Life’s Lessons Ch.1 

Original authors: CeeCeeMee, writeurlife, and Scorcia

Author’s Notes: The first three chapters belongs to them. I just adopted this story and will upload my own chapter soon! Naturally JKRowling is original creator of HP.

*****

Severus Snape sighed. Normally, he wouldn’t have given in to such a display of exasperation, but he was alone. Now he did not have to worry about keeping up his frightening appearance to scare some disobedient student.

Severus was staring gloomily at his potions cupboard. There was no doubt about it; the cupboard was just too small. He needed more room and that was all there was to it. With just a meter or so more, he could dry more of his own herbs and he wouldn’t have to go into town all the time. His workplace could be tidier, with a place for each cauldron and each vial. He could have one side of the room for the school’s potions and the other side could be dedicated to his own work.

Severus sat down in his leather arm chair and settled into his latest fantasy. If he could have a room turned into a green house he could have a year long supply of herbs and other plants. I wouldn’t have to tread in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of a snow-storm looking for one sprig of Ross flower, Snape thought grimly.

Severus closed his eyes as the memory resurfaced. He hadn’t thought that he would ever find that one measly plant. Yes, another room was just what he needed. Severus crossed his arms. But how should he go about getting this room? He could ask Albus…

No, that wouldn’t work, Snape thought. Albus had too many things on his mind at the time. Severus didn’t want to burden him with more.

Severus sighed again, rubbed his nose in irritation and looked away from the disgraceful cupboard. Maybe a walk around the castle would give him some ideas. If not, well, maybe he would find a wandering Gryffindor. He hadn’t taken points in almost five hours.

I’m must be losing my touch, Severus thought grimly.

The corridors were empty. There was nobody in sight. Severus enjoyed the quiet. During the day it was always noisy, students yapping as they went from each class, yapping during breakfast, lunch and dinner. It was enough to drive any teacher insane.

But at night it was quiet and this was when Severus liked it. The castle had a dark splendor to it when all was silent and the torches cast his long shadow upon the stone walls--it was a sort of beauty, one resplendent with power.

The sort of beauty that corrupted easily and had sent him down so many dreadful paths.

But back to the problem at hand, Severus thought. Where could he find an extra room? Many ideas came to mind, each more ludicrous or impractical than the last.

Severus was on the seventh floor and thinking hard about the design of his new room when a creaking sound stopped him. The sound had come from behind him, so Severus spun around. His wand was out and he was ready to fight, but there was nothing to fight. Then Severus noticed a door. It was made out of dark wood and the door knob was tarnished. Snape frowned and his eyebrows creased.

That door wasn’t there before, Severus thought suspiciously. He was sure that the corridor had been empty a minute before and Severus Snape was hardly ever wrong.

Severus strode forward, wand first. To some people he would of seemed over cautious and paranoid but Severus had learned from his years as a spy that you could never be to careful. Anything could be a trap, anybody could be lying and his life was on the line constantly.

The door seemed innocent enough, but Severus cast several spells just to be sure. Finally satisfied, Severus opened the door further and saw--nothing.

Severus frowned and cast another spell.

Ah, that explains it, Severus thought.

The room was veiled. Nobody could see inside the room from the outside. Well that could be fixed. Severus opened the door all the way, cast a invisibility spell on himself and stepped inside.

The sight that greeted him was astonishing. If Severus was anybody else, his mouth would have fallen open.

At least twenty students were orderly lined up and shooting curses at each other. In between the curses Severus could make out who the students were.

Patil twins, Jordan, Weasley, Macmillan, Smith, Granger, Weasley, Weasley, Bell, Creevey and Potter. Of course Potter would be involved with this. The brat doesn’t know how to stay out of trouble, Severus thought.

The poor students hadn’t seen their Professor yet. Severus waited patiently and counted the students.

 Twenty- eight students and Potter looks like the leader, Severus thought. Well, isn’t this just wonderful, Severus thought.

Different colored spells whizzed through the air. Most of them hit their targets but a few unlucky students had to have Potter fix their wand position and other various things.

Severus was surprised to see how good Neville Longbottom’s aim was. The boy was horrible at potions and he seemed too shy to do any damage with a wand, but his aim was very good.

Severus had not expected that, nor had he expected that the students would actually listen to what Potter was telling them.

They turned their undivided attention to him whenever he spoke. Severus usually had to raise his voice or take points away to get that reaction. And even then his students’ gazes were never filled with respect like they were now.

But Potter is perfect. Haven’t you realized that Severus? Severus clenched his fists.

Severus undid the invisibility spell, crossed his arms and waited to be noticed. Potter noticed him first and he complexly froze with shock and horror written across his features. Severus couldn’t help but smirk.

Weasley noticed him next as he followed his frozen friends gaze.

“Ahh!” The youngest male Weasley yelped as he noticed Severus and then the boy continued to fall due to a curse that had not been blocked in time.

With various explosions of surprise the students, turned to stare at him. Severus stared back with his arms still crossed and his wand tapping against his bicep.

But suddenly Severus’s plan to scare the heck out of the students backfired. They exchanged glances and as one turned there wands on their hated Professor.

Severus had his wand pointed back at the students immediately.

“We’re sorry, professor,” Granger said in a shaky whisper.

Immediately after more than five spells were sent his way. Severus only spared a second to think how idiotic that move had been. Did the fools even know how much damage mixed spells could do?

A second later Severus had a shield that not only protected him from the spells but sent them back in the opposite direction.

But Severus did not even think about what would happen after that. The shield consolidated the spells, weaving them into one multicolored beam. Severus did not have time to do anything, yet time stood still as the combined spell headed for the students.

A few managed to scatter or dodge. One student was not fast enough.

……………………

All Harry had been able to think about when Snape had showed up in the Room of Requirement was that he was so dead. But then Hermione had taken things to the next level by trying to curse the professor. Ron had followed her move and more students quickly joined as well. And Harry had watched in horror as their spells flew at the greasy Potions master.

The professor was full of surprises and Harry watched in awe as a block flew up just before the spell would have hit Snape. But Harry did not have anymore time to wonder about his professor’s abilities as the spells bounded off the shield and made their way back.

George had thrown himself out of the way, but Fred was still standing in the way of the spells, as well as Hannah. Roughly, Harry pushed them out of the way.

The combined spells hit him full on the chest and he was thrown back first into a stone wall. The last thing Harry saw before he lost consciousness was Ron talking to him worriedly.

……………………

As Severus watched Potter push one of the Weasley twins and Abbott out of the way he cursed mentally. He should of foreseen this, it was just like Potter to do something so foolish.

Knowing what would happen next, Severus was not surprised when the spells hit Potter at full force.

With a shocked expression Potter flew into the wall behind him.

After a stunned second Severus moved forward, cursing mentally as he went. Weasley beat Severus to Potter’s slumped body. “Harry! Are you okay mate?”

Weasley was practically yelling at the barely conscious teen. Severus watched as Potter’s eyes slid shut before he grabbed Weasley by his shoulder and pushed him roughly out of the way. Ignoring Weasleys protests; he checked Potters pulse, A bit fast, he thought but it was nothing to worry over.

Potter was still alive so the Headmaster did not have a reason to choke him to death.

But the boy is still unconscious, Severus mused. If Albus finds his precious golden boy like this I will have to suffer through one of his degrading speeches.

Severus was aware of his students talking quietly behind his back and he turned around. He did not want a repeat of the accident that had just occurred. The students jumped and some looked away guiltily at being caught, while others stared back defiantly.

“Not one word of this to anyone, do you understand?” The tone Severus used would have made grown men burst into tears. The terrified and anxious teens nodded, some more slowly then others.

“Mobilicorpus,” Severus muttered with his wand pointing at Potter’s limp body.

The boy rose into the air and Severus moved toward the door. The students parted, practically pushing each other down to get out of their professor’s way. Severus found himself smirking on the inside at his student’s actions; they were just too easily intimidated.

Right before he exited, Severus cast a shield over Potter so that the boy would be invisible as he floated down the hallway.

The last thing he needed was for Umbridge to find him carrying an unconscious Potter down the hall. While the toad-like woman probably liked the idea of an unconscious Potter, if not a dead one, Severus did not want to test his luck.

Severus glanced at the bane of his existance and hoped that he had not permanently injured him. The teen had hit the wall rather hard.

Potter has a thick head, though, Severus thought. Soon his quarters were in sight and after glancing around Severus muttered the password to the portrait of a lonely house in the middle of a valley.

The door opened with a clicking sound and Severus entered after carefully maneuvering the teen in first. Now I can heal the brat and release him, no harm done, Severus thought as he closed his heavy door.

Severus removed the shield from Potter’s body and with his wand lifted the teen onto his couch. The professor’s quarters were painted in a green, burgundy and cream color sceme.

Severus was well aware that his students thought his rooms were painted black, just like his clothes and in less dire times, the idea amused him, even though he would never admit it.

The furniture was older, most of it taken from his house. The room smelled of spices and potions ingredients. The professor even had an area at the side of his closet for emergency potions.

The smells from the potions drifted out of there bottles even though they were sealed tightly. For that reason, Snape’s rooms and clothes smelt like the potions he brewed. He had always thought it was a rather nice smell. After living in the room for so long, Severus did not even notice it any more.

Severus moved over to Potter and ran a diagnostic spell over his body. Beside the bruises on his back and the major headache he would have when he woke, Severus could not find any other damage on the teen.

Severus covered Harry uncaringly with the thin blanket lying on the back of the couch and then moved to head to his potions cabinet.

He would need to treat the bruises before Potter woke and started complaining. Albus would not like it if he found his boy wonder injured in Severus’s rooms.

Severus headed to his bedroom where he kept more of his potions.

A few seconds later, after Severus had left the room, a bluish light started to glow around the teen lying immobile on the couch. It made no sound but grew in strength, turning bright and spreading light to the dark corners of the room. The next second it was gone leaving no traces that it had even been there--except on Harry’s now young face.

In the bedroom Severus was digging through one of his many trunks where he kept the potions he did not have room for in his closet.

After he had retrieved the bruising balm and headache solution Severus headed back to his living room. Hopefully the teen would wake up in time to make classes, Dumbledore and all of Potter’s little friends would start looking for the boy.

The last thing Snape wanted was a bunch of Gryffindors tramping through his dungeon.

It was bad enough that he had to teach the dunderheads every day; there was no way he would let them roam through his part of the castle if he could help it.

Severus headed over to the teen still lying on his couch; he would wait a while then he was going to shake him awake if he had to.

But Severus had only taken a few steps toward the teen before he stopped in surprise. Why did the lump under the thin blanket seem so small? Snape stepped closer and with his long fingers he snatched the blanket of Harry’s body.

It was only from pure shock that Severus dropped the blanket. It tumbled out of Severus’s limp hand and onto the floor while the Potions professor stared at the child curled up on his couch.

TBC…