The dank chill of the dungeons seemed to seep into Snape's very bones as he stood unmoving, cloaked in shadows like a lethifold. Flickering torchlight danced across the stone walls, casting an ever-shifting glow over the professor's sallow features.

The Potions Master's obsidian eyes were narrowed, fixed unblinkingly on the dimly lit entrance as he awaited the student summoned for tonight's detention. The air hung thick with tension, heavy with the unspoken weight of consequences for tardiness.

As the minutes dragged on in charged silence, Snape's usual sneer deepened with disdain. Just as his rapidly waning patience reached its peak, the echo of hurried footfalls reverberated down the corridor.

At last, a familiar, wide-eyed face peeked around the corner. One of the few who would dare make Snape wait. Before the unfortunate student could so much as draw breath to offer an excuse, Snape's silken voice sliced through the gloom.

"The simplest of concepts, it seems, continues to elude your feeble mind," he intoned in that deathly-quiet rasp. Beady eyes glittered with cold relish as he drank in the youth's discomfort.

"But fear not...I am here to ensure you receive the most thorough..." A frosty smile flashed across his pallid features. "...lesson in punctuality."