I own nothing except any original characters and my plot. The OC in this story will all be side characters for the most part, there may be one or two that have bigger roles, but this is mainly Snape's game.
If you are expecting slash, this is probably not your story. There may be sex, but it most likely won't be with known characters. I say most likely because while I have an over arching plot, I don't really know what's going to happen on the way.
This will start before Harry comes to Hogwarts. 1989-1990 School year. If there is interest it will continue.
I take scene requests as long as it isn't slash or unrealistic. Just put them in the latest chapter.
I have acquired a beta as of 2022. It's Hobbitual_Psychick, she is awesome and if you like Supernatural go check out her stuff.
I swear this is the last time I'm reuploading everything up to chapter 10. I hope.
The first 7 or 9 chapters are heavily edited rewrites of an old story. My beta and I have done our best with middleschool era writing, please stick with it.
Please review. I would like to become an author someday and any critique is welcome.
A loud bang reverberated throughout the potions classroom and an acrid green smoke filled the air.
"JOHNSON!" bellowed Snape. Snape rarely lost his temper and yelled because he found the quieter he spoke the more scared and well behaved the pupils were, but on the rare occasion when he did yell even the bravest students shook in their seats. The only reason for some students being conscious was that no one could see the death glare Snape wore. Snape quickly realized this and rectified the situation by banishing the acrid smoke.
As the smoke cleared students took a look at each other; people had changed color, hair that was once blond was green, black had become silver, skin colors had changed from normal browns and tans to blues, purples, and even pure white. Some people had scales or fur, others pointy teeth or tails. There was also lots of ruined clothing. People started to laugh and cry and point at each other, the noise got louder as people showed off purple eyes, gray fingernails, and furry faces. The raucous noise grew louder and louder, echoing off the walls in a cacophony of voices until-
"SILENCE!" The classroom became as quiet as a tomb, all eyes were on Snape, and the changes wrought on him were not in any way funny. Students' eyes widened and many shrunk into their robes or seats.
Snape had changed. Ripped pieces of cloth sat atop sinuous bat wings that were the culprit behind the ragged robes. His fingers ended in long claw-like nails that darkened toward the tips, edges ragged. His shoes, normally laced smartly, had holes in the front as similarly long nails had cut through like talons on a bird. His pallor was pallid instead of yellow, except up at the tips of his slightly pointed ears, where they grew white.
Still this was not what was scary, no; it was his face that was making hearts beat like those of scared rabbits. Snape's eyes were black usually; so dark you could barely tell he had an iris. Now, the irises were very visible, as they were outlined in a bright fiery red. They glowed angrily, the only evidence of his inner fury. His usual sneer was gone, his mouth closed waiting for silence, and when he opened it to speak, there were muffled gasps. The eye teeth were far too long and sharp for anything that wasn't on a strict carnivorous diet. The class looked on awestruck, many were shaking a little bit. One boy, Ivan V. Johnson, was frozen in place, eyes wide in amazement at Professor Snape's new form, the latter of whom seemed to be unaware of the changes.
"Johnson, that is the 4th time this month that you have purposely tampered with your potion…" voiced Snape quietly, looking at the 3rd year Hufflepuff gone Gryffindor...or perhaps Slytherin. After a pause he continues acerbically "The 25th time this year." Snape glared at the boy. He was big for his age. Not fat but built well. He usually had long messy sandy brown hair. Now it was green. His blue eyes looked up over a scheming smirk that vanished as soon as Snape addressed him. His face quickly became the epitome of innocence and confusion.
Snape seemed unconvinced.
"Mr. Johnson, you have broken so many rules I don't think there are enough detentions to satisfy your punishment needs. While normally I would not punish a student for things not done in my classroom, you are using potions, brewed in my class, to cause disruptions. -Yes, I know about that." Stated Snape in a matter of fact way, as if every other student wasn't practically about to faint.
"B-but Sir I didn't do this on purpose, I just messed up, I was at the same stage as everyone else! I was adding the hemlock. I had-" Stammered Ivan Johnson before Snape cut him off and spat venomously at him.
"You purposely added the hemlock after letting the potion simmer for 2 minutes 3 seconds instead of 3 minutes 15 seconds."
Ivan looked wide-eyed at Snape.
"Only someone who had looked up the potion they were trying to make would have known to add it then. If you had added the hemlock at any other time the potion would explode and cover the brewer in a malodorous liquid that would cause continuous changes of the pigment.…the colors are not always pretty, Mr. Johnson." Snape paused, his annoyed voice becoming even more curt now that he had to stop his tongue lashing to explain what he was saying. "The liquid, how shall I put this so you understand… The liquid would also cause temporary loss of mind at random intervals of varying length… One would become very dense, or denser, for periods of time that could last anywhere between 1 minute and a day. These bouts of idiocy can happen at any time; during a test, while flying, while doing homework, …flirting…" Snape smirked evilly as Ivan gulped. It was well known that Ivan was a flirt, so the thought of losing his mental faculties while about to kiss a girl was sure to be a horrifying idea for him.
Snape's smirk disappeared and his eyes turned cold, the hot fury of before gone, replaced by cold anger. Snape rarely lost control of his temper, but when he did, someone could get hurt, badly. But a short stay in the hospital wing from the glancing blow from a potions bottle was nothing compared to his normal calculated and cold ire. Snape's anger was palpable right now, heralded by the shivers that ran down many of the smarter students' spines.
When Snape's usual cold fury set in, he would hurt you in such ways that would remain with you forever. Humiliation, fear, pain; often due from doing some unspeakably horrible chore for him. Scrubbing 10-100 cauldrons, preparing some potions ingredient, alive or dead… His glare would send some students into a faint where Snape would sneer and maybe consider the embarrassment punishment enough. Others would cry, beg, grovel, a few just ran..
Ivan did none of these, but continued to look confused. Snape's dark stare changed at this continued display of false inadequacy. Something clicked in his head and the red in his eyes darkened into a sanguine crimson while he stared into space for a moment. He licked his dry lips before coming back to the situation. Snape stood up to his full height and glared down his long crooked nose at Ivan.
"The potion you brewed is a little known potion that randomly changes someone's appearance; to make this potion you would have to do research and know the exact time to put the leaves in, and do it purposely. I told the class that anyone putting the leaves in at the wrong time would lose 50 points for their House in hopes that that would discourage…accidents. I can honestly say that no accidents happened here today, am I right Mr. Johnson?" Snape raised an eyebrow in question to the boy who still looked confused. "Mr. Johnson, you can come quietly with dignity now, or undergo the humiliation you so rightfully deserve. There are other, legal, less known, and… painful ways of getting truthful answers than veritaserum." Snape hissed quietly as his hands slammed down onto the table causing nearby student to flinch. Ivan however was still trying to look confused and innocent, and scared.
Snape's nostrils flared as he stood up, his face blank. "Mr. Johnson, would you like to endure 10, or 20, or if you are feeling lucky, maybe 50, detentions? I believe that would be a record for the number of detentions given out together…" Johnson looked a little startled for a moment before going back to his expression that said he didn't know what Snape was talking about. Snape knew better, the boy lacked the practice that came with years of guarding your true intentions.
"I seriously do not know what went wrong Professor!" This time both Snape's eyebrows went up in surprise at the boy's continued insolence and commitment to his performance before he curled a lip into a snarl.
"Mr. Johnson, I commend you for your bravery, but you will admit your doings. Would you like to lose…for the first time in the history of the school… all your House points?" Many students gasped at the unimaginable horror of the idea, not knowing if anyone could actually do that. Whispers filled the room. The hate that would be dumped on Ivan would be horrible.
Ivan had to relent, but the boy was not about to be defeated. He grinned, something no one should ever do in Snape's class. Everyone looked at Snape for his reaction, but he just stood with an expressionless face, waiting for what he knew was going to happen.
"You got me Snape. Yeah, I did it, and I am glad I did. You look a lot better this way." Ivan said as he reclined in his seat and put his feet on the table. There was a general intake of breath and a hushed silence as everyone waited to see what Snape would do.
He blinked, and took his wand out. Gasps and hushed whispers abound but Snape just summoned a mirror. A raised brow is the only sign of interest as he looked at himself. He opened his mouth, showing off the pointed teeth before noting his ears and eyes. His hands and feet are regarded with annoyance as if they are a mere inconvenience. He finally looked at his wings. There was silence as they moved slightly and then with one swooshing movement toward the ground he was lifted about three feet in the air. The students gasped and there was applause; no one else with any new appendages had managed to make use of them. The hands froze when he hit the ground, glowering at the noise. He regarded his nails again briefly before turning to Ivan with startling speed.
"Minus 15 points for disrespecting a teacher." Snape said as he scared every student in the class by allowing the smallest smile to come to his features. Snape waved his wand and all of the strange features disappeared. "Ivan, you will have detention at 8:20 tonight, do not be late. You will also stay after class. Everyone else will leave now for the infirmary." The students stared at him, frozen in place from all the information. "Now!" Barked Snape and all the students rushed to gather their things and put out the fires. "Since the potion was not completed everyone will write a report on it and what you believe would cause the timing of adding ingredients to matter." Snape said as they rused. The cacophony was irksome, so he lowered his voice to a deadly whisper, forcing the students to slow if they wanted to hear what he had to say. "If I find that any of you have not gone to the hospital wing you will serve a full detention with me." The class had stopped to listen as Snape whispered, not daring to make noise, but once he finished they dashed in an disorderly mass out of the room. There weren't even any grumbles about the unfairness of the report they would have to do, and certainly no comments on the oddity of assigning a detention only 40 minutes before curfew. Snape pinched the bridge of his nose before taking a deep breath as the door swung shut slowly.
Ivan remained, feet still propped on top of the desk. His arms behind his head as he rocked in his chair, the scales on his hands shining briefly in the light of the opening and closing door behind him.
"You remind me of a certain person, he was popular, a quidditch player, and thought himself quite clever." Ivan looked stunned at the compliment, but before he could say anything the professor commented, brushing Ivan's feet off the table. "He was an inconsiderate bully and an astonishingly immature git." Snape leered as Ivan's comment caught in his throat. Snape waved his wand again and the strange features returned.
Ivan looked at him, about to question why they were still there, but again he was cut off. "Impudent child, why would I have sent everyone else up to the infirmary if I could have fixed it with a simple spell? Few potions can be canceled by spells, most need another potion to help, a few need a spell woven into a potion." Snape summoned a vial that contained a pink fluid. He rubbed his sharpened teeth, and put his finger into the vial, the potion turned blue. He repeated the process with the wings and the potion turned purple. He does this for every other changed aspect twice, the potion seeming to through the rainbow at random with each addition.
"Wait here while I take this in the back." Ivan raised an eyebrow at Snape's comment. "I wanted to show you the lengths to which I am having to go to undo the damage you caused. My changes are more severe than anyone else's. If you wish to see the full result; bones and muscles reconfiguring to such a degree that you can hear the cracking and see protruding muscles, by all means, I will drink the potion here." Said Snape and Ivan quickly shook his head with a look of disgust and Snape disappeared with a smirk into his private potions room.
Once in private Snape recast the glamour spell to hide the attributes and placed the bottle on his desk. He paused to take a deep breath before heading over to the fireplace, throwing floo powder in he called out for an old ally.
"Dumbledore, I would like to meet you, down here, in five minutes. It is important."
"Of course." Said the head of Albus Dumbledore, which was sticking out through the flames. Snape nodded and they both parted ways. Snape walked back into the classroom to address a very bored looking Ivan.
"If you weren't a talented potion maker I would dispose of you now." Said Snape venomously. Ivan paled before regaining his composure.
"You couldn't. You wouldn't get away with it." Ivan said confidently, trying to sound more positive than he was.
"Believe me, I could and I would. Children should tread lightly, Mister Johnson, or they might find themselves …adopted." Snape whispered cruelly. Ivan paled even more.
"I've-I've never told anyone I was an orphan…" His own voice was a surprised whisper, one filled with dread that echoed in an aching heart.
"I know anything and everything I want to about my students, as all good teachers should." Snape said as he stood menacingly above Ivan. "You will come to your detention, and leave after it is done. You will walk around and make sure people see you, and you will then come back. Your detention will take long enough that you will not be able to return before curfew, you will stay here overnight. If you tell anyone about this you will have weekly 2 hour were detentions for the remainder of the year as well as being banned from watching and playing quidditch." Ivan swallowed, that was a huge deterrent from telling anyone. Ivan's throat constricted even more; staying with Snape…overnight. That was not something any student would ever even think possible, let alone contemplate. Most would run away before such a horrifying idea even had the chance to form. Ivan however swallowed his fear and nodded. Snape motioned for him to leave and Ivan rushed out the door with his things. Snape looks after the boy in disgust at his cowardice now that he has no audience, before leaving for his private lab where Dumbledore was sure to be waiting.
"Headmaster." Snape nodded as he entered, noticing that Dumbledore had summoned a light purple armchair that horribly threw off the mood of the room. The mood was, after all, was the only thing tying the room together. Between the furniture provided by the school and the items transfigured or bought from rummage sales it looked rather haphazard except for the fact that everything was in dark colors in case a student ever came in here. His private chambers were a bit more put together, not much, but more.
Dumbledore nodded back, his blue gray hat bobbing slightly with the motion.
"What is the problem, Severus? Other than the fact that a whole class is now in the infirmary with seemingly random afflictions?" Dumbledore asked, eyes twinkling.
"I have two problems to discuss with you, the first one of a considerably lighter nature." Dumbledore pressed his hands together and looked over his half moon spectacles waiting patiently. Snape removed the glamour and Dumbledore smiled.
"Why Severus, you look positively-"
"Old. These attributes are those of a very old, maybe 1,000 year old, vampire Albus! Only one has ever been seen in the past 200 years! There are few mentions of them because almost no one ever survives contact!" Dumbledore's eyes twinkled even more in amusement; he seemed to know where the conversation was going.
"These new attributes would be wonderful for your spying career if you could keep them hidden from Voldemort."
"Yes, I agree. To conceal them I will remove them temporarily with a potion I prepared. I will use it this evening when it matures. The other teachers will assume I'm glamoured to conceal the effect of the catastrophe from earlier, as most know I prefer to brew my own remedies." Snape points to the now black vial that he had used earlier, "However this is where my original question comes in." Albus smiled and leaned back in his poofy chair with a nod. Snape took a deep breath. "I was wondering if I could keep the elongated teeth."
"No." said Albus calmly.
"I would glamour them."
"Why do you want the teeth Severus?"
"I believe that flashing them at a student who is misbehaving will cause them to rapidly reconsider their course of action and habits." Said Snape and Albus smiled.
"Fine. If it makes you that happy I will allow it. You cannot keep the wings most of the time though. No glamour alone would work, they are too big and if someone were to bump into them-"
"Albus, everyone, including most of the teachers, tries to stay at least 5 feet away from me when I walk past them." Said Snape with a smirk. Albus chuckled and shook his head.
"Yes, but the other teachers know how to sense magic properly, and a glamour that big would draw attention to you." Snape nodded. "Now what was the other matter?" Asked Albus a little more solemnly.
"Ivan Johnson made the potion that caused this," Snape waved his hand at himself. Albus' eyes turned dark. "I have arranged for a detention with him overnight in case drastic measures are needed, such as a very strong obliviation. Such a spell might leave a young mind a tad… woozy."
"This is not good."
"No, it is not. The boy is an excellent potion maker, he knew when to add the hemlock, but to know that he would have had to research, and if he had done his research properly…"
"He would know the effect of the potion couldn't cause the changes you underwent…"
"He would also know the potion's effect on other species…" said Snape quietly.
"Why did you choose to have the class brew the base for this?" Snape frowned at the question.
"It's the same base for a new healing potion. It's far cheaper to brew than many of its counterparts, and the usual side effects of incompetence are ones any capable witch or wizard should be able to get rid of quickly. I thought the students should know it, considering its usefulness. Also the fact that no student has ever dared to Purposely mess up their own potion in my class made me feel confident enough in teaching it. Ivan had yet to be so bold, despite being given ample opportunity with other potions, ones that would have had far more disastrous side effects for the students."
Albus looked up quickly at Snape and his grave eyes unnerved him. He had seen those eyes years ago, when they were on opposite sides of a battlefield. They were cold, but not with anger; they were numb, resolute.
Unlike Snape, Dumbledore was not easy to anger. But that is not what these eyes showed, not anymore. These eyes, Snape had only seen these eyes before the start of a battle. They looked as if the thought of hope that normally twinkled there had been replaced with the knowledge that there was no other option, as if those stars had just been... turned off.
So Snape stood silently and waited, concerned about the words that might come out of his friend's mouth.
"Snape, you have been working for me for a long time, putting your life in danger trying to play both sides in secret. Biding time until Voldemort returns." Dumbledore said gravely as Snape flinched slightly at the name. "I think it's time I thanked you again." Snape raised an eyebrow knowing that this couldn't be all.
"The boy is an orphan right?' Asked Albus quietly.
"Yes, he lives in a-" Snape's eyes widened at the implication in the question that only he would understand. "Surely, you don't mean…" Snape's query was barely audible but Albus nodded, sadly.
"I saw Tom go down this path, and it is not far off from this young man's actions."
Snape walked over beside Dumbledore, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you sure, are there no other ways?" Snape asked quietly. Dumbledore shook his head slowly. Snape stood quickly, rambling; this was too good to be true, and too horrifying to be real. "I mean, yes the boy is rowdy, he has tormented staff and students alike since he came to the school. But this recourse seems extreme. I understand the amount of terror he has caused is great. It cost us 3,000 galleons to repair the damage to the wall he blew up! And the three students that succumbed to one of his potions, they will never be the same! McGonagall was too embarrassed to let me look at her animagus form so that I could change her fur back to normal! He is young and impudent but perhaps there is time... Have we attempted therapy?"
Albus nodded again.
"He refused to attend. When forced to, the school therapist disappeared. We found him last week. He had been turned into a silver begonia. His leaves and petals had been stolen by a niffler. He is quite distraught right now. It seems the petals were equivalent to his hair, and he had had some trouble growing it back. Of course the leaves were his arms. The recovery process has been … ongoing. " Said the headmaster with a pained look.
Snape nodded. "I'm assuming you can't trace it back to the boy?"
"Not this one, no. Nor many of the others."
"Why isn't he in Slytherin?"
"I believe…. He doesn't value climbing the social ladder for power as Slytherins often do. He value's it for the friends and camaraderie it assures him. The boy does not like to be alone. He has been trying to make many friends, instead of a few close ones. He believes that these pranks will ingratiate him."
"He has done some truly reprehensible things, currently they seem only for amusement or revenge, whether for himself or another Hufflepuff. I believe that was the aim for the student whose eyes had to be regrown, I believe they pushed a Hufflepuff down a flight of stairs. Flitwick nearly fainted because he thought he was shrinking. Shrinking, I must admit that was rather amusing, that was obviously the intent.'' Snape chuckled, something he felt comfortable doing only around a select few, "But it was still wrong! And the nifflers he let loose in Trelwany's room, they nearly wrecked 400 galleons worth of equipment. His use of small explosive potions to blow up random objects seems harmless but annoying. He seems just a prankster... but is he malicious?..." Snape started pacing, pontificating the need for this supposed 'gift' from the headmaster.
It wasn't a gift after all, not for Dumbledore, it was murder. Plain and simple. And the murder of a child. Well, even he hesitated at such a deed when he could. Was it actually necessary? It would most definitely pain the Headmaster to have this done, that he even suggested it… He himself, part of himself, would greatly revel in removing the cursed child, but Dumbledore.. He would spare the man another cause for sleepless nights, his own nights had been troubled or sleepless for nearly a decade for multiple reasons. Another reason to not sleep would not make a difference for him, unlike the headmaster.
He continued pacing while he sought rationale for this course of action. "Is getting rid of him the right recourse? The only recourse? He did nearly blow up Mrs. Norris though, the horrid child. The Hufflepuffs do seem to rally to him, he is a natural leader, I fear he may coerce other students into assisting him through his charms... and possibly fear…The first years definitely fear him." Snape was in his own frantic world of memory, annoyance and disbelief; talking through a list of atrocities that got steadily worse. If he hadn't been so consumed by possibility he would have noticed concerning changes in the headmaster's demeanor.
Dumbledore's lips had gotten steadily thinner, reminiscent of the head of Gryffindor. His eyes grew cloudy with memories of another young boy, who while different, still pranked and stole before bringing a group of people under his blackened wings. He sat in his chair listening until Snape mentioned the catastrophe that made Ravenclaws need to punch anyone they saw.
"Enough!" Shouted Albus, standing up and startling Snape, which said something about the state of the Potion Master's mind. "I should have had him expelled long ago but I had hoped that with the ability to love he might mature and change like Riddle did not. That being near him would allow me to direct him. Either way it is apparent it is too late now. The boy is a bully outside of school, and a menace in. Severus Snape, you know what I said and you know what it means…" Dumbledore paused and sighed, the force of energy that came with his outburst vanishing as a summer thunderstorm does, suddenly. The world was seemingly on the man's shoulders. His age showed, yet he still stood tall, even if it was with the dust of ages. After a pause he continued to whisper, sadly and with conviction. "This is an order, Severus, not an offer. If he stays he could jeopardize all we have worked toward to defeat Voldemort. He knows of you now."
"Surely an Obliviate-"
Snape was cut off with a curt shake of the head.
"Would not change his personality. I can only imagine what would happen if a Death Eater got a hold of him. There is no record of his parents, it would be easy to be willfully blind of his parentage, and easier still to bend him toward darker goals."
Snape sneered. "He's a Hufflepuff."
Dumbledore looked down his nose at the Potions Master, disapproval clearly etched on his face.
"He is a Hufflepuff. They are often overlooked for they usually tend to stay far from open conflict. That however, is not a trait of their house. The tendency to stay out of large fights is usually so their friends do not worry, or would not need to come to their rescue. It is also for the fact that it is hard to get one alone. There is safety and friendship in numbers, as you should well know Severus, for multiple reasons."
Snape scowled at the memory of his school boy attackers, and it only deepened at the thought of his former compatriots fighting against aurors.
Dumbledore pretended he did not see the pained expression and continued. "Woe betide the person who crosses one lone sheep, lest they find themselves trampled by the herd. And mark my words, the boy is charismatic and has quite the herd already."
Snape blinked. It was true he never really paid the Hufflepuffs as a house much mind, now or as a student. A lone one was an easy target, but they were rarely alone. The moment one got in trouble, five more showed up. The bullying usually stopped then, for fighting five Hufflepuffs with wands was not worth twenty seconds of amusement. The one time he saw a Ravenclaw bully a Hufflepuff into helping him test a new spell, it wasn't the young Hufflepuff who ended up in the infirmary. Snape blinked free his curiosity as the headmaster carried on.
"There is no choice. If we are to succeed in our tasks and Tom is defeated, I am sure that boy, with his childish pranks, will become the next Voldemort, or …." The name wasn't spoken, but Snape knew which one it was. The headmaster's eyes were momentarily heavy with regret, but it was quickly replaced by a promise to act now. "… I can see it in his eyes. Severus…we must stop this before it begins." By this time Dumbledore, while still angry, was nearly back to his normal omniscient, calm, old self. No one could guess the thoughts in his head.
Dumbledore vanished the chair and nodded his decision. "Snape. Once again, this is an order. That boy is more than a menace, he is a danger." Dumbledore swiftly exited the room leaving Snape to stand there slightly stunned. He had just started to regain his composure when-
"Oh and Snape my boy, I would ask you not to treat him too terribly."
The headmaster's head vanished in the fire once again leaving Severus Snape to let, for the second time that day, a small smile grace his face. He shook his head and grumbled something about going soft before leaving to prepare for his next class.
