Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday...
Though Orli claimed she didn't care, she found herself scanning the Daily Prophet every morning without fail. But right up until Friday morning, there wasn't a single mention of her name.
She'd almost managed to push the whole business from her mind. But that Friday afternoon, as she headed to Potions in reasonably good spirits, she discovered Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, and Gregory Goyle clustered outside the classroom with Pansy Parkinson and the rest of their Slytherin cronies. They were all staring at something, faces pale and uneasy, whispering frantically among themselves.
Crabbe and Goyle wore expressions of stunned bewilderment, while Malfoy looked positively shell-shocked. As Orli approached, they fell silent as one, fixing her with twisted, gargoyle-like stares.
"She's here, she's here..." several Slytherin girls shrieked as if they'd seen a ghost, scrambling backward toward the wall. They seemed to be clutching some sort of magazine.
"What's gotten into you lot?" Orli raised an eyebrow suspiciously. Taking advantage of their distraction, she snatched the publication right from their hands. The cover read The Wizarding Weekly, featuring a moving photograph of a curly-haired witch grinning maniacally, flashing a mouthful of teeth as she pointed her wand at an enormous, spongy cake—clearly some sort of gossip rag.
Orli held the magazine, about to flip it open, when she paused.
Why were these Slytherins so bloody quiet today? They were practically... docile!
She'd just stolen their magazine, and not only had no one hexed her—not a single person had even protested?
Her unease deepened, a cold dread spreading through her chest. She quickly flipped through the pages, and within moments, found exactly what she was looking for.
"Secret Liaisons Between Professors and Students—Harry Potter's Heartbreak and Hogwarts' Scandal"
"As a venerable institution of magical learning, Hogwarts has long enjoyed an impeccable reputation throughout the wizarding world. Regrettably, under Dumbledore's leadership, both school discipline and faculty ethics have taken a precipitous decline. Following the recent scandal involving a half-giant instructor, Hogwarts finds itself embroiled in yet another shocking revelation. And this time, the incident directly involves the unfortunate boy, Harry Potter.
After losing his parents, Harry Potter clearly believed he'd found emotional solace at Hogwarts—just recently, during the Triwizard Tournament, Orli Waters garnered widespread attention as Harry Potter's most cherished 'treasure.' (Miss Hermione Granger, having fallen from Harry's favor, has since thrown herself into Viktor Krum's arms, leaving the Bulgarian Quidditch star utterly besotted.)
But Orli Waters was evidently unsatisfied with an innocent fourteen-year-old like Harry Potter. Ambitious as ever, she set her sights on the school's faculty—this time targeting none other than Slytherin's Head of House and Hogwarts' Potions Master, Severus Snape.
'It's been going on for years—everyone at school knows. Waters visits Professor Snape's office multiple times each week, and she always stays for hours,' revealed one student who wished to remain anonymous.
As both the youngest professor in Hogwarts' history and Slytherin's youngest-ever Head of House, Severus Snape is clearly positioned to offer Orli Waters considerable advantages. Moreover, she could exploit this professor's research to enhance her own family's reputation in potioneering—we discovered that a recent paper on potion improvements, published in an academic journal, listed not only Professor Severus Snape but also this fourteen-year-old girl as co-authors. It's difficult to believe this isn't some form of academic fraud.
Of course, considering this seasoned Potions Master is unlikely to be influenced by any love potions, this clandestine affair appears entirely consensual. Perhaps Severus Snape thoroughly enjoys the... charms of his young student. This reporter attempted to interview the pair but was rebuffed. Judging from the encounter, Slytherin's Head of House is remarkably protective of Orli Waters—a Gryffindor student.
In conclusion, we hope young Harry Potter will choose a more worthy candidate when next he offers his heart.
Exclusively reported by Rita Skeeter for The Wizarding Weekly."
Author's Note:Snape became a Hogwarts professor at twenty-one, which should be absolutely unprecedented in the school's history. And since his appointment coincided with Slughorn's resignation, he likely became Head of Slytherin simultaneously—so bloody young...
Writing this chapter makes me want to curse someone.
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