Chpt24: Fear, Surprise, and Ruthless Efficiency.
"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore's voice was annoyingly cheery as usual, "I'm glad you could make it so soon!"
He nodded curtly in reply, and hovered slightly until Dumbledore hastily told him to sit down instead of "hanging about on the edge of the room like a lamb that's wandered into the meat market".
Snape's lip curled at the comparison, but he sat down nonetheless.
"Well, Severus," he began, "I am interested as to how your seventh years are coming along, their exams are quite soon, and it is essential that none of them are lagging behind."
Was this a joke? With a question like that, it was a case of 'all roads lead to Longbottom'. "Professor Dumbledore, overall, the year group is achieving an average D Grade."
"A D?" Dumbledore's brows knitted together in a close frown, "how is this possible? Surely the standard of some of the brighter students would raise this average."
"Indeed it would, headmaster, but the standard of those that are-" he pause to select his words carefully, "-not quite as bright," he sneered, "bring the average right back down again."
"Hmmm." Dumbledore was clearly thinking of the most effective method to deal with this.
"Perhaps extra study sessions would be needed, Severus, to bring those students up to the usual levels."
"Of course, headmaster."
Study sessions. This was exactly what he needed right now, to have to deal with the school's biggest dunderheads once a week - at least - just so that they could get a C for their exams in May and be able to go off to their respective futures feeling relieved that they would never have to use any of the knowledge that he had so methodically drummed into their heads for seven years.
Wow, Teaching really is the most fulfilling career imaginable.
"You wouldn't have to do all the work yourself, of course," Dumbledore was still talking, "Perhaps you would be able to find a particularly talented student or two to help."
Snape nodded - or was it a shrug? He was not in the least bit inclined to encourage the man at his own expense.
"Let me see." The headmaster pulled a few sheets of parchment out of one his desk's numerous drawers and began to scan down the list, for a list it was, occasionally muttering to himself.
"Abott. Terry Boot. Miss Bulstrode. Seamus Finnigan. Morag MacDougal." He glanced up at Snape, "I hear Draco Malfoy is quite good at Potions, Severus, unlike his father - perhaps we should take it as a sign."
Then, taking a quill and a fresh sheet of parchment, he began to write a series of names down, which he handed to Snape.
"I think that this will do. There is one from each class, but two from Slytherin. Blaise and Draco show incredible potential, Severus, and I believe that it our duty to encourage that."
Snape shrugged again, non-committal to the last, and glanced at the names before him.
"Mandy Brocklehurst - Ravenclaw
Hermione Granger - Gryffindor
Morag MacDougal - Hufflepuff
Draco Malfoy - Slytherin
Blaise Zabini - Slytherin."
Although he hated to admit it, Dumbledore had made an excellent selection.
"Now, I think that it would be best for you to do these sessions down in the dungeons where all the potions equipment is easily accessible, and then you'll be able to use everything available to the best of your advantage. You have a lot to give these kids, Severus, whether they see it or not, and I'm sure they'll be grateful to you someday."
Someday indeed, he sneered, "I don't need their gratitude, Albus, what I need is a lesson where they actually achieve the goal without blowing their cauldrons up."
Dumbledore laughed, "Ah, Severus, you are quite the joker, I was being entirely serious."
"So was I." he murmured inaudibly.
Seemingly satisfied with the discussion's outcome, and having either not heard, or chosen to ignore Severus' comment, Dumbledore turned his attention to other matters.
"I hear you are continuing your weekly visits to Hogsmeade, all is well there, I assume?"
// Saturday. Two days, not including today and Tuesday. // He thought automatically, his mind receding into the odd warmth that he had found in her this afternoon.
// Heather Gates. //
"Yes, headmaster."
Dumbledore raised a questioning eyebrow, but he said nothing. "Ah."
After that, they sat in silence as the headmaster regarded the man before him, his eyes piercingly blue as they twinkled into Severus' own, and to an outsider it would have seemed that they were witnessing a battle of wills.
A while later, and Dumbledore looked away, his eyes still shining as he sighed cheerily and laughed. "Well, all is well," he said, shuffling the papers on his desk.
Severus stood up uncomfortably, the short list still in his hand as he curtly took his leave of the headmaster and departed.
He felt tired. Tired as one that has recently suffered great toil, but he did not know why. Yes, the headmaster had, it seems, tried to find what Severus' will said but his voice would not, but whether he had found it or not, the tired Potions Master could not tell. Presumably, only time would tell that.
"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore's voice was annoyingly cheery as usual, "I'm glad you could make it so soon!"
He nodded curtly in reply, and hovered slightly until Dumbledore hastily told him to sit down instead of "hanging about on the edge of the room like a lamb that's wandered into the meat market".
Snape's lip curled at the comparison, but he sat down nonetheless.
"Well, Severus," he began, "I am interested as to how your seventh years are coming along, their exams are quite soon, and it is essential that none of them are lagging behind."
Was this a joke? With a question like that, it was a case of 'all roads lead to Longbottom'. "Professor Dumbledore, overall, the year group is achieving an average D Grade."
"A D?" Dumbledore's brows knitted together in a close frown, "how is this possible? Surely the standard of some of the brighter students would raise this average."
"Indeed it would, headmaster, but the standard of those that are-" he pause to select his words carefully, "-not quite as bright," he sneered, "bring the average right back down again."
"Hmmm." Dumbledore was clearly thinking of the most effective method to deal with this.
"Perhaps extra study sessions would be needed, Severus, to bring those students up to the usual levels."
"Of course, headmaster."
Study sessions. This was exactly what he needed right now, to have to deal with the school's biggest dunderheads once a week - at least - just so that they could get a C for their exams in May and be able to go off to their respective futures feeling relieved that they would never have to use any of the knowledge that he had so methodically drummed into their heads for seven years.
Wow, Teaching really is the most fulfilling career imaginable.
"You wouldn't have to do all the work yourself, of course," Dumbledore was still talking, "Perhaps you would be able to find a particularly talented student or two to help."
Snape nodded - or was it a shrug? He was not in the least bit inclined to encourage the man at his own expense.
"Let me see." The headmaster pulled a few sheets of parchment out of one his desk's numerous drawers and began to scan down the list, for a list it was, occasionally muttering to himself.
"Abott. Terry Boot. Miss Bulstrode. Seamus Finnigan. Morag MacDougal." He glanced up at Snape, "I hear Draco Malfoy is quite good at Potions, Severus, unlike his father - perhaps we should take it as a sign."
Then, taking a quill and a fresh sheet of parchment, he began to write a series of names down, which he handed to Snape.
"I think that this will do. There is one from each class, but two from Slytherin. Blaise and Draco show incredible potential, Severus, and I believe that it our duty to encourage that."
Snape shrugged again, non-committal to the last, and glanced at the names before him.
"Mandy Brocklehurst - Ravenclaw
Hermione Granger - Gryffindor
Morag MacDougal - Hufflepuff
Draco Malfoy - Slytherin
Blaise Zabini - Slytherin."
Although he hated to admit it, Dumbledore had made an excellent selection.
"Now, I think that it would be best for you to do these sessions down in the dungeons where all the potions equipment is easily accessible, and then you'll be able to use everything available to the best of your advantage. You have a lot to give these kids, Severus, whether they see it or not, and I'm sure they'll be grateful to you someday."
Someday indeed, he sneered, "I don't need their gratitude, Albus, what I need is a lesson where they actually achieve the goal without blowing their cauldrons up."
Dumbledore laughed, "Ah, Severus, you are quite the joker, I was being entirely serious."
"So was I." he murmured inaudibly.
Seemingly satisfied with the discussion's outcome, and having either not heard, or chosen to ignore Severus' comment, Dumbledore turned his attention to other matters.
"I hear you are continuing your weekly visits to Hogsmeade, all is well there, I assume?"
// Saturday. Two days, not including today and Tuesday. // He thought automatically, his mind receding into the odd warmth that he had found in her this afternoon.
// Heather Gates. //
"Yes, headmaster."
Dumbledore raised a questioning eyebrow, but he said nothing. "Ah."
After that, they sat in silence as the headmaster regarded the man before him, his eyes piercingly blue as they twinkled into Severus' own, and to an outsider it would have seemed that they were witnessing a battle of wills.
A while later, and Dumbledore looked away, his eyes still shining as he sighed cheerily and laughed. "Well, all is well," he said, shuffling the papers on his desk.
Severus stood up uncomfortably, the short list still in his hand as he curtly took his leave of the headmaster and departed.
He felt tired. Tired as one that has recently suffered great toil, but he did not know why. Yes, the headmaster had, it seems, tried to find what Severus' will said but his voice would not, but whether he had found it or not, the tired Potions Master could not tell. Presumably, only time would tell that.