{Chapter 8}
When Snapes Collide
The Hospital Wing was as big as six classrooms put together. It had many beds - thirty or forty. The room had several interior doors, one leading to Madam Pomfrey's office and her headquarters, one to a bathroom, and the rest were for storage rooms to keep lined with shelves and shelves of healing potions.
Surprisingly, out of all of Hogwarts, Draco was the only occupant of the Infirmary. Pansy, Goyle, Crabbe, and Professor Snape were surrounding his bedside. Trixi hurried over. Draco lay in bed moaning in pain.
"Draco!" Trixi gasped when she saw his bandaged arm. "Are you okay?"
"That oaf sent his beast to attack me!" The teenager howled, favouring his wounded arm. "I nearly died!"
Hagrid had done this? She wouldn't have thought that nice man would send something to attack a student.
"Did Daddy give you something for the pain?" Trixi gave him a sympathetic look.
"I did." Her father spoke up.
"I am going to send an owl to my father! He'll see to it that the oaf is fired!" Draco snapped, his eyes flaring with anger.
"Draco is so brave!" Pansy brushed Draco's blond hair soothingly with her hand. "And he protected everyone from being attacked by distracting the beast; didn't you, Draco?"
"Sure did." He gave a weak smile, enjoying Pansy's attention.
"How was class, Trixi?" Professor Snape turned to her.
Trixi shrugged. "It went better than I thought it would. We didn't get a chance to mix the pumpkin seeds and beetle eyes with the cricket powder though."
"Good. At least this all happened during a simple lesson. I would have hated to leave you behind to teach them something more complicated." He patted her shoulder, allowing her to know how thankful he was of her.
"I am sure you'll find out from one of the other students." Trixi looked at the ground shamefully. "Mr. Kuden decided to bail after you left. Not that I am telling on him, it's just that... Well, I wanted to ask you not to go too hard on him."
"I will decide for myself what is suitable."
"Trixi, you taught Potions today?" Draco asked, apparently having overheard their conversation. He sounded shocked.
Trixi nodded. "It was just for fifteen minutes, and all I did was show everyone how to use the mortar and pestle."
"That's still pretty brilliant." Draco commented.
"Sure is, Trixi." Pansy agreed.
Crabbe and Goyle nodded silently.
"Perhaps you could help the Slytherins out with their own work," Snape suggested quietly above her.
"Slytherins don't really need my help, not with the Head of their House being the Potions Master." She grinned.
"Don't be too sure about that." Her father whispered to her.
"Where's Madam Pomfrey?!" A girl with black hair ran in and stopped in the middle of the room, gasping for breath as she looked around urgently. Trixi recognized her from Transfiguration and History of Magic classes. She was a Ravenclaw.
"Right here!" The mediwitch stepped out of a supply closet.
"A boy fainted in our Herbology lesson. Professor Flitwick is bringing him here!" The girl said.
A hovering boy entered the infirmary then. He was unconscious, being guided by Professor Flitwick. The tiny professor, under Madam Pomfrey's directions, set the boy on a bed. The boy was skinny and pale, with bright red lips. He had long dirty blond hair that was tied in a tail behind his head. He was also a Ravenclaw.
"Kian!" Yet another Ravenclaw rushed to his bedside. This was the boy whom Trixi had shared the boat with on the first night of Hogwarts.
"Well, someone tell me what happened!" The mediwitch demanded impatiently.
"Poor chap," Flitwick eyed Kian with sympathy. "Pomona said he was in the middle of explaining the uses of the Moly plant and he just fainted right there on the spot, hitting his head on the corner of the table as he fell."
"He does have a good bump on his head, that's for sure." Madam Pomfrey said after checking him over. She then cast a diagnostic spell. "He's exhausted himself." She announced and conjured a blue potion. An energy reviver, similar to Snap Serum but much more powerful. "He will need a break from casting spells for at least twenty-four hours."
"He's been feeling a bit ill lately." The other boy explained. "I told him to come and see you, but Kian is very stubborn."
"He'll be fine in a few days; he needs lots of rest now though." Madam Pomfory trickled the potion between Kian's lips. "Mr. Coven will wake up in about an hour."
"The boy will be alright then?" Professor Flitwick asked. "The bump on his head is not a lasting injury?"
"No, but it'll ache for a bit."
"May I stay with him, Professor?" The boy by Kian asked.
Professor Flitwick took a moment to make a decision before he giving his approval. "Only for today though. Tomorrow you will need to return to your studies." He then thanked Madam Pomfrey and excused himself from the room.
"Trixi, how long before your next class?" Professor Snape asked.
Trixi looked at her watch. "An hour before Herbology starts, Daddy."
Professor Snape turned to Draco. "Mr. Malfoy, you appear fine for now. Send for me if you need anything else."
"Yes, and thank you, sir." Draco hardly gave the professor a glance, Pansy was fussing over him, and he was soaking it right up.
Trixi watched the teenagers, finding their actions a bit interesting.
"Trixi, come. I would like to speak with you." Professor Snape motioned for her to follow him.
"Are Draco and Pansy going to snog each other, Daddy?" Trixi asked innocently after they stepped out of the room.
"Where on Earth did you hear that word?!" Her father demanded.
Trixi giggled at his reaction. He was absolutely repulsed, yet shocked by her question. "The older students. Who else, Daddy?" She told him nonchalantly. "So are they going to or not?"
"How should I know? Not to mention, why would I even care?"
"Disgusting!" Trixi said after picturing the two Slytherins kissing.
"You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that." Professor Snape said with a sigh. He felt his daughter was not yet old enough to even know the word's meaning. The age span in this school was much too wide. These children learned things way too fast. How could he had forgotten such? His little Trixi wouldn't be innocent for much longer.
"Thomas thinks I'm crushing on Harry Potter!" Trixi blurted out with a laugh.
Professor Snape glanced at his daughter. "I don't find that at all amusing."
Her smiled faded quickly. Oops... "We both know I don't like him in that way."
"Thank Merlin." He pinched the bridge of his nose, relieved in more ways than one.
"He's nice though." She said carefully.
"He's so full of himself." The professor muttered.
"I think you may have judged him too soon, Daddy."
"Trixi, it might be best not to get into that." He warned her.
Trixi nodded with acknowledgement and she followed him into a room. Professor Snape closed his the door and locked it with a spell. This must be his office. It was cold, damp, and dark just like his cellar was at home. There were a lot potion ingredients stored here. More of the rare ones, though, like unicorn hoof trimmings and yeti livers. He had a large desk and four matching green and silver chairs, one of which sat behind his desk. Trixi felt very comfortable here, and she guessed her father probably spent a lot of his thinking time in this room.
Professor Snape sat down at his desk. "Have a seat." he gestured to one of the chairs.
Trixi did as she was told and waited for him to speak.
"Is the first year Potions class too boring for you, Trixi?"
"Not any more than normal, and I have lots of fun helping Thomas."
"You're actually an excellent tutor." her father complimented. His face then formed a scowl. "Too bad he's a Gryffindor."
Trixi glared at her father. "There's nothing wrong with being a Gryffindor!"
"Reckless behaviour." Professor Snape grumbled under his breath.
"Mummy was a Gryffindor, and you loved her." Trixi pointed out.
Her father's eyes went out of focus as he thought about the love of his life. "She could be reckless at times too." He said absent-mindedly.
"Are you okay, Daddy?" His daughter asked.
"I am fine." Professor Snape's voice was barely audible, as his eyes came back into focus. "Have you made any other friends?"
She bent her head down sadly. "Not really."
"Why not?"
"No one likes me much." Trixi said glumly.
"The rumours floating around are rather unpleasant." The professor mused.
"I'm sorry, it's my fault..."
"How so?" Professor Snape couldn't believe she was blaming herself for such crude jokes. Especially when a few of them were actually about himself.
Trixi shrugged avoiding his eyes. "Cause I'm not pretty..." she said in a tiny voice.
"Oh, Trixi... That's not true at all."
"I can handle the truth, Daddy." Trixi said instantly. She didn't want him feeling bad for her. And she certainly didn't want him to lie to her. None of that would change a thing about her looks, so why even bother with it?
"The Slytherins aren't saying such things, are they?"
"No, I think they know better."
"So, is it just the Gryffindors?"
Trixi shrugged. She didn't want to admit that he had guessed right. A couple of Ravenclaws had teased her, but the majority of the 'jokes' came from her own house. Particularly from three nasty girls.
"Some things really should be left unsaid." Professor Snape said bitterly. "I find it amazing that everyone raves how great Gryffindors are. You never hear about their ugly pasts. Slytherins, on the other hand... they'll dig deep down to find anything on us, and when they find it, we're stamped as some sort of criminal in the making. You will never hear about a good Slytherin. Ever." Snape's eyes were narrowed, focused on the floor.
Trixi didn't know what to say without infuriating him. It wasn't like the Slytherins said anything good about the Gryffindors either.
"I don't even know why I'm a Gryffindor." She looked at her hands shamefully. "I'm neither brave nor adventurous."
Professor Snape stared at his daughter in silence a few long moments before saying, "Not that I wish to defend the reason of your sorting, but there have been times you have shown me a courageous side of you. Bravery can be found in all the houses though, not just the overly loved Gryffindor."
"Really?" She looked up and smiled.
Snape nodded. "I feel Slytherin could use you more though. You will make something of yourself one day, Trixi. The Gryffindor title doesn't deserve you."
"The hat basically said I am too weak for Slytherin." Trixi said glumly.
"Weak?!" Snape nearly shouted. "You are not weak!"
"Your house is very aggressive, Daddy." She said defensively. "I suppose the Gryffindors aren't much different though. Perhaps the hat sorted me too soon, before it sorted the other kids in my year."
"We'll have to prove that thing wrong when you transfer."
"Oh, but Daddy, I can't transfer. I've already committed."
"You would be amazed on what I can get done, child." His eyes glittered mischievously.
"I think I should just listen to the hat, Daddy." She said quietly.
Snape growled unhappily.
"Please don't be mad." She frowned.
"What do they have that we don't?" He snapped.
"My brother, for one." She said casually, annoyed that he had used that tone with her. "You know, the one you failed to ever mention?" She stopped when she seen her father's jaw clench tightly. "It's okay, I don't want to talk about that right now anyway." She told him getting up from the chair.
"Trixi, keep that information to yourself for now." Snape said coolly. "At least until we have spoken thoroughly about it."
"Fine." Her voice was just as cool.
"And just stay away from him." He ordered.
"But he's my brother!" She cried.
"I mean it now." His voice unchanging. "I don't want you talking to him."
Trixi crossed her arms angrily. "You're being really unfair!"
"Stop acting like a toddler." He scolded. "You're not two years old anymore."
Insulted, Trixi dropped her hands to her side, and squared her shoulders. She forced herself to speak calmly, "If you suddenly were informed you had a brother, you would surely want to spend time with him. Especially if your own father kept him from you."
His eyes narrowed down at her. "We're not going to talk about this right now, Trixi."
"Good, because I don't want to talk you ever again!" She took out her wand and pointed to the door. "Am Loper!" she said, using a powerful spell to unlock it.
Professor Snape made no effort to reply as he watched his daughter stalk out of his office.
"Miss Snape?" Professor Sprout called on her.
"What?" Trixi's voice remained cold as she dwelled on the words she had just exchanged with her father only ten minutes ago. She was too upset to remember to give her teacher the respect she deserved..
The overly kind teacher gave her a funny look in response to her odd tone and behaviour. "Would you like to tell the rest of your classmates when the best time to harvest Moly is?"
"Not really." She replied with a mutter. She wasn't in a helpful or sharing mood.
Thomas nudged her. "We could get points for this." He whispered.
Trixi rolled her eyes. As if earning House points was her top priority in life. "In the beginning of autumn. In fact, there are some just out twenty yards from this greenhouse that need harvesting, but I assume that is the whole purpose of your question. Am I correct?"
Even with her bitter attitude, the Head of Hufflepuff awarded her five points. She also earned herself another strange look from her professor. Trixi could care less about either of them.
"My, is the little baby a sour puss today!" Cassi said cheerily on their way to the Moby plants that grew wild near the green houses.
"Is it your nap time, Baby Trixi?" Sara asked. "Should we call your daddy and tell him to bring you a bottle?"
They'd made sure they spoke out of Professor Sprout's earshot.
"Go away." Thomas hissed. "Leave us be!"
Neil Smith earned Hufflepuff twenty-five points that day. He knew a lot about non magical plants and creatures. Supposedly, his father was some sort of survivalist who documented how to live off the land and was shown on an educational telly channel.
Neil often told stories about going camping with his father where they went with just the clothes on their backs. During their adventures, they would hunt, fish, and build shelters for days on end. This was how he learned about edible plants and herbs.
The Slytherins were always making jokes about the intelligence of Hufflepuffs (or rather lack of), but Trixi had to disagree with them. Quite a few of the Hufflepuffs were actually really smart. They were friendly and polite too.
After Herbology, Thomas introduced Trixi to Neil, who also had an interest in Charms. The two had started talking during their Moly harvesting. Trixi hadn't felt like speaking with Thomas, and Neil had been working close by them. Thomas had used the severing Charm to cut the Moly plants, and that's how the subject of charms came up. Neil was impressed and Thomas showed him how to cast it. The spell made plant harvesting a breeze.
Trixi grunted a greeting to Thomas' new friend, she really was in no mood to talk at that moment. She just felt like hiding in an abandoned room, away from her father, teachers, magic, and everything else. She wanted to lock herself away from the world.
And that's exactly what she did for the rest of that day, until it was time to go up to her dorm.