Begin Again (Severus Snape/Student Love Story)

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Victory

      "I'm not defending what I did!" Harry demanded. About an hour had passed since the ordeal with Malfoy. We were seated around the common room fireplace, Harry having just recounted the horrible scene in the bathroom. He had found the spell in his secondhand copy of Advanced Potion Making, which had been significantly amended by its previous owner, someone who called himself the 'Half-Blood Prince.' Since the spell had been labeled 'for enemies,' Harry made a split-second decision to use it when he confronted Malfoy in the bathroom, even though he'd had no clue what it would do. "I wish I hadn't done it, and not just because I've got about a dozen detentions. You know I wouldn't've used a spell like that, not even on Malfoy, but you can't blame the Prince, he hadn't written 'try this out, it's really good' – he was just making notes for himself, wasn't he, not for anyone else..."

I tapped my chin thoughtfully, wondering what kind of enemies this 'Prince' could have had if he needed a spell that dark and dangerous to use against them.

Hermione gaped at him, appalled. "Are you telling me that you're going to go back - ?"

"And get the book? Yeah, I am. Listen, without the Prince, I'd never have won the Felix Felicis. I'd never have known how to save Ron from poisoning, I'd never have – "

He was interrupted by Hermione. "- got a reputation for Potions brilliance you don't deserve."

"You're not naturally a Potions genius?" I said with a frown just as Ginny said "Give it a rest, Hermione!"

I was slightly shocked at her defensive tone. "By the sound of it, Malfoy was trying to use an Unforgivable Curse, you should be glad Harry had something good up his sleeve!" continued Ginny. I winced at the memory of my own experience with the Cruciatus curse, which, according to Harry, Malfoy had been about to use.

"Ginny's right you know," I added. "We'd be having a very different conversation right now, possibly in the hospital wing, if Harry hadn't had something nasty to fall back on." I made a mental note to ask Harry about the spell later, then disregarded the thought. It wouldn't look very good, and he would probably question why I would want to know details about such dark magic.

"Well, of course I'm glad Harry wasn't cursed! But you can't call that Sectumsempra spell good, Ginny," said Hermione. I gave an inward cheer and committed it to memory. 'Sectumsempra' ... but would I really use it against Goyle? If I were truly desperate, maybe. Still, it didn't hurt to have as a backup. But had the book said anything else? Was there any commentary from the Prince beyond 'for enemies?' Hermione went on. "Look where it's landed him! And I'd have thought, seeing what this has done to your chances in the match – "

Ginny's nostrils flared. "Oh, don't start acting as though you understand Quidditch, you'll only embarrass yourself."

The two girls, each wearing identical sour pouts, were now sitting cross-armed, refusing to look at one another. Harry, meanwhile, was looking rather proud given the circumstances. He had sat up a little straighter, and was smiling a wide, easy smile in Ginny's direction.

It wasn't long before Ginny was stomping off to the dormitory, me in tow. I was a bit perplexed at her reaction. Ginny and Hermione were friends, and Hermione was only trying to look out for Harry, even if Ginny didn't agree.

"She's such a know-it-all sometimes," she said irately after huffing for several minutes. "Doesn't she see that we don't need her scolding us all the time? I have a mum at home, I don't need another one here. No one wants to hear it."

"I mean, she comes from a good place though, doesn't she? She doesn't want Harry doing anything he'll regret later..."

Ginny fell back into her bed, arms still folded. "She's just jealous Harry's been outshining her in Potions this year. Miss Perfect always has to be the best in every class."