Summary: What do you do, when all your hopes and dreams crumble at your feet? Well, you take a deep breath, put on a clean pair of shoes and start all over, that's what.
WIND BENEATH MY WINGS
Chapter 4: Sábado por la mañana (Saturday Morning)
Just as Ari was climbing into bed, he noticed the letter from Albus he had placed on his bedside table earlier. After debating whether or not to read it now, he finally decided to do so.
My Dear Boy,
Imagine my surprise when, a few years ago at the Summer Headmaster's Conference, my old friend, Alex, showed me pictures from his granddaughter's christening and there you were! I was quite pleased to see that you have found a new home and family. Alex assured me that you are quite happy and that he has all but adopted you as his own.
I was very worried when you left to 'try out your own wings'. I did not believe you were ready, though I am glad to have been proven wrong. My research has revealed your accomplishments as Aristo and you have made me quite proud of you. Only now, looking back, am I able to see the many mistakes I made. I hope you still have it in your heart to forgive an old fool, though a well-meaning one.
Your departure left a large hole in our lives – in particular, that of one man who has shown few what is hidden within the shell he has built to protect himself. Many have accused him of driving you away from our lives – his godson included, though Draco has shouldered some guilt for it as well.
As you are aware, Severus has had a hard life. He has a tendency to lash out at the people he cares about in an effort to protect himself before he can be hurt. His justification is that if he alienates you, then you can no longer hurt him. It took him a long time to realise that he was hurting himself the most. He has never been open with his emotions, but after you left, Severus truly shut down. For the first few years after you left, he was unreachable. Slowly, he is coming back to life.
I am one of the very few who was privileged to see behind his stone façade. Severus has changed much and has somewhat mellowed with the years. (Do not tell him I said that, however.) Even the tendency to intimidate his students has been heavily curbed. He is quite remorseful for the way he treated you and has often asked if I have had any news. I know he cares about you very deeply. I believe it is long past time for him to test out his wings as well.
I have made arrangements for Severus to deliver this letter to you upon my passing. I have not shared with him (or anyone, for that matter) your identity. I do not know if I have the right to ask you to indulge me once more, but please, give him another chance.
I will be here awaiting you when the time comes for you to embark on your own next great adventure. In the meantime, enjoy all that this current one has to offer.
With fondest wishes,
Albus
Ari felt his heart lighten just a little.
0-0-0-0-0
Severus awoke in the morning, but lay in bed for a while enjoying the rare experience of not having to get up immediately. He listened to the soft sounds of the the surf. Eventually, the quietness of the cottage filtered through and he realised that he didn't hear Ari either.
He got up and prepared for the day, donning a pair of black jeans and a dark green button-down shirt. He went towards the kitchen and found a note from Ari propped up against a mug. "I went for a run, but I'll be back soon. In the meantime, if you want coffee, close the little door at the top of this machine. There are some pastries in the container on the other counter. Help yourself."
Following the instructions, Severus shut the little door and the machine hummed to life. A few moments later, he gathered up his cup of coffee, chose a pastry and went out to the front porch to watch the ocean. About fifteen minutes later, he spied Ari returning from his run.
Ari stretched his muscles to cool down, then came up the porch steps before he spotted Severus. "Good morning," he smiled. "How did you sleep?"
"Quite well, thank you. It's incredibly peaceful here."
"I rarely get nightmares anymore. The surf lends a lot to meditation."
"What kind of filling was in the pastries? It was rather sweet."
"Oh, you must have chosen the arequipe. You might know of it as dulce de leche. No? Well, it is a mixture of milk and sugar heated and condensed into a sort-of spreadable caramel. It's quite popular. I also have quesitos, similar to sweetened cream cheese and there are some guava, a fruit with a flavour somewhere between a strawberry and a pear."
He led the way inside. "I assume you had no trouble with the coffee machine. Would you like another?" At Severus' nod, he pulled out two new capsules from the canister and refilled the water in the machine.
"After I shower and we eat a proper breakfast, we'll head on over to the school. My potions group starts at 9 and then defence at 10:30. I usually eat lunch at the school dining room and use that time as an impromptu Q and A session regarding the morning. After that, we can come back here and freshen up before heading to Old San Juan. Alternatively, you can just hang around the cottage all morning until I get back and we'll go then. It's up to you."
"No, I think I will come with you. I'm interested in seeing these study groups of yours."
"That's fine. I daresay the students will be thrilled to have Severus Snape visiting. Okay – I'll be back out in 15."
0-0-0-0-0
As they were walking to the school compound, Severus asked, "I noticed that the men here all wear a similar type shirt with pleats. Is that the local fashion?"
Ari laughed. "Sort of. It's called a guayabera. They are used for men's professional and formal wear in the hot, humid weather that is common here in the Caribbean. There are some differences in style such as the number of pockets or pleats, but traditionally they have two columns of pleats on the front and 3 on the back and they are usually in a pastel colour. Sometimes embroidery is added to the pleating. They also always have a straight bottom hem and are never tucked in. They are quite comfortable. Maybe we should buy you a couple in town later," he added with a smile, "though I am having trouble envisioning you in pastel."
"So, tell me about these study groups you run. Are they like your DA?"
"Somewhat. These sessions are only for the upper school. I meet with each year group 3 times a semester, so approximately once every six weeks. This week are the 11th graders – equal to Hogwarts' 6th years. First, we sit down to review the current topic and then we address any lacking knowledge or understanding. Afterwards, we have a practical session."
"Are you the only professor who runs study sessions?"
"No, we encourage the others to run them as needed for their subjects. Most professors rarely have the need to do so as often as I do. As you well know, both potions and defence are important subjects to make sure there are no gaps in knowledge as the skills and understanding build on previous lessons.
"The professors for arithmancy, runes, charms and transfiguration are the only other instructors who feel the need to set up sessions more than once a semester. The remaining professors only offer a study group in the week prior to semester-end exams. I believe, in addition to mine, the only other session today is for seventh grade charms – equivalent to Hogwarts' third years."
0-0-0-0-0
"Buenas días, Alex," Ari greeted as they reached the study hall.
"Buenas días, Ari y Severus. ¿Cómo están?"
"Bien. Bien, Alex. ¿Y tú?"
"I'm well. I see all six of your students have shown up already. What is today's topic?"
"Well, in Defence, I plan to work on silent casting of blocks. The kids were excited about the idea of silent casting, so I imagine they all wanted the extra practise. In Potions, we will be working with fluxweed-based potions."
"You only have six students?"
"Yes, I told you it was a smaller school than Hogwarts. But NEWT classes there are not much bigger, are they?"
"Our NEWT defence rarely has less than 20; sometimes we even open another section to keep the numbers down."
"Wow. I didn't realise Hogwarts had gotten so large."
"We have about double the number of students that we had during the war years."
"That is very impressive. Albus never mentioned school size to me in our correspondence. Well, gentlemen, I must do some office work. I will come by a bit later to see how things are going."
"Tengas un buen día, Alex."
0-0-0-0-0
"Hola a todos. Tenemos un visitante hoy. Por favor, saluda a Severus Snape, el Gran Maestro de Pociones."
"Hola." "Bienvenidos." "Salud." Severus nodded back at them.
"Okay, let's get started. Today, we will be working with fluxweed potions," Ari said while writing the word at the top of the blackboard. He added below it: Latin name, location, season, appearance, potions/preparation for each.
"I need three volunteers… Angela, Ricky y Stefano. You know what to do." Each student filled in the top three answers on the board according to the order their name was called.
"Great! Here it is…" Ari pointed his wand at the board and a full-colour 3D image of the plant appeared. "As you can see, it is a tall sparse plant with small purple flowers. It is a member of the mustard family and is also used in many healing potions. Its name, 'flux', tells you that it is useful in potions causing change. Who can name one? Roberto?"
"Colour-changing potions."
"Correct. Paula?"
"Polyjuice."
"Yes. I can tell you that it doesn't add anything positive to the flavour, however." There was a small burst of laughter.
"Okay – one more? Joaquin?"
"Animagus potions."
"Good answer."
"Well done. Come on up and choose your potion of the day," Ari said, holding out a small cauldron.
Severus watched as each of the six students came up and withdrew a paper from the pot. Ari drew the last one and opened it. He laughed. "Well, I got polyjuice – lucky me."
"Alright. Preparation. For polyjuice, the weed must be picked at the full moon. We use only the leaves and each must be sliced once from end to end." Ari listed his comments on the board. "As you all should know from your reading, my potion will not be completed today. How long will it take? Ricky?" "A full month."
"Very good. Who wants to go next?"
Severus continued watching and listening as the students displayed well-researched knowledge for each of their chosen potions.
"I think we are ready to start then. Collect your ingredients."
Ari came over to Severus while the students were gathering whatever they needed. "The students are told a week in advance of the topic for the study group. Their job is to research the plant and all associated potions. They won't know which one they will get until they choose it from the cauldron, so they must be knowledgeable about them all. Then I choose one potion per student and one more for me. That way, even the last student to choose still has a choice.
"Following the study group, each student is to write up his or her potion giving its preparation in detail. They need to include peculiarities, difficulties, colours and consistencies at each stage, etc. Then all the essays, after correction of course, are bound into a study guide for their end of semester exams. Since they all benefit from it, they do their best. No one wants to be the student who didn't provide the proper information."
Just as Severus was about to respond, Alex came in. "How's it going, Ari?"
"I got polyjuice again," he laughed.
"Tough luck. Do you mind if I steal Severus away for a bit?"
"Not at all – I need to go set up my cauldron as well. Unless Severus minds. Severus?"
"I am fine with that. I don't think I need to watch the brewing. Thank you, Ari. That was quite interesting. I will see you at lunch."
Ari nodded his agreement and turned back to his class. "¿Están todos listos?"
0-0-0-0-0
"Do you have study groups like these at Hogwarts?"
"No, we don't. I was actually quite impressed. It's an interesting idea and I can see that the students learn much from it. Are they required to attend?"
"No, but they do so anyway. Ari has a unique teaching style and his students love him. We have the highest potions scores on our exams in the Americas. Many of our students go on to study potions or related fields. You might even have heard of a few – Felipe Lantana, Herman Sabor and Maria Barron."
Severus paused and faced Alex. "They are Ari's former students?"
"Yes – he is quite proud of them."
"As well he should be," Severus commented turning back to the path and falling into a contemplative mood. Alex let him be until they reached his office.
"¿Quieres té o café?"
"Coffee, please. I have discovered in the short time I have been here that good English tea just isn't your thing. But I do enjoy the coffee."
After a few moments, Severus inquired, "You mentioned that you have had correspondence with Albus. How long have you known him?"
"I met Albus about 30 years ago when I attended my first Headmasters Conference. He was assigned as my mentor since I was new to 'the business'. We have kept up a correspondence since then. Of course, it has changed tone over the years. At first, we only discussed professional issues, but eventually it took on a more friendly tone.
"We began to discuss politics, the war in your community and issues with staff and students as well. At the summer conference following the end of your war, Albus was the most carefree I had ever seen him. All his well-laid plans had worked out. Since the war was over, he felt he was free to share some of them with me.
"I find it incredible that he was able to be involved in so many different aspects of the wizarding world, including being leader of his resistance army, and was able to have such success with each. He must have been a force to be reckoned with. He did admit, however, that he had made many mistakes along the way. He was especially remorseful regarding his treatment of you and Harry Potter. He felt he had no choice but to manipulate your lives as he did. I know he had hoped to make it up to the both of you before he passed on.
"A few years ago, at the conference, Albus became very interested in photographs I showed him of my granddaughter's christening. Later, when I thought back on it, I realised how odd that was. I did some checking on my own and eventually came to the conclusion that Ari was once Harry Potter."
"Does he know that you know?"
Alex nodded. "No, because it really makes no difference to us. Ari's accomplishments in England garner no more accolades here than any other successful soldier.
"Regardless, Albus must have made the difficult decision not to interfere in Ari's new life – only asking for generalities about him. I believe he wanted to make sure that Ari was happy but refused to cross the line anymore."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Alex refilled his coffee while he thought of how to phrase his answer, offering to do the same for Severus, who declined.
"I could tell that Albus was comforted that Harry had found his way, but he was still quite worried about you. While you were better off than you had been, he felt it was his fault that you were so lonely and had no better prospects than as a school teacher. His use of you as his spy, and the person you were forced to become in order to be successful, forged you a reputation that was near-impossible to shed. He was pleased that you seemed to have mellowed a bit when Harry started teaching at Hogwarts, but was powerless to stop the collision when it came."
"I know things changed after Voldemort's defeat, but after so many years of being Albus' spy and lapdog, it was difficult for me to change as well."
Alex nodded his head at Severus declaration. "I hope you don't feel that I am being too forward, but I noticed that you and Ari seem to get along well. It is 'comfortable' between you two."
"Yes, it has been. Unexpectedly so. When Albus asked me to deliver Ari's letter, I had no idea who it was. I was shocked when I realised and I was angry at Albus for meddling once more. But Ari was surprisingly pleased to see me. He has made me feel welcome from the first.
"I find myself liking Ari as much as I hated Harry. I am amazed at the person he has become. My initial thought upon realising who he was, was to drag him back to England with me. But I can't do that. He is happy here. He loves his job and the people around him. This is his home and his family. I can't conceive of forcing Ari to become Harry again. I think I will miss his presence when I go back."
"About that…"
Severus sharpened his gaze.
Alex laughed. "Hold on! Don't accuse me of interfering. I had no idea that Albus would pass on now but the situation I find myself in seems somehow fortuitous.
"Our school has grown tremendously in the past few years. The governing board of the school has decided that it is too much for one person – me – to handle. So they decided to split the administration of the school into lower and upper levels with a deputy for each and leave me as the Headmaster overall. An announcement went out a month ago that we are searching for an administrator for the upper school. We began taking applications last week. Ari had expressed interest in heading the lower school and has already been offered the position for next year.
"I am asking you to submit your application as well. I believe you have the skills and experience we need and you already have established some rapport with the staff. Additionally, as with Ari, your deeds in the war are inconsequential to us. You may consider this weekend as your interview, if you'd like.
"One of Albus' regrets was that you would only be able to progress within Hogwarts when those with seniority over you were either gone or had declined promotion. He felt you would be a terrific administrator given the chance – that you had a deep-seated sense of fairness and moral conviction. Here, you would be able to start at that next level already. And, as a bonus, you can also 'reinvent' yourself here. No one but Ari knows the 'old' you."
Severus was quiet. "Albus wrote me a note that I received after his funeral. In it, he said that I should enjoy life and find the happiness that is 'out there' for me somewhere. Do you think this is what he meant?"
"Are you asking me if he 'manipulated' things for you from beyond the veil? We have no way of knowing until you can ask him that question yourself. But I think you can recognise this as 'the opportunity of a lifetime'. Would it be so bad if he did – if this is what you want too?"
"I appreciate the offer, Alex. I need to think about it. And I need to make sure that Ari would be amenable to it as well. I don't want to encroach on his 'territory'."
Alex smiled, "If I am reading Ari correctly, I don't think he would mind at all. In fact, I think he would be quite happy to welcome you, as would the students. Take as much time as you need – until the end of July when we need to finalise our staff."
0-0-0-0-0
"… with a small flick of your wrist on the end to anchor it in place. Try it again. Yes, just like that, Joaquin. That was perfect. Okay, everybody. Let's wrap it up for today. I expect you each to write up the advantages and disadvantages for each block, the type of situation in which it is best used and to analyse your own abilities as regards each one. Both this essay and your essays on fluxweed potions will be due at the end of the month. Any questions? No, well I will be here for lunch if you think of anything. Have a great weekend."
0-0-0-0-0
Please review!
(A/N: Where necessary, I have tried to use simple Spanish that can easily be understood from the context and/or from responses. I hope I have succeeded, but please let me know if I have not.)