I almost forgot to post the new chapter. I'll be leaving on holiday this evening and been busy all day. So I hope you enjoy.❤
PS: Due to certain reasons, I have changed the name of this fic. But the story is very much the same and completely mine.
Chapter 26 – Severus Snape
HG
When the door of McGonagall's office opened, Hermione made a move to get up, but the professor held out her hand with a smile and she lowered herself back.
"Thank you for coming." Professor McGonagall smiled.
"Of course." Her voice nervous.
"We wanted to talk to you about your progress this year." Professor McGonagall said as she folded her hands on her desk. "We are starting to see that you especially excel in transfiguration and potions. Professor Snape informed me of his plan for you to attend some of the third-year classes, since you already made all the second-year potions without trouble. Seeing your schedule, there are two classes per week you can attend without letting you drop out of your normal class with Professor Snape. You can attend with the third years on Monday and Friday."
"We are starting with new potions next week, so you won't be dropped in right in the middle of one." Professor Snape continued; his voice sounded utterly bored. "For your lessons with the second-years." He pulled out a book from his coat and handed it over. "This is a potions book that allows you to experiment and try out different types of potions. You can learn to change, enhance or maybe improve one. If this is something you are comfortable with."
Hermione's head was spinning with the idea of attending class with her other friends. And even though Cedric suggested experimenting with potions, she was still afraid if something would go horribly wrong. She always followed the rules, the instructions or what was asked of her. But then her thoughts went to the twins, how they experimented since they were young, and she knew that Snape will always be there if something went awry. She took in a deep breath as she looked at the book.
"Yes. That sounds great, sir." She nodded at the potions' professor next to her.
"And Hermione. I know you've checked out the book on becoming an Animagus." The professor's voice stern, making Hermione look back at her, eyes wide. "You are very gifted in transfiguration, but I do think your too young to start this process."
"Oh, I know Professor. But ever since I saw you transform, I wanted to know as much about it. And maybe one day..."
"Alright, let's make a deal, miss Granger." Hermione looked surprised. "If you're still interested in becoming one in your fourth year, come to me. We'll talk it over and I'll be there to oversee if necessary."
"Thank you, professor." Hermione's smile wide.
"And about my classes... I don't want to you attend third-year classes." Hermione looked distraught, and she quickly added. "Not because I don't think your capable, which I am certain you are. But you are going to attend two potions' classes already. I'll just tweak at your lesson plan for during class." She said as she shuffled some papers on her desk. "Here." She handed over a timetable. "Next month you can attend a few of the classes you consider taking as your extra curriculum next year. Take your time to go over anything and when and what you want to attend. Let me know the week before the end of Januari."
"Yes, professor." She smiled at the transfiguration professor before her eyes scanned the timetable.
"If you don't have any question, you can meet up with your friends. They are probably all waiting for you." McGonagall smiled. Hermione rose from her seat as she looked at the two teachers.
"Thank you." And when they both nodded at her she walked out of the office, the potions book in one hand, the timetable in the other.
HG
"Does she remind you of someone, Severus?" Minerva asked after the door closed behind the young girl.
"It's... peculiar." Severus said as he tore his eyes from the closed door and looked at his own old professor. "On one side, she is exactly the same. But on the other..." He let the sentence hang in the air. "I just hope those Weasley twins don't corrupt her."
"Hm." Minerva hummed with a smile. "I think it's the other way around." She elaborated when Severus gave her an incredulous look. "Ever since she started to attend, the boys, Fred and George, they've been more... studious, more focused. They still make jokes or get distracted in class, but there is a big difference then before they met her. You surely must've noticed?" Minerva cocked an eyebrow at the younger Professor. Severus mumbled something unintelligible, making Minerva hold back a snicker. "And besides they both bring out the fun side in her that has been dormant for years. She was always head deep in books, no friends to speak of. Now... she's more balanced."
"Yes, well. We'll see what the next years will bring. You know when they reach the age fourteen, their priorities change." Severus pulled a face. "I just hope she keeps that head in the books." Severus said as he accepted the cup of tea Minverva had conjured, ignoring the little smirk of the woman in front of him.
HG
Hermione spotted her group of friends immediately at the Gryffindor table, with a smile she walked over to the group and before she had a chance to take a seat next to Katie, the twins had pulled her to sit between them.
"Guess who's attending class with you guys?" Hermione grinned at the boys next to her. The twins' eyes went wide as a smile appeared on their lips.
"What?" Katie's sad voice cut her to the core.
"Oh, don't worry, I'll still be attending all classes with you." She leaned behind Fred to smile at her best friend, who suddenly looked much happier.
"How are you planning on sitting in two different year classes then?" Angelina asked.
"I'll just be doing potions with you guys on Monday and Friday, during my free periods."
"Brilliant!" The twins exclaimed.
"You can sit with us."
"We missed you." The twins pouted.
"No letter-
"Not one-"
"You big babies." Hermione rolled her eyes laughing. "Katie said you two were bored. I find that hard to believe."
"Well, since you told us ickle Ronniekens was out of bounds, we had to get creative."
"You actually listened to her?" Alicia snickered and turned to Hermione. "What did you do to make them listen to you."
"They know what I'm capable of." She smiled as she looked at the table. "So, what did you do then?" She asked the twins. The twins grin went wide before the two of them started to tell everyone what they did the last two weeks in the castle. From pranking Filch, to inventing, to pranking all of the Slytherins of course. And even though Hermione had enjoyed her quiet time for two weeks at the snow-covered mountains, she was happy being back at Hogwarts, back to the crazy, funny and rumbustious Weasley twins. At one point she was laughing so hard, she had to rest her head on George's shoulder, while he padded her head with a proud grin.
HG
Hermione packed her bag quickly before she darted out the green house two with a hurry. Once inside the castle, she checked her watch as she raced down the stairs, on her way to the dungeons. It was the first lesson with the third years and she didn't want to be late. She skidded to a halt as Professor Snape had only just opened the door to the classroom, not another student in sight.
"Miss Granger, no running in the castle."
"Sorry, professor. I thought I was going to be late."
The professor checked his watch as he stepped in his classroom. "Seven minutes left until class starts, you can slow your pace next time."
"Yes, professor." She nodded as she looked around the room, trying to remember where the twins were seated last year.
"Normally." Snape started dragging out the word, making her jump as his voice carried around the empty classroom. "The Weasley boys sit in the back." He gestured his hand to the desk in the dark corner. "But I would like if you stayed seated in the front, miss Granger.
"Of course, sir." She took the desk closest to the front and took out her potions book before she lowered her bag to the ground, before she hopped on the stool. "Are we starting with the Shrinking Solution?"
"Yes." Professor looked up to see the girl, her head already in her book as her eyes scanned the details of the potion. He heard the talking of the other students come closer before they appeared in the door. And like he was used to, and liked for the record, the talking stopped as they fluttered in one by one. He saw the twins walk in and search for Hermione in the back of the room, their eyebrows high when they saw her in front of the class, her head deep in her book, not even noticing the other students.
"Misters Weasley." His voice low and the twins turned slowly to him. "If you want to sit with miss Granger, you'll have to take the seat in front of the class." He held back the grin that was starting to form as he looked at the red headed boys. The boys looked from the professor to Hermione and then towards each other. After a few seconds they shrugged and hopped on the stool on either side of the girl. It was only then that she looked up and saw the twins next to her.
"Hello, boys." She smiled at Fred and George. She heard the Slytherins whisper as they saw her sitting in the potions class without Professor Snape throwing her out.
"Professor?" A Slytherin girl piped up.
"Yes, miss Gierze?" Snape said as he stood up from his desk.
"Why is she here?" She pointed her bony finger at Hermione. Hermione raised an eyebrow at the Slytherin girl, with white, nearly grey hair, and round beaty eyes. The twins both wrapped a protective arm around her as they glared at the girl.
"She has a name." Angelina's trembling voice came from a table behind her.
"Miss Granger." Snape corrected the Slytherin. "Will be attending our class on Monday and Friday. Not another word about it, miss Gierze." He said pointedly as she opened her mouth to reply. "Today you'll be learning to brew a shrinking solution. Who can tell me what would happen if it's brewed incorrectly and for what wizards usually use it?"
Hermione looked around the classroom and when no one spoke up, she slowly raised her hand as she looked back to the professor.
"Miss Granger?"
"It would become poisons to whoever drinks it. The potion is mostly used by farmers or wizards or witches who transport livestock, so they can carry a whole herd in a box. The potion can only be used by living beings, it doesn't work on objects."
"That is correct." He nodded and he waved his wand over the chalkboard, letting the ingredients and instructions appear. "You have two hours." He called to the rest of the class. Hermione slides of her stool and made her way to the cupboard before the others had realized they had to start their potion and hurried over. She was already back at her desk with the ingredients for herself and the twins before the rest of the class arrived at the cupboard.
She expected it to happen, but it was still a strange sight as the twins worked next to her in complete silence. She knew they didn't joke or be as loud in Professor Snape his class, but most of the time they sat in the back, so they could talk or tease each other without Snape noticing it. But now in front of the class, they worked with a concentration she only saw when they worked on their own inventions. Hermione risked a glance over her shoulder to Angelina and Alicia, who both looked shocked at the silent twins. Even Professor Snape looked surprised, not that the others would notice, he could mask it like a pro. But Hermione saw it only for a millisecond in his eyes as his stepped by her desk.
"Can you pass me the caterpillars, please?" She asked George in a hushed voice. George looked up from stirring his potion before he handed her the bowl of hairy caterpillars with a smile before his focus went back to the potion.
After a quiet two hours in the dark dungeon, Hermione and the twins bottled their potions at the same time as put them on the edge of the desk as they started cleaning their station. Hermione's eyes flickered to her potion a few times, feeling like it wasn't how it was supposed to look, even though she did everything as was described in the book. She took her potion book and a sheet of paper as she scribbled down whatever it was that could've gone wrong. After class was over, she told the others she'd be right out. The others nodded at her and waited in the hallway for her to finish so they could head to the great hall.
"Professor?" Hermione asked with a slight frown. He looked up from sorting the potions on his desk. "It doesn't feel right. The potion, I mean. I feel like the colour is off, but I don't know what I did wrong. I did everything the book told me to."
"Potions, it isn't exact science, like muggle would say. It sometimes takes experimenting, adjusting. It all depends on the witch or wizard who makes it." He sighed as she still looked worried. "I gave you the book to use in class tomorrow, right? Why don't you start to experiment with this potion. I will go over your potion tonight, so I can give you more feedback. I don't know if you already went through the book." But Hermione nodded her head in an instant, not to his surprise. "Well, you see with each ingredient are different ways to slice, cut, heat them. Look at the ingredients for the Shrinking solution and write down what ways you could use them. It sometimes can be as simple as chance the order of things. Remember the three steps, miss Granger. The colour, the scent and the thickness."
"Alright. I'll go over it tonight, so I'll be prepared tomorrow." She nodded as she mentally added her extra work for tonight. "Thank you, professor." She said before she started to walk to the door. When she reached for the handle, he spoke up again.
"I know it is out of your comfort zone, -" She looked over her shoulder to the professor. "- experimenting. But bear in mind, you have three maybe even four friends, who have quite the experience in that department." And with that, he picked up the vials and disappeared in his private office.
