𝐀𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤 | Harry James Potter x Reader

YR 3 ☆•°~'* 04

'Harry, did you see the Daily Prophet?' It was Seamus Finnigan, who walked over to Harry's table to borrow his scales. 'They reckon Sirius Black's been sighted in Dufftown.'

'Dufftown? That's not far from here!' said Ron, looking at Harry.

Malfoy was watching them, his eyes narrowed malevolently.

'Thinking of catching Black single-handedly, Potter?' He said. 'If it was me, I'd have gone out looking for him...'

'What are you talking about?' Harry snapped.

'Don't you know?' hissed Malfoy. 'Perhaps you want to leave it to the Dementors... But I would've wanted revenge if I were you...'

'Either explain what you're talking about-' Ron began, but Snape had stood up.

'Your potion should be nearly ready now. We'll test Longbottom's and see how well he did...'

Y/N cleared away her table, letting her potion simmer for a few more minutes. Hermione was still muttering instructions to a sweating Neville.

As the end of the lesson approached, Snape walked up to Neville's cauldron. It was now bright green, as the instructions indicated.

'Everyone, gather round,' called Snape, and the class moved closer to Neville's cauldron. 'I will be feeding Longbottom's potion to his toad. If he has managed to brew an adequate Shrinking Solution, his toad will shrink. If he has not, as I don't doubt, his toad may well be poisoned...'

Y/N watched anxiously as Professor Snape picked up Trevor the toad and fed him a few drops of Neville's potion. A few seconds passed, and there was a faint popping sound: Trevor had turned into a tadpole, wriggling in Snape's palm. There was a collective cheer from the Gryffindors.

Snape looked sour. He pulled out an antidote and put a few drops on Trevor, who turned back into a normal, full-size toad.

'Ten points from Gryffindor,' said Snape coldly, wiping the smile from every Gryffindor's face. 'I told you not to help him, Miss Granger. Class dismissed.'

'You should've lied, Hermione!' said Ron. 'You should've said that Neville had done it all by himself.'

'I don't think Snape would've believed her,' said Harry in an undertone.

'Slimy git,' mumbled Ron.

Harry, Ron and Hermione picked up their bags. Y/N didn't move, glaring at Snape with pure hatred.

'C'mon, Y/N,' whispered Hermione, who was looking very hurt.

'I don't understand. Neville brewed a perfectly good Shrinking Solution, why did you dock points off?' snapped Y/N. She wasn't going to stand around and take any more of Snape's injustice.

'Keep your thoughts to yourself, Miss Y/L/N. I warned Miss Granger to not help him-'

'What, you think she'd just let Neville's toad get potentially poisoned? How cruel do you have to be?' she said, her voice rising gradually, her red strands of hair brightening.

'Watch your tone! I will not allow you to speak to me that way! Twenty points from Gryffindor,' he snapped.

Y/N was shaking with anger. Hermione grabbed her arm and hissed 'C'mon, Y/N-' but she didn't move.

'You're just- just plain evil-'

'HOLD YOUR TONGUE!' shouted Snape, a look of fury on his face.

Her vision went suddenly blurry. A flash of red and the next thing she knew, Snape had staggered backward into a desk, a large burn mark across his hand. The sleeve of his robes was singed.