Chapter 2

"Hermione, you are bonkers.", Ron said as they were boarding the Hogwarts Express at Platform nine and three-quarters. "Extra lessons with Snape? Do you have a death wish?"

"It won't be that bad I'm sure, Ron." Hermione replied although in her head she was wishing she could believe that herself. It was going to be hell. She just knew it. "If Professor Snape was that bad a teacher, Dumbledore wouldn't have kept him on all this time."

"Dumbledore only kept him on because he needed him to work for the Order!" Harry joined in.

"Look, can we just stop talking about this!" Hermione snapped, "No, I'm not thrilled about it either, but I will learn some really interesting potions and Snape is – whether you like him or not – an excellent potion brewer." Even if he is a sadistic bastard, she added in her head.

"Whatever Hermione, I still think you're crazy though" Ron said as the two of them said goodbye to Harry and carried on down the train to the prefect's compartment. "I mean...Snape"

Hermione gave an exasperated sigh and tried to ignore him. God I wish he wasn't right. What the fuck have I let myself in for...?

Severus was on his way up to the start of term feast when he saw it. A streak of silver rushing through the air towards the castle. A patronus. Whoever was casting it was lucky he was running late for the feast or nobody might have seen it. With a sigh he stopped at the great wooden doors to the entrance hall and waited to receive the message. The silvery streak of light stopped near him and materialised into a huge wolf. Hmmm, to the best of his knowledge, Severus didn't know anyone whose patronus manifested as a wolf. A moment later it opened its mouth and the mystery was solved as the voice of Nymphadora Tonks spoke.

"I found Harry on the train with a broken nose and petrified. Can someone come, meet us at the gates and take Harry up to school please? Thanks a lot."

Potter. I might have known. Who else could it have been?

As the patronus faded into the darkness, Severus turned away from the warmth and smell of the feast in the great hall and began his journey down towards the gates to pick up Potter Junior. Inwardly he seethed. Why the hell am I always the one who has to deal with Potter's stupid rule-breaking? Another feast I'm missing because of that foolish boy. As he approached the gates he began to be able to make out a shape standing on the other side and, as he drew closer, another person appeared as if from nowhere as they pulled off an invisibility cloak.

"Well, well, well," Severus drawled as he removed the wards protecting the gates of the castle. "Nice of you to turn up, Potter, although you have evidently decided that the wearing of school robes would detract from your appearance." If Severus had to suffer for Potter's rule-breaking, he didn't see why Potter shouldn't suffer a little as well.

"I couldn't change, I didn't have my..." Potter began but Severus interrupted him. He didn't care what the reason was and he hadn't been looking for an explanation.

"There is no need to wait Nymphadora. Potter is quite – ah – safe in my hands" Severus just wanted to get up to the feast before rumours started circulating about why he might be absent.

"I meant Hagrid to get the message" Tonks said, frowning.

"Hagrid was late for the start of term-feast, just like Potter here" just like me "so I took it instead." As he stood back to allow Potter past, an idea occurred to him. "And incidentally, I was interested to see your new patronus" he said with a mocking tone in his voice as he reapplied the wards to the gates. He had realised after the patronus had dissolved that it was a patronus manifestation of Remus Lupin, and therefore, that Tonks had feelings for the enemy from his schooldays.

Filling his voice with as much malice as possible he added, "I think you were better off with the old one. The new one looks weak." He registered the hurt look on Tonks' face with a sort of cruel pleasure as he turned away and began to lead Potter up towards the school.

For a minute or so they walked in silence, while Severus tried to decide on a suitable punishment. He could almost feel Potter's hatred radiating from the boy. He really was his father's son. Eventually he said, "Fifty points from Gryffindor for lateness I think. And, let me see, another twenty for your muggle attire." Severus smirked in the darkness. "You know, I don't believe any house has ever been in negative figures this early in the term. We haven't even started pudding. You might have set a record, Potter."

Severus loved to taunt the young Potter. The striking resemblance he bore to James almost made it feel as though he was getting one over on his old bully. Also, Potter was so easy to wind up, he had such a short temper.

"I suppose you wanted to make an entrance, did you? And with no flying car available you decided that bursting into the Great Hall halfway through the feast ought to create dramatic effect."

Snape could sense the boy getting angrier and angrier, but it had been a difficult summer and he thought that he really ought to be taking out his suffering on someone. He escorted Potter Jr. to the doors of the great hall and watched as he walked quickly and awkwardly over to the Gryffindor table. He then proceeded to the front of the hall to take his seat at the staff table.

Once they had all calmed down after Harry's dramatic entrance, Hermione, Ron and Harry soon became embroiled in serious conversation again. This 'Chosen One' nonsense was really getting out of hand, Hermione thought, as her mind began to wander about in criss-crossing random paths, like Hogwarts students in the snow, led by the wanderings of conversation. In fact, by the time Professor Dumbledore got up to give his speech, she had all but forgotten that the day after tomorrow would be her first lesson with Professor Snape.

As the headmaster began his speech, Hermione was taken aback by his withered hand. She thought it looked like a mummy hand had been attached to Professor Dumbledore's arm, and it made her feel faintly sick. What sort of curse could have done that? she wondered as herself, Harry and Ron discussed the injury and Dumbledore continued to ramble through the list of perennial announcements, before moving on to introduce new members of staff (also an ironically annual announcement), at which the three teenagers sat up and paid attention. Hermione's quick eyes scanned the staff table for the new teacher that Harry had told them about. He wasn't exactly hard to pick out, with his big bushy moustache and protruding stomach.

"We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year. Professor Slughorn," The new teacher got laboriously to his feet, "is an old colleague of mine who has agreed to resume his old post of Potions Master."

Potions Master? What? thought Hermione. She had the vague sense that something more important was hinted at through this announcement but her head was still spinning from the shock and she couldn't quite figure out what was going on.

"Professor Snape, meanwhile, will be taking over the position of Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher."

WHAT? Hermione's eyes automatically flickered to the teacher at the end of the staff table, who had lazily raised his hand to silence the rapturous applause from the slytherin table, but hadn't deigned to rise at the mention of his name. But...but he...errr...what? Hermione couldn't understand what was going on at all. What did this mean for her potions lessons? Did this mean that the new teacher, Professor Slughorn, would be teaching her? Surely not, he didn't know about the order. But then, what was going to happen?

While her head was still spinning, Dumbledore dismissed them all to go to bed. On her way out of the great hall, Hermione spotted Professor McGonagall. Pushing her way through the sea of pupils, she stopped the Professor and asked her, "Professor, what is happening with my extra potions lessons if Professor Snape isn't the potions teacher anymore?"

"Ah, Miss Granger. Well of course Professor Snape will still be teaching you. We were aware of the new staffing arrangements when we came to this agreement you know." She smiled at Hermione. "A potions classroom will be kept free on Fridays and Wednesdays for yourself and Professor Snape to pursue your lessons. Also, Miss Granger, I'm sure I need to not remind you that Professor Slughorn is not to know about this little...arrangement of ours."

"Yes Professor. Of course. Thank you."

"No trouble at all Miss Granger – now get to bed."

"Yes Professor McGonagall"