Another Chance
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 11 - Meetings (uploaded 1/13/04)
"Polyjuice," Snape repeated, "fine. But you drink it. I would never allow anyone else to impersonate me. I doubt anyone else could pull it off, anyway." Dumbledore chuckled to himself and reached into his desk drawer to produce a sharp paring knife. He unsheathed it and handed it to Snape. As the potions master proceeded to make enough fingernail samples, the headmaster rummaged through his cupboards to find his stock of Polyjuice Potion.
Dumbledore poured some Polyjuice into a goblet and added Snape's fingernails They watched the instant reaction of bubbles and smoke until it was ready to drink. Dumbledore drained the potion into his mouth and made a sour face as they waited for the reaction. Dumbledore shrank an inch or two and bent to look into the mirror on his desk to amuse himself as his nose grew and grew. "Uh oh."
"What, that's it?" Snape huffed.
"It seems Master Flitwick has charmed you down to your fingernails, Severus." Dumbledore stood up and faced his young double. He had not aged back to the thirty-something snarky, dark-haired potions master, rather into a duplicate of the dirty-blonde teen Alan Marston.
Snape growled, "That's what happens when you mix foolish wand waving with the exact art of potions. You can't predict the end result with 100% certainty."
"Severus, if you're done ranting, we need a Plan B," Dumbledore calmly reminded the temperamental teen.
Snape paced the circular office. "The aging potion then."
"I thought the aging potion was modified for Remus's special circumstances?"
"It's not as stable the proper antidote, but it should suffice. There may be side effects."
Dumbledore nodded, "Let's do it. Return to your black robes. I'll wear what you have on now and retrieve Draco."
"Yes, yes," Severus wrung his hands together, "Bring him to the owlry. While we talk, you may listen in from the shadows."
Dumbledore sighed, "I do wish you could have enjoyed another chance at your youth for at least another week."
"Sir, the dark lord may attack Hogwarts before the end of the term. We have students to think of."
"Get going, Severus, I only have 55 minutes left in this form."
"Yes, headmaster." With that, Snape swept out the door and back to his dungeons.
~ ~ ~
Draco sat alone in the common room, thumbing through a copy of Quidditch Illustrated. Dumbledore, impersonating Alan Marston walked in, "Draco." Malfoy stood up, to face the doorway. "I have arranged a meeting with Professor Snape. Come, I'll walk with you to the owlry."
Draco threw down the magazine and looked him up and down suspiciously. Then they walked without another word to the tower where the owls were kept. Snape was not there yet, so they waited together, silently, for the potions master to show up. It had only been a couple minutes and Draco started getting fidgety. Finally, the door creaked open and a familiar black-clad, black-haired figure stepped into the dim room.
"You made it," Dumbledore greeted softly, trying to imitate young Severus's voice. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Alan. You may leave us." Snape shook Dumbledore's hand. Snape's dark hair had grown back out to his shoulders, but the tips of his hair were still lightened to the dirty blonde color. He had tucked the tips into his collar. And, like Lupin, he hadn't completely aged to his original 37 years, rather he stopped again somewhere about his late 20's.
Draco was studying Snape's features. He only heard the door open and close. When he looked around the room, only he and the master of his house were in the owlry. "Is everything all right, Draco?" Snape's silky baritone voice was unmistakable.
"I'm fine, but Mr. Marston might have told you that my father surprised me in the forest with a visit while I was serving detention this morning." Draco drawled.
"He did." Snape confirmed, "What did he want?"
"Um, you look younger. Get a lot of rest, did you?"
"I did, thank you. I seem to have picked up a chocolate craving, though."
Draco rummaged through his pockets and came up with two chocolate frogs and a bar of Honeyduke's Finest Dark Chocolate. "Thank you, Draco. Now what did your father want?"
"He inquired about the dueling competition and asked if you were training me. I told him you, Dumbledore, and McGonagall were on injury leave and that Flitwick was acting Headmaster."
"What do you think," Snape tried to draw more from his student.
"I'm sure he'll inform the Dark Lord that Dumbledore is not here to protect his precious Hogwarts."
"Has he contacted you any other way?"
"He hasn't said anything, but he's been asking curious questions in his owls. I got three today from him, and that's not usual."
"What has he asked?" Snape opened a chocolate frog and immediately bit its head off to make it stop squirming.
"First, he wanted to know where the three of you were and the extent of your injuries."
"How touching. And thank you for the get well card, by the way."
"You couldn't have been too far away to be able to assign and mark our assignments, eh?"
"You are correct. If Madam Pomfrey releases me, I may be in class on Monday."
"He hasn't gotten much information from the Hogwarts Board of Governors since he was kicked off a couple years ago after that incident at the Ministry. He knows that Dumbledore's still making the decisions. He's been keeping an eye on the school from the forest and he want to come watch me compete in the dueling competition."
"I'm sure you'll do well. Marston has kept me informed of your progress." Snape cleared his throat, "Why don't you send a short note now, tell him of our meeting tonight."
"Yes, sir. You know, I was having doubts. You and Marston seemed—I don't know, he's a lot like you. The way he moves, his voice, his nose. Are you sure you two aren't related? And his Quidditch moves were a lot like what you and Father used to talk about before I started attending Hogwarts."
"Perhaps distantly," Snape smirked. "But he's not on my family tree."
"I was almost convinced you were one and the same person." Draco shook his head, "If I hadn't seen the two of you together tonight, I'd still have my doubts." He shrugged. "Thanks for meeting me, sir. Sorry to interrupt your vacation, but I thought my Father might tell the Dark Lord that three of Hogwarts most powerful teachers were not here to protect the precious boy-who-lived. Maybe he'll try something next week when Hogwarts is opened to visitors for the competition. Maybe he just wants to survey the situation, I'm not sure."
"Thank you, Draco." Draco scribbled out a note on a small roll of parchment and sent it off with a school owl before leaving Professor Snape in the shadows of the owlry.
"Headmaster?" Snape called out softly.
"I heard, Severus. We might expect something in the next week."
Dumbledore swung the door open and held it for Snape as Harry and Hermione turned to enter the owlry. "Oh! Professor Snape, you look well rested," Hermione smiled. "Mmm, hi Alan," she said dreamily and got a silent nod from Dumbledore.
Snape put his hands on his hips and glowered over the students. "Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, what are you doing here?"
"I have a patrol, sir." Hermione pointed to her Head Girl badge.
"And, um, Hermione asked me to walk with her tonight," Harry added.
"I see. And have you anything to report?" Snape was clearly enjoying this intimidation game but he saw the disapproving look on Marston's face. He was motioning that he had to go.
"We just saw Malfoy walking down this corridor," Harry shrugged.
Still blocking the door to the owlry tower, Snape crossed his arms over his chest. "Mr. Malfoy is head boy. Unlike you, he is allowed to patrol."
"Yes, sir," said Hermione, pulling Harry off to the side.
When the way was clear, Snape glided down the hallway with this trademark stride and robes billowing behind him. Marston walked at his side and matched his steps.
"See?" Hermione squeezed Harry's arm, "I told you Snape and Marston weren't the same person. I can't wait to tell Ron."
Dumbledore could feel the effects of the Polyjuice Potion starting to wear off, so he was in a hurry to get into the Headmaster's office. He rushed ahead of Snape, so that he could avoid being spotted by anyone else before he changed back. In his haste, he ran into Tonks, knocking her down in the process and falling on top of her behind the gargoyle statue which guarded the Headmaster's office.
"Oh, um, hello Severus," Tonks said from below with a smile.
Dumbledore had not yet recovered his wits and was in the process of stammering out an apology to Tonks when a stern voice was heard, "Severus Snape! What is the meaning of this? Honestly, I thought you were above attacking young women the hallway." Dumbledore's eyes grew wide as he rose to his feet and helped Tonks to hers.
"No, Minerva, this isn't what it looks like," Dumbledore stammered.
Just then, Snape in his black billowing glory swept around the corner. McGonagall and Tonks gasped at the sight of Professor Snape. Tonks raised a brow, "If you're Snape, then who's this?"
Snape had a gleam in his eye. He drawled in his velvety baritone, "I suggest we take this matter into the Headmaster's office, Peppermint Patty."
The gargoyle jumped to the side and the doors opened to the revolving staircase. Once inside the office, Albus went straight to his jar of lemon sherbets. When he turned around, he was once again his teenaged self. "Minnie, please listen."
"Albus!" Minerva exclaimed, her face reaching a light crimson. "How could you? I thought we—ugh!" With a sniff, she quickly turned to run out the door, a stream of tears already reaching her chin.
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JKR, various publishers of the HP series. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
Chapter 11 - Meetings (uploaded 1/13/04)
"Polyjuice," Snape repeated, "fine. But you drink it. I would never allow anyone else to impersonate me. I doubt anyone else could pull it off, anyway." Dumbledore chuckled to himself and reached into his desk drawer to produce a sharp paring knife. He unsheathed it and handed it to Snape. As the potions master proceeded to make enough fingernail samples, the headmaster rummaged through his cupboards to find his stock of Polyjuice Potion.
Dumbledore poured some Polyjuice into a goblet and added Snape's fingernails They watched the instant reaction of bubbles and smoke until it was ready to drink. Dumbledore drained the potion into his mouth and made a sour face as they waited for the reaction. Dumbledore shrank an inch or two and bent to look into the mirror on his desk to amuse himself as his nose grew and grew. "Uh oh."
"What, that's it?" Snape huffed.
"It seems Master Flitwick has charmed you down to your fingernails, Severus." Dumbledore stood up and faced his young double. He had not aged back to the thirty-something snarky, dark-haired potions master, rather into a duplicate of the dirty-blonde teen Alan Marston.
Snape growled, "That's what happens when you mix foolish wand waving with the exact art of potions. You can't predict the end result with 100% certainty."
"Severus, if you're done ranting, we need a Plan B," Dumbledore calmly reminded the temperamental teen.
Snape paced the circular office. "The aging potion then."
"I thought the aging potion was modified for Remus's special circumstances?"
"It's not as stable the proper antidote, but it should suffice. There may be side effects."
Dumbledore nodded, "Let's do it. Return to your black robes. I'll wear what you have on now and retrieve Draco."
"Yes, yes," Severus wrung his hands together, "Bring him to the owlry. While we talk, you may listen in from the shadows."
Dumbledore sighed, "I do wish you could have enjoyed another chance at your youth for at least another week."
"Sir, the dark lord may attack Hogwarts before the end of the term. We have students to think of."
"Get going, Severus, I only have 55 minutes left in this form."
"Yes, headmaster." With that, Snape swept out the door and back to his dungeons.
~ ~ ~
Draco sat alone in the common room, thumbing through a copy of Quidditch Illustrated. Dumbledore, impersonating Alan Marston walked in, "Draco." Malfoy stood up, to face the doorway. "I have arranged a meeting with Professor Snape. Come, I'll walk with you to the owlry."
Draco threw down the magazine and looked him up and down suspiciously. Then they walked without another word to the tower where the owls were kept. Snape was not there yet, so they waited together, silently, for the potions master to show up. It had only been a couple minutes and Draco started getting fidgety. Finally, the door creaked open and a familiar black-clad, black-haired figure stepped into the dim room.
"You made it," Dumbledore greeted softly, trying to imitate young Severus's voice. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm fine, Alan. You may leave us." Snape shook Dumbledore's hand. Snape's dark hair had grown back out to his shoulders, but the tips of his hair were still lightened to the dirty blonde color. He had tucked the tips into his collar. And, like Lupin, he hadn't completely aged to his original 37 years, rather he stopped again somewhere about his late 20's.
Draco was studying Snape's features. He only heard the door open and close. When he looked around the room, only he and the master of his house were in the owlry. "Is everything all right, Draco?" Snape's silky baritone voice was unmistakable.
"I'm fine, but Mr. Marston might have told you that my father surprised me in the forest with a visit while I was serving detention this morning." Draco drawled.
"He did." Snape confirmed, "What did he want?"
"Um, you look younger. Get a lot of rest, did you?"
"I did, thank you. I seem to have picked up a chocolate craving, though."
Draco rummaged through his pockets and came up with two chocolate frogs and a bar of Honeyduke's Finest Dark Chocolate. "Thank you, Draco. Now what did your father want?"
"He inquired about the dueling competition and asked if you were training me. I told him you, Dumbledore, and McGonagall were on injury leave and that Flitwick was acting Headmaster."
"What do you think," Snape tried to draw more from his student.
"I'm sure he'll inform the Dark Lord that Dumbledore is not here to protect his precious Hogwarts."
"Has he contacted you any other way?"
"He hasn't said anything, but he's been asking curious questions in his owls. I got three today from him, and that's not usual."
"What has he asked?" Snape opened a chocolate frog and immediately bit its head off to make it stop squirming.
"First, he wanted to know where the three of you were and the extent of your injuries."
"How touching. And thank you for the get well card, by the way."
"You couldn't have been too far away to be able to assign and mark our assignments, eh?"
"You are correct. If Madam Pomfrey releases me, I may be in class on Monday."
"He hasn't gotten much information from the Hogwarts Board of Governors since he was kicked off a couple years ago after that incident at the Ministry. He knows that Dumbledore's still making the decisions. He's been keeping an eye on the school from the forest and he want to come watch me compete in the dueling competition."
"I'm sure you'll do well. Marston has kept me informed of your progress." Snape cleared his throat, "Why don't you send a short note now, tell him of our meeting tonight."
"Yes, sir. You know, I was having doubts. You and Marston seemed—I don't know, he's a lot like you. The way he moves, his voice, his nose. Are you sure you two aren't related? And his Quidditch moves were a lot like what you and Father used to talk about before I started attending Hogwarts."
"Perhaps distantly," Snape smirked. "But he's not on my family tree."
"I was almost convinced you were one and the same person." Draco shook his head, "If I hadn't seen the two of you together tonight, I'd still have my doubts." He shrugged. "Thanks for meeting me, sir. Sorry to interrupt your vacation, but I thought my Father might tell the Dark Lord that three of Hogwarts most powerful teachers were not here to protect the precious boy-who-lived. Maybe he'll try something next week when Hogwarts is opened to visitors for the competition. Maybe he just wants to survey the situation, I'm not sure."
"Thank you, Draco." Draco scribbled out a note on a small roll of parchment and sent it off with a school owl before leaving Professor Snape in the shadows of the owlry.
"Headmaster?" Snape called out softly.
"I heard, Severus. We might expect something in the next week."
Dumbledore swung the door open and held it for Snape as Harry and Hermione turned to enter the owlry. "Oh! Professor Snape, you look well rested," Hermione smiled. "Mmm, hi Alan," she said dreamily and got a silent nod from Dumbledore.
Snape put his hands on his hips and glowered over the students. "Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, what are you doing here?"
"I have a patrol, sir." Hermione pointed to her Head Girl badge.
"And, um, Hermione asked me to walk with her tonight," Harry added.
"I see. And have you anything to report?" Snape was clearly enjoying this intimidation game but he saw the disapproving look on Marston's face. He was motioning that he had to go.
"We just saw Malfoy walking down this corridor," Harry shrugged.
Still blocking the door to the owlry tower, Snape crossed his arms over his chest. "Mr. Malfoy is head boy. Unlike you, he is allowed to patrol."
"Yes, sir," said Hermione, pulling Harry off to the side.
When the way was clear, Snape glided down the hallway with this trademark stride and robes billowing behind him. Marston walked at his side and matched his steps.
"See?" Hermione squeezed Harry's arm, "I told you Snape and Marston weren't the same person. I can't wait to tell Ron."
Dumbledore could feel the effects of the Polyjuice Potion starting to wear off, so he was in a hurry to get into the Headmaster's office. He rushed ahead of Snape, so that he could avoid being spotted by anyone else before he changed back. In his haste, he ran into Tonks, knocking her down in the process and falling on top of her behind the gargoyle statue which guarded the Headmaster's office.
"Oh, um, hello Severus," Tonks said from below with a smile.
Dumbledore had not yet recovered his wits and was in the process of stammering out an apology to Tonks when a stern voice was heard, "Severus Snape! What is the meaning of this? Honestly, I thought you were above attacking young women the hallway." Dumbledore's eyes grew wide as he rose to his feet and helped Tonks to hers.
"No, Minerva, this isn't what it looks like," Dumbledore stammered.
Just then, Snape in his black billowing glory swept around the corner. McGonagall and Tonks gasped at the sight of Professor Snape. Tonks raised a brow, "If you're Snape, then who's this?"
Snape had a gleam in his eye. He drawled in his velvety baritone, "I suggest we take this matter into the Headmaster's office, Peppermint Patty."
The gargoyle jumped to the side and the doors opened to the revolving staircase. Once inside the office, Albus went straight to his jar of lemon sherbets. When he turned around, he was once again his teenaged self. "Minnie, please listen."
"Albus!" Minerva exclaimed, her face reaching a light crimson. "How could you? I thought we—ugh!" With a sniff, she quickly turned to run out the door, a stream of tears already reaching her chin.