A quick note of thanks again to all the kind reviewers. And a special note of thanks to Nexus3 who pointed out that I had the "don't accept anonymous reviews" button checked. It's off now and I apologize to anyone who wanted to review but couldn't. It is my first story posted at fanfiction.net and I am sort of feeling my way through this.
Also, to those who asked, yes, eventually we will find out why Severus doesn't talk. But not in this chapter.
Chapter 3 – Birds of Feather
The summer term was back in session, with only three weeks remaining until the year would be over. It would be a momentous finish, thought Albus Dumbledore. The departing students would include the Boy-Who-Lived, his two closest friends, the son of Voldemort's right hand man, and the remaining young heroes of last months battle. Yes, the class would also include some students whom spent the battle locked in the dungeons. Severus had spent the preceding months carefully viewing the thought patterns of his sleeping Slytherins to determine who could be trusted. An occasional drop of veritaserum in their tea while having a one-to-one chat with their Head of House helped as well to establish the loyalties of those still in doubt. To Albus' delight, many of Slytherins proved to be more frightened of the Dark Lord than supportive. And when the battle began, the knowledge that Professor Snape was standing against Voldemort along side them, gave those who would always chose to save their own necks first, the courage to join their classmates.
It was an innocuous end to such a triumphant year however for one of his staff member. The one standing in a small black jumper before a white porcelain bowl, pouring various vials of colored liquid into it. Albus sighed and watched him for a few minutes. Severus had been fascinated with this activity for weeks. The Headmaster had provided him with a dozen bottles of refilling colored liquids. Severus would mix whichever ones he chose together, creating numerous color combinations, dip empty vials into his creations, cork them and then deliver them to Albus. He would then return to his bowl, watch it magically drain as Albus had charmed it to, and then immediately return to Albus and take back the bottles he had only moments ago handed him. After those bottle where drained, Severus would start the process over again. He did this for hours on end and at times Albus thought he might destroy the entire apparatus if he had to pretend to gratefully accept one more of Severus' "potions" again. "Well, whatever keeps the lad happy," he sighed to himself.
The only other activity that Severus engaged in was staring at various objects. Several times a day he would wander around Albus' rooms, leveling an intense stare at whatever items he had decided on. After a few minutes, the object of his attention would be abandoned for another such object, and the process would be repeated until the toddler eventually grew either tired or grumpy and would crawl into a chair and fall asleep.
The boy's presence in the school was otherwise unremarkable. For the most part Albus kept him in their rooms, only occasionally asking Dobby to watch him. Since Severus refused to acknowledge Dobby's presence, Albus would occasionally coax either Minerva or Poppy to come and sit with him as well.
It was therefore a surprise when Phineas Nigellus suddenly spoke up, directing his comment at the small child, as if he where on familiar terms with him, "Now, now boy, you have made the color green three times in a row. Try something more difficult. I suggest silver, since it is the second of our founder's colors."
Albus Dumbledore rose from his chair and stood directly by the portrait of the former Slytherin Headmaster.
"You are aware then who the child is?" he asked.
Phineas snorted, "Of course."
"How?"
The portrait rolled its eyes. "My dear Headmaster. While nothing has been spoken of it directly in this room, the small bits of conversation and various comments that have been made were merely pieces of a very simple puzzle."
"You realize Phineas, that this information is not to be repeated."
"I assure you Headmaster, we Slytherins are nothing if not discreet. If I were you I would concern myself with some of the former Gryffindor Headmasters." And with that he turned around and left his portrait frame in a huff.
Albus was just beginning to contemplate what Nigellus had said, when Minerva McGonagall's head appeared in the fire. She informed the Headmaster that his presence was required in the infirmary. Several students from the "Dungeon Brigade" (as the other students were calling their classmates had been unceremoniously locked in the dungeon when the battle commenced) had gotten into a duel with a few Gryffindors and a lone Hufflepuff. Albus called Severus to follow him and they set off.
The infirmary was thick with unspent fury as Dumbledore viewed the slightly students, who were being held from each other only by the glares of McGonagall and the acting Slytherin Head of House, Professor Vector. The sight of the Headmaster brought sneers from the Dungeon Brigade, and Draco Malfoy led the troupe by turning his back. Dumbledore said nothing to them, realizing that the vast majority of that small group held him directly responsible for either the death or imprisonment of one or both their parents. Instead he turned to his Gryffindors and forming them into a tight circle, quietly lectured them about the impropriety of "rubbing salt into still raw wounds". Meanwhile the Slytherins, and they were all Slytherins, saw their opportunity to take a bit of revenge. They had seen the small boy with Dumbledore the last few weeks, although he had never before been out of the Headmaster's sight. Draco Malfoy motioned for the child to come to him, and to the surprise of the Slytherins he readily did. Draco dropped to one knee and carefully put his arm around the boy. Then he slipped his wand to the edge of his sleeve and muttered "Stupefy."
He easily caught the small child and handed him to Pansy Parkinson who quickly wrapped him inside her robes. Draco leaned over and whispered instructions to her. Parkinson then asked Vector for permission to use the loo. Vector, who was not even a Slytherin, was not the slightest bit suspicious when Pansy awkwardly shuffled out of the room.
Nearly a quarter of an hour later Albus concluded his lecture to the now thoroughly chastised Gryffindors and Hufflepuff. He then supervised their apologies to the Slytherins, including Pansy who had returned. It was only after this that Albus looked around and noticed the absence of his charge.
After ascertaining that no one in the room had seen the boy, Albus quickly left to perform a "Point Me" spell in the corridor. He was quickly joined by Harry and Ron, whom had been among the offending Gryffindors. But the spell was much less useful in a building with many passageways and rooms, for it only worked as a general compass, giving direction and nothing more. Up and down was beyond the scope of the spell as well, not very helpful in a building with nearly as many staircases as rooms. After a half hour of fruitless searching, Albus sat down on one of the staircases and tried to connect with the boy's mind. He was met with a strange sense of feelings of recognition.
"Where are you Severus? Send me a picture of what you see," Albus conveyed his anxious message.
The response was more auditory than visual. "Home" it seemed to say.
Albus rushed up to his office with the two students trailing behind. They checked all the Headmaster's rooms, but Severus was nowhere to be found. Albus tried to send the message again. He received the same response.
"Could he have meant somewhere else by 'home', Headmaster?" asked Harry. "Do you think he could have somehow been returned to his childhood home?"
Albus shook his head. "The Ministry had his home razed after his father was killed in an attack on their aurors. Mr. Snape supposedly led the attack. It was not much of a place, but it was meant as a warning to other supporters of Voldemort early in the first war. His mother had already been dead for years. That was in Professor Snape's seventh year. He lived for bit with Lucuis Malfoy after that, before he returned here to teach. This has been his home ever since. Of course he would not remember any of this. His memories should not progress beyond his current age – and that house no longer exists."
"Try again, Sir," Ron suggested. "Perhaps he thinks you'll be angry with him for wandering off. Tell him you're not sore at him." Albus almost smiled at this. Ron might look like an adult now on the outside, but Molly's youngest boy still thought like a child.
Albus tried again. Sending a message of reassurance along with his query.
"Home!" came the response. And Albus could almost hear the disgust in Severus' telepathic voice from having to repeat himself so many times.
"He still claims he is home, I'm afraid," reported Albus despairingly.
At that moment a rustling sound came from Headmaster Nigellus' portrait. "I think this tiresome exercise could be concluded if you would check Professor Snape's private chambers."
The Headmaster stared momentarily at Nigellus, then decided it was never worth it to question the portrait too carefully – if he knew the answer you wanted he might just not tell you, and if he didn't, he might just lie and tell you something decidedly unhelpful – no, it was just better to accept what was offered. Albus and the two Gryffindors set out down to the dungeons. He gave the password to the suit of armor that guarded Severus' bedchamber's entrance way, and the three of them entered. There, lying on the large four poster bed, was a tiny figure in black.
"Severus!" cried the Headmaster happily, momentarily forgetting to use the boy's new name. "How did you get in here?"
The child didn't even bother sitting up, he just rolled on his stomach and rubbed his face against the velvet duvet cover.
Albus and the boys looked around the room for signs of how Severus might have gotten in, or perhaps who had put him there. Harry noticed some food laid out on a low table and some toys sitting on a footstool. "Headmaster, Professor Snape couldn't have conjured these, right? Someone had to have put him in the room."
"Slytherins," stated Ron with certainty.
Dumbledore looked at the items Harry was pointing to. "I am sure you are correct Ronald. They no doubt thought this would be one of the last places I would look for him. Very cunning on their part."
"More like 'devious', I'd say," supplied Ron. "Though I suppose starving a small child to death is still beyond some of them." He then helped himself to a biscuit.
Dumbledore picked Snape off the bed and carried him over to a chair by the fireplace. He sat him on his knee and looked at the boy carefully. "How could you know this was your home, child? It certainly was not your home at two years of age. Please, allow me to have a look, won't you?"
Severus said nothing, which Albus took as consent. He pointed his wand at the boy's forehead and was about to mutter 'Legilimens' when Severus eyes grew wide in terror and he threw himself backwards. Albus held on tightly while Severus frantically arched his back and twisted his body in an attempt to get away.
"Sir, it's the wand that frightened him I think," offered Harry who was unsure if he wanted to get close enough to Severus to help Dumbledore subdue him.
Dumbledore immediately slipped the wand back up his sleeve. "No wand now, old chap. I can do this without one if you prefer." The boy stopped thrashing and sat still, though his heart was still thumping wildly.
Albus moved him closer to him and placed an old hand on the soft black hair. "Legilimens," he whispered.
Pictures of himself swirled in his vision of Snape's mind as it had before. Albus pushed a bit harder. The pictures faded and Albus found himself in a dark empty room. There were various passages in all direction and Albus decided to pursue the nearest one. He was met with images of a scowling father leering down at his small child in the corner of his cot. Then a picture of two figures arguing. It was too dim to see their faces, but Albus knew it was Severus' parents. In the next picture the baby was outside, shivering without a cloak, being hurried along faster then a small child could possibly walk by a tall black figure whose knees he could only see. Albus left this passageway and headed toward another, but it was firmly locked. He went towards a third corridor. This one seemed to be sealed with stone, yet wisps of smoke were coming from a crack near the bottom. Albus bent down and allowed the smoke to encircle him. He was immediately swept up with sensations of recognition. There were faces and places coming at him from Severus more recent past – his parents, a cold bedroom, Lucius, James Potter, Sirius, the shrieking shack, a werewolf, a young Voldemort, a graveyard, Malfoy Manor, Dumbledore, Hogwarts, Minerva, a young Harry Potter, and so on. Within seconds Albus had seen nearly all important faces and glimpses of events in Snape's life. Albus severed the connection.
The Headmaster looked at the older boys who were watching him intently, as was little Severus. "Well, it would seem that either I did a very poor job of the spell last month, or the spell itself was not a solid one. It would seem that many of Severus' memories are available to him in the form of feelings of recognition, with perhaps some sense of comfort or conversely, discomfort, along with it. He clearly has preferences based on his more recent past that he should not be able to. Of course his understanding of these feelings is limited by his immature thought patterns."
"Huh?" was all Ron could say, but Harry jumped in.
"So he recognizes us, likes or dislikes us, but doesn't know why."
Dumbledore nodded.
"Well, that explains the horse to the nose," added Harry sourly.
"I believe it is time for dinner in the great Hall. Perhaps I should bring Sebastian with me today. Just to inform the Slytherins that their little joke was all for naught." With that Dumbledore got up and carried Severus to the door. Severus squirmed down and ran back into the room and climbed onto the bed. Albus made to retrieve him but Severus clung tightly. Dropping his wand out of the edge of his sleeve, Dumbledore muttered a charm, which reduced the cover into a small square, the size of a handkerchief. Severus took hold of it and then quietly followed Dumbledore up the many steps to the Great Hall, refusing all offers to be carried.
Once inside the doorway the Gryffindors left to go to their table. Dumbledore was on his way to the High Table when he realized that Severus had taken a small turn and was now staring at a horrified Draco Malfoy, just inches from the Slytherin table. Dumbledore went to retrieve him.
"I suppose Mr. Malfoy that Sebastian here is simply trying to thank you for all that lovely food and toys you left for him," the Headmaster smiled sweetly.
"I, I…don't know what you mean, Sir," stammered Draco.
"Oh I think you do Mr. Malfoy. I think you do. Come Sebastian, let the students eat." Dumbledore gave Severus a little push towards the high table.
But before he would move Severus gave Draco's plate a thorough stare. When that did not accomplish his objective, he reached out and pulled on it, depositing all of its contents into Draco's lap. Then with a satisfied smirk, he shuffled off to the High Table. Dumbledore following behind.
