I own nothing! I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters! I just own the Snape family members (except for Severus, of course), and the other OC's.
"Come on, dad," Kiru grinned widely. "I've got literally dozens of Lockhartians – or so they call themselves – following me and asking me if I can get an autograph since I've been in the prophet with you a few times. I do have a Slytherin brain, and I have every intention of selling every bloody copy of that half-wit's photos that I took. Signed photos."
"You'll be putting all that money into the family bank account if you're not careful," Severus snapped moodily. Skullduggery was now singing 'It's My Life by Bon Jovi, one of Kiru's favorites. "Skull, what have I told you? Shut up, you dratted bird!"
"Bad boy, bad boy, what'ya gonna do? Whatch'ya gonna do when they come for you?" Skull began singing, and Kiru smirked at her new familiar and his antics. This was the best stress reliever she could have asked for, and she was truly honored to have a raven for a familiar. She'd already lost far too many for her liking – she couldn't have been able to stomach or live with herself over the death of another, and all witches and wizards knew how rare and revered a raven was as a familiar.
"Skull, there's a song I'll need you to memorize before we go back to school. You see, I know someone whose animagus form is a cat," Severus said, and the bird simply looked at him with a gleam in its eyes that had never before been seen in any of Kiru's familiars.
"Call in the Replacements," the bird sang from a cartoon show's theme song. "I'll see what I can do, Severus."
Kiru smirked wider, and petted her new familiar just as they walked into Diagon Alley. People stared as they passed, awed at a raven for a familiar, and Severus turned into an apothecary. Kiru's eyes widened at the ingredients, and to her horror saw why her father had turned into that particular shop – an old colleague of his, or his own teacher perhaps, was sitting across the counter looking like a walrus. Kiru had to focus to keep her face impassive, but this man's demeanor – and stupidity at not noticing them so soon – was quickly getting on her nerves. She whispered to her father that she was headed to the Weasley twins' joke shop, and left the building slyly without being noticed. She gave Skullduggery a request to stay beside her father to find out what he was up to and report to her after dark.
"Horace," her father said curtly, and the man startled from the photo he was looking at of a red-haired woman. "Still pining after Potter, I see."
"Severus, m'boy," the old man, Horace, said happily as he got up from the stool. "What can I do for you today?"
"Sev ain't nobody's boy, old walrus," Skullduggery said in Kiru's voice.
"That's enough out of you, Skullduggery," Snape said waving a hand angrily at the familiar. "The next time you say that word I really will take those tail feathers of yours one by one and burn them in a potion!"
"Sorry, Professor Spoilsport," the bird apologized. "He still looks like a – shutting up."
"What I thought," Severus said darkly.
"Oh, so this is the slimy git that never did anything but baby you guys into being a bunch of blubbering idiots!" the bird said happily in perfect Japanese. "It's a horror to meet you!"
"Um, Thank you?" Horace said confused. "I understood 'It's a … something… to meet you. Do you understand her, Severus?"
"Indeed, I do," Severus said calmly with a smirk. "Horace, I'd like you to meet a very snarky brat as well as a familiar, Skullduggery." At that moment, to prove the potions masters point, Skullduggery began singing 'Best Friend' by Aqua, much to Severus' embarrassment and shame. "I apologize; he's not the best mannered bird, very foul-mouthed as you can see."
"No, no, it's quite alright, m'boy!" Horace cried gleefully. "This is the first time I have ever met someone with a raven familiar, it is said to be quite rare, and you're so young! Tell me, however did this happen?"
"I wonder that myself," Severus said tartly as he glared at the bird.
"To be, or not to be. That is the question," the raven said. "Four dead familiars compared to five dead siblings of mine. I felt the similarities and made my choice."
"Hai," Severus sighed. "Umbridge killed four of the five familiars for who knew why. She killed the snake first, then dog, then basilisk, and then the owl… that new History Teacher, Bitachina, I think her name was, killed her during the summer while sending her with mail to a colleague of mine. I recall the law books saying it was illegal to kill familiars."
"I should ruddy well hope so!" Horace cried indignantly. "This is horrible, an outrage, I tell you! A teacher killing a familiar to a colleague! We don't have high paying salaries, as you well know, Severus! You must do something about this!"
"Dumbledore will do nothing," Severus grumbled as he twisted his neck around to pop it loudly a few times, making the old man wince.
"My dear man, could you please refrain from doing that? It's horrible for your health," Horace said worriedly towards the former Death Eater.
"I don't see why she should stop," Skullduggery intervened. "Sev does it all the time, especially with his back, knees, and elbows!"
"Skullduggery!" Severus shouted, and the bird dipped his head and let out silent apologies as Severus cast a silencing charm on him. "Blast, Horace. This is not a social visit. The headmaster would like for you to come back and teach Potions."
"No, Severus," Horace denied firmly. "Don't get me wrong, m'boy, but you're much better suited for the job than I am! Your classrooms haven't blown up yet, my good man, and mine did on a very frequent basis, if you'll recall…"
"Oh, I recall," Severus snapped. "However, I think you'll find that we have no Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and Albus wants me for that post."
"Lily," Horace said sadly looking at the photo he'd been looking at before. "His mother was friends with you if I recall, and one of my brightest Potions students. Second only to you, Severus."
"Really? I was under the impression her potions were better than mine," Severus snapped angrily at the old man. "You always chose hers over mine, every day, Horace. I'm no fool, I know when I'm not appreciated. If I can't teach those children defense, nobody else will, and I can't teach Defense and Potions at the same time."
"Severus, I'm an old man!" Horace Slughorn cried out.
"Indeed, Kiru," Snape said stiffly. "Well, this is good-bye, Horace. I doubt you'll meet the school's infamous necromancer while you're there. Well, I'd best leave you walling in your misery, then."
Just as he left, the old walrus burst out of the Apothecary, yelling out "Fine, I'll do it! But I want a pay raise, Severus! And that talent bundle had better be in my office first thing after the welcoming feast!"
"Idiot," Kiru murmured as she rounded the corner with a few joke products in her hands. "So, what's up with all those famous idiots on the wall? Did he teach them all or something?"
"Yes," Severus said, knowing she'd been extremely observant just as he taught her to be. "You and Harry would be the prizes in his collection. You're powerful, Harry is both powerful and famous. He collects them, and uses them to get things that he wants in life after you've graduated. I advise getting into that little club, if you want to lose your mind."
"So, if I got into that little club, what would you do?"
"Hex you and ground you for a year," Severus sneered. "I will not have my daughter screwing up like I did. He is one reason I did some of the foolish things I did in my days of folly and misery."
"Ah," Kiru said simply. "So, what'll he teach? Potions, or Defense?"
"Potions," Severus said like it was obvious. "I've been trying to get that Defense job since before Harry was born, child, and mark my words, I'll be damned if I don't get it this year. We're almost at war, pet, and I'm fairly sure you'll need to have Fawkes ready and able to help you with those Phoenix Tears. It won't be an easy task for you up ahead, my child. Are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes," Kiru answered automatically. "I'll do anything for you, daddy, you know that. Even if it means making the same mistake you did to free you and everyone from it."
"I don't want that unless it is absolutely necessary," Severus said sharply. "However, I would like a little bit of help with a task that Albus has given me, and that has been given to Draco."
"Oh no," Kiru murmured, realizing what was going on.
"Yes," Severus said simply. "Narcissa has told me herself, and it is not a pretty sight to behold at all, my dear. Your – our – beloved dragon bears the marks of a warrior now. There is nothing we can do except to help him in the battles that he has been required to fight."
"How can I help?" Kiru asked, her eyes blazing with anger.
"How can we help?" Skullduggery corrected.
"Here's what I need you to do, Kiru," Severus said softly as they made their way towards Gringotts to talk inside the Prince Family vault in secret.
(Flashback End)
Just as Kiru was thinking about her father, he was thinking about her while on his way up to the owlrey. Severus looked around in the Owlrey as he went to take a message for Hermes to deliver it. He sighed in defeat, having not found his owl here for the first time since he was in school as a first year. The owl was, however, very old, and may very well have passed on by now, even if he was a very healthy black one that looked like royalty and eerily resembled a bat. Severus went down to the dungeons to start brewing, and was disappointed to find Minerva McGonagall on her way upstairs for the feast.
"Severus," she said softly with tears in her eyes, and it was then that the Potions Master noticed her burden.
Hermes was dead, and was wrapped in a towel that was soaked in the bird's blood.
Hermes is Snape's owl from when he was a kid. He'll get a new familiar before the end of the next chapter.
Reviews are extremely appreciated. They're like cotton candy at one in the morning.