Another Chance
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling (JKR), various publishers of the Harry Potter (HP) series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 3 – New Teachers (uploaded 11/18/03)
At breakfast the next morning, Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat at their usual spot at the Gryffindor table. Ron spoke first, "Oi, d'ya see Marston at the head table? Look at the way he's glaring at you, Harry. Look how he's glaring at Lupin." He shivered, "If I didn't know better, I'd say he's Snape in disguise." The red-head then shoveled another loadful of eggs into his mouth.
Hermione looked up at the head table and sighed dreamily, "He's so smart and cute. Nothing like that hook-nosed greasy git we called a potions teacher. Do you know he even gave me an extra credit research assignment to work on during potions class? Snape would never have done that. He asked quite nicely if I would like to take the challenge."
Ron screwed up his face in disgust, "Hermione, have you listened to him? Have you heard him? It's Snape's voice!"
Hermione closed her eyes and shivered, "Mmmm, his voice sends shivers down my spine." She pushed up the robes from her sleeves, "Look, goosebumps!"
"Harry, don't just sit there. Back me up, mate! You were there." Ron hissed over his plate.
Harry shrugged, "All I remember is helping carry the stretchers to the Hospital ward. Flitwick told me I had been knocked out during the explosion. Pomfrey checked me out and let me go. Same with Malfoy. We were congratulated for having the hardest heads at Hogwarts, right before she threw us out on our bums."
"See there, Ron? You're worked up over nothing. If you boys will excuse me, I'm going to the library to get some work done before our next class." Hermione stood to leave but Professor Flitwick stood on top of the head table to get everyone's attention. She sat back down.
"Ahem," Flitwick announced with the sonorus charm. "If I might have everyone's attention for a short announcement." He waited until it got quiet. "Thank you. I would just like to introduce you to our substitute teachers. Returning to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, some of you might remember Professor Lupin." He paused so that the Gryffindors could stop clapping. Ron, Hermione, and Harry, were the loudest.
Malfoy yelled, "He's a werewolf!"
Flitwick continued, "Indeed he is, and a perfectly safe one, I assure you. Professor Bill Weasley will be moved from Dark Arts to Potions, and Professor Griselda Marchbanks will be taking the Charms classes. I'd also like to introduce Professor Tonks, who will take the Transfiguration classes. Please welcome our new staff, work hard and take advantage of the extra help we have until exams." He stepped off the table to polite clapping around the Great Hall.
~ ~ ~
Young Snape and Hermione sat at a library table behind stacks of potions book. Hermione moved in close. Snape, in turn, pulled his elbow off the table. "What do you think of this, Alan? It's a variation of a shrinking potion."
As they both leaned in over the book, they bumped heads. Hermione blushed as Alan brushed away her bushy hair out of his face. "Sorry about that, it's so hard to control."
"No worries," Alan said quietly. "Here, allow me." He stood up behind the head of hair and proceeded to gather handfuls of hair with his nimble fingers. "Tear a couple of strips of that parchment for me."
Hermione tore two half inch strips of parchment. Alan touched them with his wand and transfigured them into red and gold ribbons. When he was done, Hermione's hair was French braided down the center of her head, gradually tapering and tied off with the ribbons. Hermione threw her arms around the potions expert. "Thank you," she gasped before planting a kiss on his cheek. "How did you learn to do that?"
He suddenly stiffened, "You're welcome. My mum had me braid her hair when she was ill." Shifting uncomfortably, "Uh, we were studying this shrinking potion. It has potential because unlike the last one that was brewed in class, its effectiveness is more controllable. However, it is more volatile."
"Why are you doing this?" Hermione stroked Snape's cheek with her finger.
He jaw clenched for a moment, "Because the headmaster asked me to. Miss Granger, you are excused from your potions class as long as you are helping me with this research. And right now, I am finding you more distraction than help." His lip curled as he tried to hide his true expression.
"Don't you like me?" The seventh year student sat back in her chair and looked deep into his beetle black eyes. "Please be honest, I can take it either way."
As he worked hard to control his breathing, "You would not believe how much self-control it is taking me to force my brain to override my hormones. Please excuse me." He abruptly stood up, nearly toppling the chair behind him.
"Where are you going?" Hermione looked hurt.
"I'll be back shortly, I need to take a break." Snape turned on his heel and walked quickly out of the library, sprinting away as soon as he cleared the doors.
Twenty minutes later, he sat down next to the French braided Gryffindor. Without looking up from her book, she asked, "What took you so long?" He said nothing and took a book off the top of one of the stacks. He dipped his quill into the inkwell and scribbled on his parchment.
She slammed her book closed and looked angrily at him. Her expression slowly changed when she saw his dirty blonde hair still dripping onto his robes. "What did you do, dunk your head in the sink?"
"I took a shower. Please, let us leave the subject to a natural death."
"That was a quick shower. Did you even take your clothes off?" Hermione propped her chin up on her hands, elbows on the desk.
"Of course." He chuckled, "I didn't dry off very well, did I." Hermione hid her smile behind her hands. "Did you find anything more since I left?"
"This was an odd time for a shower, don't you think?"
"I thought it was most appropriate." He tapped a long finger on the pages in front of her.
"Yes it's an aging potion. Same ingredients as the shrinking potion, added to the cauldron in a different order and quantity." She smiled to herself, still imagining Alan's need for a cold shower.
"Yes, that is interesting." He proceeded to scribble more notes onto his parchment.
~ ~ ~
That evening, as the young teachers lounged around in the teacher's common room. Snape came in, his eyes wild with urgency. Dumbledore asked, "Severus? Is everything all right?" Lupin sat across from Dumbledore next to the fire, as Tonks sat on the arm of Lupin's chair, reading over his shoulder.
"Sir, I'm being called. I must go."
"Severus, do be careful. We don't want our conditions leaked out. Although our powers are not diminished, we don't want to let anyone think that they can come and attempt anything."
"I intend to keep a low profile, as always."
"Severus, I hate to burden you, but I should take my potion tonight." Lupin looked up from the Quibbler.
"Lupin, the ingredients are gathered on my laboratory bench. But I really must go now, you understand." He winced as his left hand tightened into a fist and held a balled up black cloak tight to his body. "Bill Weasley is quite good at potions, though I doubt he's ever attempted the Wolfsbane potion." He turned and swooped out of the room as quickly as he came in.
Tonks tugged on Remus's arm, "Come, I'd like to try it. I got an outstanding my potions NEWT."
The werewolf looked at the teenage Dumbledore for help, who shrugged, "It's up to you, Remus."
"Tonks, please don't get me wrong. I have absolute confidence in your potions skills but the Wolfsbane potion is quite delicate."
"Oh, don't be an old fuddy duddy. Let's go. You have to show me where his bench is."
"Albus," Lupin pleaded with his eyes, "couldn't you come and help?"
"Sorry, Remus, I'm waiting for Minerva. We're going to take a walk around the lake when she's done with her Dueling lesson," the young Dumbledore said smuggly.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling (JKR), various publishers of the Harry Potter (HP) series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 3 – New Teachers (uploaded 11/18/03)
At breakfast the next morning, Harry, Hermione, and Ron sat at their usual spot at the Gryffindor table. Ron spoke first, "Oi, d'ya see Marston at the head table? Look at the way he's glaring at you, Harry. Look how he's glaring at Lupin." He shivered, "If I didn't know better, I'd say he's Snape in disguise." The red-head then shoveled another loadful of eggs into his mouth.
Hermione looked up at the head table and sighed dreamily, "He's so smart and cute. Nothing like that hook-nosed greasy git we called a potions teacher. Do you know he even gave me an extra credit research assignment to work on during potions class? Snape would never have done that. He asked quite nicely if I would like to take the challenge."
Ron screwed up his face in disgust, "Hermione, have you listened to him? Have you heard him? It's Snape's voice!"
Hermione closed her eyes and shivered, "Mmmm, his voice sends shivers down my spine." She pushed up the robes from her sleeves, "Look, goosebumps!"
"Harry, don't just sit there. Back me up, mate! You were there." Ron hissed over his plate.
Harry shrugged, "All I remember is helping carry the stretchers to the Hospital ward. Flitwick told me I had been knocked out during the explosion. Pomfrey checked me out and let me go. Same with Malfoy. We were congratulated for having the hardest heads at Hogwarts, right before she threw us out on our bums."
"See there, Ron? You're worked up over nothing. If you boys will excuse me, I'm going to the library to get some work done before our next class." Hermione stood to leave but Professor Flitwick stood on top of the head table to get everyone's attention. She sat back down.
"Ahem," Flitwick announced with the sonorus charm. "If I might have everyone's attention for a short announcement." He waited until it got quiet. "Thank you. I would just like to introduce you to our substitute teachers. Returning to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, some of you might remember Professor Lupin." He paused so that the Gryffindors could stop clapping. Ron, Hermione, and Harry, were the loudest.
Malfoy yelled, "He's a werewolf!"
Flitwick continued, "Indeed he is, and a perfectly safe one, I assure you. Professor Bill Weasley will be moved from Dark Arts to Potions, and Professor Griselda Marchbanks will be taking the Charms classes. I'd also like to introduce Professor Tonks, who will take the Transfiguration classes. Please welcome our new staff, work hard and take advantage of the extra help we have until exams." He stepped off the table to polite clapping around the Great Hall.
~ ~ ~
Young Snape and Hermione sat at a library table behind stacks of potions book. Hermione moved in close. Snape, in turn, pulled his elbow off the table. "What do you think of this, Alan? It's a variation of a shrinking potion."
As they both leaned in over the book, they bumped heads. Hermione blushed as Alan brushed away her bushy hair out of his face. "Sorry about that, it's so hard to control."
"No worries," Alan said quietly. "Here, allow me." He stood up behind the head of hair and proceeded to gather handfuls of hair with his nimble fingers. "Tear a couple of strips of that parchment for me."
Hermione tore two half inch strips of parchment. Alan touched them with his wand and transfigured them into red and gold ribbons. When he was done, Hermione's hair was French braided down the center of her head, gradually tapering and tied off with the ribbons. Hermione threw her arms around the potions expert. "Thank you," she gasped before planting a kiss on his cheek. "How did you learn to do that?"
He suddenly stiffened, "You're welcome. My mum had me braid her hair when she was ill." Shifting uncomfortably, "Uh, we were studying this shrinking potion. It has potential because unlike the last one that was brewed in class, its effectiveness is more controllable. However, it is more volatile."
"Why are you doing this?" Hermione stroked Snape's cheek with her finger.
He jaw clenched for a moment, "Because the headmaster asked me to. Miss Granger, you are excused from your potions class as long as you are helping me with this research. And right now, I am finding you more distraction than help." His lip curled as he tried to hide his true expression.
"Don't you like me?" The seventh year student sat back in her chair and looked deep into his beetle black eyes. "Please be honest, I can take it either way."
As he worked hard to control his breathing, "You would not believe how much self-control it is taking me to force my brain to override my hormones. Please excuse me." He abruptly stood up, nearly toppling the chair behind him.
"Where are you going?" Hermione looked hurt.
"I'll be back shortly, I need to take a break." Snape turned on his heel and walked quickly out of the library, sprinting away as soon as he cleared the doors.
Twenty minutes later, he sat down next to the French braided Gryffindor. Without looking up from her book, she asked, "What took you so long?" He said nothing and took a book off the top of one of the stacks. He dipped his quill into the inkwell and scribbled on his parchment.
She slammed her book closed and looked angrily at him. Her expression slowly changed when she saw his dirty blonde hair still dripping onto his robes. "What did you do, dunk your head in the sink?"
"I took a shower. Please, let us leave the subject to a natural death."
"That was a quick shower. Did you even take your clothes off?" Hermione propped her chin up on her hands, elbows on the desk.
"Of course." He chuckled, "I didn't dry off very well, did I." Hermione hid her smile behind her hands. "Did you find anything more since I left?"
"This was an odd time for a shower, don't you think?"
"I thought it was most appropriate." He tapped a long finger on the pages in front of her.
"Yes it's an aging potion. Same ingredients as the shrinking potion, added to the cauldron in a different order and quantity." She smiled to herself, still imagining Alan's need for a cold shower.
"Yes, that is interesting." He proceeded to scribble more notes onto his parchment.
~ ~ ~
That evening, as the young teachers lounged around in the teacher's common room. Snape came in, his eyes wild with urgency. Dumbledore asked, "Severus? Is everything all right?" Lupin sat across from Dumbledore next to the fire, as Tonks sat on the arm of Lupin's chair, reading over his shoulder.
"Sir, I'm being called. I must go."
"Severus, do be careful. We don't want our conditions leaked out. Although our powers are not diminished, we don't want to let anyone think that they can come and attempt anything."
"I intend to keep a low profile, as always."
"Severus, I hate to burden you, but I should take my potion tonight." Lupin looked up from the Quibbler.
"Lupin, the ingredients are gathered on my laboratory bench. But I really must go now, you understand." He winced as his left hand tightened into a fist and held a balled up black cloak tight to his body. "Bill Weasley is quite good at potions, though I doubt he's ever attempted the Wolfsbane potion." He turned and swooped out of the room as quickly as he came in.
Tonks tugged on Remus's arm, "Come, I'd like to try it. I got an outstanding my potions NEWT."
The werewolf looked at the teenage Dumbledore for help, who shrugged, "It's up to you, Remus."
"Tonks, please don't get me wrong. I have absolute confidence in your potions skills but the Wolfsbane potion is quite delicate."
"Oh, don't be an old fuddy duddy. Let's go. You have to show me where his bench is."
"Albus," Lupin pleaded with his eyes, "couldn't you come and help?"
"Sorry, Remus, I'm waiting for Minerva. We're going to take a walk around the lake when she's done with her Dueling lesson," the young Dumbledore said smuggly.