Author's note:
Sorry for the delay, I'm quite busy lately🥲 I hope you enjoy!
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Word count: 2.4k
Warning: Snakes and mentions of death and petrification

The next morning after the Bludger incident, Severus tries his best to stay awake. Surprise, he didn't get much sleep last night. Not only from speculations about him apparently witnessing the death of Y/L/N's mother, but other things as well.

A student was petrified during the night - the annoying first-year Gryffindor who kept taking photographs with his damn camera, Colin Creevey.

Of course, because of Argus' accusations, people are blaming Potter. Severus sighs in irritation. They believe the Boy Who Lived possesses great power, yet the boy can't even make a simple Hair-Raising Potion.

Speaking of Potter, the boy is still at the Hospital Wing as his bones are still growing out. Severus knew that Lockhart was an imbecile, but he still can't believe the man removed all the bones in the boy's arm. How stupid can one be?

As Severus eats his meal while ignoring the annoying Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher who keeps insisting that he could have saved the first-year boy had he just been there before it was too late, the Head of Slytherin looks at the Slytherin table.

Draco seems to be complaining about the pain as well as making a big deal out of it.

Y/L/N looks at the boy with sympathy while Parkinson looks at him in awe, almost like he's some hero who saved the day. How charming...
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A little over two weeks after the news of the petrified student, all students are learning how to defend themselves.

Severus sighs in annoyance. He's currently waiting for that imbecile man, Lockhart, to announce the Potions Master's involvement in this lesson.

He almost regrets agreeing to help... Why in Merlin's name did he say yes?

Well, he will hopefully get the opportunity to humiliate Lockhart in front of the students. That will be entertaining and he will enjoy every second of it.

"Gather up!" he suddenly hears Lockhart declare.

"Gather around. Can everybody see me? Can you all hear me?" Lockhart continues, turning around to face all the students. He's on the side that's closest to the staff table of the duelling stage in the Great Hall.

"In light of the dark events of recent weeks, Headmaster Dumbledore has granted me permission to start this little duelling club to train you all up in case you ever need to defend yourselves, as I myself have done on countless occasions. For full details, see my published works" he says, giving a self-satisfied smile that makes Severus want to throw up.

The blonde-haired man suddenly takes off his cloak and throws it to the female students who are all gasping, fighting to get their teacher's cloak.

Even Granger seems fascinated by the man who claims to have accomplished great things numerous times in his life... And people call that girl smart.

The only people who don't seem to buy his lies are all the boys and Y/L/N. Severus smirks to himself - at least she has some common sense.

"Let me introduce my assistant - Professor Snape" Lockhart finally announces, stopping all the chattering.

Everybody looks in the direction that Lockhart gestures to just as Severus dramatically emerges on the stage.

"He has sportingly agreed to help me with a short demonstration. Now, I don't want any of you youngsters to worry - you'll still have your Potions Master when I'm through with him. Never fear" he continues, quite confidently.

Severus rolls his eyes. Well, they might not have their Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher if he just 'accidentally' hurts him during the demonstration.

He notices Draco snorting at Lockhart's comment. Y/L/N is trying her best not to laugh.

Both teachers approach the middle of the stage, retrieving their wands as they bow to each other. They then spin on their heels and walk closer to their end of the stage, creating some distance between them.

They both prepare themselves to duel. Severus dramatically and elegantly spins around and readies himself.

If he was to use Legilimency, he would find out that all his Slytherins are in awe of their Head of House. Especially a particularly shy one.

"One... Two... Three" Lockhart counts. Severus immediately fires a spell.

"Ex...pelliarmus!" he exclaims, slowly and clearly.

The spell hits Lockhart hard. In fact, so hard that he flies to the other end of the stage as he shouts in surprise.

Most of the students are laughing while some of the girls look concerned.

The man groans in pain as he gets up from the floor. "An excellent idea to show them that, Professor Snape - but if you don't mind me saying, it was pretty obvious what you were about to do, and if I had wanted to stop you, it would have only been too easy" Lockhart says, once again giving his self-satisfied smile.

Thankfully, Severus wipes off that smile in an instant.

"Perhaps it would be prudent to first teach the students to block unfriendly spells, professor" the Potions Master points out, smirking as he sees the other professor realises that he's right.

His smile is quickly back, unfortunately. "An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape!" the obnoxious man says in a cheery tone.

"Uh, let's have a volunteer pair... Uh, Potter, Weasley! How about you?" he asks the two Gryffindor boys.

Severus raises an eyebrow. Is he serious? Potter might actually die today.

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the Hospital Wing in a matchbox. Might I suggest someone from my own House? Malfoy, perhaps?" the Head of Slytherin suggests just as he turns around to look at his Godson, signalling him to enter the stage.

The boy immediately does so after Y/L/N wishes him good luck as she shyly smiles. "Pfft, it's Potter who will need luck" he smugly says.

Just as he passes the Potions Master, the man smirks at him. "Show Potter how us Slytherins do" he states. Nodding, Draco walks towards Potter confidently.

"Wands at the ready!" Lockhart declares.

"Scared, Potter?" Draco asks, smirking at his opponent.

"You wish" Potter replies.

The boys don't even bow to each other as they walk away to create some distance, just like Severus and Lockhart did in the demonstration.

"On the count of three, cast your charms to disarm your opponent. Only to disarm! We don't want any accidents here" Lockhart warns.

Of course, the boys won't listen to that.

"One... Two-" he says just as Draco fires his spell.

"Everte Statum!" he says out loud, firing the hex at Potter. The Gryffindor boy flies all the way across the stage, right in front of Lockhart. All the Slytherins laugh.

Severus is very pleased - he taught his Godson well.

Potter quickly rises on his feet. "Rictusempra!" he exclaims.

Draco flies as well and lands right in front of Severus, hard on his bottom. Now it's all the Gryffindors who are laughing. Y/L/N gives him a pitiful look.

The boy slowly looks up at Severus, embarrassed and humiliated.

Severus scowls. Why did he not block Potter's spell?

As Draco doesn't get up, the Potions Master quickly grabs his arm and yanks him up, pushing him towards Potter.

"I said disarm only!" Lockhart shouts, looking a bit concerned by the situation as the two boys clearly aren't going to stop.

"Serpensortia!" Draco exclaims as a green snake emerges on the stage and slithers towards Potter, hissing at everyone.

Before anyone can get hurt, Severus decides to stop it. "Don't move, Potter. I'll get rid of it for you" he states as he moves towards the snake.

He however stops as Lockhart does the same. "Allow me, Professor Snape!" the self-satisfied professor insists.

"Alarte Ascendare!" he then exclaims. The snake flies up into the air as it lands back onto the stage.

Severus sighs. Can that man get any more stupid?

Suddenly, Potter looks really focused as he walks towards the snake. He then whispers to the snake...

The Potions Master can't believe what he's witnessing. Potter is speaking... Parseltongue? How is that even possible? Very few people have been known to be able to do that, and they were Slytherins - Salazar Slytherin himself as well as the Dark Lord.

Just as the boy stops whispering, the snake turns its attention towards a Hufflepuff, Justin Finch Fletchley. The Hufflepuff boy looks quite scared as the animal hisses at him.

Severus widens his eyes a bit, looking puzzled - did Potter just order the snake to attack him?

The Boy Who Lived keeps whispering to the snake as it returns its attention on him.

Severus decides that enough is enough. "Vipera... Evanesca!" he says out loud as the snake burns, disappearing from the stage. Potter seems to come out of some sort of trance.

"What are you playing at?" Fletchley demands.

The Gryffindor looks confused yet surprised as he looks around. When he looks at Severus, the Potions Master can tell that the boy has no idea why everybody is looking at him so strangely.

Severus is absolutely confused - what did Potter tell the snake?

"Right... I think that's enough for today" Lockhart hesitantly says. Everybody leaves the Great Hall, deep in thought about what just happened.

Later that day, another student is petrified - and so is Sir Nicholas the Ghost. Argus caught Potter standing over Fletchley's petrified body.

However, the Headmaster won't expel him as he knows that the boy can't be the Heir of Slytherin.

Apparently, some of the Dark Lord's powers were transferred to Potter when he tried to kill the boy. How ironic.

Severus hopes that the mandrakes will mature sooner than later so they can be unpetrified - if Argus says "My cat" as he cries in the corridors one more time, Severus will go insane - he might accidentally commit murder.

He almost hopes that the stupid cat dies - except, that would mean Argus would be crying every single day for the rest of his life...

That damn cat better survive.
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Another two weeks later, it's Christmas. Severus sighs in relief. Finally, he might get some peace-

Of course, that won't happen as somebody has the audacity to knock on his door to his private chambers.

"Enter" he growls, sounding irritated.

His Godson enters. Severus raises an eyebrow at that.

"Draco? Why aren't you at Malfoy Manor to celebrate Christmas?" he questions.

Draco huffs. "Well, I'm sure you know about the Ministry's raiding of dark objects... Father thought that it would be best if I stayed this year. Well, Y/N is obviously here as well, so it's not that bad. Crabbe and Goyle, too" the boy explains.

Severus nods. He has heard of the raiding. He's sure that Lucius has an embarrassing amount of dark objects. He has probably sold most of them already.

"Speaking of Crabbe and Goyle, those two acted really odd in the common room today... I don't know what's gotten into them. Crabbe kept complaining about stomach ache, but I don't really know. Those two can usually handle a lot of food without getting any stomach problems. I guess they shouldn't eat all of that sugar" he adds as he shrugs.

Severus winces. Indeed, those two eat a lot... He's sure that they eat more than the teachers combined.

"Indeed... How are the Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons going, by the way?" Severus asks him curiously.

He wonders if they are learning anything... Besides Lockhart and his 'accomplishments'.

Draco snorts at that. "Terribly. We aren't learning anything! That stupid idiot just gave us a quiz. The quiz was about him! Not the actual class, but him! I don't care what his favourite colour is! Also, ALL of our books are written by him... That's ridiculous" the boy complains.

The Potions Master sighs. Why did Albus not find a more competent teacher? Quirrell taught them something, at least.

He almost misses Quirrell. He would definitely rather have the annoying, stammering man as a colleague than the imbecile man to Gilderoy Lockhart.

"I can only imagine.. I take it Y/L/N is doing a lot of reading, then?" he questions.

Draco immediately nods. "Yes, she's reading Defence Against the Dark Arts like her life depends on it. She's reading a book that actually teaches the subject, of course. But I swear, it's Lockhart's fault that she's reading so much lately - more than usual. Pansy has caught her reading in the middle of the night numerous times!" he reveals.

"And speaking of reading, apparently Goyle can read" Draco adds, looking deep in thought about the fact that Goyle even knows how to open a book.

Severus refuses to believe that Gregory Goyle can read - he definitely can't spell.

But he's quite surprised to hear that Y/L/N reads when she's supposed to be asleep. He often does that himself, but that's only because he can't sleep.

He wished he could, though. The Potions Master is in serious need of sleep.

He clears his throat. "Well, do tell her that she needs to get some sleep... I cannot have any of my Slytherins fall asleep during class" he states.

Draco nods, laughing a bit as he probably imagines his friend falling asleep during potion-making.

"Don't worry, she would never fall asleep in the middle of class, especially not in yours" the boy says as he still laughs.

That intrigues Severus. "Really? And why do you say that?" he questions.

"She respects you too much to do that. It doesn't take a genius to know that you are her favourite professor. You should have seen the way she looked at you when you made Lockhart fly across the duelling stage, it's almost like she's..." Draco reveals just as he stops.

Perhaps he was about to say something he shouldn't say. Severus chooses to ignore it for now, smirking at what his Godson just said.

"Is that so?" he asks as hums.

The boy nods. Draco then finally leaves the Potions Master's private chambers to give him some much needed peace.

When the boy has left, Severus sits down on his couch and levitates a glass of firewhiskey. There are no classes to teach until January, so he's allowed to have a drink.

He can't help but wonder what Draco wanted to say... Well, he might never know.

He also wonders who, or perhaps what, is petrifying the students who all so far have been Muggleborns. Who could the Heir of Slytherin be?