Project Management for Beginners

by snuffly22

Harry had never really properly planned anything before. The fact that his first ever plan was risky and filled with assorted dangers was not actually deterring him as much as it should. (This story explores how Harry's third year at Hogwarts might have played out differently if a little project management and an ambitious plan had been thrown into the mix.)

12. Let's take this offline

All rights to the Harry Potter universe belong to JK Rowling. I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N: Hi there, here's another chapter for you Project Manager types! Thanks so much for all of your comments, and for keeping on reading.

irezei – I assure you that I'm not trying to put the blame on Harry for his situation with Snape. I quite agree that it's all Snape's fault, and the Harry in my story knows that too. What Harry's trying to do is basically set Snape thinking, reconsidering, etc. by making the first move, and trying to be the bigger person even though he really shouldn't need to. He's influenced in this by the eminently pragmatic Blaise, who's given him ideas for sorting out his Snape problem and hasn't worried too much about why Harry has this problem in the first place! However, I have taken on board your feedback and will try to reflect it as I go. Snape's teaching deficiencies are touched upon in this chapter, which I added after reading your comment,s and in the next chapter I'll be talking about this as well.

- IIII - IIII - IIII - IIII -

Chapter 12: Let's take this offline

When a project reaches an advanced stage, it will often be necessary to wait for those at a senior level to consider the strategic issues and reach a conclusion. This may be frustrating to the project team; however, the more significant a project is, the more likely it may be that lengthy consideration of the relevant factors will be needed.

Albus Dumbledore entered the Staff common room at 7pm precisely that evening. All of the teaching staff were already assembled. He looked calm and unruffled, and there was nothing in his expression to reflect his inner belief that he had a very bumpy ride ahead of him. The Hogwarts staff were sometimes argumentative, and given their different temperaments they often became a little disorderly when all in the same room; and of course, the subject under discussion this time was likely to be contentious. He noticed that Professor Snape appeared to have calmed down to a degree, but that the anger he was still feeling was clearly close to the surface.

"Good evening to you all," he said pleasantly. "Thank you for clearing your various schedules to accommodate this unexpected meeting. We've each had a few hours to consider the proposal made by the Gryffindor students at lunchtime. This afternoon I wrote to each member of the Board of Governors to explain what has occurred and provide them with a copy of the Teaching Charter for their consideration. I did the same for Minister Fudge, who owled back asking to see me tomorrow morning about it. I have also scheduled a meeting with the Board for late afternoon on Tuesday. So I am very glad that we could meet today, because before both of those discussions occur I would find it most useful to know your reactions to this proposal. After all, you are the ones who would be required to apply the standards outlined in the Teaching Charter if we proceed with it. Therefore, please would each of you please tell me your thoughts in general – and whether you are for or against it."

There was a pause of a few seconds, while each of the teachers glanced at each other. Professor Burbage was the first to speak. "Well, I have to say – it was a heck of a spectacle, wasn't it? Highly audacious! I was enormously impressed with the way the whole thing was organised."

Professor Snape snorted with derision. "I have to disagree. Those Gryffindors need putting in their place, and as for Percy Weasley – you were far too lenient, Headmaster. Never mind taking his Head Boy badge away; he should have been expelled for gross impertinence!"

"That didn't take long," the Headmaster thought to himself wryly as the room exploded with furious argument. "Sometimes, I think I'm too old for all of this."

Eventually, he was able to calm the Professors down. A number of them were glaring at Professor Snape, who stared angrily back at them. "Now everyone, please let us remain professional in our dealings with each other. Professor Snape has every right to his opinion. On the subject of Percy Weasley however, I'm afraid I cannot agree with him. It would only have been permitted for me take any form of disciplinary action against him if the protest today was unlawful. Now, under the rules of Hogwarts a student protest is classed as lawful when three conditions are met; firstly it must be non-violent, secondly it must include at least twelve students and thirdly, the subject of the protest must have already been discussed with myself as Headmaster and no resolution reached. All three conditions apply in this case, so it was a lawful protest."

"Does that mean you knew about this beforehand, Headmaster?" Professor Sprout asked. "You looked pretty startled to me."

"I was more than startled, Pomona – I was quite stunned. I had no idea what was going to happen today. However, I had previously spoken to a Gryffindor student who filed a complaint with Professor McGonagall some weeks ago in relation to teaching standards. When it was referred to me, I chose to dismiss that complaint without taking any action. I did not even discuss it with the staff member concerned - which I can now see was a serious error on my part. I assumed that I knew best, which really is one of the most dangerous assumptions for anyone to ever make." The other Professors looked very surprised at this news.

"If I may ask, Headmaster," Professor Burbage said hesitantly, "is that something that you've done before – taking no notice when someone complains, I mean?"

He shook his head gravely. "Not at all, Charity. There were special circumstances in this case, but I made the wrong decision, all the same. And as a result, what was a small issue has now become a much larger one."

"I didn't know anything about today's activities either, before anyone asks," Professor McGonagall added cheerfully. "I expect they thought it best not to mention it to me in advance."

"And was the original complaint about any one Professor's teaching methods in particular?" Professor Vector asked the Headmaster with a sly smile.

"Yes, but I don't think we should concern ourselves with that, Septima. The Teaching Charter is what we must consider now - and that relates to all classes which take place in Hogwarts."

"I don't see much point in pretending that we don't all know it's Severus," Madam Hooch said, overriding him cheerfully. "Could hardly be anyone else, especially given how furious you've been with him recently, Minerva."

"I hardly think that matter is any of your concern," Professor Snape said in a dangerous voice.

"I quite agree," Professor Flitwick said forcefully, before anyone else could speak. "The same goes for all of us. We certainly have no right to pry into a private issue, which the complaint clearly is. The Headmaster is looking for our thoughts on the Teaching Charter, and nothing else. I have two things to say on that score. Firstly, that its provisions seem well written and entirely reasonable. Secondly, that it will take some work to introduce – and I'd be concerned about the extra administrative burden on Minerva and yourself, Headmaster. However, I for one am more than willing to support this proposal and work with each of you to implement it."

"Well said, Filius," Professor McGonagall replied warmly. "I completely agree. We'd probably need new employment contracts, though."

"That is a fair point," the Headmaster said, making a note of it. "Thank you, Minerva."

"I'll back this scheme too," said Professor Sprout. "I think the Charter's values align closely to those of my House anyway. It's all about fairness, and really we should be doing all of it already!"

"Not so easy for that to happen when you consider some our past Defence teachers," Professor Babbling commented. "We're lucky this year of course with you, Remus, but most of the time Defence ends up being taught by people with doubtful backgrounds and even more doubtful magical and teaching abilities."

Lupin smiled modestly. "Thank you, Bathsheda. I'm glad to be the exception to the rule. And I also support the Charter and will gladly help to launch it."

"You would," Professor Snape said viciously. Professor Lupin glanced across at him quizzically but didn't respond.

"Certainly, special provisions would need to be made for the recruitment of Defence teachers, if Professor Lupin should ever feel the need to move on," Dumbledore agreed quickly. "Any other thoughts?"

"I vote against, of course," Professor Snape said. "As a Head of House and a Professor of this school for many years, I should have the right to teach in the way that I think fit. I will not be dictated to by a bunch of reckless, impertinent Gryffindors!"

"Oh, give it a rest, will you!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed furiously. "As I warned you a month ago when this all started, you only have yourself to blame for the consequences!"

"So much for not admitting which Professor the complaint related to," Professor Sinistra commented drily.

"Let us all please keep to discussing the Teaching Charter only," the Headmaster said sharply. "So far, we have Severus against it and Filius, Minerva, Pomona and Remus in favour. Now, there are several of you who haven't spoken yet. Cuthbert, what about you?"

Professor Binns was floating next to the table. He'd positioned himself at the same level as the seated Professors by letting his legs drift through the floor. "Well, I don't suppose it concerns me much," he said absently. There was an awkward pause. The Headmaster looked as if he was about to say something, but then he changed his mind. "I will take that as an abstention. Anyone else care to voice an opinion?"

"I'll vote for it," Hagrid said gruffly. "I might need some help with the particulars, mind."

"I shall abstain," Professor Sinistra said. "I don't object to the Charter but I think for the most part that we're fine as we are. I'm also taking into account the fact that while there was widespread student support in three Houses, the Slytherins did not react to it positively."

Snape nodded grimly. "Thank you, Aurora, for being the only person so far to consider the needs of the Slytherin students. They are indeed most concerned about the Charter. I stayed over two hours this afternoon in the Slytherin common room trying to reassure them, with limited success. They think this is a Gryffindor conspiracy to sabotage Slytherin House - and I'm not so sure that they're wrong."

"That's ridiculous!" Professor Vector exclaimed. "Honestly Severus, I've never heard such rubbish!"

"It's not rubbish to the Slytherins," he replied in an angry voice, "and given that they do represent a quarter of the school's population, I think their views should at least be taken into account!"

"They will be, but truly - there is no conspiracy against Slytherin House," Headmaster Dumbledore replied firmly. "I give you my word on that, Severus." Professor Snape looked across at him for a few moments, then shrugged and looked away.

"It's something new and a bit radical, that's all," Professor Babbling said. "Give the Slytherins time, Severus, and they'll adjust. I reckon that in a month or two they'll be quite used to the Charter, and by the end of the school year it'll feel like we've always had it. I like the concept anyway, so it's a yes from me."

"Well unfortunately, I must vote against the idea," Professor Trelawney added self-importantly. "I'm sure the Gryffindors mean well, but such tight restrictions to our teaching practices are hardly conducive to allowing the Inner Eye to operate freely."

Dumbledore nodded gravely, but was secretly amused by Severus's obvious distaste at being backed up by Professor Trelawney, whom he'd always despised. He saw Minerva grin and knew she was thinking the same.

"I'll vote in favour," Madam Hooch said, "but Headmaster, as things stand neither yourself or Minerva has the time for the work this will generate. What would you say to the idea of appointing a second Deputy Head, to share the extra duties out? Minerva would still be senior, of course."

"That is a most interesting idea," Dumbledore replied. "Thank you, I'll certainly consider it."

"I'd have no objection, as long as we could find the money in our budget for the increase in salary," Professor McGonagall chipped in.

"The Charter gets my vote too," Professor Vector said. "Agree about the second Deputy, I think that's a must, though most of the work involved will be at the start. Once it's up and running, the time required to administer it should be limited."

"Which only leaves me!" said Professor Burbage. "I'm all for it. The Charter is simple, and should be quite easy to integrate into most classes. Even Divination, I'd say," she added, with a slight smirk. "Surely the esoteric magic of the Inner Eye is powerful enough to rise above such low-level administrative changes as would be generated by a Teaching Charter?"

"Well yes, you could have a point there, dear," Professor Trelawney replied thoughtfully, not noticing her colleagues' amused reaction. "In that case, I will change my vote to abstain."

"Thank you all," the Headmaster said. "Now I make that nine in favour, three abstaining and one against. I also am in favour, but I have decided that whether the Teaching Charter is implemented or not will be a decision for the Board of Governors to make. And I suppose the Minister's view will need to be considered; I find the fact that he's asked to discuss it with me so quickly to be very interesting. Now, supposing that the Charter is brought in, does anyone have any objection to any of its requirements? Are there any changes to the wording needed?"

"No, I'd say it's practically perfect as it is," Professor Sprout said, and there were several nods of agreement around the table.

"Good. Well then, when I speak to the Governors, I will give them a balanced summary of tonight's discussions and let them know your views, both for and against. We have a majority in favour but of course, I do acknowledge that this is a significant alteration in our teaching practices and should we adopt the Charter, then help and support would be provided to those of you who need it." Hagrid looked cheered by this, while Snape huffed and looked away.

"I think we should see this as a potential benefit for the reputation of the school," Professor Flitwick said. "Also, it's consistent internationally; I know that other magical schools already have some form of guidelines or framework used for their Professors to operate under."

"Yes, that's quite correct," Dumbledore said with a mischievous smile. "You know, if we all worked in Durmstrang then I'd have to carry out a full practical and theoretical assessment on each one of you every month. And even worse, you'd all have to complete and submit detailed progress reports on every student in your classes on a fortnightly basis." He smiled as he saw their faces; however much the staff had disagreed during the course of the evening's meeting, it was obvious that they were united in finding this a very unpleasant notion.

"They don't do all of that, surely?" Professor Lupin said with a laugh. "I can't imagine how anyone gets any work done, in that case."

"Indeed," the Headmaster said. "I imagine that leisure time is rather limited there. Now, does anyone else have any comments before we conclude?"

"Yes," Professor Snapes said with a malicious look around the room. "I would just like to remind everyone that according to Percy Weasley, the Gryffindors believe that there is more than one Professor who is not meeting their elevated standards for teaching. Exceptions in the plural were mentioned," he added pointedly. There was a slight pause, and perhaps a touch of unease as his words sunk in.

"That is something very relevant to this discussion, Severus," Professor Flitwick said after a moment. "And what I would say in response is this – we're all capable of improvement. We can all do better. If we need to make changes in order to comply with the Teaching Charter, then I am sure that everyone in this room is capable of doing so." There was a general murmur of agreement, and Snape looked glum.

"Thank you for those wise words, Filius," Dumbledore said. "I am of the same mind, and in truth I hope that I never stop trying to improve myself. Well then, I suggest we meet again on Tuesday evening at the same time, when I will be able to inform you of the Board's decision. Severus, I assure you that if they back the Charter then I will work with you to address any issues that your Slytherins have with it. And now, I have taken up quite enough of everyone's time, so I will draw the meeting to a close. Severus, Minerva – I wonder if both of you would be willing to take a short stroll with me down to the lake? It's not too chilly at present and there's no rain forecast for the next few hours."

"By all means, Albus," Professor McGonagall replied. Professor Snape merely nodded his head curtly. The Headmaster wished everyone else a pleasant evening and led them both out of the room.

The storm of gossip which followed their departure ended up lasting longer than the meeting itself.

- IIII - IIII - IIII - IIII -

The three teachers walked in silence out of the castle and down towards the lake. Those students who passed them on the way made attempts, with varying degrees of success, to stare at them while pretending not to be looking their direction at all. Once by the lake they were alone in the darkness, until the Headmaster conjured a lantern which floated next to them and provided warmth as well as light. He also cast a quick Privacy charm as a precaution. Dumbledore could more easily have taken his two Heads of House to his office, but he hoped that a walk in the night air might help with gaining a little perspective. He feared what the outcome would be, both for themselves and for the school, if these two could not be reconciled.

"Whatever happens over the next few days, that was a remarkable event which took place at lunchtime," Dumbledore said after a few moments of silence. "I know you will be very proud of your house, Minerva."

"I am indeed," she said, her voice softening. "That was true courage, especially on Percy Weasley's part."

"Does it not bother you that they acted without your knowledge?" Snape asked her.

"Oh yes, but not in the way that you think. What bothers me is that it was necessary in the first place. If a member of my House comes to me asking for help and protection then I ought to be able to provide those things. What the Gryffindors did today only took place because I failed them."

"That is by no means the case Minerva, please don't think anything of the kind," Dumbledore hastened to reassure her.

"It's exactly the case Albus, which is why I decided this afternoon that I will be resigning as Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor immediately if this Teaching Charter is not implemented."

"Now Minerva, please don't over-react," he said with alarm. "I am sure that Professor Snape and I would not want anything as drastic as that to take place."

"I… I would not," Snape confirmed. He too seemed shocked at the idea.

"Oh, I'll stay on as Transfiguration Professor," she told them, "but that's only because I'd have control of events in my own classroom. Severus – as a Head of House yourself, I would think the position would be very clear to you. I can't stop my students from being intimidated and harassed in your lessons. I tried and I failed, so if the Charter isn't introduced to protect students then I need to step down and allow someone else to take my place."

The two men stared at her with identical expressions of surprise and dismay on their faces.

"Minerva, truly, I think you should reconsider," Dumbledore said firmly. "I really would not wish for such a thing to happen."

"Well, it's going to," she insisted. "This is my choice and I can't be dissuaded. Albus, I hope that the Board of Governors make the right decision when it comes to the Charter but either way, at least I know now that I've done all I can, and that comforts me. Good night to you both," she said, and walked away before either man could think of anything else to say.

"Is she serious about stepping down?" Snape asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, I fear so."

"I don't want that to happen. I thought… I was sure that you'd resolve matters and smooth things over with her, as you have done in the past. Why is she taking this to such extremes?"

"Because like most of the students, she feels that change is overdue. I can understand your surprise, Severus – I didn't see any of this coming myself," Dumbledore said ruefully.

"Headmaster, why did you not discuss this complaint with me when you received it?"

Dumbledore smiled. "My dear Severus, what would have been the point? You've never taken the slightest notice of complaints in the past."

"I don't suppose you'd care to tell me the name of the student concerned? Minerva wouldn't say, of course."

"And nor will I, although I understand why you might want to know. She is still angry with you, Severus. I think that if the situation were reversed then you would be totally furious with her."

"I should have paid more attention," Snape muttered. "She gave me a month to make changes to the way in which I teach and I just ignored her. I don't see the need for any change. And why she wants to force me to now, after all of these years, I cannot think."

"Severus, imagine if you will that you were a healer at St. Mungo's with twenty patients on your ward. Three of them were quite seriously ill while the others were nearly better. How would you split up your time between each patient?"

Snape frowned suspiciously. "Would I be the only healer on this imaginary ward?"

"Yes, you would be."

"Well then, I suppose the patients who were seriously ill would require most attention, with occasional checks on the others to ensure that their condition did not worsen."

"Yes, that sounds sensible. Now, imagine instead that you were a Potions Professor with twenty students in your class. Three of them were struggling with their work while the others were doing well. How would you split up your time between each student?"

"Is this about Longbottom's boggart?" Snape asked in a chilly tone.

"Indeed not; it could be any class. But do you understand the point that I am making? Those students who are falling behind at Potions and not achieving success should be given more help and encouragement to enable them to improve. I'm afraid that's something that you only do for students of your own House. To everyone else, you are severely critical and demanding. You expect perfection, but it's difficult for a child to excel when they either fear or hate or resent their teacher."

"If you want my resignation then you can have it, Headmaster," he snapped. "I assume you do, since you apparently have such a poor opinion of me."

"On the contrary, Severus, I very much want you to remain at Hogwarts. I am just saying that you could teach to a much higher standard, if you so wished. You are an excellent Head of House but when it comes to teaching, you could be so much more than you are now."

"We have had this discussion before," Snape said with distaste.

"Yes we have, but this time we are at the cliff edge, Severus. And sadly, I now have an unwinnable situation on my hands. You have made it clear on many occasions that you will teach as you think fit and you are unwilling to change your methods. The vast majority of our students have today told us that they see an improvement in teaching standards - which would include your own - as an important priority. Minerva has followed that up by stating that unless you are willing to be part of this change, she will step down as Head of Gryffindor and Deputy Headmistress. The Board of Governors is likely to react very badly to that; they will not approve of retaining you as a Head of House while losing her. I am also fairly certain that they will strongly back the Teaching Charter – indeed, some of them have done so already. There have been several complaints made about you to the Board in the past, as you know. And therefore, I think it's quite likely that when I meet with them on Tuesday and I tell the Governors that you're against the Charter, that they will demand that I either replace you or be replaced myself."

"Surely things haven't gone that far?" Snape said in a dazed voice.

"I'm afraid they have. As you know, when we are looking for a new Board member, we prefer to choose someone with a child or other relative who is attending the school. The Board are therefore very well informed as to your teaching peculiarities, shall we say, and they heartily disapprove of them. In the past I have been able to drive off attempts to force me to take action on this, ironically with the assistance of Lucius Malfoy. One of the few things that he and I agreed upon was that you are needed here at Hogwarts. However, since he was removed from the Board you have no particular allies there and defending you is becoming increasingly difficult. The Board members are unaware that you remain here because Harry Potter needs a protector, and because one day Lord Voldemort will rise again and when that happens, I will sadly again need my spy in the Death Eater ranks. Therefore, they see my continued commitment to you as evidence of poor judgement on my part – and nobody wants Hogwarts to be run by a man with poor judgement."

Snape looked haggard. "Then you should let me go."

"Would you really rather leave Hogwarts than adapt to changing times? This is your home, Severus. You belong here."

"I would not succeed at adapting. I might try, but I am too… too frozen to turn into the man you want me to be."

Dumbledore looked at him intently. "Suppose I was to tell you that there is a spell which could help with your adaptation. Would you be interested in learning about it?" Snape didn't reply. "If the answer is no then I will understand, of course."

"What sort of spell?" he said eventually.

"An old, old spell – quite out of fashion nowadays. My grandfather told me about it when I was a boy. He'd used it himself as a young man and always credited it with turning his life around. The name of the spell is Volens Melius, but my grandfather just used to call it The Guide. It can be used where a witch or wizard desires to complete an objective of some kind, but for some reason they don't have the will or ability to do so unaided. My grandfather, for example, used to have a gambling problem; he wanted to stop, but he couldn't manage it before using Volens Melius. This is a spellwhich must be cast willingly and under no form of compulsion, and anyone using it can remove it from themselves at any time."

"I don't understand. What does this spell actually do?"

"Well, if you have a particular objective in mind then it helps you to achieve it. The magic of Volens Melius links to you and helps you reach a calm state where measured decisions can be made. It enables you to perceive facts more objectively and to identify actions which can help you achieve your stated aims. In this case, I suppose, the objective would be for you to change your teaching methods as much as required to keep you here at the school, but at the same time to act a convincing role with the Slytherins so they are deceived into thinking that you have not changed your core views – and therefore when the time calls for it, you would be able to re-join the Death Eaters as a spy. The spell does not control you in any way. Think of it as a source of wisdom which is always with you, but which can be ignored if you deem it best. It is also, as I say, a spell which can be deactivated and then reactivated at will."

"I don't like the sound of it," Snape said suspiciously. "I definitely do not want a voice in my head always telling me what to do."

"It is not a voice - although it does sometimes seem that way, when thoughts which are your own are generated, seemingly out of thin air; this happens because you would have much more of an ability to deeply reason and think things through. No, the guiding element of Volens Melius is more like a feeling – a sensation. The form of it changes for each person who uses the spell. To me it always seemed as if I was sailing on a boat in the middle of the ocean. If the spell thought I was heading in the right direction then the water was smooth, whereas it became choppy or rough if I was taking actions that were against my stated goal."

"Your goal? You have tried this spell yourself then?"

"I have indeed, and it helped me very much. I remembered my grandfather speaking of it when I was a young man myself, and I took a path in life which I became deeply ashamed of. I used it because I wanted to be sure that I did not take the wrong path again. It is because I know this spell from my own personal experience that I think it could be of use to you too. We have things in common, you and I. We both continue to feel great remorse over the terrible mistakes we made when we were young."

"You also? I didn't know…"

"Oh, I understand all too well what living with your own regrets means, Severus. Of course, you may not be interested in using the spell. It would bring considerable change with it, but I think that would be a positive development. Severus, what you do next with your life is up to you, but Lily's child is at Hogwarts and will remain so for several years. If you intend to stay here to protect him, as you have done so far, then I wanted to offer this to you as a source of help and support which you would not otherwise have been aware of."

There was a long silence. Snape appeared to be thinking deeply, frowning with the effort of concentration. Dumbledore looked out at the lake as he waited. He seemed at ease, relaxed – but he was desperately hoping that his Potions Master would at least consider his suggestion. To lose him at such a time, when Voldemort had already attacked Harry Potter twice while at Hogwarts and when the boy was again in danger from one of Voldemort's most dangerous supporters, would be a tremendous blow.

"Do you have any books about this spell?" Snape asked eventually. "I would like to learn more about it before making any kind of decision."

Dumbledore didn't show it, but inside he felt a massive wave of relief. "Why yes, I have a number of reference books that describe the spell in detail. I will find them and have one of the house elves deliver them to you tomorrow."

"Tonight, if you please."

"Very well." He smiled warmly at Snape then. "Thank you for saying that you will consider this. Perhaps for now we might put it right out of our minds for a time. I suggest that we go to your quarters for an hour or two. We can drink a little wine, talk of light-hearted topics and be companionable together. You could tell me all about the latest developments in potions research, or about your plans for next summer holidays. We might play a little chess, if you are in the mood for it, or cards perhaps. It has been some considerable time since we last had a game of bezique."

"In other words, you are wishing to make a fuss of me," Snape said. The tone was gruff, but Albus heard a touch of humour buried deep within it which pleased him.

"Well, you very rarely permit me to look after you, and all too often you don't take the time to look after yourself. Shall we, then?"

Snape nodded with an air of resignation, and the two men walked slowly back to the castle together.

- IIII - IIII - IIII - IIII -

Five hours later, Severus Snape was sitting alone in his living room with eight large books scattered around him. All of them were ancient volumes, written by witches and wizards dead for at least two centuries. All of them contained basically the same information. As Dumbledore had told him, Volens Melius was indeed a very old spell – and in some ways, rather a frightening one.

Of course, he could see why the Headmaster had suggested it. This spell was almost perfect for the job of enabling him to keep his teaching post if the Teaching Charter was implemented. But the thought of it… this was a spell of pure transformation, and Severus knew that if he used it for any length of time that he might not be able to return to the way he was now. And possibly, he would not even want to.

He sighed to himself, knowing what had to be done. The hour was late and he wanted to sleep, but in the morning the Headmaster would be seeking some kind of update from him, and at the moment he had no idea what his thoughts on the matter were. He needed impartial advice and there was only one person who could be trusted to give it. From a small writing desk in the corner of the room, he took out a carved piece of jade and stroked it gently until it glowed. Activating the jade's magic would send warning to the man he was visiting, and it would also be detected by the Bloody Baron, who would monitor him from a discreet distance until he returned to his quarters. It was a sensible safety precaution, since otherwise if he had an accident or fell ill while in the part of the castle which he was about to visit then he might not be found for quite some time.

Severus left his quarters and walked upstairs, one of the books tucked under his arm. He kept striding upwards, floor after floor until he reached the level immediately below the attics. Moving through the silent corridors, slipping past the dark and empty rooms, he felt a certain feeling of relief at the thought that at least the man he was going to meet would tell him the unvarnished truth. There would be no hidden agenda, no twisting of words, no subterfuge between them. Dumbledore knew his darkest secrets and was certainly a confidant but as always, the Headmaster's focus was on wars both past and future. If preparing for that future war meant pushing his Potions master into casting a highly invasive spell on himself then Dumbledore was hardly likely to baulk at the idea.

At the end of a long, winding passage, Severus came to a large portrait of a unicorn standing by an apple tree. He laid his hands on two small runes that were almost invisible within the ornate picture frame and muttered an incantation. With a low rumbling sound, the picture moved to one side revealing a small door. Once through it, he could faintly hear the picture moving back into place. Candles and sconces lit automatically as he walked into circular hallway. This was a Hogwarts tower, one of many, but it was hidden and unknown to the rest of the school. The Slytherins were so associated with the dungeons that perhaps nobody would ever guess at the existence of the Slytherin Tower. As far as Severus was aware, nobody outside of his own House had ever entered it. The tower was protected by powerful magic which it was the duty of every Head of Slytherin to reinforce and enhance. As well as maintaining its invisibility, this included spells which ensured that any person or creature flying in the air around Hogwarts would go round the tower instead of slamming into it.

Swiftly, he moved up the stairs to one of the top rooms. It was sparsely furnished, containing only an armchair by the fire (which in the colder weather was always lit when he arrived) and a huge painting on the wall opposite. This depicted a richly decorated room with a view of a beautiful meadow beyond, but Severus only had eyes for the man in the centre of the painting, who was leaning against a pillar and regarding him with grim amusement.

"Good evening, Severus," Salazar Slytherin said. "Do tell me, exactly what trouble have you got yourself into this time?"

- IIII - IIII - IIII - IIII -

As was his custom, Severus bowed respectfully to the figure in the portrait before sitting down in the armchair. He knew Slytherin well now, after many years of regular visits to his room. Of all the castle's inhabitants, only he and the Baron were aware of the portrait's presence in Hogwarts. It had been painted a couple of years after Salazar Slytherin had quit the school and secretly smuggled into Hogwarts by some of his trusted friends to act as an advisor to the future Heads of Slytherin House. Unlike every other portrait within the castle, this one was not under the Headmaster's control. Slytherin was able to visit most areas of the school unobserved if he liked, using the invisibility cloak which had cleverly been painted within his portrait. He also sometimes went to see many of the other portraits openly, although in disguise, calling himself John Trescoe and claiming to be a wandering minstrel. Only a few of the trusted Slytherin portraits knew his true identity.

"Things are a little tricky at the present, I have to admit, Master Slytherin."

"Salazar," the other man said. This was their ritual – Severus preferred to be invited to use Slytherin's first name.

"As you say. I had better tell you the whole story." He explained the quarrel with Minerva and her demands that he revise his teaching style, admitting that he had basically ignored her. It did no good to lie or evade when speaking to Slytherin; he knew from experience that the man absolutely couldn't be fooled. Then he talked about the Gryffindor protest, the proposed Teaching Charter, the reaction of the school as a whole, the feelings of the Slytherin students, the staff meeting and the discussion at the lake. Slytherin listened closely, saying nothing for now, letting Severus talk it through to the end.

"I need your advice, Salazar. This spell… it would do the trick, I suppose, but I am deeply nervous of it. Should there not be another way? And if not, should I leave here? What would you do, if you were in my place?"

"Not have allowed myself to be backed into a corner," Slytherin said drily. "Failing to make use of that month Professor McGonagall gave you to resolve the situation privately was a grave tactical error, Severus."

"I know," he admitted, shamefaced. "I took it for granted that the problem would just… go away."

"Well, you understand your mistake there, so I see no point in dwelling on the past. Let us consider the present. Will you wait here for a few minutes? I would like to check on something." Snape nodded, and warmed his hands by the fire until Slytherin returned. "So, it seems that Dumbledore was not lying to you about the Board of Governors and their views. From what Phineas Nigellus tells me, there was an extremely heated argument about getting rid of you at the end of August Governors' meeting. In fact, it was a complete shouting match. Dumbledore barely managed to repel their proposal to dismiss you immediately, and in the end, it was only him pointing out that there was no time to advertise for a new Potions master before the start of term that brought the discussions to a close."

"I didn't know that," Snape said in surprise. "And why did Phineas Nigellus not mention this to either of us before?"

"It seems that having witnessed various similar discussions in the past, he took the same view as you and dismissed it as unimportant."

"So I am not the only one to have been taken by surprise at this," Snape said thoughtfully. "Indeed, the Headmaster himself didn't foresee it; he told me as much."

"Events sometimes move more quickly than we are able to anticipate," Slytherin admitted. "This is such a time. Lucius Malfoy's departure from the Board last school year has, I believe, acted as the tipping point. Phineas Nigellus also advised me that several of the Governors live in Hogsmeade, and so they received the Headmaster's notification of today's events quickly. They have already started to make their views known to him… which is not good for us. But tell me, what do you make of Minister Fudge's wish to meet with Dumbledore?"

Snape looked thoughtful. "Well, clearly he is more interested the Teaching Charter than we might have expected. I think the Headmaster only told Fudge so that he wouldn't be surprised if he read about it in the Prophet. What I'm not sure about is whether he'd be for or against it. He's influenced by Lucius Malfoy, who would obviously oppose it, but I wouldn't have thought there'd have been enough time for Lucius to hear about today's events and get in touch with the Minister before he then contacted Dumbledore."

Slytherin nodded. "In which case, more likely he's in favour of a measure that is likely to be a big hit. Either way, he'll be of no help to you. Even if he hates the idea, he can't stop it."

"True," Severus agreed. "So perhaps we should not worry about him?"

"No, but be sure that he doesn't at any point come to think you're in his way because that, we cannot afford. Now, tell me more of this spell that Dumbledore suggested to you, for it is not one that I know of."

Snape nodded and opened the book. "It seems that Volens Melius was invented in the thirteenth century by a Flemish witch whose adult son was excessively fond of alcohol. He would speak sincerely many times of changing his ways and staying sober, but before too long, he slipped back into bad habits. As a result, his health was not good and she feared for his future; and so, she created this spell to help him. It worked so well that the son chose never to drink alcohol again. He sang its praises far and wide, and for a couple of centuries the spell seems to have been regularly used in all sorts of situations, before gradually falling out of favour over time."

"Can it be used for anything dark?" Slytherin asked with a sly grin.

Snape smiled. "Apparently not. There was never a law against doing so, but according to the records the magic only works if it's applied to an honourable purpose."

"Shame. Well, how does Volens Melius affect the person who it is applied to?"

Snape consulted the book again. "It seems to separate their thought processes from strong emotions, especially those which could cause them to fail at the aim which they want to achieve. It causes immensely high clarity of mental reasoning. This chapter here speaks of thoughts arriving in a wizard's mind which seem to be from an external source, but are actually generated by the wizard themselves once the spell activates. There also seems to be a support mechanism, in terms of emotional control and magical guidance in taking the right actions, which varies in shape for each person. Dumbledore spoke of this to me."

"He also told you that Volens Melius can beremoved and reapplied at will. Is that correct?"

"Yes. The initial application requires specialised magic, for which I'd need Dumbledore's assistance, but after that I could take the spell off and then recast it either temporarily or permanently whenever I wished. However, all of the books I have read warn that the sudden contrast between how the mind is organised when Volens Melius is activated and when it isn't may seem highly unsettling, especially in the first few weeks of use when the disparity between the two mental states is greatest. I think that is what scares me most of all, Salazar – the fact that this spell involves a mental alteration. So much of my life is outside my control, but my mind at least is my own."

"And it still would be, although I do not underestimate the significance of that spell in reshaping it."

"I find the thought of making such deep changes to myself in order to comply with a set of rules dreamed up by Gryffindor students, of all people, to be appalling," he said angrily.

"And yet, those rules that you speak of are – to be frank – entirely fair. There is nothing in them that could really harm Slytherin House. You, however, are a different matter. So tell me Severus, could you comply with the Teaching Charter without using Dumbledore's spell?"

Snape stared at him for a long moment, then shook his head. "In all honesty, probably not."

"I concur," Slytherin said. "You have many virtues, Severus, but your prejudices, your history and the strong emotions that swirl forever within you – they hold you back. They always have."

"If you think that then help me, Salazar. I cannot see my way clear; I need your guidance."

"Well then, let us return to this spell. If I understand you correctly, the basic purpose of Volens Melius is to assist a witch or wizard who genuinely wishes to change in some way?"

"Yes."

"Which you do not?"

"No. Yes. I… I don't know what I want," Snape said, frowning deeply. "I wish to prevent Minerva from stepping down as Head of Gryffindor and Deputy Headmistress, I know that. After all, she did try and meet me half way on this. I'd also like the whole Teaching Charter concept to be forgotten about. Everything else is confusion."

Salazar grinned. "Change is hard; I know it. When I was first brought to this castle, the students spoke a language that nobody here now would recognise and acted in a way that would seem almost savage by today's standards. As each year passed, I saw changes in the ways that the students and staff spoke and behaved and thought. The only way for me to fulfil my purpose as a guide to the Heads of Slytherin House was to change with them. If I had not evolved then I would be of no use to anyone, not least because you and I would not even understand each other!"

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying that I should be able to make this change on my own, because you have already done so?"

"Not necessarily. You see, the difference is time. I adapted slowly over a millennium, to keep pace with gradual shifts through the generations in language and customs and attitudes. You do not have that luxury. We must assume that the Teaching Charter will be adopted very soon. Any changes that you make will have to be swift."

"A part of me just wants to go and pack my bags right now and walk out."

"Yes, but then where would you go? Your purpose is here, is it not?

"I could move abroad – make a new life for myself. I regularly see job advertisements for Potions staff in research departments, within foreign ministries for example. I am well qualified for such posts."

Slytherin looked at him dubiously. "If you were ever going to do that, it would have happened already. Dreams of happier times elsewhere can give us temporary comfort but I suspect that they are merely an illusion. Unless, that is, you wish to turn into a selfish person who is only interested in gratifying his own needs. I wouldn't think that's your style though, Severus."

The unexpected compliment warmed him. "What is my style, then?"

"Endurance. Sticking to the path which you have chosen for yourself, however hard it proves to be."

Severus grimaced, but did not deny it. "In that case, tell me - what must I do?"

"Decide exactly how far you are willing to go in order to defend Hogwarts, protect the Slytherins, prepare for war and assist Lily Potter's child. And knowing you, my old friend, you will not stop at half measures."

- IIII - IIII - IIII - IIII -

A/N: Volens Melius is a spell of my own invention. Although I have read and enjoyed many stories where Snape changes his ways on his own, and starts to treat Harry better, he's a highly stubborn person in canon, and in this story he's being asked to completely transform himself and act in a totally differently way. I didn't think he could do it without some help. I should mention that Dumbledore in this story had been worried for some time about the prospect of losing Snape, even before the Gryffindor protest. He was therefore prepared and ready with a helpful suggestion when the time came!