Pure Imagination

Author's Note: I do not own any of these characters. But if I did, I'd be bloody rich I suppose.

He was having the nightmare again. It was even worse this time. He found himself in the large room that reminded him of a warehouse. There were brightly colored pipes and tubes near the high ceiling. But the rest of the place looked like a sort of...garden. It was all very odd and unsettling. He hated the cheerful tints of reds, blues, and yellows. They made him feel uneasy. Instead, he preferred darker shades of black and grey.

Enormous lollipops were embedded in the brilliant green grass. Delicate little teacups and saucers grew on stems like flowers. A stream of thick brown liquid flowed past on the other side of the garden. There was a rich scent of sweetness to the air. It made him think of candy and sugar. This was not the place he wanted to be.

Then a strange song started to fill the air. Deep male voices were singing harmoniously. It was some silly nonsense about "oompa loompas". He could see a number of curious-looking dwarves moving about on the other side of the stream. They all had green hair and orange skin. They made the uncomfortable sensation in the pit of his stomach worsen.

He stepped over within shouting distance of them. They seemed to be working, lifting big bags of sugar and passing them off to each other.

Feeling they obviously knew more about this bizarre place than he did, he loudly asked them, "What are you doing? Why are you singing that ridiculous song? What is going on here?"

The dwarves stopped working immediately. For a brief frightening moment, he thought they might try to attack him. But he didn't think they could cross the stream very quickly so he calmed down.

One of them stepped forward to address him. He looked quite concerned.

"Sir, are you feeling all right? We're only doing what you hired us to do," he replied somberly.

Frowning, the man snapped," And what, pray tell, is that?"

"Making candy, of course. Mr. Wonka, are you sure you're feeling all right?"

Instantly confused, he growled, "What are you babbling about? I'm not Wonka! I'm Professor Severus Snape, you fools!"

They began to back away from him as one. Then the dwarves went back to their tasks, pretending as if he weren't even there.

Snape was scowling heavily by then. He made a sound of disgust and spun around on his heel to stalk off in the other direction. No long black cape swished comfortingly around his legs.

In a panic, he stopped to look down at himself.

Sweat broke out on his forehead. He was dressed in a purple frock coat with tails and had on the ugliest tan pants he'd ever seen. There was even a polka dotted bowtie at his throat! Reaching up slowly, his hand encountered a smart felt top hat. Oh, the horrors! This was definitely not his normal attire!

Cautiously he reached into his breast pocket where his wand was usually hidden. He found nothing but a handful of curiously shaped multi-coloured sweets.

Throwing them down with a sound of disgust, he started off across the garden in a huff. He crushed several of the teacup flowers in the process, not that it helped his foul mood any. So wrapped up in himself, he failed to notice the children until he was nearly upon them. They stood uneasily in a small group near some steps and they were eyeing him warily.

One of them, a blond curly-haired boy, asked hesitantly, "Aren't you going to tell us what this room is for, Mr. Wonka?"

Snape grimaced. That name again.

"No. I have no idea what this room is for or why I'm even here, you detestable little cretin!" he roared menacingly.

One of the other boys, a chubby short child, tried to speak up next.

"I'm hungry. When are we going to-"

Severus cut him off abruptly with a silent unspoken spell. Silencio!

The children cowered closer together. Soon the two girls in the group began to wail in terror. He was really beginning to lose his patience with this sniveling lot. They were much worse than dealing with an entire classroom of first years.

And just when he thought he could bear it no more, he woke up. The familiar surroundings of his chambers in the dungeons of Hogwarts brought a huge wave of relief to him. He rose at once from his bed and strode over to the bar of chocolate that lay on his writing desk. He threw the candy into the trashcan with a satisfying thud.

"That is the last time I ever eat sweets before going to bed!" he vowed out loud to himself.