Devotion (Snape × Student OC)

20

Months had passed since that day. The spring had arrived, bringing with it a sense of hope and renewal. Life appeared to have returned to normal at Hogwarts, and it seemed as though the attacks by the Heir of Slytherin had come to an end. However beneath the surface, a subtle sense of unease persisted.

A nagging feeling whispered that all was not as it seemed, and the shadows still held secrets yet to be revealed. Today a commotion erupted. Students were rushing towards the second floor near Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, and a chilling message written in blood had captured everyone's attention: Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.

Panic spread throughout the crowd, and several professors immediately arrived to take control of the situation. They quickly ordered the eldest students to lead the younger ones back to their dormitories. I was just about to head back to my dorm when I caught sight of Harry and Ron, their expressions filled with shock and worry. I swiftly approached them "What happened?" Harry's eyes met mine, his gaze troubled as he spoke, "Hermione is petrified too..."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "W-what? -" Harry quickly hushed me. We hid ourselves, watching as Professor McGonagall spoke to the other professors, her worry evident on her face. "This is the end of Hogwarts," she said gravely. "We should evacuate students back to their homes immediately," she continued, her voice filled with a sense of urgency and concern.

Ron looked panicked, his voice laced with fear. "No.. No i can't leave.. my sister-" My eyes widened in horror, and I turned to Harry with a look of disbelief. "They took Ginny? What are we supposed to do?" Harry's eyes gleamed with determination. "I know where the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is. We just need to find Professor Lockhart" he asserted. Ron bolted ahead of us, his emotions running high.

I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed, unsure of what to do next. What is going to happen to Hermione? What about Ginny? I pushed forward, bringing up the rear in our urgent pursuit. We hastily made our way to Professor Lockhart's office, breathless. Harry spoke urgently, "Professor, we know where the entrance to-" I arrived at the door a little later, out of breath. Lockhart looked surprised, his clothing spread out as if he had been in the midst of packing. "Good work, Harry, but I'm in a hurry. Move out of my way!"

Ron's patience reached its limit, and he shouted loudly, "My sister is in danger! You're the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! You can't just run away like this!" Lockhart looked at Ron apologetically, but his eyes held an edge of seriousness. "I'm truly sorry, but if you don't move out of my way," he threatened, brandishing his wand and aiming it at Ron, "I'll have no choice but to erase your memory, just like I did with my other victims!" Panic welled up inside me, my eyes darting toward Harry.

He seemed equally shocked, his voice filled with disbelief. "You... You stole others' accomplishments and erased their memories? Really?" The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. All this time, Professor Lockhart had been passing off other people's achievements as his own. He had been erasing their memories and taking the credit for himself. The gravity of this revelation left me feeling sick.

Shaking nervously, I attempted to reach for my wand, but Lockhart swiftly pointed his wand at me. "Not so fast, young lady," he warned, his tone firm. "I'm aware of your memory issues, so don't force me to erase the few remaining ones left inside your head!" Ron yelled out in anger, his voice filled with frustration. "Why? Why are you doing this to us??!"

Harry seized the opportunity, whipping out his wand and firing off the Disarming Spell. "Expelliarmus!" he yelled, causing Lockhart's wand to fly out of his grasp. "Wha-" Lockhart gasped in surprise, his eyes widening as he found himself outnumbered. With three wands pointed in his direction, Harry issued a stern command, "Come with us!"