IWSC round 10

Beauxbatons 3rd year

Theme: Someone blocking someone else

Prompts: 1) "Someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again." (main)

2) Betting on someone or something; 3) "Scared?" said (person 1). "You wish!" said (person 2)

WC 3267

Author's Notes:

I've always been fascinated by the thought of how Snape's character develops from the mixture of self-doubt and compensatory superciliousness that we see in his childhood memories to the single-minded high achiever that we know him to be by the time Voldemort returns. When did he begin experimenting with his own potions methods and incantations? What prompted him to do so? What effect did James' and Sirius's bullying have on Snape in that regard? And why did Slughorn praise Lily's ability at Potions so enthusiastically to Harry, but completely fail to mention Snape, who had been in the same class?

For this story, which had to centre around someone blocking someone else, I used Slughorn's refusal to include Severus in the Slug Club as my key theme. It wasn't difficult to imagine that until Severus showed a particularly outstanding flair for Potions, he might easily be outside Slughorn's selection criteria – his family had little money, his father was a drunken, abusive Muggle without any influence in the magical world, and he himself was unattractive in both looks and personality. Such dismissal would have irked Severus exceedingly, but Lily's challenge and her bet drove him to contact Flamel, and Flamel's inspirational words became the turning point which set him on the path to fulfilling his potential and overcoming Slughorn's blocking.

French translations

mon Dieu – my god

la tête en bas –upside-down

brioche – a rich sweet bread, often used in rolls and buns

Believing in the Impossible

Chapter 1 – I Bet You Won't

Severus stared covetously at the Slug Club party invitation in Lily's hand. He had watched Lily receive so many of these, and his envy grew with each one. He kicked viciously at a plantain with his heel.

"It's all very well for you, Lily," he said resentfully. "Slughorn thinks you're wonderful, and you've been in the Slug Club since first year. I'm nothing. He barely even notices my existence, and yet I'm just as good at Charms and Potions as you are."

Lily admitted the truth of her friend's claim. "I know, Sev. But I did ask him if you could join and he refused. I think he thinks you're not well-connected enough."

"But you're Muggle-born," expostulated Severus. "At least I'm a Half-blood – and I'm in Slytherin, his own house."

"Yes, but – " Lily trailed off. How could she explain to Sev that his outstanding ability was not enough, in Slughorn's eyes, to outweigh his poverty-stricken origins and his deep distrust of the world? His sardonic attitude repelled most people, and he had no physical charm to make up for it. Lily was unassuming about her own attractiveness, but she was well aware that her red hair and green eyes had smoothed her path with Professor Slughorn, who had an eye for a pretty face as well as his penchant for protégées.

Severus reached morosely for one of the Chocolate Frogs they had bought in Hogsmeade that morning and savagely tore off the wrapper, wishing as he did so that it was the Slug Club invitation.

He glanced at the wizard card inside and groaned. "Flamel again! I've got a million of both him and Dumbledore."

His words gave Lily an idea. "Sev, you know you've always said how much you admire Flamel for discovering the Philosopher's Stone?"

Severus nodded. This was the reason, in fact, for his frustration over the Slug Club. His ambition was to be as famous one day as Flamel was, but he knew that ability alone wouldn't make it happen. He needed influential backing, and the Slug Club was the first step. Students that Slughorn supported were always noticed by the powers-that-be.

"Well, why don't you write to him and ask if you could study with him over the holidays? Maybe that would make Slughorn notice you."

Severus laughed derisively. "What, me? Study with Flamel? You're joking!"

Lily frowned at him. "No, I'm not joking," she said irritably. "You could do it, you'd love it, and it might make Slughorn sit up and take notice. What have you got to lose?"

Severus spoke patiently, as if to a small child. "Because, one, I'm a fifteen-year-old nobody. Two, I've never heard of him taking students; I'll bet he only takes super-qualified people. And three, I can't afford it. Besides, he probably wouldn't even reply."

"Scared?" said Lily challengingly.

"You wish!" said Snape quickly. But he was scared, although he had no intention of admitting it. His aloof exterior concealed a haunting vulnerability to rejection, spawned by his father's hatred of his magical blood and fostered by years of taunts about his physical appearance.

Lily's eyes glinted. "Then prove it. I'll bet you five pounds of Chocolate Frogs that you won't write to Flamel."

Severus glowered at her. "You know I can't afford five pounds of Chocolate Frogs," he protested.

"Then write to Flamel," retorted Lily quickly, "and I'll have to pay you."

Severus scowled at being cornered and fell silent.

Lily said no more. She knew Sev – if she pushed the point he'd get stubborn and then nothing would make him give in. If she let the subject drop, however, sometimes he eventually came around to her way of thinking.

o~o~o~o

The more Severus thought about Lily's suggestion, the worse he felt. How could he possibly write to Flamel and ask such a thing? But on the other hand, how could he pay Lily the Chocolate Frogs if he didn't? And how could he afford to go to Paris, anyway? He'd need money to get there, and somewhere to stay, and food, and his parents certainly wouldn't provide it. Was there no other way to make Slughorn notice him?

Several days later, he was still agonising over the idea. Its possibilities drew him more and more strongly with every fresh rebuff from the Potions master. Severus knew his own flair for Potions, and it frustrated him that Slughorn refused to see it. He had experimented with slight changes to the methods given in the Potions textbook and succeeded with each one. Yet fresh from another lesson with Slughorn, who had ignored his perfect Pepper-Up Potion and once again enthusiastically praised Lily's merely creditable attempt, Severus dwelt resentfully on Slughorn's favouritism and contrasted it with his fantasy of Flamel's approbation.

"Mr Snape, perhaps you could favour the lesson with your full attention?" Professor Dumbledore's gently ironic voice broke into his deliberations.

Severus's thoughts returned to the present with a rush. It was unusual for the Headmaster to take a lesson himself, but Professor McGonagall was absent and Dumbledore was filling her place for the day. Most of the class were being particularly attentive in the Headmaster's presence, but Transfiguration was not a favourite subject for Severus and it was all too easy to let his mind wander. He struggled to put his thoughts aside and concentrate.

His efforts bore fruit, and he managed to Transfigure the clockwork mouse on his desk into a live rat by the end of the lesson. Dumbledore stopped him with a word of praise as the class filed out, and Severus made up his mind suddenly.

"Sir, the fund for student expenses – would…could that cover some holiday study, too?"

Dumbledore looked at him thoughtfully. "Possibly it could, Severus. What did you have in mind?"

Severus hesitated at his own temerity, almost wishing he hadn't said anything. "I – was wondering…if I could work in Nicolas Flamel's laboratory for a couple of weeks over the Easter holidays."

Dumbledore's penetrating gaze made Severus shift uneasily, but then he smiled. "I think Nicolas would be delighted to have you. I'm sure we could arrange something. Would you like me to send him an owl for you?"

Severus was sorely tempted to take this easy way out, but he remembered his bet with Lily. "No, thank you, sir. I'll write to him myself."

Dumbledore nodded approvingly. "Very well. Bring his answer to me when you receive it, and we can discuss it further."

"I will, sir. And – and thank you," Severus jerked out awkwardly. Gratitude didn't come easily to him, and he was still a little in awe of the Headmaster, even after nearly four years at the school.

Dumbledore brushed off his embarrassed thanks. "It is my pleasure, Severus. I have felt for some time that you would benefit from advanced work, but," his eyes twinkled, "you are something of an individualist; the initiative had to come from you, or you would have rejected it."

He walked out of the classroom, leaving Severus gaping.

o~o~o~o

That afternoon, Severus wrestled with the letter. What should he say? How could he convince Flamel that he was worth it? How, even, should he introduce himself? He sighed and looked again at the piece of parchment in front of him. It was smudged and crossed out in a dozen places, and would need rewriting. He took a fresh sheet of parchment and began to copy out his rough draft, frowning a little as he struggled to make out what he had written.

Dear Mr Flamel,

My name is Severus Snape. I am a fourth-year student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. I would like to work in your laboratory during the school holidays because I admire your discovery of the Philosopher's Stone and would like to learn how to be that inventive myself.

Professor Dumbledore said that he thought you would be willing to have me. I hope to hear from you soon.

Yours sincerely,

Severus Snape.

He had just signed his name with a flourish when Lily joined him. Her quick eyes spotted the parchment, and she was pleased to see that he had taken the first step. She dropped onto the grass beside him, fairly sure she had exactly the spur to make him go through with it.

"I just overheard Slughorn talking to Dumbledore," she began, and Severus scowled. "I think Dumbledore must have just told him about your request for funds, because he was saying that he didn't think you were worth it and the funds would be better spent on other students."

Severus's head jerked up in fury. "So he thinks that, does he?" he blazed. "I'll show him! Flamel will take me, I swear! I'll learn until I drop, and by heaven, when I come back Slughorn will see I'm worth noticing!"

"Good for you, Sev," said Lily approvingly. "Don't let Slughorn get you down."

"I'm going up to the Owlery this very minute. 'Not worth it'? Just you wait – I'll make him eat those words!"

o~o~o~o

Four days later, Severus stood in Dumbledore's office, Nicolas Flamel's reply in his hand.

"Sir, Mr Flamel has said he'll take me."

"As I expected he would, Severus," returned Dumbledore calmly.

In fact, the decision was not news to the Headmaster. His old friend and colleague had written to him upon receiving Severus's request, asking for his opinion. Dumbledore had warmly recommended Severus, explaining that his talents were somewhat constrained in the school environment and would benefit from Flamel's free-thinking approach. He had not specifically mentioned Professor Slughorn's attitude, but he knew how much Slughorn's patronage could influence the progress of his protégées and how desperately Severus longed to be included in their number.

"I can arrange for you to have sufficient funds to cover your expenses while in Paris. Had you thought of anywhere you can stay while you are in France?"

"Mr Flamel says I can stay with him, sir," said Severus, looking at the letter in his hand. "He says his apprentices usually stay in his attic room."

"Excellent," approved Dumbledore. "I can arrange a Portkey for you from here at the end of term, so I believe that covers all the necessary arrangements, does it not?"

Severus nodded. He had yet to break the news to his parents, and he dreaded his father's fury over 'more of that magical nonsense', but that wasn't something Dumbledore could arrange. Lily's account of Slughorn's words still rankled in Severus's mind, though, and his indignation would sustain him through his father's anger.

Chapter 2 – A Matter of Will

Everything had proceeded as planned, and Severus had now been in Paris for almost a week. His initial excitement at studying with Flamel, however, was tempered by a growing frustration. Much though he longed to make the most of Flamel's inspiring tuition, he felt no more creative than he had been at school. He could see Flamel's genius, but he was beginning to realise that genius cannot be conveyed by instruction. As he went about his tasks in the laboratory, he wondered if Slughorn had been right in dismissing him as unimportant.

His frustration made him clumsy; the flask he was holding slipped from his grasp and shattered on the flagstones.

"Be careful, Severus," chided Flamel gently.

Severus said nothing as he cleaned up the fragments and went to the shelves for another flask.

"What is it, my son?" asked Flamel. "You are not concentrating. What is troubling you?"

Severus never found it easy to talk of his feelings, but his dissatisfaction forced the words from him. "I know I'm better than this. I know I can invent stuff. I've found ways to make my potions better than the textbook says. Why can't I do it all the time, whenever I want to?"

Flamel was silent for a moment before saying, "Invention is a combination of many things, my son. Knowledge, yes, but also flair, experimentation, patience, and a willingness to believe in the impossible. Unless you believe in the impossible, you cannot discover it."

Severus gazed at him wide-eyed. "You mean, I can be as clever as anything, but if I don't have the rest of what you said, I'll only be ordinary?"

Flamel smiled at the scorn in his pupil's voice at the thought of being merely ordinary. "Well, perhaps a little better than ordinary, Severus, but yes, that is what I mean."

Severus pondered this for a while before asking, "So how do I learn to believe in the impossible?"

Flamel was nonplussed for a moment, then he smiled. "Do you read fairy tales, Severus?"

Severus was astounded and rather insulted. "Of course not! They're for babies."

"On the contrary," corrected his mentor, "they contain profound universal meanings. They also serve the purpose of keeping our thoughts as limitless as those of a child."

"I'm too old for fairy tales," muttered Severus under his breath, but his teacher heard him.

"Severus, someday you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again. When you do, and when you truly believe that their contents are possible, then you will be free to become a great inventor."

Flamel turned back to his workbench after this, for he was wise enough to know the value of silence.

In the following days, Severus pondered his teacher's words as he went about his tasks. Initially, he dismissed the notion of reading the tales he remembered from his babyhood, but his ambition would not let him forget Flamel's suggestion. He had grasped the point that merely reading the stories wasn't enough; he had to believe them – or, at any rate, believe that they could happen – but his soul revolted at the thought. He told himself again that he was too old to read such things, but that was clearly absurd when he thought of Flamel's six hundred years and more.

For four days, Severus wrestled with himself while his mentor watched him quietly. Flamel had quickly seen the truth of what Dumbledore had told him – that Severus was too constrained to reach his full potential – but he could also see that Severus truly had the seeds of greatness within him. He hoped that his words would set the boy on the path to achieving that greatness.

On the fifth day after Flamel had spoken his wise insights, Severus awoke to a blinding flash of realisation. As on the previous four nights, he had relived the conversation in his dreams, but this time Flamel's statement about profound universal meanings had resounded like a bell. For the first time, Severus understood how the meanings undergird the stories, so that any story which conveyed the meaning might be true; it was the meanings that made them real, not the events they described.

He entered the laboratory that day filled with excitement and a new sense of purpose. He perceived that what Flamel had said was correct, for he no longer saw the results of their experiments as inevitable – instead, anything might happen, and everything was possible.

Flamel noticed the change in him immediately and smiled with satisfaction. "Good boy! I see that you have made progress in what we spoke about a few days ago. I can now introduce you to a new potion – one that I have been developing for some little while. It is not yet quite perfect, but you may be able to complete it."

They set to work. Severus, buoyed by his discovery and his mentor's validation, made several useful suggestions, and eventually they set the potion aside to rest overnight before testing it.

"Now, Severus, we have some time to spare – tell me of an idea you have had in the past, but not brought to a conclusion. Let us see if your belief in the impossible can make it happen."

Severus thought for a moment, and then said, "Well, I did have an idea for a Charm, sir – to hoist someone up in the air."

He blushed as his teacher looked at him quizzically.

"Doubtless such a Charm could be used frequently at school," said Flamel, his eyes twinkling. "Very well, how would you set about creating the incantation?"

"I suppose," replied Severus slowly, "I'd have to decide what it would be in English, then incorporate the Latin, and decide whether a wand movement is necessary."

Flamel nodded approvingly. "Very good. And don't forget your intent – what you visualise happening will be crucial to the incantation as you formalise it. For example, how would this differ from a Levitation Charm?"

Severus recalled the first time he had wished for such a Charm. "I'd like to hoist them up suddenly by their ankle, instead of just having them float up," he said promptly.

Flamel made no comment on that, although he wondered whom Severus intended to use the Charm against.

"So you want to lift up their body – what Latin would you use?" he queried.

"Lift – perhaps levis, meaning lightness? And for body – corpus, I suppose."

"Good, good," Flamel beamed. "So the incantation would be…?"

"Levicorpus," said Severus decisively.

"Excellent! Now, never forget to create a reversal incantation as well, especially with a…shall we say, malicious?...incantation such as this one. It is crucial that you don't leave yourself unable to release the subject from their awkward position."

Severus had a fleeting mental image of James Potter hung by his ankle permanently, but he agreed with Flamel that it would be as well to create a counter-charm.

"I suppose – liber, free? And corpus again. Liberacorpus?"

"And the wand movement?"

"Oh – er – a flick, to incorporate the jerking movement."

"Well chosen, Severus – I think that will do the trick perfectly! Now, shall we try it? Not on me, though," Flamel added with a chuckle. "I feel a little old for such capers. Perhaps we should try it first on young Raphael next door. He often volunteers to be a subject for my harmless experiments, in order to earn a few francs."

They called in Raphael, and he stood in front of them eagerly. He enjoyed his role as Flamel's chief experiment subject, and looked forward to buying his mother some brioches with the payment. Flamel gestured to Severus, who raised his wand.

"Levicorpus," he pronounced, and Raphael shrieked with surprise as his foot was jerked from underneath him and he found himself hanging upside down.

"Mon Dieu," he cried. "What is this? I am la tête en bas!"

Severus and Flamel were both laughing – Severus in delight at the success of his incantation, and Flamel at Raphael's astonishment.

Severus flicked his wand again. "Liberacorpus," he commanded, and Raphael dropped to the floor, where he rolled around giggling.

Flamel paid him double his usual amount and he ran off, shouting with glee.

"Very impressive, Severus," commended Flamel. "You have learnt well. I am extremely pleased with you."

Severus looked at his mentor. His gratitude was so profound that this time he did not hesitate. "Thank you, sir. You've taught me things I'd never have learnt at school. I'm very grateful."

"Yet in the most important thing, Severus, I could only serve as a guide; you had to teach yourself for it to become real to you. You have learnt much more than recipes and formulae here; when you return home tomorrow, you will take with you the knowledge that nothing is impossible if you only believe in the truth of the unbelievable."

And as Severus put his hand on the Portkey the next day and waited for the familiar jerking sensation at his navel, he was certain that everything was possible, even convincing Professor Slughorn to accept him into the Slug Club.