The following few weeks were filled with sporadic incidents of arguing and brawls, both with wands and with fists as emotions ran high following the slide show. Mindful of the warning the mind healers had given him, Snape made certain that students were assigned essays rather than lines and had one on one sessions with their heads of house to talk things through. Snape had many of the dark family children in his own office and found those talks challenging as it was now known that he had been a spy. Many vented their anger at lost and incarcerated parents at him, which he bore with stoicism, letting them shout themselves out before trying to speak with them.
House too found himself separating brawls, supervising detentions, and providing an objective ear. He also got some practical experience in treating bruises and cuts with potions and put his lessons on spells to work in countering the hexes and jinxes that were flying around in the halls. He was worn out by the end of the week and still had detentions to supervise. Weekends were even worse since no one had the structure of classes to restrain them. The heads of the four houses were run ragged in short order, and House was at his wit's end with Slughorn who wanted Snape to come help referee in the common room. Snape had gone down when Slughorn called the first time but when House found out he had read Slughorn the riot act. Snape was well enough to speak with a few students in his office but not enough to come to the dungeons to separate student brawls. Slughorn had been cowed by House's reprimand; the downside being that he now called on House instead since he had been sorted to Slytherin.
The walk down to the Slytherin common room usually put House into a fierce mood and he cracked down hard on the brawling students, setting a lot of detentions that involved manual labor to try and discourage any further fighting, but he also included a 'counseling' detention; not with the mind healers, he wouldn't force anyone to see them, but with him, to try to get them to talk, even if just to tell them why they were so angry with the other person and nothing more at first. It was exhausting, keeping up with the students detentions, teaching, grading papers, patrolling the school, and still finding time to be a support for Snape. He managed to call Narcissa every Sunday evening, and even got a full weekend visit in by the end of November, enjoying playing the now tuned piano and listening to her tell him all about the redecoration process that was now well under way in Grimmauld Place.
When he returned to the school he found three letters waiting on his desk. One was from Slughorn, detailing a couple of the diehard brawlers' antics while House had been gone. Slughorn had verbally reprimanded them but assigned them detentions with House. He rolled his eyes and sighed, tossing the note aside after making note of the names and the day and time of their detention. The next note was from Snape, requesting that he come up to the headmaster's office to discuss the potential return of Ron Weasley to school in the new year along with all four heads of house and Madam Pomfrey, as he'd had a recommendation from the mind healers that the young man had been seeing.
The final letter was from his father which he took with him into his quarters, settling down in front of the fire to read it.
Dear Greg,
I hope things are finally settling down after the memorial on Samhain. Jesse told us that there has been quite a bit of unrest as the students, and the staff, confront their feelings and grief over the war. I think it was a good idea to point out the loss on both sides and eventually most of the students will come to accept the losses of the other side and begin to move on together. Hopefully most of the unrest will be over before they go home for the holidays and next term will be more peaceful.
Isobel asked me to remind you that there were always a few students who stayed behind at the school rather than going home for the holidays and that there is the potential that a good deal more might do so this year. We would like to help give them good Yule/Christmas. Please let us know how we can help. The Hogwarts house elves will see to the feast and the staff usually sees to the decorating of the great hall, but if there is something we can do for the students, such as decorating the common room, sending notes to them and/or gifts, just let us know. The whole family would like to pitch in on this. Please pass this along to Headmaster Snape.
And on that note, we would like to invite you, Narcissa, and Draco to come to the manor for Yule dinner. The date is flexible, so as to give the students a good experience but we do hope that all three of you will come. The clan and your grandmother very much want to meet you as well as Narcissa and Draco. Isobel has spoken with everyone as has Gran, and all are willing to give them both a chance to start over. Everyone buys one gift for, choosing a name from a hat, for the clan to open together. Since you don't know anyone very well yet, may I suggest that you, Narcissa, and Draco choose a gift for each other to open? That way, they won't feel awkward and you won't have to make a blind guess for anyone. As for other gifts, please do not feel obligated in any way. The gift of your presence after all these years is more than enough.
I hope you are doing well. Have you made any steps toward getting your certifications yet? Tried to convince Headmaster Snape to take you on as an apprentice? Are you still learning spells as quickly as you started out? Isobel and I have wondered whether you would try to get your OWLs and NEWTs, even though you have been employed without them. Hope to hear from soon,
Herbert
House smiled and set the letter aside. He hadn't even considered Christmas yet, he'd been so busy the last few weeks. He could feel his anxiety about meeting the rest of the family kick in but was very glad that a solution had been suggested for the gift exchange. Hopefully Narcissa and Draco would agree to come with him. If not, he'd just give his father something instead. He also hadn't thought about pursuing the certifications and training he wanted. Maybe it was time to start looking into it.
"Tippy," he called out, bringing the elf to his side.
"How can Tippy help Professor House?"
"Is the headmaster well?"
"Headmaster Snape be frustrated with Professor Slughorn and has been having headaches and nightmares. But he be eating and drinking, even going to the head table twice a day now."
"Good. Take him a message for me will you? Tell him I'll be at the meeting about the Weasley boy and that I want to talk to him about studying potions under him."
"Oh, yes, Tippy will tell him that," she nodded, looking quite happy. "Would be good for Headmaster to brew potions again," and she popped away.
Snape was sitting in his armchair, feet up, with his shoulders wrapped in a blanket next to the fire. He had an open potions journal on his lap, lying forgotten as he stared into the flames, completely distracted when Tippy appeared at his elbow.
"Headmaster, Professor House says he will be at the meeting about Weasley," Tippy began, ears raised with happiness. "And he asks if you be willing to teach him potions."
Snape glanced down at the elf with a frown. "Professor House wants me to teach him potions?" he asked, sure that he'd misheard her.
"Yes, that be what he said," she nodded confidently.
"Go and ask him to come up here."
Tippy left and Snape set the potions journal aside on the table. It was intriguing to think about teaching someone of House's intelligence; the question in his mind was whether the man could submit his independence enough to be taught.
Tippy returned in just a minute with House then popped away announcing she would bring them some tea.
Severus waved House toward the other arm chair. "So. Tippy said you want me to teach you potions. Is that correct?"
"Yep," he nodded.
"Why?"
"Because I know that I'll be involved with healing, either teaching the beginning stages or helping in the school infirmary, maybe even consulting eventually. And since I don't have the spell foundation and find that daunting to think about learning quickly enough, I think I can learn potions well enough," he explained.
Severus nodded, turning over his explanation and satisfied with the logic of it. "Learning potions requires a strict adherence to instructions and safety rules with a lot of memorization and then to become truly good, it requires an artistic mindset. I know you have the memorization ability…"
"But you doubt my ability to follow instructions and rules," House completed then nodded. "That's a fair assessment. Following the rules is something that I've struggled with my whole life. Instructions, not quite as much, provided the reason for them is explained to me."
"If I were to teach you, you would have to agree to discipline yourself to following my instructions and rules. I have no tolerance for reckless teenagers who ignore me; I will have even less for you. However, since I do believe you have the ability to pay attention to and comprehend important explanations, I will satisfy your desire to know 'why' a certain rule or instruction exists. Indeed, knowing and understanding why, not just how, a potion is put together and works, is what raises you above the mediocre crowd."
"And if I apply myself, do you think I could learn enough to pass an OWL or NEWT?" House asked.
"If you apply yourself you could certainly pass an OWL and likely a NEWT if you are able to get a firm grasp on the foundations. I didn't know you were thinking of taking the test?"
"My… Herbert, my father, asked me about it, as I'd mentioned getting certifications," House explained, looking down and away from Severus. "Minerva, and you as headmaster now, waived the requirements for me to teach here but it would give me a lot more credibility with the healers and the students to have passed the same tests that a 15 and 17 year old have to pass."
"It would certainly do that," Severus agreed. "Your subjects have granted you a certain authority from having lived in the muggle world and taught young physicians, but eventually you will run up against people who will not respect you in the slightest for not having an OWL or NEWT in the subject."
"Let me suggest that you start by getting an OWL in Muggle Studies and then Potions first, since those will likely be the easiest for you to obtain."
"Then you'll teach me potions?" House asked looking up and meeting Snape's eyes. Without really trying, Snape could see his surface thoughts, that the man was surprised that Snape would agree instead of reject him and a very small cautious hope for the future.
"On one condition; I will take you on as an apprentice and we will sign a magical contract that will lay out everything required of you to me, and me to you. You will commit yourself to learning, to completing all assignments I give you, including essays and extra reading. And I will expect your essays to be far above even that of a gifted 15 or 17 year old, drawing on your experience as a muggle physician to extrapolate and explain concepts. Agreed?"
"Agreed," House nodded. "How long do you guess it might take for me to learn enough to try the OWL?"
"I think you could learn enough to try a practice exam after one to two years of diligent study. That would tell us where you still need additional instruction and allow us to focus on those areas while you continue self study toward the NEWT exam. And I would speculate the same timeframe for the NEWT. And these time estimates depend greatly on your workload teaching here, as well as if you choose to study for the Muggle Studies OWL at the same time."
House nodded, thinking over the estimates in his head. Four years of schooling condensed into three to four, he thought that was doable. He was pretty certain he could pass the OWL and NEWT for Muggle Studies by the time he was ready for the OWL in potions.
"Which would you suggest after I get Muggle Studies taken are of? I'm thinking between Wizard Studies and History of Magic."
"Wizard Studies would be very beneficial considering your relationship with Narcissa and Draco. Eventually they will be accepted back into the pureblood social circle and you will need to be able to function there very well. History of Magic can wait. Concentrate on Herbology, it goes hand in hand with Potions."
"Draco and Narcissa gave you a solid beginning for both potions and wizard studies. By the end of five years, you could have two NEWTs and two OWLs with considerable study on your part, which would be exceptional for someone who began study as late as you have.
All but the most hardline purebloods will respect you for that achievement. Perhaps you will do well enough to continue your study toward a potions mastery."
Severus enjoyed the interest and hope that showed in House's eyes and found himself feeling the same at the prospect of teaching a brilliant though stubborn adult. For the first time since Voldemort returned during that disastrous Triwizard Tournament fiasco, he found himself looking forward to the future with interest and a purpose for living.
"I will draw up the apprentice agreement and have it ready for you to look over and sign two days from now. Tea?"
"Please."
Severus asked how Narcissa was doing and then sat and listened as House entertained him with tales of the remodeling of Grimmauld Place and Kreacher's transformation under her authority for another hour before both retired to their beds.
