Rachel looked around at all the boxes Severus had brought home. "All of this is going into the cellar? Is it going to fit?"
"It will, I measured the dimensions before I gathered the materials. You can start by taking some of the materials boxes downstairs. Leave anything with glass in it alone, and if a box is too heavy to lift use a levitation charm," Severus said. "I'll be back shortly with the rest."
There was more? Rachel shrugged and found a box with some tiny furniture in it. Severus would resize it once it was in place. She lifted it and found that it was easy enough to move. It took her several trips but she brought down the furniture, some slate and wood that had been shrank down, a number of cauldrons which hadn't been shrank, and a few boxes of dry ingredients. She left the boxes that had glass vials in them alone.
Severus came downstairs with several boxes floating behind him. "This will do nicely. Now to get to work. Go stand over by the stairs so you aren't bumped by anything."
Rachel did as he instructed and sat down on the stairs to watch.
The wood and slate were formed into workspaces along the back wall, along with two wooden stools. To one side Severus arranged shelves and drawers. A broad horizontal stroke of his wand unpacked some of the boxes, all of his tools and equipment floating neatly into place. On the other side wall he set up storage spaces for cauldrons along the bottom and the top was filled with narrow slots for holding potion ingredients and completed potions. Those would have to be unpacked by hand as some of them could react poorly to magic. The entire process only took about thirty minutes.
"Do you want me to help unpack the ingredients?" Rachel asked when things were done flying around.
Severus hesitated. "If you'd like, you can unpack the boxes and place the ingredients on the countertop. I have a specific method by which I like to organize my ingredients."
Rachel nodded. She understood. Severus' bookshelves were also meticulously organized.
"Leave that box in particular alone, we'll need gloves to unpack it and some of the materials are very sensitive," Severus said, pointing out a box by the shelves.
"Okay, is this one okay?" Rachel said, pointing to a box that had bundles of different plant material.
"Yes, that one is fine," Severus said.
Rachel began to unpack it, laying the ingredients neatly on the counter for Severus to take and put away. She recognized a few things by sight, but not most of them. "I guess you have to do an Herbology NEWT to be a Potions Master?"
"Yes, and it's suggested that those going into Herbology also get a Potions NEWT because then they know how to most effectively harvest the materials for use in potions," Severus said as he worked. "Most professional greenhouses and apothecaries won't hire someone without both, which is something your friend Neville should keep in mind should he wish to continue to pursue Herbology."
"I thought he did much better in Potions this year," Rachel said, pausing so she could look at Severus.
"He did, but he still has a lot of work to do if he wants to join my NEWT class. I only accept students who achieve an Outstanding on their OWLs into my NEWT class," Severus explained.
"Why?" Rachel asked, returning to taking things out of the box.
"I think you understand by now from seeing some of your classmates' mishaps that my class is among the most dangerous that you can take at Hogwarts, along with Transfiguration," Severus began.
"Because of human transfiguration?" Rachel asked.
"Yes. Although Minerva allows students who receive an Exceeds Expectations on their OWLs into her class, Transfiguration is one of the most difficult OWLs that you will take. Both Minerva and I only want students who will truly apply themselves to their studies in our NEWT classes because the results can otherwise be disastrous. I used to allow students with Exceeds Expectations into my NEWT class, but within a single year there were three incidents which required students to be flooed to the hospital wing. I decided I couldn't continue to risk the safety of my students due to those who weren't committed," Severus explained.
Rachel wasn't sure what to think about that. She'd seen Severus send students to the hospital wing a few times, but it had never been for anything serious. "And that wasn't even from ingesting the potions that they brewed?" she asked.
"No, all three incidents happened during the process of brewing potions - one girl had to have her arm grown back starting from her elbow," Severus said.
Rachel cringed. That sounded horrific. "I didn't realize it could be that bad. Imagine if someone had tried to drink what they were brewing too."
"That's why there's no Transfiguration club and no Potions club. Neither Minerva nor I have the time to supervise one and we can't allow students to practice some of those skills unsupervised," Severus said. "And that's also why you shouldn't take a potion that was brewed by another student, you never know what they were doing when they brewed it."
Rachel nodded, she didn't need to be told how badly it could go if you drank an incorrectly brewed potion, she could imagine it quite vividly. "This box is empty, is there another one I should start unpacking?"
"That one there," Severus said, pointing to a box that contained small boxes and bottles that were labeled.
"Is it okay that I don't know what I want to do when I'm older?" Rachel asked as she started setting things up on the counter.
"It's more than okay, it's to be expected. You still have five years of schooling ahead of you. There are very few people who know right away what they wish to do," Severus said.
"Did you know right away that you wanted to be a Potions Master?"
"Not right away, no. I was quite interested in Defense at first, however I did quickly realize that I had a talent for brewing potions. The Potions professor at the time was Horace Slughorn. He recognized my talents and encouraged me to look further into potions as a career. By my fifth year I was certain that I wished to pursue a Potions Mastery," Severus explained.
Rachel thought about that. She didn't think she was particularly talented at any single subject, though she quite liked Charms and Potions. "What do people do who don't decide to pursue a mastery in a subject?"
"Any number of things. There are plenty of jobs that are available to you directly out of Hogwarts. There is still a lot of time for you to think about this, it's nothing you have to decide right away," Severus said, his gaze resting on Rachel as he picked up the last bundle of plant material.
"Well, it matters for what classes I take after my OWLs," Rachel said.
"And your OWLs are still three years away from now," Severus said. "Try not to worry."
Rachel made sure she was bent down over the box to take more bottles out of it before she rolled her eyes. She wasn't worried, not exactly, but it was something she needed to think about. She didn't even really know what the possibilities were. Maybe she needed to see if Flourish and Blotts sold a book about magical careers.
"After this box let's take a break and have lunch," Severus said.
"Okay. When the lab is set up, can I brew the developing solution for my film?" Rachel asked, though she wondered if it was the best time to ask after she and Severus had just been discussing potions accidents.
"That's fine, under my supervision," Severus said.
Rachel smiled. She'd been looking forward to developing the roll of film she'd taken over the past six months. Hopefully at least some of her photos came out.
"I have to leave for a staff meeting in a few minutes," Severus said as they ate breakfast. He was glancing through the Daily Prophet as he ate.
"Okay. Do you want me to go to Hogwarts or can I stay here?" Rachel asked.
"You can stay here as long as you don't go flying or go in the cellar," Severus said, turning the page.
"Okay," Rachel said agreeably. She could go flying in the afternoon and it wasn't like she was going to mess with any potions ingredients without Severus' permission.
"You may find this of interest," Severus said, lifting out one of the sheets of the newspaper and handing it across the table.
Rachel braced herself - she still wasn't fond of the Daily Prophet - but smiled when she saw the picture of the Weasleys posing in front of the pyramids. It seemed like they were having a good time on their trip. "Can I cut this out when you're done with the paper?"
"You may, I have finished with it already," Severus said.
She tucked it to the side for later and had just returned to eating her breakfast when an owl arrived and flew over to the table and dropped an envelope in front of Severus.
Severus glanced at the seal before handing it to Rachel. "Your grades, I presume."
"They're addressed to you," Rachel said, looking at the envelope.
"Yes, however as your Head of House I've already seen your grades, you did very well," Severus said.
Rachel bit her lower lip and opened the envelope. The paragraph at the top indicated that these were the students grades for the 1992-1993 school year and their class ranking, along with a reminder that students were not allowed to use magic over the summer. Then it listed her grades. All Outstandings and she was ranked third in her class. She let out a sigh of relief.
"Rachel, I will not be displeased if you do not get perfect grades. I don't expect you to do so," Severus said.
"I know," Rachel said. And she did, and yet at the same time she really wanted to do well. It mattered now. And she knew that it mattered to Severus, at least somewhat. She wouldn't shame him by not doing well.
"Try to spend some of your time in pursuits other than studying," he said, putting down the last of the paper.
"I do. I read and I fly," Rachel said.
Severus nodded and stood up. "I should be back around lunchtime. If I'm not, please eat without me. Do not use the stove."
"I won't," Rachel said, not wanting to point out that she did know how to cook.
"If you need me, send Gladys," he said, glancing at where Gladys was sleeping on her perch.
"I will, but I'll be fine. I'm planning on writing to my friends and taking some notes for homework," she said, getting up to wash her own plate and silverware.
Severus apparated away and Rachel cleaned up the kitchen and took the page from the Daily Prophet upstairs. She got out her two-way book, said the password while holding the tip of her wand against the cover and flipped through to find the latest messages.
'Grades came this morning! How did everyone do?' was written at the top of a page in Hermione's writing. 'The Hogwarts owl brought mine all the way to France!'
'All Os, second in class. You were first, Hermione?' Theo had written next.
'Yes, all Os and first in class,' Hermione had written back.
'Six Os, one EE, fifth in class,' Millie had written after that.
'Five Os, two EEs, ninth in class,' Neville had written.
'Six Os, one EE, third in class,' was written in Luna's loopy handwriting
'Five Os, two EEs, seventh in class. My mom was very pleased, though she yelled at Ron, Fred, and George. They all failed history,' Ginny had written.
'All Os, third in class,' Rachel wrote, pleased that the study group had done so well. 'Ginny, I saw the picture of your family in the paper today. You look like you're having fun.'
'We are. It's really great to see Bill again. We've been to so many different tombs. Some of them are a little gross. My mom wouldn't let me go in one of them, which I think I'm okay with actually,' Ginny wrote back.
'No need to see gross stuff unless you have to,' Millie agreed. 'Are you going to be back in time for your birthday?'
'We will! I've already asked my mom and she said we can have all of you over on the Saturday after my birthday. I'll send invitations when we get back,' Ginny wrote.
'Rachel, do you want to come to my house on the 31st? Gran said it would be okay if we have you and Professor Snape over again,' Neville wrote.
'I'll have to ask Professor Snape. I'll let you know what he says,' Rachel wrote back. She thought that would be a good way to spend her birthday.
'We all did so well!' Hermione wrote, her writing larger than usual. 'I feel like our studying really paid off.'
'My father was pleased, at least. He said I could continue with the study group as long as I made sure to associate with "appropriate" people outside of it,' Theo wrote.
'I'm glad,' Rachel wrote. She hadn't said anything to Theo at Draco's birthday party, but she'd still noticed Theo's father watching them while they'd had cake when Draco was opening his presents. It had made her feel more than a little uneasy.
'Me too,' Millie wrote. 'We'll all be back at Hogwarts in five weeks. Not long now.'
Rachel blinked. Five weeks wasn't all that much time to finish the summer homework. She'd finished her assignment on medieval witch burning with the help of the book that Flourish and Blotts had recommended, but she probably needed to get started on her essay on Shrinking potions today.
She left her two-way book open as she began to take notes about Shrinking potions. She was so absorbed in her work that she didn't realize how much time had passed until she started at the knock on her door.
"Have you had lunch yet?" Severus asked.
"No, not yet, I didn't realize it was so late," Rachel said, putting her notes in her potions textbook and closing it.
"Come downstairs and we'll eat," Severus said.
Rachel followed him downstairs and they made sandwiches and cut up an apple to share.
"There's something I need to discuss with you," Severus said once they were sitting down.
Rachel looked up at him. That didn't sound good.
"Albus has hired a new Defense teacher for this year. I want you to be cautious around him," Severus said.
"Is he a Death Eater?" Rachel asked, putting down the slice of apple she'd been about to eat.
"No, he's not. But not every person who is dangerous is a Death Eater," Severus said.
"If he's dangerous, then why is Professor Dumbledore hiring him?" Rachel asked.
"Albus does not believe that he poses a danger to any of the students," he said, his lips pulling back in a grimace.
"But you do," Rachel pressed.
"I believe he has the potential to be dangerous. Which is why I want you to be cautious," Severus said.
"Okay," Rachel agreed. She supposed she could just avoid him the same way that she'd avoided Lockhart. "Should I tell my friends that they should be cautious as well?"
"You can say that I advise them to use caution if you believe that they can keep that information to themselves," Severus said. "I'm not supposed to bias students against him."
Rachel took a bite of her apple slice and wondered about how Professor Dumbledore hired Defense professors. The job certainly seemed like it was cursed, and not just in that they couldn't keep a professor for more than a year.
Severus set aside the latest issue of Brewers Monthly. It was deeply dissatisfying to see the state of modern potions making. Certainly some of the improvements that were made in potions were good, and even necessary, but no one pushed at the bounds of what was really possible. There were scant few inventors these days and he worried that potions making - like many of the old magical arts - was slowly being lost.
Rachel was sitting on the couch opposite him, deeply engrossed in the book she was reading. He'd seen her reading the Horath Bogtrotter books a number of times and wondered if he needed to take her back to Flourish and Blotts to get more books. He understood that what she could do over the summer while being fairly isolated was limited, but that shouldn't mean she should be stuck rereading the same books out of boredom.
A silvery phoenix appeared in the middle of the sitting room. "Severus, I must speak with you. May I join you at your residence?" it said with Albus' voice before disappearing.
Rachel had startled and dropped her book.
Severus pulled out his own wand and silently cast the Patronus charm. "To Albus Dumbledore. You may join me at any time you're ready." His silver doe bounded away.
"I've seen you do that before. What is it?" Rachel asked.
"The Patronus charm. It's a protection charm, but it can also be used to send messages," Severus explained.
"What type of bird was Professor Dumbledore's Patronus?" she asked.
"A phoenix," Severus said. "When Albus arrives I need you to go upstairs to your room."
Rachel immediately looked worried. "Something bad has happened?"
"I don't necessarily know if it's bad, but Albus wouldn't be calling on us this late if it wasn't urgent," Severus said. He had never known Albus to use a Patronus message if it wasn't a matter of urgency or of great import.
"Death Eaters maybe, or the Dark Lord," Rachel said.
Severus certainly hoped not. "I don't think it makes sense to speculate. Albus will come when he's able. We're not in immediate danger; Albus would have warned us to come to Hogwarts if that was the case," he said, hoping to reassure Rachel.
Rachel's brow furrowed. "You're not going to tell me what Professor Dumbledore says, are you?"
"That depends. If it's Hogwarts business or something to do with the Order, I can't tell you, but I will let you know that things are alright. If it's something to do with you directly, I will tell you," Severus said, hoping he could keep that promise.
"Okay," Rachel agreed. "Does this happen often?"
"No, not since the war," Severus said.
Both of them startled at the knock on the front door.
Severus rose and answered the door, wand in hand. "Albus," he said, moving back to let him inside.
"Severus, I apologize for the intrusion," Albus said as he came inside. "Rachel, how are you?"
"I'm fine, sir," Rachel said, moving so that she was by the staircase.
"Go on up, I'll let you know when we're done," Severus said.
Rachel turned and hurried up the stairs.
"We can speak in my office," Severus said. Once they were both inside with the door closed he cast a privacy ward.
"Are you concerned about Rachel eavesdropping?" Albus asked as he settled into the chair in front of Severus' desk.
"No, but I thought it was reasonable to take precautions," Severus said, taking a seat behind his desk.
Albus nodded. "Probably wise. I'm afraid I come bearing bad news."
Severus steeled himself, ready for Albus to tell him there had been a sighting of the Dark Lord.
"Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban early this morning," Albus said.
"What? How?" Severus demanded, working hard to control the flood of rage he felt.
"That we don't know," Albus said, shaking his head. "I went to Azkaban myself at the behest of the Minister, but I didn't find anything that suggested how he got out. There's a possibility Black didn't make it to land and he's dead somewhere at sea."
"Unlikely. If he escaped from Azkaban then he had a plan. Have the human guards been questioned? He could have bribed one of them to help him," Severus said, his mind searching for answers. No one had ever escaped from Azkaban before.
"Yes, they were questioned, which is what brings me here tonight," Albus said.
Severus paused and then the answer came to him. "He's after Rachel."
Albus inclined his head. "We believe so. Black was talking in his sleep and they heard him saying 'at Hogwarts' over and over."
"The protections on my house should be sufficient, but Hogwarts..." Severus trailed off, thinking over the empty spaces in the castle and the broad lands and the Forbidden Forest.
"Assuming Black is not captured by September, we will place additional protections. I spent two hours with the Minister and he is fully on board with protecting Hogwarts. I also convinced him to speak with the muggle Minister and have word spread of Black's escape there as well. We know that he is indiscriminate in who he will kill," Albus said.
Severus nodded, remembering. Black had killed twelve muggles along with Peter Pettigrew. And that was after he had betrayed Lily and James. Severus had inadvertently contributed to their deaths, but Black had done so willingly.
"The aurors are looking, as are the hit wizards, and the rest of the MLE is on alert. Black will have nowhere to hide," Albus continued.
"And I will protect Rachel," Severus said firmly. It would bring him deep satisfaction to be the one to bring Black down - there wouldn't be enough of him left over for the Dementors when Severus was through.
"I know that you will, and I will do everything in my power to assist you. Rachel's safety, and the safety of the rest of the students, is my highest priority," Albus said. "What are you planning to tell Rachel?"
"The truth," Severus said. She needed to know.
"All of it?" Albus asked. "I must admit my concern that it is a heavy burden to place on someone as young and as delicate as Rachel."
"I don't believe Rachel is as fragile as she appears," Severus said. He suspected she'd had to be strong in order to survive what she had. "The more seriously she takes this threat, the safer she will be. I need her to understand how much danger she is in so that she doesn't take any risks."
"It's been my understanding that Rachel is an obedient child. You don't believe she would listen to you?" Albus asked, his eyebrows raised.
"I believe she will listen to me, I've never had any problems with her breaking the rules. Still, I'd rather not take the chance that she will do something risky out of ignorance," Severus said.
"You know her best, so I will leave the decision to you," Albus said as he got to his feet. "Watch her closely, Severus. We must all be on alert until Black is captured."
"I will," Severus said, standing up and dispelling the privacy ward. He had to be.
Rachel looked up at the knock on her door, though she'd left her door open. "Professor Dumbledore is gone?" she asked as she put aside the Horath Bogtrotter book she'd been rereading.
"He is. May I come in and speak with you?" Severus asked.
Rachel nodded, though she felt her stomach clench. Severus had said he would tell her if what Professor Dumbledore said concerned her and it looked like it did. That probably meant Death Eaters or the Dark Lord.
Severus turned her desk chair so that it was facing her bed and sat down. "This requires a somewhat complicated explanation. Albus brought news that a man named Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban. We believe you are in danger from him."
"He's a Death Eater?" Rachel asked. That didn't seem so complicated to her.
"Yes. A spy and a traitor, though we didn't find out until too late," Severus said. "However, he's more than that. There's a personal connection."
"To you?"
"To both of us," Severus said. "May I see the photo album that Hagrid gave you?"
Rachel slid off her bed and went to her wardrobe and pulled out the photo album. She handed it to Severus and then sat down on the end of her bed, watching as he flipped through it.
"Sirius Black was in the same year at Hogwarts as your father, your mother, and myself. He was best friends with your father," Severus said as he came to a stop. "Here he is, on your parents' wedding day. Your father's best man."
Rachel accepted the photo album and looked at the photo. Her father was waving at the camera, beaming, while her mother was smiling brightly with her hand resting on her father's arm. Next to her father was a man, also smiling, his dark hair pulled back. "That's him?" she asked, tipping the photo album so that Severus could see who she was pointing to.
"Yes, that's him, though I imagine he looks a little different now. Azkaban takes a toll," he said.
Rachel shifted uncomfortably and closed the album. She was partially responsible for Leander being sent to Azkaban and that was not something she liked to think about.
"There's another thing you need to know. Sirius Black was named as your godfather," Severus said.
"Do I have a godmother?" Rachel asked.
"Alice Longbottom, Neville's mother," he answered.
Alice Longbottom, who had been tortured to the point of insanity by Death Eaters alongside her husband.
"What did Sirius Black do to wind up in Azkaban?" she asked, not wanting to dwell on the fact that a Death Eater was her godfather.
"He betrayed your parents, which led directly to their deaths. He also killed another friend of theirs, a man named Peter Pettigrew, alongside twelve muggles," Severus explained. "They captured him at the scene and soon after he was sentenced to life in Azkaban."
Rachel's mind was racing. Sirius Black had been a spy, except opposite what Severus was - he'd spied on Professor Dumbledore while really telling the Dark Lord about things. And her parents had been in hiding. "Sirius Black told the Dark Lord where to find my parents."
"Yes," Severus said with a slight nod. "Your parents were using the Fidelius charm and Sirius Black was the secret keeper. He was the only one who could tell someone where they were. The Fidelius charm is what hides our house, only Minerva can reveal the location to someone."
"You really trust her," Rachel said, looking over at Severus. She hadn't realized that he'd trusted her so much.
"I do, Minerva is one of the few people I trust completely. I cannot fathom her betraying us," Severus said. "If you are ever in need of assistance at Hogwarts and can't reach me, go to Minerva, Poppy, or Albus."
Rachel wondered if her parents had even thought of the possibility that their best friend, the man they'd named godfather to their child, would betray them. "Professor Dumbledore thinks that Sirius Black is after me because he got my parents killed?"
"Partially. In part, it is because he is a Death Eater and he will blame you for the fall of the Dark Lord, as many of them do. The other part is that he was found to be saying 'at Hogwarts' in his sleep. We believe that this indicates he will be searching for you," Severus said.
Rachel felt strangely chilled. A man who had killed people, a Death Eater, was searching for her. It sounded scary, but she wasn't sure she was scared. Mostly she was upset that he was responsible for her parents' deaths.
"I believe that the security we have on our house is enough. However, I am not comfortable leaving you here alone either," Severus continued.
"Can we still go to Neville's house tomorrow?" Rachel asked.
"Yes, I believe that will be safe enough. Black has no reason to expect you to be there," Severus said. "If he's not captured by the time we return to Hogwarts, additional security will be put into place. Albus is still making arrangements, but he assures me he has the Ministry's full support."
Rachel nodded.
"The Ministry and the MLE are searching for him and they've informed the muggles as well. They will find him. I will do everything I can do to keep you safe," Severus said, leaning forward and looking at Rachel. "I want you also to help keep yourself safe. I know you're not one to wander or to break school rules, but I want to emphasize the importance that you stay within bounds."
"I will," Rachel answered easily. She was good at not breaking rules. Most of the time. At the Dursleys it had been harder because their rules had been much more difficult.
"I must also at least temporarily break a promise to you," Severus said. "Last summer I agreed to take you to see the site of your parents' grave. I intended to take you this summer, however I believe it is too dangerous as Black might think to return there. The chances are slim, but I don't want to take that risk. Perhaps over the Christmas holiday, if he is captured by then."
"That's fine," Rachel said. She hadn't even realized that Severus had been planning to take her.
"I understand that this must be frightening," Severus said.
Rachel shrugged. "A little bit. But I can't see how he can get to us here, and there will be protections at Hogwarts, so I think it will be okay."
"I hope so as well," Severus said. "However, you must be on your guard. If you see something that strikes you as unusual or out of the ordinary, I want you to tell me. Also, I will be opening your mail from now on, though I won't read it."
"Okay, but why?" Rachel asked.
"Portkeys can be placed in envelopes and packages and can be set so they aren't activated until you touch them," Severus explained.
"What's a portkey?" Rachel asked. She thought she'd heard of it before, but she didn't know what it was.
"It's a little like apparating, but an object is charmed so that either at a specific time, or upon touch, it transports a person to another location," he said.
"That must make kidnapping people really easy," Rachel said with a frown. She supposed that apparating did too, now that she thought about it. You could just grab a person and apparate away.
"People who are in important positions often have stewards or clerks to go through their mail and to check for any hazardous charms or objects contained in them. The detection spell I taught you to use for eavesdropping charms also works to detect the portus charm, among others," Severus said.
Rachel nodded. "I guess I'll have to practice that one more."
"It would not be a bad idea, though I'm glad to check anything that you bring me," Severus said. "Do you have any questions?"
Rachel shook her head. She didn't think she had any questions, she just didn't know what to think.
"Alright. Please come to me if you have questions or if you're worried about anything," Severus said as he stood up.
"I will," Rachel said. She watched as Severus left the room and looked back at the book she'd been reading. Somehow Horath's adventures as an auror seemed a little unsettling right now. She looked at where her two-way book was sitting on her pillow by her stuffed bunny. She supposed she could write to her friends and tell them about this, but this seemed more like the sort of thing you told someone in person.
Plus, she didn't want them to worry.