Chapter 3: A Most Unwelcome Surprise

Summer of 1999

It had taken almost a year to clear his name. Too many hated him, too many liked to repeat the ever-same stories. In the end, Potter's insistence that he had always worked against the Dark Lord, his own memories and Shaklebolt's reluctant support had cleared him. The papers went crazy, naturally, and most articles didn't even contain one grain of truth. Of course, some had guessed correctly that love had been his motive for switching sides, though the women he was paired with differed wildly. One article cited his puppy love for Bellatrix as his reason to go over to the dark side in the first place. Had it not been so infuriating, it might have been amusing. So far, no one had guessed the truth. Thankfully, a number of clumsy attacks on Ministry officials soon drove his acquittal out of the papers, leaving them to instead bemoan the ineptitude of the new government. It had been foolish of Shacklebolt not to buy The Prophet as his predecessors had. Noble, perhaps, and upright, but foolish. That wasn't Severus' problem, of course. The letters that still kept coming, however, were. He never bothered with them anymore, vanishing the howlers as soon as they entered his house. It would pass.

McGonagall had allowed him to come back grudgingly after keeping him in suspense for a fortnight and Severus suspected the portrait of Dumbledore had weighed in on the Headmistress. Considering he was only a little enchanted paint, he still was very influential and, like his real life counterpart, at times superbly annoying, he remembered from his own Headmaster days.

Severus had of course not forgotten about Thorne. He hadn't found her yet but he would. Once he was back at Hogwarts, once he was protected by the reputation of his post and the reluctant allegiance of the Hogwarts teachers, he would take revenge. Unfortunately, of course, he couldn't venture too far beyond what was legal, he didn't intend to risk his existence for her. But there were still perfectly legal ways to torment people. First, though, he had a most unwelcome conversation to brave out.

Snape entered through the familiar gates and took in the view of the grounds. Dumbledore's white monument stook out like a sore thumb. Severus didn't walk past it. Wherever Dumbledore was now, he wasn't there. As always, an odd sadness mingled with anger and guilt whenever he thought of the man that had for so long been the only one who knew Severus as he was. Not that more people knew him that well now, of course. Potter, and probably his insufferable sidekicks. He doubted the boy had talked about the things he'd seen in the pensieve to anyone else.

Severus took the stairs up to the Headmistress's study without seeing anyone. The school year had not yet begun. Finally, he stood in front of those unmistakable gargoyles. "Biscuit," he told them and he walked up the short flight of stairs. He had dreaded this part the most. The Headmaster's study he had used to reside in, during his darkest days, servant to a portrait and a shadow. Those days lay behind him now. He was free. He had just always thought it would feel more liberating.

He knocked and McGonagall's cool voice asked him to come in.

"Severus," she said, her mouth a thin line. She had not forgotten his time as a headmaster. That was to be expected, naturally. Stubborn as a hippogriff, and just as proud.

"Minerva." He sat down.

"I was surprised to hear from you. I had thought it was Dumbledore that made you stay here, not a general interest in teaching."

Well, he had no general interest in anything else, so it was just as well.

"I served this school for almost twenty years," he pointed out quietly.

"With a varying degree of dedication, I would say." McGonagall's tone was sharp but behind Severus, someone coughed. Of course. Even as a portrait, the old man had to meddle with everyone's lives.

McGonagall closed her eyes and for a brief moment, Severus wondered whether she had ever wished to take it down. He knew he had. But then again, she had always been his most loyal follower. And he had never actually acted on his wish, admittedly. It had been Dumbledore who had kept him sane during those days.

"So, I will teach Potions again?" he asked her hastily, ready to leave this office he hated so much, ready to disappear in the Dungeons, ready to savour the cold and quiet.

"The Potions post is taken," McGonagall said sternly.

That surprised him. Slughorn had departed this summer, as far as he knew. There had been something in The Prophet, although of course Severus knew best how reliable their information was.

"Who –" he asked but she interrupted him.

"You will teach Defense Against the Dark Arts." The thin line of her mouth told him that this hadn't been her idea. He looked up to the portrait of Albus Dumbledore, but now, of course, the man was gone. He always knew how to evade conflict. Still, there was a strange sense of gratitude and...appreciation? Dumbledore had never trusted him enough to give him the post, not until three years ago and even then, it had been more a matter of necessity. Now, Severus knew, it was Dumbledore's way of telling him how content he was with him. His way of telling him that finally, Severus had earned his complete trust. A little too late.

"I better move in right away, then." He only had three weeks until the start of term.

McGonagall only inclined her head, her dark eyes fixed on his.

"You certainly know, Severus, that I distrust you immensely after the events of the war. Yes, your name has been cleared and as I understand you have done the impossible and fooled He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and thereby massively impacted this war in our favour. I do not seek to belittle these efforts. You can be certain, however, that I have not forgotten your brief and rather violent term as headmaster. And no matter what Albus says, I will be keeping an eye on you."

How frightening after years as a double spy in the Dark Lord's employ. Severus was very much inclined to retort something along those lines but Minerva was headmistress now and he had little interest in furthering this animosity.

"I am aware that my conduct during my term might have turned much of the staff against me. If you know of my role in the war, you must know, of course, that there was little else I could do."

She pursed her lips. "You did play your role especially convincingly, I would say."

"Considering what was at stake, playing my role convincingly, as you say, was imperative."

Now, McGonagall lost her temper: "Oh, for Merlin's sake, we both know you enjoyed bullying us around."

"Well, I will no longer be in the position to do that now, will I?" he said, quietly, neither agreeing with her assessment nor denying it.

"No. Though I cannot say the same for your students. Therefore be warned: I will not be as lenient as Albus. Should word reach me that you somehow abuse your power, I personally will see to it that you are never in the position to do so again."

For a moment, he felt the urge to sneer at her. Noble, faultless Minerva McGonagall. Iron of will and moral, always so firmly on the side of the good and right. Had she been in his position, Potter would have died a no doubt heroic but nevertheless useless death. It took a certain set of skills to become a double agent and Minerva certainly wasn't fit for the role. But that, too, would only get him into trouble.

"Oh, I understand completely, headmistress," he said instead as smoothly as he managed.

"You can take up residence in your old rooms. Your successor preferred a third floor classroom to the dungeons."

Foolish. Daylight spoiled many potion ingredients. But then again, finding a substitute for Slughorn must have been difficult. The war had cost them many talented witches and wizards and those that had survived had little intention to work at Hogwarts, the place of the final battle. Too many memories haunted the castle – and too many ghosts, now, too. He was fully aware that that was the only reason McGonagall had hired him.

Severus inclined his head, rose from his chair, nodded curtly and left the study. At least, he would have his old office back. In the dungeons, however, he was met with disappointment. His office, classroom and bedroom were all empty, what was worse, his private supply closet that had once contained all potions ingredients the average (and, of course, the exceptional) potion maker would ever need, was as well. He had worked hard to keep the collection of ingredients as large and variant as it was. And while he didn't need any potions for his new post, he felt as if he had been cheated. Those had been his after all, his fingertips had been all over the glass jars and bottles, he had hand collected everything the closet had contained. Severus hoped that the new Potions teacher, whoever he was, had at least had the sense to handle the ingredients with care. He would have to make sure his successor knew how, uh, precious these things were.

Minerva had said she'd keep an eye on him, which would prove a hindrance right away. Because, usually, if anyone touched Severus Snape's impressive collection of herbs and fungi and much stranger substances, he would face severe repercussions. This time, he would have to exercise restraint. Surely, his successor would agree that, as he had collected the supplies, he had every right to access them at any given time. Defense teacher or not, he had retained an interest in potions nevertheless. And to be very frank, whoever his successor was, he was undoubtedly no match for the Half-Blood Prince.

He had no idea how wrong he was then.

The next morning, he took the stairs up to the Great Hall with a spring in his step. Now that he had his safe post back, it was time to think about the woman. Thorne. Severus had spent many of his nights dreaming of what he'd do to her. He knew full well how to exploit the loopholes of the law, how to evade prosecution. He had by now decided that murdering her wasn't worth it. Yet, there were other, and not quite as illegal, methods to make a person's life miserable. Didn't he know best? Yes, Miss Thorne would get to know him properly soon enough. He only had to find her.

Severus had stepped into the hall. He was an early riser and had come to appreciate the emptiness of the hall at this time. Severus was halfway up the dais when he stopped, rooted to the spot. At the teacher's table sat a woman he would never forget again. Grey eyes, fixed on her porridge right now, the blonde hair pulled back into a bun, a purple hat on her head that matched her absurd robes, cocked slightly.

She raised her gaze and met his, then her lips curled into a knowing little smile. She wasn't surprised. She had known all along that her placement here would protect her from any revenge he could think of. She had known all along that he couldn't, wouldn't dare to attack her, a Hogwarts teacher, not with his own fate depending on this job.

"Good morning. It has been a while," she called out to him. For a brief moment, he hated her smile more than anything else. But then he caught himself. She was nothing but a petulant child, a self-important brat. Severus didn't need to ask her what she'd be teaching. And right now, he was adjusting his plans. Yes, perhaps he couldn't do anything too outrageous under McGonagall's wagging finger. But he knew full well how to make someone's life miserable. First hand experience, thanks to Potter and his gang. Severus would make her life here her own personal hell.

He slid into the chair next to her. "Don't think I've forgotten."

"Oh, I would be disappointed if I had left that little of an impression."

He smiled at her, the sort of smile that usually sent second years running.

"I would say," he said icily, never taking his eyes off hers, "that disappointment is the very least of your worries." Then he turned to his toast and eggs, his good mood naturally gone.

~o~

Severus prepared for his lessons. There were quite a few creatures and curses he would have to introduce and apparently, special attention should be given to combative magic, no doubt due to the rather high number of deceased students during the final battle. All things considered, he needed a large supply of healing potions. For that, however, he needed the right ingredients, most of which he had not bothered to collect, thinking a full supply closet awaited him here.

He had not talked to Thorne again and asking her was entirely out of question. Yet, had she not broken into his closet once, too? Wasn't he only paying her back in kind?

Soon enough, he found himself in the third floor corridor. She had chosen a corner office with views over the grounds. This apparent wish to keep an eye on her surroundings suited her controlling personality as did her rejection of the typical Potions classroom.

The closet was located between her office and her classroom, he figured out. Severus unlocked the door. She should have used a stronger –

"Aah!"

He had pushed down the handle, only to be catapulted away from the door, flying ten feet and landing, not very softly, on the cold stone floor.

"Well, I apologise, Snape, but this is now my supply closet. And you will have to ask me nicely if there is something you want from me." She stood in the door to her classroom, leaning against the frame nonchalantly, a superior smile on her lips. Had she waited for this to happen? Probably.

He got up and ground his teeth.

"These are my supplies."

"Hardly. I had to swap out most of these. When did you last teach Potions? Four years ago? You do know that most of these supplies have a rather short shelf life?"

He wanted nothing as much as wiping that smug smile off her face.

"Fascinating as your lecture undoubtedly is, you are not in the position to teach me," he said icily. He only wanted some ground moonstone, some merbug wings...But she wouldn't give him anything.

"No," she agreed serenely, "Teaching requires a willing subject."

He snorted. "Teaching requires a great deal more than that, but you'll find out soon enough. I imagine it will be an eye-opening experience."

She raised a brow. "Or it might go well."

"Your naivety is rather unoriginal. Fools that live their life without a plan, that stumble head first into situations, rarely manage to teach a subject as complicated and structured as Potions," he sneered in reply. The angrier she got, the more in control he felt. And this just now had angered her considerably, he noticed with some satisfaction.

"Just because the world treated you badly, that gives you no right to treat the world badly," she said, sounding like a precocious little girl. Yes, and just because someone might have treated you badly, that gives you no right to kidnap and humiliate him. Damned hypocrite. Yet, Severus didn't dare say anything about it out loud out of fear of being overheard.

"Your wisdom seems to know no bounds," he sneered. "What do you even know about the world?"

"You were willing to die, though for what I don't know. Some say you tried to right your wrongs, some say you tried to save your skin." Oh, look, you read the Prophet.

"And I assume you have come to an overly simplified conclusion as usual?" he sneered and it was this expression that made her livid. And the angrier she was, the crueler she became. She wasn't quite aware of that, she only noticed her desire to hurt him and acted on it, thinking herself perfectly level-headed only because she managed to keep her voice down.

"I think it is neither. You are not as bad as the Malfoys but you're no hero. Harry Potter was ready to lie down his life to end this war." Her voice was low, controlled, but she knew just how much her remark would sting.

"Harry Potter wouldn't have had a life to lie down without my help!" he snarled.

And he lashed out but she countered his anticipated spell with a lazy flick of her wrist. His anger had made him predictable.

"I am aware of your contribution. It does certainly not rectify your obnoxious behaviour," she insisted.

Her self-righteousness was breathtaking.

Again, he pointed his wand at her but again, she was quicker and a white-hot wave washed over him, had him stagger backwards.

"You are truly trying to prove my point aren't y –" she started, feeling much too sure of herself. Severus had known she would, sooner or later. Arrogance, after all, was quite predictable, too.

He had her pinned against the wall with a suffocation spell, her throat closed.

"Not so clever now, huh?" Her face was reddening. Severus didn't plan on murdering her, that would have been plain folly. He would release her in a moment.

"What is going on here?"

Severus wheeled around to find McGonagall stare at him with shock. Thorne had crashed to the floor with a loud thump.

"A professional argument has gone off course," Snape said smoothly.

Behind him, Cora rose from the floor coughing. He would have killed her, of that she was certain.

"A professional argument?" The Headmistress gave them an incredulous look, her face still flushed.

"About the effectiveness of potions in combat. Professor Snape demonstrated emphatically how a suffocation curse is more practical than The Strangler. Yet, poison makes up in numbers what it lacks in immediacy." Thorne's voice sounded more like an augurey's cry.

Her support came unexpected and unbidden but it seemed to divide the Headmistress's furious glares evenly between the two of them.

She was evidently not at all fooled. "I do not care what kind of feud you are having but I will not have any attacks on my staff. You will patch things up or you will leave, both of you."

"Of course, Headmistress," Snape heard the despicable suck-up say but he merely nodded silently. McGonagall's request was impossible. He would never patch things up with his kidnapper.

"I suggest you get ready for the banquet. The students will arrive shortly and I will not have them witness members of my staff behaving like rabid chimaeras." McGonagall looked at them as if they were still her students.

Thorne nodded and then left with the headmistress without as much as a glance in his direction. Severus should not have lost his temper.

Later, in the Great Hall, he noticed to his great dismay that the headmistress had seated them next to each other like unruly students, on Snape's left Flitwick, who was still dealing with the first year students, on her right Hagrid. She wore ridiculously over the top scarlet robes with ostentatious golden embellishments and a matching hat. Snape was pleased that from the Hall, she would stand out from the more sensibly dressed staff like a parrot among ravens.

Cora, on the other hand, hoped she didn't look as miserable as the majority of the staff in their black and grey robes. Flitwick, who had succeeded McGonagall as deputy headmaster, had brought in the first years and the Sorting began. Cora noticed that the hall was much less lavishly decorated than it had been under Dumbledore, although the hundreds of candles still floated in the air under a ceiling that looked very much like the night sky outside the windows. After "Zephyrus, Jane" had been sorted into Ravenclaw, McGonagall rose from her chair. The Headmistress' speech, delivered before the feast, not after, contained only the faintest hint of humour. Instead, McGonagall reminded the students of their duty to Hogwarts, of the tumultuous times, the stricter rules of conduct. Finally, she got to the staff announcements.

"I am pleased to inform you that Cordelia Thorne has taken over the position of Potions teacher from Professor Slughorn who has chosen to retire for good. Severus Snape will continue as Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher after Professor Jones has decided to pursue a career in Muggle Relations."

The Great Hall was filled with whispers. It was noteworthy that the woman that had been sought as The Poisoner for a year would now teach Potions. It was sensational that Severus Snape, perhaps the most controversial after-war figure, would teach Defense.

"Quiet, please," McGonagall didn't need to amplify her voice. "I understand these are no doubt exciting news." She waited a moment until the chatter had ebbed away, then she said, rather sternly: "In these still challenging times, Hogwarts will continue to uphold the values it has always stood for," now, Severus thought, the headmistress's eyes had definitely darted over to him, "integrity, unity, diligence and responsibility."

Cora had listened to McGonagall's speech intently. One thing was evident: No matter how much she had admired him, she was no Dumbledore. Neither did she inspire the same kind of awe in her students. But her prudence, strong sense of justice and impressive determination would make her the perfect headmistress to pick up the pieces.

The feast began. Cora hadn't spoken a single word with Snape yet and was determined to keep it that way. She wouldn't talk to him, not even if the apple pie stood on his left.

"You had a passable summer, Hagrid?" she asked pointedly.

"Been ter France," he replied and she thought under his enormous beard, he was blushing, "had a good time. And ya yerself?"

"I visited my aunt in Norway," Pippa related. This was to be her home. She wanted to make friends here. And if she had to prevent Snape from undermining her, it was even more important she got on well with the other teachers.

"Must've been cold," Hagrid said between two forks of shepherd's pie.

"It was rather mild. We saw Bowtruckles. You must know quite a lot about them. I wish I had taken a book with me to find out more."

For the rest of the evening, Hagrid needed only very few cues. He happily chatted away, moving from Bowtruckles to the Forbidden Forest, the centaurs, who had recently been angering him, to the growing unicorn population and so on. Snape at Cora's side hadn't spoken a single word as Flitwick was having a rather animated conversation with Aurora Sinistra. Cora thought, with a flicker of satisfaction, that the Hogwarts professors would need more than a year to forgive Snape's shortcomings as a headmaster. Yet, she was a blank slate. And she would show how nice she could be...to everyone but him.

It was coincidentally what Severus was thinking about that very moment. It was not exactly a bitter thought because, of course, he wanted nothing less than being friendly with her, but once again, he turned out to be the only outsider. It didn't hurt anymore. He had armoured himself in it. But he felt the injustice of it strongly. Had he not done everything to protect Hogwarts? Had he not done everything to protect them?

He saw nothing of her for the rest of the week, thankfully, as his teaching duties kept him occupied. The headmistress had requested a meeting in her office for the weekend and Severus knew she would weigh in on him. He knew of course that he shouldn't have cursed her, at least not in an unlocked classroom. Thorne riled him up, always had, even before she had gone too far last year. He knew that if he told McGonagall, she would see matters rather differently, but he couldn't bring himself to admit what Thorne had done because then he would have to explain what he had done two years ago and he would never.