Chapter 2
Severus Snape stood at the front of his Potions classroom, his dark eyes scanning the room as students filed in. Among them, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger entered with an air of practiced nonchalance. Draco, with his trademark silver-blond hair and aristocratic features, exuded an air of entitlement that Snape found both familiar and concerning. Beside him, Hermione Granger walked with measured steps, her expression guarded and her robes impeccably neat—a contrast to the rumpled appearance of some of her Slytherin peers.
Snape's gaze lingered on Hermione for a moment longer than strictly necessary. He had been surprised when the Sorting Hat had placed a Muggle-born witch into Slytherin, a house known for its reverence of pure-blood lineage and cunning ambition. It had been an unprecedented move, one that had sparked murmurs among the staff and students alike.
But what had surprised Snape even more was how Hermione Granger had thrived in Slytherin. She had adapted quickly, using her formidable intelligence and resourcefulness to navigate the intricate webs of influence and power that defined the house. Her academic prowess was unmatched, and she had earned the respect—albeit begrudgingly—of her peers.
As Draco and Hermione settled into their seats, Snape observed them discreetly. Draco's interactions with Hermione had always been tinged with a mixture of possessiveness and indifference, a dynamic that troubled Snape deeply. The Malfoy heir wielded influence among his fellow Slytherins, but Snape had long suspected that his motives were driven more by familial expectations than genuine camaraderie.
Throughout the lesson, Snape watched them closely, noting the subtle exchanges and glances that passed between Draco and Hermione. There was a familiarity in their interactions that belied their outward façade of detachment—a closeness born out of necessity rather than affection.
As the class progressed, Snape couldn't help but recall his own turbulent history with the Malfoy family. He had once been close to Draco's father, Lucius, a relationship that had soured over the years as Snape distanced himself from the Dark Lord's influence. Lucius had been a zealous supporter of Voldemort, a fact that had nearly cost Snape his life during the Second Wizarding War.
Now, as Snape observed Draco's treatment of Hermione, a sense of unease settled in the pit of his stomach. The boy had grown into a mirror image of his father—privileged, entitled, and capable of cruelty when it suited his ambitions. Snape had hoped that Draco would choose a different path, but it seemed that history was destined to repeat itself.
At the end of the lesson, Snape dismissed the students with a curt nod, his mind still troubled by what he had witnessed. Draco and Hermione gathered their things and exited the classroom without a word, their masks firmly in place.
As Snape watched them leave, a sense of responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders. He was their professor, tasked with guiding and protecting them within the walls of Hogwarts. But in the intricate dance of power and ambition that defined Slytherin house, Snape knew that some battles could not be fought in the open.
Turning back to his desk, Snape's thoughts turned to the dark secrets that lurked beneath the surface of Hogwarts—the shadows of the past that threatened to engulf them all once more.