Chapter 1.09

As much as I could appreciate the benefit of allowing these highly influential and connected individuals to ingratiate themselves to me I was getting weary of the process. Far from slowing down the evening seemed to stretch on endlessly. Somewhere around the second hour of schmoozing I realized that more people had started arriving. I almost balked right then but thankfully another friendly appeared with the second wave of socialites.

"Well met, Severus."

I turned around and came face to face with Lucius Malfoy. One of the only people in this infernal place that I might actually count among my friends. Of course, the haughty blond was still a Slytherin and seemingly couldn't help broach the same subject that was on everyone's mind.

For him, likely just him, I didn't feel like allowing the voice to suborn the conversation.

"Likewise, Lucius. How do you enjoy following your father around like a lost puppy?"

He snorted lightly before responding, "About as well as you must enjoy being the center of attention like this. How come you didn't let me know you were working on this magnificent cure?"

Mostly because I didn't know I was.

I rolled my eyes at Lucius and said, "I'm working on many things, Lucius. Would you like me to send you a list every time I have a new thought?"

That drew a smirk from the unreasonably handsome youth, "Perhaps you should, Severus." He made an exaggerated glance at all the people around and continued, "We wouldn't want these lot to take advantage of your charitable nature."

I couldn't contain myself. I just threw my head back and a tension releasing laugh bubbled up. Unfortunately it caught the attention of the closest socialites around but I didn't pay them much mind for the moment. Lucius always knew how to get me to loosen up and I was grateful for it.

He stepped a little closer and whispered, "Really though, Severus. Don't let anybody here swindle you into a verbal agreement. If there's anything I picked up in the past year it's the many and varied ways business deals can be skewed to ones detriment."

As I nodded my comprehension to Lucius I noticed from the corner of eye Slughorn barreling down on me with another assortment of likely politically influential fops. I let the ever lasting path bubble up again into my consciousness and plastered a smile on my face. Lucius gave me a vaguely unsettled look but I had to focus on the newcomers.

"Ah, there you my dear boy! I'd like to introduce you to Madam Milicent Bagnold, Undersecretary to Minister Harold Minchum. I have no doubt the two of you have a great many things to offer each other!"

Without even waiting around to see if I could handle the lady the man disappeared into the crowd again. Perhaps he believed he'd be more useful to me mingling with his many guests? I smiled when I considered the man had to have been watching me, or at least keeping tabs on me, for the past two hours and by now must be reasonably confident in my glad handing proficiency.

The middle aged witch extended a dainty little hand which I light grasped by her fingers. I pulled softly pulled up the hand, while simultaneously bowing towards it, and placed a barely perceptible kiss on it. When I rose back up again the voice counseled me to keep a firm gaze on her eyes while I smiled charmingly.

Madam Bagnold didn't blush, she was clearly far too polished a politician for that, but I couldn't fault the path for putting me through that. If I survived the past few hours I could get through this.

"It's an honor meeting you, Ma'am."

She did however smile a toothy grin and said, "Oh, you're certainly a polite one, young man. Most accomplished potioneers I've known tend to be cranky old men. This is a wonderful change of pace, wouldn't you agree?"

My next response was on my lips before I even fully processed it.

I smiled a razor sharp grin at her and spoke softly to make sure she leaned in to hear my words over the din of the gathered crowd and said, "As long as it makes it more difficult for you to deny my future funding applications, Ma'am."

Lucius looked utterly horrified. A near passerby who just barely heard me looked horrified. I'm sure I would have had a matching expression on my face if I wasn't in the grasp of my precious path.

Madam Bagnold however snorted indelicately and loudly laughed at my jibe. She stepped a little closer, grasped my hand fully, and gave it a very firm handshake.

"An informed young man with some spine in him might actually have a future with me. Do try and remember me when you've graduated, Mr. Snape. I'll be keeping an eye out for you!"

When the Undersecretary drifted off into the crowd Lucius was still gaping.

"What."

I immediately turned some of his earliest words he spoke to me back at him.

"I think you'll find you meant, 'pardon me'."

This time I had Lucius being unable to keep the deep bellied laugh from spilling out.

The rest of the evening passed by without much of anything being settled. I was congratulated by what felt like half the Wizard world. The rest seemed eager for the chance and I had no doubt Professor Slughorn would find a way to oblige them.

True to Lucius' warning quite a few representatives of the Sacred Twenty Eight attempted to get me to agree to some deal or other but with the apparent solid support of House Malfoy behind me few of them pushed the issue. Cygnus Black the Third was in fact the only one who didn't seem to mind attempting to bulldoze through Lucius' ardent defense of my right to finish Hogwarts unmolested by their grubby little paws.

Fortunately for me Lucius was a practiced smooth talker and without specifically threatening the elder Black's remaining progeny in Hogwarts he managed to convey their vulnerability to similarly aged and powerful men. A few moments of pleasant topical discourse followed before Cygnus one again turned his attention towards me.

"Hmm, it appears that my daughter is most vexed with your deft wand-arm young man. I do hope you will continue to spar with Bellatrix? If she doesn't get it all out her system I fear she'll be terror incarnate in the summer." The man smiled a yellowed grin, "There are of course only so many times you can obliviate your neighbors before their wits leave them entirely."

I wasn't exactly sure what the man was implying. Did Bellatrix just throw around flashy magics that couldn't be explained away? Did she do things to the muggles?

The man left it so wonderfully vague.

Instead of accepting his premise my path formulated a question for the man, "Could I ask if there is a particular tutor in the dueling arts you could recommend? Bellatrix pressed me sufficiently for me to conclude she was rather well trained, sir."

There. A question and a challenge rolled up into one. I guess I could somewhat grasp where the mind-voice was taking me but I already felt nervous. I just implied that her best was only enough to make pay attention. I wonder how the man would take it?

"Most certainly, young man. In fact, why don't you come by, some time after the first week of summer, and I shall present her for your pleasure."

Oh, that wasn't so bad. Why was Lucius paling?

His smile turned positively predatory when he continued, "I'm quite certain dear Aunt Cassiopeia would be more than willing to take such a promising student under her wing. Even if only for an afternoon."

The man gestured his farewell and seemed to make way to Slughorn's floo connection. Lucius, however, was still beyond pale and...was that genuine worry I sighted crossing his eyes? Perhaps that last might be somewhat ominous if you squinted at it but I didn't quite understand the concern here.

Without saying anything he gripped my upper arm and just held on tightly.

I let the path fall away, turned to him, and asked, "What's wrong? What are you doing, Lucius?"

He shook his head slowly and after a brief moment of silence said, "I'm holding on to you Severus. I'm quite literally just holding on to you so I can literally pull you back from future stupid mistakes like that."

I could tell he was genuinely upset because he repeated himself. Lucius never repeated himself.

"Uhm, I don't really follow."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Lucius pulled me closer to him. When I was closer to the unfairly handsome wizard than I was perfectly comfortable with he whispered, "Cassiopeia Black, Severus, is the sole reason the Low Countries didn't fall to Grindelwald before Dumbledore got off his boney ass." He ceased whispering and furiously bit out, "She may be approaching frailty now but I do certainly hope you comprehend why I'm worried about you, you stupid boy!"

Oh.

I felt silence for a moment while I considered the implications.

A minute passed and then another.

I thought very loud and very hard at the back of my mind, 'How do I keep myself safe at all costs?'

I resolved to never drop that particular path.

Ever.

Chapter 1.10

I once again reflected on my changed circumstances and the way they impacted on the rest of the student population in Slytherin. When I walked out of my shared dormitory I was flanked by Rosier -Evan - and Hephaestus while Avery - Evert- and Wilkins -Richard - seemed content to trail me at a short distance. The two boys walking besides me were talking my ear off about some subject or other, I wasn't paying much attention, but it was a clear indication at the shifting social structure within my year group.

These shifts also occurred in the rest of Slytherin as I was made aware by all the nodding, smiling and cheerful greeting my wonderful mind-voice had me doing. People whom I had never spoken to before wished me a pleasant morning, others simply settled for waving at me, while the majority kept their gazes on me as they furiously whispered to each other.

We passed through the common rooms and I swear I could feel every last one of their gazes follow me around. The most burning among those was Bellatrix's who seemed to be whispering to Narcissa out of the corner of her mouth as she refused to look away from me.

"I can't believe you cured werewolf-ism, Severus! This sounds like something you might want to share with your roomies!"

Ah, Hephaestus and his tendency to shorten words. I'd think it was simply a case of laziness but the way he so diligently tried to work them into each of comments meant that he knew it annoyed me. He also quite clearly didn't seem to give a proverbial rat's arse.

I merely rolled my eyes and said, "I'll keep that in mind for future discoveries, Hephaestus. Keeping you informed will be my very first concern. Also, it's called Lycanthropy."

He slapped me on my back and replied, "See to it that you do, Sevvy. Also, I don't care!"

Oh gods.

Save me.

Eventually we made it to the Great Hall in time for breakfast and the path once again asserted itself. I was directed to the middle of the table, usually reserved for seventh years, and while my – I hesitated to call them my posse but that's what the boys in my dorm had been reduced to – posse was not entirely comfortable with it they still followed me there.

Wonder over the wonder the already present seventh years cleared out a space for us and belatedly I noticed I had somehow managed to end up straight across from Bellatrix Black.

The brunette flashed me a grin and said, "Morning, Severus."

I matched her smile and simply replied, "Likewise, Bellatrix."

Fortunately that was the end of it as Dumbledore snapped his fingers and perpetrated his most egregious misdirection. I remember seeing him do that on my first night in Hogwarts and being in awe of the wizened old fellow who snapped all this food in existence. The next day I spent hours in the library researching how to conjure food, only to be gripped with a severe case of disappointment when I came across Gramp's law. Figuring out afterward that the Hogwarts House Elves both prepared and transported the feasts wasn't a pleasant realization either.

I was just enjoying my second helping of bacon when the morning post arrived and the mind-voice in the back of my head asserted itself loudly. When a post owl got within a feet or three of me I raised my wand at the nondescript and plain looking brown owl, banished its package out the bird's grip, and with another swish encased the package with a clear cube that resembled plastic.

I was rather confused until seconds later as it fell in front of me and I could from up close spot the miniature explosion. Hephaestus and Evan looked on in amazement as the explosions kept rocking the clear plastic box but my hastily assembled defenses seemed to be holding up.

Out of nowhere Dumbledore appeared in a flash of flames, took the box, and once again departed in the same bright orange flames.

Dead silence.

The timing couldn't have been worse. Just as everyone was paying attention to my smiling, and waving, picture on the cover of the Daily Prophet the entire Hall turned to me as one. I smiled brightly at no one in particular and hoped they would soon stop staring at me.

Why does this only work when the path wants it?!

Hephaestus loudly piped up, "Blimey, Severus. Do you reckon I have egg on my face?"

I wildly threw my head backwards and bellowed out a hysterical laugh at his antics. The fact that I couldn't rightly tell whether he was joking, or truly was this egotistical, was simply the icing on the cake. The brief sharp spike of tension deflated and that was the moment the Headmaster reappeared.

The man had a curious glint in his eye as he stared me down.

God damn it.

I was still laughing and the old white beard seemed to crack a smile as well.

"It's good that you can laugh this off, Severus. Please do not let the actions of a few deluded souls stop you from attempting to accomplish a great amount of good, my dear boy."

Oh.

Oh.

"Thank you, sir." I smiled widely at the man, "I hadn't planned on it!"

The Headmaster stared at me some more, nodded as if he reached a conclusion, and slowly made his way back to the teacher's dais where he was immediately beset by Professor Slughorn. The man was quite probably lambasting the Headmaster for acting too slowly, or failing to update the wards, or something. I'm sure he has nightmares about losing such a prized possession such as myself.

It might reflect badly on him.

I considered that for a moment and rejected it. I shouldn't be so negative, the man went to great lengths to help soften my recently acquired fame, and I should at least try to be more grateful about it. I resolved to privately thank the man later and turned back to my bacon.

Bellatrix still hadn't looked away from me and made her presence known again.

"How did you know to look out for that, Severus?"

Was it me was that just a touch more respect creeping into her voice? And how was I getting out of this?

Almost without meaning to I blurted out what the path provided, as I had no clue how to answer that on my own, and said, "There's a little Seer in me."

After which I turned back to my bacon.

Just before I could take a bite of it though she continued, "I don't mean to be rude, Severus, but the Princes have never had a Seer in their line."

Once again I let the path take over, "Quite true, Bella, but I do have more than one parent."

Lightning fast I reached to save the bacon tray from Evert's projectile snorting of pumpkin juice and dumped half of it my own plate. Bellatrix's eyes widened comically, yet again, because I might have in inadvertently used a rather familiar appellation with her.

Or perhaps it was because I showcased yet another mild care of future-seeing. Huh, I could have sworn there was a better word for that. Oh, yes. Precognition.

Hephaestus stared at me. Evert stared at me. Bellatrix stared at me.

I was rapidly resigning myself to this becoming a recurring event.

The brunette still hadn't touched her food but did manage to find the will to ask, "Again, I don't mean to offend you, Sevvy." - I couldn't rein in the violent flinch, Hephaestus' own snort didn't help matters either -, "But I was under the impression you had a muggle father."

It didn't sound like a question but it was. I was sure of it. At this point I did infact notice how strange I was being but I saw no reasonable way of out this without trusting my path yet again.

I smiled, much like a simpleton, and replied, "Again, you're quite right, Bella."

Was the path having me claim that one of my father's ancestors was a fortune teller? Was I advertising some sort of gypsy heritage? I was lost but like I thought before...I saw no reasonable path out of this. I might as well batter through the awkwardness.

Bella's gaze had taken on an especially burning quality, "Is your father a squib, Severus?"

Ah, it seems she simply decided to skip over the pleasantries and went straight for the throat. Somehow this felt exceptionally fitting for her. My mind-voice counseled silence for precisely thirteen seconds, and blessedly directed me to finish chewing slowly, after which I was to say in a particularly blase tone.

I shrugged and said, "Who knows these thing really?"

I saw the girl valiantly battle a facial tick of her own but otherwise she seemed to take the matter in stride.

Another few seconds passed before she forcefully stood up, stepped back and turned on her heels, and she strode rapidly but dignified out of the Great Hall. I ventured a glance over to her sister, Narcissa, and did as my path instructed me.

I winked at her.

Slowly.

Oh. Good. God.

Why?

Chapter 1.11

Transfiguration was one of the few classes we shared with the Gryffindors. Professor McGonagall was an excellent teacher but while she thought she was a 'fair and unbiased' one, we certainly know better. She manages to spend just a touch longer with Gryffindors. Gryffindors also somehow manage to be more visible to her when mastering new spells and consequently took home the bulk of the points she awarded.

How was she fair again?

I shook the thought off and focused on the subject central to this class. Today were studying the animagus transformation. For such a useful ability, information on it was annoyingly scarce, which filled me with quite the fair amount of suspicion. Where did Potter get his grubby little hands on tomes that spoke of it? Did McGonagall simply give him private classes?

McGonagall was lecturing, "Over the past few centuries accomplished witches and wizards have tried to ascertain the reasons for the limitations inherent in the transformation. There is only a single form per person, this form is not one you can choose yourself, and while you're stuck in your form you cannot cast any magic."

Speaking of limitations. Ever since my guiding whispers casually solved a problem that plagued our society for millennia I wondered what other ailments it could figure out. I didn't want to unleash an ill considered query to the mind-voice so I had to severely limit them. I already had two open ended paths running that complicated the other paths. I didn't want to needlessly add more of them.

I had my notebook in front of me, held my quill inked at the ready, and thought out the query. I made sure to nudge the path in the direction I wanted it and thought loudly that I wanted a spell .A spell, not a magic armor, not some sort of necklace that stopped it – although that would be useful later – I simply wanted a spell.

'How can I write a spell that shields me from the Unforgivables?'

My quill-hand started scribbling like mad before the bottom dropped out of my gut. God damn it! I was writing in a language I couldn't quite tell, let alone read, and I couldn't even guess at which of the words is the incantation and those that spelled out the wand movements.

Just as that thought crossed my mind my quill-hand whipped out again to dip into the inkwell and a small grin appeared on my face when a translation was provided. Something must have given away the fact I wasn't paying attention and suddenly I found professor McGonagall standing imposingly in front of me.

"If you can find the time to prepare for your Ancient Runes class I trust you will be able to recite the various limitations I just explained, Mr. Snape?"

Path, handle this please.

I smiled like a simpleton, cleared my throat theatrically and said, "Over the past few centuries accomplished witches and wizards have tried to ascertain the reasons for the limitations inherent in the transformation. There is only a single form per person, this form is not one you can choose yourself, and while you're stuck in your form you cannot cast any other magic."

I should have known something was up when the path didn't give up that ring of completion.

Her expression soured immediately but she conceded, "Very well, as you were." and she moved back to the front of the class. Richard and Evert were laughing softy and I was instructed to smirk at them before speaking up.

"It's completely wrong of course."

Professor McGonagall turned back to me and bit out, "I beg your pardon?"

In horror I felt my reply slip out, "Granted."

Dead silence in the classroom. Even Evert and Richard couldn't seem to find something amusing in this. Tension was rapidly increasing as the Professor grew a touch more flustered. She was obviously building up to an impressive retort when I was bade to speak again.

"Considering the fact that once you've gone through the transformation and find yourself in your animal form you aren't stuck in it seeing as it's reversible without outside help. Well, I'd say that sounds at odds with the limitation on your ability to cast magic in said form. It's a conscious decision to snap back to your regular shape, Ma'am."

She stood as still a statue for a moment before replying, "That is a remarkably sound observation, Mr. Snape. Do you have personal experience with these matters?"

The next was for me to smile a little less and say, "Indeed, Ma'am."

What?

I had no doubt the path could make me an animagus but I could have sworn it hadn't come up yet. Would it be something that could be improvised without any prior preparation? I doubted it, especially considering the hours it took to make the Lycantrophy cure.

She nodded firmly, as if not confused in the slightest, and said, "Well then, would you care to show the class, Mr. Snape?"

Ah, this explained it.

I softly shook my head and said, "I'm afraid I would rather hold on to this advantage, Ma'am. I have until nine months after I graduate Hogwarts to register my form and..." I fell silent for a moment before continuing, "There are more than a handful of situations I can think of where it might come in handy."

The Professor nodded again and as she walked back to her desk she just said, "Very well, these are dark times after all."

Black drawled out, "Hmm. I can see it, James. Do you sometimes feel like you just have to satisfy the urge to hang upside down in a dark little corner?"

I'm a bat, how funny.

Apparently the Gryffindors thought so too, with even the Professor struggling to not smile, but my Slytherins remained eerily quiet. I stared at the Professor but when she didn't immediately made a move to call the class to order the next step presented itself.

I turned to Black smiling widely, looked passed him at Lupin, and coughed.

The boy sighed and said, "Cut it out, Sirius."

The prideful Black looked utterly betrayed but before he could respond the Professor finally did, "Two points from Gryffindor. Do try and contain yourself, Mr. Black."

Well, that was better than nothing.

I knew this wouldn't be the end of things. Despite the fact that Black clearly initiated this round of antagonism he feel slighted, likely blame me, and would feel the need to 'put me in my place'. While he probably hadn't shaken off whatever stern talking to Dumbledore had given him I doubted he'd let it stop it. He might not prank me directly but I'm sure he'd try to bait me into attacking him.

I noticed him discretely whipping out his wand and before I knew my notes were switched by a few empty pages. The Professor didn't seem to see it but Evert did. I saw the boy's eyes narrow just before he said, "Give it back, Black."

In a saccharine tone he replied, "Give what back, Avery?"

Hephaestus leaned back into his chair and drawled out, "How disappointing. A scion of House Black reduced to pathetic pilfering."

Richard smiled widely, "Well, they had a nice run of it. This was bound to happen."

Evan added his two cents, "I'm not surprised in the slightest.! Every time my Mother insists I'm not being Black enough I just point out Sirius."

Aquilla Blishwick of all people seemed to have picked up my banner aswell, "Really? I find that blaming Potter usually works for my Mother. What dearest auntie Dorea was thinking, I'll never know."

Finally the professor seemed to take note and said, "What's the meaning of this? I'm assuming all of you this eager for more work since you must have finished yours by now?"

Evan smiled beatifically at the witch and simply spoke, "Of course, Ma'am. In fact, I simply wanted to compare my notes with Severus' but Sirius misappropriated them."

She turned to Black, "Is this true, Mr. Black?"

Before he could think of a proper reply Lupin interjected, "Yes, Professor. He took Severus' notes."

The boy in question looked at Lupin utterly horrified. An expression matched by Potter and Pettigrew. The Professor strode over to him, extended her hand, and was apparently intimidating enough to force the boy to simply hand them over. She was looking them over as she walked up to me but suddenly froze. Her mouth fell open, she looked over at me, back at the notes, and then back at me again, before asking me; "Is this what I think it is, Mr. Snape?"

The path gave me my last step, one I didn't need prompting to smile for, "I'm not sure, Ma'am. What do you think it is?"

She continued with her fish out of the water routine for a moment before composing herself and saying, "R-Report to the Headmaster, please." She held out a hand to quiet down the reflexive outrage of the Slytherins, "I'm not punishing him but the research contained within these pages must be scrutinized by the Headmaster. Unless Mr. Snape would like to make a definitive statement as to how he tested this?"

Oops.

Chapter 1.12

I sat in the Headmaster's office and the path counseled silence.

"I understand the potential uses for this, Albus, but it's far too comprehensive to not have been tried out! It's a completely finished and polished spell for heavens sake! Not to mention the boy is set on not explaining anything!"

Before the Headmaster could speak up Slughorn jumped in, "Now don't be too overconfident, Minerva. Just because you can't conceive of thinking your way through a curse doesn't mean young Mr. Snape is similarly challenged."

Oh, wow. He was going to bat for me! I would have smiled but my mind-voice was insistent I shouldn't. I didn't know why I was going through all this fuss when I certainly could have gotten away with claiming I experimented with animals. It wouldn't be entirely kosher but worse things have been overlooked.

In fact, it even would solidify my standing with a large and powerful subsection of the populace. I chose to believe however that the Path knew what it was doing. It's gotten me this far and I was sure it would take me a great further length in times to come. If invoking my right not to incriminate myself was what my mind-voice counseled I wouldn't hesitate a moment.

Professor McGonagall frostily replied, "What exactly are you implying here, Horace." Her gaze fell on the Headmaster and she continued, "Don't think I didn't see you smiling there, Albus."

Again.

Oh, wow.

Dumbledore seemingly moved passed it unscathed in that manner he seems so fond of. He simply didn't acknowledge it and moved on, "Severus, do you understand the consequences of refusing to explain yourself? I would have no other option but to refer this matter to the Board of Governors. Traditionally they haven't looked down fondly on experimentation with the dark arts, my boy. I also assure you that I have indeed surmised that your counter curses are steeped in it."

The man looked faintly troubled and bullied onward, "Magic like that isn't distasteful because they aren't entirely legal, even though I believe they aught to be completely made illegal, but it's for their corrosive-."

Professor Slughorn daringly interrupted him, "Hogwash and drivel, Albus! It's not a widely accepted doctrine, let alone the final word on the matter, and I will not have you imposing your personal beliefs in this manner!"

This was proving to be highly amusing. While I was just a tiny bit nervous, I couldn't quite help that – a life spent waiting for the other shoe to drop does that to you -, I was actually looking forward to how this would resolve itself

Even Professor McGonagall suddenly voiced her agreement, "It is still quite unproven, Albus However this isn't the concern here. The fact of the matter is that during the course of this bout of inspired spell creation there had to have been a period of testing. While there are instances of theorizing spells that have eventually resembled the end result it is the off the cuff manner which Horace proposes that is unheard of. Which begs the question; who cast the counter curse and who cast the unforgivable on another student!"

Her voice dripped with barely restrained contempt, "Unless Horace is also speculating that an animal suddenly cast spells."

Slughorns reply was equally cutting, "That wasn't what I said and I will thank you to not twist my words, Minerva. Before this brilliant young student devised a cure to Lycanthropy that was also unheard of! I'm inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt as well as looking into a way to spread these spells far and wide!"

McGonagall had her own response to that and the Headmaster spent more time playing mediator than actually moving forward on the 'investigation'. A solid half an hour passed before it was settled that the Board was to be summoned. With the subject matter being such a tantalizing piece of magic as well as the now fairly preposterous amount of attention my name brought with it...they assumed within the hour.

And that was there I now found myself.

The Chairman of the Board of Governors, Lord Hector Fawley – at one point a Minister of Magic-, slammed his gavel into his desk officially opening the session. Slughorn was present as my advocate, and from the wink I got from the Head of House Malfoy, Abraxus Malfoy, I got the sense that Slughorn wasn't alone. Slughorn's earlier reassurance that Lord Fawley was notable for his seething contempt for Dumbledore, stemming from his dealings with the man shortly before he suffered a vote of no confidence, meant that he didn't expect he needed to much convincing.

I looked around and recognized Druella Black, she looked just like an older version of Bellatrix, who was representing house Rosier.

Dowager Augusta Longbottom was representing her adopted House. Dowager Lucretia Prewett, incidentally yet another Black, held the Prewett vote. Lord Orion Black the Second held his own chit for House Black.

I wasn't familiar with any of the others but I expected the other Houses; MacMillian, Parkinson, Crouch, Shafiq, Greengrass, Nott, Abbot and lastly Avery to send members of those families to be their proxy on the Board.

Slughorn was both eloquent and concise in his defense of my chosen position of silence. He ended his remarks with, "I would remind you all of the charitable nature of the boy. He gave away the key to end Lycanthropy for ever, for free, and would finally remark that punishing a bright young man for his curiosity is not something I believe Hogwarts should be seen doing."

Oh, clever. Remind them that their reputations are at stake. I still didn't quite see what I was supposed to gain from this though. The next hour of discourse over the matter passed by swiftly with nobody really interested in getting caught up in the details. I thought this would be the end of it when the Nott proxy said his piece but House Crouch had something to add.

"Now, I believe we've settled that but since we are convened, might I suggest we go a step further?"

The Chairman didn't even bother the pretense of deliberation, "By all means, the floor is yours."

"It must be no great surprise to you all that our official position, that is House Crouch, is one that states there is no better way to prosecute those who use magic with ill intent than with their own weapons. Now our most brave young folk in our Auror Corps have even more tools available to them to better serve our nation's interest. I propose we send this praiseworthy young man to personally teach our Aurors under a contract of confidentiality."

The Abbot proxy frowned and asked for the floor but the Chairman denied it.

The Crouch proxy continued, "Many of us here also occupy a prominent position in our government. While I do believe Hogwarts shouldn't becomes mired in politics I must ask you; how can we justify not attempting to strengthen our nation?"

Dead silence.

House Crouch just turned the discussion of what to do with an errant spell creator who perhaps crossed an indelicate line or two into a national security concern. I was, if not seeing the end goal of my mind-voice, almost convinced I saw where this was headed. This made Britain look good. If Britain looked good, these illustrious members of leading nobility in turn looked good, and wasn't that was truly mattered?

House Abbot halfheartedly continued it's earlier inquiry in my process but even that petered out eventually. The Headmaster stated his dislike of the situation but conceded he would not be upholding his duties if he didn't put his support behind House Crouch.

The distaste on his face was wonderful to be behold.

When the meeting broke up a little while later I was cornered by a few of the governors.

"Well met, young Mr. Snape. My son tells me great things about you,"

Ah, Lucius' father. I hadn't even met the man, nor even introduced to him, but sure. I was willing to go along with this.

"A pleasure to meet you, sir." A moment of silence and a mind-voice driven step later, "Lucius seems almost unreasonably proud of you, sir."

Orion Black and Druella Black both laughed politely with Abraxus Malfoy himself leading the pack with his loud guffaws.

"I should hope so! What good is any of this if your son isn't proud of you!"

This time only he and Druella laughed. I guess that Lord Black was the butt of that comment.

Instead of acknowledging the hit, much like Dumbledore does, the man focused on me.

"Tell me, young man. Are you the Slytherin that's responsible for my youngest improved Potions grades?"

I smiled at the man and simply nodded.

Druella Black spoke up, "Oh, do come off it, Orion. You knew perfectly well how he's been helping young Regulus." She turned to me next and smiled sharply, "What we didn't know was that you seem to have caught the attention of Bellatrix."

Oh, what now mind-voice?

The next step presented itself as just a simpering smile while Lord Malfoy spoke up amused, "Oh, now you're done for boy. You best run, lad, I know what happens when she gets that look on her face."

The not quite Lady Black arched a single eyebrow, so reminiscent of Narcissa, and asked, "What precisely would that be Abraxus?"

The aged blond Lord retorted, "Perhaps we should ask Cygnus instead? If we want the whole story I mean."

I was missing something here but I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to know.

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