A/N: Sorry this is so late, but as I might have said in the last chapter, I
was away for over a week on German exchange, and then we've been visiting
relatives and stuff. Anyway, I've not made you wait as much as three
weeks, so don't complain too much. The next chapter ought to come pretty
soon after this one, maybe even before the next Revelations and Recovery
one. If you like Snape, you should check that one out, and I've done a
finished time travel one as well. Well, now its finally here, enjoy, then
review!
The door he came to was a large, solid, wooden creation, carved intricately with snakes. He pushed it cautiously open to discover a room that would double up easily as a library and study, and no doubt did. It was easily as big as the Hogwarts library - counted itself as one of the largest in Britain - and light steamed in to illuminate the books through huge windows set high in the walls. At the end furthest away from Marc was a huge stained glass window, possibly of a young Salazar Slytherin, although that was a wide guess since Marc was only going on the statue he'd seen in the Chamber of Secrets. Huge rows of bookshelves were arranged in long, towering rows, reaching high up into the roof, although how one was expected to take books from the higher shelves, Marc couldn't imagine. There were a number of small study tables in small openings between the shelves, and a large desk near the door.
There was a sudden loud crack and Marc spun around, instantly on guard with his wand in his hand.
"Is yous Master's son?" the house elf asked, wide eyes looking trustingly up at him. She - hard to tell if the creature was male or female, but Marc made a guess - was wearing the customary pillowcase, but it was a brilliant white and well looked after, and was embroidered with silver snakes - quite a stunning outfit, all in all, despite the simple cut.
"Yes, I'm uh Marcus."
"Can Tiddy be helping you, Master Marcus?"
"Do you know where I can find books on the Silvanian Quidditch technique?" Marc asked, hoping that Tiddy would be able to tell him, since he had no idea as to where to begin looking.
"You waits here, Master Marc! Tiddy will find it for you!"
Marc sat down at the desk, while the house elf ran frantically between the shelves. Like so many other things in the library, it was ancient and again, it was carved with the customary snakes. He was fairly sure he could make an educated guess as to the crest of the House of Snape. Tiddy was back within moments clutching three large books to her chest.
"Theses is all I could find, Master Marcus," she said anxiously.
"I'm sure this will be plenty, Tiddy. Thank you."
"Yous is welcomes, Master Marcus."
Marc looked at the books, and selected one bluntly titled 'Silvanian Flying'. He read it cover to cover, then sat back confidently. Boy was Severus going to get a surprise tomorrow a heart attack perhaps. No, that wasn't fair - his nerves were no doubt excellent considering his undercover role working for the Order of the Phoenix. For a technique that supposedly took at least twenty years to learn, it sounded surprisingly easy. Marc stretched, then went on to look at his next choice. If only Hermione could see him now. . .
The door opened around two hours later and Severus looked in.
"This is the last place I'd expect to find you. What are you doing?"
"Studying, Father," Marc said innocently. "I want my House to do well when I get back to Hogwarts."
"I'd have thought you'd be out flying on a day like this."
"Oh no, I couldn't waste such a brilliant broom on ordinary moves, so I've been researching some new ones."
"You like the broom, then? I was told its good, but I'm a bit behind on the latest technology."
"It's the best there is, far better than even a Firebolt, according to the experts."
"If you're in Slytherin, we must ensure you perform to the best of your ability."
"But what if I'm not? I might be put in Hufflepuff this time, it was almost Slytherin last."
Severus looked shocked, as though the idea had never occurred to him. Marc grinned at his discomfort.
"Sorry, but even if Gramps doesn't want me to go back into Gryffindor, there are other houses. Mum was in Ravenclaw, wasn't she? I could just as easily follow her."
"Hmm, especially if you carry on like this, although I never would have thought it possible before. She told me once that in the end it came down to personal choice between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, which house she ended up in. Still, the amount of time she spent with Lily, you'd never have guessed she chose Ravenclaw. Which player are you modelling yourself on now?"
"Guy named Silvanus," Marc said blandly. "Italian, I think." Severus went white.
"I forbid you from trying out any of those moves!"
"Aw please. You could rig up that charm they have at Hogwarts now, which catches you before you hit the ground. I want to see Mum's face. . ."
"Mum?"
"We had a talk before I came down here, and she offered. Now I've had my Memoranbrall, I'm perfectly happy with the idea of multiple parents. I wasn't sure whether we'd be openly stating my birth mother's identity, or whether you were hoping to pass me off as Altair's."
"Whichever you prefer, although I wouldn't broadcast Alba Dumbledore's name around, she isn't the most popular person in Death Eater circles."
"Okay."
"I was sent to tell you that its lunchtime. Do you want to keep the books?"
"No thanks, I've pretty much memorized them now, and Tiddy would no doubt be overjoyed if I asked her to find them for me again if I need them."
"Come on then, let's go. So, you've met Tiddy?"
"Yes, she appeared when I came in here. Good thing too, I didn't know where to start."
"We have three house elves attached to the family: one cooks, one cleans and Tiddy helps in a more general capacity. I'll warn you, don't leave food on your plate unless you want to hear it from Mufy. He's always been obsessed with not wasting. The other elf is Doily, though she's much shyer than the other two and you probably won't be seeing much of her."
The door he came to was a large, solid, wooden creation, carved intricately with snakes. He pushed it cautiously open to discover a room that would double up easily as a library and study, and no doubt did. It was easily as big as the Hogwarts library - counted itself as one of the largest in Britain - and light steamed in to illuminate the books through huge windows set high in the walls. At the end furthest away from Marc was a huge stained glass window, possibly of a young Salazar Slytherin, although that was a wide guess since Marc was only going on the statue he'd seen in the Chamber of Secrets. Huge rows of bookshelves were arranged in long, towering rows, reaching high up into the roof, although how one was expected to take books from the higher shelves, Marc couldn't imagine. There were a number of small study tables in small openings between the shelves, and a large desk near the door.
There was a sudden loud crack and Marc spun around, instantly on guard with his wand in his hand.
"Is yous Master's son?" the house elf asked, wide eyes looking trustingly up at him. She - hard to tell if the creature was male or female, but Marc made a guess - was wearing the customary pillowcase, but it was a brilliant white and well looked after, and was embroidered with silver snakes - quite a stunning outfit, all in all, despite the simple cut.
"Yes, I'm uh Marcus."
"Can Tiddy be helping you, Master Marcus?"
"Do you know where I can find books on the Silvanian Quidditch technique?" Marc asked, hoping that Tiddy would be able to tell him, since he had no idea as to where to begin looking.
"You waits here, Master Marc! Tiddy will find it for you!"
Marc sat down at the desk, while the house elf ran frantically between the shelves. Like so many other things in the library, it was ancient and again, it was carved with the customary snakes. He was fairly sure he could make an educated guess as to the crest of the House of Snape. Tiddy was back within moments clutching three large books to her chest.
"Theses is all I could find, Master Marcus," she said anxiously.
"I'm sure this will be plenty, Tiddy. Thank you."
"Yous is welcomes, Master Marcus."
Marc looked at the books, and selected one bluntly titled 'Silvanian Flying'. He read it cover to cover, then sat back confidently. Boy was Severus going to get a surprise tomorrow a heart attack perhaps. No, that wasn't fair - his nerves were no doubt excellent considering his undercover role working for the Order of the Phoenix. For a technique that supposedly took at least twenty years to learn, it sounded surprisingly easy. Marc stretched, then went on to look at his next choice. If only Hermione could see him now. . .
The door opened around two hours later and Severus looked in.
"This is the last place I'd expect to find you. What are you doing?"
"Studying, Father," Marc said innocently. "I want my House to do well when I get back to Hogwarts."
"I'd have thought you'd be out flying on a day like this."
"Oh no, I couldn't waste such a brilliant broom on ordinary moves, so I've been researching some new ones."
"You like the broom, then? I was told its good, but I'm a bit behind on the latest technology."
"It's the best there is, far better than even a Firebolt, according to the experts."
"If you're in Slytherin, we must ensure you perform to the best of your ability."
"But what if I'm not? I might be put in Hufflepuff this time, it was almost Slytherin last."
Severus looked shocked, as though the idea had never occurred to him. Marc grinned at his discomfort.
"Sorry, but even if Gramps doesn't want me to go back into Gryffindor, there are other houses. Mum was in Ravenclaw, wasn't she? I could just as easily follow her."
"Hmm, especially if you carry on like this, although I never would have thought it possible before. She told me once that in the end it came down to personal choice between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, which house she ended up in. Still, the amount of time she spent with Lily, you'd never have guessed she chose Ravenclaw. Which player are you modelling yourself on now?"
"Guy named Silvanus," Marc said blandly. "Italian, I think." Severus went white.
"I forbid you from trying out any of those moves!"
"Aw please. You could rig up that charm they have at Hogwarts now, which catches you before you hit the ground. I want to see Mum's face. . ."
"Mum?"
"We had a talk before I came down here, and she offered. Now I've had my Memoranbrall, I'm perfectly happy with the idea of multiple parents. I wasn't sure whether we'd be openly stating my birth mother's identity, or whether you were hoping to pass me off as Altair's."
"Whichever you prefer, although I wouldn't broadcast Alba Dumbledore's name around, she isn't the most popular person in Death Eater circles."
"Okay."
"I was sent to tell you that its lunchtime. Do you want to keep the books?"
"No thanks, I've pretty much memorized them now, and Tiddy would no doubt be overjoyed if I asked her to find them for me again if I need them."
"Come on then, let's go. So, you've met Tiddy?"
"Yes, she appeared when I came in here. Good thing too, I didn't know where to start."
"We have three house elves attached to the family: one cooks, one cleans and Tiddy helps in a more general capacity. I'll warn you, don't leave food on your plate unless you want to hear it from Mufy. He's always been obsessed with not wasting. The other elf is Doily, though she's much shyer than the other two and you probably won't be seeing much of her."