Title: Deadly Love
Written by: oopsiesgrl
Rating: PG - Parental Guidance recommended (some swearing)
Chapter Five: The Strange Behavior of Professor Snape
--------------------------------------------------
At the teacher's table in the front of the hall, Professor Snape was not wearing his usual strict expression. Instead, he had a dazed look. During the entire meal, he did not talk very much to anyone. He sat very still, but now and then, his hands shook.
'That's strange,' thought Harry. 'Is it because of Voldemort's return to power? Is the task he has to perform for Dumbledore too much?'
"What are you thinking about, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at his puzzled expression with concern.
"Huh? Oh, nothing." He smiled to assure Hermione nothing was wrong. When she turned to talk to Ron again, Harry looked up at the High Table again. Snape still had the strange look on his face.
*********
The next day, Harry and Ron spent a long, miserable morning in Divination. Professor Trelawney was again predicting Harry's death and other unfortunate happening. The burning fireplace and the strangely perfumed tower room made Harry sleepy, but the professor was currently reading his palm and watching him, so he couldn't doze off. He could do nothing but listen to her while Lavender Born and Parvati Patil gasped dramatically.
"You have a short life, Harry," Professor Trelawney was saying. "Look at this line. It ends before reaching the end of your palm." She looked into Harry's eyes. He couldn't help noticing how much like an insect she looked with her skinny figure and large glasses. Suddenly, Professor Trelawney gasped loudly and backed away quickly, scaring Harry out of his stupor.
"What did you see, Professor?" Lavender asked excitedly.
"His eyes!"
"There's nothing wrong with my eyes!" Harry said with annoyance.
"Yes, there is! I saw in your eyes that...that...your life will end this year!"
"When this year, Professor?" asked Parvati.
"Halloween!" Professor Trelawney exclaimed. Her eyes turned misty and she looked at Harry sadly. Lavender and Parvati did the same.
Ron muttered under his breath, "A bunch of rubbish! Typical! Everything bad happens on Halloween."
"Now," Professor Trelawney wiped the corners of her eyes and sniffled, "for the rest of the class, you will try palm readings and eye searches. Remember, palms and eyes can tell great stories. Don't just look at the surface. Look deep.deep into them." She broke down and disappeared into her office.
For the next forty minutes, Harry and Ron pretended to predict all sorts of catastrophes in each other's lives.
"Oh, Harry!" Ron mimicked Professor Trelawney's high voice. "You will fall down the stairs and break your arm!"
"And Ron, you'll break you leg tripping over a cauldron!"
"Harry," said Parvati sternly, "your life is going to end on Halloween. This isn't a joking matter!"
Ron rolled his eyes and said, "So will yours, Parvati. So will yours."
Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, and the rest of the class doubled over laughing. The truth was, nobody really took Professor Trelawney seriously except Lavender and Parvati. Making death predictions was her specialty, and she did it several times every day. However, she did make one true prediction once, which was about Peter Pettigrew returning to his Master.
When the bell finally rang, Harry and Ron were the first out the room. By the Great Hall, they met Hermione coming from her Arithmancy class, and together they went in for lunch. Inside, the Hufflepuff fifth-years were already seated and talking excitedly.
"What are you guys so happy about?" Ron asked.
Hannah Abbott turned around and said, "Professor Fitz is great! We just came from her class."
"She's talented and beautiful!" said Ernie MacMillan.
Ron looked longingly towards the High Table. "We have her today, right?"
Hermione slapped him on the head.
"What was that for?"
"Eat!" she snapped, and shoved the food roughly towards him. Harry laughed and dug into his own plate.
~
After lunch, Ron and Hermione were talking again. The three made the dreaded way down to the dungeons where they were to have double Potions. However, they needn't have worried at all. Professor Snape's strange behavior continued. Today, his should-length black hair was not greased like it usually was, and was held up in a low ponytail. His face was pasty white and seemed expressionless. Harry had a feeling Snape barely even noticed the students' presence.
"Good morning, class," Snape said in a soft, distant voice. "This year, our lessons will be more advanced. The potions we brew will be more dangerous, and greater care has to be given the ingredients. Today, we will begin with the Veritaserum, the Truth Potion. A set of directions have been placed at each table. You may work with a partner. If you have nay question, ask me. At the end of the class, I will check each potion for effectiveness. If your potion works, fill it in these bottles. You may begin."
The students worked in silence. Neville Longbottom asked Hermione to help him and Harry partnered with Ron. They were all stunned by Snape's "nice- ness". From Harry's position in the room, he could see Malfoy's face clearly. He was staring at Snape with disbelief and frustration. Professor Snape had always been his favorite teacher, but now, Snape was not living up to his expectations. Harry smiled at Malfoy's strange expression. He turned to look at Snape too. The professor's eyes were closed and he was sighing deeply.
At the end of the class, Hermione and Neville was the only group with an effective Veritaserum. Although most Gryffindors had failed at making the potion, Snape did not punish them the way he usually would. He didn't take any points off their house and he didn't assign any detentions.
When the bell rang, the class filed into the hallway. Once out of the classroom, everybody burst into talk. The Slytherins were angry with Snape and Gryffindors were confused about his behavior.
Ron asked the question Harry had been thinking, "What's wrong with Snape?"
"I don't know," sighed Harry.
"Maybe he's sick," Hermione attempted to explain.
"Maybe," said Harry, "but I have a feeling it's not as simple as that.
"Why is that?" asked Hermione.
"It just doesn't seem like him. He never acted this way when he was sick before. He grew ever more bitter when he was sick."
"That's true," said Ron.
"Did you two notice the way he was acting last night? When he walked us to the Great Hall and during the feast?"
"Yeah," said Hermione. "I've never seen him like that before."
Harry noticed Malfoy listening to their conversation and quickly changed the subject, "Ron, how many classes do we have left today?"
"Just one. Defense Against the Dark Arts. Finally!"
Written by: oopsiesgrl
Rating: PG - Parental Guidance recommended (some swearing)
Chapter Five: The Strange Behavior of Professor Snape
--------------------------------------------------
At the teacher's table in the front of the hall, Professor Snape was not wearing his usual strict expression. Instead, he had a dazed look. During the entire meal, he did not talk very much to anyone. He sat very still, but now and then, his hands shook.
'That's strange,' thought Harry. 'Is it because of Voldemort's return to power? Is the task he has to perform for Dumbledore too much?'
"What are you thinking about, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at his puzzled expression with concern.
"Huh? Oh, nothing." He smiled to assure Hermione nothing was wrong. When she turned to talk to Ron again, Harry looked up at the High Table again. Snape still had the strange look on his face.
*********
The next day, Harry and Ron spent a long, miserable morning in Divination. Professor Trelawney was again predicting Harry's death and other unfortunate happening. The burning fireplace and the strangely perfumed tower room made Harry sleepy, but the professor was currently reading his palm and watching him, so he couldn't doze off. He could do nothing but listen to her while Lavender Born and Parvati Patil gasped dramatically.
"You have a short life, Harry," Professor Trelawney was saying. "Look at this line. It ends before reaching the end of your palm." She looked into Harry's eyes. He couldn't help noticing how much like an insect she looked with her skinny figure and large glasses. Suddenly, Professor Trelawney gasped loudly and backed away quickly, scaring Harry out of his stupor.
"What did you see, Professor?" Lavender asked excitedly.
"His eyes!"
"There's nothing wrong with my eyes!" Harry said with annoyance.
"Yes, there is! I saw in your eyes that...that...your life will end this year!"
"When this year, Professor?" asked Parvati.
"Halloween!" Professor Trelawney exclaimed. Her eyes turned misty and she looked at Harry sadly. Lavender and Parvati did the same.
Ron muttered under his breath, "A bunch of rubbish! Typical! Everything bad happens on Halloween."
"Now," Professor Trelawney wiped the corners of her eyes and sniffled, "for the rest of the class, you will try palm readings and eye searches. Remember, palms and eyes can tell great stories. Don't just look at the surface. Look deep.deep into them." She broke down and disappeared into her office.
For the next forty minutes, Harry and Ron pretended to predict all sorts of catastrophes in each other's lives.
"Oh, Harry!" Ron mimicked Professor Trelawney's high voice. "You will fall down the stairs and break your arm!"
"And Ron, you'll break you leg tripping over a cauldron!"
"Harry," said Parvati sternly, "your life is going to end on Halloween. This isn't a joking matter!"
Ron rolled his eyes and said, "So will yours, Parvati. So will yours."
Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, and the rest of the class doubled over laughing. The truth was, nobody really took Professor Trelawney seriously except Lavender and Parvati. Making death predictions was her specialty, and she did it several times every day. However, she did make one true prediction once, which was about Peter Pettigrew returning to his Master.
When the bell finally rang, Harry and Ron were the first out the room. By the Great Hall, they met Hermione coming from her Arithmancy class, and together they went in for lunch. Inside, the Hufflepuff fifth-years were already seated and talking excitedly.
"What are you guys so happy about?" Ron asked.
Hannah Abbott turned around and said, "Professor Fitz is great! We just came from her class."
"She's talented and beautiful!" said Ernie MacMillan.
Ron looked longingly towards the High Table. "We have her today, right?"
Hermione slapped him on the head.
"What was that for?"
"Eat!" she snapped, and shoved the food roughly towards him. Harry laughed and dug into his own plate.
~
After lunch, Ron and Hermione were talking again. The three made the dreaded way down to the dungeons where they were to have double Potions. However, they needn't have worried at all. Professor Snape's strange behavior continued. Today, his should-length black hair was not greased like it usually was, and was held up in a low ponytail. His face was pasty white and seemed expressionless. Harry had a feeling Snape barely even noticed the students' presence.
"Good morning, class," Snape said in a soft, distant voice. "This year, our lessons will be more advanced. The potions we brew will be more dangerous, and greater care has to be given the ingredients. Today, we will begin with the Veritaserum, the Truth Potion. A set of directions have been placed at each table. You may work with a partner. If you have nay question, ask me. At the end of the class, I will check each potion for effectiveness. If your potion works, fill it in these bottles. You may begin."
The students worked in silence. Neville Longbottom asked Hermione to help him and Harry partnered with Ron. They were all stunned by Snape's "nice- ness". From Harry's position in the room, he could see Malfoy's face clearly. He was staring at Snape with disbelief and frustration. Professor Snape had always been his favorite teacher, but now, Snape was not living up to his expectations. Harry smiled at Malfoy's strange expression. He turned to look at Snape too. The professor's eyes were closed and he was sighing deeply.
At the end of the class, Hermione and Neville was the only group with an effective Veritaserum. Although most Gryffindors had failed at making the potion, Snape did not punish them the way he usually would. He didn't take any points off their house and he didn't assign any detentions.
When the bell rang, the class filed into the hallway. Once out of the classroom, everybody burst into talk. The Slytherins were angry with Snape and Gryffindors were confused about his behavior.
Ron asked the question Harry had been thinking, "What's wrong with Snape?"
"I don't know," sighed Harry.
"Maybe he's sick," Hermione attempted to explain.
"Maybe," said Harry, "but I have a feeling it's not as simple as that.
"Why is that?" asked Hermione.
"It just doesn't seem like him. He never acted this way when he was sick before. He grew ever more bitter when he was sick."
"That's true," said Ron.
"Did you two notice the way he was acting last night? When he walked us to the Great Hall and during the feast?"
"Yeah," said Hermione. "I've never seen him like that before."
Harry noticed Malfoy listening to their conversation and quickly changed the subject, "Ron, how many classes do we have left today?"
"Just one. Defense Against the Dark Arts. Finally!"
