The Legacy (Camren)

Chapter Six

Lauren woke up groggily the following morning, already in a bad mood from laying awake all night with the thought of her professors on her mind. Being in a bad mood put her in an even worse mood; she wanted her first full day back at Hogwarts to be a good one, and it wasn't off to a pleasing start.

She couldn't understand what McGonagall and Snape would have been discussing in the common room. If one of the students was in danger, shouldn't all of them be warned? She tried to stop thinking about it, to stop guessing what they could have been talking about, but she couldn't. All throughout breakfast, even despite Camila and Chris's excited conversation about the cards they were trading, Lauren had a deep, nagging feeling in her stomach.

Without much thought, she decided that she would pay Professor McGonagall a visit after the day had ended. She wasn't close to the headmistress, but McGonagall was always open to talking with students. Perhaps Lauren could get her to slip up and explain what she'd been discussing with Snape.

Speaking of Snape, Lauren's mood only worsened when breakfast ended and she found herself, along with the rest of the seventh year Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs, making her way to the dungeons for her potions and Defense Against the Dark Arts classes. Camila and Dinah were flanking her sides, with Normani and Ally in the rear, but only Camila knew about what had gone on in the common room and was continuously flashing nervous glances to Lauren as they found their seats next to each other.

Snape wasn't in the room yet, but none of the students looked very pleased with the scenery anyway. All around them were jars of strange body parts and petrified creatures floating in a slimy, green substance, likely all ingredients to potions they would be making throughout the year.

Lauren hadn't spoken to Camila or Dinah more than three times all morning. They were both engaged in their own conversation, betting on what sort of creature was in a large jar situated in the windowsill, when Snape burst angrily through the door. He hurried to the front of the classroom, his robes flying up behind him as he moved, and swiftly turned to face the students.

"There will be no nonsense in my classroom," he said slowly, dragging out each word. "You will spend one hour making potions, and you will be across the hall in the Defense Against the Dark Arts room no more than five minutes after I dismiss you. Are we clear?"

Murmurs of agreement erupted throughout the classroom. Snape turned to the blackboard behind him and began to scribble on it, writing down the lessons that they would cover and the potions that they would learn about for the day.

"Turn to page fifty-seven in your textbooks," he instructed. "Read the first two pages, then look up at me. Do not..."

Among all the pages flipping in the room, Lauren hadn't noticed that Snape's voice had trailed off. She was looking for the page herself, and once she found it and looked up again, she noticed that all eyes were on her, including Snape's. She looked to Camila, who was looking back and forth between her and their professor worriedly, and then to Dinah, Normani, and Ally, who were doing the same.

"Miss Jauregui," Snape said, his eyes wide, lips barely moving. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Uh...why, Sir?" Lauren stammered. "With all due respect, I've been in your class every year for the past six years."

Snape didn't respond, but just looked at Lauren like he couldn't believe she was sitting in front of him. Lauren couldn't pinpoint his confusion- he'd hardly ever given her a passing glance before, but he knew that she was one of his students. Why was he so shocked to see her in his classroom? He turned slowly, approached the blackboard again, and cleared his throat like nothing had ever happened.