The Serpent and the Star
"Professors of Hogwarts, I'd like to introduce you all to Severus Snape, our new Potions Professor" Dumbledore said formally.
A few people clapped.
Snape gave them a deadly glare.
They stopped.
"Now, I'm sure you've all heard the rumors of young Severus here being a Death Eater."
Flitwick appeared curious, as were many around the oak staff table where they planned their rebellion and, more recently, drank themselves silly at Voldemort's defeat. Even Pomona Sprout, Head of Hufflepuff and not one to make assumptions, was suspicious. Snape could see it all, written across their faces. Although he was over 10 years most of their junior, however, he was not afraid. He had Albus Dumbledore on his side after all. The rest of them would follow the "Leader of the Light" blindfolded into battle if he said it would defeat He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
Severus, however, was not such a fool. He knew that although Dumbledore was extremely powerful, and was world-renouned, the esteemed Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was completely and totally insane in that Dumbledorish way of his. The lemon drops, the crazy dress sense, the benign smile, the toddling grandfatherly act, and that thrice-damned TWINKLE in his baby-blue eyes. They all lead to the same conclusion.
Snape was jerked out of his musings of the insanity of Albus Dumbledore when the man himself gently shook his shoulder. "Severus?" he queried, concern twinkling in those blasted eyes. "Are you quite alright?"
"Yes Albus, I'm fine." He replied scathingly. "As fine as anyone can be when they are lying to the Dark Lord and being Crucioed every fortnight."
There were gasps around the room. Severus Snape, Spy for the Light? It would certainly explain why Dumbledore had stood up for him during the trial that would've sent him straight to Azkaban otherwise. Minerva McGonagall's green eyes widened in disbelief and surprise, Filius Flitwick toppled off his stack of books with a squeak, Pomona Sprout put a hand to her mouth, and Poppy Pomfrey immediately bustled over to check for any lasting nerve damage from the Cruciatus.
Severus let her scan him, grumbling. When she was tutting over the results of the scan, he hissed to Dumbledore," You didn't tell them?"
"No, my boy. I thought you would rather reveal it on your own terms than have everyone fussing over you as soon as you arrived. Being a former Death Eater, I figured you would have preferred to deal with mistrusting glares than with pitying looks. Forgive me if I have made the wrong decision, and count it as a foolish old man's mistake." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he delivered this speech to Snape.
Severus bristled inside. Really, he was angry at himself, for being so easy to read. He couldn't really blame even himself for that, as he and Dumbledore had spent 3 weeks together over the summer making plans, and now regarded the barmy old man as something like a father. Heaven knows Tobias Snape was more of a jailer than a father. He could only dream that the twinkling codger thought of him as a son.
