Golden Trio and Snape

Snape patrolled the dark corridors of Hogwarts. Usually, after curfew, troublemakers could mostly be found from only two houses. Gryffindors and Slytherins were the only ones who couldn't seem to sleep at night. Passing by the second-floor girls' bathroom, which no one used, he noticed a faint light. As he drew closer, Snape heard whispering. He was just about to burst into the bathroom and catch the culprits red-handed, but one phrase stopped him:— "I still can't believe they could do this to you," — that voice, Snape knew all too well. The voice of the know-it-all Granger. And where there was Granger, there was also Potter and the youngest Weasley. And he wasn't wrong.— "Those bastards, I can't believe it either. I swear, next time I see them, I'll definitely use some kind of curse. Let them suffer," — Weasley hissed like a snake, his tone brimming with anger. Thankfully, the door wasn't fully closed, allowing Snape to see what was happening inside the forbidden girls' bathroom.— "Ow... I'm fine... Really... Ow... Thanks to you two," — Potter's suppressed cries of pain kept slipping out.— "Just hang on, I'm almost done. And honestly, if you'd let me do this earlier, it wouldn't hurt this much," — Weasley urged. Now that Snape could see what the Golden Trio was doing, it shocked him. Potter was standing with his back to the redhead, his shirt lying near the sink. The boy's back was covered in both deep and shallow cuts, as well as scars. Many of the marks were fresh, and it was on these that Weasley was applying a thick green ointment. As an experienced Potions Master, Snape immediately recognized the potion. It was meant to heal scars caused without magical interference—by Muggles. However, it was fairly weak, requiring regular application to completely remove the scars.— "Ugh, if only we had something more effective than this potion, it'd be so much easier. Hermione, pass me the bandages, please," — Weasley requested. From Snape's position, the girl was out of sight, likely sitting on the windowsill, as a roll of bandages flew from that direction and into Ron's hands.— "It'd be even easier if Harry told someone," — Hermione sighed in disappointment. Meanwhile, the youngest Weasley expertly wrapped the wounds of the Boy Who Lived.— "We've already discussed this, Hermione. Harry will tell someone when he's ready. I'm done," — Ron stated firmly.— "Yes, but..." — Granger didn't have time to finish before Potter interrupted her.— "Hermione, I've tried telling people so many times, and it's never ended well. That's why it's better not to bring it up. It's enough that you two know about this. Right now, I'm at Hogwarts, and nothing bad will happen to me—at least not from the Dursleys," — Harry explained as he buttoned his shirt and sat on the edge of the windowsill.— "But I'm scared something terrible might happen to you if you go back there," — Hermione's voice was trembling, on the verge of tears.— "Hey, I promise I'll be fine. I spend ten months at Hogwarts and only two with the Dursleys. And I've lived there for ten years and I'm still alive, so don't worry," — Harry reassured her. Ron also sat down on the opposite side to comfort Hermione, which caused him to move out of Snape's line of sight. Snape, still carefully listening to the second-years' conversation, remained hidden in the shadows of a statue.Of course, he had always disliked the boy of James, but at that moment, seeing all those scars, a thought flashed through his mind: the boy was Lily's son, too. Besides, his own childhood memories of abuse at the hands of his father weren't so easily forgotten. It was then that Snape decided he would help the boy.— "I don't mean to interrupt your lovely conversation, but we have another problem," — Ron cleared his throat to get the others' attention. "We're almost out of potion, and the bandages will need to be changed in just a few days."— "Then we'll have to go to the Forbidden Forest," — Hermione sighed wearily. "But Harry's wrist is in bad shape too. While my Concealment Charm works, no one will notice, but if your condition gets worse, we'll have to go to Madam Pomfrey. We have just enough potion for one more dressing, but we'll need at least three."— "Then we'll split up. Ron and I will go to the Forbidden Forest to gather the necessary herbs, and you can ask Madam Pomfrey for some bruise balm and grab a few wolfsbane berries from the greenhouse. Tomorrow we have Herbology, so while we're out gathering herbs, you can prepare everything else. We'll meet here at midnight," — Harry proposed, and everyone agreed. Everyone except Snape. It was then that a plan formed in his mind. He would intercept the two boys on their way to the Forbidden Forest, then bring them and Granger to his office. They would have a serious discussion.— "It's time we return to the common room; it's late. It would be bad if we ran into a teacher," — Hermione said, glancing around warily, as if she could sense someone watching them. She hurriedly ushered her partners in crime out of the girls' bathroom. The three of them crept through Hogwarts' winding corridors toward their tower, entirely unaware that Snape was following them. He wanted to ensure the Golden Trio made it back to their common room without running into trouble.