Chapter 37

Darkness, complete darkness, filled the tunnel even with Lumos's cast. Only Trix was able to see and even then not far. The tunnel went down deep underground. Breath turned into ice as soon as it hit the air. Warming charms did nothing to keep numbness at bay. Eventually the sloping floor levelled out.

"Water." Trix whispered. "I can smell water… and something else."

Together the four people walked on as quietly as they could. Harry and Trix went first with Millicent and Draco following. Slowly the water got closer and began to run over the tops of their shoes so cold that it would have induced instant numbness in their toes if they weren't already. Then it reached their ankles, shins and finally knees. As one they stopped.

"Everyone, lumos maxima."

Everyone cast their spells and pointed their wands in different directions. With a final one in the middle of the room that was revealed they saw what they had walked into.

They had waked down a narrow channel and surrounding them was a structure like an amphitheatre. Sat on the carved steps that curved from one side of the room to another were hundreds of back skinned toads. Eyes full of cataracts stared down at them, some pale gray others blue or completely white. Their skin looked as if coated in oil and their bulbous stomachs had all grown together and attached from one toad to the next. The smell of blood filled the air as well as faeces, mould and damp. There were several dead toads lying around, half eaten by maggots.

Woven in-between the half amphibians was the shed skin of a snake. It was as thick as a chimney pipe and about twenty feet long.

Putting two and two together Harry whispered, "Basilisk!"

Everyone closed their eyes and listened as hard as they could. Nothing. Nothing until… A ripple in the water. Hot breath on the backs of their necks. Water lapping against their knees. A voice in parseltongue.

Within her Trix felt something stirring. Something wolfish and, for once, not unwelcome. She could feel amber blurring into her eyes but no anger rose within her. Just a strange calmness. Her eyes snapped open. Then she lifted her head.

The serpent came lunging towards her, its hiss a chuckle as it attempted to take its prey. Only she didn't fall. She locked eyes with the Basilisk and enraptured it. She confidently stared it in the eye and reached round to her right. A hand fiercely gripped hers. After shaking it for a moment she felt rather than saw the person look up. Draco softly gasped and slowly began to move.

Stealthily he moved around behind the basilisk and used its spines as leverage and from that vantage point blinded it with a knife from his pocket. Using that same knife he killed it. It fell with an almighty splash making the others look up.

Draco slowly picked himself up from the water and grimly grinned for a moment before walking towards Trixabelle and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Fiendfyre. You have to do it."

She nodded and quickly shot busts of the fire all over the room. When she was done there was nothing left of the mutilated toads or the eggs they were sitting on, just black ashes.

Draco guided Trixabelle back up the tunnel as fast as she could go. Millicent and Harry swiftly followed.

"It's a good job we found them. There was definitely a wolf smell down there. They would have killed us all before we had a chance." Trixabelle shrugged, "The stupidity was worth it."

"Worth it! Trixabelle, you almost died." Severus growled.

"Yell at me tomorrow, Dad. I'm shattered and am going to bed." slowly, as if being careful of aches and pain, Trixabelle rose from her chair and shuffled out of the room.

"Trixa – I do not believe you were dismissed." Severus snapped.

"You can't dismiss your daughter." She glibly replied.

They, quietly on Severus's part and loudly on Trix's, argued all the way down to the dungeons where she was steered not to her rooms but to her father's. She reluctantly went into the rooms when he held the door open for her.

"You should not think so lightly of your own life!"

"I'm fine, Dad. Evidently."

"Have you not been –"

"What in earth is going on here?" Eileen asked cutting over her son.

"Trixabelle gambled her life without a second thought." Severus said at the same time as Trixabelle said, "He's being completely ridiculous."

"See if you can get some sense out of him… err… Gran. I'm going to bed." Trixabelle said and spun on her heel to go to her room.

Eileen turned to her son and raised her eyebrow. Severus threw himself onto the sofa and glared into the fire. Eileen smiled slightly and sat next to him.

"You say she gambled her life?"

"A basilisk! She looked into the eyes of a basilisk!"

"Clearly she is fine Sever –"

"She. Could. Have. Died."

"You are not as angry as you could be, my dear boy. You are proud of her I think."

"You are not supposed to take her side, Mother! She has one Gryffindor quality only and that is rushing into situations without thinking! She needs to grow out of it."

Eileen sighed and lent back into the sofa slightly leaning against her son's side.

"She didn't learn to act like a Gryffindor. She is like a Gryffindor. You can't teach her to ignore her instincts."

"Are you suggesting I am not justifiably angry?"

"No. You have every reason to be angry with her, son. I also believe that Trixabelle knew what she was doing. Now tell me what has happened so far. All I know is that someone is missing."

Severus hardly slept that night. He eventually gave up trying to convince his eyes to stay closed for more than five minutes and sat up in bed. His enchanted window told him that it was the full moon tonight. Trixabelle wouldn't be sleeping either. He pulled his dressing robe around himself, stuffed his cold feet into house shoes and opened his door.

From the room next to his soft snores could be heard. His mother had turned his study into a bedroom over the weekend and all the books, pieces of equipment and his desk were still cluttering the space that the five doors looked onto. Some of it looked as though Trixabelle had accidently knocked it aside as she went to bed. He followed the same path through the debris err… books… and softly opened her bedroom door.

She was sat in a rocking chair that hadn't been there before with a blanket draped over her knees and another covering her shoulders and was looking out of the enchanted window. It showed Hogwarts grounds that tonight had a colony of Aurors moving around in every direction. She sighed and looked at the full moon.

"Can you teach my class tomorrow, Dad?"

"Of course." Severus sat on the edge of her bed and watched her for a moment.

You have to remember that she is no longer a child.

"Forgive me."

"Already have. I'm sorry I scared you like that." She shivered in her chair and pulled her blanket tighter.

"Are you –"

"Just tired. Stupid werewolf-ness."

Severus had already slipped out of the room and come back by the time she'd even noticed he had left. As it was the only reason she noticed he had left was because he draped his cloak about her shoulders knowing that she thought it the warmest, most comfortable thing in the world. She sighed and snuggled further back in her chair but her eyes fell to her desk where an unopened letter sat. Severus recognised the handwriting as Sophia's.

"She keeps telling me what Sam's up to, but it's not the same. When Harry said a bunch of trainees were coming as well I'd hoped Sam was going to be allowed to come too."

"You miss him."

"Always."

The classroom was not an environment that Severus had been in as of late. He reluctantly admitted that he realised how much he missed it. Perhaps promoting Filius and demoting himself was a wise course of action if he could handle teaching charms instead of potions, after all he could not very well sack Miss Wentworth just because he wanted the job. Maybe he was going soft in his old… his age… but that was most definitely Trixabelle's fault.

There were notes for the day's lessons in the pod already – Trixabelle had sent them over from her office on the previous Friday. It showed that he had to deal with seventh years first and they were duelling against each other for the first three lessons of the day. There was a side note that said that they would also be 'thrown off balance by the 'helpful intervention' of me'. In other words he was allowed to randomly assault the students as he saw fit. He smirked in gleeful anticipation. Teddy would soon learn the consequences of annoying him too much and impersonating him. Even though that particular event had happened months ago Severus still thought it was reason enough to hex him a little more than the rest of them.

One thing he wasn't anticipating was the rowdiness of the seventh years as they piled in. He had assumed that Trixabelle would have made sure they came in respectfully quiet.

"Well, well," he drawled, "perhaps I do need to teach my daughter a thing or to about teaching, notably how a class is expected to enter the room."

The fourteen students stopped in their tracks and gaped at him.

"Perhaps though, you can teach her how to communicate with goldfish."

"Oi, what's going on here?" Teddy's voice demanded as he pushed through the crowd. "It's not as if Uncle Snape's taking class today. Trix would never do that to… Oh." He stopped at the front of the gaggle of students and joined them in their goldfish impressions for a moment before collecting himself. "She missing the Rich Boy that much, huh?"

"Perhaps. More over she looked a basilisk in the eye and lived to tell the tale." He smirked at the shocked expressions that they all now wore and strode to the front of the room. "Today's lesson is devoted to duelling each other. Mr. Lupin, as there is an odd number in this class you will begin by duelling with me."

"Err… Whilst it s an honour, Sir, I do not believe that I am worthy –"

"Your insolence has made you worthy of punishment. Everyone, begin."

He was ready for lunch when the midday bell tolled. The sixth years had just begun experimenting with sneakoscopes and there had been a small explosion that would have sent four people to the hospital wing, including himself, if it had not been for the early warning from the working sneakoscope that was sat on the front desk.

"It seems, Hermione, that our dear headmaster has worn himself out teaching." Filius teased once he was seated.

"I believe he has, Filius." Hermione chimed. "Perhaps it is a good job he did not expend himself last night looking for Scorpius. What would his students do to him, I wonder, if he fell asleep in class?"

"Miss Granger, I beg you, shut up." Severus growled. Even though he was focused solely on his lunch he could tell that his colleagues (dare he say this of Mrs. Weasley friends) were smirking to each other.

Just when he was about to retire for the day to his private rooms he remembered that he had to teach the second year Slytherins in their catch up class just before dinner. They quietly filed into the room and took their seats without complaint as they had at the beginning of the year. Unfortunately for him Trixabelle hadn't left any indication of how far they had progressed.

"We were just finishing Red Capps, Headmaster." a boy called Thomas said. "We're all supposed to be handing homework in today."

"I knew I forgot something!" another boy, this one called Jacob, said and banged his head on the table.

With a flick of his wand Severus collected in all the homework and put it on his desk.

"Have you begun werewolves yet?"

"No, Sir, but Professor Snape said we'd begin it soon. Are we doing it today?"

"Yes."

Trixabelle didn't awaken until just before lunch of the next day. When she did awake she wondered for a moment where she was and why her back was hurting so much.

"Never falling asleep in a chair ever again."

She suddenly remembered that the last time she'd sworn she'd never do something was the day after she got hopelessly drunk with Teddy, Scorpius and Jake. Jake had even managed to climb up the posts of the veranda whilst completely intoxicated… But then fell down making them all giggle for ten minutes straight. It only occurred to any of them that he might have injured himself when they awoke thirty-six hours later in various rooms of Malfoy Manor. Now there was only her and Teddy left. Well her, Teddy and Scorpius… wherever Scorpius was. If he was still alive.

"Please let him be alright." She whispered to the ceiling.

Thinking that moving would hurt less now than if she waited for ages she slowly rose from her chair and ignored her dead leg as she half stumbled half limped to the living room. Her grandmother was sat eating the last bits of her lunch as she read a book.

"Is there any left? I'm quite literally starving to death."

"That's quite a strong phrase, dear."

"Hey, I stared death in the eye, quite literally, last night!" she jokingly exclaimed as she flopped into a chair and then groaned when it hurt her already abused back.

"Two nights ago. Slept right through. I'll just make you some."

"No need. I'll call Taffy. I should make sure Dad hasn't given the students too much of a… culture shock if you will."

After calling Taffy to prepare her food she got up to shower and dress, but Eileen stood up and pushed her back into the chair.

"Oh no you don't young lady! You sit right there and eat your lunch whilst I draw you a bath!"

"Surely the only reason drawing a bath would take that long is if you can't find the pen and paper." Trix muttered but heard Eileen chuckle as she made her way towards the bathroom.

Harry watched as Severus, once again, took over doing his job. He kind of understood it as he was headmaster and wanted to make sure his students were all safe and to make sure the son if his favourite Slytherin was found, but really… it was starting to grate on his last nerve. Okay so he was an ex-Death Eater and spy, okay he'd be a brilliant Auror, okay a better one than Harry and okay he was used to being in charge but really… was it necessary? Yes he was doing everything that Harry would be doing, asking the same questions, had the same look of concentration on his face and talked with determination, but it had to stop!

Some of the Aurors were even starting to tell Severus things before they told him! Him, their boss and superior! The person they were supposed to report to, the person who made sure they got paid each month.

Ron also stood back and watched what was happening. There was a map of the grounds on a table. People had drawn lines on it, circles marked areas that had been searched and such things. The Marauder's Map was charmed to stick on the wall and there were hundreds of tiny feet moving across it. Ten Aurors were gathered round Severus.

"Have the tunnels been fully searched?" Severus asked.

"Yes." Millicent replied. "Once they were declared clear I had a look at them myself. Nothing in any of them save the one that had caved."

"Good. The forbidden forest?"

"Still searching, Hagrid's been talking to Gawp and he's doing his best to help too."

"Very well. The –"

"Still a git, isn't he?" Ron quietly asked Harry. "I mean taking over your job like that!"

Harry sighed. "You know he doesn't like being inactive."

"But it's your job, Harry! Tell him to get lost."

Harry looked at him wondering if he were mad. Tell Severus Snape to 'get lost'? That was a sure fire way to end up in detention!

"He can't give you detention, Harry. Go tell him." Ron pushed his friend in the right direction.

Harry paused for a moment to gather all of his Gryffindor bravery and then walked up to his former potions professor.

"Severus!" he barked to be heard over the conversation that was happening. Everyone around the table looked up at him.

Harry gulped wondering if he'd finally cracked. What was he doing? He gripped Severus's arm and steered him away from the table and towards the door.

"Go and do your job and allow me to do mine. You're the headmaster not head Auror. When I know something, you'll know something." He quickly shut the door in Severus's face and then leant against it for a moment. Slowly he heard footsteps leading down the corridor. He let out a sigh of relief.

"So he can take on Voldemort without second thought but Severus Snape a mere mortal?" Millicent chuckled.

"Oi!" Ron protested. "Leave him alone. Snape was a right git to him at school. Come on, Harry, tell us what you want us to do."

Severus stopped in his tracks when he opened the door to his rooms. Sat at the dining table, which had been dragged into the living room by his mother a few days ago, were Trixabelle, his mother, and aunt and uncle all amicably talking and laughing together. There was a covered dish in the middle of the table letting out a gentle sent of chicken with sage stuffing and roast vegetables.

For a moment Severus just stood and watched the picture he'd been long imagining. His family. His whole family sat together waiting for him to join them and eat dinner. He felt a strange stirring in his heart and felt something wet on his cheek. Realising it was a tear he wiped it away with the heel of his hand.

"That's it Severus, keep us all waiting. It's not like Trixabelle is all but drooling here." his mother joked.

"I am not!" Trixabelle indignantly replied. "I'm wasting away! Come on, Dad, I want to eat!" she whined as if she were a four year old.

He smirked and slowly took his cloak off and hung it up. He then took his time taking his black jacket off and slowly hung it up.

"Such a child!" Trixabelle growled to herself and crossed her arms over her chest and dramatically huffed.

Back into the swing of things at college now, so I'll update again in a few days. Only three more chapters and an epilogue left now!

Next time... Memories from France, a vision, an amusing note and Hogsmeade is in dissaray.

J.K. Rowling owns Harry Potter