I want to thank you all for sticking with me like this. I don't have a lot of creative outlets right now, and with work slowly becoming more and more toxic, the positive vibes I get from all the comments here really help.


Last time...

"You are mine, as they are mine, as Hogwarts is mine. My home, my people, my master. These things are worth defending, worth protecting." Potter continued to explain, and now he could see how she'd come to the conclusion she had. "These wixen are a threat to those that are mine, have already harmed many I have sworn to protect. I am already at war with one wixen. I see no problem adding others to that list."

He could not help but quote her, just this once. "One war at a time, eh, Potter?"

She snorted, and he relaxed upon seeing his words had eased the tension in her frame as well.

"I have an academic inquiry, if you wouldn't mind, Professor." Potter commented, turning her attentions back to the food on her plate. "Is it possible to obliviate oneself?"

He froze, having been wondering that same thing recently. Something had tickled at the back of his mind at the words she'd spoken while still asleep and roaming the realms in dreams. She'd called on someone she'd referred to as 'Me'Me', and while he now knew that to be Hades - god of the Underworld, his mind began to wonder. Something about that was familiar to him. Only it wasn't 'Me'Me', but 'Me! Me!'.

"While I believe it is possible, I would hesitate to advise anyone to attempt such a thing. Memories one wishes to forget tend to be emotional upheavals, and one needs absolute emotional control to be able to lock a memory away like that." Severus answered, his mind still trying to puzzle out why she would even ask. "There are many academic papers on the subject, Potter. I will see about finding them for you."

"…Or, you know, you could just check your pockets."


Chapter 101

It had taken a few days to make the arrangements without alerting Umbridge to what he was doing. Potter had her distracted on that front quite nicely, though he was a little afraid to ask about how she was doing that just yet. The woman was downright afraid to take anything from her, or even look at the girl. It was obvious Umbridge had begun reading the rules of the Fae; something Potter was leaning into for all it was worth. He was going to regret leaving things be, he just knew it.

When he arrived at Stark's flat via floo, he saw that they had all arrived. Most looked worried, but Stark looked a combination of worried and amused. It was likely that he knew at least on some level that this was about Potter, if not what specifically. With the Owl Post being monitored by Umbridge, he wasn't sure what the children had been able to tell their parents. He wasn't even sure if they'd tried to tell their loved ones anything over the break.

"Alright, now that we're all here, can you tell us what's going on?" Dr. Jean Granger demanded, glaring at him. "After the things my daughter told me about that school, I'm not sure why she's so keen to go back."

"Madam, your daughter is one of the most brilliant students I've had the frustration of teaching, but if you tell her so I will deny it." Severus remarked, catching the woman off guard. Her father looked amused, at least. "However, I have come to you all with a matter that relates to just why she's so keen to go back to Hogwarts, as you say."

"So…What'd Hera do?" Stark wondered with a slight grin that was only betrayed by the worry in his eyes.

"You are aware of the shield-brethren bond that your children – or sibling in Stark's case – have entered into, yes?" Severus inquired, looking to them all. He received nods from everyone.

"I know that my daughter came home with a tattoo. She tried explaining what it was, and why she'd gotten it, but I…I didn't believe her. I was enraged that she'd done this, gotten an illegal tattoo. She's not even eighteen!" Dr. Jean explained, mortified. "They had to call those obliviator people, because I'd taken her to a professional to get it removed, and it wasn't coming off. Everything in the damned place malfunctioned or caught fire. Hermione was crying, and it was only then that I realized how badly I'd messed up, that it wasn't some home done tattoo with charcoal and dish soap."

"It was certainly an enlightening conversation, learning what it all meant, that our daughter had friends that she felt such a close bond with." Dr. John Granger added sheepishly. "I'm just glad that our reaction didn't lead to a damaged relationship with our daughter."

"It was no worse than what I did, Dear." Molly nodded in commiseration. "My poor Ronald tried telling me as well, and when I saw it I didn't see anything but the Dark Mark – a terrible thing, really – and began casting spells to try and remove it. When nothing worked, I panicked. Ronald had to physically hold my hands as he explained what it was, and assure me it wasn't what I feared."

"I did much the same as Molly did." Narcissa admitted, blushing delicately. "It is nice to know I was not the only one to panic."

"It is because of the bond that I am here." Severus elaborated, gesturing for them all to sit down. When everyone had taken a place on various couches and what-have-you, he continued. "All five children were discovered out cold upon the arrival of the Hogwarts Express. Potter had tried to explain to one of the students that witnessed it happen that they were being called. She has the ability, through a potion she'd ingested, to travel the realms through dreams…to the last time her soul was as young as it is now. It is because of the shield-brethren bond that those you look after, children and sibling alike, can follow after her."

"Are you saying that someone from another realm in the past called for her, and our children went after her?" Xeno wondered, marvelling at what he'd heard. "That this could continue to happen?"

"Would this have anything to do with her past life as Loki?" Dr. John asked, and the room went silent as everyone stared at him, though his wife scolded him under her breath. "Jean isn't a mythology buff like I am, so she doesn't believe me, but…Everything I saw at the Christmas party was kind of telling, and I did see her place her hand in Fen's mouth as a sign of trust. Fenrir is the only wolf, fabled or otherwise, that I could think of that would need that…(No one had spoken, all staring at him as they still were, and the man began to fidget)…Was I wrong?"

Instead of answering, Severus just handed the two a pair of amulets. "They'll protect your mind. Wear them until you learn Occlumency."

"We already have the books." Dr. Jean agreed, taking one of the amulets, shaking her head in amusement at her husband. "Hermione insisted."

"Of course, she did." Severus sighed, having expected such a thing, and moved on. Looking to Lucius, he asked. "Do you remember the story about Zeus being trapped in a giant ball of ice by a group of sorcerers?"

Lucius, Narcissa, Molly, Arthur, and Xeno went stone still as they all processed what was said; while Stark and the Grangers just looked confused.

"I don't remember that story." Stark objected.

"It's not one that made it to the non-magical side of things, I'm afraid." Lucius explained. "At some point, Queen Hera was given an idea to punish her husband for his many transgressions instead of going after the children created by them. When she does so, it created a power vacuum she took advantage of to seize control of Olympia. Zeus chose to seek revenge by going after the one to give her the idea, instead of trying to usurp the power back from his wife, and ends up on the wrong end of the wrath of a group of sorcerers. At the end of the tale, he's sent rolling down Olympia in a gigantic sphere of ice."

"I can't wait to hear Hera tell this story." Stark crows. "I'd bet my entire vault it'll be better than any records magicals have of it."

"Indeed." Lucius agreed, now highly amused.

Even though Severus knew Lucius well enough to know that the love of his family would push him to be remorseful enough to undergo the trial Potter had put his magic through in order to remove the mark, he'd worried that Lucius would not take to treating muggles with equality. He was glad to see that his fears had not proven true in the end. His inability to treat magical creatures with the same level of respect had had a lot to do with Severus' fear, though the man had come a long way in that regard. Still, Severus kept a copy of the 'Lucius the House Elf' picture, for amusement more than anything else. The reminder would be good for him.

"So what did that Umbridge woman think about all of this?" Stark asked, looking at Severus with far too knowing a gaze.

"How do you think she reacted? She threatened expulsion and prosecution for child endangerment, and that was only for Potter. She also threatened expulsion for colluding against the Ministry against the other children." Severus answered. "We may need the Goblin King for this next part."

"I'm not an errand boy, you know." Jareth announced, showing up with a shower of glitter, ignoring Stark's grumbling for now. However, Severus had the distinct impression that the king wasn't nearly as put out as he acted.

"How serious was her threat, and what will this mean for the rest of us?" Severus asked, instead of indulging the Fae's dramatics.

"Threat?" Molly repeated.

"Our princess accepted Umbridge's declaration of war." Jareth revealed with a slight bow to the woman, before wiping away a non-existent tear. "I'm so proud."

"War? With the Wizarding World?" It was Xeno's turn to look worried.

"No, with only Dolores Umbridge." Jareth continued, a wicked grin reaching across his face. "It means nothing for the rest of the magicals of this world."

"How odd." Narcissa commented with a thoughtful frown. "What would a war with just one individual even look like?"

Meanwhile, in Snape's office…

"Okay, so thanks to your copying Umbridge's planner thing, we know that she plans on having a private chat with him in his office." Hermione recounted. Hera nodded, not seeming to understand her frustration. Hermione gestured around to the empty room. "So, where is he?"

"Having a meeting with our parents and my brother about what happened to us." Hera revealed in a flurry of words.

"You said he'd be here!" Hermione hissed, gearing up to scold her friend.

"No, I didn't! I said he might be here." Hera hissed back. "It's not like I knew how long he'd planned on being away."

There was a knock on the door, interrupting them.

"What are we gonna do?" Hermione whispered, worried out of her mind.

"I have an idea. Don't freak out." Hera alerted her, and promptly threw the invisibility cloak over her, pitching her voice enough that whoever was knocking on the door could hear her. "Do you mind? I'd like to be able to grade papers in peace!"

The voice that came from Hera did not sound like her, but Professor Snape.

"You're insane, and brilliant, and definitely insane!" Hermione whispered, fascinated. She already had about twenty questions for her friend.

"I thought an impromptu meeting was in order, to discuss how best to handle the situation." Umbridge insisted. The door rattled again. "Why isn't the door opening?"

"Because I do not let just anyone waltz into my office when not having office hours, High Inquisitor. The wards I have on this office have not been keyed to include you." Hera continued, still sounding like Professor Snape. She winked at Hermione, forcing her to stifle a giggle. "I take it you're insistent on this meeting of yours?"

"Absolutely!"

"Very well." Hera sighed, sounding put upon. Hermione managed to keep her giggles silent, but it wasn't easy, especially when she watched Hera transform into Professor Snape before her eyes. "Give me a moment."

'Professor Snape' looked at her with wide eyes, and whispered. "How do I look? Did I get the nose right? His voice wasn't difficult, but still…Am I tall enough? What about the robes?"

"You've worked out the shape-shifting ability?" Hermione exclaimed, though her voice was near silent as she did so.

"Obviously." 'Snape' preened.

"She's going to expect you to answer the door!" Hermione reminded her, keeping her voice as low as possible. 'Snape's' facial expression twisted into one of insecurity, something she couldn't see him ever doing so openly, and Hermione sighed as she took off the cloak. "Stand up straight. You might not own the room, but you'll be damned if anyone ever calls you out on it. She's invading your space. Make sure she understands what a mistake that is."

The transformation was almost instantaneous. 'Snape' stood straighter, a glare in his face, and a sneer on his lips. Hermione gave her a thumbs up, and ducked back under the cloak. 'Snape' stalked towards the door, making sure to slam a couple of drawers in his desk and shuffle some papers around first. When 'Snape' flung the door open, it was to see a rather annoyed looking Umbridge and an equally if not more infuriated Professor McGonagall.

"Ladies." 'Snape' acknowledged, and stepped aside to allow them entry.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd scheduled a meeting with your fellow colleague?" Umbridge demanded, glaring up at 'Snape'.

"You did not see fit to inform me of this…impromptu meeting. Why then should I inform you of my plans?" 'Snape' countered, arching an eyebrow at the woman. "It's called a private life for a reason, Dolores. It's private, and thus does not concern you."

"It most certainly does concern me!" Umbridge declared in outrage. "I am-"

"High Inquisitor. We know." 'Snape' interrupted, his sneer becoming more pronounced. "A fact you shove down our throats often enough. You keep making accusations that my apprentice seeks to undermine the Ministry, but I have to wonder just how much you wish to interfere in the personal lives of those the Ministry looks after. Viewscapes in every home, perhaps? Monitoring charms on every street? Can't have someone saying a bad word about the Ministry. They might be up to something."

"Do you really think she would do that?" Minerva inquired, watching Dolores leave in a huff.

"It wouldn't surprise me." Severus admitted with a sigh. "People like her are rarely ever satisfied with the power they hold. There is always the desire for more, and a willingness to be loud enough until she gets her way. Now, is there a reason why you stopped by? I do appreciate the visit, but I am up to my eyes in grading already."

That pinged as wrong to her, and she had the man at wand point in under a second. That was something else that was wrong. Severus was faster than her. She shouldn't have been able to do that. Also, he squeaked in surprise at the sudden change of attitude instead of defending himself; something he had never done before.

"Who are you?" She demanded, pushing him further into the room. "You're not Severus. Where is he?"

"It's not what you think, Professor!" Hermione Granger objected, suddenly just…there, invisibility cloak in hand. "That's Hera!"

"Miss Potter?!" Minerva exclaimed in realization, eyes wide as 'Severus' slowly gave her an impish grin. "How?"

"Would you like me to lie to you, Professor?" 'Severus' asked sheepishly.

"I most certainly would not." Minerva stated, thin lipped. "Can you at least tell me where he is?"

Though she was not as worried about his safety as she was before, she was still concerned.

"Telling our families about what happened on the train." 'Severus' admitted, grinning a little more, and she finally saw it. Hera's smile. It was weird to see it on her friend's face like that.

"How long can you maintain this, and does Severus know?" Minerva wondered. 'Severus' snorted, and with a strange frost moving over his frame, he shrank and became Hera again.

"Sorry, I thought this would be easier for the time being." Hera admitted with a shrug, ever the pragmatic. "He knows about the shape shifting, but my idea to turn into him was sort of a spur of the moment thing…Why?"

"Turn back and come to breakfast with me." Minerva offered, a secretive sort of grin spreading across her face. "I'll explain on the way to the Great Hall."

"Alright, but only if I get to call you Minny." Hera countered with a wide grin.

"Deal." Minerva agreed quickly. "I want to hear the story behind this."

"Why, Professor McGonagall!" Hera mock gasped, a quick sort of frost covering and shifting with her until she was Severus again. 'Severus' bowed slightly and offered her his arm, which Minerva took with amusement. "I would never have guessed you for a prankster yourself, you know. You really are a trickster in disguise, aren't you."

Minerva let out a bit of surprised laughter, before quickly putting her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in amusement. "If you only knew the half of it."

"I'll make you a deal, since you're so curious." 'Severus' offered, as they began walking down the hall. "After you explain to me why you want me parading around like this outside of his office, I want to hear the stories of your greatest pranks. If I find them amusing enough, I'll tell you the biggest secret I have."

"You'd offer me your biggest secret for a laugh?" Minerva marvelled, wondering what Hera was on about.

"It'll certainly save you time in working it out on your own, and the Professor says it's only a matter of time before the other students work it out for themselves." 'Severus' admitted with a shrug, before giving her a mischievous look. "Maybe we can pull a prank on the other teachers before they work it out too. Wouldn't that be something?"

"Severus!" Minerva scolded playfully, lightly tapping his arm. More quietly, she added. "The portraits actually do carry tales to the Headmaster, you know."

"I knew it!"

When Minerva and Severus arrived, Filius was intrigued to hear Minerva in the middle of telling quite the involved story of her youth. She looked years younger, less troubled, in a way that didn't often get to be seen. He himself had taken to sitting on Miss Potter's left whenever she sat at the Head Table, but today Severus sat in the spot Miss Potter usually did. Minerva didn't waste any time sitting on his left. Filius, uncertain what was going on, chose to sit on Severus' right this time. It certainly left Dolores in a strop that she couldn't sit by Severus this time either, and Filius wondered how long it would be before the woman gave up on pursuing him.

"Please tell me we're up for a spot of mischief." Filius insisted when he sat down.

"Not you too, Professor." Severus grumbled in defeat, making Filius blink owlishly for a moment, and the man sighed as if realizing he'd made some mistake. "You two have to help me keep this going till Professor Snape gets back. I can't afford to slip up like this around that foul woman."

He felt a tap on his hand, and looked down just long enough to see Miss Potter's ring show up on Severus' left index finger, and now he understood.

"Don't worry, Severus. That Confundus charm will wear off soon." He stated, giving her a knowing and pointed look, a smile on his lips even so. A bit lower, he added. "You'll fill us in later?"

'Severus' ducked his head down, a grin threatening to take over his face.

"You have no idea."


Thanks to the commenter My Universe for the idea for part of this chapter! ^_^