Chapter Ten: End of a War:

One Year Later:

Severus sat at his desk pen in hand looking over the papers before him. Charity was seated on a couch she had brought in shrunken form into the office and restored to full size. She amused Severus this way, she carried so many interesting things in her small beaded bag, including furniture and for a joke a three compartment kitchen sink. Sitting at her feet was a fully grown Venus who was nearly as large as Padfoot and was sweet and kind as only a dog like her could be. It had been a year and she had really grown quite a bit from small bundle of puppy fat and fur to a sleek pure black dog with medium length fur.

The war against Voldemort was over, then again Voldemort had not realized that the "Power he knows not" was the wrath of witches. There was a reason Hogwarts full name was "Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry" most of the wards and protections on the aged castle were pure witches magic as witches magic was more for protection, nurturing and health. Voldemort had been allowed to come back and Harry did kill him and fulfilled his part of the prophecy, but not before Narcissa, Molly Weasley, Minerva, Pomona, Poppy, Amelia Bones, Charity Burbage and a fully reformed Rita Skeeter raked him over the proverbial coals for his Horcruxes and his folly in being stupidly prideful for creating them.

Now a month later Severus was back at work enjoying his time in the castle, glad to be out of the cold Scotland winter even if it was in the slightly cooler dungeons of Hogwarts Castle, this compared to the rest of the castle. He barked out "come" as someone knocked on the door and sneered as Sirius came into the room. Oh he did not hate Sirius any more, the man had turned out far different than he had ever been in school. He was kind, honorable and really was turning the ancient and noble house of Black back to an honorable house. Sirius smiled at Charity, petted a very happy Venus who came over to see him and then walked over to check on the papers Severus was grading. Only when he got to Severus's desk and peeked at the papers he got a shock.

"I thought you were grading papers." Sirius said, "have you been writing all this time?"

"Yes, I use a grading quill, the first month I taught I did grade papers by hand with a magical grading quill. After that it does the work, it's in Hogwarts a History and hardly a secret on how teachers grade at a magical school." Severus replied, "how do you think we can do with fewer teachers than non-magical schools?"

"You are writing muggle stories!" Sirius said grinning.

"Muggle science fiction and if you tell anyone you will die a painful death." Severus snarled.

"I won't honest!" Sirius said, "so um have you seen Harry?"

"No, what did you do to him?" Charity asked not looking up from her book, "and don't say nothing because we know that is not true."

"Um well I was only trying to cheer him up." Sirius replied taking a piece of chocolate from his pocket, "well if he is not down here searching for me he probably has forgiven me."

Severus watched as Sirius ate the chocolate and had an idea, he knew Harry pretty well now, training the boy had shown how like Lily he really was. He should warn Sirius that Harry was getting his revenge at that moment as Severus was willing to bet (and he was not a betting man) that the chocolate Sirius had ate was from Harry, and was charmed to do something to him. Humming Sirius left the office and Severus got up to follow him. Charity did as well, shrinking the couch and putting it back in her beaded pouch. She followed him up the stairs her skirts swishing around her ankles. They came to the entry hall and saw Sirius grinning as he saw Harry walking down the stairs a cool look on the teen's face. Severus knew that look, it was a pure Lily look and he knew Sirius was in trouble.

"Hello Harry!" Sirius said his voice coming out sounding as if he had inhaled helium, he put a hand to his mouth in horror.

"Hello Padfoot problems?" Harry asked calmly.

"What did you…"

"Enjoy your chocolate?" Harry smirked, "you should know better than to try and prank the son of Lily Evans and James Potter, Black. You forget who my mother was and that I did inherit her brains and do use them now."

"My voice!" Sirius said still at that helium level, "it's not funny!"

Yet it was and the whole entry all was filling with students who were roaring with laughter now. Sirius decided to make the best of a humiliating experience and pulled out a ukulele, why he was carrying one was anyone's guess. He started to sing Tiptoe Through the Tulips, normally a lovely little tune but turned into a farce first by Tiny Tim in the sixties that brought the house down every time he sang it and now by Sirius. Sirius still had his helium voice and sang the whole song getting the student as and most of the staff gathered to howl with laughter. Severus just glared while McGonagall stood her lips pursed in a thin line.

Harry was the worse, he was laughing so hard he could barely stand. He grabbed the first thing he could not aware it was the dour potions master and hung on nearly sobbing in laughter. Finally Sirius finished his song, bowed, gave Harry a glare and walked off. It was then Harry realized who he was hanging on to. He stepped back a sheepish grin on his face and made to brush the potion's masters sleeve smooth. He moved his hand back as Severus just glared at him and stepped back trying to look as innocent as he could.

"I um…"

"Five points from Gryffindor." Severus said.

"Yes sir." Harry said.

"My office, eight, if you are late you will be a very sorry little boy." Severus snarled.

"Yes sir, understood sir." Harry replied.

Severus walked away, his master's robes billowing behind him as he walked through the entry hall the students getting out of his way quickly. Prancing by his heel perfectly behaved with her head held high was Venus. She was proud of her master, he was strong and got the human pups to behave so well! Both dog and man made their way back to the dungeons, the man content that he still had the intimidation factor down, the dog happy to have a loving and good master in one Severus Snape.

The sweets Harry had used, ah yes speaking of sweets he needed to head back to Hogsmeade as he was nearly out of sweets for himself. He would send in an order for them, and go get them later this evening, with Venus by his side. Maybe if he was lucky he could get some blood pops for Sirius and have them disguised as a lovely surprise for the insane mutt. Or dog treats disguised as chocolate, yes now that would be even better. Severus had to admit he was glad to have found Sirius in dog form last year as Sirius Black, in dog form was really very sweet, too bad he could not keep him that way though he did have Venus and she was as perfect a dog as he could ever wish for.

The End