Stories from the Vault - Hogwarts Mystery One Shots

Appreciation for Professor Snape

"Haywood, tell me you're here to practice your potion-brewing, and not for some ridiculous interview," Professor Snape drowned, peering over the top of his newspaper at her as she set her cauldron down at one of the tables and began searching the shelves for ingredients.

"I thought I'd do a bit of both, Professor," she said. She placed a jar of crocodile hearts on the table and smiled at him. "I want to do you justice in my presentation for teacher appreciation week."

Snape sneered at her before disappearing behind his newspaper again. "If you truly appreciate me, you can show it by leaving me in peace."

Penny grinned. She'd been ecstatic to be selected to interview the potions master. The other students could believe Snape was as vicious an unapproachable as an acromantula, Snape might even believe it himself, but she knew better. She admired Snape for what she saw behind the angry, black eyes; a brilliant potioneer, and a man who pushed his students to do their best.

"I'm sorry, Professor, but I can't do that." She tossed a few sprigs of lavender into her cauldron and added her standard-potion ingredient. "The whole school is counting on me to do a good job, and I won't let them or you down. That's not the Hufflepuff way."

She could practically hear Snape's eyes rolling from behind the newspaper. "Very well," he sighed. "Ask your questions and then leave my classroom as quickly as possible."

"Thank you, sir," said Penny, measuring out the precise amount of peppermint and stirring it into her potion. "I thought we'd start with your background. Could you tell me about what you were like as a child? What was your life like before Hogwarts?"

Snape tossed aside the newspaper and leaned across his desk, his black eyes boaring into her blue eyes. "That," he said, in the carefully measured tone that suggested trouble, "is none of your concern."

Penny shuddered. Snape usually only used that voice for students like Sarah, and now she understood how unsettling it could be.

"Okay," she said. "What about your life as a student?"

Sighing, Snape sat back in his chair again. "I was a student at Hogwarts from 1971-1978. I was sorted into Slytherin house, and I excelled in all my classes, particularly Defense Against the Dark Arts and Potions."

Penny examined Snape closely, surprised that to learn that he'd left school hardly more than a decade ago. She supposed now that she looked closely at him that he did appear quite young compared to most of the other teachers. His face was hardly lined and his hair contained not a trace of gray. She supposed it was the way he carried himself that made him seem as if he'd lived for centuries, and was tired of it.

"Of course, but what about...extracurricular activities? Who were your best friends? Did you get up to much trouble in your days as a student?"

"That information has no impact on my teaching ability and is therefore not relevant to your presentation."

Penny looked up from her potion to meet Snape's eyes. She could tell he was fighting a smirk, as if he enjoyed making things difficult for her. That was fine, she was used to it. If Snape had made things easy for her in class, she wouldn't half the potioneer she was now.

"Alright, I suppose we can come back to that. What do you love the most about teaching?"

There was a long pause as Snape regarded her. At last, he swept up from the desk and peered into her cauldron. Her potion was only half finished, but it was the perfect shade of sky blue it ought to be at this stage, and the contents shimmered and swirled in the relaxed manner characteristic of a calming draught.

"Is this going to Madam Pomfrey?" Snape asked.

"Yes sir, her supply ran low after so many students failed your latest exam."