Dumbledore cursed his luck, he had enough problem for day without Snape's cribbing and complaining. The man had the ego of a child who needs to be coddled regularly.
"Headmaster, I see none of your plans came to fruition. All your promises for naught. First you told me that Lily died, and I saw the body, when I went to the house today, I went with hopes of her being alive. I had the potions ready to subdue her as you suggested. But now with Potter and Black alive.' He spat,' forget the potion to subdue her, I won't be able to see her properly. The property in Godric Hollow was not secure as Potter's manor. I told you we had to get it destroyed and blame it on Dark Lord.. but no you did not listen.. well now they have a place to hide away.. I hope your happy.' He ranted.
Dumbledore was seething, it was true he held back from the manor being destructed. The main reason being the Potter's were old family with lot of secrets and powerful artefacts and books which would have been in his hand if the Potter had died as he had planned. He would have named himself the benefactor of the estate and got hold of everything. Well he still had the cloak and the wand.
He calmed himself down and said in most grandfatherly voice 'Well Severus, sometimes some things do not go our way but that does not mean we sit and cry over spilt milk. Fate played her hand in favour of the Potters' and friends. I would suggest you calm down and help me make plans to ensure things go our way. They currently have to much power and wealth at their disposal. We need to ensure it is used in the direction I prefer. For all its worth they are magically powerful and to my ever dismay have the intelligence to move the masses in their favour.'
Snape was rapidly losing his patience with the old man praising the stupid Potter and Black. He played the role of spy for both sides to further himself and the risk he took to do it was nothing compared to Potter or Black. They were nothing compared to him. He was a successful potion master but did not have enough funds to expand himself. His stupid weak mother was a Prince for crying out loud but she married the delinquent muggle abuser Tobias Snape and was disowned by the Prince family forcing him to be at the mercy of Voldemort and Dumbledore, otherwise he would have claimed Lily as his chattel or something using pureblood laws,but Potter had more social standing now. How he wished the Dark Lord had done his job and kept his promise about Lily.
He nodded and said 'Well, what plans have you laid for the coming times. I am sure Potter, Longbottom and Black are not fighting amongst themselves to be in your presence, from what I see.'
'There is no need to be sarcastic my boy. Like I said the plans we made didn't work out as expected, despite them being alive the ace in our hole is the prophecy. I am sure the child we placed on the Dursley doorstep is an illusion, so no point on dwelling that, I was distracted by Minerva's presence to actually scan the child and the passive scan had showed low magic levels, my plan was to go back later put the blocks on the child to ensure he cant access the family magics or his own magically reserves beyond a limit.' He said in low voice, his employment of occlumency alone kept his rage in control.
'From my understanding Headmaster, they are not willing to speak with you as such now. Whatever plans you make will be difficult to implement as they are essentially out of reach,' he sneered.
Dumbledore was losing his patience with Snape's attitude, but he was a precious resource as a potion master with no moral side to speak of. He said 'I know that my boy. I don't intend to act directly. My plans are to approach them through someone else who is my trump card, she will ensure that they will be loyal to me once more. This is where I will require your expert service. I will need your blend of loyalty potions and some magic dampening ones like before. Also, since James' sister is back with them, while I admit I did not know of the development, is a blessing in disguise.' Dumbledore folded his hand on the large table and continued 'from what I remember, she was a weak child and was attacked as a child and was in a facility aboard somewhere. We will require some potion to counteract whatever treatment she received.' He walked to his book self and pulled an old tomb. He turned to a page earmarked and read it and then handed it over to Snape.
Snape read the instructions and description on the page and felt giddy the potion was essentially to drive a person mad as the magic would start eating them from inside. The person who ingest the potion would slowly lose the ability to cast, instead any spell would result in driving the person over the edge. It would work slowly for normal person like Potter or Black, but someone with a history of trauma would be an easy target.
He nodded, 'I require some materials, rest can be acquired from the school storage.'
Dumbledore clapped his hands and said 'excellent, purchase any required material and charge it to the school funds. I am hoping all the potions can be ready to be administered soon. Also, since I have convinced Slughorn to retire, you will have no issues to work in the potion room and takeover his position. He will be announcing it soon and hoping that you will be willing to takeover from him as there is no one better to the position.' He smiled at the dour position. Slughorn for all intent and purpose was an excellent teacher and encourage talent, the result being a high number of potion experts, a huge number went into healing and auror force, which was not a necessity. A healer and an Auror need to be elite professions only meant to be occupied by people he felt was worthy enough. With Snape being the teacher, he can control the ebb and flow of careers going forward. He worked hard to ensure that there was no competent DADA teacher over the year but sometimes it is hard to keep that in check, well now one more subject to control and he will ensure no can surpass him. He is the leader of light and one of the powerful wizards, no one had the right to be ahead of him.
Snape nodded, it was a good position. The castle was Dumbledore's strong hold and he could do as he pleases without any repercussion. He said 'I will take your leave now and begin the work on the necessary potions. I will have the loyalty and magic dampening one's ready by the end of this week. The other one requires a fortnight to brew, if I get all the ingredient and began immediately.'
Dumbledore nodded, and he watched warily as the man stormed out. It was risk to keep him near the school but if he can keep his tendencies and sadism in check it would not be hard. Snape's obsession on Lily Potter amused him to great extent. It was obvious he wanted the woman, nothing more than a slave, simply because she was James'.
He took a deep breath to clear his mind and then he had to visit his next accomplices. He stood up and took the ward down on the portraits of previous headmaster. He walked over to the floo and tossed some powder and said, 'The Burrow'. He looked around the hovel and saw the youngest of the Weasley in the play pen. The Weasley matriarch rushed in through the door.
'Hello Headmaster. How are you? Shall I serve you some tea and cake.'
'Haa , Molly I would love some tea and cake, please join me and ward the place, I have some important matter to discuss with you.'
Molly nodded in understanding and flicked her wand toward the kitchen to get the necessary thing going to serve tea and cakes. She then stalked upstairs and cast a spell to put all her children at home, expect the youngest to sleep. She didn't want them interfering. She only had hope for Percy and her youngest, the rest were too much like Arthur.
She came back to the dining room and put up the ward to prevent eavesdropping and check her clock to ensure Arthur was still at the ministry.
She sat down and waited for Dumbledore to speak. He took a sip of the tea and kept the china back on the weathered table with a grimace.
'I hope you have been following the news, it is much to my dismay that the plan we made lay in tatters. No worries though sometimes a setback gives a games chance for better steps ahead. While I agree we lost the Potter and Black vault access we still have the other orphan funds which I made sure in my controlling interest. We have to be satisfied for the time being or rather till the time, you Molly can bring my plans into effect.'
Molly shot him look at the mention of new plans. She was in this only for the wealth. She was forced to marry into the Weasley family by her father and brothers, they didn't agree with her view that they didn't have much wealth. Her father made sure she had to obey whatever Arthur ordered but to her luck he was a weak-minded fool who could be manipulated easily. She played him well enough to ensure that her will was the law in the household. What angered her most was the Prewitt wealth went on a freeze as soon her idiot brother got themselves killed. It can only be accessed by Charlie when he is 21. Till the time she had to rely on her useless husband for any kind of finance. Dumbledore was a blessing, he came to her asking for help, she would have done it free ask he had ensured her record was clean from some mistake she made while in school. But he was generous and ensured a handsome amount every month, it would pay for some luxuries and comforts over the years. She kept it separate and used it carefully such that no flag were raised in Arthur or the elder kids minds.
Dumbledore sensing her willingness already continued outlining his plans. Molly was not involved in the Order but she would be respected as her late brother were great and honourable aurors. Gideon and Fabian died tragically but Molly didn't get the the control of their family wealth as he expected, well no worries it was nothing compared to the Potter and Black. The idiot twins has their wills sealed with the goblin until Charlie Weasley attained the age of 21 and the requested unsealing.
He took a bite of the lemon cake and continued, 'it is imperative that you need to integrate yourself with the Potter and Longbottom family immediately. I need to ensure they do not stray from the light. Sirius Black is bad influence on them. He is after all a Black. I have some potions to make things easy, I will have them out to you soon. Meanwhile try to be familiar with them and get some favour in. I am sure they will appreciate your help and of course your excellent cooking.'
Molly blushed at the praise and nodded her acceptance. She said ' I will ensure it Headmaster. I think it should be easy as Ron is their brats age and I can arrange a play date and include them and then work from there.'
Dumbledore gave Molly an approving smile and excused himself to return to Hogwarts. He returned to his office and sat down behind the large desk and looked through the window. He had long way yet. The minor ones out of the way, now he needed to ensure that the poor death eaters were pardoned or at least to ensure their punishment were not harsh. They were misled by Tom. They could be turned back to the light for the greater good. He settled in seat, while the cogs in head turned to make plans to integrate him as a figurehead for the magical world. It was important at this stage as while he was the headmaster and chief warlock he needed a place in ICW to ensure they do not interfere into the matter in Britain. A minor setback was no issue, he will be back on top. He ensured it with some well placed plans which was in motion. He will ensure that he is at the helm of the wizarding world after all there no one better than him to guide the world than himself.