Monday morning a wave of utter confusion swept over Hogwarts as Severus Snape, the school’s Resident Terror, Master of Sarcasm, and Half-Blood Prince of All Things Nasty, emerged from the dungeons with a wide grin plastered across his sallow face. Students swept off his path as he headed towards the Great Hall as if he’d grown a pair of horns. Truth be told, the horns would’ve been far less sensational than that smile, for Snape sneered and snared on a daily basis but not once has anyone seen him actually smile. Not like that.
“Morning,” he cheered as he plopped into his usual seat next to the Headmistress.
Minerva McGonagall gave him a poignant stare. “Who are you,” she joked, “and what have you done with Severus.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Snape replied while shoving half of the nearest treacle tart onto his plate.
“I’m talking about the smile, Severus. Not that it doesn’t suit you, quite the contrary, but I can’t imagine where does all this sudden happiness come from.”
“Nowhere in particular, just woke up in a good mood.”
“Oh, please! In the thirty years I’ve known you, I haven’t seen you wake up in a good mood once.”
“There comes a first time for everything,” Snape dismissed the accusation and grabbing one last toast from the table, he ran off to class.
If Snape’s unusual facial expression at breakfast had attracted some stares and an occasional comment, his behaviour during the morning classes sent the whole school into a full fledged hysteria.
“Is it true, Severus,” Minerva approached him at lunchtime, noting he was again eating like a normal human being and not like… well, himself.
Snape swallowed and turned his head towards the Headmistress. “Is what true?”
“Is it true that you have awarded points to a student?”
“The last time I checked that was what you were supposed to do with them.”
“You awarded FIFTY points!”
“I assure you they were well earned.”
“You awarded fifty points to a GRYFFINDOR!”
“I can take them back at any time if you’d like.”
“No, of course not. But please stop grinning like an idiot. You’re scaring the students.”
But Snape did not stop grinning. Not that he hasn’t tried but whenever his thoughts trailed off his lips seemed to curl up on their own accord.
As the day progressed, the mysterious reason behind his uncharacteristic cheerfulness became topic number one among students’ and teachers alike. Theories varied from someone slipping him a potion to winning the lottery but in truth, no one knew anything and Snape himself masterfully dodged every attempt at subtle interrogation. Older students of all houses began coming up with strategies to get the truth out of their teacher. Legilimency, Veritaserum and even Imperio were being considered. Some of them however, were more interested in learning how to brew Amortentia as they suddenly noticed that Snape, while still black-clad, greasy-haired and perpetually unshaven, was actually kind of cute.
As the days went by, Snape’s grin faded away along with his willingness to handle points left and right. The memory of it, however, remained ingrained in everyone’s mind along with the question: just what in Merlin’s Beard had happened over that fatidic spring weekend to make Severus Snape smile like that.
Any theories on what might have happened?
