Harry Potter: I became Snape

Dragging his exhausted body back to the castle from the Forbidden Forest alongside the headmaster, Severus Snape could think of only one thing—sinking into a hot bath and then collapsing into bed until morning.

As they entered the entrance hall, Dumbledore made his way toward the marble staircase. Snape hesitated for a moment before following.

"Why are you following me, Severus?" Dumbledore asked without turning around.

"Oh, I'm not following you, Professor," Snape replied. "I just want to take a bath. The path to the prefects' bathroom is the same way."

"Very well," Dumbledore said with a soft chuckle, saying no more.

The two walked in silence for a while.

"Good night, Severus. Don't soak too long," Dumbledore said, pausing at the sixth-floor landing. "Don't forget you have classes tomorrow."

"Good night, Professor," Snape responded, watching as Dumbledore continued up the stairs, his robes vanishing around the corner.

After parting ways with the headmaster at the staircase, Snape moved along the moonlit corridor until he reached the statue of Boris the Bewildered—a wizard with a vacant expression, wearing his gloves on the wrong hands. Just as he was about to locate the bathroom's entrance, a faint glimmer in the corner caught his eye. Looking down, he saw two glowing eyes, like tiny lamps shining in the dark.

"Good evening, Mrs. Norris," Snape said softly. "Please don't yowl."

Mrs. Norris's tail shot up, her fur bristling as if she were about to raise the alarm.

"Stop!" Snape darted forward, grabbing her by the scruff of her neck.

Mrs. Norris froze as if hit with a Petrificus Totalus, her four paws dangling helplessly in the air, her yellow eyes wide with shock.

"Shh—" Snape whispered, bringing his face close to the cat's. "Don't make a sound, alright? I'll give you something tasty."

Mrs. Norris blinked, seemingly considering his offer.

Snape carefully set her down, one hand expertly scratching under her chin while the other reached into his pocket for a small pouch. It was a treat he'd prepared long ago.

"Look, I came prepared," he said, opening the pouch. The rich aroma of fish filled the air. "This is special house-elf-made stuff—much better than the scraps Filch sneaks you from the table."

The cat's nose twitched, her wariness gradually giving way to curiosity.

Snape placed a small dried fish on the ground. Mrs. Norris hesitated for a moment before pouncing, snatching it up and retreating to a corner.

In less than a minute, she'd devoured it, purring loudly and rubbing her head against Snape's wrist, demanding more.

"Good girl," Snape said, the corner of his mouth twitching upward as he massaged behind her ears. "I knew you'd like it."

In under five minutes, Mrs. Norris was completely won over. After finishing the fish, she even rolled onto her back, exposing her belly and wriggling on the floor, inviting Snape to scratch her.

Watching her antics, Snape couldn't help but think that if Filch knew his "little sweetheart" could be so easily bribed, he'd probably lose his mind.

"Alright, little darling," Snape said, scooping up the cat. "Why don't you come enjoy this with me?"

To his surprise, Mrs. Norris didn't resist at all, instead curling up comfortably in the crook of his arm.

Counting four steps to the left of the statue, Snape reached the entrance to the prefects' bathroom and leaned in to whisper the password: "Fresh pineapple."

The door creaked open. Snape slipped inside with the cat, securing the door behind him before taking in the legendary prefects' bathroom.

His first thought was regret—why hadn't he snuck in here sooner?

The prefects' bathroom was leagues beyond the regular student bathrooms, easily three times as spacious. The showers he'd used before had only a few basic nozzles and two perpetually cramped tubs, but this was practically a miniature spa.

A grand chandelier adorned with flickering candles cast a warm, inviting glow over the room. Everything was crafted from gleaming white marble, including the rectangular pool sunk into the floor, large enough to be mistaken for a swimming pool.

Lining the pool's edge were about a hundred golden faucets, each adorned with a different colored gem. A diving board even hung over the center of the pool.

At the far end, white linen curtains draped over the windows, and a stack of fluffy white towels sat neatly in the corner. The only painting on the wall, set in a gilded frame, depicted a blonde mermaid sleeping on a rock, her long hair brushing her face, trembling slightly with each breath.

"This is the life," Snape murmured, setting Mrs. Norris down.

The cat immediately began exploring, sniffing curiously at every corner, enthralled by the new environment.

Snape approached the pool, his footsteps echoing in the cavernous bathroom. Eager to try the faucets, he reached to undo his robes but froze.

"Wait…" He narrowed his eyes, scanning the empty bathroom warily. A thought crossed his mind—Hogwarts had a notorious female ghost with a peculiar habit of spying on people bathing.

"Myrtle!" he called, raising his voice deliberately, the sound bouncing off the tiled walls. "I know you're here. Come out!"

Mrs. Norris, startled by the sudden shout, let out a yowl.

Other than that, only his voice echoed through the bathroom. The mermaid in the painting rolled over on her rock, undisturbed, muttering incomprehensible words in her sleep.

Snape frowned. Knowing Myrtle, she was likely lurking somewhere, waiting for her chance. He decided to search the bathroom more thoroughly.

Wand in hand, he cast "Homenum Revelio" at every corner and faucet, but no hidden person or ghost appeared.

"Am I overthinking this…?" Snape straightened, his gaze falling on the mermaid painting.

He approached the painting, lifting it to check for anything hidden behind it.

The mermaid, startled awake by his movement, tumbled off her rock and splashed into the painted water with a yelp.

When Snape set the painting back, the mermaid surfaced, her long hair now soaked and clinging to her face, dripping water.

Spotting Snape, she angrily flicked her tail, sending sprays of water flying, and let out a series of shrill, ear-piercing screams.

The harsh sound filled the bathroom, reverberating off the marble walls.

"Quiet!" Snape shouted, covering his ears. Mrs. Norris's fur puffed up, her body arching as she hissed.

He pointed his wand at the mermaid and snapped, "Silencio!"

The mermaid's scream cut off mid-note. Her mouth continued to open and close furiously, but no sound came out, leaving her to glare at Snape in frustration.

"Sorry for disturbing your rest," Snape said, rubbing his ears, his tone softening. "Go back to sleep."

The mermaid rolled her eyes, climbed back onto her rock, and lay down with her back to him.

After a thorough inspection, Snape was finally convinced that the bathroom held only one person and one cat.

"She's really not here," he said, exhaling with relief and nodding in satisfaction.

Reassured, Snape grabbed a fluffy towel and placed it by the pool's edge before kneeling to turn on a few faucets.

He quickly discovered that these faucets dispensed various bubble bath solutions mixed with hot water—a luxury he'd never experienced before.

The first faucet released pink and blue bubbles the size of footballs. The second produced dense, crystalline foam so thick Snape thought it could probably float him on the surface. The third sprayed a fragrant purple mist that swirled over the water.

"Remarkable," he muttered, turning on a few more faucets. One shot out an arc of water like a bridge across the pool, captivating him.

Hot water and foam filled the deep pool at an astonishing rate, steam quickly filling the room.

Snape turned off the faucets, swiftly shed his shoes and clothes, and tossed them aside.

Completely unselfconscious, he strode to the diving board, stood bare at its edge, and executed a less-than-perfect dive, plunging into the pool with a splash.

"Ahh—" Snape let out a contented sigh as his body sank into the warm water.

The prefects' pool was extraordinary. The water seemed infused with a potion to soothe muscles, and the exhaustion from his trek through the Forbidden Forest began to melt away. The warmth enveloped him, like countless gentle hands massaging his aching body.

Mrs. Norris, at the pool's edge, tentatively dipped a paw into the water.

Snape swam over and, on impulse, pulled her in. She flailed in panic, her claws scrabbling in the water. Snape held her at arm's length to avoid being scratched.

"Relax," he said softly. "The water's not that bad."

The cat gradually calmed, seemingly realizing that soaking in warm water wasn't so terrible.

Snape released her, and Mrs. Norris began awkwardly paddling around him, circling in the water.

"See? Not so bad, is it?" he said with a smile.

Colorful mist floated around them, and as the cat grew accustomed to swimming, chasing bubbles like a fluffy little ball, Snape couldn't shake the odd feeling that something in Filch had quietly shattered.

He swam a couple of laps before returning to the pool's edge, leaning against the wall and closing his eyes, letting the steam flush his cheeks. The colored bubbles drifted toward him, gently brushing his skin.

Just as he was drifting into a drowsy haze, a faint voice whispered in his ear: "Sev, were you clattering around looking for me earlier?"

Snape jolted, eyes snapping open, choking on a mouthful of bubbly water.

A translucent face hovered inches from his nose—Moaning Myrtle, floating above the water, her mournful eyes fixed on him.

"Myrtle!" he sputtered, coughing and sinking until only his head remained above water. "Where did you come from?!"

Myrtle giggled, spinning in a circle in front of him, her pearly ghost form passing through a statue at the pool's edge.

"I was waiting outside until the mermaid stopped screaming," she said, feigning shyness and covering her eyes with transparent fingers. "Don't be so nervous, Severus. I didn't miss any of the good parts."

"What exactly did you see?" Snape couldn't help asking.

"Everything," Myrtle said smugly. "The bits I should've seen and the bits I shouldn't have."

"Oh, don't be so shy," she said, floating closer, tilting her head, her thick glasses glinting. "Especially when you were on the diving board—honestly, the lines of your hips were—"

"I'm flattered," Snape cut her off, rolling his eyes, realizing he'd been outmaneuvered by a ghost who was technically still a teenager.

"Fine," he said, throwing caution to the wind and standing up from the pool, water streaming off him. "If you want to look, go ahead and look."

Myrtle let out a piercing shriek and zipped into the nearest faucet.

"Put some clothes on!" Her voice echoed muffled and panicked from inside the faucet.

"You're scared to look when I let you, but you're fine with sneaking peeks?" Snape shook his head, climbing out of the pool and drying off. "What a mess."

Once dressed, he fished Mrs. Norris out of the pool and used a charm to dry her fur.

The cat purred contentedly, rubbing against his legs.

"Come out, Myrtle," he said, picking up the cat. "I'm leaving if you don't."

Myrtle immediately emerged from the faucet, looking at Snape with a resentful expression.

"The summer holidays lasted two whole months… Sev…" she said. "Do you know how I spent those two months?"

"Hey, don't do that," Snape said, setting Mrs. Norris down and scratching his head, feeling a pang of guilt.

It hit him that for Myrtle, the entire summer might have been spent alone, a solitary ghost haunting the castle, counting the days until her few friends returned.

"Next year, I'll graduate," he said. "After that… why don't you leave Hogwarts and come with me?"

"Really?" Myrtle said, her pearly form seeming to brighten. "You'd let me follow you?"

"As long as you stop scaring me all the time," Snape said. "I can only take so many frights."

Myrtle nodded happily.

"Good night, Sev," she said, beaming as she floated through the ceiling.

Leaving the bathroom, Snape walked through the dark corridor, stroking Mrs. Norris's sleek fur and feeding her two more dried fish. "This is our little secret," he said. "Don't tell anyone."

The cat rubbed against his hand, as if in agreement.

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