Year 2 part 2

September 26, 1992

It was a cold and early Saturday morning and Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were walking through the halls. The early rays of the sunrise shone through the stained glass windows and into the halls of the school.

Minerva and Severus often did their patrols around the school on the weekend together so then they could talk about the lives of their students among other things. As they were walking near the Quidditch pitch, the two saw the Gryffindor and Slytherin Quidditch teams confront each other, both in their practice uniforms. Minerva knew that Oliver Wood had booked the field for this morning— he checked with her two weeks in advance.

"Severus, what is this about? Wood already booked the team for today."

Snape smirked. "Oh, I am most definitely and extremely sorry," he said sarcastically. "The Slytherin team needs to train their new Seeker."

Minerva chuckled dangerously, "On the same day and time as the Gryffindors?"

"That just happened to be… a happy accident."

Before McGonagall could respond, she heard Malfoy yell a word at Hermione Granger that she hoped never was repeated again. It was a faul word— a word that had been used just as common slang as she was growing up, but was now a word that was unexceptable no matter what the circumstances.

In response to the slur, the Weasley twins barrelled towards the second-year Slytherin in attempt to get a shot at him, but Oliver Wood stopped them before they were able to. Minerva decided that that would be the best time to intervene. She was about to sprint over to the two Quidditch teams, but severus put his arm out in front of her to signal her to stay put.

"Minerva, let the children hash this out… I would personally like to see how this... turns out."

The Gryffindor head of house reluctantly stopped herself from stopping the fight before it really got started. She saw Ron Weasley try to attack Draco Malfoy with some type of jinx in order to defend Hermione Granger's honor, but it backfired and was cast on him instead.

A few seconds later, the Weasley boy started puking out slugs. Minerva was about to go after them again until Snape pushed her back once more.

"Not… yet," he drawled on.

"Why? There is a student who needs to go to the hospital wing and I'm not going to stand by and let anymore of my students get bullied." Her voice became louder as she talked and when she was finished, the usually poised professor was practically yelling.

"I want to see... the reactions."

"The reactions? You can't be serious!"

"Just watch."

Minerva begrudgingly agreed and kept looking at the scene before her.

Granger ran to the vomiting Weasley, yelling his name. The Slytherin team started laughing wildly. The Deputy Headmistress was furious. She watched as the captain of the Slytherin team howled with laughter, making no effort to help the boy. She was quite frankly ashamed of the students. It didn't matter what house the students were in, they were all the same.

Even the boy's own brothers wouldn't go near him in fear that they would have gotten the slugs on them. One person, however, didn't care about getting slugs on their person. Hermione Granger. The girl took the hand of her best friend, glared at the Malfoy heir, and walked with Potter in the direction of Hagrid's hut, eventually followed by a first year Minerva recognized as Colin Creevey.

Minerva saw Malfoy sober up rather quickly after the three left. The other Slytherins saw that the young Malfoy heir had stopped laughing, so they all followed his lead. He had a blasé look on his face- one that only someone who knew how to decipher that face could decipher it. Luckily, both of the professors knew how to- either because of experience with trying to get people to open up or from wearing that expression.

Minerva and Severus smirked at each other.

"You saw how Miss Granger went to Mr Weasley, correct?" Minerva asked.

"Of course I did, but-"

"Why do you think that she did it?"

"Because they're friends. What she gets out of that friendship, I will forever wonder. She is so much better than either of them."

"Like Lily was better than you?"

"It's not the same thing," Severus retorted

"Very well then, Severus."

"I believe that the Malfoy boy is just keeping up a façde. As soon as the Gryffindors left, he stopped. He's just trying to keep up his image. The boy is under a lot of pressure. He has come to me a couple times over the past year asking for help and advice."

"Ah, I see."

The two professors continued their rounds as the sun shone brightly.

November 7, 1992

It was the weekend after Halloween. The Chamber of Secrets was opened and Harry Potter was the main suspect.

After the incident with Filch blaming Potter for the petrification of Mrs. Norris, most of the school thought about it and eventually believed that potter was the heir, as well.

However, not everyone in Hogwarts believed these speculations. These people included but were not limited to the professors, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Draco Malfoy.

The Professors and golden trio knew Harry would never do such a horrible thing to an innocent animal. They knew he wasn't capable of such evil. Draco Malfoy, however, was different. While he did believe that Potter was too chivalrous and light to be the heir, he had a different reason as well. He knew who the heir was. Or at least, he knew what was causing the chamber to be opened. The only problem is that he couldn't stop it.

He would go to sleep every night, scared of his dreams he would have. He constantly felt grief and sometimes he snapped. At Granger. He tried to play it off, acting like it was all a joke to make her feel horrible and get the Gryffindorks riled up. He didn't mean to call her a mudblood; it just came out. He was under a lot of pressure and didn't have that many people he could turn to. He couldn't turn to his mother or father— neither of them would understand. But then again, not understanding went both ways. He didn't understand them, either. They both supported the Dark Lord during his reign— his father more than his mother. Sure, Draco agreed with some of his beliefs, but not the way of executing those beliefs. Genocide was never the answer. Even the muggles knew that.

That's why he was currently on his way to Professor Snape's office. Professor Snape was that one person who he could turn to. He had done so last year, but this year was different. This year, he had information that could get people killed, or at the very least get him expelled. Even so, he didn't want anyone to be killed— muggleborn or not.

Draco heard about the plan over the summer—a couple days before he went to Diagon Alley for school supplies. When he and his father ran into the Weasels in Flourish and Botts, he ripped a page about basilisks from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. He decided that he was going to wait until it got really bad to show someone. Draco knew that if the beast was found out too early, his father might be suspicious. He wanted to save those innocent muggleborns, but he also didn't want to risk himself in the process.

Draco was now standing in front of professor Snape's office. The door was closed so Draco raised his fist to knock, but before he did, the door opened and the professor stood in the doorway.

"Can I help you, Mister Malfoy?" he drawled.

The young Slytherin looked down at his fidgeting hands. "Um… professor… canItalktoyouaboutsomethingbecauseI'mreally scaredandIdontknowhattodo?" Draco said all in one breath. He felt that if he were to slow down, he would not get the words out at all.

"Mister Malfoy, please talk slower. I apologize but I have not consumed enough caffeine to talk or better yet understand your ramblings," Snape said harshly.

"Oh… sorry," the replied, "can I please talk to you about something because… I'm scared about something and I don't know what to do about it."

The professor nodded curtly and backed out of the doorway to allow Draco to come inside.

"If you must."

January 5th, 1993

Hermione Granger being in the hospital wing was one of the top gossip topics from the students in the days following the end of Christmas holiday. There were several rumours about what happened to her— she got attacked by a troll again, she fell out of the dormitory window when she fell asleep reading in the windowsill, Peeves knocked over a bookshelf in the library and it fell on her, she had gotten the dragon pox, that Harry attacked her for being muggleborn (one that was quickly quited via Weasley Twins), she was caught in an unicorn trampede (one that was spread vis Weasley Twins) and so many more but no rumour could top the obscurity of what had happened. Hermione Granger had the features of a cat after taking a polyjuice potion with a Millicent Bulstrode's cat's hair in it.

Many people had tried to see what was wrong with her by walking slowly past the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey became very agitated with them so she completely blocked off Hermione from the view of the outside.

Hermione only allowed Harry and Ron to visit her in the three weeks she was in the hospital wing. They visited her every evening to give her all of her work that she missed in her classes. Ron had asked Fred and George if they could make a quill to transcribe all of what the professor said so then he wouldn't have to take more notes and so Hermione wouldn't have to decipher what his or Harry's notes said. They said that they could attempt to create one, but it would take a couple weeks.

Harry especially felt guilty about what had happened to Hermione. It was his idea and she had gotten put in the Hospital wing for what was going to be several weeks weeks because of it. It didn't help anything at all either. Malfoy wasn't the heir and he didn't know who the heir was. It was useless and all his fault.

February 14, 1992

Valentine's day was hectic in the school of Hogwarts that year. Professor Lockhart wanted to make Valentine's Day something that no one had seen before, and he succeeded. At what cost, no one will ever know.

The Great Hall was painted a horrid shade of pink and there were lilac flowers up and down the halls. Heart-shaped confetti was falling from the baby blue ceiling and into people's breakfasts.

Professor McGonnagall hated every moment of it. Minerva was a woman of order and class. Silly Valentine's Day gags were simply below her. Hogwarts was a school of dignity and Gilderoy gave that up faster than the fourth and seventh year students whom she found 'expressing their love' in one of the unused classrooms on the third floor that morning.

As the students started filing in, there were a mixture of expressions on their faces when they saw the decorations. The two main emotions Minerva saw were those of romantic excitement and disgust. Most of the Professors mirrored the disgustment that she had. Albus was looking rather amused by the decor.

Minerva leaned in towards Albus. "Did you have anything to do with this?" she asked.

He chuckled. "I can neither confirm nor deny."

"Ah, so that means that you did, didn't you?"

"I can neither confirm nor deny," he repeated.

When Severus entered the Great Hall, Minerva saw him visibly cringe. It was obviously too pink for his liking. Owls were swarming around the Hall like maniacs trying to give each student their Valentine.

Suddenly, Gilderoy stood up to address the students. He was wearing horrid pink robes that matched the walls.

He waved his hands to gain the students and began to shout. "Happy Valentine's day! And may I thank the forty-six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken the liberty of arranging this little surprise for you all – and it doesn't end here!" Minerva watched as half of the students groaned and the other half perked up with excitement.

Gilderoy clapped his hands and through the doors to the Entrance Hall marched a dozen surly-looking dwarfs. Not just any dwarfs, however. Gilderoy had them all wearing golden wings and carrying harps. Minerva pity for them— they had to put up with Lockhart's torture.

"These are my friendly, card-carrying cupids!" beamed the eccentric man. "They will be roving around the school today delivering your Valentines! And the fun doesn't stop here! I'm sure my colleagues will want to enter into the spirit of the occasion! Why not ask Professor Snape to show you how to whip up a Love Potion!" Severus looked extremely embarrassed and looked like he wanted to kill the man right then and there. "And while you're at it, Professor Flitwick knows more about Entrancing Enchantments than any wizard I've ever met, the sly old dog!" Minerva had never seen Fillius so embarrassed in his life— and she knew him since they was eleven years old.

All throughout the day, little cupids flew around the school, giving Valentine's to people. Minerva was sick and tired of it. The school hadn't been in a state of chaos on a holiday since Valentine's Day of 1978. The Marauders Seventh year. It was the first Valentine's Day that James was able to spend with Lily where she actually wanted him to spend time with her so they went all out.

The boys spiked every cup of pumpkin juice with love potion that morning. Unfortunately, Minerva was one of the many people who were under the influence of the potion. They modified it so then the first person who you would see would be the person whom you would obsess over— the first person she saw was Albus.

She couldn't look him in the eye for the next month at least.

Minerva had to patrol the halls during transitions and spare classes. She usually spent that time grading papers, but sadly today she was unable to. When she was patrolling the halls, Minerva came across a very interesting encounter in the charms corridor. A dwarf was physically chasing Harry Potter down the hall.

It caught up with him. 'Oy, you! 'Arry Potter!'it shouted, looking rather grim, elbowing people out of the way to get to Harry. It eventually ended up kicking and biting people's shins to get to Mr Potter.

'I've got a musical message to deliver to 'Arry Potter in person,' he said, twanging his harp in a threatening sort of way.

Potter hissed something at the dwarf that Minerva couldn't here.

"Stay still!" grunted the angry dwarf, grabbing hold of Harry's bag and pulling him back. "Let me go!" Potter snarled, tugging.

With an audible ripping noise, his bag split in two. His books, wand, parchment and quill spilled onto the floor and his ink bottle smashed over the floor.

Potter scrambled around, trying to retrieve all of his things before the dwarf began singing, with only Weasley and Granger to help him.

To make matters worse, Draco Malfoy and Percy Weasley showed up to the scene. Harry tried to run off, but the dwarf grabbed on to his robes before he was able to.

"'Right," he said, sitting on Potter's legs, "this is your song:

"His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,

His hair is as dark as a blackboard.

I wish he was mine, he's really divine,

The hero who conquered the Dark Lord."

Potter's face went red and Minerva chuckled silently to herself, putting her hand to her mouth so no one would see. The dwarf's singing was simply horrendous, as was the song. She guessed that it was written by a first or second year who had a fangirl crush on Harry.

Percy Weasley started shoo'ing people off and Minerva supposed that she should head back to her classroom.

April 19, 1993

Draco Malfoy was in Professor Snape's office once again looking for advice. The professor tried to give an indifferent point of view for the boy, but he couldn't help but sympathize with him.

"I'm going to do it, sir."

"Do what, exactly, Mr. Malfoy?"

"I'm going to give the paper to Granger so then she can figure it out. Her and her Gryffindor chilivery will put a stop to this. I can't let any other innocent person get in trouble because I didn't do anything to stop this damned Basilisk!"

Severus looked at the boy before him. He wouldn't say it to his face, but he was proud of him.

"Very well."

The boy smiled at his godfather and ran out of the door.

April 19, 1992

In the two days since it happened, the news had spread across the school. Hermione Granger— one third of the golden trio— was petrified.

On the bright side however , Professor McGonagall had not heard any rumors that Harry Potter was the heir. Everyone knew that he would never try to hurt one of his best friends. However, the students were going into even more of a frenzy; without Harry Potter as a scapegoat, they didn't know who to blame.

The professors at Hogwarts witnessed more and more hate acts towards the Slytherins everyday. Sadly, most of the school thought they were evil. Snape would always point out to McGonagall that the Malfoy boy was only picking on the Granger girl because he fancied her. The headmaster was even worse.

Since Halloween, Albus would always point out to her that the Granger girl would always be there for Potter, but Minerva saw them as more of a platonic relationship than a romantic one. Both of them had grown up without siblings, so they became more like siblings than they could with anyone else.

She, herself believed that maybe the youngest Weasley boy and the Granger girl didn't have feelings for each other, yet. But she believed they would become what was known as "skinny love," or when two people, who strongly cared for each other, were too shy or embarrassed to show their real feelings.

It might take until they were in a life or death situation, but she strongly felt that Hermione and Ron would end up together in the long run— she was sure of it.

Many people had been in the hospital wing than usual— either because they were petrified or they were visiting someone who was. Harry and Ron were in the hospital wing more than anybody. Potter had been in the hospital more times visiting in a few short months than he had in the 2 years he had been in the school, and for Harry Potter, that was saying something.

Harry, however, wasn't the person visiting the most. That award went to Ron Weasley. He spent every free period in the hospital wing, talking to the unconscious girl.

Madam Pomfrey noticed this and brought it to the attention to Mcgonagall. The two witches had been friends back when they were students and kept their friendship strong throughout the years. Minerva told Poppy about the bet, and the medi-witch told the professor that she agreed with her.

June 29, 1992

It was the night of the end of term feast and all was well. All of those who had been petrified had been unpetrified from the help of Pomona Sprout. All was well, and three professors couldn't help but notice three second-year boys not being able to take their eyes off of a certain second-year girl.

So, I added the Valentine's Day part because why not.