Dunderhead - A Harry Potter story: Snape becomes Harry's mentor

Chapter 13: CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES

Harry was moderately interested in what Hermione had to say about the girl she had been partnered with in their Transfiguration class. That her guardian was Bathilda Bagshot, author of A History Of Magic, was certainly curious, but Harry mused that you couldn't exactly choose your family. Look at what he had for family! The Dursleys would certainly not be the doting family that the wizarding world might expect to be caring for The Boy Who Lived. Harry almost snorted aloud at the idea of the Dursleys acting in such a way.

"I wanted to ask her what it was like growing up with such a famous historian but she left before I could." Hermione was saying, disappointed.

"No wonder she probably wanted to get away as quickly as possible." Ron muttered.

Harry left the two of them to their bickering as he saw Professor Dumbledore standing in the hall. He was talking intently to Professor Snape amid the rush of students coming out of classrooms. People gave them a wide berth as they went and Harry wondered if they were discussing Order business. He thought better of this when he realised that they probably wouldn't be so obvious as to do that in the middle of a busy hallway. Professor McGonagall came out of her classroom and walked briskly over to Snape and Dumbledore. 

"Minerva, do you have the time to spare? Can you accompany me and Severus to my office?" Professor Dumbledore asked politely.

"Of course, Albus. Shall we go up now?" She replied crisply.

"Yes, indeed," he said. "Although I might stop at the kitchens first." He added cheerily.

"Do you never stop thinking of your sweet tooth?" Snape snapped. 

"Ah Severus, in these times one must find sweetness wherever they can. I might sample that new cherry tart." He said thoughtfully.

Harry snorted at the look on Snape's face and quickly joined in with Hermione and Ron's continued conversation to avoid the teachers looking over at him.

"- and If I see her again I'll certainly say hello." Hermione was saying.

"Why?" Ron griped. "She's a Slytherin and you talked to her for under an hour. We've never seen her before, she could be a spy!" He warned.

Hermione sniffed and turned to Harry. "She wasn't the girl that gave you the book, was she?"

"No." Harry said distractedly. He was still trying to pay attention in part to what Dumbledore might be doing. Harry gave up when he saw the three teachers had moved away from his ear shot. "Remember though, the book wasn't given to me, I found it on the floor." Harry explained, coming back to his friends, " and Mint didn't look anything like that girl. Mint had dark brown hair, not black, and really thick eyebrows." He said.

"She doesn't sound like much of a looker." Ron commented in a satisfied way. "Slytherins aren't though, are they?" 

Hermione proceeded to criticise Ron; "Just because you don't like a Hogwarts House, that doesn't make them all ugly by default!" She snapped.

"What, do you find any of them attractive?" Ron swelled in indignation.

Hermione gave him a scornful look. "Honestly Ronald, you can appreciate beauty without liking a person." She said defensively.

Harry was starting to feel a bit targeted by the direction that his friend's argument had taken. He didn't like Cho just because she was pretty, did he? No, he wasn't that shallow, he thought. She did have good qualities. Harry had enjoyed chatting with her about quidditch, for example. He comforted himself for a moment as he remembered how he had enjoyed their conversation in the first part of their awful date together. Unfortunately, Harry had to admit that Cho did have an annoying crying habit... and she had behaved badly at Madame Pudifoot's teashop - that dreadful place! Perhaps, if she could just get her emotions under control a bit more, and not jump down his throat every time he mentioned another girl's name in passing, then maybe they would get on a bit better on the whole. Cho wasn't from a house that he despised either so, really, he wasn't at fault.