The Anti-Heroine || A Harry Potter Fanfiction

Chapter XLVI

CHAPTER XLVI:

Severus's POV:

Severus was pacing around his private quarters when Minerva came knocking. He'd been in a bad mood since Hermione ended up in the hospital wing, one that had yet to improve despite her finally waking up.

He had no way to prove it, nor did he want to, but he was certain that Hermione and Harry had been responsible for the prank in the Great Hall that had ended with the girl's hospitalisation, and while he was furious with them for having done something so stupidly risky he held onto the hope that the disastrous way it had gone wrong would prevent them from doing something so dunderheaded again– paired, of course, with the way he'd yelled at them both for about ten minutes straight in the hospital wing after he'd gotten word Hermione was conscious, threatening them each with a month of pickling slugs and de-boweling toads in detention if they ended up in the hospital wing again.

Harry, looking sheepish and guilty but thankfully smart enough not to say anything about if the prank had been their fault, had promised to try, but the boy had then added that he couldn't really make any guarantees, what with the First Task approaching.

Hermione had taken this comment about as well as Severus had– which, was to say, very, very poorly. She'd been glaring hard enough to set something on fire with her eyes alone at the time he'd left, while Severus had stormed through the rest of the day acting like 'a rapid bear with a thorn in its paw', according to a whispered comment passed from Rolanda to Septima during dinner.

Needless to say, this had done nothing to improve it.

He considered turning Minerva away, not particularly feeling in the mood for any sort of company, but he had a question first he thought the Head of Gryffindor might be able to answer.

"What are the rules regarding staff assisting the champions in the Tasks?" He asked briskly the moment he swung open the portrait that guarded his quarters, not giving her time to speak first.

The Scottish woman blinked, apparently surprised, and he gestured impatiently for her to step inside. She did so, and as his question seemed to register her expression tightened, her mouth forming a thin line. "We are forbidden from discussing anything to do with the Tasks with them." She said, then added, eyes narrowing dangerously as she did so, "though I have no doubt Maxime and Karkaroff will not hesitate to tell their champions everything they know."

Severus scowled even harder at that. "Harry's underage," he snapped, "he didn't sign up for this and he isn't a willing participant. Surely there has to be something in the rules that allows for there to be exceptions in special circumstances?"

"I've read the entire rulebook back to front after learning we were hosting the Tournament this year," Minerva said grimly, shaking her head. "There are no exceptions to the rules, Severus. And if we break them and are caught, it would likely cause an international incident. Having an extra Hogwarts champion alone is bad enough. We cannot talk to the poor boy, or pass along any hints to him."

Severus looked at her sharply, an idea striking him as his brain picked apart what she'd just said. "So," he said, slowly, "the rules say we cannot talk to Harry, or pass along any hints to him. I don't suppose they talk about not discussing anything to do with the tasks with the annoying, reckless bookworm friends of the champions, so they?"

"Severus?" Minerva said, warily. Severus guessed it was the sudden smirk on his face that had her looking unnerved.

"I borrowed several books from the library, about dragons and the Tournament." He told her, smirk growing wider. "Perhaps I should give them to Miss Granger with the instructions to return them for me."