Chapter 1.05
Normally when I wake up in the morning I'm fairly out of it. I'd be grumpy and groggy to the point where I had to actively will myself to get out of the comfortable embrace of sleep. Today wasn't like that. The voice ordered me to go to bed at ten forty five and I found myself rising easily at eight in the morning.
Normally I'd stay up far later than that, short changing my rest for more time in the present, while I fiddled with my potion recipes. Yesterday evening however I wasn't fiddling. I followed the path faithfully, if slightly mortified, when I dropped ingredient after ingredient into a cauldron. It felt haphazard, illogical and more than a little off putting.
I was throwing in supplies that, in my eyes, simply had no place in potions. Why would any potion need silver scraped off an ancient piece of jewelry? Why did Professor Slughorn have human molars in his ingredient cabinet? Who did the dried up blood I scraped off the hospital wing's floors belong to?
It was a confusing mess that haunted me but I had no reason to suspect the whispers. They'd been good to me, more than good in fact, they'd been amazing. I had long since gotten used to the stares of people out in the corridors of Hogwarts but I got the sense they weren't malicious anymore. Not that I particularly cared what those borderline literate nitwits thought of me. I did have to admit though that walking through the halls unmolested, for a given value of that anyways, was something I could get used to.
So when the voice instructed me to scrape blood of a floor...that was simply what I did.
I held the clear blue concoction in my hand as I made for the Headmasters office. I still had fifteen minutes or so left before I needed to show up for my 'detention' but the whispers counseled haste.
I wandered the hallways leading to Dumbledore's office mindlessly when I came upon the foul beast and his little sidekick. The rat faced bastard almost instinctively shied away behind the monster while Lupin's vicious yellow gaze seemed intent on avoiding mine.
I would have obliged the creature but the path make itself known again.I felt more than I saw my wand hand twitch inside the sleeve of my new uniform and plastered a wide grin on my face. I saw the confusion evident on Lupin's visage and thought I finally found a reason for the incessant smiling the path had me do.
Clearly it put people off balance.
Before Lupin could formulate a greeting, malicious or otherwise, my wand jumped out in intricate patterns sticking Pettigrew to the far wall and bringing the beast down to it's knees, tied up. I drank in the fear evident in his eyes and I stalked ever closer to him. With my creepy smile firmly in place I walked up to the thing, grabbed it by it's hair, and noticed his soundless mouthing.
Huh.
Once of the spells must have been a silencer.
The next step on the path called for me to pull his head backwards, conjure up a funnel, and to deposit the contents of the potion I was carrying in it. Lupin was clearly discomforted by the concoction but I wasn't about to pretend I cared. Hell, if he was on fire I wouldn't piss on him to put him out, but it appeared the whispers found a use for him. The creature spasmed, shook and more than a little bit of white foam appeared to drip out of the sides of his mouth. Heh, maybe the path was making the rabid nature of the beast more plain for the world to see?
I'd love that.
Next I was to stun him, vanish away the foam, and free the rat faced lad still stuck on the far wall. I levitated the unconscious monster, twirled my wand at him some more, and headed back out to the headmaster's office.
"Hey! What the bloody hell are you do doing Snivellus?"
Without even looking back I pointed my wand over my shoulder, stunned Petttigrew, and summoned the unconscious creature to follow me at a brisk pace. Wonder over wonder we didn't run into anyone else as we made way for my appointment. Within minutes I found myself in front of the stone gargoyles guarding the office of the headmaster and whispered to them their password for the day.
'Everlasting Gum'
I rolled my eyes at the immaturity of the password but it didn't bother me as much as it used to. I still thought the old man did it to diminish whomever had to endure his gargoyles but it just passed me by. No matter what happens I had my voice. My invisible guardian angel that whispered me.
I just knew I'd be fine. Regardless of what may come.
Lupin's unconscious body must have bumped into the edges of the stairs leading to the headmaster's office more time than I could count but again, I simply didn't care. He deserves worse, the spineless bastard that he is. As much as I may despise Black and Potter at least I comprehend why the Sorting Hat put them in Gryffindor
When it came to Pettigrew and Lupin though I was baffled. I could have assumed that they might have bamboozled the Hat somehow if that didn't give those boys far too much credit. Perhaps they simply begged the Hat to put it where they wanted to be.
The floating creature and I made it to the top of the stairs and found the door leading to Dumbledore's office closed. My wand darted back out again, made a short sharp movement, and the door swung wide open. Dumbledore was already sitting behind his office, staring at me, but the curious glint in his eyes evaporated when he took note of Lupin.
Before the wrinkly old wizard could speak up the path presented it's next step.
"I cured your monster of it's illness."
What.
Dead silence.
If it wasn't for the path guiding my entire body I would have collapsed to the ground from utter shock. I knew the whispers had knowledge beyond the kin of mortal wizards. I knew that when I threaded a particular path I could make use of magic was supposed to be out of my reach. I knew all of that.
What I hadn't considered was that it might include potions as well. The implications were so enormous I could hardly contain my excitement. This was revolutionary. No! This was so far beyond revolutionary it could hardly be described. It was on par with the disbelief the average the muggleborn had for the existence of the Philosopher's Stone.
A single scraggly white eyebrow retreated almost into the Headmaster's hairline when after what felt like an eternity he broke the silence.
"I see."
Was that it?
Was that the extent of his reaction?
Almost faster than I could perceive the man had his wand out and summoned Lupin to his side. Before the creature – no, just a regular boy now- crossed the six feet from the entrance to the desk he was unbound, awakened and had his bruises taken care of.
Well, damn.
I guess there really was a reason why the Dark Lord feared this man. If it wasn't for my now unshakable belief in the might of my path I would have fallen on my knees to beg for mercy. Or well, maybe that was slightly exaggerated. I might have just ran away; Slytherin self preservation instincts and all that rot.
The silence stretched on again as the wizened old man flitted his wand around this way, the other, and finally his manic wand hand came to a rest. The shock on face was undeniable and I took it as yet another confirmation of the power of my mind-voice.
"He's cured. I-I...I can't find any sign of him ever having been a werewolf. How did you manage this, my dear boy?"
Lupin's incredulously responded, "Really? Am I cured, sir?"
What did he just say?
Does the simpleton believe the Headmaster to be a chronic liar? The simpering fool.
The whispers bade me smile, yet again, and say, "It was a potion's recipe I'd been working on for quite some time, sir. I could write it down for you but I'd like to...settle some issues beforehand."
The Headmaster whipped out his wand again, tracing the same intricate patterns, and seemingly came to the same conclusion he had before.
"How utterly marvelous...You have no idea, my boy, of the amount of good you might do with just this potion."
Lupin turned around to me but I hit him with a silencing spell before he could share his vapid opinions.
"Oh, I'm quire aware, sir. I would have had no issue taking the potion to my grave though, had our altercation yesterday proven to be less than satisfactory."
The man flinched violently and whisper told me the next step was to dial my smile down. Perhaps so that I would not be perceived as arrogant perhaps? Either way; by now I was a firm believer in the Tao of the Path.
Dumbledore canceled the silencing spell on Lupin a fraction of a second before I reapplied it again with a twitch of wand, hidden in the folds of my sleeve. The headmaster frowned in confusion and turned his wand back on the boy. Yet again in a single imperceptible twitch of my wand, almost simultaneously with the Headmaster, reapplied the charm.
Finally the white beard's eyes landed on mine and I swear I could divine the smallest of upturns on the sides of his mouth. The old man was amused and desperately trying to hide it.
"Perhaps, young Mr. Lupin, you might find your way to the hospital wing. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey would be more than delighted to hear the good news."
I noticed the imposing opaque yellow eyes of the lad had turned hazel brown but I'd already mentally dismissed the boy. I walked past him, dodged his outstretched arm with mere millimeters to spare, and sat down on the chair he previously occupied.
When he finally seemed to catch the hint and vacated the office I found Dumbledore's intense gaze locking me in place.
"How extraordinary. Well, what are we to do with you, my dear boy?"
The path's next step was to smile, yet another infernal gods be damned smile, and say, "I have a few idea's, sir."
Chapter 1.06
It took a while for Professor Slughorn to stop directing his effusive praise towards me. I felt vaguely uncomfortable taking credit for a breakthrough I knew wasn't accomplished by me...but I got over it rapidly. It wasn't like the voice would suddenly leave me right?
"We absolutely have to get you to speak at the next gathering of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers! Good lord, I venture that for the first time in decades that name might actually be somewhat fitting!"
The Headmaster clearly took note of my discomfort but seemingly didn't care enough to put a stop to Slughorn's gushing. In fact, the white beard subtly pushed him onward when he kept asking innocent questions.
The Potion's professor stared at me wide-eyed when he continued, "Not just speaking at the next event, oh no no no. I'll arrange for you to be the key note speaker, my boy. This accomplishment deserves nothing less.. Think of the societal changes this will spur on!"
I was struggling to keep my facial expression schooled into a somewhat pleasant one. I feared I'd crack through the peasant mask I was wearing before Slughorn quieted down and it seemed like the man was actually picking up steam.
"Sons would be welcomed back into the bosoms of their mothers! Daughters would once again grace their fathers on their arms!"
And so forth.
Good lord man, get a grip on yourself.
I kept a simpering smile of my own plastered over my face when I replied, "I imagine so, sir."
"Indulge the curiosity of an old man, if you will. Where did you find the inspiration for this magnificent find?"
I wasn't sure why the path kept pushing me to keep the Headmaster somewhat unbalanced but I certainly didn't mind following it.
"Mortal terror, sir."
Ah, finally.
Blessed silence.
The Headmaster lightly cleared his throat but before he could say something I was directed to interrupt him, yet again.
"I'm sorry, sir, but I have a few prior commitments to attend to. A handful of third year Slytherins, and a particularly inquisitive first year Hufflepuff, require my attention."
The old white beard frowned and said, "Whatever for, Severus?"
He's moved on to my first name now. How droll. I wonder how the man would respond if I addressed him as 'Albus' but the path didn't call for it. Neither did I particularly care to push my luck outside of it.
"A tutoring session, sir. They were most insistent and I fear I lack the inner fortitude to deny the little brats. For long anyways."
Slughorn snorted loudly and Dumbledore wasn't doing much better than him even if he was giving me odd looks. Eventually they settled down though and released me from the boring tedium of having to explain the theory behind the potion. A potion that Slughorn indelicately dubbed 'Wolf-B-Gone'. Why the man settled for such an appalling name I'd never grasp but I found myself not caring.
"Is there any particular empty classroom I could commandeer, Professor?"
The rotund potioneer just smiled and handed his own set of keys with the admonishment to return them at the end of the day. Clearly the man was already besotted with me, he would never have given these out otherwise, but I didn't mind. The reflexive Slytherin nature of the gesture sat rather well with me. He all but guaranteed I would be available to him later today and if he didn't grill me incessantly when I did I'd eat my own robes.
Oh gods, he'd likely even invite a 'close' friend or two to impress.
My rather pleasant mood shriveled up immediately after I made my way down the stairs and came face to face with the werewolf. Or well, the ex-lycanthrope. Had he just been sitting there all this time? Does he really not have anything else to do? Anything at all?
Perhaps this was just unavoidable.
"Severus, I'm glad I caught you. I thought that you might have already-."
Did he just call me Severus?
I'd never been more grateful for the path as when it guided my wand through a silencing spell. I graced the ex-lycanthrope with a short, sharp smile and walked past around the lad. Unfortunately the boy decided to follow me and attempted to get my attention by waving around madly with his arms.
Fine.
I canceled the spell and bit out, "What Lupin? What could you possible want from me?"
The scruffy looking chap seemed fairly troubled, sighed deeply, and said, "I guess I deserved that. I haven't been very fair to you in the past-."
Hah.
Oh my wonderful, brilliant guiding voice. Thank you for crashing into my life so unexpectedly.
I canceled the spell and said, "Read my lips, Lupin. I don't care. This isn't an opportunity for you to unburden yourself. In fact, I hope you feel terrible for a good long while to come."
I smoothly turned on my heels away from the shocked lad and briskly set out to the Hufflepuff dormitories. I had a little midget to pick up. I didn't know exactly why the path was so insistent I accompany her but again, I didn't mind playing along.
"Please, Severus, if you just let me-."
I looked over my shoulder at him after I felt the silencer connect and almost yelled out, "If you want to make reparations, Lupin, I would suggest you start living up to that badge on your robes. I, quite literally, don't want anything else from you. Now, shoo."
Ah, it was a build up to that. I could live with it. If the annoying twit actually managed to live up the responsibilities of a prefect he might actually become a worth while individual. I briefly considered whether I'd ever willingly associate with him but gave up after I couldn't find a compelling reason.
A chipper voice greeted me when I arrived at the Huffepuff stairwell, "Hello Sev'rus!"
Was there something wrong with her mouth? I thought brats grew out of that annoying lisp when they were eight. I know I certainly did.
Again that damnable saccharine inflection came out, "Good afternoon, Selena. How have you been?"
The little brat graced me with a bright smile, "Great! I told my friends about this but they said they would rather learn from me. You know, after I learn from you!"
The little midget was so cheerful I could barely stand it. Of course she wouldn't comprehend the reason behind her friends reticence. Who would voluntary spent time with Snivellus in the dungeons? I didn't blame them.
Except this girl though.
Perhaps I should think more charitably of her.
"Ah, they might not be as brave as you are, Selena."
Her little face scrunched up, dare I say it...adorably, when she responded, "Why would they need to be brave? We're here to learn magic and become proper witches...and wizards."
A faint blush accompanied those comments and the path just counseled me to smile again. Gods, this is going to be a long afternoon.
A little over ten minutes later we arrived in an empty classroom near the Hufflepuff dungeon's after we picked up the group of third year Slytherins. I had set that group up to practice a mid level shielding charm, the protego, after walking them through the incantation and wand movements. Clearly the voice was also a gifted teacher because it immediately offered up personalized tips to each of the boys.
After I set the boys on their task I focused on the littlest brat. As a first year she didn't have the magical refinement necessary to quickly grasp fourth year spells so instead I worked on others with her. She picked up the Aegis surprisingly quickly. She managed an impressive disarming charm within mere moment and at that point I had to call it quits.
She proved far too energetic to contain.
Instead I turned her on the others. The sight of the first year bulldozing through their hastily brought up shields while she dodged, deflected and generally dominated the group was hilarious.
It turned out that her dancing classes, the ones she looked down on but her parents forced upon her, proved a boon to the little girl. Her intuitive grasp of deflecting spells by catching them obliquely didn't have a point of origin I could point to though.
I cleared my throat and grandly proclaimed, "Well, that was absolutely wonderful! Now, there only remains one thing undone. Could you venture a guess as to what that is, Nott?"
The boy looked at me vaguely confused but when he followed my gaze to Selena he seemed to get it. He walked over to her, extended his arm, and said, "I apologize for our behavior, Wentforth. I hope you can accept my, and their, apologies."
This was extremely promising.
Chapter 1.07
After apparently brokering a uneasy peace between the third year Slytherins and the particularly plucky first year Hufflepuff I headed out with three of the lads back to our own dormitories. I say uneasy because Selena unexpectedly turned out to be more stubborn than I had anticipated. In fact the girl insisted she'd fight each of the boys solo and only accepted their apologies once she had them thoroughly submitted.
It suffices to say I was growing more and more attached to the little brat and had two of the Slytherins escort her to the Hufflepuff dungeons. Selena actually called them honor guard and officially earned her first genuine laugh from me.
"Uhm, Mr. Snape?"
I could also get used to the respectful way these youngsters were threading around me.
"Yes, Dagworth?"
The boy frowned a bit, sighed deeply as if resigning himself to something awful, and finally said, "Could you, perhaps...maybe...uhm, not share what just happened with anyone?"
Oh.
I didn't even need the path for this one even though the confirmation it provided was nice to have. I smiled widely at the boy, while playing with my scraggly beard, and held my tongue for a minute or so while I tried not to show my amusement. I didn't want to crush their little ego's. At least, not before I could take advantage of that.
"Very well, Dagworth. I'm sure I don't have to mention that if in the next few days I need something done discretely you and your friends will, of course, hop to and not ask any silly questions."
Their rapid nods and loud assent was amusing the first few seconds but I quickly tired of it. Fortunately we arrived at the Slytherin dorms by then and I found other distractions. I'd forgotten it was Sunday, don't ask me how, and the vipers nest was charged with a palpable aura of anticipation. Of course tensions always ran high in Slytherin with the older students jockeying for position and the younger ones having to blithely accept whatever the former might inflict on them.
To keep a lid on things a particularly clever Slytherin, details are unclear as to whom exactly, set up a dueling ring in the corner of the common room. As far as I as aware no other dormitory had those and correspondingly it was a great source of pride for us. Every Sunday afternoon, and generally the activities lasted until twelve o'clock, every single Slytherin had the opportunity to challenge any other. The reasons weren't important and in fact it was a minor taboo to mention them in public.
To cut down on too many embarrassments the challenges themselves weren't supposed to be public either. In practice this was a polite fiction where everybody knew but didn't mention it. The prefects maintained a sorting charm on a box, don't call it a suggestion box in their presence, in which you could drop off a little note proclaiming your challenge. These notes were then sorted by the prefects and they were in charge of subtly feeling out the recipients of the challenge.
Peer pressure being a fairly powerful motivation, especially for hormonal nitwits, meant challenges were almost never declined. Generally a good showing, even if you lost horribly, was enough to keep your reputation in tact.
I already had my suspicions of the path, especially considering the way it had been systematically tearing down my old reputation, molding my perceived standing to it's wishes. By now I had enough faith in the whispers to, and perhaps I just liked the way the third years looked at me now, proverbially 'roll with it'.
The voice counseled a swift course of action and I found myself writing up a challenge to Bellatrix Black. The seventh year brunette was many things. She was objectively one of the prettiest girls in the school and quite well aware of that fact. She was vicious, both in her day to day as well as in duels, and had no issue showing that. She was also hands down the best fighter in Hogwarts and nobody had challenged her since I was a third year. That...was about to change now.
One of the sixth year prefects cleared his throat, glanced over at me to confirm I actually wanted this and hadn't taken a leave of my brain, and headed out to the brunette. The girl sniffed arrogantly and stared me down with a terrifying grin on her face.
The prefect was incidentally a fairly distant cousin of mine but made it quite clear the world would burn before he, and his relatives, ever recognized me as kin. Ostensibly because I was a half blood but more likely because they didn't want to risk Augustus Prince – the Head of their House – to remember he had a direct descendant.
Septimius cleared his throat, a lot louder this time, and proclaimed a fight was about to commence. I had admit that I was more than a little bit nervous, despite the whispers backing me up, or perhaps because of the voice. I had a few guesses as to why it wanted me to go this route but the fallout could potentially be catastrophic. If I continued with this I was essentially locking myself into the path. I certainly could not afford alienating the powerful house backing Bellatrix without the help of my path.
"Well, well. Cissy told me something interesting had come over you, little faux Prince, but this is a surprise. Tell me, are you just that confident or did you just want to show off your new found good looks with everyone's eyes on you?"
Huh.
I hadn't even considered that angle.
I followed the next step whispered to me from somewhere and said, "Not at all, Bellatrix."
I was bade to smile widely, again with the gods be damned smiling, and continue, "You're right in the sense I wanted all eyes on me. I'll leave you to figure out the reason.
"She scoffed but didn't seem to want to retort. We both stepped into our designated spots, two Prefects charged up the dueling ring's wards that kept our spells from flying out of it, and we waited for the gong to start.
-Thud- -Ring-
I was ordered to step slightly to the left. Then again to the left. Next to the right and after which to crouch.
I executed all the steps faithfully without even consciously considering them. The path kept the amazement out of my expression when I dodged every single spell the powerful witch had lobbed at me. There were no restrictions, beyond the obviously illegal ones of course, so when angry colored flashes past by me with only millimeters to spare I felt my heart try to jump out of my chest.
The next few seconds were similar enough to cause Bellatrix to yell out, "Fight back, Snape!"
Apparently the path had been waiting on that because the next set of instructions were to cast a perfectly executed banisher twenty inches or so to her right. The girl dodged to the left, her left and blessedly so my right, and caught it on a hastily constructed shield charm.
This gave me enough time to direct a reducto curse at the ground in front of me, with control so fine the resulting shrapnel was reduced to tiny little pebbles, and banished the whole lot to her. Faster than I could have possibly believed I was made to follow it up with a transfiguration of the pebbles while in mid air.
By the time they reached her each of the pebbles had been changed into a tiny cherry bombs that pelted her shield with individually insignificant explosions but combined proved beyond what she could endure. While her shield caught the most of them quite a few landed on her scorched the prideful witch something fierce.
She shook it off remarkably quick.
A warning was whispered into my ear to roll forward and slightly to left, I briefly noted the melting rock were I had just been, and rolled backwards and further to the left. While Bellatrix wasted her precious time I managed to catch her with a levicorpus upending the girl. When my follow up stunner was caught by her protego horribilis and reflected back at me I was ready with my own protego horribilis.
Just before the twice reflected stunner hit the witch I saw her gape at me for just a split second before she was knocked out. Absentmindedly I cleaned up the dueling ring with what I recognized was an overpowered reparo, turned to the silent and shocked audience and gave them a theatrical bow that wouldnt have been out of place in the Sun King's court.
The first to shake of their shock were my little cadre of third years and I bathed myself in their adulation accompanied by loud cheering. Next, from an unexpected source, came the clapping of Bellatrix who had somehow – really, how did she do that? - shaken off my stunner.
"That, little faux Prince, was certainly impressive." She drawled out.
After she turned a razor sharp grin on me she continued, "Of course, this merits a round two."
The predatory grin I knew must be plastered all over my face came entirely separate from the path.
I could get used to this.
Chapter 1.08
Four!
Four consecutive, no holds barred, brawls before she finally conceded my beating her wasn't a fluke. Bellatrix had a thing for punishment it seemed and my faithful whispers instructed me to never hold back. Apparently it was important I crush the brunette thoroughly and come through the ordeal as unscathed as I had.
The tensions in the vipers pit had suddenly shifted significantly.
After the second fight every Slytherin who hadn't witnessed the first two was in attendance. Bellatrix and I had given them a show worthy of the best House Slytherin had to offer and they knew it. When I walked off the combat dais all eyes were on me and curiously absent of their previous barely contained disdain.
The full coterie of third years capitalized immediately on the new social order, as good Slytherins are expected to do, and could be heard loudly proclaiming their status as my students. From the corner of my eye, for the path counseled me against meeting anyone's gaze in particular, I spotted the way they had supplanted the traditional spot in the far corner reserved for the fourth years.
Again as expected by Slytherins when confronted by a challenger of unknown strength the fourth years yielded to them without much ado. I could hardly contain my glee when I thought through the implications of the path my whispers had set me on. The third years might be able to get away with a bluff now but sooner or later they would have to stand their ground. The youngsters would search me out before the school year was over to formalize our loose agreement.
They couldn't be secure otherwise.
"Would you allow me to accompany you to Professor Slughorn, Severus? I would have a few words with you."
I carefully schooled my expression, as to not give away the internal turmoil within me, into as polite a mask as the one Bellatrix sported and simply nodded minutely my assent. The haughty Black was transformed and in her place stood, not exactly a supplicant, but a wary and dangerous fighter who knew her limitations. Her fairer sister, Narcissa, quietly raised a drinking goblet to me as we passed her.
I didn't know whether to applaud her strength in parading her new, and rather reduced, status in the middle of our common room or look for the hidden dagger her newly gained respect for me might conceal.
Either way. I was committed to this new destiny of mine.
As the two of us walked out of commons I reflected on my past behavior. I could, from my newly gained lofty position, admit to myself my previous attitudes were rather ill advised. I had gained more in an afternoon with a tutoring session and a smile than I ever had in the past few years. I could admit that perhaps I was my own worst enemy.
My disdain for the opinions of others may have been the single positive attribute I had but my reckless disregard for their perceptions of me certainly wasn't. No wonder Lily didn't want anything to do with me. There was no might about it. I truly was my own worst enemy.
Regardless, dwelling on the past wouldn't help me now. I had best leave it where it belonged. Discarded but not forgotten, so as to not be encumbered by it while resolving not to repeat those mistakes. I obeyed my guiding voice in its counsel to keep my gaze straight ahead, my shoulders square, and to pay the brunette walking with me absolutely no mind.
It appeared she would make the first move.
She lightly hummed before speaking up, "I'd ask you where you were hiding those smooth reflexes, Severus, but I think we both know you won't answer."
She fell silent for a heartbeat or two before continuing, "Not without a fair exchange, of course."
It sounded like a statement but it wasn't. Even without the whispers I could tell it was a request. A request my wonderful path seemed eager to to fulfill.
A short laugh and then, "Of course."
Another few moments of silence between the Black girl responded, "I'm afraid I don't know you well enough to guess at your interests. Narcissa however informs me that potions is one of them and that you are an accomplished crafter of spells.."
Ah, clever girl and by that I mean Narcissa of course. Obviously the first thing she'd do was run to her cousin and grill him on every observation he'd made of me. That poor boy. On the other hand I do notice how Bellatrix still hasn't offered up anything of consequence.
I mimicked her earlier hum and just smiled at the air in front of me.
The brunette harrumphed and said, "Many Blacks were known as highly acclaimed spell crafters. I might be induced to allow you to peruse some of their works."
How did the muggles put it?
Ah, jackpot.
Another smile and, "That sounds wonderful, Bellatrix."
She nodded and I could tell she was about to make her retreat as we just arrived at Slughorn's office. My guiding voice however instructed me to invite the girl in with me. I could have considered the reasons but by this point I was just along for the show.
"Would you care to venture in with me? I fear the esteemed Professor would otherwise keep me through the entire evening."
Bellatrix smiled, what seemed to me quite genuine, and said, "Very well, Severus."
Ah, the path was allowing her back some measure of pride. I should have known. It does seem to carry quite the long term view on matters. A trait I most certainly must make my own.
I hardly knocked once on the good Professor's before it swung open on it's own. Clearly Slughorn anticipated my arrival eagerly, even to the point of charming his door, and I confidently strode in with Bellatrix on my heels. My old self would have let her in first but that obviously wasn't in the cards anymore.
The man almost burst of his study to loudly proclaim, "Ah! There you are, my dear boy! Come in, have a seat, make yourself comfortable!"
Wow, he really was pulling an impressive charm offensive. Would this have worked on me before? I can't right tell but it wasn't all that important.
"Thank you, sir. The elder Ms. Black accompanied me here and I felt I shouldn't ask her to return by herself."
The man quickly glanced over to her, turned back to me and smiled widely, "A fine scholar and a gentleman to boot. I'm sure her father would be most pleased with the company she keeps."
What?
What!
The path smoothed out my inner turmoil by presenting its next step. I was to pleasantly nod along with whatever Slughorn said and position myself across from his guests.
I ventured a look over at Bellatrix and her smile grew even wider.
"Are you entertaining my father, sir?"
Arrogance was dripping from every single last one of her pores. The sheer assumption over her words, the tone with which she conveyed them, and her general bearing all indication she had not a single doubt of her position in this world. Of course, her Head of House would be entertaining her father. Why wouldn't he?
"Indeed, Ms. Black." The rotund professor continued as he followed him into his private study, "We were in fact discussing young Mr. Snape's stellarfind."
In Slughorn's study we found, as expected, Mr. Black. Lord Black's younger cousin, in fact. As well as a few people I faintly recognized from articles in the Daily Prophet.
"Good evening, father."
Her aging father turned his head so Bellatrix could kiss his cheek and whispered something I couldn't quite make out in the process.
Smooth.
She continued a moment later, "Severus? Are you going to keep me in the dark?"
What was she implying here?
Slughorn's voice carried over to me, "Ah! Modest and brilliant! Mr. Snape has just today finished creating a cure to the infectious curse known as Lycanthropy, Ms. Black. While I would readily admit there may have been a few...irregularities as to it's testing, we have confirmed it works. And work splendidly it does! It leaves nary a trace of the vile curse."
Ah, he's looking out for me. Wonderful. Then again, what was the worst Lupin could do to me? Complain loudly he hasn't assented to becoming my guinea pig and in the process ruin Dumbledore?
I doubt it.
Bellatrix's eyes bulged out comically but I couldn't pay it much mind Slughorn once again demanded my attention.
"If I may properly introduce you, Mr. Snape." The potioneer neatly guided my through a veritable host of the cream of Wizarding society. Members of the intelligentsia, a fair few politicians and more than a handful of the representatives of the Sacred Twenty Eight. The noble families that were heavily involved with the original founding our society here in Britain.
Eventually however I came to stand before Bartemius 'Barty' Crouch , who by far possessed the most readily available political power in his position as the ranking Judge on the Council of Magical Law as well as his other position as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
He was quite literally judge and jury in our messed up little society, if not quite an executioner.
The path immediately prompted me to extend my right hand, palm my left over his when he accepted my gesture, and step in close.
"I'm so very pleased to meet you, sir. I know you must hear this often but my mother and I are great supporters of yours!"
I sounded so utterly fake to my own ears, and clearly the man had a knowing glint in his eyes, but I was a valuable commodity now. He was a consummate politician and I was in his eyes too great a prize to be claimed by any other.
"I always applaud a political interest in young witches and wizards, Mr. Snape, and in return might I remark that I am greatly impressed by your accomplishments today. I certainly expect to follow your career with a keen eye, young man."
All I was told to do was smile.
AN: Please leave a review! I appreciate all feedback! (even if it's just correcting my many small little mistakes! ;)
