The Potion Tournament
October 30th, 1983
Agnes had found it hard to get some sleep the night before the arrival of the Beauxbatons delegation. It was so exciting to imagine her former school and Hogwarts being connected in one common place. She'd get to speak some french and meet properly her colleague accompanying the students. One of them in particular was one of her old classmates from Bellefeuille. People had changed and she was glad to see that everyone was still somehow interconnected.
The young woman chose her best dress, made of white wool and some blue embroidery. It was her mom's, and she cherished that piece of clothing since she'd get her hand on it while tidying up Murielle's room back at the manoir. She tied her hair in a high ponytail to look more professional and wore her dark blue jacket in case she'd get cold. Days weren't as warm anymore and the temperature was decreasing weeks after weeks. The fall had began a month prior and the memories were the only witnesses of summer. Agnes hurried down the set of stairs to attend the school meeting before the arrival of Beauxbatons. They were expected later that morning, right before lunch.
In the Great Hall, prefects were busy handling the younger students while the referent professor were giving some instructions to their houses. Professor Flitwick, McGonagall and Sprout were raising their voices so that everyone could hear them, while professor Snape seemed to not want to act any differently as he usually did. He stood straight in front of the tables while the Slytherin students seemed too afraid to make a move nor a sound.
Agnes sat down near Hagrid who seemed very joyful.
- Everything ready, Hagrid?
- Nothin' to declare! Ol's ready for the big event'ya!
Agnes smiled. It was nice seeing everyone excited and happy about the tournament. She hoped it would go well. Her and professor Snape had worked hard and had spent sleepless nights perfecting the organization as well as the tasks. The four tasks would ask for everyone to stay at their place so no one would get hurt nor can cheat.
At half past eleven, the choir started singing and the orchestra club were ready to welcome the french students. High in the sky, Agnes recognized the carriage she once rode, and gave the signal for the professor to alert their students. She felt quite nervous but tried to calm herself. Her eyes wandered to her right where Snape was standing before the Slytherins. He was looking at the sky like the others, but seemed strangely calm and quiet. Everyone was either whispering or smiling for the excitment, but he was here, just present.
The french delegation was welcomed very gracefully and the french teenagers wearing the traditional blue silk uniform made quite the impression when they stepped out of the carriage. Everyone shared lunch in the Great Hall while the staff was rushing to get everything in place. Agnes took in charge the communication as she was one of the only one who spoke french. It was so refreshing, she thought.
Later, it was Durmstrang's turn to arrive. They'd repeated the same welcoming venue, adding the Beauxbatons students, and the school was now filled with multicultural young people and teachers. Agnes was feeling already slightly overwhelmed by the sudden amount of people at Hogwarts. Even the students seemed a little lost at first, but a few friendship were already being created. At dinner, it was a joyful hubbub of different languages and delicious smell of food.
Agnes sat down on the right of her Beauxbatons colleague who was a young woman with short ginger to blonde hair. She had a sunny aspect to her which reminded Agnes of her summer in the south of France. She felt someone approach on her right, seemingly someone with a rather tall figure.
- Is this seat taken?
Agnes turned her neck so fast she almost heard it crack. Looking up and down at the young man who was standing right before her, she couldn't restrain an audible gasp.
Alexei Dragomirov.
The young wizard looked a little older than when she had met him last, and had a little beard growing on his jaw. He seemed different and taller yet had the same bright blue eyes.
- Alexei, how.. What??!
- I'm a professor now, at Durmstrang. Did not want to teach at the same school as my father, you see. He answered calmly while taking a seat.
- How come I didn't see you at the welcoming venue?
- I saw you, but you were busy handling some youngsters it seemed. No worries, I'm glad I caught you before dinner.
Alexei was a special person for Agnes. He had been the first.. well.. the first-a-lot-of-things. And she admitted not imaginning seeing him again, especially after all these years. The yougn witch felt her cheeks blush when he smiled to her before turning back to the front, where Dumbledore was about to deliver a speech. It was a huge crossover happening at the moment, and Agnes did not know how to feel about it. Beauxbatons, Hogwarts, and now Alexei in Durmstrang, that she had not see coming !
The dinner went well, and everyone seemed satisfied with the new atmosphere at the school. Students were making new friends or were encouraging their friends for the tournament. By the end of dinner, every teenagers who had signed up gathered at the front of the Great Hall, in front of the professor's long table. Severus snape came forward to serve some of the deciding potion to the contestants to let it deliberate about the final list of students participating. 20 from each school were picked, their tongue having changed colors after consuming the drink. Students applauded the new selected contestants before everyone was dismissed and went back to their dorms.
Agnes chatted with Alexei and her colleague Myriam, from Beauxbatons. They exchanged some anecdotes about the school their were teaching and the things they disliked. The evening elongated until it was time for everyone to go to sleep, promising to finish their conversation the following day. Agnes felt exhausted from the sudden rush of adrenaline she had felt after seeing so many people entering Hogwarts and the unexpected meeting with Alexei. She thought it would be awkward to speak with him after what had happened between them a few years prior, but it seemed like the war had changed people into being happy to see their acquaintances were still safe and sound. She had never heard from him after all this time, and hoped he had not been caught in You-Know-Who's evil plans.
***
November 20th, 1983
The time for the first task was approaching and Agnes had never seen Severus Snape so agitated. He had planned everything but seemed to doubt the skills of anyone helping him. A perfectionist, he surely was. The young witch had got the chance to acknowledge this about him, back to when they were students. He was a diligent duellist, always trying to get better and analyze his own lacks. But his strict mindset had let him be known as a dull and scary professor. McGonagall had assured Agnes that Snape was a good lad, only appearing slightly different from his peers.
Agnes wondered if he'd ever smiled out of pure joy.
- So?
The young witch blinked a few times, realizing she'd been phasing out for the past few minutes. The potions professor was holding a few pipettes in his hand and his wand in the other. They were dressing up the tables for the first task of the tournament, in a large room Agnes had entered once for a practical test during her own N.E.W.Ts.
- It'd be better if you paid attention, professor Lenoir. He said, irritated.
- Right, right, my apologies, professor Snape. Where were we?
He glared at her for a second before focusing on the display of objects before him.
- The beakers should be carefully cleaned after the task, to avoid the risk of any unexpected reactions. This first task will be to make a love potion with a levitating curse when the person sees their loved one.
- How did you come up with such a task? Agnes said, thinking it was a rather humoristic potion to make.
- To emphasize on the stupidity of such practice.
She looked up at him, confused.
- Forcing one to love another, how unreal and evil. He said.
- I know a few who'd be interested. Agnes added, still staring directly at the man.
He glared at her for a second before going back to his preparation. Severus Snape did not need words to insult someone, you just had to feel his eyes on you to feel the worst you've ever felt in your entire life. But it made Agnes laugh. She was now quite used to his temper and strange mindset. Especially after having discussed the matter with Minerva, Agnes was ensured Snape had more to him than just a grumpy look.
The first task worked with brio, and each professor came to congratulate Agnes and her colleague for the hard work. Some students were eliminated and the number of participants drastically reduced, making it easier to prepare the next task.
Dumbledore made a speech (again) and everyone went to enjoy a well earned dinner and the rest of the day was let free for everyone. Agnes decided to take a stroll later that night, to wander around the castle. She used to do it a lot as a teenager, but had seemed to get too busy with her professor job to let her mind run free during her long walks.
It was already dark outside, and all the students were most certainly enjoying themselves in their house common room, while some mischievious ones were trying to brave the curfew by visiting the kitchen of the empty great hall. Agnes had done it a few times, and was sure this tradition was yet to be revolved.
It was rather cold outside that night, and the young witch was wearing a thick knitted jumper. Her cheeks felt fresh from the night air and she could hear some strange sounds coming from the lake. There were so many creatures surrounding Hogwarts. She and the other wizards were only living among them. She arrived quickly by the Whomping Willow, who seemed to take a rest from attacking any moving being. She carefully walked around it and stopped there for a moment.
The vision offered before her eyes reminded her so much of that night she had discovered James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew were animagus. Although, she had no idea at the time that Remus was not one of them, and had been cursed with a Werewolf bite. She knew so little back then. She thought of her friend often, wishing he was taking care of himself, given the circumstances of his complicated life.
Suddenly, Agnes heard the sound of footsteps behind her and turned at once, barely refraining a scream. She could not see well in the dark but recognized the silhouette standing in front of her.
- What are you doing?
- Professor Snape. Agnes answered, glad to see a familiar face (even if it were Snape). I was just... on a stroll.
- At night? After curfew?
- It's more...quiet.
- Do you know Hogwarts is most dangerous when the sun had set? The tall man said, his eyes lowering onto her.
- I-..
But she had no time to say more that a thicker, louder noise broke their conversation. Both turned at once at the origin of the sound. A little further at the edge of the forbidden forest, a large animal was standing, most likely untamed and wild. Agnes gasped at the horse-looking creature, and took a step back when she saw it galopping towards them.
- What is it? She asked, grabbing her wand.
- A thestral. answered calmly Snape with his grip tightening on his own wand.
The creature looked angry, and was speicifically aiming for them too. It was Agnes' first time seeing such thing. She had always thought thestrals were invisible, but turns out she could see it clearly now. Her mother would most likely have an explanation for that, since she used to study the magical creature during her free time. But it was no time to think of Murielle. Agnes attempted a step forward to confront the beast, but she saw the cape of the potion professor fly before her, his arm lifted to his right as a sign of protection. The animal tried to run at them, but was stopped by a flash coming out of the wizard's wand, exploding into a sort of bright firework, making the creature scream of surprise before running away in the opposite direction.
Agnes could feel her breath stabilize slightly, before she realized Snape had still his arm wrapped behind him, his hand on her wrist to make sure she'd stay behind him.
- ... Professor?
At once, the man turned around, making them face each other in a really close manner. Snape's eyes fell onto hers, and she could see the reflection of the moonlight in them. making it hard to look away so soon.
- Hagrid should be more careful not to let such creature come to close to the school grounds. Severus Snape said, still looking deep into her eyes.
- Right. She answered simply, breaking the eye contact to put her wand in her pocket.
An awkward silence between them made her feel like things were taking a weird turn. What had just happened? That weird moment where he'd step before her to... protect her? Was it a reflex? Had he just done that like he'd done it to anyone else? Yes, that must probably be it.