Life Begins Anew

Chpt 23 Days at Hogwarts
Severus Snape continued to sit back in the rear of the classroom, observing his sister’s morning Defense classes as this was an open period of no Potions classes. He was hoping to glean her psyche as well any vulnerabilities that he might find useful in the future. He observed that she was like him, brooking no monkey business in her class and she gave out detentions for the tiniest infraction, to all houses. He noticed that she observed Miss. Granger quite a bit as the class worked on their assignments. And she was not above sending out stinging hexes to un-attentive students with no notice.

He thought she was wasting the student’s time for the first week as she went through the history of dark arts, and talking about past dark wizards. That was what the history class was for, Merlin’s sake! He admitted that when she talked about her Dark Arts master, she truly spoke as she had intimate knowledge, her descriptions of some of the curses he created making the students cringe. The thought troubled him.

Severus also observed Miss Granger very closely. She took copious amounts of notes even though his sister assured her class that the first week was not testable. He noticed that when she left the defense class, she looked troubled. What was going on her in mind? He wondered. It was time to give her his gift, and he would find out.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&Hermione walked into her Friday double potions class with the Slytherins and found her potions professor in rare form. He did not even bother to wait until his students were seated as he yelled out the assignment and flicked a wand at the board listing the ingredients.
The students rushed to the ingredient cupboard, all hell breaking loose as they jumped to please their professor. Hermione waited patiently at her desk, looking up curiously at the professor. She had a feeling there were going to be quite a few potions not up to par.

After the chaos in the cupboard cleared, Hermione rose and retrieved her ingredients. She noticed the uncapped jars of ingredients as she gathered what was required for the required healing potion. Oh dear! It seems that the professor was going to have one at least one cauldron explosion in class today. She gathered extra, in case Harry had made the same unfortunate mistake as his classmates.

She went to her desk and looked over to Harry. Sure enough he was about to add the wrong ingredient. Professor Snape had deviously placed two ingredients that had similar spellings together in his storeroom. The jar most emptied in the storeroom was the incorrect one.

“Harry!” She whispered. “You have the wrong ingredient! Take this!” She subtly shoved the correct one towards him.
Professor Snape looked to her, glaring but remained silent. She silently whispered a prayer of thanks.
“Thanks Hermione!” Harry whispered back to her, thankful that she was watching over him.

Soon enough cauldrons started exploding, the first two belonging to Ronald and Lavender.

Professor Snape was on them in a flash.

“Mr. Weasly! Miss Brown! It seems your extracurricular……..activities are distracting your ability to use the correct ingredients! Twenty points from Gryffindor and detention tonight!” He sneered at them

He turned away as he heard a screech from the Gryffindor witch that he had chastised. Both the Gryffindors had turned purple.

“Ah yes…” They heard their potions professor. “The side effect of using the incorrect similarly spelled ingredient will render you purple for 24 hours. There is nothing to cure it. Shame as this is a Hosgmeade’s weekend!” He chuckled coldly as he went after the other students.

Soon he had evionso’d all the cauldrons except for two.

Her professor shouted out numerous detentions to the Gryffindors and none for the Slytherins. Hermione silently fumed at the unfairness.

“Class, two students here are not the lovely shade of purple that the rest of you are! Curious!” The professor walked over to Harry and Hermione. He noticed the unused ingredient next to Mr. Potter’s caldron.

“Obviously Mr. Potter has had some assistance!” Holding up the incorrect ingredient for the rest of the class to see. “Care to explain, Miss. Granger?”

She wisely remained silent.

“I expected the whole class to change to purple as you are pathetic in jumping at the slightest and acting without thought to the consequences! Dangerous to the subtle art of potions. Really! You are in an advanced……class!” He stood directly in front of Hermione and coldly asked, eyes glittering with anger. “Miss. Granger, what was the purpose of today’s class?”

Damn! Why did he have to call her out?

“Well, Professor Snape, as you were spouting instructions and throwing them at the board with no time for anyone to read, it caused everyone to not pay particular attention to the to the ingredient list. If the class had taken a moment to observe, they would have been able to gather the correct ingredient from the storeroom. It did not help that you had both similar spelled ingredients next to one another. I guess the lesson is, no matter what external pressure you have, you must observe and make sure that you know what is needed before you brew.” She hoped that answer satisfied him.

The bell rang, indicating lunch.

“I’ll see you at detention tonight so we can discuss this!” pointing at the state of classroom. “Get out of my sight! Oh, and Miss. Granger a word with you.” The potions professor shouted at the students as they prepared to leave.

“Are you going to be OK, Hermione?” Harry whispered.

“Go Harry, if worst case I’ll have detention.” Hermione replied back, shooing Harry from their table.
The classroom quickly emptied, leaving her with a very angry potions master.

She waited for him to speak, seeing him glare at her from his desk. He walked to the classroom door and warded it to prevent any unwanted guest and walked to his desk. He conjured a chair and called a house elf. It quickly delivered roast beef sandwiches and a pitcher of pumpkin juice and quickly disappeared
.
“Miss. Granger, if you will?” Pointing at the chair. She marveled at the changed tone as she sat down.

“Help yourself, as I am keeping you from your lunch. I wish to discuss the research you performed for me.”
Hermione grabbed a sandwich, taking care to observe her potions master.

He also grabbed up a sandwich, quietly observing the witch. He wondered what was going on in her mind. Of course he could use his Legillimens skill, but was reluctant to use it. He needed her trust.

He finished his sandwich and addressed her. “Miss. Granger, I was very surprised of your rant in the Great Hall on Monday. I was wondering your motivation. I must admit your description of me was most….interesting.”

“I must admit Professor Snape it was because of you! You said to observe. I heard all of those ridiculous rumors and decided to address them. I have had the most peace in years, as no one has approached me at all to help them with their homework!” Hermione smiled at that. She then flushed remembering her description of him.

She frowned. “Defense Professor Snape might be the cause of that though. Her comments effectively gave everyone no desire to discuss my love triangle. It’s rather difficult to place my trust in her.”

“And why is that, Miss. Granger? She is after all a Hogwarts professor, with the best interest of the students at heart.” Disdain in his voice.

“I’ve been studying history lately. Not only my Defense professor’s possible history….” Hermione quietly replied. “Yours. I need to see it before this conversation goes forward.”

He understood what she meant as he undid the buttons of his left sleeve and pushed it up, exposing the Dark Mark. He repeated to himself that she needed her trust.

“So I see.” Hermione replied quietly.

She knew he had the Mark because she had looked up court records and noted that her professor had been acquitted as the Headmaster stood for him. But she also knew that he was a member of the Order of the Phoenix. His treatment of her when Ronald and Lavender were caught made her rethink her opinion of the potions master. That and while she was researching his history, she had realized the fact that he had protected Harry, Ronald, and herself when Professor Lupin transformed. If he really was the enemy that everyone thought him to be, he would have let the werewolf get them, and go to He-who-must-not-be named and announce their death, thereby leaving the Wizarding world open to takeover.

“Professor Snape is your sister?” She asked.

He bothered not to respond.

She dug into her bag and pulled the muggle birth announcements that she had found. She pushed it towards him, waiting for a reply.

He gave none.

“I think she is a Death Eater, Professor Snape! “ She exclaimed worriedly, hands wrapping around the strap of her school bag. “I could be wrong, but please be wary! You have been in my Defense class. We both know her history on travelling. How else could she have true apprenticeships spanning five hundred years! Not even the most advanced time-tuner can go that far back. Did you notice how she talked about past dark wizards? It was intimate knowledge!”
She fell quiet, sipping her pumpkin juice, lost in thought.

Severus sighed inwardly as he re-buttoned his sleeve. Her perceptiveness was going to land her in a world of trouble.
“Miss. Granger, you are of age, despite what your birth date announces. It seems your foray into time travelling has aged you up. As you are of age in the magical sense, I require a vow from you.” He grabbed up a parchment and began to write. After a few minutes he slid the parchment across the desk to her.

He noticed her fear as she grabbed up the parchment. Good! One should not make a vow without understanding.
She read it. “Professor, the Defense classroom vow should already cover this.”

He snarled back. “Really, Miss. Granger! For someone who is supposed to be the brightest witch of her age, you are quite obtuse at times. Yes, you can discuss my sister to me all day long as I am a Hogwarts professor and the vow stands! As we are speculating about my sister…” There! He finally admitted her unanswered question. “As this is speculation, not rumor or discussions of classroom techniques, my sister’s vows do not apply! Whatever would happen to you if certain Slytherin students over hear you talking to your fellow dunderheads?”

She immediately saw her flawed logic. He was correct.

“I swear that I will not discuss my speculations of Professor Sara Snape to anyone without getting approval from Professor Severus Snape.” They felt the majiks swirl about them sealing the vow.

“Very good Miss. Granger. Now, why do you think my sister is a Death Eater?” He asked.

“She is cold sir. Though she smiles, her eyes are cold. They look like malice unchecked. Plus, as I have been observing versus studying, it seems her appointment was not made by the Headmaster, but thrust upon him. Would the Headmaster willingly allow someone with a Dark Arts mastership 200 years old teach in this school? I feel she has committed many acts of evil. Her appointment was pushed by the Board of Governors, and I know Lord Malfoy leads that. I remember the Department of Mysteries sir, and Lord Malfoy gave me this… “She raised her jumper revealing the angry scar stretching across her abdomen. She pushed her robes back down.

He looked at the scar. No one ever told him that she had been hurt in that way.

“Miss. Granger, it would be wise not to look into anymore of my sister’s obligations. To do so would get you and your friends killed. Let the Headmaster worry about these things. And this leads me to gift you for your research.” Severus opened up a drawer in his desk and took out two boxes.

“I created these to protect you.” He opened one box revealing a beautiful ruby pendent on a silver chain. Severus grabbed it up and walked behind her. She absentmindedly pulled up her bushy hair to allow him to place it on her. As his hands briefly touched her neck, they both felt a surge of electricity, want, and bonding. She gasped out. He placed it upon her, and walked back to his desk, unfazed.

He drew out a second pendent that had an emerald. He placed it around his neck and tucked it underneath his high collar, emerald touching his chest.

“This links us both, and will let me know if you are in danger. If I feel it burn, it will allow me to locate you and come to you when you are in danger. Wear it always Miss. Granger.” His statement indicated that this meeting was at a close.

“Oh, one more thing, sir.” Hermione got another parchment from her bag and slid it towards him. “It is the answer to Professor Snape’s challenge. “ He looked at the parchment. The first answer did not surprise him at all. The second gave him a shock.

“Professor Snape, I think she was looking to see if someone assisted you in researching her credentials. After all, no one would have discovered she attended Hogwarts unless they knew of her other name variations. If I present this, then she would know that I did your research. Should I present this? The reward is tempting.”

Severus looked thoughtful. “Go ahead Miss. Granger. It will do no harm.”

He flicked his wand and the classroom door opened. She picked up her book bag, leaving the muggle announcements at his desk and started to leave.

Severus called out to her as she started to leave. “Why Miss. Granger, would you think to warn me about my sister?”
Hermione turned back. “It is the right thing to do sir, after all you helped me.” She exited the room.
He wondered if she felt the bond. He had recognized the pulling of his soul to hers as the electricity flowed through his body to hers. It was ancient magic, one that occurred very rarely.
Bonded. Merlin! By a touch!

He grabbed up the muggle birth announcements and frowned. Why did he not remember his sister? He pulled out his time piece. Time for Hufflepuff/Ravenclaw first year. He went to his chambers and put the papers away and prepared himself for his next class.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Hermione entered the empty classroom and placed the parchment at the Defense professor’s desk and turned to go. She did not notice Sara’s presence.

Ahh, she was bonded to her brother?

Sara pointed a tracking spell at Hermione as she turned to leave. She sensed the bond that connected the bright student to her brother. It would do well for her to track the witch. Sara realized that the young Gryffindor was the lone lioness in her prophecy.