A/N: The world of Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. I am just having fun
playing with her characters. This story is rated R for a reason. You have
been warned. I also have this story listed on Whispers, Adult Fan Fiction
and Lord and Lady Snape websites.. In case it gets deleted here.
Chapter Twenty-eight
May 23rd 2003
Dear Professor Granger-Snape,
I am Dr. Arden Lozenge and I work in the mental wing of St. Mungo's. One of our patients is requesting a meeting with you, a Layton Frontera. I know you have something of a history with this young man but he is being most disruptive and will not stop demanding a meeting with you. This is the only reason that I am writing to you. I believe that he is set to go for trial in early August and we are trying to compile a report on his mental state for said trial. It is most difficult to do when no matter what question he is asked; he states that he must see 'Professor Hermione Granger-Snape'. I hope you will be able to find it somewhere in your heart to visit. You will be safe as he will be warded from harming you and there will be Aurors overseeing a visit if you decide to see him.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. A. Lozenge.
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies.
"I have to see him, Severus." Hermione told her husband as she showed him the letter she had received that morning. She was sitting by the fireplace in his office and he had moved to sit beside her when she had given him the letter to read.
"Hermione, I do not want you anywhere near that boy again." Severus replied forcefully, which immediately got Hermione's heckles up.
"Severus, he may be insane but as they say, I will be perfectly safe from him. Also, he may be able to give me some information regarding this potion we have to brew. Let's face it, in our six weeks of researching Potions ingredients to match each of the basic elements we have not found the right combination." Severus sighed heavily; knowing Hermione had already made her mind up.
"I will accompany you then. I will not take no for an answer, Hermione." He said as she opened her mouth to protest.
"Alright, Severus." She said sighing; she did indeed need his moral support, as no matter how well protected she was she would never feel completely safe in Frontera's presence without Severus at her side.
"I'm sure Minerva will take care of Callum for us now that Lavender is close to giving birth she shouldn't be troubled." Hermione told him.
"Where is he now by the way?" Severus asked with a frown as he thought that Hermione was supposed to be looking after him for this period.
"Oh, he's with Chris right now as he had some spare time after lunch." Hermione responded. It had taken a couple of weeks but they were back on speaking terms again after the punishment Hermione had to give him over the plagiarism debacle. Anton Greenbaum had received two weeks of detention instead of being sent home and thanks to Severus' astute listening to Anton pouring his heart out he had managed to gain enough information to have Anton's step-father sentenced to ten years in Azkaban. Anton's mother and sister had moved to live with his older brother and Anton would live there as well during the holidays.
"Very well. I suggest a meeting on Sunday." Severus said. "I will be busy for most of Saturday with revision classes." The final examinations were now a matter of only three weeks away.
"Alright. Now, I have to prepare for my first year Potions class as they will be here in ten minutes." Hermione said glancing at the clock.
"Do you need a hand, love?" Severus asked as she stood up to leave his office.
"No, but as you are free next period do you think you could relieve Chris of Callum since he's supposed to be in my Potions class next?" Severus nodded.
"Where are they?"
"In our chambers."
"Very well but I'm going to have to bring Callum down here as I must mark these seventh year final projects in order for the NEWT results to be published on time." He explained.
"Severus, I don't want him in the dungeons. It's no place for a baby down here." She protested as she stood facing him. "Can you not take your marking back to our chambers?"
"Hermione, I will look after my own son for Merlin's sake. I'm not a totally incompetent father." Severus replied with a scowl on his face. Hermione sighed.
"Of course, Severus. I'm sorry but please just take extra care with him down here. You know he's inquisitive and he can crawl fairly fast now." She said and he grinned as he remembered just one week ago when Callum had finally managed to pull himself up onto his hands and knees and crawled for the first time.
"I will, now let me go get him or Chris will be late for class." Severus said as he moved to the door interconnecting his office to their chambers and Hermione left for the classroom.
Half and hour later Severus had Callum in a make-shift baby pen near to the fireplace and he was at his desk marking the projects as her heard Hermione run the class through the basics of a sleeping potion. Severus had been marginally impressed with a few of the projects and he was now marking James Macey's, the Head Boy's when he found that the boy had made a few leaps in his reasoning which he needed to check up on with the literature he had sited. Looking over to Callum, Severus found him playing happily with his stuffed toy dragon. Turning his back on his son he moved over to the bookcase and scanned for the tome he needed. Hearing a noise behind him he found Callum had somehow escaped his pen and was making a break for the classroom door crawling as fast as he could.
"Callum Andrew Snape," Severus said in a low voice as he followed his son quickly. Callum knew his name at only two and a half months old and giggled in glee as he made it to the door and Severus bent down to scoop him up. He stood up straight to find the entire class of first years gaping at him and Hermione glaring. "He's alright, Hermione." Severus assured her.
"Then why was he crawling into a dangerous Potion's lab, Severus?" Hermione asked angrily.
"He escaped his confinement. Mr. Azalia keep your eyes on your cauldron before it explodes." Severus intoned from the door as he heard a familiar hiss starting in the direction of the boy's cauldron. "I will leave you to your class, Hermione." Severus said as he took Callum back into his office.
Looking at the pen, Severus found no breaks or holes anywhere that Callum could have escaped through. He placed his son back into the middle of the pen and gave him his dragon, which he immediately stuffed into his mouth and gurgled as his eyes shone brightly up at his father. "Mummy's mad at me, Callum. Try not to escape again please as daddy has to mark his projects."
Severus took his seat behind his desk again only to be disturbed again a few moments later by a loud roar. He glanced up in the direction of Callum to find the toy dragon stomping around the inside of the pen roaring and breathing fire. In an instant Severus was on his feet and hurrying to the pen as the dragon suddenly breathed fire in his son's direction and burned his leg slightly. Callum started to scream in pain as Severus immobilised the dragon and picked his son up, holding his leg away from him and examining the red mark, which was blistering slightly.
Within seconds Hermione was bursting through the door, face a picture of abstract horror. "Severus! What's happened?" She demanded as she made her way into the office.
"He got burned, Hermione by his toy dragon." Severus replied as Hermione moved to take Callum from him and cuddle him to her chest as tears streamed down his cheeks and tears came to her own eyes. Severus moved away to get a healing salve from his private stores and handed it over to his wife who took Callum over to Severus' desk quickly and laid him down on it.
"I will see your class are looked after, Love. Stay with Callum."
"Don't worry Severus. The class don't need as much attention devoted to them, you should be fine!" She spat as he took one look at her and left for the classroom.
"Finish your Potions in silence!" Severus hissed as he sat at his podium and overlooked the first year Potions class who had never had him for this subject before and therefore didn't know what he was like when in a lab.
"Professor Snape?"
"I said silence, Mr. Granger. Ten points from Gryffindor." He said looking up and glaring at him. He glanced over to find Jo Weasley with her hand in the air and thinking she had an indication to speak, she did.
"Sir, how do we grind the coltsfoot?"
"You should have your ingredients prepared well before now, Miss Weasley. Also, you have been told how to grind coltsfoot before. Take notice next time. Twenty points from Gryffindor." He said and the young Gryffindor shrank back behind her cauldron.
The class sharp learned that Severus was not to be asked questions in Potions and that he favoured the Slytherins more so than the Gryffindors. The class couldn't end fast enough for all parties and when dismissed they bolted for the door and Severus went back to his office. Finding Hermione gone, he headed for their chambers as quickly as he could.
"How is he?" Severus asked as he entered their chambers and found Hermione rocking Callum to sleep. She glared up at him.
"He's fine now. Were you not watching him, Severus? Was your marking too important to you?" She demanded in a hushed voice.
"Hermione I was indeed watching him." Severus began.
"Then how was he hurt!" She shouted at him rousing Callum and causing him to cry again. "Oh sorry, baby. Mummy didn't mean to wake you. Ssshhh." She said as she rocked Callum back to sleep.
"Hermione, calm down," Severus said as he took a seat opposite her. "Now, I watched Callum playing with his dragon when all of a sudden the toy sprang to life and started stomping round the pen breathing fire. I quickly made my way over to him but the dragon breathed a stream of fire in his direction before I could freeze it. Callum was burned because of it." Hermione was listening intently but still cast sideways glares at him. "Hermione, he managed to escape his pen somehow as well. There were no holes or breaks anywhere around it."
"He must be getting his magic, Severus." Hermione said suddenly and Severus nodded. "I thought he was far too young for that. When did you get yours? I got mine where I was five."
"I was three but babies can show signs of magic intermittently at a very young age." Severus explained
"So what do we do? How do we protect him?"
"Well, don't give him toy dragons to play with for a start." Severus sighed. "Other than that, I really do not know, love. We should speak to Poppy."
"Agreed, come along, Severus."
"I have cancelled your next Potions class and posted their assignments to the classroom door." Severus told her.
"Thank you, Severus," she said as they stood up and headed for the Infirmary with Callum still in his mother's arms.
~~*~~
"Oh, what has happened?" Poppy asked as the Snape's entered the Infirmary and the medi-witch glanced up from her desk.
"Callum was burned on the leg by a toy dragon, which he animated." Hermione told her.
"The burn is healed now, Poppy. We placed a healing salve onto his skin. We thought you may be able to advise us regarding his sudden bursts of uncontrolled magic." Severus explained as they headed into Poppy's office.
"Oh, well you seem to have things under control on the injuries side of things. erm. as for his magic. The only thing that can be done is to bind his magic until he is of an age where he can learn to control it." Poppy explained.
"Absolutely not, Poppy, that course of action runs the risk of him never being able to do magic again." Severus protested immediately.
"Only in rare cases, Severus," Poppy told him.
"I would rather not chance it, thank you." Severus told her.
"I don't like that idea either, Poppy." Hermione told her as she glanced down at Callum who was becoming very heavy indeed. "Severus, could you take him, he's weighing too heavily on my arms now." Severus immediately took his son from her and he didn't even stir.
"He seems awfully tired, Poppy." Severus commented as he gazed down at Callum who was now fast asleep and snoring slightly.
"Magic is a very tiring thing to do for one so small, Severus." Poppy said smiling at the parents in front of her. "Parenting is not easy is it?"
"No, not at all, Poppy," Hermione replied with a small sigh.
"Don't worry, you are both doing a grand job. Just be extra vigilant with him and keep temptations away from him if you can." Poppy advised.
"Thank you, Poppy." They both said as they got up and left the hospital wing.
~~*~~
Sunday arrived and it was ten minutes before Hermione and Severus would have to leave for St. Mungo's. Albus had said he would baby sit for them and Minerva would be spending the day to help him out as well so Callum was going to be well looked after. They had informed Albus about Callum's uncontrolled magic and he was well aware of the extra supervision that the baby needed. Since Friday Callum had managed to escape once more from his cot and had decided that he wanted the rug to be made of grass instead of wool, which Hermione had transfigured back to normal as soon as he was bored with it.
Albus and Minerva collected Callum and before long Hermione and Severus were stepping into the floo network and being transported to St. Mungo's.
"We need the third floor, Hermione." Severus said as they headed towards the stairs.
Entering the mental ward they made their way to one of the Medi-wizards who were at the front desk.
"May I help you?" One of the wizards asked.
"Yes, we are here to meet Dr. Lozenge." Hermione said.
"That would be me, and you must be Professor Granger-Snape?" A tall, thin man with salt and pepper, short grey hair asked as he stood up and held out his hand in greeting.
"Yes, pleased to meet you. This is my husband Professor Severus Snape." Hermione shook his hand and introduced her husband.
"Pleased to meet you. I've heard so much about you, Professor Snape. You are a very well respected Potions Master. I have read many of your published works throughout my own career." Dr. Lozenge greeted amiably and shook Severus' hand as well.
"Thank you, Dr. Lozenge. Now perhaps we could get this meeting underway? We must get back to Hogwarts soon." Severus told him and he indicated that they should move towards a heavily warded door where two Aurors stood guard.
"Alright, now I have no idea what he wants to see you about, Professor Granger-Snape but he will not stop asking for you. I will come in with you and there are two Aurors already inside. He is restrained so you should have no problems from him."
"Okay, let's get this over with. Ready, Severus?" Hermione asked as she looked over to her husband.
"Yes, Hermione." He replied.
They stepped into the room followed by the two Aurors who had been standing guard outside. Hermione gasped as she saw her former student. He was sitting at a desk with magical ropes binding him to a hard wooden chair. He looked under fed and emaciated. His eyes were staring at the floor and his face was gaunt with sunken cheeks and hollowed eyes.
"Merlin! What have you done to him!" She demanded as she glared at Dr. Lozenge. "He's only fifteen years old! He's a child no matter what he may have done!"
"He refuses to eat, Professor. Forcing him to do so would be abuse on our part." Dr. Lozenge tried to explain.
"He is being restrained and sectioned under the Wizarding Mental Health Act is he not?"
"Well, not as yet, that is what we hope to be able to do from this meeting. If we can section him under the Wizarding Mental Health Law then we can force him to eat." Dr. Lozenge replied calmly. "Right now we do not have that power invested in us."
"Come on, Hermione. Let's see what he wants of you." Severus said as he guided his wife to one of the chairs set about two metres from the patient.
"Layton? Can you hear me?" Hermione asked softly as she tried to hold the torrent of emotions threatening to consume her. She had tried to prepare but nothing could have made her ready to find him in this condition.
Layton looked up in the direction her voice was coming from. "My sweet?" He asked, his voice dry and cracking.
"No, Professor Granger-Snape, Layton." Hermione corrected; she couldn't stand for him to refer to her in that manner again.
"Sorry," he choked out, his voice straining to be heard.
"Can you get him something to drink, please?" Hermione asked Dr. Lozenge, and seconds later an unbreakable cup filled with water was being offered to the patient. "Drink it, Layton. It will help you speak to me." Hermione prompted as one of the Aurors held the cup to the boy's lips and he gulped it thirstily.
Severus cleared his throat and whispered into Hermione's ear. "He doesn't look capable of telling us much. I suggest you keep this as brief as possible and find out what he wants as soon you can." Hermione nodded and waited for Layton to finish his water.
"Layton, why did you want to see me?" She asked; it was as good a place as any to start.
"You have the power to help me." He replied; voice a little stronger than it had previously been.
"How can I help you? What do you want from me?" Hermione asked him.
"Bring me the book." He said now staring at her in the eyes.
"No. It is safely locked away." Hermione told him. and there was going to be no-way she would touch it either.
"It is calling to you. I can feel it as it still holds a part of me." Layton told her in a voice that didn't seem to belong to the boy who was sitting in front of her.
"What do you mean, Layton?"
"You've seen the symbols on the cover?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Do you understand them?"
"Yes." She confirmed again.
"Then open the book and my spirit will be freed."
"I can't."
"You are the only one who can. It belongs to you now but you resist it. Why?"
"It is evil."
"No, it guides you to do what is right."
"You are wrong, Layton if you think that beating up a pregnant woman is the right thing to do."
"You are a Mudblood."
"I've heard enough of this, Mr. Frontera," Hermione said as she suddenly stood up. "I'm leaving."
"Wait."
"Why?"
"I have not told you how to open the book."
"I already know, it's a Potion that will open the book and the ingredients are within the symbols.
"The ingredients are all found in Ancient Egypt. You will not find what you need in this day and age."
"Well, I guess that's it then. The book will remain closed."
"You need to brew the Tempus Fugit Aversus Potion and go back to Egypt." Layton told her. "It's the only way my spirit will be reunited with my soul."
"What makes you think we want to help you after all you have done to us?" Severus spoke up for the first time.
"You wouldn't leave anybody in this state," Layton said to him quite confidently. "It is your only chance of destroying the book as well."
"The book is safe where it is." Severus told him assuredly.
"You think the sub-dungeons in Hogwarts can hold Sekhmet's Book for long?" He laughed in a high pitched cackle and glared at the two of them, suddenly bringing them both into sharp focus. "Sekhmet designed the book so it can not be restrained. You have but one year before it will leave to find a new owner. This is your only chance, the only reason why it is still there is because it thinks Hermione will go to it."
Hermione looked to Severus as his jaw dropped and they both looked scared. "We have to go." Severus declared standing up immediately.
"Sedate him again," Dr. Lozenge told the Aurors before escorting the Snape's out of the room. "Well, I truly do believe he is off his proverbial rocker but thank you for trying anyway, Professors." Dr. Lozenge told them as they made their way out of the room.
"You are most welcome, Dr. Lozenge." Hermione told him before they both left hastily and headed back to Hogwarts to speak with the Headmaster immediately.
Chapter Twenty-eight
May 23rd 2003
Dear Professor Granger-Snape,
I am Dr. Arden Lozenge and I work in the mental wing of St. Mungo's. One of our patients is requesting a meeting with you, a Layton Frontera. I know you have something of a history with this young man but he is being most disruptive and will not stop demanding a meeting with you. This is the only reason that I am writing to you. I believe that he is set to go for trial in early August and we are trying to compile a report on his mental state for said trial. It is most difficult to do when no matter what question he is asked; he states that he must see 'Professor Hermione Granger-Snape'. I hope you will be able to find it somewhere in your heart to visit. You will be safe as he will be warded from harming you and there will be Aurors overseeing a visit if you decide to see him.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. A. Lozenge.
St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies.
"I have to see him, Severus." Hermione told her husband as she showed him the letter she had received that morning. She was sitting by the fireplace in his office and he had moved to sit beside her when she had given him the letter to read.
"Hermione, I do not want you anywhere near that boy again." Severus replied forcefully, which immediately got Hermione's heckles up.
"Severus, he may be insane but as they say, I will be perfectly safe from him. Also, he may be able to give me some information regarding this potion we have to brew. Let's face it, in our six weeks of researching Potions ingredients to match each of the basic elements we have not found the right combination." Severus sighed heavily; knowing Hermione had already made her mind up.
"I will accompany you then. I will not take no for an answer, Hermione." He said as she opened her mouth to protest.
"Alright, Severus." She said sighing; she did indeed need his moral support, as no matter how well protected she was she would never feel completely safe in Frontera's presence without Severus at her side.
"I'm sure Minerva will take care of Callum for us now that Lavender is close to giving birth she shouldn't be troubled." Hermione told him.
"Where is he now by the way?" Severus asked with a frown as he thought that Hermione was supposed to be looking after him for this period.
"Oh, he's with Chris right now as he had some spare time after lunch." Hermione responded. It had taken a couple of weeks but they were back on speaking terms again after the punishment Hermione had to give him over the plagiarism debacle. Anton Greenbaum had received two weeks of detention instead of being sent home and thanks to Severus' astute listening to Anton pouring his heart out he had managed to gain enough information to have Anton's step-father sentenced to ten years in Azkaban. Anton's mother and sister had moved to live with his older brother and Anton would live there as well during the holidays.
"Very well. I suggest a meeting on Sunday." Severus said. "I will be busy for most of Saturday with revision classes." The final examinations were now a matter of only three weeks away.
"Alright. Now, I have to prepare for my first year Potions class as they will be here in ten minutes." Hermione said glancing at the clock.
"Do you need a hand, love?" Severus asked as she stood up to leave his office.
"No, but as you are free next period do you think you could relieve Chris of Callum since he's supposed to be in my Potions class next?" Severus nodded.
"Where are they?"
"In our chambers."
"Very well but I'm going to have to bring Callum down here as I must mark these seventh year final projects in order for the NEWT results to be published on time." He explained.
"Severus, I don't want him in the dungeons. It's no place for a baby down here." She protested as she stood facing him. "Can you not take your marking back to our chambers?"
"Hermione, I will look after my own son for Merlin's sake. I'm not a totally incompetent father." Severus replied with a scowl on his face. Hermione sighed.
"Of course, Severus. I'm sorry but please just take extra care with him down here. You know he's inquisitive and he can crawl fairly fast now." She said and he grinned as he remembered just one week ago when Callum had finally managed to pull himself up onto his hands and knees and crawled for the first time.
"I will, now let me go get him or Chris will be late for class." Severus said as he moved to the door interconnecting his office to their chambers and Hermione left for the classroom.
Half and hour later Severus had Callum in a make-shift baby pen near to the fireplace and he was at his desk marking the projects as her heard Hermione run the class through the basics of a sleeping potion. Severus had been marginally impressed with a few of the projects and he was now marking James Macey's, the Head Boy's when he found that the boy had made a few leaps in his reasoning which he needed to check up on with the literature he had sited. Looking over to Callum, Severus found him playing happily with his stuffed toy dragon. Turning his back on his son he moved over to the bookcase and scanned for the tome he needed. Hearing a noise behind him he found Callum had somehow escaped his pen and was making a break for the classroom door crawling as fast as he could.
"Callum Andrew Snape," Severus said in a low voice as he followed his son quickly. Callum knew his name at only two and a half months old and giggled in glee as he made it to the door and Severus bent down to scoop him up. He stood up straight to find the entire class of first years gaping at him and Hermione glaring. "He's alright, Hermione." Severus assured her.
"Then why was he crawling into a dangerous Potion's lab, Severus?" Hermione asked angrily.
"He escaped his confinement. Mr. Azalia keep your eyes on your cauldron before it explodes." Severus intoned from the door as he heard a familiar hiss starting in the direction of the boy's cauldron. "I will leave you to your class, Hermione." Severus said as he took Callum back into his office.
Looking at the pen, Severus found no breaks or holes anywhere that Callum could have escaped through. He placed his son back into the middle of the pen and gave him his dragon, which he immediately stuffed into his mouth and gurgled as his eyes shone brightly up at his father. "Mummy's mad at me, Callum. Try not to escape again please as daddy has to mark his projects."
Severus took his seat behind his desk again only to be disturbed again a few moments later by a loud roar. He glanced up in the direction of Callum to find the toy dragon stomping around the inside of the pen roaring and breathing fire. In an instant Severus was on his feet and hurrying to the pen as the dragon suddenly breathed fire in his son's direction and burned his leg slightly. Callum started to scream in pain as Severus immobilised the dragon and picked his son up, holding his leg away from him and examining the red mark, which was blistering slightly.
Within seconds Hermione was bursting through the door, face a picture of abstract horror. "Severus! What's happened?" She demanded as she made her way into the office.
"He got burned, Hermione by his toy dragon." Severus replied as Hermione moved to take Callum from him and cuddle him to her chest as tears streamed down his cheeks and tears came to her own eyes. Severus moved away to get a healing salve from his private stores and handed it over to his wife who took Callum over to Severus' desk quickly and laid him down on it.
"I will see your class are looked after, Love. Stay with Callum."
"Don't worry Severus. The class don't need as much attention devoted to them, you should be fine!" She spat as he took one look at her and left for the classroom.
"Finish your Potions in silence!" Severus hissed as he sat at his podium and overlooked the first year Potions class who had never had him for this subject before and therefore didn't know what he was like when in a lab.
"Professor Snape?"
"I said silence, Mr. Granger. Ten points from Gryffindor." He said looking up and glaring at him. He glanced over to find Jo Weasley with her hand in the air and thinking she had an indication to speak, she did.
"Sir, how do we grind the coltsfoot?"
"You should have your ingredients prepared well before now, Miss Weasley. Also, you have been told how to grind coltsfoot before. Take notice next time. Twenty points from Gryffindor." He said and the young Gryffindor shrank back behind her cauldron.
The class sharp learned that Severus was not to be asked questions in Potions and that he favoured the Slytherins more so than the Gryffindors. The class couldn't end fast enough for all parties and when dismissed they bolted for the door and Severus went back to his office. Finding Hermione gone, he headed for their chambers as quickly as he could.
"How is he?" Severus asked as he entered their chambers and found Hermione rocking Callum to sleep. She glared up at him.
"He's fine now. Were you not watching him, Severus? Was your marking too important to you?" She demanded in a hushed voice.
"Hermione I was indeed watching him." Severus began.
"Then how was he hurt!" She shouted at him rousing Callum and causing him to cry again. "Oh sorry, baby. Mummy didn't mean to wake you. Ssshhh." She said as she rocked Callum back to sleep.
"Hermione, calm down," Severus said as he took a seat opposite her. "Now, I watched Callum playing with his dragon when all of a sudden the toy sprang to life and started stomping round the pen breathing fire. I quickly made my way over to him but the dragon breathed a stream of fire in his direction before I could freeze it. Callum was burned because of it." Hermione was listening intently but still cast sideways glares at him. "Hermione, he managed to escape his pen somehow as well. There were no holes or breaks anywhere around it."
"He must be getting his magic, Severus." Hermione said suddenly and Severus nodded. "I thought he was far too young for that. When did you get yours? I got mine where I was five."
"I was three but babies can show signs of magic intermittently at a very young age." Severus explained
"So what do we do? How do we protect him?"
"Well, don't give him toy dragons to play with for a start." Severus sighed. "Other than that, I really do not know, love. We should speak to Poppy."
"Agreed, come along, Severus."
"I have cancelled your next Potions class and posted their assignments to the classroom door." Severus told her.
"Thank you, Severus," she said as they stood up and headed for the Infirmary with Callum still in his mother's arms.
~~*~~
"Oh, what has happened?" Poppy asked as the Snape's entered the Infirmary and the medi-witch glanced up from her desk.
"Callum was burned on the leg by a toy dragon, which he animated." Hermione told her.
"The burn is healed now, Poppy. We placed a healing salve onto his skin. We thought you may be able to advise us regarding his sudden bursts of uncontrolled magic." Severus explained as they headed into Poppy's office.
"Oh, well you seem to have things under control on the injuries side of things. erm. as for his magic. The only thing that can be done is to bind his magic until he is of an age where he can learn to control it." Poppy explained.
"Absolutely not, Poppy, that course of action runs the risk of him never being able to do magic again." Severus protested immediately.
"Only in rare cases, Severus," Poppy told him.
"I would rather not chance it, thank you." Severus told her.
"I don't like that idea either, Poppy." Hermione told her as she glanced down at Callum who was becoming very heavy indeed. "Severus, could you take him, he's weighing too heavily on my arms now." Severus immediately took his son from her and he didn't even stir.
"He seems awfully tired, Poppy." Severus commented as he gazed down at Callum who was now fast asleep and snoring slightly.
"Magic is a very tiring thing to do for one so small, Severus." Poppy said smiling at the parents in front of her. "Parenting is not easy is it?"
"No, not at all, Poppy," Hermione replied with a small sigh.
"Don't worry, you are both doing a grand job. Just be extra vigilant with him and keep temptations away from him if you can." Poppy advised.
"Thank you, Poppy." They both said as they got up and left the hospital wing.
~~*~~
Sunday arrived and it was ten minutes before Hermione and Severus would have to leave for St. Mungo's. Albus had said he would baby sit for them and Minerva would be spending the day to help him out as well so Callum was going to be well looked after. They had informed Albus about Callum's uncontrolled magic and he was well aware of the extra supervision that the baby needed. Since Friday Callum had managed to escape once more from his cot and had decided that he wanted the rug to be made of grass instead of wool, which Hermione had transfigured back to normal as soon as he was bored with it.
Albus and Minerva collected Callum and before long Hermione and Severus were stepping into the floo network and being transported to St. Mungo's.
"We need the third floor, Hermione." Severus said as they headed towards the stairs.
Entering the mental ward they made their way to one of the Medi-wizards who were at the front desk.
"May I help you?" One of the wizards asked.
"Yes, we are here to meet Dr. Lozenge." Hermione said.
"That would be me, and you must be Professor Granger-Snape?" A tall, thin man with salt and pepper, short grey hair asked as he stood up and held out his hand in greeting.
"Yes, pleased to meet you. This is my husband Professor Severus Snape." Hermione shook his hand and introduced her husband.
"Pleased to meet you. I've heard so much about you, Professor Snape. You are a very well respected Potions Master. I have read many of your published works throughout my own career." Dr. Lozenge greeted amiably and shook Severus' hand as well.
"Thank you, Dr. Lozenge. Now perhaps we could get this meeting underway? We must get back to Hogwarts soon." Severus told him and he indicated that they should move towards a heavily warded door where two Aurors stood guard.
"Alright, now I have no idea what he wants to see you about, Professor Granger-Snape but he will not stop asking for you. I will come in with you and there are two Aurors already inside. He is restrained so you should have no problems from him."
"Okay, let's get this over with. Ready, Severus?" Hermione asked as she looked over to her husband.
"Yes, Hermione." He replied.
They stepped into the room followed by the two Aurors who had been standing guard outside. Hermione gasped as she saw her former student. He was sitting at a desk with magical ropes binding him to a hard wooden chair. He looked under fed and emaciated. His eyes were staring at the floor and his face was gaunt with sunken cheeks and hollowed eyes.
"Merlin! What have you done to him!" She demanded as she glared at Dr. Lozenge. "He's only fifteen years old! He's a child no matter what he may have done!"
"He refuses to eat, Professor. Forcing him to do so would be abuse on our part." Dr. Lozenge tried to explain.
"He is being restrained and sectioned under the Wizarding Mental Health Act is he not?"
"Well, not as yet, that is what we hope to be able to do from this meeting. If we can section him under the Wizarding Mental Health Law then we can force him to eat." Dr. Lozenge replied calmly. "Right now we do not have that power invested in us."
"Come on, Hermione. Let's see what he wants of you." Severus said as he guided his wife to one of the chairs set about two metres from the patient.
"Layton? Can you hear me?" Hermione asked softly as she tried to hold the torrent of emotions threatening to consume her. She had tried to prepare but nothing could have made her ready to find him in this condition.
Layton looked up in the direction her voice was coming from. "My sweet?" He asked, his voice dry and cracking.
"No, Professor Granger-Snape, Layton." Hermione corrected; she couldn't stand for him to refer to her in that manner again.
"Sorry," he choked out, his voice straining to be heard.
"Can you get him something to drink, please?" Hermione asked Dr. Lozenge, and seconds later an unbreakable cup filled with water was being offered to the patient. "Drink it, Layton. It will help you speak to me." Hermione prompted as one of the Aurors held the cup to the boy's lips and he gulped it thirstily.
Severus cleared his throat and whispered into Hermione's ear. "He doesn't look capable of telling us much. I suggest you keep this as brief as possible and find out what he wants as soon you can." Hermione nodded and waited for Layton to finish his water.
"Layton, why did you want to see me?" She asked; it was as good a place as any to start.
"You have the power to help me." He replied; voice a little stronger than it had previously been.
"How can I help you? What do you want from me?" Hermione asked him.
"Bring me the book." He said now staring at her in the eyes.
"No. It is safely locked away." Hermione told him. and there was going to be no-way she would touch it either.
"It is calling to you. I can feel it as it still holds a part of me." Layton told her in a voice that didn't seem to belong to the boy who was sitting in front of her.
"What do you mean, Layton?"
"You've seen the symbols on the cover?" He asked.
"Yes."
"Do you understand them?"
"Yes." She confirmed again.
"Then open the book and my spirit will be freed."
"I can't."
"You are the only one who can. It belongs to you now but you resist it. Why?"
"It is evil."
"No, it guides you to do what is right."
"You are wrong, Layton if you think that beating up a pregnant woman is the right thing to do."
"You are a Mudblood."
"I've heard enough of this, Mr. Frontera," Hermione said as she suddenly stood up. "I'm leaving."
"Wait."
"Why?"
"I have not told you how to open the book."
"I already know, it's a Potion that will open the book and the ingredients are within the symbols.
"The ingredients are all found in Ancient Egypt. You will not find what you need in this day and age."
"Well, I guess that's it then. The book will remain closed."
"You need to brew the Tempus Fugit Aversus Potion and go back to Egypt." Layton told her. "It's the only way my spirit will be reunited with my soul."
"What makes you think we want to help you after all you have done to us?" Severus spoke up for the first time.
"You wouldn't leave anybody in this state," Layton said to him quite confidently. "It is your only chance of destroying the book as well."
"The book is safe where it is." Severus told him assuredly.
"You think the sub-dungeons in Hogwarts can hold Sekhmet's Book for long?" He laughed in a high pitched cackle and glared at the two of them, suddenly bringing them both into sharp focus. "Sekhmet designed the book so it can not be restrained. You have but one year before it will leave to find a new owner. This is your only chance, the only reason why it is still there is because it thinks Hermione will go to it."
Hermione looked to Severus as his jaw dropped and they both looked scared. "We have to go." Severus declared standing up immediately.
"Sedate him again," Dr. Lozenge told the Aurors before escorting the Snape's out of the room. "Well, I truly do believe he is off his proverbial rocker but thank you for trying anyway, Professors." Dr. Lozenge told them as they made their way out of the room.
"You are most welcome, Dr. Lozenge." Hermione told him before they both left hastily and headed back to Hogwarts to speak with the Headmaster immediately.