Harry Potter's : Fantastic Beasts Guide

"Professor, what happened?" David asked, frowning as he watched Snape wince in pain.

"Dumbledore said you might be able to help me," Snape replied, his tone as measured and cold as always, though the strain on his face was evident.

David hesitated, observing Snape's wound, a deep bite mark on his leg wrapped haphazardly in a blood-soaked bandage. "To help you, I need to know what bit you. Each creature's venom is different."

Snape's piercing black eyes studied David for a moment before he muttered, "It was a three-headed dog."

David's eyes widened. "A three-headed dog? Was this… yesterday? Did someone try to steal the Philosopher's Stone?"

Snape gave a curt nod.

"Do you know who it was?" David pressed, intrigued.

"Professor Quirrell," Snape admitted, his voice dropping to a whisper. "Dumbledore warned me to keep an eye on him."

David's heart skipped a beat. "Do you know his true identity?"

Snape's expression shifted for the first time, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face. "What do you mean?"

David mentally kicked himself—of course, Snape didn't know Quirrell's connection to Voldemort. "Oh, it's nothing," David deflected quickly, forcing calmness into his voice.

Snape gave him a sharp look but let it slide. He grimaced, leaning heavily on his desk. "Do you have the potion formula? I need it."

"I do, but it's in my dormitory. I'll go get it," David replied, carefully masking his growing curiosity about Snape's predicament.

"Be quick. And make sure no one sees you," Snape ordered.

Back in the dormitory, David grabbed his notebook and hurried back to Snape's office, making sure the halls were clear. "No one saw me," he assured as he entered.

Snape motioned for him to begin. David flipped through his notebook, stopping at the formula for treating three-headed dog venom. "I can prepare the potion for you if you'd like," David offered, noticing how pale Snape looked.

Snape hesitated before nodding reluctantly. "Fine. But if you make a mistake, I'll correct it."

David worked swiftly, retrieving ingredients from Snape's shelves. As he prepared the potion, Snape watched him like a hawk, occasionally barking corrections.

"Cut that into thin strips, not chunks," Snape instructed sharply.

David adjusted his technique, biting back a retort.

"Grind this into powder," Snape added.

"But the book says small pieces are enough," David replied, puzzled.

"Do as I say!" Snape snapped.

David sighed and followed the instruction, grinding the ingredient into a fine powder.

Despite Snape's gruff demeanor, David noticed a glimmer of satisfaction in the professor's eyes when the potion turned out perfectly. Once it was ready, David carefully applied the ointment to Snape's wound, wrapping the leg in fresh bandages.

"You're all set, Professor," David said, stepping back.

Snape adjusted his robes, concealing the wound. "You can leave now. And remember—this stays between us."

David nodded, heading for the door.

Before he left, Snape's voice stopped him. "David."

David turned, surprised to see a rare softness in Snape's expression. "You can come to me for extra potions lessons… when I have time."

David beamed. "Thank you, Professor!"

Later that evening, David found Hermione in the library, surrounded by towering stacks of books.

"Where have you been?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Just handling something," David replied casually, taking a seat beside her.

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "You're not planning to sneak into the Forbidden Forest again, are you?"

David froze. "What? No, of course not!"

Hermione leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "If you're going, then take me with you."

David blinked in disbelief. "What? You? Want to sneak into the Forbidden Forest?"

"Yes," Hermione said firmly. "I know you. If I don't come, you'll go alone. I've read plenty of books about magical creatures, so I'll be able to help if we run into trouble."

David scratched his head, considering her offer. "Aren't you worried about getting caught? We could lose house points!"

Hermione smirked. "You've been sneaking around for ages and never gotten caught. You have that invisibility charm, and Mrs. Norris practically adores you now. I'm sure we'll be fine."

David laughed nervously. Hermione had clearly thought this through. "Alright. We'll go tonight. I'll even show you a unicorn."

Hermione's eyes sparkled with excitement.

At midnight, David quietly slipped out of bed, careful not to wake anyone. He crept down the spiral staircase to find Hermione waiting for him, hidden in the shadows behind the common room sofa.

"You're early," he whispered.

"I didn't want you to leave without me," Hermione replied, pulling on her sneakers.

David smiled, activating his invisibility charm to conceal them both.

"How do you do that without a wand?" Hermione asked as they sneaked through the corridors.

David chuckled. "Just talent, I guess."

Hermione playfully swatted his arm. "Show-off."

As they reached the edge of the Forbidden Forest, Hermione's nerves gave way to excitement.

"Ready?" David asked.

Hermione nodded eagerly.

Together, they stepped into the dark woods, their adventure just beginning.