A Moment Ago III

Severus Snape glared at the trembling form in front of him. Absolute terror shone in the Slytherin girl's large blue eyes. She looked exactly the way a china doll would if it were painted in horror. "P…p..professor Snape, I…I…"

"Get on with it, Miss Gilmore. I haven't got time for your nonsense today." That sounded harsh even to his own ears, when in fact he had been trying to be somewhat soft. The girl was one of the brightest of the bunch, but not nearly as annoying as Granger had been.

"I…I'msupposedtotellyouthatHeadmistressHoochwantstoseeyou," she gushed. By the time she got it all out, she was hyperventilating and he was exasperated.

"Breathe, Miss Gilmore. If you don't repeat that sans the stuttering and with appropriate pauses, you will serve a week's worth of detention," he warned.

Her eyes, amazingly, got even bigger, but she managed a nod. "I'm supposed to tell you that Headmistress Hooch wants to see you."

Without a word, he turned on his heal and headed to her office. Things had changed at Hogwarts without Dumbledore. Despite Rolanda's best efforts, a good bit of the charm was gone out the place. Even he had to grudgingly admit that the old fool had brought something to the school. So much was gone from these walls, but a chapter of life had closed. Snape wasn't fool enough to pine for the past.

He took a moment to glance out of the windows over the court yard. The sun was out despite the wintry chill in the air. Standing just below him, was a man he did not recognize. The intruder was tall and sturdy built with sandy blonde hair. He stood with his face turned to the sky, but Severus could not make out his features from this distance. The was a confidence about him, not arrogance. Severus snorted. Whoever he was, it didn't matter. Returning to his task, he felt only the slightest desire to look back.

Rolanda was sitting at her desk, thoughtfully reading a piece of parchment in front of her. "Severus, glad to see Alana finally had the courage to face you. Not a very bold girl, that one."

"I've seen jellyfish with stiffer spines," he agreed. "What was it you wanted to see me about?"

"Professor Binns' has decided that he wishes to find other areas of the school to haunt. I have a potential candidate for the position already to take over, but I'm not so sure about him….I don't doubt his intelligence, but… I'm not sure he can handle a class."

He nodded. As deputy headmaster, his opinion held weight in her decision. "Is he, by chance, here already?"

"Yes, he is. Have you spoken to him?"

"No, but I noticed a man in the courtyard. Why don't you bring him in?" he suggested. This was not how he wanted to spend his Saturday, but duty called.

A house elf brought tea and refreshments, and he busied himself looking around the room. Severus picked up a picture of a MUCH younger Rolanda and Minerva with their arms locked around each other's waists. It had obviously been taken not long after the two met, but he couldn't place their ages. He set it aside as he heard the door open.

Shock registered across his face as he watched the man he had seen in the courtyard being led to a chair by a prefect. In his free hand, he held a white cane. Zeroing in on the man's face, he was about twenty-five or so with shaggy hair. He wasn't exceedingly handsome, but he was extremely familiar.

Rolanda, having already known, gave him a smile, and said in a welcoming tone, "Welcome back to Hogwarts, Mr. Longbottom."

A puff of air could have knocked Severus on his arse. Neville fucking Longbottom! The blind man smiled toward Madame Hooch with genuine good nature. "It's wonderful to be back."

Unphased, she continued, "You remember, Severus Snape of course?"

Humor twitched at the corner's of Neville's lips. "How could I forget such an experience as potions class?"

Gathering his wits, Severus snorted. "And how could I forget the million times you damn near got yourself killed or almost blew up the bloody classroom?"

Neville gave a deep throaty laugh. "Well, I have my reasons for that."

"I'd be damned surprised if there was any rhyme or reason for your incompetence," the potions master quipped. "I hope you've learned something, if you're going to be teaching here."

"His resume is quite good," Rolanda interjected, handing the file to Severus.

He gave her a look that said 'his resume wasn't your issue to begin with.' Neville stiffened as the silence dragged on. "Well, then why don't we get it out in the open—I'm blind. But that doesn't make me stupid or negligent. I'm quite capable of handling a classroom."

"Hogwarts has some students who can be a bit trying, Mr. Longbottom," she explained. "I dare say you remember the Weasley twins? While we haven't anyone that notorious at the moment, they will test you. How do you expect to deal it?"

"I believe that students deserve my respect just as much as I deserve theirs. A good man once showed me that if you believe in your students and let them know that, then you had a basis with them that put you in a position where most students won't test you. However, when a student does see the need to push things immediate and appropriate actions should be taken. You have to face your problems as they come. One mustn't let things build," he added.

Severus could guess who Neville meant. Remus had undoubtedly been the best teacher the school had had in a very long time, but Neville Longbottom wasn't Remus Lupin…not by a long shot. "Yes," he said shakily, "but how do you intend to get their respect when they see you as weak?"

"By proving that I'm not weak, through my actions and my demeanor. Students don't have to be scared to death of you to make you an authority figure. They will respect boundaries put in place by someone who treats them like intelligent beings."

The older woman seemed pleased with his answer. She nodded contentedly. "Very well, you can be a disciplinarian, but how will your blindness effect the rest of your activities here?"

"There will be a few accommodations that need to be made. I will ask that the furniture in my classroom go unmoved, because I move in familiar settings by memory. I will also need a day or two to get to know Hogwarts and its layout. By counting steps and learning landmarks, navigation won't be too much of an issue" he paused and took a sip of tea. "However, the course load will not be easier than that of any sighted teacher. They will be tested and will write essays, just as they would for any other class."

Severus gave Rolanda a pensive glance. She seemed completely reassured by Neville, and though he would deny it, he wasn't far behind her in that respect. "How do you expect to read those essays?"

"A translation charm will turn the writing to Braille for me. I am capable of doing most everything anyone else can, I just do things a bit differently."

"I think that's enough, Neville," Rolanda said happily. "Welcome to Hogwarts, Professor Longbottom."

His smile was stunning. "Thank you, Madame Hooch. Professor Snape," he added with a nod in Severus' direction.

"Would you like a guide to find your way out?" Snape asked with a dismissing

tone.

"No, I remember the way." With that, he unfurled his cane and strode confidently out of the room.

Later that evening, Severus found himself irritably going over the homework papers he had collected from the first years. This bunch was thick enough to make him miss the days of Potter. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't deny the fact that he missed those days to a small extent. Those days had never left him waiting for entertainment. Unbidden, a face came to the front of his thoughts.

Neville Longbottom. Who would have guessed? He certainly wasn't the boy he remembered. There was very little of the pudginess that he had been so famous for. Though he was not thin, most of his solid frame was muscle. His once round face had now gained the hollows and hardness of a man's face rather than a boy's. Neither overly handsome, nor unattractive, he was plain but he exuded a sort of pleasant personality that made him appealing. Not only his looks had changed. Never had he seen Neville look confident or certain, until now. He was man very aware of himself, faults and strengths alike. Neville the man was much more intriguing than Neville the boy had ever been, and Snape loathed the fact that he noticed.