Harry Potter: I became Snape

As the two bowed to each other, the dueling match began.

Barty Crouch Jr.'s wrist flicked sharply, and a red spell shot toward Severus Snape with a piercing screech.

Snape's dark eyes showed no trace of panic. His wand danced through the air, and in the blink of an eye, three ordinary candles melted and reshaped. Their flames, as if alive, twisted and merged, forming a shimmering shield of silver fire.

The spell slammed into the shield, sparks flying everywhere, illuminating both their faces.

Seizing the moment, Snape launched his counterattack. With a swift wand movement, a jet of black light from an Impediment Jinx hissed toward Barty. The air crackled where the spell passed.

"Protego!" Barty's face tightened as he raised his wand, a transparent shield enveloping him instantly.

The Impediment Jinx struck the shield with a shrill clang, ripples spreading across its surface.

Two powerful forces clashed fiercely in the confined space. Sweat beaded on both their foreheads, neither able to overpower the other for the moment.

Snape's wand moved faster, whipping through the air as he unleashed a barrage of spells, each streaking relentlessly toward Barty.

Finally, with his deeper magical reserves, Snape exploited a fleeting gap when Barty paused to catch his breath. A Stunning Spell hit Barty square in the chest.

Like a kite with its string cut, Barty flew backward, crashing into the magical barrier at the stage's edge. He crumpled to the ground, his wand clattering away.

"Cease your attack!" Professor Flitwick shouted almost instantly, leaping from his high stool with practiced speed, his eyes locked on Snape's every move.

Snape tucked his wand into his robes and glided across the stage. He bent to retrieve Barty's wand, then approached the unconscious boy, gently helping him up.

"Professor, I'll take Barty to the Hospital Wing," Snape said amiably.

"You?" Flitwick's eyes narrowed warily. "I'm coming with you."

After entrusting Professor Slughorn with wrapping up the match, Flitwick and Snape left the Great Hall, carrying Barty toward the Hospital Wing.

"Professor, how did you know what would happen if an Unlocking Charm was used on a person?" Snape asked curiously as they walked down the corridor. He admitted to himself that he'd been too reckless yesterday.

He was immensely grateful Flitwick had stopped his spell in time. Otherwise, the scene might have ended both James's and his own school careers simultaneously. Public opinion would have ensured that in different ways—Snape would be expelled, and James would likely withdraw voluntarily.

"For Merlin's sake, Severus," Flitwick said, fuming at the memory, stomping his foot. "Not every door is meant to be opened! I've heard about the tension between you and James, but do you really want to be remembered in Hogwarts' history for something like that?"

"I'm truly sorry, Professor, for startling you," Snape said, offering a rare shy smile. "I promise I won't use an Unlocking Charm on a classmate again."

They continued talking and soon reached the Hospital Wing's entrance.

Pushing open the double doors, they were greeted by the strong scent of medicinal herbs.

Madam Pomfrey was tending to other students injured in recent days. Seeing them enter, she looked up, her face flushed with irritation. "Filius, when will this blasted dueling tournament end? How many more injured students will I have to treat?"

"Oh, Poppy," Flitwick said, smiling awkwardly. "The tournament ended tonight. From now on, it's just regular classes."

"What?" Madam Pomfrey clucked like an indignant hen. "Regular classes? I'm going to see the Headmaster!"

Grumbling, she took Barty from them, settling him onto a bed. She brushed back his straw-colored hair and felt his forehead.

"Stunning Spell?" she asked.

"Yes, a Stunning Spell, Poppy," Flitwick confirmed, quickly adding, "Training them now helps ensure they're less likely to get hurt in real battles later."

"I understand, with the way the world is these days…" Madam Pomfrey muttered softly. "You can go now. Leave him to me."

"I'd like to stay until he wakes, Madam Pomfrey," Snape said quietly. "I'm the one who stunned him, so I want to be sure he's alright before I leave."

"Oh, he'll be fine," Madam Pomfrey said, her expression softening. "But if you want to stay, you may. Just keep quiet."

"Yes, Madam," Snape agreed, nodding obediently and settling into a chair beside the bed.

Madam Pomfrey extinguished the ward's candles and retreated to her office.

Snape sat by Barty's bedside, gazing at the moonlight streaking across the ceiling, listening to the night breeze rustling the leaves outside…

He wasn't sure how much time passed before a soft sound stirred him awake.

The sky outside had deepened to a rich blue, and Madam Pomfrey was already at work.

She was spoon-feeding a shimmering blue potion into Barty's mouth.

Snape rubbed his stiff neck, his gaze settling on Barty's pale face.

This seemingly frail boy would one day pass twelve O.W.L.s, resist the Imperius Curse, and trap Moody—the Auror Charlie Weasley called "the best there ever was," who filled half of Azkaban's cells—in a trunk for an entire year.

A complex emotion stirred in Snape's chest.

He thought to himself that if he couldn't pull Barty away from Voldemort's influence, then for the sake of the wizarding world's peace, he'd rather find a way to ensure Barty never woke again than let him grow into a greater threat.

Lifting Barty's sleeve, Snape checked his arm and found no trace of the skull-shaped mark.

A little later, Barty's eyelashes fluttered. Under the potion's effect, he slowly opened his eyes.

"You're awake. The treatment was a success," Snape said, striving to keep his expression gentle and kind.

"What are you doing here?" Barty sat up abruptly, his voice wary.

"I'm sorry for hitting you too hard yesterday," Snape said, offering a warm, fatherly smile. "For your age, you're remarkably skilled, and facing you, I found it hard to hold back.

"I was worried I might have caused lasting harm, so I stayed to make sure you woke up alright.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"

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