September 1st 1992
Snape was getting ready to start the term with Harry and Dudley, as McGonagall retired and Sirius recommended Snape to take place as headmaster, as in his words, the students don't need another teacher shuffle again.
Of course Snape made the day special for Neville too as he noticed this is the day of the year Neville is the saddest so it became paintball day. So while he was getting the boys ready, Neville was playing paintball with other boys his age, while his mom watched. And the best part, Neville was just a regular boy to muggles. No chosen one weirdness or sadness that the son of war heroes was a squib.
"I can't wait!" Harry said excitedly, "I wonder what house I'll be in!" "Slow down champ." Dudley patted his cousin's back. "Your dad is the headmaster. That can't be good for your reputation." Dudley teased, "Now being a chosen one is."
"Well Severus, I must say thank you." Petunia smiled. "I am glad Harry is no longer afraid." Vernon did one thing that defied all formalities and his character, and hugged Severus, "I can't bare to think what would've happened to him if you didn't intervene." "You're welcome." Severus murmured unused to the affection.
On the train, Dudley held Harry's hand. "Ginny said we can sit with her." Dudley looked at the one compartment, "I wish Hermonie was here. She taught me some spells." "Hermonie?" Harry asked. "She said she met you and you freaked about your parents. She felt really bad." "Oh she was my first introduction to considering not all magic was bad." Harry was saddened, but glad that the incompetent headmaster was let go. It may have been a good thing he didn't get to attend last year.
Dudley led Harry to the Weasley portion of the train. Percy, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny were sitting together. "May we come in?" "Of course." Ginny beamed, cheeks turning red. Harry smiled, "Hi, I'm Harry Potter." The older Weasleys laughed. "You made an interesting ceremony last year." Harry blushed as Fred continued George's sentence, "We couldn't manage to dream of the chaos you caused. Hell, Snape left." "Snape is my dad." Harry stated matter of factly. Ron laughed until he realized Harry wasn't joking. "My adoptive father. Last year he helped me cope with magic after what happened.
He said I was given too much information about everything in a too little time frame. He told me in my case fear of magic was a tad normal." "Oh." The Weasleys paled. What do you say to that? "He said I was ready this year and made me take first year exams, so I could be in the right year." "Awesome. You'll be a second year." Dudley and Ginny exclaimed. "Yeah." Ron stated. "I guess to take place." Ron left the compartment, with Percy following behind.
"Everything okay Ron?" Percy asked from the other end of the compartment door. "This sounds stupid, but I killed Granger." "Ron, you were 11. I was stupid at 11. Granger was in the wrong place at the wrong time." "She wouldn't have been if I hadn't been a git." "Ron, would it be okay if I get mom? She can help you." Ron mumbled, "If you think it would help." Percy grabbed Molly. "Ron blames himself for Granger's death." "Oh dear." How did she miss that?
Molly knocked on the locked compartment door, entering mother mode. "Ron, may I come in?" The door was unlocked and Molly entered the compartment closing and locking the compartment door. "Ron, Granger's death, while unfortunate, was a coincidence." "If I didn't make fun of her-" "You were 11. All 11 year olds are brats. I raised plenty of them, I should know." "But she was muggleborn. Isn't it wrong to make fun of one? And the Slytherins, I didn't get along with some. Doesn't that make me a bad person?" "Oh Ron." Molly hugged a very tear ridden Ron. "No bad person questions if they are one. I should've noticed you were feeling this way. You never made fun of Granger due to race have you?" Ron shook his head, "Then it all goes back to you being a kid. As for Slytherins. We all have people we don't get along with. That is completely normal.
I don't like that you claimed they are all death eaters, but that is normal kid behavior to repeat things they hear. That is what adults are for." Ron looked at his mom, "Okay." "Ron, I need you to be a kid, and I'll be the adult, okay. If you need me, I'll always be here." "Mom, can you sit with me?" And Molly did just that, letting Ron fall asleep on her.
At the ceremony, Ron was refusing to let go of Percy who seemed not to mind. Snape stood up, "Due to Minevra McGonagall's retirement, I, Severus Snape have picked up the slack as headmaster.
Now, we have a new second year who needs sorted, before the first years. Mr. Potter." Harry walked towards the hat, ignoring the whispers.
"Not an ounce of bravery, I see." "You try to be brave when people want to kill you. Though Neville seems to manage." "Yes, your squib brother. He is very brave, from what I see, but bravery isn't everything. You are smart, but not very open-minded so Ravenclaw will eat you alive. Hufflepuff suits you, but I also think Slytherin can help someone of your status very well.
You are willing to take advantage of your fame and break the rules to an extent to get what you want." Harry didn't really care either way, "Slytherin!" Harry sat beside Ginny, while Snape tried to contain his shock. He knew Harry wouldn't be a Gryffindor, but Slytherin, that was an odd one.
Snape was not shocked when Ginny and Harry moved to the Gryffindor table after the sorting. "So, Harry, wanna try out for Quidditch? I'm trying out again." Dudley asked.
This led to Harry getting on a broom again, at a Quidditch tryout. He fought Ginny for the seeker position. "You butt!" Ginny exclaimed as she was now keeper and reserve seeker. "Blame Dudley, he pressured me to try out."
Snape was getting more and more confused, Harry got on a broom voluntarily? Did the world turn upside down? Mrs. Weasley did say it may have been peer pressure as she overheard Dudley ask him to do so. Regardless, it was good for his son, so Snape kept his thoughts private.
October 1st 1992
"Kill. Must kill." Harry ran all the way to his dad's office, panting. "Harry, what's the matter?" Snape exclaimed, ignoring the fact his son should be in class. "I heard a voice saying it must kill." Snape remaining calm, "Did anyone else hear these voices?" Harry shook his head. "It must be a voice only you can hear then. Maybe you have an ability we don't know about." "Sir." Harry stated. "Yes?" "When gardening, I can hear snakes talk. Is that normal?" Snape's face said that was in fact not normal. "It's a gift. It's called Parseltongue. That narrows my search significantly. Can you tell me where the voice is coming from?" "It's everywhere. But seems closer to the girls bathroom. The one moaning Myrtle is rumored to be in." "That isn't a rumor and I'll inform staff." Snape pulled Harry in a one arm hug, "Now you need a visit to the nurse."
Snape wasn't going to let another student die, if he could help it. There were enough traumatized students at Hogwarts already. Ron still slept with his mom everyday. Snape resolved to keep that a secret, knowing how cruel kids can be. "Time to channel your inner git, Snape." He stated as he knocked on the bathroom door. "Please be aware, this is Headmaster Snape preparing to search this bathroom so if you are in here, it would be suitable to let me know." No answer besides a crying Myrtle. Snape searched high and low in the flooded bathroom, but couldn't find anything, besides a bloodied Weasley covered in chicken feathers.
Ginny came to, seeing Snape. "Ms. Weasley, an explanation." "I don't know, last thing remember diary." Snape looked around and grabbed the diary. "This?" Ginny nodded. Snape looked through it. "It it writes back." "It is blank. Ms. Weasley, I'm worried about possession. Please let me escort you to the nurse. Can you walk?" Ginny shook her head and Snape was now levitating a prone Weasley across the hall. At least classes were in session.
Molly Weasley was going to have an episode when she finds out about this. Pomfrey examined Ginny while Snape watched. "She is possessed. I'm not qualified. She needs St. Mungos." "I'll inform Mrs. Weasley." Snape carefully held the diary, "I'll also inform the unspeakables."
The unspeakables was the easy task, but knocking on the DADA door was a scary task. Mrs. Weasley answered, "Headmaster Snape." "Normally, I wouldn't interrupt, but this concerns your daughter." Getting the unspoken cue, Molly stepped into the hall, closing the door. "What's wrong?" Molly stated breathing sharp. "I'll start from the beginning. Harry ran to me in distress, explaining to me he heard voices. He's a parselmouth so it must be a snake since no one else can hear it. I went to investigate the area he told me it was coming from which was the girl's bathroom. Ginny was on the ground covered in blood and chicken feathers. I asked for an explanation and she said the last thing she remembered was a diary. The unspeakables will look at that.
I took her to the nurse and she was possessed. However, she's still possessed and Pomfrey says she needs St. Mungos." "I understand. Tell Ginny, I'll be there soon as I can. If I leave classes, my other children will worry."
After the school day ended, Molly flooed to St. Mungos and was greeted by multiple people, "Yes, Mrs. Weasley, your husband and daughter are in Room 104."
Molly saw a pale Ginny who was being given what looked like her tenth potion. Arthur explained, "Ginny will need constant supervision until the diary is destroyed. It's rather dark, the nurses explained it to me only after the unspeakables gave permission." Molly paled. Her child was infested with dark magic! "She will also have all of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named memories." "Umm." "Yes, when she is sane again, we must have a very awkward talk." Arthur considered how to give his with the other news, "She won't be herself until the diary is destroyed, and may even act like the Dark Lord until it is cleared up." Arthur whispered, "She wants to kill Dudley and Harry." "Oh. Well, at least we know that isn't truly her."
October 31st 1992
"So you destroyed the diary which was a horcrux?" "Yes. Now we ask that Harry Potter be allowed with us to search the bathroom, as we need a parselmouth." Harry was ecstatic to be out of class until he found out what it was for. Ginny was hospitalized due to the voices so he felt he must help.
They found the chamber and placed sunglasses on their heads. "We have a feeling it is a basilisk, do not look it in the eyes." The unspeakable said matter of factly before Snape pulled Harry back, "Where do you think you're going?" "To help." Snape shook his head, "Harry, you can't go. I'm sorry, but one student already got hurt, I won't let the same happen to you." Harry seemed happy about that. "I thought I had to." "Harry." Snape kneeled on the wet floor and met Harry's eyes, "You never have to do anything you are uncomfortable with. Next time, please let me or Ms. Figg know." "Yes, sir." And Harry was off again.
The unspeakables did find a basilisk and it was slaughtered.
At St. Mungos, Ginny was released back to school with a strict order of no classes or sports. The night that followed was another extra person in Ms. Weasley's bed. She wondered if she should take her kids to mind healers.
The diary was finally destroyed and Snape left the unspeakables to find horcruxes.
January 1st 1993
"What!" Snape glared at the unspeakables. "Harry is a what?" "He is a horcrux. Well his scar and I assume Longbottom is too." "And what do I do with that information?" "Nothing. Voldermort isn't around, so even if he isn't fully dead, it shouldn't be an issue. Both kids have friends and people that love them so it should be fine." Snape sneered, "And if it becomes an issue?" "Remove the scar's contents in any way possible. Even if you have to do the unthinkable." "Don't ever suggest I kill my children again!" Snape slammed his fists on the desk. "Goodbye."