Disclaimer: All previous disclaimers apply.
A/N: Anyone who objects to a good Lucius, please stick to reading canon-compliant fiction.
Chapter 14
Severus was in his lab, working on a potion that he hoped would help Alice and Frank Longbottom. He had been working with their healer hopefully to affect at least a partial cure for them. He and Healer Duval had talked it over and decided before they tried anything else; the memories of their torture by Cruciatus Curse delivered by Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Barty Crouch Jr. would need to be removed first. As Healer Duval who was Muggleborn explained it; Alice and Frank were like a needle on a record player that was stuck at one point on a record and couldn't get past that point.
Severus having been raised in a Muggle household and had spent a lot of time at the Evans' home easily understood the analogy. Once the damaging memories were removed; his potion might be able to heal the nerves and muscle damage. He doubted they would be able to resume being Aurors, but they could do other things.
The floo sounded and Severus wasn't surprised to see Lucius' head sitting in the fire. It had been a week since their talk of visiting Bellatrix's vault at Gringotts to see if she might have been entrusted with one of the horcruxes as Lucius suspected.
"Narcissa is planning to visit Bellatrix's vault if you are free right now."
"Yes, but give me a moment to put my potion in stasis and I will floo over."
Lucius nodded and disappeared from the fireplace. Severus quickly put his potion in stasis, collected another magic suppressing bag and two pictures. He had found and copied a picture of the Hufflepuff Cup and the other he had used his magical camera to take a picture of the copy of the Ravenclaw diadem in Ravenclaw Tower. He also left a note for Harry and Lily if they happened to stop by. He flooed to Malfoy Manor and stepped out into Lucius' study where Lucius and Narcissa were waiting. He showed them the pictures. "We will be looking for either one of these. You will be able to recognize the cup by the etching of the badger on the front of it and the diadem by the large sapphire in the center and the two diamonds hanging directly below it," Severus explained.
"We had best get to it then," Lucius said.
They flooed to Gringotts and stepped out of the fireplace behind the counters. Zort spotted Severus and came over to greet them. He and Severus exchanged the customary ancient greeting and then Zort asked, "What may I do for you today, Professor Snape?"
"Zort, which goblin handles Madam Bellatrix Lestrange's private vault? This is Madam Narcissa Malfoy and her husband; she is in charge of her sister's vault while she is …unavailable."
All the Gringotts goblins of course knew that Bellatrix was incarcerated in Azkaban and would not be getting out anytime soon. Zort bowed to Narcissa and replied, "Trum has managed all the Lestrange vaults for many years now."
"I need to retrieve something from her vault so can you please ask Trum if he can assist us?" Narcissa requested.
Zort nodded. "I will summon him." He turned and did something with his hand and in a few minutes an ancient goblin walked up to Zort. "What is it you need?" He sounded rather cranky.
"Madam Malfoy wishes to access her sister, Madam Lestrange's private vault."
"Follow me," he ordered.
They got into the cart and rode down to lower levels. Like the Prince vaults the Lestrange vaults were on the seventh level. "Vault 705," Trum called out as the cart stopped. Narcissa, Lucius and Severus got out and stood in front of the vault while Trum went over and placed his palm on the door and it swung open and he stepped back. "I will wait here."
Narcissa and Severus went to step into the vault, but were stopped by Lucius who said softly, "Be careful as there's undoubtedly curses cast on the items inside this vault. Touch nothing!"
They both nodded and stepped into vault, but did not make any unnecessary movements. They scanned the contents, most of which Severus suspected had once belonged to people Bellatrix had killed or permanently injured.
Lucius who was the tallest suddenly said, "Up there on that corner shelf. It's the Hufflepuff Cup. I can see the badger on it."
Narcissa used a levitation spell to lift it and gently maneuver it down and into the bag Severus held open. They all looked at it, lying innocently in the bottom of the bag. Lucius shook his head and whispered, "It's causing my mark to tingle so it's definitely a horcrux ."
"It's a beautiful cup; it's a shame it has to be destroyed," Narcissa said.
"There will be nothing tangible left of the Founders except for Gryffindor's Sword," Severus added. He closed the bag, shrank it and placed into one of the many pockets in his robe. They left the vault and waited as Trum closed the vault and once again secured it with his palm. They arrived at the top and flooed back to Severus' quarters after which Narcissa and Lucius returned to Malfoy Manor. Severus checked his potion and casting a Tempus Charm saw it was almost lunch time. He placed the horcrux in his bottom desk drawer with the others they had found, locked and warded it. He would hand them over to Mad-Eye and Orion to be destroyed using Fiendfyre.
He went upstairs to the Great Hall and nodded at his snakes as he passed them. He'd been so intent at his brewing that he had missed breakfast. The Slytherin table was always full even on weekends because of his insistence that his entire house eat three meals a day. He stopped briefly and looked around for Harry, spotting him sitting with his friends at the Gryffindor. Severus grinned slightly as he caught sight of Ron Weasley's face. He still looked as if he was about to sick up due to Draco, Mr. Knott, and Miss Bulstrode sitting at the Gryffindor table. He took his seat next to Minerva. "Mr. Weasley still has not changed his tune, I see."
Minerva shook her head. "I've thought about owling Molly, but I suspect the end result would be a Howler and that certainly would not soften Mr. Weasley's attitude any."
"Probably not," Severus agreed. "And Merlin knows we have had to listen to enough Weasley Howlers since the twins arrived."
"I've always suspected that Molly casts a special spell on them to make them even louder than they normally are."
"It would not surprise me to find you are correct."
He finished eating lunch and stopped by the Gryffindor table before he left the Great Hall to speak with Harry. He knelt down beside him so he was at eye level and said, "I thought you might like to have dinner in my quarters tonight if you do not have any other plans."
"No, I don't have plans for dinner and that sounds great. What are we having?"
"I was thinking a roast chicken for a start."
"That sounds good. Are you inviting mum too?"
"Yes, I am going to fire-call her when I get back to my quarters."
"What time then?"
"Six o'clock is fine," Severus answered as he got up again.
"Can we come down and study? Everybody wants to see Keb and Isis again too."
"Yes. I will be in my lab most of the time, but I expect you and your friends to hold down the noise."
"Okay, Dad. We'll be down in about an hour."
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Mad-Eye limped gruffly out of his office and over to James and Sirius who were sitting on a bench in the corridor waiting. "Well, Potter you managed to pass all of my tests with a decent score and I've informed Rufus. Be here tomorrow morning at eight sharp to be sworn in. If you haven't got uniforms; you'll need to purchase them. You'll be on desk duty for two weeks until I'm certain you're up to speed."
"I've still got my uniforms from before. Sirius said there hasn't been any changes to them and they still fit me," James replied smugly.
"Good. Just make sure you're here tomorrow when you're supposed to be," Mad-Eye warned turning to go back into his office.
"Well, you're back in!" Sirius exclaimed exchanging a high five with James. "I told you that you had nothing to worry about. What do you say we go out and celebrate tonight?"
"Okay, but just for dinner, no booze. I don't want to be late and hung over on my first day back."
"Agreed," Sirius said as they left.
Inside his office, Moody cast a silencing spell and then said to Orion, "Severus reported to me that he and the Malfoys found the Hufflepuff Cup horcrux in Bellatrix Lestranges's personal vault this morning. I've already let Rufus know."
"We've got all of them then with the exception of the Ravenclaw Diadem?"
"All that we know about, but there could be more. We don't know if You-Know-Who might have made other horcruxes while in Albania," Moody said. "And if there's even one left; You-Know-Who cannot die."
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Harry came into his dad's quarters and took an appreciative sniff of the scent of roasting chicken with herb stuffing. He went out into the kitchen and found him mum sitting and talking to his dad while sipping a glass of red wine. His dad was busy shaping kneaded bread into rolls. A glass of half-drunk wine sat beside him. "Hi Dad, Mum," Harry said waving. "Smells terrific and I'm hungry!"
"Hi Harry," Lily said, giving him a hug. She just felt as if she could never hug him enough.
"Do you need any help, Dad?"
"Well, I believe the potatoes are done. If you would like to drain and mash them while I put the rolls in the oven, you can. The rolls will be done by the time we're ready to sit down."
"Sure," Harry replied, pulling up the sleeves of his sweater. He expertly drained the potatoes, mashed them, added cream and butter and began whipping them vigorously. When he was finished, he removed a large bowl from the cupboard and put them in it, sprinkling fresh chopped chives over the top. He set the bowl on the table next to the bowls of peas and green beans. Severus had sliced the chicken and set the platter on the table and then went back into the kitchen to get the rolls which he brought back to the table wrapped in a napkin in a straw basket. He pulled out Lily's chair for her and seated her and then sat down. Lily was seated to his left and Harry to his right. They filled their plates and began eating.
"Your mashed potatoes are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, Harry," Lily complimented him.
"Thanks Mum. I had a lot of practice. Aunt Petunia hates lumpy potatoes," Harry replied. He turned to his father, missing his mother's frown. "What potion are you working on, Dad? It must really be important because I didn't see you at breakfast this morning and you were in your lab practically all afternoon."
"Yes, it is. I am working with the healer who has been taking care of Neville's parents. I am attempting to reverse the severe nerve damage they suffered with repeated use of the Cruciatus Curse."
"You mean your potion might get them well enough so Neville can have his parents back?"
"That is our hope, but please do not tell Neville. I do not want to get his hopes up and then have them crash if it does not work."
"It will work, Sev because you're a genius at inventing new potions," Lily said confidently.
"If it does work; I do not think they will be able to resume their previous careers as Aurors though."
"That would be so great for Neville if it does work, Dad," Harry said enthusiastically."How will you do it?"
"We are first going to remove their memories of being tortured and then I will administer the potion. It will probably need to be administered every few hours at first and they will probably not regain consciousness for a few days after that."
"Why do you need to remove those memories?" Harry asked curiously.
"Inside their minds they are trapped at that point in their lives. We know they are memories, but to Alice and Frank it is happening to them right now." Severus frowned trying to think how he could explain it better. "Did Petunia ever play vinyl records?"
"Oh yeah! She used to play this group called the Beatles all the time after Uncle Vernon went to work."
Lily laughed and clapped her hands together. "Oh my, Tuney and I were huge Beatle fans! Her favorite was Paul and mine was Ringo. We used to fight all the time over which one was more popular."
"Well, to use the example of a record, at times records get damaged by scratches or dust in the grooves and the needle will stick in that groove and repeat the same phrase of a song over and over again until you pick the arm up and move it. That is like what is happening inside their minds. They are stuck in the groove of being tortured by Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Barty Crouch Jr."
"I can see how removing those memories could help, but will their other memories come back then?" Lily asked.
"Healer Duval believes so." Severus shook his head and continued, "On another subject; Luc, Cissa, and I retrieved another horcrux from her sister Bellatrix's private vault at Gringotts this morning."
Lily shuddered. "With the one that was inside Harry that makes five so far."
"If we can find the Ravenclaw Diadem, it will make six," Severus pointed out.
"When you find the diadem and get rid of it; will that mean You-Know-Who can die then?"
"Unless he has made another horcrux while he is in Albania. He may have used an animal, most likely a snake." Seeing Harry's alarmed look; Severus patted his arm. "Don't worry; it is unlikely, but it is something Orion Black pointed out that we may need to consider. Unless he finds a way to regain a human body, we will not have to worry about him. In order to do that he would need the help of one or more of his Death Eaters and according to Lucius, none of them seem very interested in bringing him back. In any case as I've said before; if he does manage to come back, you will not be the one fighting him."
"How will you find the diadem, Dad?"
"Professor Dumbledore told the Order of the Phoenix that Potter and I were part of, that You-Know-Who applied for the position of defense professor in the fifties and came here for an interview. Dumbledore thinks he hid something here at Hogwarts before he left again," Lily explained.
"But it could be anywhere and it may be somewhere only You-Know-Who may be able to access," Severus added in a frustrated tone. "That is my fear."
"I know Draco was saying that there are rooms in this castle that only appear every ten years," Harry said. "What if he hid it in one of those?"
"I do not believe he would do that. He would want to hide it somewhere he had ready access to if he needed it."
Lily frowned, thinking. "I don't recall 'Hogwarts: A History' mentioning anything about hidden rooms, but it has been years since I read it."
"Maybe you could ask Blinky about hiding places. The elves probably know a lot more about Hogwarts than anybody else," Harry suggested.
"That's a fantastic idea, Harry," Lily said. "And you're right; they would as they were born and lived here their entire lives."
"It is and it is one I never even thought about," Severus admitted.
"Glad I thought of it then," Harry replied, glancing up at the clock and noticing it was getting close to curfew. He got up, giving both his mum and dad a hug. "I'll see you at breakfast tomorrow."
"Wait a moment, Harry and I'll walk back with you," Lily said. She gave Severus a hug and kissed his cheek. "Have a good night, Sev."
"Thanks, Lily," Severus replied. He stood in the entrance of his quarters and watched until they had disappeared up the staircase.
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Severus checked on his potion the next morning before he went upstairs for breakfast. It appeared to be doing fine. He went upstairs and walked into the Entrance Hall, immediately spotting Harry sitting at the Slytherin table. He smiled at Harry and bade his snakes good morning with a nod. He took is customary position at the head table next to Minerva and began to fill his plate from the platters and bowls in front of him.
Suddenly, the entrance doors to the Great Hall flew open with a bang and James and Sirius, dressed in their full red and blue trimmed Auror robes strode in. There was a sudden hush as the students looked around and at each other nervously.
Severus sneered at them as they came up the center aisle. "Do they really think they are striking fear into anybody's heart?" He asked Minerva sarcastically.
"Apparently they think they are," Minerva replied with a frown. She imagined they were here to see Albus.
"Hey Snivellus," James called. "Who gave you the right to turn my son into an ugly git like yourself?"
Harry rose, but Lily who had just come into the Great Hall, shook her head at him. Some of the Slytherin students laid their wands on the table next to their plates. Severus noticed and glared until their wands disappeared off the table again.
"I did," Lily said from behind them.
James whirled around at Lily's tone and smiled widely. "Lils, I didn't see you come in."
Lily almost gagged at his phoniness. Here was the same man who was always jealous when she bested him in class and who complained incessantly about her studying for her Charms mastery while they were married. "Either you leave voluntarily, Potter and take Black with you or I promise you, you'll be streaking down to the Black Lakes with your bums on fire."
"We're here on official business," Sirius announced.
Minerva stood up and said, "In that case you should have notified Professor Dumbledore or me that you we're coming."
Harry got up and marched up front to stand beside Lily. "You don't have any official business. You're just here to cause trouble."
"I see Snivellus has corrupted you already, made you hate your family, and your rightful house."
"Rightful house? Oh! You mean Gryffindor? Well, for your information the Sorting Hat told me it didn't believe it was a good fit for me. Dad has taught me the value of family – real family not the fake ones the headmaster stuck me with for eleven years."
"Aurors Potter and Black, I believe you've overstayed your welcome and you can leave at anytime," Minerva said crisply.
James and Sirius looked up at her in surprise.
"Yes, leave before I give into my great desire to set your bums on fire," Lily sniped.
They turned and trudged back out into the hallway obviously disappointed that they hadn't struck fear into anyone's heart, but neither of them wanted to test Lily's or Minerva's tempers. "Well, she always did favor Lily. Considered her like a daughter," James muttered.
As they walked out the door, the entire Slytherin table started to clap until a frown from Severus halted them.
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It was a couple of days before Severus was able to talk to Blinky about secret hiding places in the castle.
After Severus had explained that he was looking for something that had been lost for a long time and if Blinky knew of a place where it might be hidden.
Blinky's face lit up and his began flapping his ears as he was dancing about. "Blinky knows of a place. All the elves do. We call it the 'Come and Go Room' because it is there sometimes and other time it does not appear. It is known by some students as the Room of Requirement because it only appears when you need it."
"And where is this room located?" Severus asked curiously. He found it strange that he never heard of it after being at Hogwarts for seventeen years as a student and a professor.
"Blinky knows it is located on the seventh floor across from the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy. You needs to walk up and down in front of the wall three times and tell it what you needs and then the doors will open. It is very dusty and dirty, filled with broken stuff, extra stuff, and things the students have hidden there, but Professor Dumbledore will not let the elves clean it."
"Thank you, Blinky for your information. I will check it out the first chance I have."
"You is welcome Mr. Severus Professor Snape," Blinky said and popped out again.
Severus met Lily in the hallway between their classes, cast his Muffliato Spell and then relayed to her what Blinky had told him.
Lily shook her head. "I remember overhearing the Marauders talking about this secret room on the seventh floor, but I thought it was just another lie to lure curious people there so they could hex them."
"Apparently it does exist, but Blinky did say it is filled with an incredible amount of junk collected over the centuries. We are going to need help searching it and it will need to be done after hours so Dumbledore doesn't get suspicious."
"Would Luc and Cissa be able to help us?"
"I will fire call them and ask," Severus replied.
"Let me know what they say and we can plan the best time to search then."
Severus nodded and continued on his way to the dungeon for his next class. He was thankful that the Cerberus was finally gone from the school and there was no more danger of students being torn apart by it. He suspected Minerva had put her foot down – right in the headmaster's arse.
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Harry and his friends were amazed at how quickly their first year was passing. It was almost Easter and they had about two months of school and their final exams left to look forward to.
"I'll bet your dad's final exam will be hard," Greg said as they were sitting out by the Black Lake during their free period.
"What do you mean, Greg? All of Professor's Snape's exams are hard!" Neville exclaimed.
"I don't think it will be harder than usual, but it probably will be longer though," Harry replied thoughtfully. "I think it will probably have questions about everything we've learned this year."
"I wonder what potion he'll have us brew for the practical part," Hermione said.
"Probably one of the harder potions we've brewed this year," Draco guessed.
"Merlin! I hope it isn't that potion for bee stings," Vince said. "I almost ran out of time on that one!"
"Mine and Parvati's work station is right across from Weasley's and Pansy's," Millie said. "They make so much noise it's hard to concentrate."
"Theo and I are planning on revising for potions for the whole week before our exam. We figure if you do well on the written exam, you'll do well on the practical no matter what it is," Dean said.
Theo nodded, but remained silent. Neither he nor Millie was looking forward to going home and being interrogated by their parents about Harry.
"All of you will have to come to Witches Moon and visit over the summer," Harry said. He hadn't asked his dad, but he was sure Severus wouldn't mind. "I think we're going to be spending most of the summer there. Dad has another house too, but it's too small for a lot of people to stay there."
"It's a big manor house with a lot of land and we can fly our brooms there," Draco said. He'd stayed with Severus several times at Witches Moon over the years. "It also has a huge library."
Hermione's eyes lit up at that. "I've read that these old manor houses sometimes have libraries that date back centuries."
"Dad said Witches Moon was built during the reign of the Muggle King, Henry VIII," Harry explained. "Sir Edmund Prince was an apothecary and brewed a special potion for Henry and in gratitude Henry granted him an extensive tract of land in Yorkshire. Witches Moon was started in 1541 and finished in 1543. The Muggle King Edward VI stayed there and so did the Muggle Queen Elizabeth I on their royal progress."
"What's a royal progress?" Neville asked.
"It's when a king or a queen takes their throne to outlying districts that may go for centuries without ever seeing their rulers because people rarely left their homes and went into London," Hermione explained. "So the king or the queen would travel with their court and stay at various noblemen's or knight's manor houses or castles along the way."
"Wicked!" Draco exclaimed. "But that must have been expensive for the knight or nobleman who had to host them."
Hermione nodded. "It was very expensive not only for the food, but they had to be entertained too which meant paying for minstrels, jugglers and traveling theatre troupes."
"Not to mention a new wardrobe for the entire household too," Millie pointed out.
"So it was a real big deal then?" Vince asked.
"Yes, because your fortune could rise or fall with the king or queen's patronage," Harry said. "And if you did something to piss them off then you could find yourself confined to the Tower of London and your estate seized by the crown."
"And your ancestor, Sir Edmond; he was a wizard right?" Neville asked.
"Yes and that meant he had to be extra careful when royalty did come to visit."
Harry stopped by his dad's quarters after dinner. Severus looked up from the paper he was grading and smiled. "Did you need something, Harry?"
"Kind of, Dad. I was telling everybody about Witches Moon and invited them all to visit us there," Harry explained and then rushed on, "I know I should have asked your permission first before …"
Severus held up his hand. "It's okay, Harry. Your friends are more than welcome to come for a visit this summer, but …" he pointed a finger at Harry. "Your summer homework must be completed before they arrive."
Harry's eyes lit up. "Wicked, Dad! Does the invitation include Fred, George, Percy and Lee Jordan too?"
Severus sighed inwardly at the thought of the Weasley twins and their friend, Lee Jordan at Witches Moon. "Yes, they can ask their parents' permission and we can work out a time when they can all come together."
"Great! Thanks, Dad!" Harry exclaimed, giving Severus a hug. "I need to get back to the Tower and study for my quiz in Herbology tomorrow."
"Goodnight, Harry. I'll see you at breakfast. Sleep well and don't stay up too late studying."
"Okay, Dad."
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The next morning when Severus walked into the Great Hall, he noticed immediately that Dumbledore's large chair was empty. He nodded and smiled at his snakes as he made his way towards the head table. Harry and his friends were seated at the Hufflepuff table today. He noticed Harry was talking to Cedric Diggory.
Severus sat down next to Minerva and murmured, "Where's the old barnacle this morning?"
Minerva shrugged. "Fawkes woke me up with a note from Albus this morning saying he was going to be gone until tomorrow. Where I have no idea."
"Probably at Potter Manor planning more mischief," Severus muttered, but then it occurred to him that it would be the perfect time to search the Room of Requirement without having to sneak around Dumbledore and worry that he might discover what they were doing. Before he went back to the dungeon, he went to the Charms corridor and stopped in the classroom where Lily was preparing for her first year class of Gryffindors and Slytherins.
"Good morning, Sev," Lily said smiling. "What brings you here?"
Severus cast his Muffliato spell first before answering her. "I just heard from Minerva that Dumbledore is going to be gone until tomorrow and I thought tonight would be an excellent opportunity to search the Room of Requirement."
"Will Cissa and Luke be able to help us?"
"I am going to fire call them right now and I will let you know," Severus promised. He turned to go and then stopped. "By the way, I gave Harry permission to have his friends visit at Witches Moon during the summer holidays."
"That's fine, Sev as long as Harry has his homework done before they come," Lily replied.
"I have already informed him of that necessity and he agreed with it."
Severus returned to his quarters. He had a few minutes before he was due in class. He took some floo powder from the china cauldron that sat on the mantle, tossed it into the fire and then stuck his head into the green flames and said clearly, "Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire."
A Malfoy elf by the name of Crumpkin answered the floo call. "I need to speak to your master and mistress. Please tell them that Professor Snape is calling," Severus requested.
"Master and Mistress are having breakfast, but Crumpkin will fetch them."
Severus nodded and waited. He heard footsteps and then both Lucius and Narcissa knelt down in front of the fireplace. "Severus, what is it? Is Draco alright?" Narcissa asked.
"Draco is fine," Severus assured them. "Do you have any plans for tonight?"
Lucius shook his head. "No. We are staying in tonight. Why?"
Severus grinned. "How would you like to go on a treasure hunt for the Ravenclaw diadem?"
"You know where it is?" Narcissa asked.
Severus explained about his talk with Blinky and his revelation about the Room of Requirement. "Lily and I were thinking You-Know-Who may have hidden the diadem in there.
Lucius frowned. "I remember hearing rumors about a magical room, but I never thought it was anything but that. It's supposed to be on the seventh floor from what I heard. That being Gryffindor territory, nobody ever went up there to see if the rumors were true."
"According from what I heard from Minerva this morning; Dumbledore is going to be gone until tomorrow so we can search the room without worrying about him finding out about the horcruxes."
"What time would you like us to be there?" Narcissa asked.
"I think at ten would be fine. The sixth and seventh year students will still be about, but most of the younger students will be in their houses."
"Alright, Severus. We will floo to Lily's quarters shortly before ten," Lucius confirmed.
Severus sent a note to Lily and charmed it so only she could read it. It was similar to the ones used at the Ministry. His floo sounded and he turned to see Filius' head sitting in the green flames. "Filius, what can I do for you?"
"Minerva has called a Heads of House meeting for 3:30 today, Severus in Minerva's office."
"Has something happened?"
"No. We are just going to firm up the plans for the tours of the other houses that we discussed in the fall. Minerva thought it was best to discuss it …"
"When the headmaster is not around," Severus finished for him. "I will see you and the others at 3:30 then."
His morning classes went fast and after first year Potions with the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs finished, Severus called, "Mr. Evans-Snape, please remain." He waited until all the other children had left the room before he spoke again.
"Was there something wrong with Neville's and my potion, Dad?" Harry asked anxiously. He still showed occasional signs of self-doubt from his years with the Dursley's.
"No Harry, your potion was excellent as usual. You must have inherited your mother's talent in Potions."
"Well, I didn't inherit her talent for Charms, Dad," Harry replied grinning. "That's one of the subjects I'm pants at."
Severus grinned too. "If the truth be known, I wasn't all that great at either Transfiguration or Charms. If it wasn't for your Aunt Cissa and your mother tutoring me; I probably would have ended up with an Acceptable rather than an Exceeds."
"We can't be good at everything I guess, but maybe Percy's an exception to that rule though."
"I agree that Mr. Weasley is an outstanding student," Severus replied. "I have a meeting with the other heads of house at 3:30 today, but I should be back in my quarters by 4:30 I would think."
"Okay, Dad. I'll see you at lunch."
When his last class of the day was over, Severus made his way to Minerva's office. He was the last to arrive. He took the cup of tea and biscuit she offered and sat down.
"I thought this would be a good time to discuss opening our houses for visits as we had mentioned wanting to do last fall. I thought we could use all of May for that and that give each of our houses a week of their own for tours, introductions, and such."
"Yes, Albus is always talking about house unity and everybody joining against You-Know-Who, but he's taken no action to encourage it," Filius complained.
"I will take the first week in May," Severus volunteered. He knew because Slytherin House had always been so secretive in that even the entrance was invisible until you gave the password that was a major reason for all the suspicion that nefarious doings were going on behind its walls.
"I'll take the second week," Pomona decided.
"And I'll take the week after Pomona," Filius said.
"And Gryffindor will be the last week then," Minerva agreed. She knew it would take that long to get some of her house into the right frame of mind.
They talked next about the upcoming OWLs and NEWTs and who would proctor the written portion of the exams.
When Severus returned to his quarters, he found Harry and his friends studying and helping each other with the subjects they weren't strong in. He saw that Blinky had brought them a pitcher of pumpkin juice and an array of fruit snacks to munch on while they studied. He was glad Blinky saw the need to spare them the rich, sweet snacks the other elves were so found of.
"Hi Dad," Harry said looking up. We're studying for our tests this week."
"Good. I do wish all the students would follow your example and not put off studying until the night before their tests. If any of you need any help with Potions; I will be in my lab."
Okay, Dad, but I think we're all good on Potions."
Severus nodded and went into his lab to check on the potion he was brewing for Alice and Frank. He looked into his cauldron, studying the contents carefully. Another 24 hours and it could be given to Alice and Frank. He hoped for all the Longbottom's sake that it worked.
After dinner, Severus returned to his quarters and graded essays until 9:30 and then flooed to Lily's quarters.
"Sev, I've decided that once we've found the Ravenclaw diadem; I'm going to pay Petunia a long overdue visit."
"I will come with you as Harry is my son now and she needs to explain to me why she and Vernon treated him so miserably. Not that there is any excuse for their behavior."
"I suspect she's going to be shaking in her shoes to see me not only because she thought I was dead, but because she knows I'll hex her and Vernon to China and back for the way they treated Harry."
"I will be glad to offer you my assistance with that," Severus replied with a grin.
A few minutes before ten, the floo sounded and Lucius and Narcissa stepped out. They quietly made their way to the 7th floor and to the wall opposite the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy.
Severus walked up and down the hallway three timed in front of the blank wall, silently asking to be shown the room where all things are hidden.
When the ornate double doors suddenly appeared, he was shocked even though he never doubted Blinky's information.
Lucius was the first to pull open one of the doors. Narcissa peered around him, into the room and exclaimed, "Merlin's hat! It will take us years to find the diadem if its in here."