A/N: Wow, I was surprised to see I already had a few reviews for the first
chapter! Go readers!
Okay, disclaimer: Blame JK for bloody everything that's good about this story.
SPOILERS: The spoiler-alert still counts. Bust off if you haven't read book 5.
All left to say is, have fun. It starts getting a little bit more interesting and a little more. Serious.
~*Second Chance*~
Chapter Two: The Boy
It was deep into the night and there were still people in the kitchen of number 12, Grimmauld Place. They were gravely silent, though.
The were-people had gone out to find more of their kind, which was very convenient for the other users of the kitchen. The Weasleys, Hermione, Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt waited quietly, all the time looking at the only people seated at the large table. On one side sat Harry and Lupin, on the other sat Dumbledore.
"As long as you know I didn't tell anyone but you," Harry told Lupin defiantly, not looking at him, but gazing furiously at Dumbledore. Dumbledore was apparently too deep in thought to notice Harry's glare.
"I know, Harry," said Lupin hoarsely, his head hanging down in defeat.
As a clock somewhere in the house stroke three, there was a sudden shimmer in the air just before the kitchen door. It didn't take long before two boys had materialised, the one supporting the other.
The boy supporting the other - who hang limply and unconscious on his shoulder - was obviously Snape. As soon as he had completely materialised, his eyes widened, then quickly narrowed, flashing from Dumbledore to Harry and Lupin, and back.
"Headmaster?" he asked sharply, softly lying the other boy down on the floor. "What are you doing here?"
It was the first time in two hours Dumbledore moved, as he slowly turned around to gaze solemnly at Snape. Harry gulped. He'd always thought Dumbledore's disappointment was the worst thing you could get from the wizened Headmaster.
"As soon as I was informed of your undertaking," said Dumbledore, resentment in his tones, "I went to seek you out. But you had been faster than I could have imagined." He paused, then said, "Severus, why?"
Snape stiffened. "Because," he simply answered.
"Why didn't you let me stop you?" asked Dumbledore quietly. "You usually let me stop you before you do rash deeds. Why not this time?"
There was an odd gleam in Snape's eyes as he searched his robes for something, not looking away from Dumbledore. "Because I didn't want to be stopped," he said, holding up a small vial of potion. He un-corked it and took a gulp.
His face twisted in disgust as his body started to tremble all over. Slowly, he started to get back to his normal height and age. He only opened his eyes when the trembling had stopped, to find that the Hogwarts robes had not grown. He pointed his wand at them, muttered something, and they changed into his usual, adult-sized black robes.
"Severus," said Dumbledore, radiating grief, "this doesn't change the position you're in. You have still done something against my will, something you know I greatly disapprove of."
"I know," said Snape irritably, kneeling beside the boy to examine him. "And frankly, Headmaster, I don't care. The fact you didn't like me doing it, made it even more irresistible."
"I would still be against it if someone else had done it," pointed Dumbledore out.
Snape scowled. "I thought YOU were the one preaching about second chances? All *I* am doing is practicing what YOU preach."
Dumbledore frowned, then asked, "Severus, whose side are you on?"
"Now you are asking," said Snape, a hint of malice in his voice. "Actually, I am on my own side in this case. In all cases," he added. He lifted the boy's limp body off the floor and got up.
"Are you leaving, Severus?" asked Dumbledore, now sounding a little dangerous.
"No, not just yet," said Snape, also very unpleasantly. He turned to the Weasley-corner, which had been very quiet throughout the scene. "I will find out who spilled," Snape hissed at them.
To everyone's mild surprise, Molly Weasley stepped forward. "I did it. I told him," she said, looking Snape directly in the eye, daring him to do something. Snape just blinked at her blankly.
"I won't try to find out HOW in Merlin's name you knew," hissed Snape maliciously, his eyes narrowing. "You will, of course, know, in time, what I do with people whom I thought my friends, and who suddenly betray me."
"Is that a threat, Severus?" asked Dumbledore mildly.
"Perhaps," said Snape, his eyes still locked on Mrs Weasley, who hadn't flinched.
"And now for something completely different," said Snape, turning back to Dumbledore. "Seeing this boy is only eleven, nearly twelve, he needs a guardian." Lupin looked up and opened his mouth to say something, but Snape stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Since I was the one who came up with the idea and concocted the potions necessary, I will take full responsibility for him," he went on. "He will live with me, eat in my rooms, and I will mentor him. He will not be Sorted into any of the Houses."
"That's - I think, Severus - you," protested Lupin, standing up from his seat. He gathered his thoughts and said, "You know as well as I do that it wouldn't work. He hates you."
"Ha!" said Snape triumphantly. "Not yet. I've taken him away in his fifth week in school, and we hadn't really met before that time."
Harry had suddenly a great interest in the boy hanging limply in Snape's arms, covered slightly in the folds of his robes. The boy's face did look somewhat familiar.
"Is - is THAT Sirius?" he whispered, not knowing whether he would like the answer to be positive or not. Lupin turned to Harry, paler than usual, then glanced sideways at Snape.
"It is," answered Snape, still a hint of triumph in his voice.
There was a certain feeling of shock and awe spreading like a wave through the kitchen.
"Excuse me," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep voice. "But why would YOU want to give Sirius Black a second chance?"
Snape looked at Kingsley for a moment, his eyes barely visible behind his hair, a slight smile twisting at his thin lips. "Because he never had the chance to crawl on his knees to tell me he was sorry. He ruined my life and I his. It is pay-back time."
Everyone seemed somewhat taken aback by this notion.
"I knew it!" shrieked Mrs Weasley. "That's exactly what I feared! That's why I told Professor Dumbledore! You don't really care, you couldn't really care about him! You do this for your own profit only!" Mr Weasley put an arm around his wife to sooth her, and she burst into tears on his shoulder.
"Perhaps," said Snape again.
"Severus, I don't want this to change anything about your normal position as a Hogwarts Professor, although I'm much inclined to throw you out for this," Dumbledore suddenly spoke up. "I couldn't miss you, though. You're the best, and one of my most trusted advisors." He added fondly.
"Then we have an agreement," said Snape, trying to give the Headmaster a hand, but failing, in fear of dropping the boy. "I will take care of the boy and stay your Potions Master."
"Exactly," said Dumbledore, slightly beaten. "But, Severus, do be as kind to him as you possibly can?"
Snape grinned maliciously. "He's mine!"
A/N: Okay, so this was slightly shorted than the first, but still, faster updated than I could think. Next chapter: Black back in Hogwarts. Thanks for reviewing!
Okay, disclaimer: Blame JK for bloody everything that's good about this story.
SPOILERS: The spoiler-alert still counts. Bust off if you haven't read book 5.
All left to say is, have fun. It starts getting a little bit more interesting and a little more. Serious.
~*Second Chance*~
Chapter Two: The Boy
It was deep into the night and there were still people in the kitchen of number 12, Grimmauld Place. They were gravely silent, though.
The were-people had gone out to find more of their kind, which was very convenient for the other users of the kitchen. The Weasleys, Hermione, Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt waited quietly, all the time looking at the only people seated at the large table. On one side sat Harry and Lupin, on the other sat Dumbledore.
"As long as you know I didn't tell anyone but you," Harry told Lupin defiantly, not looking at him, but gazing furiously at Dumbledore. Dumbledore was apparently too deep in thought to notice Harry's glare.
"I know, Harry," said Lupin hoarsely, his head hanging down in defeat.
As a clock somewhere in the house stroke three, there was a sudden shimmer in the air just before the kitchen door. It didn't take long before two boys had materialised, the one supporting the other.
The boy supporting the other - who hang limply and unconscious on his shoulder - was obviously Snape. As soon as he had completely materialised, his eyes widened, then quickly narrowed, flashing from Dumbledore to Harry and Lupin, and back.
"Headmaster?" he asked sharply, softly lying the other boy down on the floor. "What are you doing here?"
It was the first time in two hours Dumbledore moved, as he slowly turned around to gaze solemnly at Snape. Harry gulped. He'd always thought Dumbledore's disappointment was the worst thing you could get from the wizened Headmaster.
"As soon as I was informed of your undertaking," said Dumbledore, resentment in his tones, "I went to seek you out. But you had been faster than I could have imagined." He paused, then said, "Severus, why?"
Snape stiffened. "Because," he simply answered.
"Why didn't you let me stop you?" asked Dumbledore quietly. "You usually let me stop you before you do rash deeds. Why not this time?"
There was an odd gleam in Snape's eyes as he searched his robes for something, not looking away from Dumbledore. "Because I didn't want to be stopped," he said, holding up a small vial of potion. He un-corked it and took a gulp.
His face twisted in disgust as his body started to tremble all over. Slowly, he started to get back to his normal height and age. He only opened his eyes when the trembling had stopped, to find that the Hogwarts robes had not grown. He pointed his wand at them, muttered something, and they changed into his usual, adult-sized black robes.
"Severus," said Dumbledore, radiating grief, "this doesn't change the position you're in. You have still done something against my will, something you know I greatly disapprove of."
"I know," said Snape irritably, kneeling beside the boy to examine him. "And frankly, Headmaster, I don't care. The fact you didn't like me doing it, made it even more irresistible."
"I would still be against it if someone else had done it," pointed Dumbledore out.
Snape scowled. "I thought YOU were the one preaching about second chances? All *I* am doing is practicing what YOU preach."
Dumbledore frowned, then asked, "Severus, whose side are you on?"
"Now you are asking," said Snape, a hint of malice in his voice. "Actually, I am on my own side in this case. In all cases," he added. He lifted the boy's limp body off the floor and got up.
"Are you leaving, Severus?" asked Dumbledore, now sounding a little dangerous.
"No, not just yet," said Snape, also very unpleasantly. He turned to the Weasley-corner, which had been very quiet throughout the scene. "I will find out who spilled," Snape hissed at them.
To everyone's mild surprise, Molly Weasley stepped forward. "I did it. I told him," she said, looking Snape directly in the eye, daring him to do something. Snape just blinked at her blankly.
"I won't try to find out HOW in Merlin's name you knew," hissed Snape maliciously, his eyes narrowing. "You will, of course, know, in time, what I do with people whom I thought my friends, and who suddenly betray me."
"Is that a threat, Severus?" asked Dumbledore mildly.
"Perhaps," said Snape, his eyes still locked on Mrs Weasley, who hadn't flinched.
"And now for something completely different," said Snape, turning back to Dumbledore. "Seeing this boy is only eleven, nearly twelve, he needs a guardian." Lupin looked up and opened his mouth to say something, but Snape stopped him with a wave of his hand. "Since I was the one who came up with the idea and concocted the potions necessary, I will take full responsibility for him," he went on. "He will live with me, eat in my rooms, and I will mentor him. He will not be Sorted into any of the Houses."
"That's - I think, Severus - you," protested Lupin, standing up from his seat. He gathered his thoughts and said, "You know as well as I do that it wouldn't work. He hates you."
"Ha!" said Snape triumphantly. "Not yet. I've taken him away in his fifth week in school, and we hadn't really met before that time."
Harry had suddenly a great interest in the boy hanging limply in Snape's arms, covered slightly in the folds of his robes. The boy's face did look somewhat familiar.
"Is - is THAT Sirius?" he whispered, not knowing whether he would like the answer to be positive or not. Lupin turned to Harry, paler than usual, then glanced sideways at Snape.
"It is," answered Snape, still a hint of triumph in his voice.
There was a certain feeling of shock and awe spreading like a wave through the kitchen.
"Excuse me," said Kingsley Shacklebolt in his deep voice. "But why would YOU want to give Sirius Black a second chance?"
Snape looked at Kingsley for a moment, his eyes barely visible behind his hair, a slight smile twisting at his thin lips. "Because he never had the chance to crawl on his knees to tell me he was sorry. He ruined my life and I his. It is pay-back time."
Everyone seemed somewhat taken aback by this notion.
"I knew it!" shrieked Mrs Weasley. "That's exactly what I feared! That's why I told Professor Dumbledore! You don't really care, you couldn't really care about him! You do this for your own profit only!" Mr Weasley put an arm around his wife to sooth her, and she burst into tears on his shoulder.
"Perhaps," said Snape again.
"Severus, I don't want this to change anything about your normal position as a Hogwarts Professor, although I'm much inclined to throw you out for this," Dumbledore suddenly spoke up. "I couldn't miss you, though. You're the best, and one of my most trusted advisors." He added fondly.
"Then we have an agreement," said Snape, trying to give the Headmaster a hand, but failing, in fear of dropping the boy. "I will take care of the boy and stay your Potions Master."
"Exactly," said Dumbledore, slightly beaten. "But, Severus, do be as kind to him as you possibly can?"
Snape grinned maliciously. "He's mine!"
A/N: Okay, so this was slightly shorted than the first, but still, faster updated than I could think. Next chapter: Black back in Hogwarts. Thanks for reviewing!