Author's note:
Once again, sorry for the delay. I hope you will enjoy!
Also, happy Halloween! (10/31/2021)
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End of Year 2 (chapter 10)
Word count: 2.9k
Warning: Petrification and mentions of blood and death
It's been a month since the last petrification... Until now. Hermione Granger was found near the library in her petrified state.
Severus can't help but feel somewhat relieved - he will enjoy every second of the insufferable know-it-all's absence in class. He won't be seeing her putting her hand up all the time for a few months. What a nice late Christmas present.
Of course, Potter and Weasley are absolutely devastated by this. So are others - not because of the girl being petrified, but because all the Quidditch matches have been cancelled.
"Stupid Mudbloods. I could have been playing Quidditch right now if they weren't being petrified all the time" Draco loudly complains to Crabbe and Goyle during lunch.
Loud enough for two particular Gryffindor boys to hear him.
"Shut up, Malfoy!" Weasley yells, clearly furious.
Draco smirks. "What are you going to do about it, Weasley? Hex me again with your broken wand? You might hit Potter this time" the boy taunts.
Potter stops his red-haired friend before he can do any harm. Which is good - otherwise, Severus would have taken ten points from Gryffindor.
--
Later that day, Severus walks along the Black Lake to clear his head. He has had very few hours of sleep lately - less than he usually gets. He has so much to speculate about.
He still hasn't figured out what happened on the day Y/L/N's mother died. He truly can't remember.
He's also speculating about the Heir of Slytherin - who could it be? It's obviously not Potter, and the Dark Lord isn't back already. At least not to Severus' knowledge.
As he's walking along the lake, he suddenly notices Y/L/N sitting under a tree while reading a book. It brings back memories for Severus - he was often under that tree himself, reading a book as well.
He decides to approach the girl. "Isn't it too cold to sit down on the ground at this time of the year, Ms. Y/L/N?" he questions her.
Y/L/N looks a bit startled. She was probably caught up in her book, not paying any attention to what's going on around her. She seems to be reading about Defence Against the Darks Arts.
"Oh, hello, professor. I didn't see you. And it's not that bad, my coat is keeping me warm" she says as she gives a shy smile.
Severus nods. "I see. Well, I won't disturb you anymore. Enjoy your book" he says as he turns around to leave. He however doesn't get far.
"By the way, professor, I have noticed that the potion shelves haven't been organised for a few weeks. I was wondering if you need some help with that?" Y/L/N hesitantly asks.
Severus immediately stops. He thought nobody had noticed that. He honestly thought nobody even noticed that the shelves were being organised - the dunderhead students don't know how to put back the items exactly where they took them from.
He hasn't organised them in a while due to stress. Severus Snape is a very stressed and busy man with lack of sleep as well as lack of coffee. And people don't understand why he's always so grumpy.
He slowly turns around to look at the girl who just offered to help him. No students have ever offered to help him. Actually - nobody has offered to help him with anything.
He clears his throat. "I would appreciate that, Ms. Y/L/N" he admits.
Smiling, the girl closes her book and rises up from the ground. "When would you like me to help you, sir?" she questions.
He immediately responds. "Right now" he says.
Nodding, she follows the Potions Master inside the castle and down the dungeons until they enter the Potions classroom. He sits down to grade some sixth-year papers while she organises the shelves.
He's barely halfway through before she's finished.
"I'm done with organising the shelves, sir" she shyly states.
Severus is surprised - that was quick. He stands up and walks towards the shelves to inspect them. He's impressed. He couldn't have done a better job himself.
"Excellent job, Ms. Y/L/N. I reward you five points for your help" he says, still looking at the perfectly organised shelves.
Y/L/N smiles. "You are welcome, professor. Just let me know if you ever need help again" she offers.
Severus does indeed use her help - in fact, they make a deal. She organises the shelves once the lesson is over. In return, he teaches her Defence Against the Dark Arts as their current teacher is not competent enough to do so himself.
Severus is happy to help one of his Slytherins. Especially when that student happens to be his favourite student. Usually, all Slytherins are his favourites, but Y/N Y/L/N is special. She intrigues the Potions Master quite a lot.
--
Three months later, they still help each other out. Severus feels relieved. He has more time to grade papers and prepare for the upcoming exams now that Y/L/N is helping him organise the shelves.
He's also enjoying teaching her Defence Against the Dark Arts - not just because he actually gets to teach the subject he has wanted to teach for years, but also because he's enjoying his time with her.
She's not only gifted in Potions and Herbology, but in Defence Against the Dark Arts as well. He's really impressed with her skills, especially for a second-year student. Reading constantly seems to have paid off for her.
Right now, Severus is in the Potions classroom grading papers. He sighs. He was concentrating better when Y/L/N was helping him organise and clean the shelves less than an hour ago - her presence seems to have a calming effect on him. She sadly had to leave as it's almost curfew.
Giving up on grading papers, he unconsciously looks out the window only to see Lucius and the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, walking away from Hogwarts with the Headmaster and the Gatekeeper, Rubeus Hagrid.
Severus raises an eyebrow. Did Lucius finally succeed in removing Albus Dumbledore?
Well, not for long. Severus bets they will both be back soon. He wonders if it really could be Rubeus' fault for the petrifications - the half-giant does love dangerous creatures.
However, he doesn't believe that's the case. He has a feeling something else is up.
--
It's the end of the school year two months later - and perhaps the last.
All teachers have been called to the second-floor corridor. Severus is running with his fellow colleagues to see what is up.
"As you can see, the Heir of Slytherin has left another message" Minerva says with worry in her voice as she gestures to the wall in front of her.
"Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever" is written in blood on the wall.
"Our worst fear has been realised - a student has been taken by the monster into the Chamber of Secrets itself. The students must be sent home... I'm afraid this is the end of Hogwarts" she says, looking devastated.
Suddenly, a certain self-satisfied teacher decides to finally show up.
"So sorry, dozed off. What have I missed?" Lockhart asks in his usual cheery voice, giving a blinding smile.
Severus rolls his eyes. However, it's now time to see if this man, who has claimed to accomplish lots of great things, can pull off saving a student in distress.
"A girl has been snatched by the monster, Lockhart. Your moment has come at last" Severus states, turning all attention towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. Lockhart's smile immediately drops as he looks surprised.
"My m-moment?" he mumbles, stammering like Quirrell.
Severus is trying his best not to smirk. "Weren't you saying just last night that you've known all along where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is?" the Potions Master reminds him.
The obnoxious man kept rambling on and on about knowing exactly where the entrance to the Chamber is and how to enter it. Severus still has a headache after all his nonsense, but now he can use it against him to get revenge.
Lockhart is looking like he has been caught doing something he shouldn't have done. He looks like he regrets his entire life.
"That's settled. We'll leave you to deal with the monster, Gilderoy. Your skills, after all, are legend" the Deputy Headmistress declares.
The blonde-haired man gives a forced smile. "Very well. Uh... I'll just be in my office getting, um... Getting ready" he mutters as he leaves.
Right, getting ready. More like running away like a coward.
As he's leaving, Poppy turns to Minerva. "Who is it that the monster has taken, Minerva?" she hesitantly asks.
Minerva gives a worried look. "Ginny Weasley" she simply says.
The other teachers slowly start to leave. So does Severus. He can't help but wonder why the monster would capture a Pureblood witch since it seems to only attack Muggleborns.
--
The answer to his question is revealed later that night as Potter once again saves the day.
Apparently, it was the Weasley girl who opened the Chamber of Secrets... However, not by her own free will. It was the Dark Lord, or rather a memory of him, who possessed the girl and made her open the Chamber and write the messages.
When she opened the Chamber, she let the monster loose - which was a basilisk. Argus' cat and the students were only petrified and not killed since they looked into the basilisk's eyes through water reflection, a camera, a ghost and a mirror.
Now everybody knows the story of how Moaning Myrtle died - the basilisk killed her fifty years ago when the Chamber was opened the first time. It turns out that it wasn't Rubeus' fault - it was the Dark Lord's.
Severus is currently heading towards his private chambers just as he spots a very angry-looking Lucius Malfoy.
"Lucius. I see that you are aware of the return of Headmaster Dumbledore" Severus says as he greets the man.
Lucius growls. "Of course I do. I was just in his office. But that's not the reason why I'm furious... You see, I'm no longer a School Governor as I've been accused of threatening the other School Governors to sign a petition to remove him. Only one person didn't accuse me" he says as he sighs in frustration.
Severus raises an eyebrow at that. "Let me guess... Y/F/N Y/L/N was the one who did not accuse you?" he questions.
Lucius sighs again as he nods. "Correct. That man is the only one of the other School Governors who has some sort of common sense. If only he would let his daughter come to the manor... His home isn't as luxurious as ours, of course, and I just wish the best for my son and his friends" he states smugly, referring to Y/F/N Y/L/N not wanting his daughter to set a foot in Malfoy Manor.
Severus is still not entirely sure why the man doesn't want his daughter there. He however suddenly realises there might be one logical explanation - if his wife died in Malfoy Manor.
Just as Severus is about to ask about the incident, Lucius groans. "Anyway, there's another reason as to why I'm absolutely furious right now... It's because of Potter... That boy just lost me my servant!" he shouts.
That confuses the Potions Master - is that really why he's furious? Because he lost one of his house elves?
Lucius sighs. "I will have to tell Cissy about this... Good day, Severus" he says before storming out of the castle.
--
The next day during dinner, everyone is excited. It's finally the end of the year - which means summer!
Severus is usually happy as well when it's the summer as it means no dunderhead students will annoy him.
However, he will actually miss it... Not the dunderhead students, of course, but someone else.
During their little deal, Severus has come to enjoy his time with Y/L/N. It has been nice to have someone help him so he can do more important work, such as grading papers.
He won't admit it to anyone, but he would almost consider the girl a... friend. Yes, Severus Tobias Snape is considering one of his students as a friend.
He has no idea if she also considers him a friend. He is after all just her Potions teacher as well as her Head of House. No student would consider their teacher as a friend, right?
However, one thing Severus is enjoying right now is that there's no annoying, obnoxious, self-satisfied Gilderoy Lockhart sitting next to him.
The man was obviously a fraud - a fraud who tried to obliviate Potter and Weasley down in the Chamber of Secrets.
Of course, the imbecile man used Weasley's broken wand which resulted in his own memory loss - the idiot has no idea who he is.
He will probably live in St. Mungo's Hospital for the rest of his life. Which he deserves.
Severus sees Granger running towards Potter and Weasley. She hugs Potter while she and Weasley seem to be awkward with each other and decide to shake hands instead. Interesting.
Just then, the Deputy Headmistress gains everybody's attention. "Can I have your attention, please?" she asks everybody politely.
The Headmaster then rises from his seat. "Before we begin the feast, let us have a round of applause for Professor Sprout and Madam Pomfrey, whose Mandrake Juices have been so successfully administered to all who had been petrified" the Headmaster says as everybody starts to clap and cheer.
"Also, in light of the recent events, as a school treat, all exams have been cancelled" he adds. All the students cheer for that.
Except for Granger, of course.
Severus is not happy either - he spent a long time preparing for those exams, and then Albus decides to cancel them... The Potions Master is not paid enough for this job.
Just then, Rubeus enters the Great Hall. "Sorry I'm late" he says, announcing his return.
"The owl that delivered my release papers got all lost and confused... Some ruddy bird called Errol" he explains as he walks towards the staff table.
As the half-giant stops near the Gryffindor table, Potter smiles at him. "There's no Hogwarts without you, Hagrid" the boy says as he stands up and hugs the Gatekeeper.
Severus scowls. Why is Potter always so sentimental?
Albus starts to clap, so does everybody else. Except for Draco who even stops Crabbe from clapping.
--
The next morning, all the students are ready to leave. Severus is looking for his Godson to bid him goodbye - he doesn't want to hear any complaints that he didn't do so.
When he spots him, he sees Y/L/N as well. "There you are, professor. Please tell me that you are coming to the manor this year" Draco demands, not even greeting his Godfather.
Severus rolls his eyes. "... I will try" he mutters. Of course, that's not good enough.
"You said that last year! You better come this time" the boy says as he huffs.
Y/L/N can't help but giggle at Draco's behaviour. The boy has most likely told her that the Potions Master is his Godfather.
"Fine, I will come... If you practice Potions this summer" Severus offers as he smirks.
Draco groans in irritation. "Deal" the boy promises. He then starts to leave.
"Are you coming, Y/N?" he asks his friend when he notices that she isn't right behind him.
"Just go ahead, Draco. I will be there in a moment" Y/L/N states.
As he leaves, she turns to Severus. "I just wanted to thank you for teaching me Defence Against the Dark Arts, sir" she says as she smiles.
He nods. "There's no need to thank me, you did help me as well, after all. Now that Lockhart won't be teaching anymore and you will get a new teacher in the subject, I suppose you won't need me teaching you Defence Against the Dark Arts anymore. Which means you won't need to help me organise and clean the shelves after class anymore" he says.
Her next words surprise him, though.
"That's okay, professor. I can still help you" she shyly offers.
Severus looks astonished. "You still want to help me? Why?" he questions.
She once again smiles. "I have noticed how tired you have been lately, so I think it's only fair that somebody helps you. Besides, you are my favourite teacher- you are my Head of House" she quickly corrects herself, blushing. She seems to be hoping that he won't notice, but he does.
He smirks at her. "Favourite teacher, huh? I must say I'm honoured, Y/L/N. Just don't tell the other teachers - that would be rude after all" he states, not telling her that she's his favourite student. She doesn't need to know, right?
Giggling, she nods. She then bids him goodbye and wishes him a good summer as she waves before leaving.
If anybody was looking at Severus' face right now, they would probably blink a few times to see if they indeed see what could be described as a small smile on the Potions Master's face.
He will definitely look forward to seeing his favourite student again after the summer.
