A Life Turned Upside Down
Chapter 10 - The next day
The Snape brothers left their fathers office and progressed cautiously down the corridor towards the great hall. Alex was unbelievably nervous, Draco on the other hand was fine with it all and it didn't appear to faze him one bit.
As they entered the Great Hall the entire hall fell silent as Alex and Draco went over to their seats amongst the Slytherin 4th Years. Alex and Draco seated themselves in between Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson. When Alex grimaced at Draco's actions to swiftly sit beside Blaise leaving a seat next to Pansy free he felt a sharp dig in the ribs.
"Be nice." Draco hissed. "She's the Slytherin girls ring leader." And Alex just nodded and plastered a forced smile on his face for the remainder of breakfast.
But luckily Pansy wasn't in the flirting mood this morning to which Alex was relieved. "You know Snape?" Pansy said in a sickly sweet voice. "Those Gryffindors are giving you some terribly dark looks." Pansy smirked slightly as Alex looked up from his breakfast to see the rest of Gryffindor staring at him with murderous looks, it wasn't his fault!
Alex looked over at the Weasley's and saw Hermione sitting with them. Alex smiled at them and all the Weasley's just glared at him except for Ginny who couldn't even bare to look at him. Feeling hurt Alex stared glumly into his breakfast, he looked up some time later to see only Hermione watching him; not staring.
'Sorry' she mouthed across the room and then got up to leave. A smile crept across Alex's face; at least Hermione hadn't deserted him.
Suddenly Alex felt a hand collide with his head and turned sharply to see his brother had delivered the blow. "Come on Alex! We're going to be late" Draco said dragging his brother to his feet.
"Did you really have to hit me?" Alex complained loudly. "And since when did you care about school?" Alex said darkly.
"Since Snape was our father." Draco replied casually dragging his brother out of the hall and up to the first floor corridor.
"Hey did they announce who the new Defence teacher was last night?" Blaise asked as he followed the Snape brothers.
"Don't ask me I left the feast." Alex said remembering the little heart to heart he had had with Snape that night.
"Oh yeah what happened with that?" Draco asked,
"Don't really want to go into it; let's just say father got a tad emotional." Alex winked and Draco and Blaise laughed.
"That guy has emotions?" Blaise questioned whilst laughing,
"Yup!" Alex smirked on the verge of laughing himself.
Suddenly the happy three were interrupted by some rather disgruntled looking Gryffindors "Having fun Snake?" Seamus Finnegan snapped.
"Don't call me a snake." Alex challenged as Draco and Blaise stood strong beside him.
"Why not? That's what you are Snape! A snake and a traitor." Dean stood strong next to Seamus in a similar manner to Draco and Blaise.
"Watch your mouth Thomas!" Draco snarled.
"Or what you'll go running to daddy?" Ron Weasley sniggered.
"I would have thought you of all people would be a least happy for me." Alex complained.
"Oh of course! How inconsiderate of me, how could I forget it was all about you?" Ron mocked.
"That isn't fair Ron!" Alex said quietly and suddenly Alex clutched his cheek as was struck by Ron.
"Oh it's not fair is it?" Ron snarled, "Hmmm who here thinks Harry Potter, no sorry, Alex Snape has the perfect life?" Ron threw the question open to everyone who had gathered to watch.
"Thinks he's too good for us." Someone shouted from within the crowd and Alex could have sworn it was either Fred or George; he could never tell which.
"Well do you want to know a secret?" Ron snarled egging the crowd to participate whilst he goaded Alex.
"Tell us Ron!" Someone else shouted.
"Alex Snape has never been loved!" Ron spat. "He let his muggle relatives beat him to a pulp regularly! He couldn't even read or write until he got here, had a charm placed over him. I bet he still wouldn't be able to write his own name now!" Ron mocked and Alex was too shocked to really register any emotion but Ron continued.
"The great boy-who-lived was abused by muggles! Not so great now is he? Stupid Alex Snape; loved by no one yet hated by all!" Ron laughed a spiteful laugh as Alex began to register what had just happened. No one else seemed to be laughing more looking in shock at both Alex and Ron.
"HOW DARE YOU WEASLEY!" Draco snarled pulling out his wand and at the same time about a dozen Gryffindors pulled out their wands.
"GO ON SNAPE! I DARE YOU!" Ron snarled but then someone unexpected stood next to Draco and drew her wand.
It was Hermione.
"STOP THIS NOW RONALD!" Hermione shouted. "HOW DARE YOU DO THAT TO ALEX!"
"Step away from the snakes Hermione." Ron said darkly.
"Mione, don't get yourself in danger." Alex said softly behind her as he nursed his cheek.
"Alex, I am not about to abandon you." She smiled sweetly and then was joined by several more wands; Slytherin wands.
"You want a battle you'll have to go through us." Snarled a fired up Theodore Nott.
"Oh it's on!" Seamus goaded and Nott looked ready to kill.
Neither parties really appeared to be ready to throw that first spell but all of a sudden Alex felt himself bottle over backwards and fall to the floor clutching his shoulder as he writhed.
"ALEX!" Hermione screamed and immediately rushed to his side. She had no need to remove any of his clothing to view his wounds it was clear that someone had used a dislocating spell and not only had it dislocated Alex's shoulder but it had ripped his shoulder to shreds, blood was pouring everywhere.
"Alex we have to get you to the hospital wing." Draco spared a glance at his brother.
"I'm fine, here; help me up." Alex said holding out his uninjured arm and springing to his feet with wand out.
"Brave Alex Snape." Ron mocked laughing with his fellow Gryffindors.
Alex had had enough and he turned to walk away from the fight when he was struck in the back by a curse of some sort. The pain was concentrated on the small of his back and Alex fell to his knees as the pain surged through his body all he could do was scream in pain.
"CEASE THIS NOW!" Came a panicked voice followed by sets of feet running towards the gang of Gryffindors and Slytherins.
"RELEASE HIM FROM THAT SPELL NOW!" Came the cold voice of Professor Snape and it was soon clear that Professor Snape and McGonagall were running towards the group followed closely by a wide-eyed Professor Lupin; returning for his second year of teaching. It was mainly to keep an eye on Alex and thus far hadn't done a very good job.
Alex dropped from his knees to flat on his chest as he was released from the spell. Hermione instantly pulled Alex into her lap and begged him to stay conscious.
"ALL STUDENTS TO THEIR COMMON ROOMS AND DORMITORIES IMMEDIATELY!" Professor McGonagall screamed and the students instantly headed to their common rooms.
"ALEX!" Hermione called trying to rouse the boy in her lap, it felt so weird calling him Alex over Harry but that was his name now and she had to get used to that.
"Miss Granger step away please." Snape said swooping down to croach beside his son.
"Alexander? Come on Alexander wake up for me. You've got Granger all worried about you." Snape whispered in Alex's ear but when Alex did not respond Snape resorted to other methods.
"Alexander Paul Snape you are as stubborn as your mother!" He smirked reaching down and picking up his son and striding off to the dungeons.
"Miss Granger please go back to your common room, I shall be a long shortly with news." Professor McGonagall said and with one final look at Alex Hermione left to head up to the Gryffindor common room where she was sure she wouldn't get a good reception.
"Care to tell me what happened Mr. Snape?" McGonagall addressed Draco.
"Finnegan and Thomas came and had a go at Alex and then Ron blurted out about Alex's past and then I pulled my wand and so did Ron and all the other Gryffindors." Draco began. "And then Granger joined me with her wand as did the rest of Slytherin. Neither parties were ready to shoot the first spell but then someone threw a curse at Alex causing his shoulder to dislocate and be practically torn to pieces. Then Alex got up and tried to walk away but someone threw another curse and then you came." Draco finished.
"What secret did Ron tell Draco?" McGonagall asked but Draco shook his head.
"You had better ask my father that." Draco said. "Can I go now Professor?"
"Yes you may." McGonagall bayed. "I shall be down in a moment once I have spoken to the head master this is a very serious incident Mr. Snape and for it to happen on the first day!" She threw up her hands.
"You have to admit though Professor that it was always going to happen." Draco said and then hurried down to his fathers chambers.
-------------------------------------------------------Up in Gryffindor Common Room--------------------------------------------------------
"HERMIONE WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE PLAYING AT?" Ron snarled as he saw Hermione coming through the portrait hole.
"ME? WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE PLAYING AT? HE'S OUR FRIEND RONALD!" Hermione shouted back.
"NO HE'S NOT! NOT SINCE HE BECAME A SNAPE AND A SNAKE AT THAT." Ron challenged.
"SO HE'S GOT A FATHER AND A FAMILY WHO CARES? HE'S STILL THE BOY WE MET ON THE TRAIN IN FIRST YEAR RON! HE'S HAPPY FOR ONCE IN HIS LIFE AND YOU HAD TO GO AND RUIN IT DIDN'T YOU!" She screamed almost in tears.
"HERMIONE HE'S A TRAITOR! HE DESERVES EVERYTHING HE GETS! HE'LL BE JOINING VOLDEMORT NEXT FOR MERLIN'S SAKE!" Ron shouted
"YEAH LIKE HE'LL BE JOINING THE BEAST THAT KILLED HIS MOTHER AND ADOPTIVE FATHER! YES HE'S STILL LILY EVANS' SON RON, HE WOULD NEVER EVER FOLLOW VOLDEMORT AND YOU BLOODY WELL KNOW THAT!" Hermione screamed and ran up to her dorm crying.
"IF YOU'RE GOING TO ALLIANCE WITH HIM THEN YOU CAN LEAVE THIS HOUSE NOW!" Ron shouted. "YOU ARE JUST AS BAD AS THE REST OF THEM!"
And with that Hermione ran into her dormitory in floods of tears.
"RON HOW COULD YOU?" Ginny screamed at her brother and then ran up after Hermione.
"Hermione?" She called as she pushed the door open to the fourth year girl's dormitory. "Ron's an oaf ignore him." She said heading over to sit beside Hermione on her four poster bed.
"He's still our friend Gin!" Hermione wailed as Ginny put a comforting arm around Hermione. "I can't believe Ron told everyone! I bet it was him who threw the curse."
"It wasn't Ron." Ginny began and Hermione looked up. "It was Lee Jordan who shot the first one and then Seamus." Ginny sighed.
"I don't understand though." Ginny muttered. "The sorting hat places you where you want to go and seems as Harry, Alex." Ginny corrected. "Is in Slytherin then he must have asked to go there! Why?"
"I don't know." Hermione muttered."But I'll let him know he has to two of us." Hermione said wiping her tears away.
"What?" Ginny questioned.
"You're here right? You don't care about house rivalry?" Hermione blinked.
"Yes I▓m here but I do care about the house rivalry, Slytherin has been horrible to me and my family and I'm not about to change how I feel about them because Alex swapped houses. I'm here to support you but I'm not going to hang around with Alex." Ginny said standing up and Hermione looked shocked.
Just then Professor McGonagall entered the room and Ginny turned to Hermione. "I should be going." And with that she left and Hermione burst into tears once more.
"Oh pet, I admire you for doing this." McGonagall said sitting down where Ginny had just sat and placing a comforting arm around Hermione.
"I just don't understand it Professor!" Hermione sobbed, "Alex's my friend no matter what house he is in. He's still that same nervous boy I met on the train in first year!"
"I know pet, it must be so difficult for you."
"It is Professor, the house doesn't want me here! They want me out!" Hermione cried.
"Well, if you would like we could organise a move of house for you if you want to be closer to Alex?" Professor McGonagall sighed.
"They wouldn't except me there either." Hermione sighed.
"Oh you would be surprised, no doubt your little act today earned you some brownie points. I'll have a word with Professor Snape." She winked. "Anyway, Professor Snape has said that you may go and visit Alex now if you would like, he is residing in Severus' chambers but go to his office first." She smiled as Hermione stood up, checked her appearance, cleared away the blotches on her face with her wand and smiled at the Professor.
"Thank you ma'am." She bowed and then rushed off and down to Snape's office.
"Ah, miss Granger." Snape said as he opened his office door allowing Hermione to enter. "I shall take you to him." He said leading the way into his private chambers.
Hermione was surprised at the size of Snape's chambers; there was a huge lounge area which also contained a dining table and then two bedrooms and a private bathroom. Hermione was led to the largest of the two bedrooms and found Alex sitting up in his bed chatting happily to Draco.
"Mione!" He cheered when he saw her. "You're not hurt are you?" He asked beaming at her.
"Me? What about you?" She smiled. "Typical. You get hurt and you ask about other people!" She laughed and Harry grinned even more.
"That's me" He winked.
"I'll leave you to it." Snape said announcing his exit.
"Thanks Professor." Hermione called after him as he shut the door.
"I'll be leaving too I think." Draco announced standing up.
"Draco don't." Hermione said.
"Yeah Draco, stay." Alex joined in. "You and Mione are the only friends I've got."
"Fine and I suppose you want me to call you Hermione?" Draco asked dryly.
"Draco play nice." Alex giggled.
"Shut it you" Draco glared at Alex.
"Look, I could be looking at a transfer to Slytherin house anyway." Hermione stated causing Alex and Draco to immediately look at her.
"Why?" They both asked.
"I've been disowned by my house." She said glumly.
"Then you'll be a proud member of ours!" Draco spoke without really thinking.
"Ooo, Mione's got an admirer." Alex smirked and then was hit by a rather large pillow, "Ow!" He protested loudly clutching his shoulder.
"Sorry." Draco muttered half-heartedly.
"You did that on purpose!" Alex complained.
"So what if I did." Draco glared.
"Boys stop it!" Hermione said loudly,
"Sorry." Alex said sheepishly.
"Draco would you find out for me what the other Slytherin's would think of me joining your house?" Hermione asked.
"I'll do that right away Mione." Draco said in a sickly sweet tone and left.
"Argh, I can't believe he's my brother!" Alex complained.
"It'll get better." Hermione reassured him.
"Thanks. I don't know what I would have done without you today." Alex smiled and Hermione blushed.
"I just wish Ron could see past the Slytherin badge." Hermione sighed.
"Me too. Say..." Alex paused as an idea crept into his head. "Fancy wandering around the grounds for a few hours before lunch?" Alex suggested.
"Your dad'll go mental!" Hermione fretted.
"So? I persuaded you ok?" Alex said with a mischievous smile across his face.
"How will we get out?" Hermione asked.
"Ah, well I was studying my transfiguration book before and it appears that I have discovered a spell that makes doors appear where they shouldn't." Alex winked.
"Oh Alex you are quite the little Slytherin already!" Hermione giggled.
"As are you Mione. As are you." He laughed standing up and reaching for his wand. "Well here goes." Alex breathed deeply as he stood in front of the far wall, waved his wand and muttered an incantation.
To his and Hermione's amazement the charm actually worked and as Hermione blinked at the door that appeared in front of them Alex felt that he had to literally drag Hermione through the door. With a quick wave of his wand the door vanished and the pair ran down the corridor and out into the grounds laughing as they went.
The pair lay under a tree beside the lake soaking up the warm September sun. They cherished the warmth knowing that soon the full sweep of autumn would embrace the castle meaning afternoons like this would be scarce.
After about ten minutes of being outside the bell signalling the end of first period rang and Hermione stood up. "Where you going Hermione?" Alex asked squinting.
"I'm going to run up to my dorm, collect my bag and go to transfiguration." She announced.
"Why bother?" Alex asked.
"Because unlike you I have an attendance record to uphold." She said matter of factly and left.
"Bye." Alex muttered and rolled onto his back, falling asleep with the sun beating on his face.