The four heads of house met in the headmaster's office along with House in Madame Pomfrey, each holding a copy of the mind healer's report on Ronald Weasley.
"These reports seem positive to me," Minerva said as she finished, glancing around at the others.
"But there is still the fact that he attacked a teacher and cast an unforgivable," Slughorn pointed out.
"Who thought up that ridiculous name, anyway?" House scoffed. "Unforgivables, not much given to extremes are we?"
"It was meant to impress upon people how wrong it would be to use them," Slughorn replied with a look of surprise on his face.
"Didn't work, did it?" House retorted. "And for further proof, here we sit about to decide to forgive someone for casting an unforgivable, and not the first time that's been done either."
"Are you advocating we should not allow Mr. Weasley back to school?" Minerva asked, one eyebrow arched high as she peered over her glasses at him.
"No, I think the kid should come back after Christmas break. I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy in the name with what we're here to do," he shrugged.
"Be that as it may," Snape intoned before an argument could begin, pausing until he had all their attention again. "We are here to discuss Mr. Weasley's possible return to the school. As the aggrieved party, I would like to hear from you first, Professor House."
"It is my opinion that Ronald Weasley has shown sufficient progress with the mind healers that he should be allowed to return to school and continue with them here along with the countless others who are doing so. He, like so many others, was affected by the war. I'm for giving him the chance to recover and reclaim his life."
"But he attacked a teacher," Slughorn said again, looking around as if they had all forgotten that fact.
"Worried you'll be next, Professor?" Minerva snapped sharply.
"It wouldn't be the first time Mr Weasley has done so and returned to the school without punishment or censure," Snape drawled, glancing up at Dumbledore's portrait, which was watching the meeting intently silent. "A precedent has been set and I see no reason to make an example of him. We have all been walking on eggshells all year. Something was bound to happen. And given the nature of the unforgivables the incident could have been far worse."
"After everything we have been trying to get through to the students after the Halloween memorial and working through all this pain since with heads of house, prefects, and mind healers, to not let Mr Weasley return to school would cast all that we've been saying into doubt," Flitwick added.
"But wouldn't that say to the other students, especially the Slytherins, that they could do this and get away with it?"
"Get away with it? He didn't get away with it!" Minerva hissed at Slughorn. "He was arrested, held in the Ministry cells, given a hearing, and offered a choice; Azkaban or staying at St Mungo's to work with the mind healers!"
"What's the matter Slughorn? Afraid of your students?" House asked brusquely.
"You don't know what young wizards are capable of, especially those with dark leanings, you haven't been here long enough," Slughorn explained kindly, making House visibly bristle at the condescension.
"I know that those kids are just as much in need of second chances at acceptance as the rest, more so from what I've seen!" House retorted. "And typical to assume that because someone has dark leanings that they are automatically going to go bad."
"Now see here, young man," Slughorn began in a scolding tone.
"Enough!" Snape's voice hissed quietly but demanding obedience. The office fell silent as the others, who had just started to voice their opinions, stopped mid-word and gave him their attention. "You, Professor House, must understand that Professor Slughorn has reason to fear a student rising up to become dark, as he had the Dark Lord himself as one of his students during his tenure. But you, Horace⦠and all of you," he added, glancing around the room, "must understand that at this age, intervention is still possible by a caring adult who is willing to step into the role of mentor. Albus often allowed young people to find their own way and only mentored those who had light leanings, it's true, Minerva," he said wearily as she began to object.
"Albus cared about all the students," she insisted.
"As a whole, yes, but as individuals⦠only some. In my school years, he cared more about the home and life situations of Black and Lupin than he did about mine. I, and many others, believed it to be biased favoritism for Gryffindors. Now, I realize it was just his staunch belief in the greater good, which is no better consolation. And you, Horace, cared nothing for my problems as Head of Slytherin because I and my family had nothing that you could show off and brag about in your Slug Club. You cared more for Lily Evans than for me."
"How did they let you fall through the cracks?" House asked soberly. "Tell me. Tell all of us," he said, gesturing to the headmaster portraits on the wall."
Snape glanced sharply at him about to snap a retort but visibly held it back and shook his head.
"Severus," Minerva said kindly. "Please. You've been angry about whatever happened for as long as I've known you, bitterly so, and you would never explain. Will you now?"
Snape looked away for a long moment then finally began to speak as everyone simply remained silent and waited.
"You all know that I am a half-blood but do you know which wizard family I am related to?" he asked softly. "My mother was Eileen Prince. She was disowned for running away from an arranged marriage and marrying a muggle. He was a poor mill worker, coarse, and liked his drink. I think he liked to brag about marrying a woman above his station. Until he discovered, by means of my first incidents of accidental magic, that she was a witch. He began drinking heavily and gambling badly, squandering his wages there instead of caring for his family. Then he began to physically and verbally abuse us both but particularly my mother who, for reasons I will never understand, did not use her magic to defend herself or her son, nor did she leave him and go to a wizarding town to start over. The only time she ever stood up to him was when she insisted that I would be sent to Hogwarts."
"And then that poor, gangly, ugly, and socially awkward boy met a young witch in the local park. Lily Evans. We became friends and as the only two wizard children in the area we spent a lot of time together. She was my relief from the bleak existence at home and I told her all that I knew from my mother about the wizarding world. We looked forward to going to Hogwarts together. On the train, we first came across Potter and Black. Both took one look at me and took an instant dislike, trying to lure Lily away with them."
"Wait, your animosity with Black and Potter began before you even arrived at school and were sorted?" Minerva clarified.
"Yes. I didn't fit their idea of a proper wizard and so was judged to be unworthy by them. You all know that over the years they both played pranks and outright bullied me, and that I and my Slytherin cohorts repaid them in kind. My friendship with Lily was difficult, made harder by the brewing war and death eater recruitment going on in the common room. During fifth year, it fractured permanently. Potter and Black went after me, Lily jumped to my defense and I, embarrassed beyond measure at the need, lashed out at my oldest friend, calling her the name thrown so easily around the Slytherin common room. Mudblood."
"But what really sealed my complete loathing of Potter, Black, and Lupin, was due to the actions of Albus Dumbledore. Black knew that I was suspicious of Lupin's recurrent absences and he dropped me a hint of where Lupin would be. So I, foolishly determined to prove to Lily that these Marauders were not the saints she seemed to think they were, struck out on the night of the full moon and went through the tunnel under the Whomping Willow, following Black's instructions."
"No! Sirius sent you after a transformed Lupin?" Minerva gasped.
"Transformed into what?" House asked.
"Remus Lupin was a werewolf, infected by Fenrir Greyback as a child," she explained quickly.
"Yes, Black knew that I couldn't resist the temptation. He told Potter, who at least realized that I could be killed, although I still think he was more concerned for Lupin than for me. Be that as it may, Potter rescued me from being attacked by the werewolf. Dumbledore, when told of what happened, instead of punishing Black made me take a vow never to reveal what had happened and threatened to expel me if I did not."
Minerva's eyes hardened at this news. "Black should have been quite harshly punished if not expelled, Albus," she directed at his portrait.
"He was in danger of turning dark, Minerva, given his family and then there was the question of the innocent party in this, Remus Lupin," Albus countered sorrowfully.
"And who cares about the Slytherin nearly killed is that it?" Phineas Black demanded. "Sirius was always a thoughtless, impulsive boy. You shouldn't have coddled and encouraged him."
"And then when the Dark Lord killed the Potters and we all thought it was Black, I had even more reason to hate him. I bullied young Mr. Potter both for my role as spy in the death eaters and for hatred of his father. When Black returned and I was forced to work with both him and Lupin, it was a nightmare. Azkaban did nothing good for Black, as one might imagine, and he seemed to be eager to resume our feud as was I. Albus was again protecting him and sending me out to face torture by the Dark Lord. That is why I despise Black, and Lupin to a much lesser degree."
"During my final two years of school, without Lily as a buffer and bright spot in my life, I embraced my anger and the dark philosophies floating around Slytherin. My mother died, my father drinking and more abusive than ever. I had no respite from it. Abraxus Malfoy, through Lucius, offered one, though fraught with conditions and obligations, but I was desperate to escape the bleak poverty and loneliness I was living, so I would have sold my soul to do so. And once I'd graduated and took the dark mark, I did sell my soul," he sighed.
"My point is this: we all need to hold open an escape route from the depravity that the dark lord and the old dark families preach, to all of the students not just those that we think are salvageable. Regulus Black turned away from the Dark Lord because he abused and left Black's house elf to die, stealing and leaving a major clue to the dark lord's demise for us. I turned away from the Dark Lord when he threatened Lily's life. Some of them may not turn away here in school though many will. But they may remember a place of haven sometime later and that may allow them to extract themselves."
"It was a memory of the summer I spent with Severus and Lily that brought me into the wizarding world after all," House shrugged. "I think we have to concede that Weasley's behavior is way out of character for him, and after seeking help, I'm content to think that he won't go that way again, as long as we don't hold this one time as a place he can never move beyond for the rest of his life. I vote to allow him to return to school in January."
A quick show of hands and the decision was made. Severus sent out the acceptance letter, one to the mandated mind healer and the other to Ron himself.
"Part of the mind healer's recommendation includes that Mr. Weasley will continue to meet with him throughout the term, and to that end, the healer has agreed to become a third option available to all of our students on weekends," Snape informed them, "so we should continue to encourage struggling students to take advantage of their presence."
"Headmaster, I want to take this chance to tender my resignation," Slughorn stated. "I'll work out the school year to give you the chance to find a new potions master, but I want out of the Head of House position immediately. I just don't feel up to it, I'm afraid," he said, holding his hands wide in defeat.
Snape nodded, having expected this actually. "Very well, Horace. I will look out as the head of Slytherin in the interim."
"Whyever should you do it?" Minerva asked, arching her eyebrow and giving him a sly look. "Professor House has proved quite up to the task to looking out for Slytherin House and as he was sorted to Slytherin himself, I feel he's more than up to the task."
"Now hold on a minute," House began but Flitwick loudly agreed with Minerva and both Sprout and Pomfrey backed them up.
Snape gave House a look of challenge, but it was Phineas Black who spoke.
"Ready to put your money where your mouth is, Professor?" Black demanded. "You have plenty of opinions of how things could have been different but are you willing to get in there and actual get your hands into it?"
House set his jaw and nodded sharply. "Alright. Find. I'll take on Head of Slytherin House."
"Wonderful! So glad that's settled, you've been doing a marvelous job with them since October," Slughorn enthused, relieved to be out from under the burden of responsibility.
"In that case, Horace, you need to spend these last couple of weeks before Christmas break acquainting him with the rules and responsibilities of the Head of House," Minerva reminded him, "and we will be available to you for questions and advice, House."
"Thanks," he said with a relieved sigh.
"One other thing to add," Snape continued. "House is going to begin his quest to obtaining his OWLS in January. I will be teaching him potions and he will self-study in Muggle Studies. I expect he will pass that exam quite easily once he as a feel for what the examiners are looking for. Pomona, I would ask that you begin to plan to teach him herbology, as I suggested that as his next focus after muggle studies."
"Oh that will be an interesting challenge," she said with a grin. "I hope you don't mind getting your hands dirty. I have ideas coming already, she added with a gleam in her eyes.
"Should I be worried," House asked looking over at Snape.
"Definitely," he deadpanned. "Unless anyone has anything else to add, we are adjourned until the start of term meeting in January. House, don't forget that your fall term grades are due before you leave for break."
