Harry Potter: I became Snape

The next morning, Severus Snape strode briskly across the dew-soaked grass, heading toward Greenhouse Three for Herbology class alongside his friends.

As they rounded a corner of the castle and descended a small grassy slope, the greenhouse emerged from the morning mist, its outline hazy.

Snape squinted—besides Professor Sprout's distinctive patchwork hat, another familiar figure stood at the greenhouse door. A witch in a dark green robe, her back to them, was chatting with the professor.

"What…" Snape muttered under his breath.

"What?" Patrick Abbott followed his gaze. "Oh, who's that with Professor Sprout? Did she get an assistant?"

Snape didn't reply, quickening his pace.

As they drew closer, the figure turned slightly—it was Eileen Prince, still deep in conversation with Professor Sprout.

"Your son's doing wonderfully in Herbology," Professor Sprout said, her round face beaming with a warm smile. "Aside from the occasional bit of mischief causing minor mishaps, his work is practically flawless."

"Thank you, Pomona," Eileen replied gently. "You know how he is—lucky if he doesn't cause you too much trouble."

"It's been years since I last saw this place. So nostalgic." Eileen's eyes scanned the greenhouse surroundings, a flicker of reminiscence in her gaze. "I remember when Professor Herbert Beery was still teaching. He…"

At that moment, Eileen caught the sound of Snape and his friends' footsteps and turned. Her eyes lit up the instant she saw him.

"Severus!" she called cheerfully, waving him over. "Come here."

"Good morning, Professor Sprout," Snape said as he approached, then turned to Eileen. "Mother, why are you here so early? Weren't you supposed to arrive next week?"

"Mother?" Eileen reached out to straighten his wizarding robes. "I've told you several times, Severus, when we're at Hogwarts, you address me by my title."

"Fine, esteemed Assistant Professor," Snape said with a hint of sarcasm. "May I inquire why you've taken up your post ahead of schedule?"

"I was idle at home, dear," Eileen said, nodding with satisfaction. Her gaze shifted to the two classmates trailing behind Snape—Patrick Abbott and Pandora Florahawk, both panting slightly from catching up. "These must be your friends?"

"Oh, yes." Snape glanced back, giving Patrick and Pandora a quick wink. "This is Eileen Snape, Assistant Herbology Professor and, coincidentally, my biological mother."

Eileen promptly flicked Snape on the forehead. "Mind your manners."

"Good morning, Professor Snape," Patrick said, bowing politely. "Patrick Abbott. I'm Severus's dormmate."

"Good morning, Mrs. Snape," Pandora said with a bright smile, stepping forward and giving an elegant curtsy, her silver-blue earrings swaying gently. "I'm Pandora Florahawk, a good friend of Severus's. Has he mentioned me?"

"Oh, of course," Eileen replied without missing a beat, stepping forward to clasp Pandora's hand warmly. "He's told me plenty about you. Like how you've taken so many classes together and often hang out. He says you're a remarkably gifted witch."

Snape rolled his eyes. He hadn't had a chance to tell Eileen anything about Pandora over the summer. She was clearly making it up, charmed by Pandora's sweet appearance.

As Eileen pulled Pandora into conversation, leaving Snape and Patrick momentarily sidelined, other students began trickling in.

Lily Evans and her roommate Mary strolled up to the greenhouse door. Lily's red hair stood out vividly in the crowd.

Her eyes brightened when she saw Snape, and she hurried over.

"Good morning, Sev!" Lily said, then immediately noticed Eileen, lowering her voice as she approached. "Oh, Mrs. Snape, you're here so early!"

A flicker of surprise crossed Eileen's face, followed by a complicated expression. She let go of Pandora's hand and turned to Lily. "Lily, it's been… quite a while!"

But Eileen seemed at a loss for words, her mouth opening slightly as she gave Lily an awkward smile.

Snape sucked in a sharp breath. Eileen had nearly said, "It's been a few days." He'd only convinced her to take the teaching post at Hogwarts for safety reasons, never anticipating it might create new risks.

Thankfully, Professor Sprout's booming voice broke the awkward moment.

"Everyone, gather round! Class is starting!" She clapped her hands, unlocking the greenhouse door with a large key and pushing it open. "Come on in."

She and Eileen moved to stand behind a wooden table in the center of the greenhouse.

"Good morning, everyone," Professor Sprout began. "I'm sure you've noticed the lady beside me."

All eyes turned to Eileen.

"Good morning," Eileen said, taking over. "My name is Eileen… Prince. I'll be your Assistant Herbology Professor from now on. I hope I can help you all in your studies." For Snape's sake, she chose not to reveal their familial connection.

Pandora and Patrick exchanged puzzled glances at her use of "Prince" and looked at Snape. He made a quick "shh" gesture.

"She's being modest," Professor Sprout added, patting Eileen's shoulder. "Eileen—well, back in her day, she earned Outstanding marks in Herbology for both her O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s. I'm certain you'll learn a great deal from her."

The class clapped politely. Eileen smiled and nodded, though Snape noticed her gaze lingered on Pandora and Lily for a few extra seconds.

"Now, let's get to it," Professor Sprout continued, waving her wand. A dozen flowerpots floated from the back of the greenhouse, landing on the worktables in front of each group. "Today, we'll be working with Venomous Geraniums, a key topic for your N.E.W.T. exams and a dangerous plant you'll only encounter in your seventh year."

"Venomous Geraniums look similar to regular geraniums, but their stamens conceal highly toxic fangs. When threatened, they release hallucinogenic spores and attempt to bite anyone nearby. Your task today is to safely collect three leaves for use in brewing an antidote."

After Eileen explained the precautions and distributed protective gloves and masks, the student groups got to work.

Snape, Pandora, and Patrick gathered around a particularly robust Venomous Geranium. Its stem was unnaturally thick, and its flower buds were noticeably larger than the others.

"Eileen probably doesn't want everyone knowing she's my mother," Snape whispered to them. "Having a professor's kid at school, even without special treatment, can seem… inappropriate, right?"

Pandora and Patrick nodded.

At that moment, the Venomous Geranium seemed to sense their presence. Its petals quivered, emitting a faint rustling sound.

"I'll go first," Pandora said eagerly, slipping on her dragonhide gloves and mask. "I want to test its reaction speed."

"Be careful," Snape warned, watching her closely. "Its spores can cause hallucinations for a full hour."

Pandora nodded, cautiously extending her hand. Just as her fingers neared the stem, the plant shuddered violently. Purple spores shot from its stamens, and its fanged flower bud snapped open, lunging for her wrist—

A flash of silver light erupted. The opal bracelet on Pandora's wrist activated, forming a transparent shield that blocked the spores and fangs. Pandora yelped, stumbling back two steps—right into Eileen's arms.

"Careful!" Eileen grabbed Pandora's shoulders to steady her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Pandora said, still shaken, shaking her head. "Thanks to Sev's bracelet."

Eileen's gaze shifted from the bracelet to Snape, a mix of pride and worry flickering in her eyes.

"Severus gave you that?" she asked softly.

"Last Christmas," Pandora said, smiling as she showed Eileen the bracelet. "He said I'm always doing dangerous experiments, so I need protection."

Eileen nodded thoughtfully, then turned to the plant, deftly casting a few spells to calm it.

"This one's particularly sensitive. Every plant has its own personality," she said to Pandora. "When handling Venomous Geraniums, always keep your wand ready, just in case, like this…"

Snape noticed that throughout the lesson, Eileen paid special attention to Pandora, guiding her almost hand-in-hand on safely collecting the leaves.

She was equally attentive to Lily, appearing instantly whenever Lily struggled, patiently explaining the finer points. This blatant favoritism left Snape at a loss for words.

After class, the students filed out of the greenhouse. Snape packed up his things, preparing to follow his friends, when Eileen called him back.

"Severus, can you stay a moment? I need help sorting some materials."

Snape signaled for Patrick and Pandora to go ahead, then turned to his mother. "What is it?"

Once the last student had left, Eileen set down her flowerpot and lowered her voice. "Lily and Pandora… what's going on?"

"What do you mean, what's going on?" Snape played dumb.

"You know exactly what I mean," Eileen said, narrowing her eyes with a hint of menace. "You gave Pandora a bracelet, and you were awfully close with Lily over the summer. Not that I disapprove—they're both lovely girls."

"I think they're great too," Snape said innocently. "They're my friends. We have fun together. Why make it complicated? That's just exhausting."

Eileen looked like she wanted to press further but ultimately shook her head. "Fine, I won't push. Make your own choices. By the way, it's been years since I brewed potions. Could you help me make some Calming Draught?"

"Calming Draught?" Snape asked. "It soothes anxiety and agitation… but it's not exactly easy to brew. Why do you need it all of a sudden?"

"It's for Molly," Eileen explained. "She's pregnant again—probably from that trip to Albania we took together. She and Arthur had a row about it—they've already got three boys—but they decided to keep the baby. They're desperate for a girl."

"This time it shouldn't be a boy, right?" Eileen said, mimicking Arthur Weasley's voice. "That's how Arthur convinced her. But she's still anxious about it."

Snape quickly did the mental math: Pregnant in July, ten months along, that'd be around April or May next year… Wait, isn't that Fred and George in Molly Weasley's belly? Looks like the Weasleys' hope for a girl is doomed.

"No problem, I'll brew the Calming Draught," he said, suppressing a grin and keeping a straight face. "Let me know when you need it. I can get the ingredients myself if you want."

"But…" Snape paused for effect, his tone turning cryptic, "I can guarantee this time Molly Weasley's baby won't be one boy." He emphasized "one."

Eileen looked at him, puzzled. "How can you be so sure?"

"Intuition. Maybe we've got some Seer blood in the family," Snape said mysteriously, heading for the door. "I've got Transfiguration next, and I'm about to be late. See you later, Professor Prince."

Outside, his friends were waiting not far off.

"Let's go," Snape said with a grin. "We'd better hurry—Professor McGonagall hates tardiness."

The day's classes flew by. After finishing his Potions essay in the common room, Snape stuffed his things into his bag, left the castle, and headed toward the Forbidden Forest.

Night had fully fallen, with only faint moonlight illuminating the path.

The treetops of the Forbidden Forest loomed eerily under the moonlight, their twisted branches swaying in the night breeze, casting dappled shadows.

Ahead, two figures stood beneath the trees—one as tall as a small tree, the other barely reaching the giant's knee. Hagrid and Dobby were waiting for Snape at the forest's edge.

Hagrid carried his massive crossbow, a quiver brimming with arrows slung over his shoulder, and a pink umbrella tucked into his belt. Dobby, as usual, wore his tattered pillowcase.

"Mr. Snape! Dobby is so happy to see you again!" Dobby exclaimed before Hagrid could speak, bouncing with excitement, his large ears flapping against his head. "Dobby awaits your instructions!"

"Good evening, Dobby," Snape said with a smile, pulling two gold Galleons from his pocket. "Here's your pay for the week."

"Dobby…" The elf trembled as he took the coins. "Dobby hasn't even started working yet…"

"Take it," Snape insisted, pressing the Galleons into Dobby's hand. "Buy yourself some new clothes."

Dobby nodded, choking back a sob.

Hagrid looked at Dobby curiously. "Blimey, you're actually takin' wages? Thought that'd be an insult to your kind."

"Dobby's different," Snape explained. "You should think of him as one of us."

"Oh, right," Hagrid said, rubbing his massive hands awkwardly. "Dumbledore said you're doin' detention in the forest—er, no, sorry," he corrected himself hastily, "helpin' me check on the werewolves in there."

"Even though you're a student," Hagrid added, his bushy brows knitting with concern, "Dumbledore says you're brilliant. I trust him."

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