There was something oddly familiar about the little girl with frizzy brown hair and overly large teeth who always sat in the front row in the Potions classroom, her hand raised so high as if she was trying to touch the ceiling. Muggle-born, apparently, very obviously Gryffindor, and a complete swot. Severus was certain he'd never seen her before, but the feeling was hard to shake.
After the Dark Lord's fall, and once his unfortunate stint in Azkaban was dealt with, he had returned to teaching. It was what Albus expected of him and he had nothing better to do with his life. The loss of Lily still ached, like a splinter deep inside him, especially around Halloween each year. There was a hole in his heart, in his mind, and the one who could fill it was gone. Lucius had tried to set him up with eligible witches but one look at his dour face and too large nose had most of them running in the other direction, and those who stayed he threw out after a week, maximum. No, apparently that sort of life wasn't for him. He had his books and his armchair and a private lab with good access to supplies if inspiration struck, and that was enough. It would have to be enough.
He had some colleagues he could almost claim a friendship with. Minerva would occasionally come pester him in his quarters whenever Albus was more annoying than usual or she wanted someone to drink with. Filius was often happy to play a game of chess, discuss spell theory or even occasionally agree to a duel to keep their skills fresh. Septima and Poppy were also good enough company, as was Pomona, but he didn't like when there were too many of them at the same time as they usually ended up pestering him about his bachelor status such as during their end-of-term pub sessions at the Three Broomsticks.
His thoughts kept returning to the Gryffindor witch, though. There was that business with the troll for example. Some kind of foul play was going on, that much was clear. A troll should never be able to get that far into Hogwarts. What was it doing by the girls' bathroom?
Albus had invited too many teachers to set up stations around this top secret object he was hiding in plain view. Like some kind of bloody obstacle course competition, he thought sourly. It was as if Albus wanted the blasted thing to be found. If he'd been serious about having it concealed he shouldn't have let so many people in on the secret, and most especially not Hagrid.
Anyway, troll. He took a sip of Firewhisky again and put his feet up on the footstool. The chair by the fireplace was his favourite place to be, partly because it indicated that he was done with his work for the day. The little witch had somehow, well, bewitched the troll, making it cower in the corner of the bathroom while it waited for someone to rescue it from her. She claimed the Potter brat and Weasley Junior had somehow overpowered it, but Severus saw where the troll's attention was fixed and it wasn't on those two menaces. It cowered from her as Minerva and Filius led it out of the bathroom.
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There was also the matter of Hagrid's insane dog which Albus had appropriated for guarding the trapdoor. Severus had gone to feed it and found Miss Granger sitting by its head, balancing a dog treat on each of its noses. The dog was actually wagging its tail, keeping its heads completely still even if the right ears on each head pointed in Severus' direction.
"Wait… wait… Oh, hello Professor. Go!"
Three simultaneous snaps instantly transferred the dog biscuits to three slobbering mouths.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and counted backwards from ten. When he had reached minus twenty he looked up again. She was rubbing two enormous muzzles while the third head appeared to be fighting the others for attention, also in search of rubs.
"Two points from Gryffindor for befriending a Hellhound in a place you're not supposed to be in."
She glanced at him but kept her attention on the dog. Creature. "It's a Cerberus not a Hellhound, Professor. Besides he's not so bad. I don't think it's right to keep a dog like this chained in a room this way, can I take him for a walk? He really needs a bath too."
Severus took the wrapped meat from his pocket and restored it to its normal size with a flick of his wand. He pushed the lot over to the witch with his foot. She used a spell to open the paper and distributed even heaps in front of its heads. Contrary to how it normally went, the dog didn't immediately start to tear into the meat. It whined a bit, looking at the diminutive witch and wagging its tail.
"Good boy. Bon appetit."
The dog woofed and started eating.
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose again. The whole situation was beginning to make him dizzy. "That dog is, supposedly, Hagrid's. I don't know why I was saddled with feeding him instead of Hagrid, but Albus has a way with words."
She got up off the floor and dusted off her hands. "Sir, I can do it if you like, if you show me where to get the meat?"
Severus thought about it for all of two seconds before agreeing. If Gryffindor's star pupil wanted to feed demon dogs, who was he to stop her. "Fine. I'll let the kitchens know you'll handle the feeding. It's every three days, will you be able to sneak off?"
She looked up at him, very determined for a twelve-year-old. She didn't appear to be afraid of him at all which was also a bit unusual for Gryffindors. "I'll handle it, Professor."
He took a deep breath. "Five points to Gryffindor for agreeing to feed a not-exactly-Hellhound."
Miss Granger only grinned at him and continued scratching the dog behind the ears.
He'd resolved to keep an eye on her, but she had kept up with the schedule. She had eventually ended up confessing to Minerva after being caught letting the Giant Squid play fetch with the dog in the Black Lake, allegedly in order to give it a proper wash. His colleague had been spitting mad at Albus when she learned what Hagrid had been allowed to keep chained in the Castle, and that was the end of the dog's stint as Guardian of the Trap Door. It was sent off to live happily ever after in Greece and Hagrid had moped for a week straight, refusing to feed the Thestrals and Hippogriffs. Kettleburn had to step in, and was not happy about it.
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The rest of the year went off without too much of an issue, if one disregarded the fact that the latest Dark Arts teacher had a nervous breakdown in Granger's class early in the spring and was taken to St Mungo's. He blamed it on Granger staring at him but the witch said she hadn't done anything. Unfortunately no one had thought to remove the wizard's odd new fashion accessory, the turban he'd taken to wearing since returning from his sabbatical, and the Dark Lord had broken free from the back of his head and made his escape by possessing an apprentice Healer.
Albus had been quite annoyed by it all, but for some reason it appeared as if his main source of irritation was that the Philosopher's Stone hadn't been stolen after all. He talked at length about needing to give Harry bloody Potter a challenge to prove himself, to take up the mantle in the coming fight, something which made Severus quite concerned. He had hoped or at least wished that it would be over by now, that the Dark Lord wouldn't return, but no matter what the Headmaster shouldn't be sending children to a fight against fully-grown wizards.
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The next year was even odder, if that was even possible. Albus had of course hired someone even worse than usual for the DADA position and Severus' only consolation was utterly trouncing the fool in his newly instated Duelling Club.
He kept an eye on Granger. She seemed to be accepted to some degree into the messy flock of Gryffindors around Potter, but she was equally often seen reading alone in the Library or going off by herself outside. Minerva didn't appear to be too concerned, but Severus often found the other Heads of Houses were a bit too prone to overlook bullying. Perhaps it took one to know one. Neither Pomona, Filius nor Minerva had ever been on either side of bullying, while Severus had never been so lucky. He kept an ear out in the staff room and also tried to bring it up in a roundabout way when Minerva joined him for a scotch in his sitting room. The Gryffindor Head of House was one of his closest friends among the staff but they kept the bickering up while in public to keep everyone else unaware, including Albus.
Ominous messages had been appearing on the walls and everyone was unsettled, Albus included. It didn't appear as if the Headmaster knew much more than anyone else, which was a bit concerning. Students getting petrified by an unknown assailant was also definitely not on the list of normal occurrences even at Hogwarts and it created more work for Severus who would have to brew the Mandrake draughts. Mandrakes were so annoying to work with, even if Pomona's were usually better behaved than most. She'd told him it was the special herbs she had them smoke once they hit their teen years.
He most definitely hadn't expected a hand-written note delivered via elf asking him to go up to the second-floor corridor by the disused girls' bathroom one dreary Sunday in March.
What he saw as he rounded the corner had him stop completely in his tracks.
A huge basilisk lay on the floor in front of a witch. Miss Granger. Of course. Who else.
It took up half the corridor in width and he couldn't see where it ended.
Severus took a deep breath but immediately came to regret it. The basilisk stank. He took a moment to survey the situation. Miss Granger sat cross-legged in front of the body. She had a mirror nearby, and a set of bongo drums along with her book bag. For some reason a rooster picked aimlessly at the dust mites on the floor. It looked a bit lost.
"Talk, Miss Granger."
She glanced at him and got up from the floor. "Well, I was quite sure I had solved it so I borrowed Clucks from Hagrid and the drums from Professor Flitwick's choir. I mean, the signs were all there. Spiders ran off and someone killed all the roosters. This one is new and Hagrid just got him two weeks ago to replace those he'd lost. And then the petrification? Had to be a basilisk."
"And I presume Filius signed off on you borrowing a set of drums. To lure a basilisk out." He crossed his arms in front of him, half amused, half exasperated by her daring and another half on top of it filled with worry and relief.
She must have developed selective hearing on top of everything, continuing as if he hadn't said anything. "I had checked the acoustics earlier and thought this was a good place to try it since it's near the main drainage pipes and all. The vibrations from the drums summoned it, and then I just used a Solaris spell to get Clucks to think it was morning, and then no more basilisk. I'd like for you to have it, if you're interested, Professor."
Severus felt his brain stall and try to restart itself several times as she spoke. "You just happened to know how to summon a basilisk. On your own. In your second year. Armed with a mirror and a rooster with half a brain cell?"
Hermione shrugged again, crossing her arms in front of her. "I mean, it wasn't as if I could bring Harry or Ron. They'd just go staring at it, or something. I wore a blindfold."
"But you could have called a teacher, including me." He looked down his nose at her, eyebrow raised.
For some reason she twitched a smile at him. "At least you didn't suggest Lockhart, sir."
Her irreverence amused him. She was usually very proper when it came to titles. "Wouldn't that be Professor Lockhart, Miss Granger?"
She snorted. "You think, Professor?"
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose again. "And you want me to have it, Miss Granger. Do you even know what you're offering? This thing is worth… I cannot even say."
The witch merely shrugged at him. "You are the one who is best suited to deal with it, sir. I don't think Professor Flitwick would be as happy to have a basilisk for breakfast."
They both heard it at the same time, the sound of someone about to open the door to the corridor. Both of them had their wand out in a second, pointed at the would-be intruder.
Miss Weasley made it a few steps into the corridor before she froze when she saw them. She was holding a leather-bound book in front of her, as if reading from it, and was moving rather stiffly. Her eyes darted between the dead basilisk, the two of them and the book, as if unsure of whom she should listen to first.
Miss Granger, meanwhile, snatched the book from Miss Weasley's hands with a decisive spell and Levitated it closer to Severus.
As soon as the book was out of Miss Weasley's hands it was as if she came to life again. Her face crumpled. "I didn't mean to, I swear."
It took a fair bit of prompting for the story to come out. Apparently the diary she was holding was more than it let on. She had tried to get rid of it by flushing it down the toilet, but Potter had somehow found it and started using it. Miss Weasley had then stolen it back and was now for some reason headed down to meet the person from the diary down in the Chamber of Secrets, wherever that was.
The book was hissing at them and radiating a malevolent aura of Darkness, cloyingly sweet and overpowering. It wasn't hard to understand how a first-year student would succumb to its influence when even Severus found himself affected by it. It wanted him to obey and seemed to promise power and influence and wealth.
"Destroy it, Professor!"
For want of a better weapon he took the thing over to the basilisk's open maw and impaled it on one of its fangs. The book hissed and smouldered and writhed on the fang before going limp and falling to the floor, now looking like an ordinary if slightly mistreated leather notebook.
"Miss Granger. Could you take Miss Weasley to the Hospital Wing? Take Hagrid's chicken with you."
Miss Granger nodded, conjured a cage for the rooster and took Miss Weasley's hand. The younger girl looked completely dazed, not protesting when she was led off.
Severus got to work on the carcass. Parts like scales, venom, fangs and even blood were very useful for Potions, while other parts like the skin and the meat were used as leather products or served at upscale restaurants. It was messy work but basilisk parts — from a specimen this large — was simply not something one could order from Slug and Jiggers and expect to have delivered within the week.
Another set of steps was coming closer. This time it was none other than Lockhart. Severus couldn't stand the man, he was a fraud and a poser who had way too much sway with both Albus and some of the witches in the staff. Not Minerva, thankfully, but Aurora and a few of the others were completely enamoured with him. The wizard was dressed in overly fancy robes in some kind of fabric that shimmered in gold and turquoise, much like a peacock. All surface, no substance. Severus felt his upper lip curve into a sneer and didn't bother tamping it down.
The man barely looked at Severus as he stepped closer to the body, but he seemed a bit queasy over the smell and made sure not to step in any puddles. He smiled widely and patted down his pockets, perhaps to look for a clue since he clearly didn't have one.
"Oh, this will be great. My fans will love it, how I slayed the great basilisk. Was it a long fight? Oh yes, I will have fought bravely and saved one… no five… students from a certain death. Where's my notebook?"
Severus frowned. "What are you on about? You had nothing to do with this. Is this how you made your fortune?"
The blond man whirled to face Severus, looking almost surprised to find someone there. He smiled, rather nastily. "Oh yes, you see, I'm perhaps not so good at duelling yetis or climbing mountains, but it turns out I'm very good at memory charms."
He flourished his wand, almost insultingly slowly, and aimed for Severus' forehead. "Obliviate!"
Severus had, predictably, managed to get a shield up. The spell bounced off the shield and then off the mirror before hitting the caster straight in the head. Lockhart fell to the floor, staring straight at nothing.
Miss Granger stood behind him, wand halfheartedly raised. "I was just coming to fetch the mirror and drums, Professor. Looks like you'll need an alibi? I saw what he did."
Severus raised an eyebrow at her. It felt oddly good to have someone step up on his side, even if it was only a Gryffindor student. "Looks like we have some clean-up to do. What do you want to tell Albus about this whole mess, Miss Granger? After all it's your mess, not mine. They'll know something happened to Miss Weasley soon enough."
The witch moved closer, assessing his progress with the basilisk carcass. "I… think it would be best if we claim you saved me from this thing, sir. It would raise too many questions if they found out I did it."
He inclined his head. It did make sense, and both of them would know the truth behind it. "Won't Filius or Hagrid know you borrowed their items, though? The bird and the drum set?"
She looked a bit shifty, biting her lip. "I didn't exactly ask. The mirror came from the Transfiguration classroom, by the way. Clucks is back in his shed though, Hagrid is out in the Forbidden Forest so he never noticed."
He snorted. Gryffindors. Always touting the rules, except for when it suited them not to.
A house-elf returned the drums and mirror, and his Patronus quickly Summoned not only the Headmaster but also Professors Pomona and Minerva as witnesses. Miss Granger played her part well, perhaps a bit too well, claiming that Severus had saved her from certain death by showing up right as the basilisk appeared, and that she'd only gone to the bathroom to get some time to study Charms before the upcoming test.
The Headmaster had not been completely convinced everything had happened as they said, but Pomona and Minerva were easily swayed. Since it was meant to be a secret naturally everyone knew about it by dinnertime, and Severus was proclaimed to be the Hero of Hogwarts which he soon discovered was a very uncomfortable title to hold.
The issue with Ms Weasley had been discussed a bit more privately in the Headmaster's office with only Albus and Minerva, however. Severus had pushed for interrogating Potter about it too but Albus had refused, saying the boy had enough to deal with. Minerva would ensure the girl was looked over so she didn't suffer any long-term consequences from being possessed by a book.
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The next school year was not exactly normal, either, but by now Severus had given up the thought of a normal year at Hogwarts. Albus was right, something was brewing. He kept an eye on Granger but the witch seemed to be behaving, more or less.
To top it all up he now had to brew Wolfsbane for Lupin, and more than once he complained to Albus about needing more days in his week to fit it all in. Albus merely tutted at him and told him he could count himself lucky to practice on such an advanced potion. Severus stalked out of the teacher's office and promptly overlooked to add the sprig of mint to the brew at the last stage, that would make the potion go from nearly vomit-inducing to merely disgusting.
No, he couldn't easily forgive Lupin for existing during their shared Hogwarts years, nor for his thinly veiled digs such as telling everyone about Longbottom's Boggart.
The Dementors affected all of them, making everyone extra cranky and snappy. Severus had to double up on the brewing of antidepressants and even considered dousing everyone's drinks with the potion to make the students a bit more mellow. Well, perhaps not everyone was affected. The Headmaster was his usual dotty self, cheerfully offering sherbet lemons to everyone and twinkling worse than usual in staff meetings. And Miss Granger appeared completely unaffected. A few times Severus had seen her walking on the grounds alone, the Dementors swooping down towards her before they were suddenly repelled as if by an invisible shield. She didn't seem to notice, however, and just continued on her walk down towards the lake.
Even Severus couldn't help but to notice how tensions were higher than usual among the Gryffindor trio, however. There seemed to be some issues regarding her and Weasley Junior related to pets and at one point something with Potter and a broom, according to overheard gossip between Minerva and the rest, and he noticed her sitting alone in the library much more often than usual.
The year ended chaotically with a werewolf loose on the grounds. Lupin — the idiot — had omitted to drink the potion Severus had dutifully served him with every month to keep everyone safe. Sirius Black was there too, the fugitive from Azkaban who had betrayed his friends, and the three Gryffindors as usual in the middle of it all. Someone — probably the Potter menace — Stunned Severus in the middle of capturing Black and when he next woke up it was outdoors with a serious headache and a werewolf loose on the grounds. He found the students and Black and managed to get them all to the Castle, but somehow Black got away before he could get his Order of Merlin, Third Class.
Miss Granger sought him out a few days later and explained her side of the story. By then he had already ensured Lupin would not remain in the Castle. A werewolf was way too dangerous to keep around and even Albus had to concede the point, finally. Getting all the influential Slytherin parents on his case had been a good incentive, too.
Severus didn't want to believe her story at first but more out of principle than assuming her a liar. Apparently Weasley Junior had been sleeping with Peter Pettigrew in his bed for the past few years, and Black wasn't the one to betray Lily or kill the Muggle bystanders. He still felt cheated out of an award that should have been rightfully his but the thought of Weasley in bed with Pettigrew almost made up for it.