A new professor at Hogwarts: a Severus Snape story

Potions and prophecies

Sixteen (and a half) years later...

'Miss Snape! Mister Lupin!'

Mr. Snape glared at us and wended his way through the work desks towards ours.

'I expect your Draught of Peace is ready and perfectly well done since you're having so much spare time to gossip during my class.'

I knew by my side Jaz was putting all her effort to conceal a snigger and keep a straight face.

'It is ready' she answered, hastily adding 'sir'.

Well, she might not be afraid of her father, but I was.

'I'm sorry, Professor' I apologised in a low voice 'we'll keep it quiet, sir'.

He came to a halt in front of us and peered at our cauldron contents.

For a split second, it seemed he was going to curl his lips in a smile. But instead, he threw a warning look at us and walked back to help another student whose concoction gave the impression of a jelly monster coming alive.

Our potion was perfect, of course. Jaz could have done it with her eyes closed. And although I didn't have her dab hand for potion-making, it was by far the subject I dedicated myself the most to. Mr. Snape had promised me he would start teaching me how to prepare the Wolfsbane Potion next year if I achieved an O.W.L. in Potions.

It was February, and everybody was freezing at the dungeons. Jaz and I had our gold and crimson scarves up to our chins. Fifth years Gryffindors had double potions Friday mornings together with the Hufflepuffs. A few minutes later, the class was dismissed. We had a free period before lunch on Fridays, so we usually stayed behind and hung around. Mr. Snape beckoned us inside his office, where he lighted the fireplace.

'Oh, thank heavens, it was ice cold in that classroom' Jaz protested as we approached the mantelpiece and took off our gloves to warm our hands. Her father didn't replied, busy brewing some tea. A minute later, he handed us smoking mugs and then kissed the top of our heads as he always did.

'I was very proud of your work today' he smiled.

'It didn't seem like it' Jaz complained 'why do you always have to act the tough one around us?'

'Jaz!' I hissed 'don't talk to your father like that.'

He ruffled my hair. 'Well, Jasmine, I've seen you two successfully concoct a Swelling Solution at the age of eight so you could feed it to Teddy's neighbor's cat and make, in your own words, a tiger' we almost spilled our teas, chuckling 'so of course I will demand more of you'.

'It was Eileen's idea!' Jaz retorted 'she persuaded us.'

'Oh, I believe that, I know you sister can be very convincing. It's almost as if she was your mother's daughter...' he sneered.

The Snape twins were less than a month younger than me, and they had just turned sixteen. Jasmine looked like her mother, brown hair and eyes and tanned skin, in addition to being a Gryffindor. Eileen, on the other hand, had her father's black hair and eyes, his pale skin and belonged to Slytherin house.

However, funny enough, Jasmine inherited Mr. Snape grumpy and sarcastic personality, his natural skill for potions, and they also had a very special bond; just as Eileen possessed her mother's extrovert and diplomatic traits, and she and Mrs. Snape seemed to understand each other just by exchanging looks.

Jaz and Eileen had their similarities, though. They would frown at you exactly the same way Mr. Snape did when you annoyed them; and they would as well bat their long-lashed eyelids at you in the precise same manner their mother did when they weren't understanding something you just said.