Spiteful Beginnings // Severus Snape x OC

42 - The Blizzard

The following day, in the morning just before breakfast, a knock at her chamber door brought Kalina out of the book she was reading on her chair by the dimly lit fireplace.

"Come in." The door pushed open and in came Harry Potter, a sheepish look on his face.

"Hello Professor, I - erm - heard that you had something that belonged to me? The Golden Egg?" He asked her, letting out a hesitated breath as he spoke.

Kalina turned a corner of her page and closed her book on Herbology and leaned back in her chair, a sly smirk on her face. "You heard? Or did you see this happen, Mister Potter?"

Harry gulped, instantly understanding that lying to her was not the best thing to do; especially since she was one of the nicest teachers he had ever had and is the legal guardian to his friend Neville. "Sorry..."

Kalina stood up and ushered him further into the room instead of standing by the door like a doorstop whilst she moved round to her large desk and reached down into a drawer, pulling out the Egg.

"Now, you going to tell me what you were doing out so late by the stairwells... with an invisibility cloak on?" Kalina proceeded, not placing the Egg into his hands but onto her desk with her sat behind it. She wasn't too sure if he had an invisibility cloak since they're exceptionally rare but it was Harry Potter; anything could be possible.

Potter moved on his feet awkwardly and ran a hand through his messy long hair before speaking up. "I was using the Prefects bathroom..."

"But you're not a Prefect, Harry?" Kalina looked to see if he had a badge on his clothes and as she suspected, there wasn't one visible.

"I know, I know." Harry sighed and folded his arms over his chest, feeling bad for whatever reason. "I had to use the Golden Egg underwater, to learn the second clue for the second task." He told her honestly.

Kalina instantly accepted it unbeknownst to Harry. She didn't see the reason why he would lie to her and in that case, nodded towards the Egg, suggesting that he could take it back. "Well, alright then. But don't let teachers catch you. Maybe ask your head of House if you could use certain things in that case." She reminded him, arching her eyebrow.

Harry took back his Egg and nodded his head. "I don't think I could go sneaking about anymore anyway, Professor." Harry said.

"And why is that?" Kalina asked him, leaning back on her chair comfortably whilst she watched Harry inspect her room briefly, noticing the pictures on her wall of supposedly her friends. He even saw a picture of herself and Neville wearing silly hats what are usually won at carnivals hidden in the corner.

"Professor Moody took my-" he hesitated but decided to carry on, "took my Map. It's enchanted. Allows me to see where people are. That's what Snape was talking about." An inkling of a smirk appeared on his face as he thought about to last night of Snape trying to locate where he was but knowing only Moody knew where he was.

Even Kalina smirked at the thought. "I see, well, run along now Harry. I am desperate for some tea and toast." She stood and escorted Harry out of her chambers, locking the door behind her and the two of them made their way to the Great Hall from where she could smell the sizzling of sausages and bacon, the richness of freshly squeezed orange and pumpkin juice and the sound of early morning chatter.

She bid farewell to Harry who went to take a seat next to Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas whilst also seeing Neville on her way up to the teachers table and smiled fondly at him but carried on walking as he carried on tucking into his cereal whilst reading the morning paper whilst she took an empty seat beside Minerva.