The mortifying ordeal of falling in love with your entire secret study group

7th year: Theo

Their brief victory over the Carrows was just that: brief.

Daphne and Snape entered the main hall, cloaks billowing dramatically, and looking like dark mages. Behind them followed McGonagall, Flitwick, Slughorn and Professor Vector.

"About time, Severus," Theo said without bothering to stand. If both Daphne and Snape wanted a power play, they could have one. He just wished he didn't have to be there for the following argument.

Snape sent every student except the Death Eater Slytherins away and closed the doors to the hall before he woke the Carrows up. There was yelling, there were silencing hexes, threats of violence – but, in the end, Snape was backed up by five baby Death Eaters, and the Carrows now knew that Theo and Daphne alone could face them in a duel.

Over dinner, Snape held an intimidating speech, insulting Muggles, Muggleborns, Potter, Weasley and Hermione, and warned the Carrows once more to not practise dark magic on students. People – students and teachers alike, who had all heard the rumours before dinner was over, now looked at Theo and Daphne in fear.

And so the year was off to a promising (to be terrible) start.

Alchemy and Art didn't manage to distract Theo from thinking about Hermione, and not even Arithmancy could distract from the irregular pain of the Dark Mark on his arm. He went on patrols and sent students to bed without taking points, he had frosty conversations with the Carrows, and he tried to teach Hermione control over Fiendfyre by writing Runes into Hogwarts: A History.

The Carrows were allowed to give detention, but not to oversee it – so Filch made students wash the halls without magic. It amused him greatly, and seemed to almost make Snape smile one time. But Snape's true thoughts remained mysterious.