Severus' Secret.
[pic]
By Laura
Chapter 1: The mystery begins...
Harry woke on Monday morning, the first day of the new school year. He stretched his arms and sat up in bed. He picked up his glasses from his bedside table, popped them on his face and he drew aside his curtains. There was silence all around him except for the comforting sound of soft snores. Harry, getting quite excited about his first morning back, jumped out of bed and began to get dressed.
~*~
Harry opened the common room door and jumped outside. Feeling quite cheerful, he said 'good morning' to the fat lady in the pink dress who lived in a picture frame, guarding Gryffindor tower. Harry had reason to be excited. He was just starting his fifth term at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry walked through the school greeting other early risers like himself. He reached the entrance hall of the castle and turned. The cavernous great hall loomed ahead of him, lit by thousands of candles floating against the ceiling, which was bewitched to look like the sky. At this very moment, it shone like it was made of gold and silver. Harry smiled; glad to be back, and he made his way to his house table for some breakfast.
~*~
Harry had just hungrily devoured a plate of sausage and egg when he heard his name being called. He lifted his head and looked around the half-empty hall. It was still early morning and most of the pupils attending the school had not yet gotten over their summer morning lie-ins.
"Harry!" Harry heard his name being called again. It was a kindly voice that Harry knew quite well, now that his face wasn't stuck in a plate of sausages.
Harry looked towards the staff table and smiled. Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, smiled back, a warm smile lighting up his face that was surrounded by his long, shining, sliver beard and hair. He beckoned Harry towards the staff table. Harry pushed his plate away, got up from the table and began to walk towards Dumbledore.
As Harry walked towards the table, he scanned the teachers sitting there. The right side of the table was completely empty. Hagrid, Harry's good friend and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, and the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had not yet shown. Madame Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, was also absent. On the left side of the table Professor McGonagall, Harry's strict Transfiguration teacher, was also unaccounted for (Harry guessed she was sorting out her lesson plan for the new first years, she was a very dedicated teacher,) along with Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher. The members of staff who were present were tiny Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, who was chatting animatedly to Professor Sprout, Harry's herbology teacher. Sitting a seat away from Professor Sprout on his left and Professor Dumbledore on his right was Harry's least favourite teacher, Potions master, Professor Severus Snape. Snape was a tall, dark man with sallow skin and shoulder-length greasy, black hair. He had a large, hooked nose which he often held in the air while walking past Harry. Snape hated Harry as much as Harry hated Snape but Harry felt Snape hated him more when, in Harry's third year at Hogwarts, Sirius Black (Harry's godfather and school enemy of Snape) escaped from right under Snape's over-large nose. And at the end of term last year, Professor Dumbledore had made Snape and Sirius shake hands in friendship. Harry smirked as he thought of the glaring look on Snape's face as he shook hands with Sirius. Sirius had then left to stay with Remus Lupin, an old school friend of Sirius and Harry's former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Although Harry had not seen Sirius since the day he left Hogwarts, he had received numerous letters from him over the summer holidays. For the millionth time since that day, Harry wondered what had happened to Snape. Dumbledore had told Snape to be ready for something and be careful, but Harry had still not found out what that was.
~*~
"So Harry", Professor Dumbledore smiled and took a sip from his goblet, "How is your first morning back at Hogwarts?"
Harry had just reached the staff table and Dumbledore had invited him to sit down for a chat. This was the second time Harry had sat at the staff table for he had sat there once before, at the Yule ball, in honour of the Triwizard Tournament. Unfortunately, this time Harry had the sad pleasure of sitting next to his least favourite teacher in the world, Severus Snape. Harry smiled at Dumbledore as he quietly edged his chair away from Snape.
"So far, so good, Professor Dumbledore", Harry answered, and then in an undertone he added: "What did you want to ask me about Professor? You've never called me up to the table before!"
Dumbledore smiled. "You don't miss an inch, do you Harry?"
Harry smiled back, still very curious.
Dumbledore looked around and then leaned in, close to Harry. He said in a low voice, "I have news of Sirius, come by my office later today and we shall discuss it then." He leaned back in his seat and then said in his normal way, "Well Harry, I shall expect Miss Granger and Mr Weasley are wondering where you've got to. Shall I see you later?"
Harry looked towards the Gryffindor table and noticed it was now very full, as was the rest of the great hall. Hermione and Ron were sitting near the top staring curiously at Harry. Harry turned back to Dumbledore and said, "I'll be straight by after lessons end." Then he got up from his seat, said goodbye to Dumbledore and carefully inched his way through the now very large gap between his chair and Snape's chair, careful not to accidentally brush off the Potion masters cloak and risk losing fifty points for Gryffindor.
~*~
"Hey Harry, what's up?"
Harry smiled at his friend Ron Weasley, a freckle-faced boy with flaming red hair. He also said 'hello' to his other friend, Hermione, who now had her nose in a very big book.
"Harry!" she cried, "Where have you been? We're about to get our new timetables!"
Harry and Ron exchanged a look. To anybody else it would have been no big deal, but to Hermione it was a very BIG deal. Hermione was a bookworm; very good at school and if anything was wrong her first answer was to consult a book. She was very pretty when she made the effort, average height and she had very bushy brown hair.
"Here she is!" Hermione squealed.
Professor McGonagall made her way down the row of Gryffindor students, handing out their respective timetables. Harry took his when it was handed to him and read it over, hoping it was better than last year. He sunk. "Oh no!" he cried, disappointed, "Our amount of Potions lessons has been tripled!"
Ron finished reading his timetable and scowled. "That's the last bloody thing we need!" Ron grimaced angrily. "Snape's ugly face Monday, Wednesday and Friday for an hour and a half!"
"And don't forget we're with the Slytherins." Hermione intoned miserably.
Hermione, Harry and Ron drooped their heads and began to eat breakfast downcast.
~*~
"Hello Potter."
Harry ignored the smarmy voice of pale Draco Malfoy, Snapes favourite student and member of Slytherin house and Harry's least favourite person in the world. Harry and Draco had hated each other since their first day at Hogwarts. Harry's own father, James, had been a school enemy of Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy.
Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. "Ready for another enthralling Potions lesson?" he said glumly.
It was just after lunch. They were standing outside Snape's dungeon, waiting for him to arrive to start their Potions lesson.
"I can't believe we have Potions three times a week!" Hermione, who never complained about any of her classes, had a lot to say about Potions.
"I know!" said Ron. "What do they think they're playing at?"
Harry was about to say something when he saw someone coming around the corner. "I think Snape's here". He said loudly.
There was a hush as the class waited for Professor Snape to appear around the corner. But it wasn't Snape who appeared a few seconds later, it was Professor McGonagall.
"I'm afraid Professor Snape has been delayed", she said, "please enter your classroom and wait for him."
She walked away and the pupils entered the classroom.
~*~
An hour later and Snape still hadn't appeared.
"This isn't like him", Hermione said. "He's never been late for a class and he's especially never been absent!"
But just as she finished her sentence, Snape swept into the classroom, his black cloak billowing out behind him. The noisy dungeon fell silent.
"Books out," he said, in his silky, low and dangerous voice, "Page five, read paragraphs one to ten."
Harry looked up at Snape. He had a twisted, fuming expression on his face and his cheeks were flushed red. It looked quite strange against his sallow skin. A few minutes later Snape sat down, the angry expression still on his face. Harry wondered what had happened to make him so mad.
Nothing could be heard in the classroom except the quiet, slow turning of pages. Everyone seemed very wary of Snape, even the Slytherins, so Harry was very surprised when he heard the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.
"Sir?"
All eyes in the room were on Malfoy.
"Yes, Malfoy?" Snape answered in a low voice.
"Professor Snape, I just wanted to say how glad I am to be back in my favourite class, Potions. I can't tell you."
Suddenly Snape jumped up from his desk and yelled loudly making everyone jump. His eyes flashed dangerously.
"Malfoy! I don't have time for your pointless speeches! I have very important things on my mind right now and you are disrupting my chain of thought!"
Harry, along with the rest of the class, was shocked. Nobody had ever known Snape to talk like that to one of his Slytherins. All eyes were on Malfoy, each person in the room wondering what he would say.
Malfoy opened his mouth. Everyone caught their breath. At that moment, they were terrified of what Snape would do if Malfoy answered back.
"Sir, I was simply stating how glad I am to be back. I meant no offence."
Again Snape's eyes glittered. His mouth formed a thin line and he was breathing heavily. He was furious yet Malfoy failed to notice.
"Professor Snape, I assure you, if I had known you were in such a foul mood." The class gasped as one. Malfoy was in for it now.
Snape left his desk and strode down to Malfoy. He leaned over and everyone strained to hear as he uttered two simple, but dangerous words, "Get out."
Malfoy, looking shocked and (Harry was pleased to see) a bit shaken, stood up and left the room. Snape stood were he was, as if in a trance, until the door closed and Malfoy was gone.
"Now," he said, in his low voice, "let that be a lesson to the rest of you." He turned, walked back to his desk, and sat down. He glared at the class and everyone quickly got back to reading their book.
~*~
"A fifteen page essay on ten little paragraphs for Wednesday?!" Ron fumed, packing his things together hurriedly.
There was a mad rush for the dungeon door after Potions. No one had enjoyed the rest of the class. Snape sat fuming through it all, glaring at someone if they so much as dared to breathe. As the class was ending, Snape had set a fifteen-page essay on the ten paragraphs the pupils had read throughout the class. If anyone had been happy going into Potions they were certainly furious coming out.
Harry, Hermione and Ron ran for the dungeon door and back to Gryffindor tower.
~*~
"Coming to dinner, Harry?"
Harry looked around the Gryffindor common room, which he, Hermione and Ron had just entered. He saw that it was quite deserted. He turned back to Hermione and Ron and said, in a low voice, "No. I forgot to tell you why Dumbledore called me up to the staff table this morning. He said he had news of Sirius and I should come by and see him after lessons. I'm heading there now."
"Do you think the news is bad?" Hermione said with a worried expression on her face.
"I don't know," said Harry solemnly. "I hope not."
Harry threw his books on a nearby chair and left the common room.
"Good luck." Ron said softly.
~*~
[pic]
By Laura
Chapter 1: The mystery begins...
Harry woke on Monday morning, the first day of the new school year. He stretched his arms and sat up in bed. He picked up his glasses from his bedside table, popped them on his face and he drew aside his curtains. There was silence all around him except for the comforting sound of soft snores. Harry, getting quite excited about his first morning back, jumped out of bed and began to get dressed.
~*~
Harry opened the common room door and jumped outside. Feeling quite cheerful, he said 'good morning' to the fat lady in the pink dress who lived in a picture frame, guarding Gryffindor tower. Harry had reason to be excited. He was just starting his fifth term at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, with his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry walked through the school greeting other early risers like himself. He reached the entrance hall of the castle and turned. The cavernous great hall loomed ahead of him, lit by thousands of candles floating against the ceiling, which was bewitched to look like the sky. At this very moment, it shone like it was made of gold and silver. Harry smiled; glad to be back, and he made his way to his house table for some breakfast.
~*~
Harry had just hungrily devoured a plate of sausage and egg when he heard his name being called. He lifted his head and looked around the half-empty hall. It was still early morning and most of the pupils attending the school had not yet gotten over their summer morning lie-ins.
"Harry!" Harry heard his name being called again. It was a kindly voice that Harry knew quite well, now that his face wasn't stuck in a plate of sausages.
Harry looked towards the staff table and smiled. Professor Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, smiled back, a warm smile lighting up his face that was surrounded by his long, shining, sliver beard and hair. He beckoned Harry towards the staff table. Harry pushed his plate away, got up from the table and began to walk towards Dumbledore.
As Harry walked towards the table, he scanned the teachers sitting there. The right side of the table was completely empty. Hagrid, Harry's good friend and Care of Magical Creatures teacher, and the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher had not yet shown. Madame Hooch, the Quidditch teacher, was also absent. On the left side of the table Professor McGonagall, Harry's strict Transfiguration teacher, was also unaccounted for (Harry guessed she was sorting out her lesson plan for the new first years, she was a very dedicated teacher,) along with Professor Sinistra, the Astronomy teacher. The members of staff who were present were tiny Professor Flitwick, the Charms teacher, who was chatting animatedly to Professor Sprout, Harry's herbology teacher. Sitting a seat away from Professor Sprout on his left and Professor Dumbledore on his right was Harry's least favourite teacher, Potions master, Professor Severus Snape. Snape was a tall, dark man with sallow skin and shoulder-length greasy, black hair. He had a large, hooked nose which he often held in the air while walking past Harry. Snape hated Harry as much as Harry hated Snape but Harry felt Snape hated him more when, in Harry's third year at Hogwarts, Sirius Black (Harry's godfather and school enemy of Snape) escaped from right under Snape's over-large nose. And at the end of term last year, Professor Dumbledore had made Snape and Sirius shake hands in friendship. Harry smirked as he thought of the glaring look on Snape's face as he shook hands with Sirius. Sirius had then left to stay with Remus Lupin, an old school friend of Sirius and Harry's former Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Although Harry had not seen Sirius since the day he left Hogwarts, he had received numerous letters from him over the summer holidays. For the millionth time since that day, Harry wondered what had happened to Snape. Dumbledore had told Snape to be ready for something and be careful, but Harry had still not found out what that was.
~*~
"So Harry", Professor Dumbledore smiled and took a sip from his goblet, "How is your first morning back at Hogwarts?"
Harry had just reached the staff table and Dumbledore had invited him to sit down for a chat. This was the second time Harry had sat at the staff table for he had sat there once before, at the Yule ball, in honour of the Triwizard Tournament. Unfortunately, this time Harry had the sad pleasure of sitting next to his least favourite teacher in the world, Severus Snape. Harry smiled at Dumbledore as he quietly edged his chair away from Snape.
"So far, so good, Professor Dumbledore", Harry answered, and then in an undertone he added: "What did you want to ask me about Professor? You've never called me up to the table before!"
Dumbledore smiled. "You don't miss an inch, do you Harry?"
Harry smiled back, still very curious.
Dumbledore looked around and then leaned in, close to Harry. He said in a low voice, "I have news of Sirius, come by my office later today and we shall discuss it then." He leaned back in his seat and then said in his normal way, "Well Harry, I shall expect Miss Granger and Mr Weasley are wondering where you've got to. Shall I see you later?"
Harry looked towards the Gryffindor table and noticed it was now very full, as was the rest of the great hall. Hermione and Ron were sitting near the top staring curiously at Harry. Harry turned back to Dumbledore and said, "I'll be straight by after lessons end." Then he got up from his seat, said goodbye to Dumbledore and carefully inched his way through the now very large gap between his chair and Snape's chair, careful not to accidentally brush off the Potion masters cloak and risk losing fifty points for Gryffindor.
~*~
"Hey Harry, what's up?"
Harry smiled at his friend Ron Weasley, a freckle-faced boy with flaming red hair. He also said 'hello' to his other friend, Hermione, who now had her nose in a very big book.
"Harry!" she cried, "Where have you been? We're about to get our new timetables!"
Harry and Ron exchanged a look. To anybody else it would have been no big deal, but to Hermione it was a very BIG deal. Hermione was a bookworm; very good at school and if anything was wrong her first answer was to consult a book. She was very pretty when she made the effort, average height and she had very bushy brown hair.
"Here she is!" Hermione squealed.
Professor McGonagall made her way down the row of Gryffindor students, handing out their respective timetables. Harry took his when it was handed to him and read it over, hoping it was better than last year. He sunk. "Oh no!" he cried, disappointed, "Our amount of Potions lessons has been tripled!"
Ron finished reading his timetable and scowled. "That's the last bloody thing we need!" Ron grimaced angrily. "Snape's ugly face Monday, Wednesday and Friday for an hour and a half!"
"And don't forget we're with the Slytherins." Hermione intoned miserably.
Hermione, Harry and Ron drooped their heads and began to eat breakfast downcast.
~*~
"Hello Potter."
Harry ignored the smarmy voice of pale Draco Malfoy, Snapes favourite student and member of Slytherin house and Harry's least favourite person in the world. Harry and Draco had hated each other since their first day at Hogwarts. Harry's own father, James, had been a school enemy of Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy.
Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. "Ready for another enthralling Potions lesson?" he said glumly.
It was just after lunch. They were standing outside Snape's dungeon, waiting for him to arrive to start their Potions lesson.
"I can't believe we have Potions three times a week!" Hermione, who never complained about any of her classes, had a lot to say about Potions.
"I know!" said Ron. "What do they think they're playing at?"
Harry was about to say something when he saw someone coming around the corner. "I think Snape's here". He said loudly.
There was a hush as the class waited for Professor Snape to appear around the corner. But it wasn't Snape who appeared a few seconds later, it was Professor McGonagall.
"I'm afraid Professor Snape has been delayed", she said, "please enter your classroom and wait for him."
She walked away and the pupils entered the classroom.
~*~
An hour later and Snape still hadn't appeared.
"This isn't like him", Hermione said. "He's never been late for a class and he's especially never been absent!"
But just as she finished her sentence, Snape swept into the classroom, his black cloak billowing out behind him. The noisy dungeon fell silent.
"Books out," he said, in his silky, low and dangerous voice, "Page five, read paragraphs one to ten."
Harry looked up at Snape. He had a twisted, fuming expression on his face and his cheeks were flushed red. It looked quite strange against his sallow skin. A few minutes later Snape sat down, the angry expression still on his face. Harry wondered what had happened to make him so mad.
Nothing could be heard in the classroom except the quiet, slow turning of pages. Everyone seemed very wary of Snape, even the Slytherins, so Harry was very surprised when he heard the drawling voice of Draco Malfoy.
"Sir?"
All eyes in the room were on Malfoy.
"Yes, Malfoy?" Snape answered in a low voice.
"Professor Snape, I just wanted to say how glad I am to be back in my favourite class, Potions. I can't tell you."
Suddenly Snape jumped up from his desk and yelled loudly making everyone jump. His eyes flashed dangerously.
"Malfoy! I don't have time for your pointless speeches! I have very important things on my mind right now and you are disrupting my chain of thought!"
Harry, along with the rest of the class, was shocked. Nobody had ever known Snape to talk like that to one of his Slytherins. All eyes were on Malfoy, each person in the room wondering what he would say.
Malfoy opened his mouth. Everyone caught their breath. At that moment, they were terrified of what Snape would do if Malfoy answered back.
"Sir, I was simply stating how glad I am to be back. I meant no offence."
Again Snape's eyes glittered. His mouth formed a thin line and he was breathing heavily. He was furious yet Malfoy failed to notice.
"Professor Snape, I assure you, if I had known you were in such a foul mood." The class gasped as one. Malfoy was in for it now.
Snape left his desk and strode down to Malfoy. He leaned over and everyone strained to hear as he uttered two simple, but dangerous words, "Get out."
Malfoy, looking shocked and (Harry was pleased to see) a bit shaken, stood up and left the room. Snape stood were he was, as if in a trance, until the door closed and Malfoy was gone.
"Now," he said, in his low voice, "let that be a lesson to the rest of you." He turned, walked back to his desk, and sat down. He glared at the class and everyone quickly got back to reading their book.
~*~
"A fifteen page essay on ten little paragraphs for Wednesday?!" Ron fumed, packing his things together hurriedly.
There was a mad rush for the dungeon door after Potions. No one had enjoyed the rest of the class. Snape sat fuming through it all, glaring at someone if they so much as dared to breathe. As the class was ending, Snape had set a fifteen-page essay on the ten paragraphs the pupils had read throughout the class. If anyone had been happy going into Potions they were certainly furious coming out.
Harry, Hermione and Ron ran for the dungeon door and back to Gryffindor tower.
~*~
"Coming to dinner, Harry?"
Harry looked around the Gryffindor common room, which he, Hermione and Ron had just entered. He saw that it was quite deserted. He turned back to Hermione and Ron and said, in a low voice, "No. I forgot to tell you why Dumbledore called me up to the staff table this morning. He said he had news of Sirius and I should come by and see him after lessons. I'm heading there now."
"Do you think the news is bad?" Hermione said with a worried expression on her face.
"I don't know," said Harry solemnly. "I hope not."
Harry threw his books on a nearby chair and left the common room.
"Good luck." Ron said softly.
~*~