[Chapter Size: 2000 Words.]
Third Person POV
Hogwarts.
...
...
"Well, with that, we conclude our lesson. I hope you study these potions from pages 14 to 41 in your book; we will be using this content a lot until the middle of this year."
Professor Slughorn commented as everyone began to prepare to leave the classroom. At that moment, the lesson had just ended, with both Slytherin and Hufflepuff students present. However, the professor turned back to one particular student before letting everyone go.
"Mr. Snape, could we have a word? That is, if you're not in too much of a hurry for lunch, of course." He asked while looking at Snape, who stood beside Clarisse, still organizing her materials in the cauldrons.
"Of course." Snape replied as Clarisse glanced at him.
"I'll save you a seat." She responded, and he merely nodded before leaving with the other students. Soon, only Professor Slughorn and Snape remained in the classroom, with a few cauldrons still bubbling.
"I'm glad to have you back, finally. Professor McGonagall said she would speak with you; I hope she wasn't too harsh." His tone carried genuine concern for Snape.
Snape merely shook his head. "No, it's fine, Professor. Besides the 50 points she deducted, which I assume doesn't surprise you." He answered calmly.
Slughorn nodded. "Yes... Anyway, is there something you want to tell me? If you need anything, you can talk to me. If the Headmaster decides to punish you in any way, I can try to help, but I need to know in advance if something serious happened. I'd like you to be honest..." He said, observing Snape carefully.
The young man just shook his head. "No, I just had another problem with potions and was away for a month." He replied without showing any emotion.
"I see... in any case..." Not pressing further, Professor Slughorn changed the subject, and they talked a little more about other topics, including Snape's potion studies, before Snape finally took his leave.
"I need another batch; I heard the Potters are launching a hair lotion this year as well. But in my circle... your potions are quite popular." He said, watching Snape as he left.
"Alright, I'll take care of it soon." Snape replied, interested in selling even more potions—after all, he had loans at Gringotts to pay off.
As soon as he left the room, he saw someone waiting outside. And for the first time since returning to school, Snape wasn't sure how to handle it.
"Snape..." A female voice called, with a certain caution and timidity. She seemed nervous.
Snape stopped when he saw her. "Lily." He murmured, immediately noticing her condition.
It was Lily Evans, but she was clearly under the effects of a love potion. He would have to deal with this as quickly as possible.
"I... I..." She tried to speak, but Snape sighed and stepped closer, seeing her grow even more nervous.
"Let's talk somewhere else." He simply said, touching her shoulder. The next instant, they disappeared with a soft crack, reappearing directly in the Room of Requirement.
Once they arrived, Lily looked around, surprised by the environment that was shaping itself around them. Snape led her straight to the aviary, a quieter place.
An owl was flying overhead... "Your owl?" She murmured, looking confused. The setting felt strange and artificial, and upon seeing Shadow—the owl Snape owned—she recognized it, having seen it a few times before. She then turned her gaze back to him.
Snape merely watched her, noticing her growing uneasy at his touch. Realizing this, he immediately withdrew his hand. "So, you've noticed that something is wrong." He said, observing the conflict in her expression. It seemed she was finally realizing that something was off.
"Yes, Severus..." She whispered, taking a step back. She could feel herself losing control over her own body, yet at the same time, she looked at him with a certain fondness that was clearly unnatural.
She had no control over it.
"I am under the effect of a Love Potion, but I don't know who did this." She murmured, revealing the truth to him. She thought it might be madness to be alone with Snape, but at the same time, she couldn't control her impulses, even though her mind was telling her that everything would be better if she simply surrendered to him.
She could normally assume that he might have done this to her, that she could be in danger there, but those thoughts didn't even occur to her. After all, she believed that Snape would never do something like that to her—he was perfect in her eyes while under this effect.
Snape sighed. "Yes, I know that, and I know who did it." He spoke calmly, while Lily looked at him in surprise.
"You know who could have done this?" She asked, confused.
Lily was even more surprised by that statement. In the end, she hadn't sought help from anyone, because anyone could have been responsible—even someone close to her. She didn't want to raise suspicions against Snape, and besides, someone had already used a Love Potion on her. A part of her wanted to believe that he had nothing to do with it.
"I'm not going to say who it was, but I can guarantee that this person will not bother you anymore." He said simply.
"And what do we do now? Is there a way to reverse this? I'm not well, Sev..." She murmured, calling him by the nickname she hadn't used in so long.
"Don't worry about that." Snape replied in a neutral tone. "I will find the antidote. It must exist, though it won't be cheap. I'll take care of it myself." He stated firmly at the end, as he didn't want anyone to suffer the same fate as Snape's mother.
"Can you really fix this?" She asked, hesitant.
Snape began to explain part of his plan to her, and in the end, they came to an agreement: they would avoid any contact until the Potion was reversed.
Even though the idea felt like it was crushing her heart, Lily knew it was the best thing to do. She understood that distance was necessary in her current state.
The next moment, he disappeared in front of the Great Hall.
Lily felt her heart tighten as she watched him leave, but he merely sighed, looking at her one last time.
"This is just an illusion, Lily. You don't really love me. You wouldn't even come near me if it weren't for this Potion. This feeling is false. These are not your real thoughts. So forget this and stay away from me until we get the antidote." Snape spoke firmly.
"I know..." She murmured, an uncertain glimmer in her eyes.
"Thank you. You've always been a friend, and even after this is over, I hope we can go back to how things were before." She said in the end.
Snape only nodded, but deep down, he knew that would never happen.
He was only by her side because of the Potion's effect and Lily Evans' insistence over the past few weeks. Once the Potion wore off, there would be no reason for them to remain close.
That was why he wanted to find the antidote as quickly as possible.
"Well, I'm heading to the Hall." He said at last, as it was still lunchtime.
Lily listened without saying anything else, her body automatically wanting to follow him, but she knew it wasn't real. Her feelings weren't real.
In the end, she just closed her eyes and walked in the opposite direction. Even with a broken heart, she would probably go to her room without eating, just to cry before the next class.
Snape moved through the Great Hall, ignoring the stares around him. He sat down next to Clarisse, who was already finishing her lunch.
"Where were you?" She asked, observing him with curiosity.
"Solving problems." That was the only thing he said before he began to eat.
"She's still looking at you..." Clarisse murmured, making Snape glance discreetly toward the teachers' table. The scarlet gaze was still fixed on him the entire time.
"Ignore it." Snape said firmly and continued eating.
Before leaving, they had an afternoon class on Defense Against the Dark Arts, which would include a duel, just like last year.
After lunch, Snape returned to the Room of Requirement, with Clarisse accompanying him. While he prepared some potions, she talked about various topics they had discussed at her house, such as knowledge about herbs and the creation of new formulas.
When they finished, they headed to the dueling hall, where all the classes were gathered, just like the previous year. However, this year included not only the sixth years but also the seventh and fifth-year students.
Snape walked through the crowd of students, with Clarisse by his side.
"Snape!"
Pandora suddenly appeared, smiling as she saw him.
Snape nodded when he saw her. "Pandora." He greeted her as the girl looked at him with a pure smile.
His gaze shifted to the other three classes. It was somewhat strange for him not to see the same faces he had encountered in the past. Many of the former students who had gathered around the ideology of blood purity were no longer there. They had finished their seventh year, and although there were still many with this mindset among the present Slytherin students, none of them seemed interested in confronting him as they had last year.
In fact, the seventh, sixth, and even the fifth-year students were watching him cautiously. No one dared to challenge him. He had survived the holidays, despite many claiming that he would be killed by the main families—but that didn't happen, and Snape was there, as calm as ever.
He had already been considered the best duelist of the previous year. Furthermore, his reputation at the school did not help others gather the courage to mess with him—he was seen as a delinquent, someone who accumulated more negative points than anyone else while simultaneously defeating anyone who stood against him.
There were even rumors that he had tortured Nott for what the pureblood had done to Jerônimo. The very same Jerônimo was there, casting him a hesitant glance, but Snape ignored him completely.
There were no more Bellatrix, Andromeda, Narcissa, Lucius, and all those arrogant students from last year. It was a relief, especially regarding Bellatrix, who had always been irritating.
Despite this, he knew he would have to see her again. He had given his word and still had a pile of letters from her that he had yet to read.
Snape observed the situation around him, quickly analyzing the groups and possible opponents. He sighed as he felt his "army" hidden within his shadow, concealed from everyone—even the professors. He could certainly scare off anyone who tried to be annoying like last year.
"Well, everyone, now that you're all here, let's begin the dueling lesson."
Professor Longbottom appeared with Professor Flitwick at her side. The half-goblin looked at Snape with a certain expectation before speaking, noticing him standing there with Pandora and Clarisse.
"Well, Mr. Snape, it's good to see you here." He announced, while Snape remained silent.
Lily stood a little farther away but was still watching him intently. She did not show it, but her red eyes betrayed the fact that she had cried a lot before arriving there.
The professor then continued, addressing Snape as he explained the purpose of the gathering.
"As you can see, this year, we have planned to integrate the three oldest classes. All students from the last three years will be selected for championships in Scotland, where they will face other schools in the World Championship of Wizarding Schools. For this reason, we will begin dueling among ourselves to select the best who will represent Hogwarts in the quest for victory."
The professor explained, while Snape merely nodded, showing little reaction.
"Alright, let's begin then!"
Professor Longbottom quickly gave the announcement, and the first duelists were chosen.
-------------Nexts Chapters ----------------
Chapter 165 - Going to Train Bellatrix Black.
Chapter 170 - Shadow creatures?
Chapter 180 - The daggers are ready!
Chapter 189 - The Battle in the Muggle World 02.
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