A Professor of Magic at Hogwarts

"Is something wrong?" Ron asked in a hushed voice, his hand instinctively reaching for his pocket, where Harry knew his wand was hidden.

"Let's talk outside," Harry said almost in a whisper. Ron and Hermione got up, hastily making their way across the common room. As they passed Neville, he stood up, about to ask something, "Ha—" but Harry quickened his pace, uncertain about involving others right now.

The trio pushed open the door of the common room and walked a distance away.

"They've started moving, Umbridge and Avery?" Ron asked eagerly.

Harry unfolded a somewhat crumpled map, and Ron and Hermione immediately leaned in, "Hard to say, but look here." Harry pointed to a small dot, "That's Umbridge, heading towards the tower of the Headmaster's office. I'm not sure if she knows the password, but—"

"Hey, we're on the eighth floor! If we take a couple of staircases and corridors, maybe we can intercept her early," Ron said excitedly.

"Good idea," Harry said, "but there's a catch, we have to split up."

"Why?" Ron looked at Harry puzzled, then glanced at Hermione, hoping for an explanation.

"Umbridge's movement might be a sign, a signal for the action to start. But she's not all of it, look!" Her finger pointed around the map, "Avery is in the Great Hall, doing nothing, that's odd."

"What about the Order members?" Ron asked.

"Two are guarding the Great Hall, two are at the front and back doors of the school, the other two... got it, Alastor and Tonks are patrolling the school perimeter."

"They're guarding against Death Eaters entering the school?" Ron said, surprised.

"Possible," Harry said, scanning the map, "Have you seen Malfoy?"

"Probably in the Slytherin common room, let me check... Oh, no," Hermione groaned, "he's coming out, heading upstairs. Just at this time! What if he..." she asked anxiously.

"Don't know," Harry said, "So, we need to split up. You take the map, keep an eye on Avery on the way. If Umbridge is on the move, he's sure to have a role to play. But thankfully, we have Frank, Alice, and other professors—"

"What about you?"

"I don't need the map, my destination is clear," Harry said shortly, "I just need to ensure no one sneaks into the Headmaster's office. If this is a false alarm, that's for the best. Let's not alert others unless necessary."

Ron and Hermione nodded silently, and Harry and they went up different staircases, through two doors. He knew he was close to the Headmaster's office; he had been there before, remembering vividly the huge stone gargoyle statue guarding the entrance. Harry hoped it would stay vigilant.

In the empty corridor, a stone creature stood in the center, and no one else. Harry wasn't sure if Umbridge had already broken in, but she couldn't have left in such a short time. Suddenly, the creature leaped aside, revealing a winding staircase spiraling downwards. Someone came into Harry's sight, and he slowed, incredulously staring at the person emerging from the Headmaster's office.

It was Snape!

"Potter," he coldly blocked Harry's path, "What are you doing here?"

"I, uh, Professor Snape, I need to find Headmaster Dumbledore. I saw Umbridge heading here; she's trying to break into the Headmaster's office!"

"Nonsense, I just came out, the door's locked, the Headmaster isn't in," Snape said impassively.

"But—" Harry began, unsure if Snape's words were true or false. He glanced back at the corridor he came from. No one appeared. Had he run too fast, and Umbridge hadn't had time to catch up? Should he go back to intercept her?

Or was he being overly sensitive, and Umbridge was just in a hurry to use the restroom? As he thought, doubts he hadn't noticed before emerged one by one. The Order wasn't guarding Umbridge, but scattered around the school and castle...

Harry instinctively stepped away to leave but abruptly paused, scrutinizing Snape.

"What's the password? I want to go in and check," he said.

Snape twisted his thin lips into a mocking smile, making Harry feel uneasy; he knew Snape was probably mocking his audacity. But just in case, what if Umbridge beat him to it and was hiding in the Headmaster's office? Was it her who locked the door, so Snape couldn't enter? Or were they working together?

Harry didn't know Umbridge's motives, but he knew she was sent by Voldemort, and Voldemort surely had unspeakable secrets.

He ignored Snape's mockery, walking up to the stone creature, "Iced lemonade? Pear drops, uh—Licorice wand, Exploding Bonbons... I'm aligned with your master, can you open the door?" he said, irritated.

The creature remained motionless.

Snape watched him mockingly, and Harry stared into his deep black eyes, undecided. Normally, he would have yelled at Snape by now, but this morning Hermione unintentionally reminded him that no one could see the full picture of the events.

This made him consider: since he could gather bits of information from others, privately brainstorming with Ron and Hermione, attempting to piece together the complete truth; it was possible Snape was doing the same.

All this assumed that he and Snape had been given only partial information by Headmaster Dumbledore, and they stumbled upon a thread...

Professor Hagrid's reply also influenced Harry's judgment. If the issues in that letter were as obvious as Ron suggested, "the answer's pretty clear," it was "love" — Harry's breath almost halted — if that was true, Snape's past actions, willingly working as a spy, could just about make sense. Everything could be explained with a reasoning that made Harry uncomfortable:

Snape was inherently evil; it was in his nature. Whether his favoritism towards Slytherin or his blatant hatred towards Harry, all were strong evidence for this conclusion. The only difference was his deep love for one person — Lily. Her death made him betray his old master, aligning completely with Dumbledore...

But if Snape and Dumbledore were together, why the lack of interest in such a significant matter? Harry fumed, didn't they know Voldemort was plotting outside? Harry stared at Snape, exasperated. His inner emotions were complex and intense, rendering him almost unable to think, and Legilimency was of little help. Suddenly, a spark of inspiration cut through the fog in his mind.

Voldemort...

Yes, Voldemort was back, and if—Harry felt breathless. He trembled, realizing he might have an idea of where Snape got the Death Eaters' information from, not from casual correspondence with his Death Eater friends but— he was one of them.

The boy who had led a peaceful life for over a decade had donned the Death Eater cloak once again... Was it possible?

If Snape was a spy, then Harry needn't worry at all, even Umbridge might just be a ridiculous tool spreading false news. He suddenly felt a surge of clarity. But what if it wasn't true?

Then, Snape was likely not only the ultimate traitor but also the dangerous dark wizard that he feared.

Snape's expression was still condescending, "You're dismissed, Potter."

Harry reluctantly took a few steps back, keeping his eyes fixed on Snape's, "You're lying," he accused, with less conviction than he would have liked.

Snape didn't respond, only staring back with a look Harry couldn't read. Then, he turned and walked away, disappearing around the corner. Harry stood there, his heart pounding, mind racing with conflicting thoughts and suspicions.

Should he trust Snape, or was he indeed the enemy within, hiding in plain sight?

He felt colder the more he thought about it. He didn't know how the members of the Order of the Phoenix guarding outside were faring, whether they were still in battle or had retreated. Anxious thoughts swirled in his mind. The only silver lining was that it was getting dark. Most students remained inside the castle, temporarily safe. But exceptions were possible. What if some students wandered near the Forbidden Forest? Harry's heart skipped a beat; he thought of Luna. She had a friend among the centaurs named Firenze. She and Ginny sometimes ventured near the forest's edge. What if...? He couldn't bear to think further.

And then there was Hagrid. Harry halted in horror, not too far from the broken wall leading to Hagrid's cabin. If Hagrid heard anything, he would come out, with Fang. Unless he wasn't at home, perhaps with Grawp.

He prayed that Hagrid would have some unexpected plans and be away with Grawp, even if it was for a birthday celebration, so they could be safe together...

Harry's thoughts overwhelmed him, making it hard to breathe. The Marauder's Map was with Ron and Hermione, leaving him unable to confirm the safety of these people. Fear surged within him. Familiar voices reached his ears. "Harry!" Hermione and Ron sprinted up the spiral staircase, panting heavily.

Harry instinctively found himself by the entrance to Gryffindor's common room. Shortly after, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung open.

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