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AN: Many thanks to my betas, Miette and dstone12, for reviewing this chapter.
Severus sat next to Minerva, his nervousness hidden tightly behind Occlumency shields and an impassive face. The first student was going to enter in a few minutes. Severus had to get this Apprenticeship.
He had prepared for his task the previous evening by practising Transfiguration, something he had not done since his NEWTs. He had expected to be rusty but all his spells had come out smoothly, achieving their purpose without a hitch. Severus had added Sensing to the mix and had been surprised to discover how much easier it was using outside flows instead of his own Magic to perform his transfiguration spells. He had already used Sensing during his NEWTs to feel for flaws in transfiguration results, but using Sensing this way meant the spells exhausted him less thus improving his transfiguration results. Indeed, some transfiguration spells required a lot of Magic, and to try to cast them only using one's core could only lead to depleting it completely, and in the worst case to coma or death.
The potential for such adverse outcomes had been one of the reasons Severus had needed to understand the theory behind Transfiguration to be able to cast his spells. Magic was about intent, and his main intent had been not to deplete his core. As he had had a hard time using outside Magic flows as a first year, he had been unable to perform the simplest transfiguration. To be able to cast those spells, he had had to demonstrate to himself that the amount of Magic required was only a portion of what his core contained. Of course, all cores were different but students all learnt the minimum amount of core energy necessary to attend Hogwarts in their first year and took that as the basis for all their transfiguration calculations.
"Severus, can you call for the first student please?"
Minerva's voice called him back from his contemplation, his nerves settling down as his mind focused on the task at hand.
He got up and opened her classroom door.
"Anderson."
The student who came to attention in front of him was tiny. He could almost feel the stress coming out of her.
"Breathe. You are only required to give your best."
She looked up at him, as surprised as himself by the words he had spoken.
"What if it's not enough?"
"Your best is always enough. But it must be your absolute best."
He was amazed to see her square her shoulders with determination, her stress fading to manageable levels. He let her pass him; closing the door behind after letting his gaze wander over the various students waiting in the corridor. They were all so small.
"Good morning Miss Anderson. Please sit down," said Minerva sternly. "I will ask you to demonstrate two transformations today. First, you will transform this matchstick into a needle. Second, you will change this needle into a thimble. I will award bonus points if you manage elaborate decorations on the thimble. You have ten minutes."
Severus watched with interest as the girl frowned in concentration, muttering to herself before nodding and casting her spell.
"Lignum ferro magnitudine!"
Her voice was firm, her wand movement precise despite a slight shaking of her hand. Severus Sensed the spell form around the matchstick, changing it before suddenly stopping. He refrained a shake of his head.
Minerva took the resulting object in her hand, examining it closely before giving it to Severus.
As he had thought, while the matchstick's wood had turned to steel, it had retained its original form.
"Aptet figura."
Severus nodded as this time, Anderson's spell completed its full course around the needle. The thimble Minerva handed him was perfect though it was simple, without any ornaments.
"Thank you Anderson. You may go, please close the door behind you."
"What do you think?" asked Minerva once they were alone.
"I would say average," answered Severus. "She has trouble focusing on multiple transformation steps."
"I agree. She needs to work on holding more than one transformation at a time in her head," stated Minerva. "Can you call the next student please?"
The next ten students ranged from average to exceeding expectations. None were as bad as Severus had been at their age.
"Finnegan."
Severus took an instant dislike to the boy. He reminded him of Potter. The same arrogant tilt of the head. The same bedhead hair. It did not help that the boy's transformations were perfect. Severus grudgingly gave him an O.
The next student, Goshawk, also managed two perfect transformations, however he used far too much Magic to achieve it and Severus only awarded him an E.
"Why did you give an O to Finnegan but an E to Goshawk?" asked Minerva. "Their transformations were perfect, with delicate decorations on their thimble."
"Goshawk used too much of his own Magic on his second transformation. It could become dangerous when he begins learning more difficult spells which will require a bigger amount of Magic," answered Severus.
He was surprised when Minerva offered him a bright smile.
"I'm glad you picked up on this. We may go further than I thought with your Apprenticeship."
Severus refrained the urge to lower his eyes at the compliment.
"However, I do not take into account this parameter before sixth year. For now, they only need to achieve the desired result."
"Why?" asked Severus. "It's important they learn to use as little of their core's Magic as they can, as early as possible. I don't understand why we do not focus on this earlier."
"Few of the younger years are aware of the danger of Transfiguration and the possibility of depleting their core or worse if they attempt a powerful transfiguration only using their core's Magic."
"It's in the first year's book," protested Severus.
"In the annexes, which few bother to read," countered Minerva.
"You teach us the minimum amount of Magic our core can contain depending on our age during our first lesson!"
"Most only remember to apply it to the theoretic calculations of the spells," explained Minerva. "Plus, they trust I will not ask them to cast a spell which could harm them."
She put her hand up to prevent another protest.
"During my first year as a teacher, I tried to teach my first years students to cast their spells while using only the necessary amount of their own Magic. For most of them, it was a difficult concept to grasp. To be able to sense outside Magic is difficult and requires practice. It frustrated them, and several parents from old Houses were not pleased. Then there were the Muggleborns who were so scared they'd die if they did not perform their spell with outside Magic that they did not manage even the matchstick transformation. In March, most of my first-years were failing Transfiguration. I asked for an assistant to be able to give more one-on-one tutoring to my students but it was denied by the board. Albus decided I needed to revert to the previous years curriculum."
"So you only teach spells which do not require a huge amount of Magic to manage?"
Minerva sighed.
"From one to fifth year, yes. I only begin teaching about inside and outside Magic in sixth and seventh years."
"I do not recall studying it for my NEWTs," remarked Severus. "I had to study how to Sense a transfiguration flaw but not outside Magic."
Minerva nodded.
"It's only the beginning of sensing outside Magic. NEWTs are aligned on international norms so that all Great-Britain graduates can go study abroad if they wish to. However, I chose to approach the subject of one's core Magic and outside Magic during sixth and seventh years because it's vital for those who hope to keep on studying Transfiguration, and because I know Beauxbatons does too. I refuse to let my students be passed over for Apprenticeships because I did not teach them enough."
For the first time, Severus regretted not remaining in Hogwarts to study under McGonagall for two more years. Then he remembered he surely would not have been admitted into her NEWTs class. Then he thought about all he had achieved outside Hogwarts and shook his head at himself. He had made the right choice.
When the last of the thirty eight first year's students closed the door behind him, Severus felt as tired as after a Trial.
"Now Severus, I would like to determine the groups for the practicals. We need to regroup those with the same weaknesses..."
Severus refrained a sigh as he wondered if he really wanted to teach even a day a week.
They spent one hour splitting the first years into groups of similar size and weaknesses, then Minerva and Severus had lunch in her office.
"Would you mind me going to the Slytherin common room?" asked Severus once they had finished their meal. "I would like to speak with the Bloody Baron about a riddle he once told me when I was a student, and the only sure way to call for him is in the room."
"I don't see why not, but a prefect should accompany you. I don't want to spook the students."
"Of course not."
Ten minutes later, Severus followed Prefect Royston through familiar corridors. The teen kept glancing at Severus, not as discreetly as he should have.
"Are you truly the creator of the Lupacem?"
"I am," answered Severus, curious to see if the Prefect was looking for gossip material or had a true purpose for engaging conversation.
"The werewolf students used your potion for the first time this month. I had not realised how unwell they were until we saw them when they came back after the full moon."
"The pain and physical damage the werewolf curse inflicts on its bearers is not the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Werewolves," agreed Severus.
"You garnered fervent supporters for life," added Royston idly.
Severus almost stopped short. Royston's father was a member of the group. Was he trying to gauge if Severus would… try to usurp Lord Voldemort's status? How ridiculous. And worrying, if others thought the same. If the Lord thought the same.
"Let's hope they know how much Lord Voldemort influenced my work," answered Severus.
"They should if they read the news or listen to the radio," remarked the Prefect with a smile as they reached Slytherin's entrance.
He muttered the password too low for Severus to hear then led him to the common room centre. Most of the students were preparing for their afternoon classes. None were scrambling to finish their homework, noticed Severus approvingly.
In seconds, all eyes were on him, patiently waiting for their Prefect's explanation.
"Everyone, please meet Lord Caspian. He's present today to meet with the Bloody Baron."
Severus hid a smile as he spotted first years whispering furiously at each other.
"I am also apprenticed to Professor McGonagall as of today. I will be present in Hogwarts every Thursday as well as Friday afternoon. I'll be working with the first and second years on Thursday. You should have the official announcement this evening."
Better to tell them now so they could pass the word to their parents before his meeting tonight. To show his good faith.
"And now shoo, you don't want to earn detention for being late to class," said Royston firmly.
Severus was grateful to avoid the flood of questions he could see behind the eyes of the snakelings. Once the room was empty, he walked to the corner where three stone snakes were entwined. He carefully checked no paintings had been added to the room and that he could not Sense any House Elves or other invisible watchers. Only then did he cast a privacy spell and called for the Bloody Baron.
Severus did not have to wait long for the Slytherin House Ghost to appear.
"I am glad to see you, though, which name should I call you today?" asked the Ghost, a faint smile on his translucent lips.
Severus was certain he had never seen the Baron looking as cheerful as he did now, though he was far from being the picture of happiness.
"I am not certain of your meaning," answered Severus puzzled.
Did Ghosts really pay attention to mundane matters like change of names?
"I know you as Slytherin's genius, but some call you by other names: Severus Preston Caspian, Daoack, he-who-crosses-shadows-shielded-by-darkness,Wolfs' friend, he-who-finds-the-lost,... Which one are you today?" asked the Ghost.
Severus was speechless as he listened to the Baron enumerate his supposed names. He could see where they came from but it implied a vast intelligence sharing network existing beyond the "normal" physical world. It also suggested he had a reputation far bigger than the one he thought he had earned and it also changed his understanding of Ghosts' awareness.
"Where did you hear those names? I did not think you paid close attention to human matters, even less to other creatures'."
"Hogwarts is a meeting place for many, no matter their kinds, though you Wizards are seldom witness to such events," answered the Baron, enigmatic. "Now I ask again, who are you today?"
Which answer would satisfy him? Could Ghosts sense when someone was lying to them?
"The question is difficult as all the names you listed are my own and I can never renounce a part of myself," answered Severus carefully, trying to give himself time to think. "I would say today, I am Slytherin's protector, and Hogwarts' by extension as Hogwarts is not complete without Slytherin."
"A sad protector you are for abandoning the ones you claim to defend for the last four years," snapped back the Baron haughtily.
"I needed to learn how to protect," shot back Severus.
"And have you?"
"Don't you Sense the division inside the nexus? Don't you Sense the wrongness slowly spreading into it?"
"Hogwarts is aware of it and, as such, so are all of her servants. Her Headmaster and his Pillars are failing to protect her, would you claim to be able to do better?"
"I know the source of the wrongness. I know how to dispel it," stated Severus, willing the Ghost to believe him.
Though while he was certain the Horcrux should not remain linked to Hogwarts, he was less sure that was all it would take to resolve the dichotomy of the nexus' goals.
"How would it protect Slytherin, as you claimed them as your first concern?" asked the Baron stiffly.
"You know I wish for Slytherin's Rules to spread to our entire world. If I don't remove the wrongness from Hogwarts, Slytherin will soon be known as the House who fell into darkness."
The slytherin Ghost remained silent for so long that Severus feared he would not get the chance to ask for his help.
"Which action would your protection require?" finally asked the Baron softly.
"I cannot pinpoint the exact location of the wrongness. It's as if it is both everywhere and nowhere in the castle. I need help to find it," explained Severus.
The Baron nodded.
"I will enquire about it."
"Please, be careful," warned Severus. "It can ensnare the mind and I have no idea how much harm it can cause to all Hogwarts' inhabitants, even non-Wizard ones."
"Thank you for your concern, Protector."
The Ghost bowed then vanished, leaving Severus to wonder if he had been given another name or if Ghosts could practise irony.
His question remained unanswered as he waited for Master Richtigk inside one of Gringotts' private rooms. Dhaal had refused to be bored for hours and as Narcissa was visiting Andromeda with Draco, he had decided to go visit Kea and enjoy Madeline's madeleines. His Familiar was definitely settling within Severus' wizard family.
"Yíngjiē Daoack," greeted Master Richtigk as he entered the room. "Forgive me for being late, it seems I do not come to England often enough and every Goblin in Gringotts seemed in need of my advice."
"Yíngjiē Master Richtigk," answered Severus with a smile. "I should ask for a commission as I'm the reason for your presence today."
Richtigk laughed loudly.
"And you would definitely get it. However, be prepared to be the one assaulted later when they wish to lure me here next time."
"That was poorly thought out, no reward is worth my tranquillity," admitted Severus lightly, enjoying their byplay as he waited for the Master to reveal why he had requested this meeting.
"I would enjoy it while you can Daoack, because you're barely entering adulthood yet your name is already known by quite a few."
After his conversation with the Bloody Baron, Severus had to wonder which name Richtigk was referring to.
"I still have a long way to go before reaching your status, Master Richtigk."
"Please call me Richtigk. These titles are useful but they get old quickly in private situations."
"Thank you, Richtigk," answered Severus, bowing his head slightly.
"Now Daoack, before I pester you about creating your own House and which projects you are working on, I need to inform you of a few events which may be relevant to you."
Severus' curiosity was definitely piqued.
"First, I wish to thank you for telling Wise Kasai of Mister Potter's Khorlos' sickness. It is sadly more common than we'd like, especially among Wizards and Faes though for different reasons."
Severus blanked for a second before realising Richtigk was speaking of Potter-bis.
"Well, he was on Sanctuary's grounds so I thought it better to warn Wise Kasai."
"Sadly, Mister Potter refused our help at first. He's quite suspicious, a trait often shared by the ones whose core is sick. We were thinking of making his healing a part of his punishment when Hoardrock got the opportunity to speak with Auror Moody. The Auror was very interested by what Hoardrock could tell him about you," added Richtigk pointedly.
"Auror Moody led a search for Dark Artefacts in my home and found nothing remarkable except for Dhaal. He was quite courteous," explained Severus.
"Auror Moody is well considered by clan Runsaus. We were fortunate he's Mister Potter's supervisor. Mister Potter began his core treatment last week."
He supposed Aurors would not approve of their trainees possessing a sick core. It also meant no Auror had been able to Sense the wrongness in Potter-bis' Khorlos.
Severus' brain suddenly caught on one of Richtigk's words.
"Did I mishear you when you spoke of a punishment?
The Goblin offered him a toothy grin.
"You did not. This is another matter you need to be aware of. As you know, Misters James and Sirius Potter broke the Sanctuary's rules they had agreed to by attacking you. There was much debate among the Kyirong council. On the one hand, nobody was harmed, you had the upper hand and even asked your clan to help one of them. On the other hand, they broke the rules and if you had been less talented and in less control, the outcome might have been different."
Severus had not given the matter much thought when he had discovered his clan was aware of the Potters' perjury, lost in the euphoria of becoming a Master. It was the way of life for those two to break the rules and get away with it. To learn they might be held accountable for once was... weird.
"Finally, the Council decided to ban them from Kyirong for their entire life, unless you are the one to plead for them to be allowed entrance. While some wanted to include Mister Lupin in the ban, it was denied as each being who comes into the Sanctuary vouches for himself only."
It was fair even if Severus would have rather avoided the responsibility of lifting or not the Potters' ban. Plus, he would have felt bad if Lupin had been expelled from Kyirong before becoming a full Werewolf.
"The Potters will officially be notified of their ban the next time they try to access the Sanctuary."
Meaning they would only know if they needed to go there again.
"Kyirong also warned the other Sanctuaries of the duplicitous nature of those two individuals."
Severus could only agree with that assessment of Potter's and Potter-bis' nature.
Richtigk paused, inviting comments from Severus.
"I find the punishment adequate," stated Severus soberly.
"I agree," nodded Richtigk. "The Kyirong Council's decision was just. Our clan met much more difficulties to obtain justice from our own nation"
He did not understand what the Goblin meant.
"Lord Potter is clan Hankō's trusted business partner while you are clan Röykkiö's Ally as well as Drunek's son's Blood brother. Lord Potter is known to support Dumbledore and Minister Birkin while you favour Lord Voldemort. With the wizard elections approaching, our esteemed Korkein was… worried of seeming to try to influence Wizards politics if he punished the Potters for trying to harm you. He tried to argue that as you were a Wizard, our nation was not under the obligation to ask reparation for you."
Richtigk's voice was flat and his eyes were hard. Even knowing he was not the subject of his ire, Severus felt a shiver slide down his spine.
"I believe the Korkein would not have been so quick to dismiss this affront if you had been anyone else. If you had not been Röykkiö's. He even argued that you had passed your infiltration Trial thanks to them, but Wise Kasai was quick to tell him they had had another trial planned for you before it became unnecessary. We had to summon the entire Jothaja council to plead our case," explained Richtigk. "We reminded them that at the time of the incident, you were under clan Röykkiö's protection. We reminded them it was a private matter which had no bearing on Wizards' public and political life. We reminded them two Wizards had broken the Sanctuary's rules to harm one of ours."
Severus could not believe his clan had gone to such length to defend him. He was not so naive as to believe it was their sole objective. It was still more than most had ever done in his name.
He might be a bit unfair. Augustus had tried, but he had been restricted by Lord Voldemort's need to gather followers amongst creatures. Severus had been angry at him for not doing more, but found himself a bit more understanding as he was similarly constrained today, if not for the same reasons. He had been foolish to go to the shack that night. He had strongly suspected a Marauder trap but had gone because he had been afraid for Lily. If he accused the Marauders today, he would have to admit to either falling for their trap or going in to save a Muggleborn who was currently aligned with Dumbledore. His status with the group would not survive either of these accusations. Slytherins did not rush in blindly. Death Eaters did not willingly walk into a trap to save Mudbloods. In addition, now was not the time to indirectly cast the blame on Lupin when their support among creatures and defenders of creatures' rights was at its peak.
Severus could be patient. The Potter twins would pay eventually, even if he had to find another reason than that night. He forced his focus back to Richtigk's next words.
"In the end, the Council ruled that the trusted business partnership status of House Potter would not be renewed if either James or Sirius Potter became its Head. We are still waiting for Lord Potter's reaction to our ruling."
It meant if either Potter or Potter-bis took on the Mantle of Head of their House, many contract terms would change. Some contracts might even be cancelled.
Severus swallowed heavily as he realised the weight of the Johtaja Council's decision.
"This is… Can you really afford to lose House Potter's partnership?"
Richtigk's expression was fierce as he answered.
"They broke one of the most sacred rules. What happens if everyone decides that Sanctuaries sacred grounds are not to be respected anymore? No, Sanctuary's rules must be enforced rigorously. We are not the only ones to think so. I hear Family Ressurs is considering a serious show of disapproval as well."
Definitely unexpected. And welcomed.
He would have to be careful of possible retaliation from House Potter.
"Anything else I should know?"
"I think I have covered every subject of interest," smirked Richtigk. "Now I would love to hear why you decided to create your own House..."
The Goblin listened with attention as Severus described the various memorable events he had lived through since coming back to the Wizarding World only three months ago, carefully glossing over his Horcruxes investigation.
"You should have heard Wirkrund last week when he came to Bǎo. Proud as a peacock of your accomplishments, and with good reason, I must add. Congratulations on your successes, Daoack," said Richtigk with a smile.
"Thank you. Everything is moving fast and I have much to learn about my new responsibilities. And I have accepted an Apprenticeship with Professor McGonagall."
"Excellent choice," approved Richtigk. "She is well known among Transfiguration specialists and her handling of the werewolf students from Hogwarts has been lauded by our members in Kyirong."
"I'm lucky," agreed Severus. "Speaking of Apprenticeship, there's a question I never had the opportunity to ask you during my stay in Bǎo."
"You asked surprisingly few questions compared to what Drunek had told me to expect," remarked Richtigk.
"Your answers were dissuasive," replied Severus with a pointed look.
"Were you really so easily discouraged?"
Severus refrained from rolling his eyes.
"I am asking you now."
"I'm listening," smirked the Goblin.
"How were the rooms blocking all magic flows but one kind constructed?"
The only sign of Richtigk's surprise was the flicker of his ears. The Goblin looked at him speculatively.
"How would you do it Daoack?"
"I would use a layer of stone which blocks Magic and one which rejects Magic. For example, if we use a simple box to simulate the room, the outside of the box would aim to reject, and the inside to block. It should isolate the inside of the box from all outside Magic. I have never seen a stone which is able to completely block or reject Magic in the long term so they would have to be reinforced with specific runes."
Richtigk nodded.
"It works if you wish to block all Magic flows though you would need to be careful of the runes you're using if you do not want them to be worn out too quickly. But how would you allow only one kind of magic flow to enter the room?"
"It depends if I can find one rejecting stone for each kind of Magic or if I only have one stone to block all kinds. I don't think I would be able to create a pathway for a kind of Magic using only runes. Not permanently."
Richtigk laughed.
"See Daoack. This is why you do not need to ask me questions. You already have the answer."
Severus shot him a glare.
"But I do not know which stones can apply to my theory."
The Goblin had the good grace to look contrite.
"This I can help with. Do you have anything to write on?"
Severus did. They spent one hour discussing stones and their specific properties, then moved on to runes. As Severus had told Augustus, it was not the most difficult part of their plan. With Richtigk's pointers, he refined the runes combination he had drafted until even the Goblin was impressed.
However, Severus was disappointed. He had hoped to be able to use the same idea to create a kind of wristband that could block Lord Voldemort's magic in the Mark without stopping the magic flows of the bearer of the Mark. Sadly, his discussion with Richtigk had confirmed that while it was rather easy to block one kind of magic, it was another matter to distinguish between two flows of the same kind of magic. Severus was more and more convinced that to block, or even remove the Marks, he was going to need to use a combination of various fields of magic.
Severus left Richtigk just before teatime and went directly to Prince Manor where he discussed with his grandfather how they could procure the various stones he required. He then drank tea with Madeline, Narcissa and Draco then went to Spinner's End to check on the progress of the Manor construction. The entire ground level was done, the upper level well on the way to completion. Severus was impressed with what he could Sense and impatient to work on the blazons and the wards which he discussed with Blake until it was time for him to leave for the group meeting.
He arrived at the Alcazar ten minutes early and was glad to see Evan had already arrived. Despite his best efforts, Evan spent far too much time with the likes of Mulciber and his cohorts, though to be fair, his friend had never refused an invitation from Severus or Jonathan. He wondered guiltily if he was in fact the one to blame for not spending enough time with his friend lately, too engrossed in solving his little Horcrux problem.
"Good evening Evan," said Severus with a smile as his friend abandoned his previous conversation to come and greet him.
"Evening Lord Genius!" answered Evan with a smirk.
Severus refrained from rolling his eyes and instead retaliated in kind.
"How is your Apprenticeship going?"
"Why don't we discuss my latest conquest instead," suggested Evan, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Severus stared at him unimpressed.
His friend sighed.
"You know, I liked Master Raleigh a lot better when he did not have expectations from me. He's always on my case, asking me why I'm not practicing more, if I'm making progress with this or that theory,… I wish he forgot that I impressed him last year!"
"Don't say that," rebuked Severus as he put his hand on Evan's shoulder. "I know Masters can be harsh when they try to push us to give our best, but believe me, it would be far worse if he was indifferent. He sees potential in you, as a future Defense Master grade II, and even grade I from what you're saying."
"We both know Grade II is the best I can hope for Severus," answered Evan. "You and Jonathan are the ones with the smarts for school."
"But this is not school. Defense Mastery is practical, and don't deny it was your best subject at Hogwarts. We both know you can become Master grade I if you take enough time to study and practice."
Evan shrugged, looking a bit embarrassed.
"Between the meetings, the preparation for multiple conferences, the raid practices and the actual raids, the group takes up a lot of my time."
Far too much.
"Your education is as important, Evan. Especially now, with the tensions with the Aurors, the more advanced in Defence you are the better," said Severus fervently.
"I know," admitted Evan reluctantly, "but with the elections approaching,…"
"Come on Evan, I can help if-"
"Evening Caspian, Rosier," interrupted Mulciber. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I need to borrow Rosier a few seconds if you don't mind. Beltram has a question on your last fight with the Aurors."
He did not look sorry at all, and to Severus' frustration, Evan apologised and followed the other man. He sighed to himself and went to sit next to Lucius as the last Death Eaters slowly trickled in.
"Everyone appears to be present, my Lord," announced Mulciber five minutes later.
"Let's begin the meeting," nodded Lord Voldemort, presiding from his end of the room.
"If I may my Lord," interrupted Severus before Mulciber could announce the agenda or something more nefarious.
He knew he had to speak up before anyone could twist his Hogwarts visit into a perceived betrayal of the group. He had no doubt the Slytherin students had dutifully reported his every comings and goings of his short stays in the castle.
He kept his face impassive despite his heart beating too fast.
"Yes Severus?" allowed the Lord, his dark eyes cold and measuring.
How Severus despised this persona of the Lord, far less human than Marvolo. But he understood that it was necessary to keep control of the Blacks and the Lestranges, among others, who only respected those able to match their indifference and ruthlessness.
"I do not know if we will be able to use this as an advantage, but I have accepted an Apprenticeship proposal from Professor McGonagall. I will assist her with the first and second years every Thursday, and she will teach me every Friday afternoon."
"Why won't you spend every day with her?"
"Were you not useless at Transfiguration?"
"Why are we only hearing about this today?"
Severus held his hand up to stop the flood of questions from the group.
"I only met Professor McGonagall to discuss this Apprenticeship yesterday. As some of you are aware, Transfiguration has never been my strong suit and while I passed my NEWTs with an E, I did not practice during my Apprenticeship and never expected to study further in this field," explained Severus calmly. "I was very surprised by Professor McGonagall's proposal and when I went to meet her yesterday, I fully expected to have either misunderstood her meaning or for it to be a pretext for Dumbledore to speak with me."
"Why would Dumbledore look for a pretext to meet you?" asked Bellatrix, voice oily with false incredulity.
"He has wanted to meet me since the Lupacem was patented," answered Severus, facing her squarely before turning his look back to Lord Voldemort. "I imagined he hoped to pressure me into brewing it for his students."
"You went to Hogwarts today as well," said Higgs, whose sister was currently studying in Hogwarts if Severus remembered well.
"Indeed. Professor McGonagall clarified her Apprenticeship offer yesterday but I had to pass a test today to confirm I had enough knowledge of Transfiguration for this Apprenticeship to work out," explained Severus. "I wanted to be certain of my acceptance before informing you of my new position, especially as the delay was short."
"This is a great news and a great opportunity. We'll need to discuss how to best benefit from it," stated Lord Voldemort.
"Personally, I am curious to know why you met with Dumbledore yesterday, " said Mulciber idly.
Severus turned toward the other man without showing a hint of impatience. However, his gaze was cold and Mulciber did lose a bit of colour.
"As I told you, Dumbledore has wanted to meet me since the Lupacem patent. I could not take the risk of being refused access to Hogwarts and Professor McGonagall because I had wounded his pride by refusing a meeting. As I'm certain you're well aware, our meeting was brief. What you may not know, and my main point for speaking out without prior warning, is that he had a proposal for me."
"An indecent proposal?" asked Evan with a glint in his eyes.
All the Death Eaters laughed at the unexpected remark, even Lord Voldemort. Severus felt a wave of gratitude for his friend.
"I will let you be the judge of it," answered Severus in the same tone. "He offered me Professor Slughorn's position when he retires in a few years, Head of House of Slytherin included. In between, he would like me to act as an assistant for him in the same capacity as for Professor McGonagall, with access to Hogwarts' resources for my future projects."
The room exploded in an incomprehensible brouhaha, everyone giving his opinion at once. He had not expected that much of an effect.
"Silence!"
Lord Voldemort had barely raised his voice but its hissing quality made it overheard and obeyed at once.
"What was your answer Severus?"
"I answered it would be a lot of work in addition to my new Head of House Caspian duties and Transfiguration Apprenticeship. I also reminded him I was not sure to be a good teacher,"
Severus raised his hand to quell the first protests.
"We agreed on letting a few months pass before raising the subject again. I was unsure of the tasks the group would benefit the most from my side until the election but I did not want to close the door completely on this opportunity to have access to Hogwarts."
Silence followed his words, letting Severus to wonder if he had finally made a mistake until Lord Voldemort spoke.
"Very interesting. It seems the old coot is hoping to recruit you, or at least use you to get to me. I don't know how yet... Well done Severus. We'll have to adapt our strategies depending on the election's results. I do not doubt our victory but depending on the margins, we may need to manage Dumbledore differently.…"
Lord Voldemort paused, gazing at nothing then looked up slowly to look at Severus with interest.
"Anymore information you wish to share Severus?"
"I also used my time in Hogwarts to speak with Hagrid. I figured cultivating someone close to Dumbledore and Half-Giant could prove useful in the long term," added Severus.
Several of the others snickered but Lady Greengrass smiled at him.
"Excellent point Severus. He may not come off as the most shrewd individual, but he is well-liked among Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors. Him speaking well of you could bring a few more electors to us."
Lord Rowle nodded.
"I think we should go further and list other personalities who could relate to one of us and bring unexpected support to our cause.
As the discussion heated up under Mulciber's disgruntled look at this deviation from the agenda, Severus finally leaned back in his seat. Crisis averted. Hopefully, once reunited with his Horcruxes, Lord Voldemort would find the idea of Severus permanently teaching at Hogwarts as ludicrous as himself did.