Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.


HELD OVER!

GILDEROY LOCKHART
will be signing copies of his autobiography
MAGICAL ME
today 12:30 P.M. To 4:30 P.M.

“They must be kidding,” muttered Professor Snape as he guided his womenfolk into Flourish and Blotts bookstore.

“Not in the least, there he is,” said Emily, pointing over at the table where the author was seated, surrounded by swooning fans.

“Let's just get through the list and get out of here,” growled Severus.

“Please can't I get him to sign one of my books, Daddy, please?”

“...and there is one of my soon-to-be-colleagues, Professor Severus Snape!” Lockhart came to shake the scowling professor's hand, cameras clicking all the while.

Gilderoy saw Hope and asked, “Is this your daughter? She's a student? She needs signed copies of all my books for her Defense classes!” He pulled them over to the table and proceeded to sign the pile of books he had assigned for his classes and stack them into the girl's arms. When he was done, he kissed the cheek of the girl, to the delight of the photographers and to her father's annoyance. As far as Severus was concerned they couldn't get out of the store fast enough.

“Finally!” the father groused as he led his wife and daughter away from the book shop. “I don't know how we will survive the coming year.”

“He seems harmless enough,” commented Emily cheerfully.

“He hasn't a clue about his subject and he's going to get someone seriously injured. That's not harmless.” He looked at the dreamy-eyed pre-teen walking between them. “And then there's the effect he seems to have on females.”

“Not this female,” laughed Emily. “He's not my type at all. I hope you weren't planning on getting rid of me that easily.”

Severus's scowl became a little less fixed on his face as the small family headed for their next stop, the apothecary. There they replenished Hope's supplies for Potions class, and Professor Snape made some orders on behalf of the school and for his private research. They ran into Augusta Longbottom and her grandson, petrifying the lad. The two witches chatted for a few minutes and the Professor, while making his order, noticed something from the corner of his eye. He mentioned it to his daughter after they left the shop.

“Hope, I think I have solved a mystery.”

“What is it, Daddy?”

“I think I know, now, how it was that Young Longbottom did so well on his Potions Final Exam. I expected him to fail utterly, yet there were things he answered correctly that he could not tell me all year. He had some special coaching, didn't he? I didn't realize you and he were such friends.”

“He's not as stupid as he seems, Daddy, and he knows O.W.L.s level stuff about Herbology and the plant parts of Potions. We just studied together once or twice in the library, when we happened to be there at the same time.”

The parents exchanged a glance over the top of their daughter's head. The twinkle in Emily's eye caused her husband's face to become less severe. “Surely you don't think...” began Severus, quietly. Emily just shrugged.

“Well, Little Girl, I would advise you to be very circumspect in your dealings with any Gryffindor. Your house mates will not look kindly on something that looks like a friendship between you.”

The family wound up their trip with a stop at Florean Fortescue's, the daughter promising that the treat wouldn't ruin her dinner. After a shopping expedition that ended more pleasantly than it began, they went to the Leaky Cauldron to Floo over to Margo's terraced house, where they were staying until the term began.

---

Apparently one of the photographers at the book store worked for the Daily Prophet, because the Personalities page of the paper had a picture of Hope holding the books Gilderoy Lockhart gave her as Lockhart kissed her cheek. Severus was seen in the background of the picture with a scowl on his face and arms folded.

“Young Margo Snape learns with delight that her hero, Gilderoy Lockhart, will be her Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year. Margo's father, Professor Severus Snape, who is Potions Master at Hogwarts, looks on. Lockhart graciously continued his book signing for an extra day after being interrupted on the previous day by an altercation at Flourish and Blotts (see page 6),” read the caption.

Severus scowled at the picture and set it aside while Hope squealed to see a picture of herself in the paper. Emily, who had somehow managed to avoid being in the shot, smiled and offered her husband some more toast. With luck it would all blow over soon, and they would get back to the school and a normal life.

Emily had not accounted for Lockhart's popularity. It seemed during her weekend shifts that every patient was looking at that picture, comparing Gilderoy Lockhart to her husband. Healer Snape had great difficulty maintaining a professional attitude in the face of some comments. By the time she was coming to the waiting room to deal with a bachelorette party that had run across some bad Love Potion, she was ready to hex someone.

“What a comparison! The one is everything handsome, and the other is so...not.” Emily had to make allowances that not everyone would find her husband to be as dear as she did.

“You remember from school, though. Sometimes Snape was pretty hot.” Severus and Emily often shared a laugh over the eyes some of the sixth and seventh year girls made at him.

“In the dark, maybe.” Emily's eyes narrowed.

“Look at his daughter. Pretty girl, but to be stuck with that nose. I would demand a charm to adjust it.” Emily had always admired Hope's nose, thinking it gave her face a distinctiveness that her own lacked

“I didn't know he had a daughter. How could he have a daughter?” Severus had worked to keep his family out of plain sight. It seemed that it was working.

“Someone shagged him enough to get knocked up, obviously.” That one made Emily wince. She silently but desperately wanted to get pregnant again, and was certain that Severus felt the same way. It seemed impossible that lack of lovemaking was the problem. Then, too, they had conceived Hope the very first time they had come together. This comment was completely off base, but it still hurt.

“He must have a wife, then.” Obviously.

“I wonder who would marry the greasy git and then have a kid with him?”

“That would be me,” said the Healer, coolly. The girls looked up at her in shock and embarrassment. “Yes, ladies, I am Healer Snape. If you're finished discussing my romantic life, I believe you have some side effects from a bad Love Potion to deal with?”

Emily looked at her clipboard as the young women looked up and gaped. “Perhaps we can start with Miss Gibbons. I understand your nose has turned an unfortunate color?” Emily looked at the girl. “Ah, I see. You wouldn't want to go to a wedding with a green nose, dear. It would upset the color arrangements, no doubt. Brides hate that sort of thing when they haven't planned for it. Come along, then.”

*******