HP - Shadow Monarch!

Chapter 49 - Gossip.

[Chapter Size: 1900 Words.]
Third Person POV

Hogwarts.

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The last week of the first month at Hogwarts had finally begun as Snape continued his exercises, earning only one point. He would do it even if he earned nothing, as the system seemed to maintain the punishment if he didn't keep up with the daily exercises.

This type of activity soon began to be noticed by the students over the past few weeks. Although they were surprised, they remained silent, but as the days went by, rumors began to emerge. After all, Snape was the only one in the school who practiced any physical activity, with wizards considering such things trivial, with only Quidditch athletes having this type of routine.

This was reflected today as Snape returned after taking a bath in the lake and fighting against those who always wanted to duel him. After encountering Hagrid crying at the grave of some recently deceased animal, he noticed a group of students watching him as he entered the castle and began whispering among themselves, especially the girls, who were in the majority in that group.

He ignored them and entered the castle. It was a bit late today, but he was not in a hurry as the Herbology class always started at a time that allowed him to do things a bit later and not have to wait in the greenhouse area of the school.

He went to the common hall, which was much more crowded than he usually saw it so early, and sat at any table without recognizing anyone.

The professors were all gathered, and the students were animatedly conversing with each other. Snape remained silent as he devoured everything he could to regain his strength, while the students still kept their eyes on him and his strange behavior of gluttony.

He didn't care, not until at a time he had never stayed, which was 8:07 on the dot, papers began to fall on the tables. One of them fell in front of Snape; he knew this newspaper well, after all, it was the "Hogwarts Observer," a newspaper he had ignored since they published articles about him being bullied by the Marauders a few years ago.

He was a bit surprised to see it and his gaze fell on the front page. At that moment, he saw himself as the center of attention once again. Snape didn't know, but this paper was one of the main reasons he had been so observed at Hogwarts in recent weeks. After all, Edmund Whitley had started writing everything about what he did and how he had changed, even making comparisons to how he was before this year.

He raised an eyebrow at the article written by the fourth-year Hufflepuff student, which had the title and description as follows:

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*Hogwarts Observer Reveals: Secrets of Slytherin: Severus Snape's Love Triangle!*

The last week of the first month at Hogwarts brought an unexpected twist, with Severus Snape once again in the spotlight! It's not about his fights with professors or other students, like breaking the gate to the forbidden section, but rather a possible love triangle that has stirred the school's corridors.

Recently, Snape has been noted for his peculiar exercise routine, something unusual among students who don't play Quidditch. This behavior sparked curiosity and gossip among his peers, who began to observe him more closely.

However, the real bombshell dropped when Clarisse Greengrass and Snape were seen together, returning to Hogwarts from the weekend. Some say they were on a mission to collect herbs, but suspicions of a more personal involvement soon arose.

Tensions escalated when Lucinda Burke, an acquaintance of Snape, confronted him during Sunday dinner (yesterday), questioning whether he was dating Clarisse. The scene was observed by several students, who were surprised by the intensity of the conversation.