I don't own the story or the characters of Harry Potter, this work is entirely fan-made. The rights to everything Harry Potter belong to J.K Rowling.
The majority of the hall had been happy about the new Headmistress, except for the Slytherin contingent, considering that the Headmistress had been head of Gryffindor house not 24 hours earlier. At any rate, the houses would be more unified, even if unity didn't happen immediately between Slytherin and the rest of the school. "As some may know, Gilderoy Lockhart was escorted off the grounds last night. He shall no longer be teaching here at Hogwarts." The Professor said, trying to contain her anger at that man. "Whilst we find a new teacher, anyone below the fifth year will be taking a lesser amount of potions lessons to compensate for Professor Snape teaching Defence in another teacher's absence. Professor Snape, thank you for volunteering. Thank you all for listening so… intently. Now eat up because classes will not be cancelled on account of the recent changes." She finished and sat down to her breakfast. Professor Snape now looked quite content and almost happy from where Harry and Neville sat. "Harry, do you think that Snape looks far too happy with that announcement?" Neville asked worriedly. "Mum said that he was excellent at Defence Against the Dark Arts in school and wanted the job before Dumbledore denied him it. I suppose he just got what he deserved." Harry shrugged and continued eating his cereal. After breakfast was coincidentally Defence with Professor Snape... and was perhaps the best lesson they had in Defence in their entire time at Hogwarts.
The lesson had begun with Snape showing them some charms that would come in useful in a fight, not a duel, as that was the entire purpose of the duelling club. Protego, expelliarmus and stupefy were all shown in detail, right down to the enunciation of the incantation, which reminded Harry of Hermione in their first year in charms. Instructing them to write down all of the possible methods of avoiding unfriendly spells, the Professor actually helped the students who needed the extra help thinking of ways to block. "I shan't issue homework as it is your first proper defence lesson, but anyone who wishes to gain ten extra house-points can practice the shield charm in preparation for your next lesson." Gone were the Professor's usual sneer and bored/malicious tone and they were replaced with a helpful demeanour and a kinder, more gentle voice. Their next lesson was Transfiguration with Professor McGonagall and most were glad that kept her job as the Transfiguration teacher. The rest of the day proceeded as normal, except with the glaring absence of Zoe Potter and Hermione Granger, two witches still in the hospital wing for psychological evaluation. Gladly the reason for their being there was not spilt yet but was more and more suspicious when Cho Chang, Marietta Edgecombe and Katie Bell left their herbology lesson with Madam Pomfrey. When Neville and Harry visited Zoe and Hermione in the hospital wing after lessons, the other three girls were still there and Cho Chang was crying. Marietta and Katie were by her side, comforting her in a supposedly traumatic time. Madam Pomfrey rushed to Harry and asked gave him a request from Cho "Mr Potter, could you please find Mr Diggory and ask him to come here, of Miss Chang's request?" Harry obliged and ran off to find Cedric, seeing that Hermione was asleep at the moment. "I'll be back soon Hermione. I-I love you."
An embarrassed Harry found Cedric in the library, studying for Professor Snape's defence class, reading a tome about offensive dark curses and how to block them. "Hey, Cedric. Umm Cho is in the hospital wing and called for you. If it was me, I would go, she seems very upset and I think she needs your company." Harry said in a low voice so that he wasn't kicked out of the library for being too loud by Madam Pince. Cedric paled and packed up his things, slipping the library book into his bag and letting Madam Pince know he was borrowing it. "Ok, let's go, Harry." Upon arrival at the hospital wing, Cedric ran over to Cho and held her hand, unknowingly blushing as he did so. Harry made his way over to his own girlfriend and sat on the chair next to her bed. He saw Zoe lying awake in the bed next to Hermione's and asked how she was feeling. She replied with a tired voice "Doing as well as I can, what with getting no sleep. Anyway, what did Hermione and I miss today?" Harry told her about the new defence formula and her favourite teacher ascending to Headmistress, whilst keeping her Transfiguration and head of Gryffindor positions. As Harry mentioned 'no homework' from Professor Snape, Hermione's eyes fluttered open and Harry turned around, not seeing Zoe's smirk of mirth. "Harry, why did you say that we had no homework? That isn't like Professor Snape." She said whilst pulling herself into a sitting position.
Harry leapt from the chair and hugged her close to his body as she reciprocated the gesture. "Ok, not that I'm complaining, but what's this for? You saw me last night." She said groggily. He talked into her shoulder "I just missed you, alright. It felt weird not having you correct my spelling in charms today. Professor Snape is teaching us defence and potions at the moment, with the idea that we have fewer lessons of both to compensate for only having one teacher for two subjects." They talked about the day and the homework that Professor McGonagall in Transfiguration. Neville also told the two about the extra points available for practising the shied charm for the next defence lesson. Neville left for dinner at 6:30 and Harry told him that he would catch up and he needed to talk to Hermione in private first. Grinning, Neville left the hospital wing and went to dinner, leaving Harry and Hermione in the presence of a seemingly sleeping Zoe.
Harry started by beginning with "I said I missed you today and I meant it. I don't want to spend another day worrying about you or Zoe because I love you both. Uhh.." Harry stopped and his eyes widened as he realised what he had just said to Hermione. She grinned and held his hand "I didn't want to spoil the surprise, but I know. You already said it before you left just a bit ago. I heard you say it when you thought I was sleeping. I am offended…" Hermione said, smirking as she saw Harry look down in shame. "I want to be awake and both of us aware next time you say that. I love you, Harry." She said, smiling her best grin. He looked back up and smiled back "I truly love you, Hermione. Thank you." Harry whispered back before he did something preposterous. He kissed her, their lips intertwining in their own dance of love. A small cough interrupted them, turning their cheeks a deep pink. Madam Pomfrey looked down at the two with a smile. "Oh don't be embarrassed dears. You forget I have been here for over 20 years, I have seen everything in this ward, some things too polite for young ears such as your own. I just wanted to tell Mr Potter that he and yourself, Miss Granger, need to eat, and you are free to go back to your dorms tonight if you wish. If not, Miss Granger should please remain for dinner here." Hermione happily got up and when Harry was outside the privacy screen, she changed into her school robes again. Joining him on the walk to the Great Hall, she noticed that Cho Chang was crying into Cedric Diggory's shoulder. Frowning slightly, she bade goodnight to Zoe who waved goodbye after calling after them, "Don't be caught in a broom closet too late guys!" Harry and Hermione flushed crimson and Zoe broke down into sniggers at that. She noticed that it even cheered Cho up a bit.
The next day saw Hermione awake at her normal time, awaiting Harry and Neville at the bottom of the staircases with no bags under her eyes, indicating a fairly substantial amount of sleep, something that made Harry internally sigh in relief. Hermione got a feeling that Professor Snape was enjoying his new job, as he was less impartial to the Slytherins and was more helpful in potions, correct the subtle mistakes that some people were making. She saw just how good of a teacher he was in defence as he performed an in-depth analysis of a shield charm and what it takes to strengthen it. "Mr Potter, I believe you said you had done the extra credit work, did you not?" He asked with no slight to his tone. "Yes Professor. I did, the question is, do you think you can beat it." Harry shot back with a playful smirk. Rising from his seat, he noticed that Snape was holding back a smirk himself. "Oh I assure you, I can beat it, though I do not doubt that your father taught you shield charms as well as he did teaching you to have the gall to say such a thing to a Professor. He would be proud, perhaps I shall tell him of your behaviour, or your mother? She would not accept that level of respect now, would she? Now, use a stunning spell on me to demonstrate a shield first." Professor Snape levelled his wand as Harry gulped and fired a strong stunning spell at his teacher on the duelling platform. He did not want to have Snape tell his mother about his 'cheek' as McGonagall would constantly say his dad had. The jet of red light started to make the shield crack and cave in, but it held and the two spells dissipated with a flourish of Professor Snape's wand. 'Showoff, using non-verbal spell cancellation'. Harry thought. Another voice appeared in his head as soon as he thought those words. 'Indeed, I am quite a bit of a showoff, aren't I Mr Potter.' Harry's eyes went wide as he saw Professor Snape making direct eye-contact with him and realised that he was a natural legilimens, pushing thoughts into his head.
"Well done on that stunner, though I didn't expect it to be so powerful. Let us test your shield now Mr Potter." He said, nearly grinning from the reaction to his mind speak. "Protego" Harry uttered and a bright blue shield, not unlike the one Professor Snape had used sprang up between them both. Without warning, a bolt of red energy sizzled and cracked Harry's shield, pushing the young boy back a few steps as he tried to maintain it. "Well done. That was a far superior shield than I have seen any second-year use before. Though it stills pales in comparison to a grown witch or wizard's. Take 10 points for the shield and 5 for the stunning spell well executed. Now go and sit back down." The class watched as Harry Potter was put in his place and most of the Hufflepuffs sneered at the defeat of him at the hands of Professor Snape. He caught people staring at the boy and couldn't help but feel sorry, as he knew who the actual heir of Slytherin was. "Alright, has anyone else practised the spell for extra points." Hermione raised her hand but Professor Snape waved it away. "Miss Granger, I appreciate your constant ambition and your desire to learn, but you were just released from the hospital wing. I am not allowed to let you practise any magic or duelling that could cause you harm, Madam Pomfrey's words, not mine. Ah, Mister Finch-Fletchley. How about you show us a demonstration of the charm." Justin had raised his hand eagerly and scowled as he watched Potter perform the charm almost perfectly. After the class was over, he approached Harry in the hallway and expressed his opinions on him and Hermione. "You two are such know-it-alls. Really, for once, just let someone even come close to outshining you. Granger is slightly worse, but you Potter are just annoying. I'd almost ask why, but I know. You just want all of the attention don't you, you and your perfect little teacher's pet." Harry rushed forward to attack Justin for insulting Hermione when Professor Snape intervened and deducted the 10 points from Hufflepuff that he had just awarded Justin for attempting to learn the shield charm and equally gave Harry a glare that seemed to say 'Don't make things worse'.
After dinner, everything went awry. Justin Finch-Fletchley was found petrified behind a frozen Sir Nicholas in the west corridor by the Hufflepuff common room.
Quick little plug, I have updated The first story in this series called 'The Fight of Two Generations'. THIS IS THE FINAL TIME I WILL ADD A CHAPTER TO IT. It isn't exactly a chapter, but it is the full story of first-year, with some changes and improvements, here and there.
Yes, the title is a play-on-words. 'In Defence' refers to Snape's teaching position in the story. However, I am trying to make Snape seem like less of a 'bad-guy', though I am a firm believer (usually) that he was way too snappy, rude and unfair in the canon.
For those who read the chapter before I updated it, sorry for the glaring mistake in the last paragraph. I was unsure whether Justin was a half-blood or muggle-born, so I have changed what he said to Hermione to 'teacher's pet'. Thanks to nsaifnabi for pointing it out :)
Stay Safe
-E