"Of course it's Snape!"
All four of them pointed to Snape at the same time.
"Wait, Snape is the spy Professor Charles left by Voldemort's side. It can't be him!" Hermione exclaimed, her tone sharp and logical, as if to remind everyone to stay sane.
"But weren't you the one who said Snape was suspicious?" Ron rolled his eyes.
"Uh… right…" Hermione faltered, momentarily speechless. "I really don't want to suspect him. We've been wrong about him so many times before. But lately—he's been acting far too strange! Think about it—he hasn't taken points from Gryffindor at all!"
Her tone was dramatically incredulous.
Harry and the others nodded in solemn agreement.
"He doesn't even pick on me anymore. Last time Draco tried to rub pepper powder in my eyes, Snape made him inhale the whole thing instead." Harry said with the disbelief of someone who had just seen the impossible.
"Unbelievable!"
All four of them rubbed their chins, shaking their heads in unison—until Neville spoke up.
"But… what if Snape's actually changed?" he asked timidly, stroking his tiny Snorlax. "He's a lot nicer now than before."
"That's what's weird about it!" Ron sighed, thinking Neville was still too naïve to grasp such things. "A man like Snape has been nasty for decades. You really think he's suddenly turned over a new leaf? Impossible! The nicer he acts, the more he's hiding. Haven't you noticed how often he stares at Harry?"
Hermione and Neville instinctively nodded.
Indeed—Snape had always stared at Harry before, but back then it was mostly to find fault. Now, though?
Now he'd glance at Harry, then quietly lower his head and walk away.
"He's definitely plotting something—to get rid of Harry!"
"Are you sure about that?" Hermione was the first to question him.
"Of course! Who else could it be?" Ron challenged. "Professor Lupin? He spent the whole summer living with Harry. If he wanted to harm him, he'd have done it already. Harry, do you think Professor Lupin's suspicious?"
Harry immediately shook his head.
"Exactly. And Lockhart? Sure, he's vain—but he's actually been teaching us dueling! Those spells from last night were pretty useful. And Slughorn? He hasn't even been around much lately—he's gone!"
One by one, Ron eliminated every other suspect, leaving only Snape standing.
It was the kind of backwards reasoning only Hogwarts' very own "strategic genius" could manage.
And the scary part? Even Hermione began to waver under his logic.
"Still, we can't just investigate Snape. If he catches us, he'll take so many points Gryffindor will never recover!" Hermione fretted. For her, nothing in the world was more sacred than House Points. After all her effort saving them, losing it all to Snape's wrath was unthinkable.
"If he does take points, then that proves he's still the same old Snape," Ron said suddenly, eyes lighting up. "I've got a plan—Harry, you go ask him about potion brewing. Then ask if you can take a few bottles with you…"
"Are you mad?! He'd kill me!" Harry exclaimed.
Just asking Snape a question was crazy enough—but trying to take something from him?
"The only thing I'd ever 'take' from Snape is a detention slip!"
Still… when he thought about his friends—especially Hermione's safety—that seemed a small price to pay.
"I'll write it for you!" Ron, showing unprecedented initiative, practically shoved Harry all the way to Snape's office door—then bolted with Hermione and Neville to hide around the corner, peeking out with three tiny heads.
Harry stood there alone, stiff as a statue.
"Go on, Harry!" Ron mouthed silently.
With a gulp, Harry knocked.
Moments later, the door cracked open. Snape peered through the gap, half-surprised, half-irritated. The look of Harry voluntarily showing up clearly unsettled him.
Harry, meanwhile, couldn't even meet his eyes.
Snape's patience snapped.
"What do you want, Potter?"
"Professor, I…"
"Look up when you speak! Look me in the eye. That's the respect a student owes a teacher!" Snape said, each word sharp as a blade.
Harry reluctantly raised his head, still avoiding eye contact.
"Professor, I wanted to ask… could you teach me how to brew… Polyjuice Potion?"
It was the first potion that popped into his blank mind—Hermione had mentioned it not long ago, and it slipped out instinctively.
"Oh? Tired of being yourself, are you, Mr. Potter? Planning to turn into someone else for fun?" Snape sneered. "If that's the case, you needn't bother. I still have plenty of that Gender-Swap Potion left!"
The memory of turning into "Harriet" made Harry's face go pale. The teasing, the whispers, and that incident with Malfoy—nightmare fuel for life.
"Please—no!"
"I'm serious this time, Professor," Harry stammered.
Snape could have easily read his mind, but somehow, looking into those green eyes, he couldn't bring himself to use Legilimency.
"If I believed you," Snape said coolly, "I might as well resign on the spot."
Just as Harry thought he'd been rejected, Snape's expression shifted.
He opened the door wider, stepping aside slightly.
Harry blinked, confused.
"Well? Don't just stand there. Come in!"
Harry shuffled inside mechanically.
Around the corner, the three onlookers gaped.
"Did he really just let Harry in?" Hermione whispered.
"Maybe… because he's a teacher?" Neville mumbled uncertainly.
"That's different! Polyjuice Potion isn't even in the curriculum! Not even upper years can brew it! Normally, Snape would've mocked Harry for being overconfident—but he looked pleased?" Hermione said in disbelief.
"Bloody hell," Ron muttered. "Wait… if Snape really is up to something, didn't we just push Harry right into danger? What if he kills him?"
His face went white.
"Let's tell a professor!" Hermione said, panicking.
"There's no time! We've got to save him now!" Ron shouted. "It's just Snape! We've got Pokémon—what's there to be afraid of? Charge!"
"Go, Inferno!"
"Go, Raichu!" Hermione cried, completely losing her composure. Neville fumbled for his Snorlax's Poké Ball.
"Let's save Harry!"
The three stormed toward Snape's door.
"Inferno, Incinerate!"
"Raichu, Iron Tail!"
"Snorlax, Tackle!"
BOOM!
The triple strike shattered the wooden door instantly.
Flames lit up the dim office, scattering half a shelf's worth of potion ingredients in a fiery burst. Raichu's tail smashed through flying wood shards, sending potion bottles exploding into colorful clouds that rained down—right onto Snape's greasy hair.
"Harry! We're here to save you! Don't you dare hurt him, Snape!"
Ron bellowed heroically—eyes squeezed tightly shut, which somewhat ruined the effect.
If he'd looked, he would've seen Harry frantically waving at him to run… and Snape's face twisting with barely restrained fury.
"RON—WEASLEY—"
The way he said it, it sounded like he was chewing through flesh.
"If you can't give me a good explanation," Snape growled, "you'd better start packing. If you hurry, you might just catch the last train to Platform Nine—and if not, you'll be walking there!"
Only then did Ron open his eyes—to see Snape advancing toward them, green potion dripping from his hair, while Harry sat meekly at a desk with an open Potions textbook.
Wait. Snape was… tutoring Harry?
Ron felt like reality had collapsed. Either the world had gone insane, or he was dreaming.
Snape… had actually turned good?!
But realization dawned fast—he was in deep trouble.
"Heh… if I said I was someone else who drank Polyjuice Potion, would you believe me?" Ron asked weakly.
"Only if I had the brain of an underdeveloped troll," Snape hissed, glaring like a serpent. He cast a quick Scourgify on himself, though the stench of mixed potions still lingered.
"If that's your only excuse, then we're all going to see Dumbledore. Tonight, you will be sent home!" he declared firmly.
Of course, Snape knew Dumbledore wouldn't actually expel them—but someone had to pay for his ruined supplies. Conveniently, there were openings in the ingredient-collection crew…
As Snape lifted his wand to herd them along, their Pokémon mistook the gesture as an attack and tensed up again.
"Don't make it worse!" Ron pleaded hopelessly.
Hermione was already crying.
She couldn't believe she'd actually helped blow up a professor's office—in her second year! Her parents would think she'd enrolled in some kind of wizard demolition course.
If she got expelled now, she'd be two full years behind in Muggle studies—and though she could make that up, could she ever forget this dazzling, magical world?
"Professor, we only did it because we were worried about Harry…" she whimpered.
"Worried about Harry?" Snape laughed darkly. "You think I'd hurt him?"
"Speaking of which—Harry Potter, you're coming too!" he barked, whipping his potion-soaked hair aside. "I actually thought you'd developed a shred of appreciation for Potions. You may be arrogant, reckless, and infuriating, but as a teacher, I was willing to guide you. Clearly, I was mistaken."
He glared at all of them. "Let Dumbledore enjoy the story of your little stunt."
Harry shrank, guilt flooding his face as he followed along.
If Dumbledore—or worse, Professor Charles—found out about this…
Then again, hadn't Professor Charles been expelled once too?
Maybe getting expelled wasn't so bad. After all, every great Pokémon Trainer started their journey young—most at ten years old!
By that logic, he was already two years late.
The thought made him almost… excited.
Unlike in the original story, Hogwarts wasn't Harry's only home now. He already had one—with a loving godfather waiting for him to come back.
And a werewolf uncle who, despite his fangs, was kinder than anyone else.
Soon, they arrived at Dumbledore's office.
The headmaster looked truly astonished to see Snape dragging the four of them in. After hearing the explanation, however, the deep lines on his face softened.
"Let them go, Severus," Dumbledore said gently. "Everyone's been on edge lately, with the Heir of Slytherin business."
Hermione instantly beamed with relief.
"You mean, it's over?" Snape asked incredulously.
"Not quite," Dumbledore smiled. "Reckless actions should still have consequences. And false accusations against a professor—any professor—cannot be ignored." He paused, giving Harry a meaningful glance. "Other than expulsion, Severus, I trust you'll choose an appropriate punishment."
(End of Chapter)