Crannchar
Crannchar – Scottish Gaelic for "fate"
Chapter 1
Adele Leavensop was absolutely baffled when one summer day in 1980 an elder lady knocked on the door of their parents' home just outside London. The lady wore her hair in a tight bun and had a stern but kind voice. Adele – and her parents – will never forget the next two hours when the lady told them that the 11 year old girl was a witch and that she was not a normal old lady but a witch herself too. More precisely, she was Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration Professor from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and she was the on inform the Leavensop family that their daughter was accepted to the school.
Suddenly, everything clicked for Adele. She always thought that something wasn't quite alright with her. Sometimes she swore she could levitate books and other times, when she jumped up while running through the schoolyard, she jumped much higher than her fellow schoolmates. Now, she knew why. She was very excited. She always had good grades, she liked to read and learn and she was eager to learn how to do magic properly. When she visited Diagon Alley for the first time to buy her books and other supplies, she was mesmerized.
It wasn't a big surprise that she was sorted to Ravenclaw. Her roommates were alright, except maybe Caitlyn Rogers who was quite full of herself. She was very pretty, she knew that, and she wasn't shy to use her beauty to reach her goals. Adele never really understood why Caitlyn wasn't sorted to Slytherin instead.
Adele's first Hallowe'en was absolutely magical in Hogwarts. The Great Hall was decorated beautifully, the food was delicious and everyone felt festive. During dinner, suddenly an owl appeared in the hall and soared down to the Head Table. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore opened the letter the owl brought, frowned and whispered something to Professor McGonagall. The students stopped talking because it was very unusual to get a letter during dinner. Dumbledore stood up and left the Great Hall. McGonagall changed a few words with Professor Flitwick who nodded at her words and McGonagall also left the Great Hall. The students were looking at each other confused but continued to eat. By the next morning everyone in the castle knew what happened: Voldemort were gone and a small boy, barely more than 1 year old survived Voldemort's attack. The legend of Harry Potter was born.
There was another surprise that year: the arrival of a new teacher. At the start of the Christmas dinner, Dumbledore stood up to make an announcement.
'Dear students, please welcome the new addition to our staff, Professor Severus Snape.'
A tall, thin wizard with black hair emerged from the shadows behind the Head Table. He was young, around 20 years old, Adele assumed. He had a frown on his face, his nose was hooked, and he wore black robes. He looked like a large bat, Adele mused.
'Professor Snape was a Hogwarts student not so long ago but since then he earned his Mastery in Potions making him the youngest Potions Master since 1487. Since he arrived during the term, in the beginning Professor Snape will help Professor Slughorn but during the next schoolyear, he will take over Professor Slughorn's job as Potions Teacher and also as Head of Slytherin. Welcome back, Professor Snape!'
Snape thanked him with a curt nod and left the room.
'Only three more months, only three more months …'
Adele Leavensop murmured to the mirror in the bathroom adjacent to her dorm in Ravenclaw tower. She had short blonde hair, blue eyes and - according to others – a kind smile. She didn't think she was beautiful but she she looked OK with her average height, thin waist, toned legs and round breasts.
She was now 17 years old in her last year in Hogwarts and she couldn't wait to be finish school. She liked to study and she really enjoyed her time in the castle but at the same time she felt the urge to go away and start her adult life. Mainly because she really had enough of her roommate, Caitlyn Rogers. She got more and more irritating during the years.
Adele sighed and started to wash her teeth when she heard a shriek coming from the room. She dropped the toothbrush and ran to the room. She saw Caitlyn on the floor having some kind of seizures, foam in her mouth and a small bottle in her hand.
'What happened?' she asked her another roommate, Emily.
'She … she wanted to … a potion … to make her skin softer … '
Adele kneeled down to Caitlyn.
'Caitlyn, Caitlyn … Can you hear me?'
The girl's body shook continuously and she wasn't aware of her surroundings. Not really knowing what to do, Adele whipped out her wand from her pyjama pocket and cast a Stasis Charm at her. At least, it stopped the seizures. She grabbed the vial from Caitliny's hand, stood up and turned to her roommates.
'Bring her to the common room. I'll call help.' They nodded, Emily silently sobbing and Adele left the room.
She started to run down the corridors. At first she wanted to go to the infirmary to ask Madam Pomfrey to help but the infirmary was at the other part of the castle. There was someone who was more adept at potions.
'He will kill me, for sure,' Adele sighed and turned towards the dungeons.
~0~
'Only three more months …' Snape sighed and took a swig from the whiskey bottle. He didn't even bother to use a glass. He was tired and stressed out, he couldn't wait the school year to end and spend the summer away from the dunderheads whom he had to teach. He could swear the students got more and more stupid as the years went by.
He sat in a comfortable armchair in his private chambers when he felt a change in his wards and seconds later he heard someone banging on his door. He put down the whiskey bottle with a thud and stood up.
'Fuck' he said, hurried to the door and opened up with a swung.
'What' he barked at his visitor but he wasn't able to continue from the surprise. There stood Adele Leavensop, 7th year Ravenclaw student, barefoot, in a light grey t-shirt and flannel pyjama pants, panting.
'Miss Leavensop, you better –'
'Please, Professor Snape, you have to come to our common room, Caitlyn is having seizures.'
'Miss Leavensop,' he replied in a very low but dangerous voice, 'I'm nor the matron, nor your Head of House. I don't know what's gotten to you to come to for help but if you don't leave in an instant I assure you'll be expelled first time in the morning.'
Adele was still panting but now it was more because of her anger not the running. Snape was a teacher and his job was to help students.
'Professor, please, your chambers were closer than the infirmary. Caitlyn is very ill!'
'Miss Leavensop, go –'
'No, I won't!'
'How dare …' Snape started to reply now with a much louder voice but before he could continue something hit him in his chest. Adele showed the bottle she took from Caitlyn to his torso.
'This is what Caitlyn drank.'
With a frown, Snape took the bottle and sniffed it. His head snapped up.
'When did she drink it?'
'About five minutes ago.'
Without another word, Snape disappeared in his chambers only to emerge seconds later with a small box in his hand. He started to run and Adele followed him. When they arrived to the Ravenclaw, the eagle knocker asked to solve a riddle to enter the room but when Snape threatened it to blast into ashes, it opened. Caitlyn was lying on the couch, her roommates around her, except Emily who went to fetch Filius Flitwick, the Head of House.
Snape went closer to Caitlyn and flicked his wand.
'Who put her in stasis?' he asked in a low voice.
'I … I did,' Adele answered. The wizard nodded and flicked his wand again. Caitlyn's body started to shook again. Snape opened the small box he got with him and took out something. With some difficulty, he opened up the girl's mouth and showed in something.
'Bezoar', Adele whispered. The Potions Master took out a bottle from the box and poured its content in Caitlyn's mouth. He threw away the bottle and while moving his wand in a complicated pattern, he murmured an incantation. Caitlyn's body started to relax and after a minute or so, she was lying relaxed on the couch. Snape sighed and put down his wand. It was the moment when Adele realised that the professor didn't wear his usual clothes. He was in black trousers and a white oxford shirt. She could see his thin but slightly muscled torso. She felt herself blushing, her heart was beating in her throat and a now familiar tingling sensation started to build up in her stomach and somewhere slightly lower. She shook her head and cleared her throat. At that moment Professor Flitwick arrived.
'Severus, what happened?' The tiny professor hurried to his student on the couch.
'Miss Rogers drank a poorly brewed beautifying potion which almost caused her early death. She is alright now but I suggest to bring her to the infirmary.' Flitwick nodded.
He picked up his box.
'As for Miss Leavensop, she was in the corridors after curfew.'
'Professor, I just … I wanted to help her!'
'Is that true, Severus?' Flitwick piped up.
'She did ask me for help.' Adele wanted to say something but Snape stopped her with a wave of his hand. 'But she was quite disrespectful.'
'That was because you didn't want to …' Adele wanted to strike back but the when she looked in Snape's black eyes, she lost it. 'I … was … disrespectful … I think. Sir.'
Snape nodded.
'Friday evening, at 7, my office, detention,' and with that, Snape left the Ravenclaw common room.
Just a small story idea that popped in my mind. Will be finished in several chapters, not much drama, mostly fluff. Please, R&R!