Esprit de Corps

Chapter 10

Severus Snape was woken up at the ungodly hour of six in the morning by a constant tapping on his closed window. He got up from his bed angrily and threw open the window. A snowy owl flew in, dropped a letter in his hands and settled down on his table, apparently waiting for a reply.

Snape opened the letter and his eyes widened as he read it.

Dear Professor Snape,

This is Hermione Granger, sir, and I am contacting you for I do not know what else to do. Harry has not slept since he returned to his Muggle relatives; nightmares mar his slumber consistently. You must have also heard about the circumstances of his removal from Privet Drive. I was wondering, sir, if you could provide me with some Dreamless Sleep Potion or guide me as to the procedure of purchase of that particular potion. Harry is in a very bad shape and really needs to sleep. I have given him Muggle sleeping pills as a temporary measure, but they are addictive and prolonged use very harmful. We need your help, sir.

I will be highly obliged if you grant my request, sir, and help us out of this dilemma. I can assure that Harry will be grateful, too.

Yours faithfully,

Hermione Granger.

Snape blinked and read the letter again. Then he frowned. He had seen enough into the mind of young Harry Potter to know his self-reproaching tendencies. And the loss of that irresponsible Godfather of his - Snape's lips curled up in displeasure - he had disliked Sirius Black very much.

But the boy was not sleeping. And Dumbledore had told him about the Privet Drive incident. Muggles, he thought hatefully. Why Dumbledore had left the boy with such horrible people all his life was something that he didn't understand. From what he'd seen in the boy's head, they treated him like a human house-elf. It was a wonder he still had his pride...

And he was almost sorted into Slytherin...

Severus Snape, to say the least, had been shocked to see that in Harry's head. The boy was such a perfect little Gryffindor...

And yet he held dark secrets in his head that no one knew about...secrets of an unhappy childhood...Snape doubted if even his best friends knew all about the Dursleys...everyone knew that they weren't too good to him, of course, but most thought that was because Harry was so special and needed special care and hence complained. He himself had thought so until he had seen the inside of that black haired head...

So the girl wanted Dreamless Sleep Potion for him. Granger, now, was a mystery. She was a Muggle-born, and a Gryffindor - enough to incur the displeasure of Snape, but she was also his best student - even with all his partiality towards the students of his own house. She was probably the cleverest student since Tom Riddle that Hogwarts had seen...he had never understood why she wasn't in Ravenclaw...Potter ought to be grateful that he had such a powerful ally by his side.

Should he give her the Potion? He eyed the white owl sitting on his desk. Potter's owl. He wondered if Potter knew that his friend had written to him...

He certainly could spare some Potion...and he could send her some order forms as well...and it would be nice to see Potter's shocked face when he realised that he had helped him...for Snape was quite sure now that Granger wouldn't have told him...

Severus Snape took up his quill and wrote out a note. He pulled out a bottle of the required potion and tied both the articles to the owl's feet. He held out an owl treat and some water for the bird and she shot him a grateful look before flying out.

Hermione opened Snape's letter eagerly.

Dear Ms. Granger,

Your concern for your friend is indeed touching. I am sending you a bottle of the required potion - it is a more concentrated potion that what the school nurse uses, and so it would be better for you to give him three drops of the potion in half a glass of water. I think the potion ought to last you the entire summer, but in case more is required, you can order some from Diagon Alley; I have enclosed a few forms.

I doubt if Potter will find the idea of his Potions Master helping him. I do not need his gratitude.

Prof. S. Snape.

Hermione nearly jumped for joy. She gave Hedwig a slice of her favourite cake and the bird gave her an appreciative look before devouring it. Hermione sat down to write a thank you note to her best friend's least favourite professor.