Chapter 39: The Harsh Reality Of Talking Portraits
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.
{"With your imagination and emotions running wild...Fueling my frustrations like a fire burning, clock keeps turning...And I, I know it's getting underneath your skin...I've tried to tell you now...Don't look over your shoulder...'Cause that's just the ghost of me...You're seeing in your dreams...Wait, there's no rhyme or reason...Sometimes there's no meaning...In the visions when you're sleepin'...Don't wake up and believe them...You're looking at the ghost of me..."} Ghost Of Me, Daughtry
The Corridors, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Numerous narrowed eyes glared at spawn of Severus Snape as he moved as briskly through the lengthy corridors of Hogwarts like his late father the former Headmaster. He had been accompanied by Albus Severus Potter whom had made a point not to leave his side ever since he saw him at the gate. Scorpius Malfoy had also tagged along more out of curiosity and concern for Albus Severus than for fear of the strange wizard doing harm to anyone.
The youngest member of the Malfoy clan had been amazed to note that this stranger knew his father and grandfather. It was quite intriguing that he even insisted they were practically family although the youngest Malfoy did not recall seeing him around the breakfast table when he was a smaller child.
The boys had done their best to ensure the trip had gone off without a hitch, going so far as to steal the legendary Marauders Map from James Sirius Potter and making sure that Headmistress McGonagall was in a meeting with the other Professors and Staff. Filch had not been much for chasing about young wayward students and well he mostly neglected rounding up the Slytherin students saying it was his duty to carry on the tradition of adjusting the pecking order for "The Boy" whomever that had been.
It was essentially a clear shot to the Headmistress' office. Not much has changed about it since the days of Albus Dumbledore and Severus Snape well not much had changed since the days of Albus Dumbledore given that Snape's reign was more or less one of terror and no one wished to recall how he ruled the school with such an iron grip that the place lost most of it's magical charm and vibrant color.
Truth be told it was little more than a concentration camp for the magically adept in Snape's hands but to be fair the Potions Professor had not wished for such a weighted responsibility, he had been prepared to do battle from the shadows and even on the field if only to gain the chance to be free of both his ruling masters and return home to his wife and child only to be thwarted by Draco Malfoy being chosen to murder Albus Dumbledore.
Bringing down the despot had not been the responsibility of the innocent boy despite him being the son of Lucius Malfoy, whom had been tasked long ago with such a duty but it could not have been performed from the cell he had at Azkaban.
So that left only one.
Severus Snape was all that was left to carry on with the oath he took while he had still been a young wizard with aspirations beyond the walls of Hogwarts or the limited scope of wizarding England.
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Headmistress' Office, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
The heavy double oak wood doors of Albus Dumbledore's former Office opened and Regulus stepped inside finding himself amid the shocked gasps from the numerous lines of Headmasters that had taken office in this very room.
His raven hair and pale flesh had been quite an indicator as to whom he had come to see as they all turned their attention to the massive portrait on the far left corner of the room. It was clear that whomever occupied this office had not wished to look upon the face of the former Headmaster despite his term being the shortest in history, he was no doubt legendary in his own right.
The twinkling blue eyes of the Headmaster before him had been fixed on the younger version of the former Potions Professor. Regulus recognized him instantly as Albus Dumbledore the former Headmaster of Hogwarts Castle and his father's employer.
"So this is young Regulus." said Dumbledore looking over at Snape as if he had discovery his well kept secret long ago.
"What are you doing here boy?" hissed Snape narrowing his obsidian eyes at him.
"I came to see you old man." replied Regulus with more or less the same expression.
The seemingly strange scene had gotten the full attention of the other Headmasters who gasped when presented with the boy's accent.
"He's a bloody American." said one of them astonished.
"What magical school did he attend?" asked another.
"Ilvermorny." replied Regulus not taking his eyes off his father.
The wizard had looked more or less as he did when he last saw him alive.
"Severus...when did you find time to sire a son?" asked Headmaster Phineas Black.
"My personal life is none of your business old man." muttered the portrait of Severus Snape in annoyance.
He turned his attention back to the young adult his son had become in his absence.
"Why have you come here boy?" asked Snape still wishing to know the answer to his original question.
"I told you I came to see you old man." replied Regulus balling his fists.
"So you've seen me." said Snape not at all wishing to entertain his son's idiotic notions of closure.
"Father..." began Regulus not knowing what he wished to say to the wizard at all now that he had been in front of him.
Finding out this talking portrait nonsense had been true was a shock in it of itself.
"Interesting name, Regulus?"said Dumbledore looking at Snape. "I believe your namesake was the great great grandson of our Phineas Black."
The former Slytherin headmaster looked over the younger Snape with a small sense of pride behind his dark gaze.
"Why Severus...I am flattered that you would name your own boy after..." Phineas had been at a loss for words for a moment. "My grandson...Regulus."
Snape had not been one for sentiment even in death.
"Are you quite finished?" he asked annoyed.
Phineas sighed.
"Pay him no mind boy...his temper his as it was when they painted the portrait I'm afraid." he said in sympathy.
"He's been this way for as long as I can remember, or rather when it comes to talking to me." said Regulus once more looking at his father.
Before the younger Snape could utter another word the impatient former Potions Professor utilized his former magical gifts to gain more information on the boy from the passed nineteen years.
Regulus found himself struggling against the invasion briefly before Snape smashed passed his wards.
The rapid images of his life following the conclusion of the second wizarding war came flooding to the surface. His mother's slow decent into depression and the end result of her tragic death caused the elder Snape to pull back from the mental connection. He had not been expecting that in the least and it clearly had a tremendous affect on him.
"Once a foolish girl always a foolish girl." he muttered before turning away from everyone watching him.
"Severus?" said Dumbledore concerned for a moment.
Snape sighed letting the images burn into his painted mind before he turned his attention back to his son.
"Leave here." he hissed rather angrily. "There is nothing more for you here."
"Father who is Arcturus?" asked Regulus balling his fists.
"What?" asked Snape with an arched brow.
"Who is Arcturus?" asked Regulus once more. "And why does he see it as his personal mission to avenge you?"
"How the hell should I know?" asked Snape confused as he looked over his son. "The last perosn I knew to be named Arcturus was Regulus Black, your uncle and name sake."
"Y-You don't think it's him?" asked Regulus attempting to make sense of all of this.
"For Merlin's sake boy...Regulus Black was killed before you were born...if you need conformation just ask Potter, he and Albus found his body." said Snape still very much annoyed.
Regulus Snape had been stunned by these words as he looked over at the blue eyed elder wizard whom had been studying him it seemed.
"You carry your father's abrasive spirit." he said almost fondly. "But you also bare your mother's sweetness and that is your saving grace."
"My father's intellect was my saving grace old man." said Regulus knowing exactly whom it was he was speaking to. "I came here to talk to my father but it seems this was a wasted trip."
"Not wasted." replied Dumbledore with a sad smile. "He wished to see you even if he doesn't act like it...he wished to know of your fate and that of your mothers although from the look on his face...she did not make it?"
Regulus shook his head.
He turned his attention back to his father whom had left his portrait.
"Some things never change." he muttered before turning and walking out of the office.
As the boy had gone, Albus Dumbledore turned his attention toward Snape's portrait.
"That boy loves you." he said. "And he's hurting a great deal."
Snape's Portrait sighed as he sat down looking as exhausted as he had been in life. He seemed to age a bit more following the discovery of his wife's death from his son's mind.
"What can I do about it old man?" he asked. "My time has come and gone...he's going to have to get passed this himself."
Dumbledore's blue eyes flickered as young Albus Severus ventured into the office.
"Maybe not." said the former Headmaster with a sad knowing smile.