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.)

13. In the driving seat

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

A/N: Hello all. Wow, I've had quite a few comments since posting the last chapter. Thanks very much to all of you!

Hi Eagleclaw2 - I realised when I wrote in the Volens Melius spell that not everyone would like it. However, the intention is not to let make life super-easy for Snape. If anything, it's the opposite; it will guide him towards recognising his own mistakes. (The way I see it, it's the hate he feels which enables him to self-justify bullying Gryffindors when he knows from his own experiences how painful it is to be bullied. Therefore, dropping the hate levels will lead him to realise how bad he's been acting). This is a spell of unexpected consequences, both for him and for Dumbledore.

- IIII - IIII - IIII - IIII -

Chapter 13: In the driving seat

When the aim of any project is controversial, or in some way causes dissent or concern, other people's opinions may influence how it is generally perceived. It will be important to come to terms with any issues arising from this promptly.

It was a very long night for Severus Snape. After leaving the Slytherin Tower, he returned to his quarters and tried to work out what to do next. Accepting that the repulsive Teaching Charter was almost certainly coming to Hogwarts, he knew that there were only two choices; either he handed in his resignation or he made himself comply. It didn't matter how many times he thought it over, he could see no third option.

Although very tired, Snape didn't bother to try and sleep. He paced his quarters for several hours, desperately looking for a way forward. He felt like an animal trapped in a cage. He thought of Lily, and how deeply he regretted the disintegration of their friendship. That she should die was terrible enough, but her passing had also brought to an end all of his hopes for a reconciliation. Since then, he had never been able to bring her to mind without the familiar rush of guilt and regret.

If he left Hogwarts now, then the task Dumbledore had given him all those years ago of watching over Potter during his school days would be less than half done. He didn't care for the boy but it was a question of duty. Severus had been pushing away all thoughts of Potter over the past few days, but now he was unable to stop himself dwelling on their recent conversation. Potter had apologised for his father's sins. It was tempting to think that he was lying, but Severus, like most of the Hogwarts teachers, was well practiced in distinguishing truths from lies. Potter's apology had felt… sincere. Honest. And that had floored him entirely, though he hadn't wanted to admit it to himself.

Was Potter changing? Maturing? Was he, just possibly, not entirely like his father? Because James Potter had never apologised to him for anything, not once. He certainly would not have set up a study group and personally invited a group of Slytherins to join it, as his son had done this term.

"If you want to think of me as arrogant and fame-loving and a reckless, rule breaking show-off then I can't stop you. But sir, please don't ever think that I'd be a bully. I've been at the receiving end far too often to ever do anything like that."

What had the boy meant by that statement? Was he claiming to be bullied himself? Severus hadn't noticed anything of the kind, and he really couldn't imagine James Potter's boy being preyed upon by others in that way. And even if it were so, then surely Minerva or Albus would have intervened and dealt with the issue. But again, there had been that feeling of sincerity in Potter's words. In the past he had received complaints from various Slytherins about Potter, it was true. About the favouritism they saw him as the recipient of. About him getting extra points here and there. About him being allowed a broomstick in first year. But he had to admit to himself that no Slytherin had ever complained to him about being bullied by Potter. And if Potter wasn't a bully himself then he couldn't be exactly like his awful father. In which case… perhaps in character, he was Lily's boy as well. It was a shocking notion, but he could not dismiss it.

Lily would want him to look after her son, he knew that much.

Severus was exhausted and nearing the end of his patience when a thought crossed his mind, like a distant speck of light appearing in the darkness. Both Dumbledore and Slytherin and spoken of how Volens Melius could be used to help him to achieve his goals – but they had described those goals quite differently. He sat down at his writing desk, pulled a piece of parchment towards him and jotted down some notes.

Uses of Volens Melius – AD

Remain at Hogwarts

Deceive Slytherins as to loyalties

Prepare to be Death Eater spy

Uses of Volens Melius – SS

Defend Hogwarts

Protect Slytherins

Prepare for war

Assist Potter

What if, Severus thought to himself with a growing feeling of interest, he could agree to the spell, but not use it in the way that Dumbledore expected? Severus felt a distaste for the Headmaster's ideas on the matter, other than the basic need to change how he taught in order to stay on at Hogwarts. He noted that the Headmaster had not even made any provision for him helping Potter - although presumably he would want that as well. But Severus didn't like the idea of treating the Slytherin students merely as footnotes to this spell, as people to be duped and lied to. Slytherin's ideas suited him far better; he liked the balance they offered between his various responsibilities, including his Head of House role. The Slytherins would be exceptionally vulnerable when the war came, and though he wouldn't be able to save all of them, Severus wanted to protect as many as he could. He might be getting pushed into this spell, but perhaps – yes, perhaps he could secretly fashion it according to his own preferences. The Headmaster wouldn't even know, as when Volens Melius was first cast he would be required to mentally imagine his desired objective, and not to speak the words out loud

Severus felt exhausted, but finally accepting of what needed to be done. He would make this work, he promised himself. He glanced at the clock. It was nearly morning; time for a new day to start.

- IIII - IIII - IIII - IIII -

"GET AWAY FROM HIM! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Harry was jerked awake, instinctively reaching for his wand before he'd even opened his eyes properly and could find out what was happening. When he did so, two things became obvious – that it was Ron who was shouting, and Fred and George who he was shouting at. This was probably something to do with the fact that the twins were currently sitting on either side of Harry's bed.

"Impressive reflexes there, Harry," Fred commented. "No need for hostilities though, it's only us."

Harry lowered his wand slowly. "What's going on? What time is it?"

"Just before six," Ron said. "I woke up and saw them." He gestured to his brothers. "They were just sitting there and staring at you! Proper creepy, I thought."

"You two shouldn't be here," Seamus said to the twins. Like everyone else in their dorm, he'd been startled awake by Ron's yelling. "And after yesterday's early start, I'm not impressed by this."

"Sorry, one and all," Fred said. "We're not here to cause any harm, despite what our little brother might think. We just happened to stop by, that's all."

"A chance visit," George agreed. "Nothing more to it. We'd have been gone by now if Ron hadn't seen us and started flapping unnecessarily. Mind you, all that early morning shouting did make me feel like I was back at home for a minute."

Harry glared at them. "Well personally, I'm glad Ron woke us all up. Nobody just comes and sits on someone's bed while they're asleep - Ron's right, that is creepy. Did you do anything to my stuff? Or to me?"

Fred placed a hand on his heart and looked saddened. "Your untoward suspicions wound me, Harry."

"I think he's got every right to be suspicious," Dean said knowingly.

"Too right," Ron said, and Neville and Seamus nodded.

"We're getting heckled by the audience, Fred."

"I blame the parents, George. Though not Mum, of course - she'd never let me hear the end of it."

"Don't you DARE!" Harry yelled, making them both stare at him in surprise. "I am in no mood for your usual double act right now. You're out of line, and I think you both know it. Now you'd better tell me why you're really here, and if I don't get a good enough explanation then I'm going to find Percy and get him to deal with you."

"Oh, you mean your new big brother?" Fred said with a grimace. "Yeah Harry, we know all about that. Ron told Ginny and she told us. We were wondering what Percy meant yesterday when he said you were one of us now, so we asked some searching questions."

"So what?" Harry said. "It's not a secret. And it's just an honorary thing anyway. Don't dodge the issue, tell me why you're here."

Fred and George glanced around the dorm, and at the listening boys. "We didn't do anything to you, or your things," Fred said. "We were just thinking about waking you up for a little chat."

"Well go on then," Harry insisted. "Have your little chat. I'm really very wide awake now, as is everyone else in the room, thanks to you."

"Alright," George said. "We wanted to know if this new arrangement you've got with Percy also covers any other members of the Weasley family. Namely, us. Are we your brothers too now?"

Harry stared at them. "You're joking, right? This is your twisted idea of a joke, is it?"

"It's a serious question," Fred said, looking self-conscious but determined. "So, what's the answer?"

He looked at them, trying to work out what was really going on. "We're just honorary brothers. It's only pretend, you know? I'm not really Percy's brother."

"We're good at pretending," George said. "We can pretend with the best of them."

Ron was studying the twins carefully. "They're not joking, Harry. I think they really want to know if they can be your brothers."

"We do," they said simultaneously.

Harry sighed. Perhaps he should have felt flattered that two more Weasleys wanted to sign up for his imaginary family, but it just seemed like a really tiresome thing to have to deal with at far-too-early o'clock. "Maybe we should go somewhere private and talk about this."

"Hardly seems any point now that we're this far into the conversation," Fred said. "Is it a yes, then? Because we've each only got the five brothers and we feel severely deprived of siblings."

"Thanks for the offer," Harry said levelly, "but I'll have to decline."

The twins seemed surprised at this. "You're saying no to our generous proposal?" George asked.

"Yeah, that's what declining usually means," Ron said cheerfully.

"I'm saying no," Harry confirmed. "I'm happy to have you both as friends but I don't think having you as brothers as well is a good idea."

"Why not?" Fred asked. "We'd make much better brothers than Percy. I know he did well with the protest yesterday, but he's duller than Professor Binns most of the time."

"I don't think he is," Harry said, feeling close to losing his temper. "Look, thanks again for the offer but I'd rather not. Now as we're all awake and I suppose it's time to get up, maybe you could leave so that we can get ready?"

"Not until you explain why you're rejecting us" Fred said. "Our little hearts are all aching now. I think we have a right to know why the answer's no."

"Do you?" Harry snapped. "You really want to know why? Because I can tell you right now, you won't like it."

"Probably best you tell us, Harry. Then we can clear away any unfortunate misunderstandings you might have about us. People often misunderstand us, much to our disadvantage," George said.

"And then you can add us to your collection of pretend brothers, which will make you much better off," Fred added. "Your life will be a lot more fun that way. George and me, we're the very definition of entertaining. I for one find it a bit offensive that you wouldn't jump at the chance of being our brothers."

"Me too, Fred. Well, maybe he's feeling sorry now for his poor decision-making and he's going to tell us that we were right all along, agreed Harry?"

Harry decided he'd had enough. "Fine, you want to know the reason behind my decision on this? Then here it is. I've seen enough of the way that you treat Ron to know that you're the very last people who I'd choose as my brothers. Percy has been generous and kind towards me. He's helped with the quest and he volunteered to lead the protest, even though he had little to gain and everything to lose from it. He was even willing to give up being Head Boy for me! That wasn't only brave, it was really unselfish as well. But you two – your idea of being a brother to Ron is mocking him and playing practical jokes on him all the time. The day that the Danger Club news broke, you chose to sit back and enjoy watching Ron come under fire from most of the school, when instead you could have helped him. When have you ever, even once, done something half as unselfish for Ron as Percy did for me? You don't need a new brother; you need to treat the one you already have better."

Fred and George listened to him with increasingly grim and flushed faces until he'd finished speaking. Then without a word, they both turned and left the room.

"Oh, that was fierce!" Seamus said excitedly. "Harry, you really tore into the pair of them!"

"It was worth being woken up to see it!" Dean agreed. Neville didn't say anything, but he obviously had the same opinion.

"They deserved it," Harry said shortly.

"Are you okay, Harry?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Ron – how about you?"

Ron nodded, and grinned at him. "I'm good. Thanks for what you said. I mean, really – thanks."

"You're welcome. I tell you what though, we'd better talk to Hermione about this. I don't want them getting in here again, at least not without us being warned. Maybe she can tell us some spells we can cast to make it harder for them to sneak in."

"Good idea," Ron said. "Listen guys, can you all keep this to yourselves? I'd rather it not be talked about all round the school. I'm sure Fred and George won't say anything."

"No problem," Neville said, and Dean and Seamus nodded their agreement.

- IIII - IIII - IIII - IIII -

Harry and Ron told Hermione the whole tale over breakfast. Fred and George weren't around so they were able to speak freely. Since he'd now calmed down, Harry was feeling a bit regretful about having been so very frank with the twins.

"Maybe I should have insisted on a private conversation," he said. "Or maybe I should have found a more tactful way of turning them down. I suppose it was nice of them to offer to be my brothers."

"Well, that partly depends on their motive for offering," Hermione said. "Did they do it because they wanted to, or because they wanted to take away something of Percy's? If I know those two, they probably think they're better than Percy - and they don't like that you might think differently."

"They were the ones who kept pushing it," Ron pointed out, "and you did warn them. I agree with Hermione. Don't worry about them."

"The thing is though Ron, I still haven't got over what George said, about me not knowing anything about what families are like. I feel a bit angry about that sometimes. And then they come in and start acting like they know what's best for me… it was a bit much."

Ron nodded knowingly. "George did apologise to you about that, but I've heard him say it like that before – you know, just mouthing the words to make a bad situation go away. Both of them do it all the time when Mum gets going. I reckon you'd have forgiven him if you thought he really was sorry."

"Maybe. Anyway, I guess it's done now."

"Perhaps you should think about more immediate concerns," Hermione said. "Namely, we have Potions first thing this morning with the Slytherins… and Professor Snape."

Ron and Harry both pulled a face at this. They'd been successful at avoiding Snape the previous afternoon and evening, but now there was no choice but to see him up close. The Slytherins, as well. They'd been quiet yesterday evening at dinner, with no visible signs of the raging disorder that Blaise had referred to; it had made Harry wonder what was going on below the apparently calm surface.

"I don't think we should say anything about the Charter when we see the Slytherins," Harry said. "I mean, let's not gloat or anything. I don't want to make any trouble for Blaise and Theo, for one thing."

"I knew you were going to say that," Ron said mournfully. "All this being friendly with Slytherins, it'll come back to bite you one day, Harry. Well, when they've lulled you into a false sense of security and you lower your guard and then end up kidnapped and subjected to some terrible dark magic ritual, don't come crying to me!"

"If that happens, I promise to humbly apologise for not taking you seriously," Harry said with a grin. "I'll send you a really regretful letter from my hospital bed to say so."

Ron smirked. "Since you're so pally with the snakes now, I'll leave you to deal with Malfoy if he kicks off today. You can do that nicey-nicey thing that he hates so much. I do like watching that."

"It'll be a pleasure," Harry grinned. "I know exactly what I'll say to him. Oh, and Hermione, we were wondering – do you know any spells that could stop the twins coming into our dorm? Or some kind of warning spell, so we'll know if they try?"

"Well yes, possibly," she said with interest. "I'll need to do some research. You'd want a spell that isn't too restrictive, so that it still allows access in case they ever had a genuine reason to be there. Now that the quest is nearly over, I should have a little more time to visit the library." Harry and Ron glanced at each other in dismay. "What?" Hermione asked.

"Well, it's a bit sad to think that the quest might finish soon." Harry said. "I'm not ready to let go of it just yet."

"And I've only just started it!" Ron added.

She smiled at them. "You'll just have to look for another quest; that's what my father does with his Almost Impossible challenges. His current marathon-running one is his sixteenth, I believe. Maybe this time, choose one that you can work on right from the start together."

Harry frowned. "Maybe, but it'd be hard to come up with something as good as this one. And I wouldn't want to - not right away. It would be like if Crookshanks died, and you went out and bought another cat half an hour later."

Ron laughed at this, while Hermione looked surprised. "Well that's a funny way of putting it Harry, but I see your point – it's too soon."

"Yeah, leave it a couple of hours at least," Ron said with a smirk. "Mind you, Mum always says you shouldn't count your chickens, and all that."

"Meaning that the quest isn't over until the Charter is approved? Yes, I suppose so," Hermione said. "I do wonder what actual changes it will bring with it. I'm very excited by the prospect of improved teaching standards across the board."

"I'm very excited about seeing the Slytherins' faces when Snape has to be polite to us in Potions class," Ron said gleefully. "And speaking of Potions, I guess we should be heading there now."

They arrived at the Potions classroom with five minutes to spare. Most of the other Slytherins and Gryffindors were already in the corridor next to the closed door, standing well apart and glaring at each other. Malfoy sneered horribly at them and stalked over.

"I suppose you Gryffindors think you're clever, coming up with that ludicrous Charter," he said. "Well, don't think it's going to be accepted; I'm sure my father will have a good deal of influence on that score. I've already written to him and brought the matter to his attention. You wait and see, that Charter will be scrapped before you know it!"

Harry put on a well-faked expression of surprise and distress. "Malfoy, am I to understand from what you've just said that you don't like the Charter? Surely not! After all, it offers as much protection to Slytherins as it does to the other three Houses."

"Really?" Malfoy snarled. "We know what your little game is, Potter, don't try and fool us."

Harry sighed. "I can see that you're upset, Malfoy. And I hope you'll forgive me if I've been tactless. I had no idea you were so fond of History of Magic classes."

Malfoy stared at him. "What are you talking about, Potter?"

He leaned towards Malfoy and lowered his voice a fraction, although all of the listening students could still hear him. "Well, just between us – if the Charter does go ahead, we think Professor Binns is going to have to make considerable changes to his lessons. That doesn't upset you, I hope? I would have thought that even Slytherins found his lessons boring, but we live and learn. Oh wait, is he an ancestor of yours or something? If so, please accept my profound apologies – I certainly wouldn't want to insult the House of Malfoy!"

"Of course he's not an ancestor!" Malfoy snapped. "And it's not just History classes that would be affected by this charter, as you know very well. This whole thing is a personal attack on—"

"On who?" Harry said, as Malfoy stopped talking abruptly. "Oh, are you thinking about Professor Trelawney? Yes, I see what you mean. I didn't know that Divination is a class that you're fond of too. I expect there won't be too many changes needed there, so don't worry. Just a bit less of all that 'You're going to die horribly before next Tuesday!' stuff that Trelawney always comes out with, that's all. How's your Inner Eye doing these days, then? Perhaps you need to work on it more. Didn't you see all of this before it happened in your tea leaves?"

Malfoy was red with annoyance "You'll pay for this Charter business, Potter – all of you will!"

Harry sighed. "You know Malfoy, it distresses me to see you so angry with us Gryffindors. And we put so much effort into developing new teaching standards to make everything fair and just across the four Houses. We were thinking about you Slytherins too, you know. We wanted to help you. Is that so wrong? Perhaps you ought to try and see the bright side. I think this could be the dawn of a new age of co-operation and mutual respect between Gryffindor and Slytherin Houses. Don't you think that sounds like a really good idea?"

Malfoy stared at him, baffled and still angry, but was saved by the necessity of answering when Professor Snape opened the door and told them curtly to come in. As Malfoy walked away, Harry caught Blaise's eye and gave him a quick wink. Blaise smiled discreetly in response.

"Nicely done," Ron whispered with a grin as they walked to their bench.

As everyone took their places, there was a clear tension in the room. The third-year Gryffindors were very conscious of the fact that theirs was the first class taught by Snape since yesterday lunchtime, when they had all stood up and called for improved teaching standards – and while no names had been mentioned, Snape had to know that they had him in mind. As a result, they very much expected the worst. They'd all experienced Potions lessons when Snape was in a vile temper – those immediately after the boggart incident, for example – and going back to that again made everyone worried. However, for whatever reason it really wasn't too bad. Snape was as intimidating as usual, and he monitored their work with his normal sharp scrutiny. His snide, sarcastic air was less prominent than usual though, and he didn't pick on any of the Gryffindors in particular. Harry noticed that the Slytherins seemed a little uneasy; he suspected they were also unsure of what the situation was, and perhaps they were wondering what to expect from now on in Snape's lessons. Harry allowed himself to relax a little and focus on his work. Whatever was going on with Snape, he thought that the signs were hopeful. Perhaps there were grounds for feeling cautiously optimistic.

- IIII - IIII - IIII - IIII -

After dinner that evening, Blaise returned to his dorm to drop off his school books and pick up some homework. He spent some time chatting with Theo as he gathered together the things he needed for that evening's third-year study group.

"Are you sure you don't want me to come to give you moral support?" Theo asked. "I wouldn't mind. I know study group is normally fine, but the whole evening will probably focus on the Gryffindor protest and they might have a go at you about it."

Blaise grinned. "They might try, but I can look after myself. I can always leave early if necessary; Harry wouldn't have a problem with that. He messaged me earlier to say I didn't have to show up at all if I wanted to, but we do have a deal and I always keep my promises as you know, so I assured him I'd be there. I'd rather not take anyone else with me this week at least, though; the others might think it surprising if we provide more than the minimum number of people, given the current circumstances."

"Well, don't forget to be back by 9pm for the all-House meeting. By the way, what have you told Harry about how things are around here?"

"Not much," Blaise said, putting his homework in his bag. "I can't really say anything. You know, Theo, I really hope the other Slytherins get used to the idea of a Teaching Charter soon - because I'm pretty certain that one of the reasons that Professor Snape wants to see us tonight is to tell us it's coming in."

Theo glanced across at him, reading his expression easily. "You feel guilty, because you knew about all of it in advance and couldn't say anything."

Blaise sighed. "A little. And I don't like feeling guilty about things; it's not my normal mindset."

"I'm well aware," Theo said drily. "Do you wish that Harry hadn't warned you?"

"No, I think I'm glad I knew. It's just… have I done the right thing, helping him this term?"

Theo leaned back in his armchair and smiled. "Of course you have. You did it because you wanted to improve your Herbology grades and protect Professor Snape. Both of those things seem to be working out just fine. I know the others are taking this hard, but they'll come around. After all, nobody here was ever going to support a Gryffindor-led plan! They think it's an attack on us dressed up as a genuine improvement. Only you and I know that it really is meant to be a genuine improvement."

Blaise nodded. "True. The Charter itself is, to be honest, perfectly reasonable. There would be no grounds to be worried about it, if it wasn't for the fact that…"

Theo grinned. "Go on, finish the sentence, I dare you."

"If it wasn't for the fact that Professor Snape doesn't meet most of its provisions," Blaise said ruefully. "And although the Gryffindors cleverly didn't name names, everyone knows that Professor Snape was one of their prime targets. It's so annoying that the Charter has nothing in it about Head of House responsibilities specifically. Professor Snape really could have shone there, a lot more than McGonagall! From what Harry's told me, it's obvious that she's an adequate Head of Gryffindor, but nothing exceptional. I know she's backed him up with his plans for reform, but I do wonder if she'd have done the same if a different student was involved - someone who wasn't the Boy Who Lived."

"What does Harry think of her?"

"He's grateful for her help with the quest, and he respects her, I think. That's as far as it goes. I don't think she ever spends time with the Gryffindors socially or anything. And yet, it's our Head of House who might be in trouble as a result of this."

"Slytherins are pragmatic," Theo said thoughtfully. "We adjust to suit changing circumstances. Professor Snape will find his way forward, I expect."

"But Theo… what if he doesn't? You know that people are saying he might resign. Bletchley and Pucey are claiming this could well be his last term. I did this to help him, not to drive him away from the school!"

Theo shook his head. "He won't leave. Trust me on this, Blaise, okay?"

He sighed. "Okay. You could be right. I hope you are. I had to do something though; when Harry first told me about his plan to improve Potions lessons, I knew I had to. Theo, we could work hard our whole lives and still not accumulate a quarter of the fame and influence that Harry already has in his hands! I don't think he even realises the power that gives him. Up to now, he's certainly never made use of any of it – but that could quickly change, now that he's become motivated to improve school standards. The Minister would listen to him. The Prophet would publish anything he asked them to. Public opinion would be swayed if he spoke out against Professor Snape, possibly enough to cost him his job - and maybe even enough to prevent him from finding another one. I was afraid of all of that happening, Theo."

"You did the right thing," Theo assured him. "And I hope you believe me, because we both know you'll never be able to tell anyone else about this…"

Blaise grinned. "It's just as well I plan to stay as your friend, Theo. If we fell out then you've got enough damaging information on me to destroy my reputation and standing in Slytherin House about fifteen times over!"

"Ah, the power!" Theo said with a smile. "Anyway, think of this – that well known and influential Gryffindor, with all the desirable qualities that you just mentioned, is now your friend. Now that wasn't something you planned when this all started but as side benefits go, it's pretty useful."

Blaise smiled, but he was still somewhat preoccupied. "Do you remember the end of our first year, when the Headmaster took our House Cup victory away from us at the last minute by giving all of those points to Harry and his friends?"

"Of course - that's not something I'll forget in a hurry. Why do you mention it?"

"It was like we were all one gigantic storm, after we went back to the common room that evening," he replied thoughtfully. "We raged and we howled and we yelled, all of us. I did too; I was part of the storm, part of the whole. And there hasn't been an occasion like that again – until last Sunday afternoon, when everyone completely lost it about the Charter. But on Sunday I had to pretend to be within the storm, to put on a face of surprise and anger and resentment which I didn't truly feel. That was… uncomfortable."

Theo nodded understandingly. "In first year, it was a simple them and us situation. Now a 'them' is your friend. That's bound to make life more challenging. I feel the same myself; I don't know Harry as well as you, but I like what I've seen so far."

"You're right," Blaise agreed. "Perhaps that's the problem. The thing is, I've given Harry a lot of advice over the last few weeks. I've tried to teach him how to see things in a different way. What I didn't expect was that I'd see things in a different way too, as a result of becoming his friend."

Theo looked at him curiously. "You're reassessing your opinions? About what, exactly?"

Blaise sighed. "I… look, what do we Slytherins always say when the subject of how Professor Snape treats the Gryffindors comes up?"

"That they're meant to be the brave ones, but if they don't have the courage to stand up to Professor Snape or do something about the way he acts towards them, then they deserve to be poorly treated," Theo replied. "Though of course, I suppose we can't say that any more, can we? Because now, they have stood up to him."

"Exactly! But Theo, should they really have needed to in the first place? Professor Snape looks after us, and as the Head of Slytherin I don't think he could do any better. But he's everyone's Potions teacher as well. I just don't like it nowadays when I see him have a go at Harry, or Neville for that matter. I can't dismiss it any more. I feel bad for them. I suppose for the first time I can really see the Gryffindor point of view, with regard to Professor Snape's teaching practices at least."

Theo looked thoughtful. "I don't think you should worry too much over events which are outside your control. Tell me this; who is the one person who could have made Professor Snape change his ways years ago, if he'd wanted to?"

"Dumbledore," Blaise said immediately.

"Exactly. Why should you go through agonies of guilt over what Professor Snape does or doesn't do to the Gryffs, when his boss, the man who makes all the decisions in this place, has always let him get away with it? Dumbledore's the one who ought to feel bad, not you!"

"Are you telling me that I can officially feel better?" Blaise said with a smile.

"I'm telling you that if you believe that Harry and his friends were in the right, which I admit is a reasonable opinion to have, then why feel bad for helping them? Professor Snape has terrorised Gryffindors mercilessly for a long time now – but all good things come to an end, as they say."

Blaise laughed. He did feel better for talking with his friend. "You make a good point. I'd better go, Theo. It's nearly 6.30."

"Okay. I'll finish off my Astronomy paper while you're away."

As they both returned to the common room, Malfoy came over. "Zabini, are you going to that stupid study group tonight?"

He put on a discontented expression. "Sadly, yes. As you know, I have a contract with Potter. Why do you ask?"

"If they say anything important – you know, about that rubbishy Charter – make sure you let me know immediately," Malfoy said insistently. "I wrote to my Father yesterday afternoon and heard back from him this morning. He said that he's been trying to get it quashed, but apparently the Board of Governors won't listen to him and Fudge isn't being as helpful as he should be on the matter."

"I'll update you as soon as possible after I return," Blaise said.

"Good," Malfoy replied, and went back to sit by Crabbe and Goyle.

"One day, we'll do something for him and he'll actually thank us," Theo murmured softly.

Blaise grinned. "He's a Malfoy; their idea of thanking someone is not attempting to curse them and steal all their gold. See you later."

Blaise felt more cheerful as he made his way to the study group. The last day and a half had been extremely stressful. He absolutely hadn't expected the storm of negative reactions that the Gryffindors' actions had generated within Slytherin House. Thinking it over, he'd realised that his assessment of the planned protest as not being a matter for major concern came from his discussions with Harry, and his awareness that the Gryffindors' intentions were honourable. The others didn't have that reassurance. This had fallen on them out of a clear sky, and it was no wonder that they felt blindsided. Percy Weasley was probably now the most unpopular Gryffindor around, even topping the terrible Weasley twins who most Slytherins loathed emphatically. Blaise did wonder though what would happen if the rest of his House found out that Harry was the author of the Charter. He hoped fervently that this was one secret which didn't ever see the light of day.

"Hello all," he said as he strolled into the study group meeting room. "Apologies for being a few minutes late, I had to go back to my dorm and pick up some work."

"No problem," Harry said with a friendly grin. "There's a seat next to Hermione."

Blaise sat down, surveying the crowd and considering how likely it was that they'd give him any trouble. It would be alright, he decided. Most of those present were people he'd spoken to before at study group meetings and was on good terms with. Hermione was focused on her books but looked up long enough to give him a quick smile. Seamus, Dean and Neville were together – they said hello, and Neville waved at him happily from the other side of the table. Terry and Anthony gave him a cheerful nod of welcome, and the two Patil twins were deep in discussion with Lavender, Hannah and Susan. The only unknown was Ron Weasley, present for the first time and looking across at him with a certain amount of cautious suspicion. Harry had mentioned that Ron knew about their friendship now and was fine with it (well, that was Harry's opinion – Blaise wanted to develop his own view), and also that Ron had joined in with the quest now. Blaise suspected that in fact Ron had merely decided to tolerate Harry's Slytherin connections because he didn't want to upset his friend by being openly critical. However, Blaise wasn't concerned, even if that was so; he had full confidence in his own powers of charm and persuasion. He gave Ron a cheerful smile, which the other boy awkwardly returned.

"Are there any other Slytherins coming tonight?" Dean asked.

"No, not tonight – but they'll be back next week," he said casually. "How are you getting on with Charms homework, Dean? I've been struggling with my essay a bit."

"Oh right, let's compare notes then," Dean said.

It took longer than Blaise had expected before the others tried to draw him out on the subject of the Teaching Charter and the previous day's protest. Nearly twenty minutes passed before Susan raised the subject.

"So, Blaise, if you don't mind me asking; what's your opinion of the Charter? I know most Slytherins aren't in favour but I wasn't sure if you would think differently."

He gave her an easy smile. "Well, there are arguments either way. It's quite a big change."

"I take it you're not prepared to say what you think, then?" Terry asked with a grin. "Mr. Discreet, as always."

He smiled at Terry. "It doesn't matter what I think. I'm not the one who'll decide whether it should be introduced or not."

"It's definitely going to happen," Parvati said. "Did you know that the Professors met last night to discuss it? According to Hagrid, almost all of them were in favour. There was only the one Professor who really didn't like the idea – can you guess who it was?"

"Let's not press Blaise on the subject," Harry said, coming to his rescue. "You know he never tells us any useful Slytherin gossip."

"That's not my function," Blaise declared with an autocratic wave of the hand. "I grace this group with my presence to amuse and enhance your otherwise dull lives." Most of the others grinned at this; over the past few weeks, Blaise had become quite a popular member of the study group.

"What do you do to amuse people, then?" Ron asked. "Do you know any jokes?"

Blaise's eyes sparkled. "I had a very unsuccessful shopping trip over the summer. I went to Diagon Alley to buy an invisibility cloak but I couldn't see any!" The others groaned at this, and he smirked at them unashamedly.

"You really shouldn't encourage him," Harry said with a smile. "He knows jokes that are even more terrible than that."

Ron grinned. "I've heard worse. Think I might tell Mum that one, she'd probably think it was really funny. Dad definitely would."

"Blaise, if you were a muggle then you could easily find a job writing the jokes at a Christmas cracker factory," Dean said with a grin. "The muggle crackers all have terrible jokes in."

"I'm flattered," he replied cheerfully, "but the Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin because it realised that I had ambitions which were slightly above writing Christmas crackers…"

"Pull the other one," Terry said, grinning. They groaned even louder.

Ron glanced quizzically across at Harry. "So, do people get much studying done here usually?"

"We mix work and gossip," he replied with a smile. "It makes it fun."

Ron nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I suppose that would keep people interested. I'm glad I came along." Blaise saw Harry visibly relax and smiled to himself. Ron Weasley, he decided, would not be any trouble.

The study group ended just after 8.30pm, and Blaise bid everyone a cheerful good night before returning to the Slytherin common room. Malfoy immediately came over to him.

"Any news?"

"Only that there was a meeting of the Professors to discuss the Charter last night and apparently with the exception of Professor Snape, most of them voted in favour of it."

Malfoy pulled a face. "Typical. Nothing else?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"Shame. I was hoping to find out who came up with this whole idea. It can't have been Percy Weasley, I wouldn't have thought."

"Oh, I don't know," Blaise said carelessly. "Our illustrious Head Boy wants a career in the Ministry. He'll be applying for jobs soon. If this was his plan, it's a fairly innovative way to publicise himself."

"You could be right," Malfoy said thoughtfully. "Well, hopefully Professor Snape will have more information."

Professor Snape arrived in the Slytherin common room at exactly 9pm, by which time every Slytherin student was present. "Good evening to you all," he said. "Thank you for assembling for our first all-House meeting of the term. For the benefit of the first-years, I should explain that all-House meetings are different from our normal meetings in that they focus on a specific issue which is of concern to us all. In this case, I need not tell you what the issue is. You should feel free to speak your mind, and do not hesitate to ask any questions that you might have. For my part, I will give you as much information as I can and answer your questions as honestly and completely as possible. Of course, nothing that we discuss here can ever be spoken of outside Slytherin territory."

Snape paused for a moment, allowing space for any immediate questions, but none were asked at that point. "So, let me update you on developments since we last spoke yesterday afternoon. At a staff meeting yesterday evening, following a short discussion about the Teaching Charter a majority of Professors gave their support to it. I did not, of course, but that will count for little as most of my colleagues took an opposing view. The Headmaster said he is also in favour but he intends to allow the Board of Governors to decide whether it will be introduced or not. He is meeting with them tomorrow."

One of the second-years raised their hand. "If the Headmaster is in favour of it, why is he prepared to allow the Governors to decide? Couldn't they potentially overrule him?"

"A good question, Mr. Morden," Snape replied. "Well, firstly it's because he has every expectation that they will back it too. Several of them have already said as much. And secondly, I don't actually think he would mind very much if it didn't go ahead. This isn't his initiative, and some of the issues it will bring with it are very challenging, not to mention time consuming."

Blaise, like most of the other Slytherins, took this to mean that the Headmaster didn't care much either way, and would allow events to play out and work with whichever outcome they delivered. There were various questions that he was thinking about asking, but in such situations as this he preferred to allow other people to speak first, so that he could gauge the mood of the room before expressing his own thoughts.

"When will we know what the Governors decide, Sir?" Pansy Parkinson asked.

"Probably in a couple of days. I should mention that your concerns about the Charter were touched upon in the discussions, and the Headmaster did offer to work with me to address any objections that you all have about it." The Slytherins looked amused at this.

"Professor, now that you've had chance to think it all over, do you believe that this is a deliberate and organised attack on Slytherin House or not?" Alana Runcorn asked.

Snape frowned. "In all honesty, after contemplating the matter for some time, I think not. Oh, I am sure that some Gryffindors were influenced by the idea of harming our House, or myself personally. However, others probably joined in the protest through loyalty to their own House, or because they genuinely wanted to influence teaching practices in the school. And I have to concede that the leading involvement of Percy Weasley suggests this was never planned with the primary intention of damaging us. Weasley senior, unlike his three tiresome brothers, shows no significant anti-Slytherin bias and is of a studious and law-abiding disposition. I also think that there are very few members of Gryffindor House who would be willing to go that far, or have the brains to come up with such a scheme for that matter."

"Has the Headmaster consulted with Minister Fudge yet, sir?" Astoria Greengrass asked.

"Yes, I understand that the Headmaster spoke to the Minister today. It seems he's all for the idea."

There was an immediate outcry from Malfoy at this. "Surely Fudge ought to know better than to come out on the side of those Gryffindors!" he exclaimed.

"He is a politician, Mr. Malfoy, which means that he likes to be on the winning side – or to be seen to be, at least," Snape said with a wry smile. "And don't forget, it's not just the Gryffindors. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs backed it too. Much as I hate to admit it, it looks very much like we have no grounds to stop this Charter."

"But Professor, what are we going to do about the Gryffindors?" Terrence Higgs asked. "They've been completely insufferable today. They think they've beaten us, and they're showing off and boasting about it to anyone who'll listen."

"We are not beaten," Snape said forcefully. "They can think that if they wish - but we know better. Sometimes you have to play the long game, Mr. Higgs. Let them revel in their little triumph, while we plan for the future."

Cassius Warrington raised his hand. "I'm glad to hear you talk that way, Professor. I have to admit though, I'm not exactly sure what we should do next. Or – if you don't mind me asking – what you will do next."

There was a hushed silence at this point as the Slytherins waited nervously for his answer. "Speaking personally, I have decided that I will adapt," he said slowly. "It will not be easy, I know that, but I will make it work. Important priorities brought me to this school as a Professor some years ago, and those same priorities are leading me to stay. I intend to continue to teach Potions and to be your Head of House. You matter to me, all of you, and I will do whatever is required to make that happen." Snape saw their obvious relief, and smiled slightly. "They won't get rid of me that easily!" The Slytherins burst into a round of applause, which he acknowledged with a pleased nod.

"We're all glad to hear that, Sir," Gemma Farley called out, and it was the truth; Professor Snape was a very well-regarded figure among the Slytherins.

"Thank you, Miss Farley. To return to Mr. Warrington's comments, let us consider the matter from your perspective, and from mine. Firstly, as to myself. I will have to curb some of my more – firm teaching approaches. You will not be affected by this very much, and certainly not to your detriment if so. Of course, I will have to start giving out marks to students from other Houses a lot more. I will need to be… less acerbic to students from other Houses. My lessons and my general approach to working in this school will be adjusted as required to comply with the Charter. All of this will take some getting used to, but I have a plan to move forward which I will implement soon. For yourselves, well… you know that I normally settle any disciplinary matters privately with you. That may not be the case in future; I will have to respond more openly when dealing with any issues concerning Slytherin students which are brought to my attention from now on. This is something you should bear in mind. However, there will be no effect on our chances of winning the Quidditch Cup, as far as I can see. Also, your grades and points earned should be unchanged in most classes, if not improved in some. The House Cup, now that will be harder to attain – but as long as you all do your best in both work and conduct then you will hear no complaints from me, even if we never win it again."

Theo put up his hand. "Professor, will this also affect other classes? History of Magic, for example. That's completely dire."

Snape nodded. "Yes. In fact, History of Magic is probably the largest single problem that will arise from rolling out the Charter. The Headmaster has not taken me into his confidence on that topic - but if I were a betting man, I would wager a term's salary on Professor Binns being coincidentally appointed to some newly invented, non-teaching role quite rapidly. I suspect the teaching in Care of Magical Creatures lessons also will need to be adapted, although of course I'm sure the infamous Danger Club already have that well in hand." He smiled, and the Slytherins laughed.

Blaise, who was greatly relieved by Professor Snape's decision, decided that now would be the moment to speak. "Professor, as Mr. Higgs said I'm sure that none of us want to be at the receiving end of Gryffindor bragging about this for the rest of term. They might have won the battle, but do we have to lose it?"

Snape gave him an approving look. "Well Mr. Zabini, you tell me – do we?"

"Not so much, Sir, no. If this Charter is going to be foisted upon us, we could employ some damage limitation by coming out with the official line that we're fine with it. Yes, it was a shock at first, we admit that, but we've come to terms with it now, and we look forward to the positive benefits it might bring - end of story, there are more interesting things to think about, let's move on."

"And if the other students mention me?"

"Oh, then we just say that like every teacher employed at Hogwarts, you'll teach in accordance with the standards which are laid down. It's nothing to make a fuss about. Also, some strategic references to potential alterations to History of Magic class should help to deflect the conversation away from yourself."

"I see. Does anyone else have any thoughts on Mr. Zabini's suggestion?"

"He's right," Marcus Flint said. "I suggest we take that line right away. Not too positive, mind you, we don't want to look like sycophants so we play it nice and casual. We can just treat the whole thing as something we're not that bothered about either way. At least then the entire situation stops being about how the Gryffindors put one over on us. As for House Points, there are classes such as Care of Magical Creatures where we're disadvantaged compared to other Houses. We can use the Charter to challenge any Professors who don't give us the points we've earned." The other Slytherins nodded or murmured their approval. With the realisation that they now had a workable strategy for controlling the situation, the mood of the room quickly shifted into something lighter and more optimistic.

"I quite agree," Snape said. "Twenty points each, Mr. Zabini and Mr. Flint, for your positive contributions to this discussion." Blaise smiled; he was pleased that his suggestion had been well received. "To make that stance effective, you will all need to avoid any open conflicts with other students in the immediate future."

"But Professor, won't my father be able to put a stop to this nonsense?" Malfoy said petulantly. "He's very influential with Minister Fudge usually, and I would have thought that Fudge would listen to him more. Those Gryffindors need to be dealt with, and their stupid Charter should be thrown in the bin, where it belongs!" Blaise saw several of the older students exchange discreet glances of amusement at this. Though Malfoy was one of the most prominent of the younger students, Blaise knew that the seniors had a poor opinion of him; they saw him as spoilt, immature and lacking in subtlety, though they didn't say so openly.

"Your father is a highly influential man, but nobody can win every argument, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Snape replied gravely, "and in this case, we are rather outnumbered; we have the Minister, most of the school including the Professors, and apparently the Governors too, backing the Charter. This being the case, it's time to stop reacting and start acting. Look for ways to use the new Charter when it's implemented for your own benefit, all of you. I will do the same. Are there any more questions? No? In that case, I will wish you all a good night," Snape said, and left the room.

Blaise, who was feeling in a thoroughly good mood now, spent the next hour chatting with Theo, Millicent, Tracy, Daphne and Alana. Everyone felt more cheerful, now that they had received an assurance that Professor Snape would remain. Blaise was complimented by a number of the other Slytherins for his approach to working the problem. He could see that Malfoy, sitting a short distance away with Crabbe and Goyle, was still smarting from the injustice of the situation as he saw it. There were regular mentions of 'my father' as Malfoy ranted to the other two, who listened dutifully and nodded every now and again. From time to time, Harry tried (with what he probably thought of as tact and finesse) to get Blaise to share his real opinion of Malfoy. He always replied with a non-committal statement, unwilling to share his thoughts on the subject with anyone except Theo. In truth, Blaise had no liking for Malfoy but he felt an unwelcome and annoyingly persistent sense of pity for him. Malfoy was surrounded by every luxury and had been given all sorts of advantages - but he was still insecure and discontented. He was a sulky, arrogant person who expected life to bend itself according to his will, and was unable to deal with it when it didn't. The Malfoys were more influential than the Zabinis, more powerful and well known - but Blaise knew that he was a much happier person than Draco Malfoy ever would be. For one thing, he had friends while Malfoy had associates - although he rather thought it possible that Malfoy didn't understand the difference between the two.

Blaise dismissed all thoughts of Draco Malfoy after a while and headed off to his dorm for the night, Theo following. After they'd got changed and settled down, Theo read a few chapters of his latest novel while Blaise got out his memo and started chatting to Harry. Theo glanced across at him with a smile, aware that Blaise would probably soon be interrupting him to share Harry's latest news; it was a rare evening these days that he was allowed to read his book undisturbed.

Hey, Harry. You still awake?

Yup. How's things with you and the other snakes?

Better. We had a meeting tonight and decided to officially withdraw opposition to the Charter.

What, all of you? Why?

Because you Gryffs have been mocking us mercilessly about it all day – not you personally, the others – and since we think it'll probably be introduced, it makes sense not to look like the only ones in opposition. So from tomorrow, we're officially 'yeah, fine, whatever' about it.

HAHAHAHA, THAT'S SO FUNNY!

Blaise looked across at Theo. "I've just told Harry about our shift in attitude with the Charter. He's laughing at us. A lot."

Theo chuckled. "Tell him that he should be more gracious in victory."

Theo says you're a complete and utter idiot.

IT'S STILL FUNNY! (Also, I know Theo never said that).

Your kindness and consideration for our feelings warms my heart.

What, you have feelings? I'd never have guessed. So, does this mean that Malfoy's going to act all cool and casual about the Charter now tomorrow as well?

You'll have to wait and see – I would hate to spoil the surprise. And while I remember, thanks for your assistance in fending off potentially awkward questions tonight at study group.

No problem. I was glad you came. Those jokes you tell really are terrible, though!

Your friend Weasley didn't think so. Incidentally, now that he's starting to see sense, I'll probably subject him to a certain amount of my personal charm and warmth over the next few weeks.

Why? And also, does the plotting never stop with you people?

Rarely. And it's just to make sure that he's comfortable with me being a part of your life, that's all. (Plus, it will be fun to see his reactions).

Should I do the same with Theo? I could pop over to the Slytherin table tomorrow morning and give him a hug.

"He's offering to come over while we're having breakfast tomorrow and hug you," Blaise said with a grin.

Theo raised an eyebrow. "Tell him I'm not a morning person."

Theo says that would be lovely.

Do you ever accurately report anything Theo says? I don't know how he puts up with you.

I'm worth it.

Always the modest one. Well, the next couple of days should be interesting. Got to go now, I'm feeling tired. Speak to you tomorrow.

Night, Harry.

Blaise put away his memo and got ready to go to sleep. It had been a long and tiring day, but one which had ended much more positively than it had begun.

- IIII - IIII - IIII - IIII -