My Naughty Minx | Severus Snape X Professor

Chapter 4: The Welcoming

We made our way into the great hall to see the 1st years get sorted into their houses. We got a couple of Slytherins which made it nice but we most certainly would not win the house cup. Gryffindors. Phoenix sat down next to me. She had changed for the evening. She looked amazing in the outfit she had on before. She had changed into a black dress and had a long emerald cape on.

I wondered what she meant by seeing me with more emotions than she did when she was my student. Maybe I didn't show more emotion to adults than I do to children.

Albus stood up and cleared his throat.  "The very best of evenings to you! First off, please join me in welcoming the newest member of our staff, Phoenix Nightshade. Professor Nightshade will be taking over as potions master while Professor Snape will be moving to Defense Against the Dark Arts." A few Slytherins had joined in on the clapping as did me, Minnie, and Phoenix.

"Now, as you know, every one of you was searched upon your arrival tonight. You have a right to know why," Albus said, and I looked over at Phoenix who was trying to control her laughter. "Once there was a young man who, like you, sat in this very Hall. Walked this castle's corridors. Slept beneath its roof. He seemed, to all the world, a student like any other. His name? Tom Riddle."

The Hall was silent.

"Today, of course, the world knows him by another name. This is why, as I stand looking out upon you all tonight, I am reminded of a sobering fact. Each day, every hour, this very minute perhaps, dark forces attempt to penetrate this castle. But in the end, their greatest weapon remains... you," he said, "Just something to keep in mind. Now, off to bed. Pip pip!"

Such a strange old man. I looked over at Phoenix who was having a conversation with Hagrid. She was laughing with him. Why did I feel this sudden spurt of spite toward Hagrid? What is this feeling?

I saw Dumbledore walk over to Phoenix and I wondered what he was talking to her about. She looked disappointed with what he was saying. I decided to be bold and walk over to them. "Dumbledore," I said.

"Not now," Phoenix spat, "Severus," she pulled Albus to the side and started to get furious with him. After a couple of minutes, she walked back over to me. "What was that about?" I asked hoping it sounded convincing that I did not care.

"Do you know Horace Slughorn?" She asked.

"Yes?"

"I will be working under him," she said, "I am his assistant."

I wish you were working under me but...

Stop Severus stop. I shook my head. "What do you mean you are working under him? I thought you were hired for the potions position?"

"I was," she paused, "but he needs Slughorn and information," she folded her arms. She looked quite adorable when she was angry.

Stop.

"I will be right back," I said while walking away and walking towards Dumbledore.

I tapped him on the shoulder, "I know what you are thinking, Severus, I need information from Slughorn and it's my best bet to have Slughorn working with Phoenix."

"You do know she is upset, right?"

Dumbledore turned and smiled at me. Not his normal smile but his sneaky smile like he is up to something. "Someone can read feelings?" Dumbledore asked.

"Psh, no," I said.

"I think Phoenix being here will be good for you, Severus."

—-

Phoenix Nightshade

I walked to the potions classroom and knocked on the door. Waiting for Slughorn to respond. "Come in," Slughorn said. I opened the door to see him reading. "Ah hello, dear," he said, "early for your first class?" He smiled, "sit down and wait for your peers to come in."

"I'm not a student," I said, "my name is Phoenix Nightshade, I am your assistant."

"Oh, yes," he stood up, "you look very young. You aren't just my assistant you are a professor. You will be teaching our students on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and every other Friday. The other days you will be by my side if anyone needs help."

I nodded, great.

So I wouldn't be teaching anyone until Wednesday this week.

Students started to flood in for 6th-year potions. I noticed a couple of students from the great hall last night but couldn't put any names to faces yet.

Two Gryffindor boys started to stroll in. One of the boys I recognized as Harry Potter, the chosen one.

"Harry m'boy! I was beginning to worry! And I see we've brought someone with us...," Slughorn drew out.

"Ron Weasley, sir. But I'm dead awful at Potions, a menace actually, so I probably should just be going," the red-headed boy said.

"Nonsense, we'll sort you out. Any friend of Harry's is a friend of mine. Right then, books out," Slughorn said.

"Um, sorry, sir, but I haven't got my book yet -- nor's Ron," Harry said.

"Not to worry. You can get what you need from the cupboard," Slughorn said.

I saw the two boys fight over the books in the cupboard. I wondered why.

"Now, as I was saying, I've prepared a few concoctions this morning. Any idea what these might be? Yes, Miss...?"

"Granger, sir. That one there is Veritaserum. And that would be Polyjuice Potion. And that...is Amortentia! The most powerful love potion in the world. It's rumored to smell differently to each person, according to what attracts them. For example, I smell freshly mown grass and new parchment and spearmint toothpaste," Hermione blushes.

"Now Amortentia doesn't create actual love, of course. That's impossible. But it does cause a powerful infatuation or obsession. For that reason, it is probably the most dangerous potion in this room," Slughorn walks over to the pot and closes it.

"Sir, you haven't told us about that one right there," A Gryffindor girl says.

"What you see before you, ladies and gentlemen, is a curious little potion known as Felix Felicis. But it is more commonly referred to as," Slughorn was cut off.

"Liquid luck," Hermione piped in.

"I would like each one of you to make a perfect Draught of Living Death," Slughron said, "the first perfect one gets this liquid luck. Know that I haven't had one student brew Draught of Living Death correctly since Professor Snape was my student," he smiled, "good luck."

I walked over to Harry to see how he was doing and because I wanted to see what he and the redhead boy were fighting over. "May I see?" I asked Harry and he nodded. The book was old for sure and I looked to the first page. Property of the Half-Blood Prince. I gave the book back to Harry and walked over to Slughorn. "So you taught Severus?" I asked.

He nodded, "one of my best students although he didn't talk much. He even made it into my Slug club."

"Slug club?" I asked.

"For my best potions students," he stated.

I nodded.

I wondered what else I could get out of Slughorn about Severus. I was curious about Severus and I wanted to know everything about him. If I say so myself I wasn't going to get everything out of him. He is too closed off.