Title: Gwydion's Sword
Author: P.L.S.
ooOooOoo
(Chapter One- Subjugation in Accolades)
Snape was starting to get used to the air of excitement, just as he had gotten used to the air of searching. It really didn't matter to him, he wasn't going anywhere until he died of old age. Hogwarts was now a fortress for the United Defense Forces of West Europe and the UDFWE was never going to let him leave because if he left the school wards would crash unless a powerful wizard got the wards off of the parameters set by those who erected them. Right now the wards needed at the minimum one house master to hold them and he was both the youngest and the most magically powerful of the house masters in place when the UDFWE took over the castle. He wasn't even allowed to brew anything because of chance of death.
The castle wasn't only a base for the Scottish and Irish forces, it served as a base for the search for Harry Potter as well as the refugees from the reformed mixed kingdom of Flanders which an angry and well backed Draco Malfoy retook in the first few years of the formation of the West European Magical Coalition. Not only was Flanders resisting, but Northern Italy, where not only the Zabinis were from, but also the Sforzas, the family from which the Snapes, Krums, and Stephanskis all spun off from, was resisting and calling for the extradition of himself from Hogwarts. But by doing this they were being labeled as Dark and in league with Dark Lady Hellgeldin. What made it worse was the fact that even if Flanders was making it very obvious that their King Draco despised the Lady and had no problem either fighting outright or secretly helping resistance fighters in the Balkans and in other areas of Eastern Europe, Flanders was still declared a Dark supporter by the WEMC and already missions to assassinate King Draco or his supporters were being planned for as soon as the Dark Lady was on the ropes.
All in all Snape was disgusted with the way the world was, but then again he was on the inside, the rest of the people only got to see the bright shiny trade agreements, the daily updates on the hunt for their savior, and the occasional victory against Hellgeldin.
However today did feel different. For one, the wards weren't as heavy, it was like someone was sharing with him. For another, even his guards were distracted and just missed the knife he palmed at breakfast. And now angry shouting permeated the halls, coming from the hospital wings. If anything Snape was having flashbacks to the falling out of his last lover and the impressive arguments that rocked the very foundations of the castle. It wasn't long after Voldemort fell and Harry vanished.
YOU TOOK ME FROM MY KIDS! Snape looked up and saw that about ten aurors were trying to keep an irate gun wielding man in cargo trousers and an open robe from spraying the commanding officers of the retrieval teams with bullets, MY THREE NINE YEAR OLDS ARE ALONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUNGLE! I DON'T CARE WHO IS SLAUGHTERING MUGGLES NOW, I WANT MY KIDS!
Snape watched as the angry Potter got free and shot Colonel Flannigan in the arm. It was then Snape saw the magic dampeners locked on Potter's wrists, just like they had done to him. Potter himself hadn't shut up, he was just yelling obscenities in various languages and trying to call up a few American curses. He was surprised to see tears streaming down as Potter bared his teeth and put his back to a wall, Just stay away. If you wanted my services you pay for my whole goddamned platoon, just like everyone else does.But you are needed here, don't you understand that you need to protect our kind? asked MacDougall. Potter laughed.
Our kind! You bloody ethnocentric prick, we are human, magic or no magic, besides if I were you I'd watch it. You never know when something out of your experience might get you. As Potter said that shadows curled around MacDougall and constricted around him and two red eyes focused on Potter.
He's not supposed to be able to do magic! shouted the assembled UDFWE members shouted.
Snape muttered under his breath. Potter was talking to the thing in a language that Snape had never heard before and the shadow serpent tightened then let the auror fall to the floor.
It's not magic, it's knowing a few of the other beings who share our planet. This is Ti-Jean Petro, he's a loa who is fond of me. He also doesn't hold wizards who are so blind to the world that they dismiss anything they don't understand. Potter said some more words to the shadow serpent and it vanished like it came, He's off to let my kids know I'm fine and to get backup. Now if you let me free, I promise my fellow soldiers of fortune won't rip you limb from limb or skin you alive. Snape started applauding.
hissed his guard but Potter looked amused.
So they got you too? Snape shrugged.
I am here because without me the wards will fall. Snape said and Potter nodded.
Yeah, Draco tried to tell me that five years ago. Potter chuckled, But I kind of ignored everything having to do with you.
Snape ignored the last bit, he didn't want to start examining why they fell apart in front of others, It's King Draco now.I know that, Potter sneered, my people were part of his forces. I had a few of our bàbáláwos, other priests and brujos help with redecoration. Snape started walking towards his rooms and Potter followed. Once locked in with the guards safely outside. Snape decided to ask more about everything starting with Potter's part in Draco's reclamation of Flanders.
So he has a shadow protector? Potter shook his head with a smile.
Nah, but he has a hounfort in his dungeons with a bàbáláwo and a few padawans who knows their business. Potter grinned, And if these idiots want to try to assassinate Draco, it will take more than poison or a curse. When we put a ruler in power he tends to stay in power unless he or she is an idiot. Snape nodded thoughtfully.
Ah, I had wondered just why Draco seems so confident and why he had a minimum of fuss from his new subjects. Potter laughed.
That was all him, he knows his propaganda and he had started in our seventh year. Snape was surprised at that, during that year everything in the fight against Voldemort sped up and crescendoed with the destruction of the main offices of the Ministry of Magic and a good sized chunk of everything above it. After that it seemed Potter and the student army that the boy hero built out of Hogwarts' student body took over the war without much of a fight from their elders. Now that Snape thought of it, Malfoy wasn't much of a spokesperson as Parkinson and Zabini were for the pureblooded youth who were too young to bare the mark, but who also saw that Voldemort was going to lose.
Potter himself was more of a figurehead in his own army then too, Zabini, the youngest Weasley boy, and a few older Hufflepuffs served as tacticians and actual leaders, Potter served as a teacher to the younger members and as a magical powerhouse called in when things looked bad and they needed a shock or they needed someone who had authority enough to tell the aurors and older wizards what to do. After some sort of revised and based upon on the spot pop quiz style examinations NEWTs, Potter actually found three trustworthy aurors who he offered the protection of Hogwarts in exchange for teaching a revised and expanded defense program as well as tutorials for those interested in the army.
With teaching out of the way Potter became a huge presence on the battlefield as well as doing whatever he was asked to do by anyone who gave him a good enough reason. More than that he served as the army's red herring and still found time to attend weekly sessions with Order appointed teachers who finished Dumbledore's envisioned plan for crafting the perfect warrior out of a kid who just happened to fit the bill for a prophesy.
But still Snape couldn't really remember what role Draco Malfoy had played. Potter smiled at him and seemed to read his mind as he said, Draco was also a sort of distraction for the main operations, but also we knew of his plans for Flanders and called him and placed him in high profile, short, and almost safe spots to act as the hero, thus building him an image to use as the returning scion of the old ruling family. Almost a fairy tale quality that works very well in conjunction with him being an upper class wizard practically starting from scratch.
Muggles and muggleborns ate it up and the wizardborn or halfs loved the mixed and openness that he advocated. Harry smiled, The colonies that the Netherlands had just finished voting to be part of Flanders as states or providences, which Draco actually wanted because with them comes a greater access to magical/muggle collaboration models and ideas as the people of the Caribbean are used to it. As you probably deduced, I'm a big fan of mixing.
Snape had no idea how to respond to that, so he chose to not so subtly change the topic, As you can tell, the cuffs you now wear siphon off your magic as you try to use it, your wand it in the hands of the commanding officer of the castle, and in addition to the cuffs intended effect, you are now confined to Hogwarts and the grounds unless you can function under pain not unlike that of several powerful Crusoius Curses. They'll of course tell you that the cuffs keep you safe and are signs of your high esteem. Snape let a slight smirk out, Which is true. They fear being without you so much that they would rather drive you into a catatonic state or madness than let you go free. You'll have a few rotating bodyguards, which are there to literally protect your body against any harm whether you want it or not. They will forbid everything but the most safe things, but you might be able to talk them into letting you have dueling practices.Goddamnit, infants have more freedom. Harry scowled, Ti-Jean Petro better hurry up and help my people get here. The sooner I have a fifty odd trained mixed soldiers backing me up, the better I'll feel. Padre SanPedro better take good care of my kids too. he seemed to be talking more to himself than anything. Snape just shrugged and wondered what else to say to a man who he counted as a lover until one last explosive and tormenting argument and just over ten years of total absence.
But he did wonder, three children mentioned, no mention of a wife, girlfriend, or lover.
It didn't matter. After all, Potter had been the one to leave and obviously was over everything, or at least had it buried. It wasn't like the kids were his in any way, shape, or form. It was simply impossible and pointless to dwell upon.
Snape ignored Potter as he left the room and his guards came in to look over everything.