Snape and the classroom of toddlers// Harry Potter Fanfic

Chapter fifty-one - The Beauty Of Patience, And The Convenience Of Haste

      Rain poured down on the school, wind lashing at the walls. The storm wailed loudly. It was early morning of the next day, around seven am. Ron twisted and turned restlessly in his small bed, as Hermione slept peacefully opposite him. He felt like he was going to throw up. He was wide-awake, despite how early it was. Sweat ran slowly down his young forehead. He'd had an odd series of dreams and nightmares, the night prior. He'd witnessed so much seemingly random things. A giant spider in his arms, a towering chess piece, mere inches away from crushing him, crashing at full speed into a furious willow tree, etc. 

   Although he didn't know it, his memories were coming back. He flipped his pillow over, hoping to get some coolness. He felt hot and flustered, almost like he had a fever of sorts. Then, a severe urge to cough filled the toddlers lungs. He jolted forward, sitting right up. He spluttered for air, trying not to wake 'Herman' up. His freckled face had turned pale, as he coughed repetitively. His lungs felt they were about to collapse, fall in on themselves. Then, he noticed a large red splatter on his bed sheet. 

  Eyes wide with fear, he held his breathe, internally begging not to cough again. It was like torture to the little boy, forcing himself not to breathe. His heart raced quickly, as he suddenly threw the blanket across the room. His head was full of odd, unfamiliar thoughts. He couldn't recognise his own mind. It was agony. Pure and dreadful agony. 

  A hoarse scream escaped his lips, as he continued throwing all near objects around the room. Hermione stared at him in horror, scared for her life. "R-Ron?" She asked, slowly getting out of bed. He grabbed a small clock from the table next to his bed, successfully chucking it at her. Hermione felt hot tears run down her cheek, as she rubbed her arm - where it'd hit. "I-I'll go get Severus!" She told her friend, rushing from the room. 

  The four year-old stumbled down the steps, into the common room. A tired Harry sat on one of the armchair, rushing through an essay due in his first class of the day. He had had a week to do it, but he'd genuinely forgotten about it. He glanced up to see who was in the room with him. "Hermione?" 
"Harry, Harry you've got to come help!" She tugged on his sleeve, yanking him off the comfortable armchair.  "What's the matter?" He asked, following her up the stairs.

  "Something's wrong with Ron," she cried. They entered the toddler-room, but, there was no toddler inside. A normal, sixteen year old Ron sat on the small bed, looking shook. "Ron! You're normal?" Harry cheered, rushing to his side. His freckled friend nodded, making sure his limbs were teenage again. Hermione stood at the door, baffled, while Harry asked Ron, "do you remember anything?"

   "Bloody hell. I remember everything," he whispered, looking like he was going to faint - Harry noticed a reasonably large splatter of blood on the bed sheet. The wind whistled in the background, as Harry questioned Ron, and Ron questioned back. He was glad to have his best friend back. Sure, him and Ron fought an awful lot, but they were still best mates. Hermione eventually joined in in the conversation, although she didn't understand a lot of what was said. She looked sad. 

  "We should tell Snape," Harry said, running his hand through his hair - much like his father once did. So, the three of them, the two teenagers and Hermione, made their way down to Severus' living quarters. They'd stayed their for a few days in early September. 

   Ron hit the door with his knuckle, waiting for it to open. "Minerva, is that you? I told you you didn't need to--I'm fine," the potions professor called from behind the door. 
"Uhm, no, sir. It's Harry, Ron and Hermione," Harry began, Ron taking over for him, "I'm normal again." The door instantly opened, and a tired looking Severus greeted them, his hair messy and disheveled. "Did you get an antidote, or did it happen naturally?" He asked, an odd look on his face. 

    He felt an odd pang of emotion - like a father watching his child grow up to quickly. Ron answered him, and Hermione told him what she'd seen. Harry listened intently. As soon as Hermione was a teenager again, the 'Golden Trio' would be together again. "Would you like to come in? I can make tea," the teacher offered. The two boys shuffled in awkwardly, Harry having no memory of the place, and Ron still not sure what to think of the whole ordeal. Hermione took a seat between them, swinging her legs. 

   "She's so cute," Ron chuckled to Harry, as Severus went off to make the aforementioned tea. Harry grinned at him, "I know, right?" The two best-friends chatted and chatted, catching up on their months lost of mature conversations. "Ron, you look ugly as a teenager," Hermione said bluntly, interrupting their talk. Harry held in his laughter, as Ron performed a dramatic gasp, placing a hand over his heart - this final act made Harry unable to hold it, snorting loudly. 

   Severus returned with two mugs of tea, handing them to the teenagers, then heading back and bringing Hermione a glass of apple juice. Severus watched the glass, not trusting the four year old to hold it. When Severus had been four, his parents hadn't even taught him to walk, yet alone hold a glass. "Was it painful, Weasely?" He suddenly asked, "turning back." 

   "Yeah, 'pose it was. D'ya think that's gonna happen to Herman here too?" Ron patted his friend's head. "Probably, if we don't give her an antidote before it wares off - either she turns back pain-free, and without memory of what's happened, or the opposite: painful, but she remembers," their 'father' for a few months sighed. Hermione shifted awkwardly in the seat. 

 "I want to remember this, Sevvy," she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. Their was a sad silence among the older wizards. "Well, if that's what she wants, we should give it to her, right?" Harry broke it, a frown on his face. "Are you sure you want to go through that pain? You saw what I was like!" Ron countered, taking the now empty glass from her, and waving it at Severus, who gladly took it. 

  She persisted. "I don't care how painful it is. I don't want to forget Pansy, and all of you guys!" "You won't forget about her, or us.. You just won't remember these last few months," the green-eyed Gryffindor explained. Hermione looked irritated, but she stayed calm. "I wan't to remember." And so, with the last toddler showing no signs of reluctance, it was decided - Hermione would be left to naturally age-up, without an antidote. Once their tea was finished, Severus ushered the teenagers and Hermione out, then he too left the room, heading up to Dumbledore's study, to inform him. 

    Pansy sighed, lying back-up on her bed. "Just talk to him, Pansy, your moping is annoying," Millicent Bulstrode complained. She sat on the bed opposite Pansy's. All the beds in the dorm looked the same: Large four-poster beds, with royal green sheets. They had matching green curtains. Millicent's curtains were drawn, but her dormmates lay open. "I dun'o.. What if he doesn't want to talk to me?" 

   "You'll never know 'till you've tried," she sighed, not wanting to deal with Pansy's melodramatic woes. "Fair point.. I guess I might as well." She sat up dramatically, flinging her legs over the bed.

   "Good luck, I guess." Pansy walked out, not taking the time to thank her roommate. She looked around the common room, her eyes landing on Blaise. He sat on a leather sofa, reading a book. She silently slipped down beside him, internally dying.

   Fighting back the urge to die, she spoke. "Hey." Blaise looked up, surprised. "Oh, heya, Pansy," he replied, smiling awkwardly. He'd been planning on speaking to her soon. "Sorry about Er- that. I wasn't genuinely mad at you, it was more of a joke.. And I'm sorry for not telling you," she blurted out, her face heating with embarrassment.

  He smiled softly at his best-friend. "I forgive you. I'm sorry too," he forgave.  Pansy's face lit up. "Ahh, that's a relief! Don't apologise, dummy!" She snatched the book and jokingly hit him with it.

Haha sorry this is late and ik I said this one would be long but it's not Im sorry 🤡

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