

His black eyes narrowed as he recognized the presence behind him. "Let's get it out of here," he snapped and Quirrell nodded nervously with a jerky motion. 'The twitch is starting to get irritating,' thought Snape sourly, 'but it is very telling.

As the two of them drug the stunned troll out of the bathroom, Snape grimaced when he heard McGonagall award both Potter and Weasley five points a piece for taking on the troll for Granger. 'Disgusting,' he groused to himself.

The troll took that moment to release pent up gas that left him and Quirrell both gagging.

"Thank you, Severus." Snape hesitated a moment longer, watching the age lines deepen on the headmaster of Hogwart's features. Now more than ever did Dumbledore look his age.

"Headmaster," Snape said stiffly. "I wish to protest McGonagall's handling of Potter, Granger and Weasley. She did not punish Granger harshly enough and she rewarded Potter and Weasley for disobeying..."

"I know, Severus, I've already talked with her. She did as she saw fit."

"He'll be arrogant just like his father, thinking he can get away with breaking the rules all the time." Snape stiffened defensively when Dumbledore gave him a hard look.

"Severus," Dumbledore began and then he paused. "No, I won't say that. I count you a friend, but I ask you to never disrespect James Potter in such a fashion in my presence again, do you understand?" Snape's eyes bulged a moment and then he gave one curt nod, spun on his left foot and stalked from the room. "I knew the rivalry had gone far, but I never dreamed Severus would carry it to the son of James Potter."

Remus Lupin stepped from the shadowed area of Dumbledore's office with a wry smile. "I know. Severus always hated James, hated him more when James saved him from being bitten by me."

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Remus, he doesn't hate James. He disliked James and had seen James as a rival. They were very similar in many ways." Dumbledore's face creased into a wry smile. "No, the one he hated was Sirius."

Lupin sighed at the mention of the name. "Yes, but Sirius earned that hate. It was horrible prank to play on someone, no matter who it was. I wouldn't wish my fate on my worst enemy."

Dumbledore only nodded. "You heard Severus' report and he's got the right of it. Quirrell no doubt is on the side of the Dark Lord. Will you teach next year, Remus?"

Lupin met Dumbledore's crystal gray eyes for a long minute and shook his head. "No, Professor, I can't. I won't endanger the children. What if I skip a potion one moon and bite one of them? It's too dangerous, too uncertain and the Wolf's Bane doesn't always work one hundred percent."

"I'm going to keep trying, you know," Dumbledore said with a warm smile. "You belong here, will be accepted here."

Lupin walked to the door and raised an eyebrow in Dumbledore's direction. "I have a feeling a few parents might have contradicting words to that effect." The door shut quietly behind him.

"Probably," Dumbledore said to the empty room, "but it's never stopped me before."