Another Year
Another Year
Chapter 1
Another year.
Another year at Hogwarts School of Irritating Brats and Senile
Headmasters, my only pleasure in life comes from humiliating the little brats' pathetic display of their potions brewing skills, except for my Slytherins, who have it bad enough. Now some would
claim my bias against the other houses and my short 'useless'
speeches is a major contributing factor in the house rivalry. I say
those individuals are idiots who have never picked up a history book.
The relation of the four houses has always been an uneasy one and in
the last sixty years – since Dumbledore took over as Headmaster –
it has steadily deteriorated.
If the Dark Lord had only
drowned himself in a bathtub full of sulfuric acid, a very useful
muggle potion, to completely DIE rather than just split himself from
his body I wouldn't have to be sitting in the gaily decorated Great
Hall of Hogwarts listening to the overly warm welcome speech of the
Senile old man for the new year. Now as much as I love my potions I
am tired of having to TEACH these little fools potions. Honestly, I
have been applying for the DADA position since the end of the war. I
tell Albus every year in my interest letter and verbally that I would
be more than willing to continue to look over my snakes and brew the
majority if not all of the school stocks of potions for the hospital
wing if I was to be granted the DADA position so he would only have
to find someone who is remotely capable in potions and above all
else, likes to teach potions to these snot nose monsters. What
happens though? Oh, nothing but being insulted and passed over for one
moron after another. I have a masteries in Defense & Dueling as
well as my Potions & Healer masteries while the majority of the
other applicants each year barely managed to graduate from whichever magic
school they attended. So here I sit bored out of my mind and pissed
off in the 'assigned' (this year) seat for my position – professor
of potions. Seriously Albus 'assigned' seats? We have one new
professor and you need to 'assign' seats? Are we in nursery school
instead of grown adults Albus? I swear from his flamboyant robes to
his affinity for candies and now this I honestly wonder just how gay
the man is. Though I call him senile he's not, far from it, he is
more dangerous than senile and still very much in control of his
wits. I doubt I will still be so in command of my large intellect and
magic by his age if I have to tolerate much more of him not to
mention the war that will undoubtedly happen. I have no doubt the
Dark Lord is still alive somehow somewhere out there, damn it.
So since I must
tolerate another year of this place filled with more bad memories
than good I will do what I do every year, go for a dip in each little
innocent mind to see what secrets they hold. Do not worry I do
so gently and suddenly so that they are not aware. The only way they
would be aware is if, by chance, the little mind I dip into is a
natural or trained occumens. Granted this year's entering class holds
a few minds I know not to attempt this with only because their
parents asked me to train them to protect themselves from the
Headmaster who will be doing the same thing but more often. Other
than when I'm bored and annoyed at the opening feast, as I am now, I only
go investigating their minds to find out if they are lying. They all
lie so much. But this year I will not be able to go gallivanting
through Draco's, pretty little Daphne's (she will be a looker when
she's older like her mother), or Theodore's mind. I don't mind much
they are still very expressive in normal ways like most children, by
the expression on their faces and body language. Besides I made a
nice pile of gold from each family to train these three. Next year
I'll have the Lovegood child and the youngest of the Greengrass girls
I will not be able to read the minds of due to my exceptional
tutelage. I often wonder how many lawsuits I would face, now or once
I retire assuming I live long enough for that once the Dark Lord
comes back, for having run wild through students' minds. Most likely
Albus and Lucius would make them all go away, though I'll never be
caught at it.
Oh and look there
Hagrid, the half-giant groundskeeper and keeper of the keys
(really?), is sloppy drunk and talking loudly to poor Professor
Vector again. Unless Hagrid started early, risking the life of the
first years and his best friend Harry Potter,
which I doubt he is drunk after two of his mugs of pumpkin juice
laced with Firewhiskey Special: for Giants. Hagrid has to get this
special type of firewhiskey brought in for him from the continent
since it is illegal to brew anything for 'creatures' here on the
Isles, though the Firewhiskey company was founded here and most of
its plants are still in the U.K. The Ministry, what brilliant ideas
they have, disallow something that creates revenue causing a company
to have to send some or all of its manufacturing plants across the
channel or occasionally across the pond, smart Minister Fudge is smart.
You
would think that after all this time as a professor at Hogwarts
Filius would either just BUY himself a taller chair or use his
massive magic knowledge and transfigure his chair in his office, the
staff room, not to mention here in the Great Hall the size and
height he needs. Does he LIKE to sit on books and fall off more often
than not? He is at least as old as Minerva I doubt falling to the
ground a few times a week is safe for his old bones, don't tell
Minerva I called her old by proxy. Regardless of his chair situation
Filius is a chirpy happy man tonight, not that he's much different
the rest of the time, I need to find out what secret potion or
muggle medication he is on I need some of that. He is chattering
happily with Hooch. The way she is giggling and blushing I wonder if
they are being naughty since they are both single once again and are
talking about 'the birds and the bees'. *laughs to self and ganders
various concerned looks* Now that is something disturbing I would
like to see though the thought of those two together is as disturbing
as the thought of Albus and Minerva. *shudders*
Next
to those two chattering individuals sits one of the two only other
Slytherins on the staff, Sinistra. Poor woman, she is sandwiched between Filius and the old fake Trelawney. So sits my friend Aurora
drumming her long thin fingers on the table at the far left side
bored out of her mind as Minerva slowly makes her way through the
list of first years. Actually, Minerva is not being slow but rather
the HAT is being slow. First, it took a decade, or so it seemed, to
decide what house to put the little bushy-headed Granger girl then
took its slow sweet time figuring out where to put the Longbottom
boy. I bet they tried to force the Hat to put them where they thought
they needed to go then where it saw they needed to go. It is over a
thousand years old and has gained a fair bit of wisdom in that time.
Down
at the far side of the right 'wing' of the head table sat Pomona and
Poppy sitting together looking like they were having a near-silent but heated argument, must be another argument over Sugar Quills and
preteen/teen tooth health. I adore Poppy as I did my own mother but
that woman takes her job a bit too seriously at times. During the last
war when I was a spy for the 'light,' I made the mistake a few times
going to see her when badly injured or too severely afflicted by the
aftereffects of the cruciatus curse, after that she would
seek me out after a mission and force me into her hospital wing for
treatment even if all I had as a small scar from a stray curse. I
think she just likes seeing me in my skivvies, how disturbing.
In Albus' infinite
wisdom, he sat our former Muggle Studies professor who took a year off
to gain 'practical experience' and is now our DADA professor next to
me. I honestly wonder what is wrong with Quirrell. He went off to the
continent for a year in what we all thought would be first-hand experience in the muggle world, he's a pureblood by the way, to come
back to teach Muggle Studies once again. When he came back he went
from wearing clothes that would reveal Arthur Weasley, a nice man, to
wearing an out-of-date suit with, get this, a TURBAN. That's right a
smelly, ugly turban on his head. Not to mention he twitches and jerks
and mutters about twice as much as he ever did before and gets this
weird look on his face when he looks at me. It's disturbing. You
would think if a man is going to wear a turban he would at least
wash it often enough, no snide comments on my hair that is a potion
to keep my hair safe from exploding student cauldrons and wear one
that wasn't VIOLET. What man wears a violet turban? My father's side
of the family I can only assume would want to smother him in his
sleep for insulting all Middle Eastern (and other turban-wearing cultures) men for his horrible choice in turban colors. I, well I
would prefer to hex the damn thing off. I'll have to try that, hex it
off, and see what he did to himself to force a man with a nice head
of hair to wear a turban. Bad haircut? I am a bit bothered though
that such an obscene, unhealthy, dare I say dangerous aura now seems
to radiate off of Quirrell, really from his head, odd as that is,
when before he was as 'light' feeling as Poppy. Damn it! Why why do I
keep scratching unconsciously at my left arm where my Dark Mark is!
It's not darkening, no I check that daily sometimes twice daily, but
it's still as faded as it has been for ten years now.
Ah, finally the name
I have been waiting for, NOT! Potter. Joy, I get to teach a
mini-James Potte- oh! Damn it
Lils..give the urchin your eyes..FUCK!
“Potter,
Harry James,” Minerva called from her station next to the stool the
Sorting Hat was sitting on looking disgruntled.
Harry
forced himself to walk up to the stern-looking woman and take a seat
on the stool she had directed him to. Once seated Minerva plopped
the Hat on his head nearly covering his nose.
*sigh* Lily's son,
the boy I swore TWO Wizard's oaths to protect. One to Lily and one
to Albus after Albus failed to keep Lily, James, and Harry safe from
the Dark Lord. In all honesty, I no longer hate James. Sure I hate him
to an extent. I hate him for trying to kill me and I hate him for
stealing Lily from me. I will never admit it but I do have a grudging
respect for the man who gave Lily a few years of semi-happiness, who
didn't get angry when Lily and I repaired our friendship a month or
so before they got engaged and married, and the man who died rather
heroically to buy his wife and child time to get away. Now, I will
never admit that not even on my death bed but I do.
The boy does look a
good bit like the Potters, did you know that my mother and Potter's
paternal grandmother were sisters? They were. This boy though, he's
so small for eleven, so skinny. He has to be a head shorter than most
of the kids, not counting the tall boys like the Weasley and Nott
boys, jet black hair that is rather wavy/curly, no glasses? (contacts
maybe Petunia?), and Lily's amazing eyes. One thing though, the boy
has very pale skin and a bit of an oversized nose. Though Lily and
Petunia both were fair skinned they were not this near white skinned
like the boy and no one in the Potter or Evans family had a nose that
suggested anything other than Northern European descent. Severus had
received his large nose from his father who seemed to make an effort
out of ensuring his son had a hooked nose from too many punches in
the nose.
Severus narrowed
his eyes as he stared at the boy as he sat under the Hat obviously
talking to it. Severus was not aware that several children in the
line to be sorted started to tremble making Filius giggle – obvious
'Puffs if just Severus' deep thinking causes them to shake.
No, the boy can't
be anything but a spoiled Potter. No way that Petunia and her fat oaf
of a husband would raise the boy to be anything other than a spoiled,
snooty, arrogant, prick....could she have? Maybe Petunia got smart
and divorced the whale of a husband she had. I have to admit even Pet
could do better than that pig. She might not be the prettiest, she
might not be the nicest, but she could do far better. Maybe that's
what happened, maybe Quirrell got some while he was on the continent
and has yet to figure out how to process it. *snickers* *more looks of
worry from the staff in the hearing distance*
“PUT YOUR WALLS
DOWN ALREADY MR. POTTER!” the Hat yelled out loud. He didn't mean
to but he had been trying to convince the boy that he had mental
walls up and only HE could lower them and must lower them or he could
not be sorted because the hat HAD to see inside his mind to figure
out where he would be best suited to be and that no Harry could NOT
decide for him where he should go. All the teachers
were startled by the Hat shouting at a student where even they could
hear it. Severus recovered from the shock of the Hat yelling in such
a way and that Potter was apparently already a trained occlumens
already. It wasn't unheard of just unusual and he didn't know anyone
else in the U.K. That would or could train a child in occlumency.
‘Sorry Mr. Potter
I accidentally yelled that so loud at you I said that out loud where
everyone could hear me. Anyway, I take it then, child; you can’t
put your walls down’ the Hat continued mentally to Harry, obviously
to the curious stares that were being directed at them.
'No, I can't! I
don't! What are you talking about?! Just place me somewhere so I
don't have to go home please!' Harry answered
‘Close your eyes
then, Mr. Potter, and relax I will take care of the rest,' instructed
the Hat.
Severus figured
that if the Hat had to yell at Potter to put his walls down that
could only mean Potter could not put his walls down himself, meaning
that he was a natural Occlumen. Natural occlumens were very rare in
this world, in the last two generations there were only three of them
born between the U.K., France, and China. You know I would have to
check my mother's genealogy book on the Potter line but I do not
recall seeing a natural occlumens in the Potter line ever. Could it
be that Lily was right and she WAS adopted. Is that why Petunia
doesn't have magic? It is highly unusual for only one natural sibling
in a muggle family to have magic and the other one to have zilch.
Usually 'less magical' sibling registers as at least a Squib. Petunia
doesn't even register as the weakest Squib.
‘Use your talents
with the snakes wisely, child, it is a very precious gift from
Salazar Slytherin, and it is not Dark,' the Hat responded to
the verbal question by Harry in parseltongue.
Throughout the
Great Hall, there was a sudden silence: Gryffindors stopped betting
about Potter’s House as they became alarmed and began looking
hostile toward Potter. Ravenclaws stopped reviewing their lessons and
began listening raptly to the sorting they had overall been
ignoring. Hufflepuffs stopped staring at their plates and cowering –
depending on how close to Professor Snape they were and began to all
worry their bottom lip and look ready to cry or bolt and run, or
both. Slytherins’ eyes brightened with well-concealed glee as they
exchanged curious and knowing glances suddenly hoping that Harry
would be placed with them.
There was little
difference between the student and teacher reactions. While the
teachers had at least made an effort to listen to most of the sorting
they had all been watching with bated breath for the outcome of Mr.
Potter's sorting – which was taking a record amount of time.
Minerva’s only reaction since she had to maintain decorum and not
run screaming away was her lips thinning into a tight-lipped expression. Filius was so shocked to hear parseltongue once again that he
fell off his books onto his neighbor's lap. Poppy, Pomona, Hooch, and
Hagrid all shuddered. Quirrell stiffened slightly but didn't make any
other obvious reaction to the creature language that had been sullied
by the most recent Dark Lord. Severus' eyes were the only thing to
show even a bit of surprise – they widened then he quickly
recovered. Dumbledore went from playing 'steeple' with his hands on
the table and humming quietly to frowning as his eyes lost their
trademark twinkling and he stopped playing steeple and humming.
“I WILL NOT ARGUE
WITH YOU ANYMORE! I'M THE SORTING HAT! You will go where I place you, Mr. Potter! You are as stubborn as I remember your mother being! ” the
Sorting Hat once again yelled out loud.
Harry's sorting was
taking so long many students resumed what they had been doing before
his parseltongue slipped. Gryffindors continued chatting heatedly
without losing track of the Sorting. While Ravenclaws returned to
their lessons and began doing crosswords out of boredom while
listening for a fellow Ravenclaw to be sorted. Hufflepuffs generally
whispered among themselves and dabbed at their moist eyes.
Slytherins, on the contrary, lifted their gaze to the undersized
parseltongue boy and waited unexpectedly.
Even Draco Malfoy
was curious; his eyes practically yelled that somebody should just
wrench that bloody hat away and drag Harry Potter to their table.
Severus was even beginning to be concerned and wished to do just what
Draco was wishing someone would do.
Potter cannot go
to Gryffindor. He will be feared, neglected, or looked down upon,
because of his Dark talent. Some aggressive upper years that
had lost family members to the war will beat him. Minerva’s
favoritism against him due to being able to talk to snakes will only
make the situation worse. Therefore, Potter will not survive a week
in the Lion's den. He cannot go to Ravenclaw either since.. look at
him...he doesn't look the type to WANT to live in a book all the time
but rather learn some 'live-action' and some by books, much like
himself. Harry has an obvious raw thirst for knowledge you can see
that just by looking at his sharp green eyes. Obviously, he cannot go to
Hufflepuff they fear him just from slipping into parseltongue under
the hat imagine what will happen if snakes come visiting him in his
dorm in the Badger burrow. So the only place, the logical place, for
Har-Mr. Potter to go is to Slytherin. I will just have to give a
strong warning to certain students, and parents, that Mr. Potter is
NOT to be touched and is under my protection...I'll say it is because
I feel he could be a great asset to our Lord when he returns.
“Mr. Potter! Your
half-giant friend is strongly prejudiced,” the Hat said out loud
again in exasperation.
Hagrid choked over
his fire whiskey for being called out by the Hat.
“If the House only
produced dark witches and wizards it would have been demolished
decades ago. You have got everything in your head. Cunning,
intelligence, survival instinct, thirst for knowledge, loyalty.
Slytherin will sharpen you, and make you a very powerful wizard. I
believe I made the right choice, should you not purposely make
enemies of your own housemates,” the house said out loud once
again, this time not only for Harry's benefit but because he wanted
everyone to be clear WHY he was placing this boy in Slytherin
Harry’s lips
didn’t move, but the boy nodded slightly. Minerva seemed to be the
only one other than the Potions Master to notice the movement because
she inhaled sharply as if fearing to lose her Golden Boy. Snape
unleashed a smile that sent some unsorted first years to comically
widen their eyes and some students to cower deeper into other
housemates.
“SLYTHERIN!! no
takebacks!” yelled out the Hat before seeming to deflate onto
Harry's head in exhaustion.
Severus concealed
his amusement with a smirk and rolled his eyes at the Hat. Had the
Hat looked over at him it would have attempted to roll its eyes back
at him as if to say, 'You have no idea!'
Minerva yanked the
hat off of Harry's head jerked her right arm up and pointed over
at the Slytherin table where they sat stunned for a minute then broke
out applauding. Even the older students figured if he was a
parselmouth as well as Slytherin then either the Dark Lord somehow corrupted him or took control of his body as a baby or Harry was some
distant relative to Salazar Slytherin and couldn't be as bad as their
parents were worried he would be. Besides what some of their parents,
who went to school with her, said about Harry's mum she might not
have been a Slytherin – Ravenclaw – but was as good as one with
all her cunning and sly ways.
------------------------------ -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 02:
Potions Class, Quirrell and an Undead Dark Lord
Some would say that
Severus Snape was a true bastard, an insufferable git or even a
sadist, if knowing his hobbies, which appeared to be seeing his
students fail (as always, Slytherins were not included). The method
was actually quite simple and petty, but pretty useful. A single
charm to decrease the temperature in the dungeon; inaudible footsteps
to sneak behind their backs; hot breath sent down their necks to
cause them to petrify or to drop whatever they were holding –
mostly porcupine quills and flobberworm mucous – into their
cauldrons while the fire was still on; quick moves to duck the
explosion, and finally, a cold, dangerously silky voice, owned only
by the infamous Potions Master of Hogwarts, to destroy whatever guts
left in them by snide comments and House points docking. Believe
Snape, who used this method so many times that only first years
weren’t aware of, and so skillfully that even seventh years still
fell for it, it was very very effective. Though honestly he wasn't a
git, much, or a sadist, they hadn't MET a sadist yet and he hoped the
war never came again where those sadist he did know would have a
reason to show their true colors, but rather a very bored, angry,
lonely man who had few if any pleasures in life.
For this most
unusual reason, Snape always looked forward to his first lesson with
the eleven-year-old brats, especially if they were Hufflepuffs or
Gryffindors. For that reason Severus sat bored in his office
absentmindedly drumming his skeletal fingers on his desk, he waited
for them like a snake baited careless victims.
The stony door to
the potions classroom adjacent to his office opened slowly, it was
rather heavy. He had charmed the wall across from his desk to show
what was happening directly through it so he was able to see the
monsters as they entered his classroom, especially for days like
today. So he watched as a few familiar faces that he knew before
they arrived at Hogwarts would undoubtedly land in either Slytherins
or Ravenclaws enter. This year, for once, Albus had been dumb enough
to accept the poker challenge of all his staff. The staff had said
that if Albus lost the tournament that he HAD to change the schedule
to where Gryffindor's and Slytherin were NOT together in any class.
Everyone was tired of them trying to hurt each other and becoming
father apart rather than unified as Albus though forcing them
together would cause.
Severus quickly
ignored the bookworms, Ravenclaws, that were entering his classroom,
they were rather boring when in 'class mode' and turned his attention
to his snakes. He saw Pansy Parkinson trying to chat up the Bulstrode
girl. Nott and Zabini sitting surprisingly close
together...experimenting boys or just cold? *snickers* Severus smirked but
took pity on his snakes and upped the temperature in the area that
Slytherin had claimed a few degrees.
Severus smiled
softly when he saw his godson Draco enter, proud, cocky, confident as
ever. Severus' eyes dimmed some when he saw his late best friend's
son, who should have been HIS son enter, Harry Potter. Severus
groaned and let his head fall to the table with a bang. Had he
forgotten Potter was a Slytherin? Impossible he had been fielding
complaints from staff and parents alike about the child. Severus
sighed deeply, raised his head, and rubbed his temples. This school
year was already a bad one and it was only the start of the first
week, thanks SO much Potter.
Severus decided that
though Potter was a Snake he would have to suffer his pain this
period anyway and smiled darkly. He couldn't do it often but thought
one class period of being a little harsh on one of his Snakes
wouldn't hurt any, he would just say that he was ensuring Potter knew
he was no better than any of his other Snakes.
Severus decided it
was time to begin. He stood from his desk and marched out of his
office side door (the one connecting his office and the classroom)
using wandless magic to slam the door shut at the back of the
classroom. Many of the students jumped and several of them squeaked.
All faces turned timidly around to see what had caused the door to
slam and found none other than Professor Snape marching to the front
of the classroom.
"There will be no silly wand waving and incantations in this class. As such, I do not expect some of you to appreciate the subtle science and exact art of potion making. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses ... However for those select few who have a predisposition I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even put a stopper in death." (PS8) Severus said low in his baritone voice.
It was so quite in the room once he had finished his introduction speech you could have heard a stickpin drop. The speech – spoken by whisper – captivated the whole class. Potter was looking at him with eyes that practically shone with enthusiasm. The other Slytherins, though faking a mask of indifference, slightly fidgeted on their seat. No need to tell the unique reaction of the bookworms.
Severus began taking roll. He could tell which students were scared of him, a handful of Ravenclaws and a few Slytherins and which ones thought that their daddy's name and money would ensure they received preferential treatment, Draco and Pansy, they would learn quickly that that was incorrect. Draco should know better, no matter, he will learn soon enough. Severus could also tell those who truly wanted to learn; Harry, Daphne, and the Granger girl. Hermione, that is it, she looks a bit TOO excited to learn, he was not surprised the bushy headed girl was in Ravenclaw. He figured she was the type that loved to be considered a genius, IQ there or not you do not show it off, he figured he was looking at another know-it-all like Percy Weasley. He liked Percy fine, but the boy was so insecure that he came off as a know-it-all. Severus still was not sure how such an intelligent child ended up in Gryffindor rather than Ravenclaw.
'Time to play!' though Severus.
“Potter what would
I get if I added powdered root of asphodel into an infusion of
wormwood?” Snape said suddenly.
Harry was silent for
a moment, his face unfathomable. The class waited in absolute
silence, fearing that
Harry couldn’t answer the question.
Finally, Harry
looked up: “I believe you would get Draught of Living Death, sir.”
“What took you so
long to answer this simple question, Potter?” Snape’s voice was
barely more than a whisper.
“I have read my
books, sir, but I can’t remember every little detail to deal with a
baiting pop-quiz at the beginning of the class full of first years
knowing practically nothing about what is to be taught to them, so I
had to answer based on potions theories,” Harry replied, raising an
eyebrow at Severus.
All of the
Slytherins smirked at the same time at their slightly surprised Head
of House despite themselves, who clearly hadn’t expected that the
only survivor of a family full of Gryffindor bravery could have
answered his questions while subtly insulting him with a tone as
respectful as could be managed.
'So, Potter does
have some traits worthy to be sorted into Slytherin, impressive...at
the moment anyway..he reminds me of his mother,' thought Severus.
“ Where would I
look for a bezoar, Potter?” Severus asked hoping to trip the boy
up.
Harry’s face could
be compared to a peaceful lake that had never vibrated. Severus was
tempted to discretely point his wand at Potter and trying legimency
on him but could not help to remember he was a natural occlumen, he
really wanted to know what was going through his mind.
“In the stomach of
a goat, sir,” Harry replied sounding bored.
“What is the
difference between monkshood and wolfsbane Potter?”
“They’re the
same, and are commonly called aconite, sir,” Harry asked wondering
if he was suddenly the only one in the room or if the professor was
testing him, regardless he could handle it he had had worse.
'Impressive,
for a Potter, whose family is known to be total failure in potions,
but then again Lily was nearly as talented as me in potions, that
must be where he gets it,' thought Snape.
But
what really captured Severus' curiosity was the way Potter answered
his first question - ‘I had to answer based on potions theories’.
There were many books about this subject, whereas most of them
said the same thing and never got to the most basic point or made the
theory behind the various classes of potions clear to the average
Potions Master much less a student. Did Potter buy some of the better
ones? How would he have known which to buy? Who had been tutoring
this boy? Potions theories were not something most first years were
able to understand. Even Draco, under my tutelage had to work
non-stop for six months before he grasped the basics of the potion
theories.
“Well, aren’t
you writing this down?” Severus suddenly barked at the class. So
many of them had been impressed by Harry's knowledge that even the
Ravenclaws were not taking down the questions and answers.
Harry, being
annoyed, did a quality imitation of Severus' own sneer at him before
writing down what he had just been quizzed on. Draco nudged Harry 's
side, murmuring something about ‘shouldn’t have done that’, but
Harry was unaffected by Draco's apparent concern and gave Draco a
toothy grin to which Draco could not help to return a small smile.
Severus groaned in
his mind, he knew just KNEW that Draco and Potter, Harry, as friends
would undoubtedly shorten his already short life expectancy greatly.
Severus lectured on
what they would be covering for the first two double potion sessions
(first week) then set them to task. At least I set the brats to
working. One careless move and I have the pleasure in removing
points. Poor Ravenclaws, since I have to leave my Houses points alone
because they loose enough in other classes, especially
transfiguration, and poor Potter, who would be received detentions if
he committed any mistake.
Double Potions,
Severus thought with wry smirk while surveying the class, never
ended without accident - or in Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs case,
without injury. Most of the unfortunates were those who foolishly
dropped porcupine quills into their heavily heated cauldrons due to
my mere presence. Seriously do these kids plan to hide away in their
hole rather than work when they were grown? It's not uncommon at the
ministry and other places for a boss to come around and check on your
progress. Though there are some students who paid very little
attention to the instructions spelled on the board – and made
several small mistakes in the brewing process such as stirring the
potion the wrong way or throwing the ingredients in. I will
never admit it, but I find the dunderheads rueful, sorrowful,
shocked, horrified, and every other expression they throw up on their
faces when I take points or their potions explode amusing. I doubt my
face was ever that expressive.
Whatever respect
had been blossoming in the bosom of Severus for Potter for his –
Merlin forbid – intelligent answers disappeared as he stared at
Potter's seems-to-be useless hand wander towards Boot’s cauldron,
where a piece of porcupine quill was about to be drop into, and
caught the quill before it could fall in making the Ravenclaw's
potions explode covering everyone in the vicinity and costing Boot
countless points. Boot jerked suddenly upon noticing Potter holding
the quill and give Potter thankfully smile. The Ravenclaw took the
quill from Potter and tossed it away. Snape blinked stunned.
Because of Potter,
double potions – for the first time ever since Snape became a
teacher – went smoothly not a single student would be keeping Madam
Pomfrey company. Severus was fuming he had to grudgingly award points
to everyone for their flawless potions. His reputation was
officially demolished under the hand of an eleven-year-old. He was
sure Potter was going to be the death of him, not to mention was
hiding something from him.
“Potter, stay
behind,” Snape ground out. Slytherin or not, Potter was a walking
menace. But then, if his assumption was right, Potter possessed some…
potential, not just in potions.
“Yes, professor?”
Harry asked after they were alone in the classroom.
Potter’s face
looked calm and serene, like the Hogwarts Lake. No emotion was shown.
Snape knew very well, that no eleven-year-old child should have had
that kind of face, even the quiet ones.
“I asked you to
stay behind because your comment on potions theories earlier. It is
uncommon for first years or even most second or third years to
understand potions theories. Tell me, how, you are able to grasp its
basic?” Severus asked watching Harry's face for any tells.
Potter looked
relaxed until his lips slightly curved and formed the perfect
Slytherin sneer. Snape has never felt so unnerved in front of a
student.
“I’m sure you
wouldn’t be like my answer much, sir” Harry responded.
“Why pray tell do
you believe that Mr. Potter?” Severus was becoming annoyed, this
BOY telling him he wouldn't like to know how such a young child would
be able to comprehend potions theories. He may not teach it however
it is that the boy understands it to his classes but he would let it
leak to his Snakes the secrete so they call can comprehend potions
easier.
“Well sir, though
it may sound a bit absurd, potions theories bear little to no
difference to muggle chemistry, in the basic stage. They share the
same essential laws and principles. While wizards describe potions as
'advanced and complicated' muggles teach chemistry to their children,
depending on their intelligence, by secondary school. While in muggle
primary school I was able to take chemistry my last two years. I
enjoyed chemistry substantially and believe I will enjoy potions as
well even if I have to challenge my self. I'm sure you can't give
special assignments to any one student,” Harry answered with a smug
look on his face by the end.
Severus was shocked,
and thought he had hide it well though his eyes showed it, “Very
well Mr. Potter I will expect only perfect potions and O's on all
assignments then. That will be all.”
“Yes sir, thank you sir,” Harry said with a slight bow he didn't
realize was a good copy of the bow the man he was speaking to often
gave.
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Late that night,
when Severus should have been out catching the Weasley twins sneaking
back from the kitchens or upper years snogging and more he had
instead shut himself in the Restricted Area of Hogwarts library,
because his own library didn’t have any book that mentioned
anything about muggle chemistry. He did own SOME muggle books just
not any on chemistry, he didn't think he needed them anymore, he was
not happy with himself for donating them to the Stonehaven Library
all those years ago. He wanted to check if Potter had said the truth
because he could not remember. After two long hours searching,
Severus finally came across a book called Potions
Theories – The Difference between Wizards and Muggles.
“Until the present day, potions theories was deemed as one of the
most difficult and complicated competences of potions, and was
studied only by Potions Master and their apprentices. Surprisingly,
and maybe shamefully, potions theories and muggle chemistry theories
share the same most basic laws and principles. While the competence
is limited only to those who are adept in potions, muggles facilitate
and teach it to their children starting generally as early as age
seven. The law of mass conservation is one of the basics that apply
to all fields of muggle chemistry and wizarding potions, including
alchemy, and was first formulated by a muggle scientist named Antoine
Lavoisier in 1789. The law states that the mass of a closed system
will remain constant, regardless of the processes acting inside the
system. This implies that for any chemical process in a closed
system, the mass of the reactants must be equal to the mass of the
products. In wizarding potions language, the law is stated
differently, but bears no difference. The mass of the ingredients of
a potion must be equal with the mass of this potion when done. For
example: when 10 pounds of powdered root of asphodel and 3 pounds of
infusion of wormwood are used to brew the Draught of Living Death,
the produced potion must weight 13 pounds. The law of mass
conservation is very useful for poisons and untraceable potions
analysis.”
“So this is the reason
why some muggleborn students are able to grasp even the hardest
potions ever taught,” Snape murmured as he closed the book. Noting
that he would have to notify Madam Pince later that he took the book
out of the Restricted Area and walked back to his private quarter to
dive farther into this disturbing and fascinating book.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was something that was definitely not right in the thick purple
turban of the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher - Quirrell. That
turban, when faced with Snape, made him unconsciously scratch the
marked arm, and sent dizziness to his head, as if somebody was trying
to read his mind, though with a weak attempt. Moreover, Quirrell
stuttered every time when called, but his babbling wasn’t normal.
People who stuttered only did so at the beginning of a sentence,
whereas Quirrell stammered almost every word. It sounded so false in
Snape’s ears, but he had no proof. Not to mention before his
'vacation' to the continent he had only stuttered when truly
terrified. Quirrell had always been a fair and balanced teacher –
no bribery, no favouritism, no grudge with other teachers. Well until
now, and towards Professor Snape and Harry Potter. Quirrell seemed to
cower in Snape’s presence, and that was not because of his sharp
glare.
‘Maybe I should tell Albus about him,’ mused Snape. When Severus did approach the Headmaster about his concerns with Quirrell not being himself he told him not to worry and that he should accept that people change, even substantially, in one year. Severus just sneered at the useless advice and being told to ignore an obvious problem.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Halloween Severus had yet to discover what had caused such a
difference in Quirrell. He watched him every chance he had, every
expression, every gesture. He knew he was missing something. The only
thing he was awarded with was the slight pain in his marked arm and
ridiculous attempts in poking his mind. That is what concerned him
the most. Albus was known to try and take a lookie loo into others
minds as he pleased but new it was futile with Severus and had since
stopped trying. How or when did Quirrell learn how to read minds?
It came as no surprise to Severus when the inadequate Quirrell, he
had been in school with him and knew he struggled to learn the most
basic spells much less defense spells, came sprinting into the Great
Hall stuttering and stammering about a troll being loose in the
dungeons. While the staff and perfects attempted not to panic as they
guided the panicking students back to their dormitories, expect
Slytherin and Hufflepuff which took up residence in the Great Hall
due to their dorms being in the dungeons or at the mouth of the
dungeons, Severus spelled himself with the 'notice-me-not' charm and
followed Quirrell when he made excuses to go help the other teachers
with the troll when he came to. Rather than go to the dungeons to
help the few professors who had gone to fight the troll Quirrell had
disappeared.
Rushing through the mass of quivering Puffs and worried Snakes,
Snape’s robes were seized by a small hand from Slytherin table. He
resisted an urge to snap at the brat but rather he asked in a put
upon voice,
“Potter? What do you think you are doing?”
“No need to go after him, sir,” was all Harry said but something
in those deep green eyes told Severus not to argue against it and
Severus could not detect deceit in those green orbs.
Within an hour Severus knew that he shouldn’t have believed
Potter’s almost angelic face. Laid on the floor of the girls’ bathroom, unmoving, the enormous
dead corpse of a mountain troll soaked in its own blood. Its head and
chest were severed with large gashes from where blood was oozing out.
There stood Potter, leaning against the wall, wand grasped in hand,
ready to fire off another curse should the troll moved an inch. His
breath was slightly shallow, but there was a smirk firmly kept in
place.
The other teachers arrived shortly after Snape. Quirrell let out a
faint whimper and clutched his heart. Minerva’s lips turned white
upon seeing the dead troll.
“Explain, Mr. Potter!” Minerva managed to get out a few octaves
higher then she would have liked.
“Successive Diffindo Maximus, professor,” Harry answered.
Snape’s lips twitched in attempt to form a half smile for his
Slytherin. Never, ever in Hogwarts history had a first year defeated
a troll, and a mountain troll at that. Moreover, diffindo wasn’t
taught until second year, and diffindo maximus definitely was a
made-up, but useful spell.
“Very well. Ten points to Slytherin though really I should be
taking points from you for being reckless enough to try and take on a
troll on your own,” said Minerva, anger slowly fading. Severus
inwardly clapped for her. “But next time, notify a teacher Mr.
Potter and stay out of it or I will do far worse than TAKE points
young man, now get back to your dormitory.”
Severus could not understand why Potter told him not to waste time
chasing after Quirrell until Albus told him that he had spent hours
that night attempting to identify all the locking spells that had
been mysteriously placed on the door on the corridor on the third
floor on top of the simple locking spell that a single alohomora
could open.
Chapter 02:
The Secret of the Atom and a Reckless Idea
As a matter of fact,
Severus Snape was one of the night-owl inhabitants of Hogwarts that
deeply disregarded the law of time and defied the usual human
biological clock. Truth be told, the Potions Master was – both –
a night owl and a morning person, especially when the seventh years
were taking their NEWTs. There had been a time where his fellow
faculty and staff placed bets on how long Snape could stay awake
before crumbling under the extreme lack of sleep. Unfortunately,
their pet subject found out and started spreading contradictory
rumors so that nobody won the bet in the end. “A true Slytherin”
was the compliment the Bloody Baron gave Severus for this cunning
victory.
This time, Snape’s
incomparable ability was challenged by one thing that he would not
have touched given a free medium-sized Gringotts account, it was the
subject that was was introduced to him by none other than the
Slytherin Boy-Who-Lived.
“… The problem is ancient: what would be left if a solid
substance were continually divided in two? The only concept accepted
and utilized till the present day is that of an ‘atom’, derived
from a Greek adjective which means ‘not visible’, invented by the
Greek philosopher Leucippus and his pupil Democritus (400 BCE)…”
Severus
was onto one of the new books on muggle chemistry that he had picked
up at a bookstore in muggle London when he dropped off some potions
to a client rather than owl the product out.
Never in his
double-agent life had Snape heard of the idea of dividing a solid
substance in two and keeping track of what was left in the end. There
was no such thing as a ‘solid substance’ in Potions, where
hellebore, newt eyes, porcupine quill or even unicorn blood were
considered ‘ingredients’ – equivalent of ‘substance’,
whereas Snape was sure that according to Chemistry, these ingredients
contained one thousand and one different kinds of substances the
wizarding world would never develop a way to see on their own.
In a world where
magic did not exist, everything was explained so differently. Unlike
wizards and witched who tended to rely on magic to explain most
things, muggles had their own laws and theorems. Compared to the
muggle's level of scientific development, the British magical
population hasn’t progressed much since the Middle Ages. The rest
of the world's magical communities were close to being as far behind
as the British magical community was regardless of which region or
country they reside in.
The Potions Master
felt like he was spinning along with the electrons, protons, and
neutrons as more and more muggle secrets unraveled themselves to him.
Severus secretly felt like a first year again, knowledge-thirsted and
extremely curious, diving into a civilization that, regardless of his
half- muggle parentage, he had long time ago left behind.
Forget the powerless
Dark Lord and his apparent servant Quirrell. Severus had a whole
night to discover what ice-breaking scientific matter stood behind
the elliptic movement of electrons and nothing was going to pull him
away from his reading.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Did you know sir
that Quirrell has been sneaking into the library at night?” asked
Harry Potter when he disturbed Severus' reading later that night.
Severus was aware
that Quirrell had been doing so and considered it reckless and
un-Dark Lord-like since obviously he was doing a poor job of it if he
could be caught by Mrs. Norris, Mr. Filch, Severus, AND his minor
adversary. If Potter knew of Quirrell's antic and felt duty bound to
politely informed his busy Head of House so that he wouldn’t begin
to feel too ignored what else would this ignorant child come up with?
“Did you see what
sections he was invading in his late night escapades?” Severus
asked Harry. He rather wanted the boy to go so he could get back to
his chemistry reading. If Severus wasn't such a proud man he would
call up tea for two and have a discussion with Harry about chemistry
but he DID have his pride. Severus had a suspicion that other than
the time that Draco and Harry had gone to the kitchens instead of a
duel in their first week of classes against the youngest Weasley boy
and Dean Thomas that Mr. Potter had broken curfew a few times of late
but had yet to investigate why. He had been a little busy reading and
he had not gotten caught. Potter had not been placed in the House of
Snakes for nothing. As long as he wasn’t caught, the Potions Master
gladly indulged his curiosity for now.
“Not the books,
sir, but Quirrell was been going into the Soul Magic part of the
Restricted Section.”
Snape frowned. He
had been concerned for a while that Quirrell was possessed but was
not sure by whom. What would he want with soul magic? It was as
dangerous as alchemy and even before his possession Quirrell was far
from competent enough to handle advanced transfiguration much less
soul magic.
If Albus ever
managed to remove all the locks on the door to Fluffy's room Quirrell
could easily steal the stone and attempt to revive the Dark Lord if
that is who is possessing him, but what is with the soul magic?
Snape came back to
awareness and found Potter staring at him as if trying to analyze his
facial expression. Severus decided that if the boy was smart enough
to understand advanced chemistry (Severus had requested his
transcript from his old school and had been rather impressed) so he
fixed his face into a sneer and drawled,”‘What do you think this
means, Mister Potter?”
Harry hesitated a
moment then stated “Sir, why don't we allow Vol- the Dark Lord to
be revived?”
Severus couldn't
believe what he was hearing and uncharacteristically bellowed, “ARE
YOU MAD?”
Realizing he was
yelling (and the wide eyed look on Mr. Potter's face) Severus closed
his eyes and took a deep breathe and said in a dangerous whisper,
“After your mother sacrificed her self for you, all of your
professors here at Hogwarts making the efforts we have to keep the
Stone safe – which you should not know about – you think we
should allow HIM to be resurrected?”
“No, sir, of
course not. I mean, we should allow it ONLY if there is a way to
alter the Stone so that it either only functions ONCE or allows a
weak body to be made which will quickly deteriorate. I would think it
would easier to find and defeat him corporeal then it ever would be
as a shade. Not to mention we would be controlling how and when he
would be resurrected so it stands to reason it would be safer all
around,” Harry replied with confidence, after all it seemed to be a
logical argument to him.
“You have no idea
the consequences of the Dark Lord coming back would have Mr. Potter,”
Snape almost growled at the – Merlin forbid – stupidity of the
child
“Actually sir I
have been reading about what it was like during the last war and it
was horrific but if we made sure the only way he got the stone was
were he was weaker then he should be, die from a defective body
quickly, or could only use the stone once then couldn't we manage to
minimize the damage he would cause compared to what it would be like
if he managed to come back at full power?” Harry argued.
Snape narrowed his
eyes. Potter had a point. Albus has been trying to find the Dark
Lord’s remnant for years – all they got was a rumor that he
hovered in the Albanian forest - and now it appeared was in
Quirrell’s turban or body. Once He
was resurrected, the Death Eaters would be active again. Snape almost
touched his left arm. He knew when the Dark Lord did regain his body
he would become once again the link between the Dark and the Light,
sacrificing himself for the coming glorious victor of the Order.
Severus shuddered slightly in anticipation and terror. But if they
could be ensured that HE would not be at full power or not for long
by ensuring his resurrection was not perfect then they had a better
shot then they would have other wise to defeat Him once and for all.
Ah, the good thing
was they would end the Dark regime quicker, if they could, which
seeing the state of affairs of both the Order and the Death Eaters of
late it was unlikely, the Order had gone soft and complacent.
“Daring plan,
Mister Potter, but many flaws and sadly small chance to succeed, but
I must congratulate you that even the Headmaster hasn’t thought of
this plan, I am sure. Now, being a Slytherin, get back to your dorm
or I shall be forced to dock our points and for your own protection
do not leave the Snake Pit after curfew or stay out past curfew
again.” Severus stated with a pointed look.
Harry stood up, gave
him a polite salute, and disappeared through the heavy door of
Severus office.
He could imagine
Albus’ serene face right now, talking to him grandfatherly, “Let
the people enjoy their peace while they still can, Severus. Isn’t
it our mission to prolong it?”
“So
that there will be a shock when the Dark finally emerge,” thought
Snape bitterly.
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| Severus integrating Quirrell |