"I want it done by Saturday when I go down for my Potions tutorial," explained Harry. "Hmm, though I have to make time to finish another foot and a half of essay, too, not to mention catching up on all my other homework..."
"Not to mention sleep," Hermione said as she stood up, yawning.
"Yeah, that's what Ron said," mentioned Harry, fishing.
"Oh, Ron has quite a lot to say, doesn't he?" Hermione was frowning as she began to gather up her things. "Don't tell him I'm helping you with the well-wish, not unless you want to hear a lot of blather about how sweet I've gone on Draco."
Harry's jaw dropped. "Ron thinks you're sweet on Draco?"
"Oh, who knows what he thinks?" Hermione slammed a book closed. "Who knows if he thinks?"
"Um... are you? You know, sweet on--"
"Harry Potter!" Hermione glared at him, her stance fierce. "I know you regard him as your brother so I've been careful not to say what I really think! I learned my lesson about meddling in family already, thank you very much. Your father still hasn't forgiven me. But really, am I sweet on Draco? Honestly, Harry--"
"You can say what you really think," Harry interrupted. "I mean, about Draco. I'd rather not hear some half-baked theory about my neediness or anything like that."
"Oh." Hermione's expression softened. "Well, I think he's lucky to have you on his side, and that you're worth ten of him, and if he hurts you he'll have me to reckon with. And... well, I also do think he's not quite as bad as he once was. And, that thing with his father... that was awful."
Harry resisted an urge to insist, Snape's his father. He knew what Hermione meant, and the scene upstairs had shown him that he'd been coming across a bit pushy on that matter.
"And, well, after seeing that," Hermione went on, "it was easier to understand what made him such a vicious little prat, you know? I mentioned that to Ron, who insisted on being an idiot, of course. But don't you go asking if I'm sweet on Draco, Harry. The idea makes me ill. Even though I do know he's been a big help to you this year."
"Right, he has." Harry poured himself a glass of water from the never-out pitcher Dobby had delivered earlier. "Well, I'm going to start over from scratch on my wishes and finish this essay. If you could put the crest on some sort of glass or vase tomorrow, I'd really appreciate it."
"What sort of glass or vase?"
"Um, probably something smooth-sided I guess. Doesn't matter."
Hermione nodded. "Shall I stay up and help you with the research?"
"No, you have that Arithmancy test you were reviewing for." Harry waved her away, blinking fast to try to wake himself up. "I'll be fine. Oh, but could you copy my notes? I tried to get through them earlier but..."
Hermione made the duplicates, rolled them up, and tied them with a bit of string, then left them on the edge of the table for Harry to owl. Hedwig knew the routine by then. All Harry had to do was call softly to have her fly out the window of his dormitory and in the window to the common room. "For Severus," he explained, and she hooted as she headed off.
Snape probably wouldn't get them until he went to class --or breakfast if he ate in the Great Hall-- but that was all right since he could Floo the notes to Draco from his classroom or office, first thing.
As soon as Hedwig was gone, Harry fished Sals out of his pocket and draped her around his neck. She'd been a lot happier since he'd found the repelling charm for her box, though it had been Hermione who'd actually applied the spell. Sometimes, Harry thought, this Parseltongue magic is really inconvenient. It made mastering new spells a right pain, and this week, he just hadn't had time to spare figuring out something he'd probably only use once. Good thing he had a clever witch like Hermione as one of his best friends.
Moving to sit on the floor, the low table serving as a desk, Harry started hunting for the book that had alphabetised plants instead of listing them in broad categories by magical properties.
The Snape family crest kept calling his attention, however. It really was quite beautiful, Harry thought as he stared at the shifting colours and shapes. It was so captivating, in fact, that looking away became a challenge.
At least until his eye fell on the initials H.S... tiny letters in the lower right corner of the emblem.
Was this crest even for the branch of the Snapes he'd been adopted into, that was the question. Wanting to find out, Harry started reading.
The Snape lineage is an old and respected one in Wizarding Britain, though the exact origins of the family are unknown. The earliest ancestor attested to by means of genealogical spells appears to have been a cobbler who reputedly sewed shoes that would never wear out...
Harry grinned, imagining Draco's reaction if he found out he'd been adopted into a family of shoemakers. For his part, he found the history fascinating, though he did still wonder if he was reading about the right Snapes. Severus might know, he supposed, not that Harry planned to ask. Maybe someday, when his father eased up about discussing his family...
Why couldn't History of Magic have been this interesting?
The answer to that was simple, though. Harry hadn't cared about goblin rebellions. This, he cared about. A lot.
He read all the way through the article headed by the crest, then putting off his homework and essay and the well-wish for a while longer, flipped open a much thicker book and looked up Snape in that one too.
Oh, better, even if it didn't have any discussion of family crests. This book was one of those self-updating encyclopaedias; Hermione had checked out the volume covering Smo-Sni.
Snape, Severus, read the entry.
Descended from shoemakers, Severus Augustus Snape currently holds the coveted post of Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He has developed or made significant contributions to at least sixteen classes of potion still in use, including some highly regulated by the British Ministry of Magic. These are his known contributions. It is suspected his true accomplishments in the field of potions are more vast, though since Snape continues to decline an interview with the editors of this publication, it is difficult to determine the true acclaim he may be due.
Snape has an undeserved reputation as a Death Eater active during both the first and second Voldemort wars, the latter still ongoing. However, it has come to light that his true allegiances were to the forces opposing Voldemort, notably Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. Snape was instrumental in saving the life of Harry James Potter on November 6, 1996, which led to his unveiling as a spy of long standing. Not long afterward, Snape, who remains unmarried, petitioned Wizard Family Services for permission to adopt Harry Potter. On March 21, 1997, he also became the adoptive father of Draco Alain Gervais Walpurgis Malfoy (see entry Malfoy, Lucius).
Draco, Harry thought, would be a little miffed to know that Harry had an entry of his own and he didn't. Maybe that was why the encyclopaedia hadn't updated his name to Snape... well, it didn't matter. Harry had found out what he needed to. The crest was for the branch right branch of the family.
He pushed the family history books aside before he gave into the temptation to keep on reading them all night, and pulled over the Alphabetical Guide to Plants and Properties. Sighing, Harry flipped it open to S.
One or two hours, he thought, to make his list of plants.