Growing Up Snape
By Teacherbev
Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling, I am not a multinational bookselling company, nor am I a multi-million dollar movie company, so I don't own anything that you recognize. I am a retired former teacher with a bizarre sense of humor, who likes to twist plots and play with characters' minds, so enjoy.
AN: I am excited, my very first story, Harry Potter and the Guardians of Power, has been nominated for a Quills Harry Potter Fan Fiction contest under the action/adventure heading at http/ www. geocities. com /dragonhidequills/main.html (Just remove the spaces, for some reason ff will not download a link here). Please read it and vote for it. And thanks for all of those who have added my stories and my author name to their favorites and their c2 groups! Makes writing much more meaningful and fun when I know people like it.
'Italics' is mental speech.
Chapter 9
Albus was enticing Shaun to try the blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup the next morning when Remus and Sirius entered the Great Hall followed momentarily by Professors Flitwick and McGonagall. Madame Pomfrey had finally left the night before for a short vacation visiting her sister in Australia, entrusting the ongoing rehabilitation of Sirius to Remus with a scroll full of detailed instructions and prohibitions. The two men had rolled their eyes in identical expressions of long suffering tolerance and promised faithfully to follow her decrees to the letter, while actually intending to do the exact opposite if at all possible.
"Ah, Minerva and Filius, good to see you this wonderful morning! We were planning on having young Shaun practice with his wand this morning directly after breakfast. If it would be acceptable to you Filius, we would appreciate the loan of the charms classroom as the wards against accidental magical outbursts there are some of the strongest in the entire castle." Albus looked remarkably like a child in Honeydukes as he anticipated the boy's excitement and finding out his abilities with using a wand for the first time. It had been over one hundred and fifty years since he had first experienced the inner glow and sense of power and peace with his own first wand but he remembered it clearly and fondly.
It was an impossibility to decide which of the two professors looked more excited at the anticipation of exploring Shaun's magical potential for the first time. They had both volunteered to remain within the castle for most of the remainder of the summer in anticipation of participating in Shaun's beginning magical education with great eagerness, so they both rushed to fill their plates and finish eating. It was barely thirty minutes later when the entire population of the castle, at least the witch and wizard portion of it, trouped out of the Great Hall and up the changing staircases to Professor Flitwick's classroom.
Just after they left a single brown barn owl swooped into the now empty Great Hall and dropped the morning edition of the Daily Prophet on the now deserted head table and without missing a stroke of its wings, rose swiftly and surely out of the windows, high above the floor, and out into the sparkling summer morning. A single headline could be read on the tightly rolled newspaper, Pettigrew Receives Kiss Today! Will Malfoy Follow?
With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore cleared all the desks and chairs out of the way, leaving a large open area down the middle of the large classroom. Severus put Shaun down on the floor and pulled his wand out of a box that he had tucked into a special wand pocket on the inside of his robes. He had explained the night before about being careful not to point his wand at anyone until he had learned to control it and to be very careful not to break it because it would be very difficult to replace. He had given him his second wand, saving the less powerful wand for after Shaun had learned to control his magic, they were most interested today in finding out exactly how powerful Shaun was so he would first be tested with his unusually cored rowan wood wand first.
Everyone stood carefully behind Shaun as he turned to look over his shoulder at Severus and asked, "What do I do now Daddy?" Severus smiled at the trust and love evident in his son's eager smiling face.
Severus knelt beside his son, and wrapping his elegant fingers around the small hand clutching the wand, he helped him point it straight up and whispered into Shaun's ear, "Say Lumos!" and the end should light up for you. Give it a try son, and remember, I will always be proud of you." He kissed the baby soft cheek as he moved his head away from the small ear and waited.
Shaun was nervous and barely managed a tiny whisper, "Lumos" but it was enough. The end of his wand lit up with a brilliant white light, so intense Shaun involuntarily dropped the wand as if it was a burning branch and turned to bury his head in his daddy's frock coat in surprised terror. Severus' arms came up without him even thinking about it and began to rub the shaking child's back as he rocked gently back and forth in a soothing rhythm.
Severus looked over the top of the small black haired child and smiled ruefully at Albus, "Perhaps we should start with the less powerful wand for now, don't you think?"
Albus nodded as Professors Flitwick and McGonagall, Remus and Sirius had varying expressions of stunned surprise on their faces. Sirius looked the most startled, he had, after all, had far less time to become accustomed to the boy's unusual power. He really hadn't believed Remus' tales of the boy's astonishing accomplishments, he had thought Remus was exaggerating out of pride in the boy or to make the story more entertaining to his virtually bedridden friend, but they must all be true!
Severus picked up the rowan wand and replaced it in its box before drawing out the other box and handing the less powerful eleven inch holly and phoenix feather wand, and handing it to Shaun; who grabbed it in his still slightly shaking right hand. Severus held onto his son's shoulders as he squatted behind him, a knee sticking out on either side of the boy as he held him close to his chest in support.
Shaun's voice was even softer as he said, "Lumos" once more. This time a very respectable amount of light flared from the end of the wand clutched in the small sweaty palm, but no more than most students would be capable of producing. Shaun smiled at the group that was clapping for him and said, "Look, I can do it this way to!" Without saying a single word, the end of the wand in his right hand flared again, but so to did the fingers in his wandless left hand. The incantation and wand effect was produced identically without either being used.
Tiny Professor Flitwick was squeaking in excitement as he encouraged, "Try Wingardium Leviosa, while doing this swish and flick movement with your wand, Shaun!" as he demonstrated with his own wand aimed at a small feather that he conjured onto the floor in front of the two Snapes. "Just go ahead when you're ready, child" he encouraged.
Shaun looked over his shoulder at his smiling and proud father, biting his lip as he thought about the wand movement and incantation Professor Flitwick had suggested. He pointed his wand carefully, and with a much more confident voice, said, "Wingardium Leviosa!" and the quill lifted gently to hover about three feet off the uneven stone floor. He looked over his shoulder at his 'family' that stood proudly behind him and lifted his left hand, pointed his finger and the quill turned blue. He giggled and lowered the now florescent blue quill carefully back to rest on the floor. He turned in his daddy's encircled arms and threw his arms around the man's neck and gave him a hug and a kiss.
"Are you tired, son? Do you want to stop now or do you want to try something else?" Severus was gently 'reading' the boy's mind, trying to discern how the boy reacted to consciously using magic with a wand for a focus rather than his normal wandless manner.
At the boy's quick, "More things Daddy!" he turned and looked deliberately at Minerva to begin testing the boy's skill at beginning transfigurations.
Minerva retrieved a couple of desks and chairs with a quick flick of her wand and a barely heard mutter of incantation. She sat Shaun down at a desk and moved a chair in front so that she was sitting very close to him on the other side of it. "Okay, Shaun, I need you to change the matchstick in front of you into a needle. Picture in your mind clearly what you want to transfigure, a long, slender, metal needle. Sharp on one end, rounded with an eye on the other, and then point your wand, jab it sharply and say, clearly, "Transmogrify!" She leaned back, arms clasped together over her chest and nodded at the boy who had 'adopted' her as a grandmother sometime during the last year.
She would never admit it, but she had come to love the boy and was almost as proud of the child as his own father.
Shaun sat on the chair, his legs unconsciously swinging since they hung over the edge of the chair, reaching only halfway to the ground. He was seated enough forward that his knees could bend over the seat edge. He couldn't touch the back of the seat and still bend his knees, so he chose to sit perched on the front of the uncomfortable wooden, student's chair. His long hair had come loose from the silk tie his daddy had fixed it in that morning; he bowed his head, covering his face in a veil of softly falling black hair. He concentrated on what his grandmother had instructed and raised his new wand. He poked at it with the wand while whispering the incantation but nothing happened! He bit at his lower lip in concentration as grandma talked to him, softly encouraging him as she described how to picture the needle clearly in his mind and telling him that no one, not even his daddy, got it right the first time.
He smiled shyly at the prim woman sitting across the desk from him and tried again. It took quite a few tries but he finally managed a vague, needle shaped piece of metal from the matchstick. He picked up his head and looked at his daddy and the others, grinning widely at the looks of pride and encouragement from all of the adults sitting in chairs around him.
"Good job, Shaun. That was excellent, child. I suspect that you are a little bit tired now, so why don't we stop for today; perhaps your father or Remus would take you flying outside in this glorious sunshine for a bit before lunch. Would you like that?" Albus had just offered the boy's absolutely favorite pastime as a reward for a job well done.
Severus ruffled the eagerly bobbing head that had popped up beside him. "Perhaps, Uncle Moony would take you outside if Sirius would keep watch for stray bludgers or other hazards? I really need to work on identifying the components of that Wolfsbane before they degrade and we never find out what happened." He looked pointedly at his mentor as he talked about the bludger. Albus nodded and offered, "I have some paperwork that I must read, but I would enjoy the sunshine and could, perhaps, sit beside Sirius in the pitch and help watch?" He knew that Sirius would be diligent about watching out for his godson but he still had no wand and there was little he could actually do in the event of an attack except warn Albus so that the old wizard could deflect any trouble.
Severus looked relieved at the powerful wizard's suggestion and nodded his agreement before leaning over to talk to his son, "Shaun, you must do exactly as Uncle Moony says, remember last time with the ball hitting you and making you almost fall off? So if Uncle Moony says you must stop I don't want to hear any whining or complaining, understood, brat?"
With a finger stuck in the side of his mouth, Shaun looked at the floor, scuffing the side of his shoe as he nodded in understanding. He looked up, giving his daddy his best innocent look as he asked, "Can I go flying Daddy; can I, please?" His daddy couldn't resist laughing at the blatant manipulation his son was trying.
"That isn't very convincing, Shaun. I know you too well to believe that innocent look, but yes you may go flying. Enjoy yourself, child, but be sure to mind Uncle Moony and Grandpa and even Black!" He ruffled the boy's already messy black hair and turned with a swoop of dark green robes and swept out of the room, his robes billowing impressively behind him. Sirius shook his head in amazement, "Sure wish I knew how he made his robes do that!" The others in the room laughed before everyone left to find their own activities for the remainder of the morning. Albus stopped Remus long enough to tell him he would meet them down at the entrance in a few minutes and to please wait for him to arrive before leaving the safety of the castle.
Severus' mind was already traveling in nine different directions as he tried once more to solve the maddening puzzle of the unknown ingredient in the Wolfsbane potion from last week. 'What could it be, everything else has been eliminated. It appears to be a fine powder, very light grey in color, but I've never seen anything remotely like it before. Maybe if I check every ingredient container in the storeroom, I can find out where it came from. My lab is warded against intruders and who would break in to add a beneficial ingredient?' His steps had led him unerringly to the door to his storeroom as he mused, totally oblivious to his surroundings once he had reached the door to his quarters, something he never did thanks to his many years as a successful spy for the light against the dark lord.
He methodically pulled down every ingredient he used in the complicated Wolfsbane potion that he had invented just last year. He even pulled out his meticulous notes to make sure he hadn't overlooked anything, even though he knew without a doubt that he hadn't. He checked each ingredient in its container, by sight, smell, feel, and sometimes even taste to make sure that the ingredient exactly matched its label. After an hour, he had isolated the contaminated salamander ash. 'This is obviously not the dark grey, acidic and bitter salamander ash. Its light grey, almost white, it's neutral in base, very fine, and totally unrecognizable. What could it be and how did it come to be labeled as salamander ash?' He pulled out the other large clear container of salamander ash and compared the two intently focusing on the differences between the two.
He carefully wrapped the two identical containers that contained such radically different ingredients and placed them into a satchel to protect them as he carried them. He didn't even want to shrink the unknown element for fear of somehow damaging it in some way. He walked briskly up to the entrance hall and out into the bright blue of the warm summer morning, shielding his eyes against the overwhelming brightness after the dark shadows of the castle. He let his son's excited squeals of delight lead him to the Quidditch pitch where he found Albus reading distractedly as he was continuously turning his attention to the small boy's obviously delighted flying on the front of Remus' broom; rather than actually reading the boring parchments from the Ministry. Shaun could be heard shouting encouragement to the somewhat reluctant Uncle Moony to "Go faster, Uncle Moony, faster!" and "Higher, higher!" which the more hesitant flyer refused to follow.
Severus was reluctantly forced to admit that Sirius took his job of watching for hazards quite seriously as the man was continuously looking around between the open areas around the pitch to the deep shadows of the Forbidden Forest. He would only glance quickly up in the air; smile broadly at the two flyers before returning his attention to his careful watch. Even Severus' arrival and quiet conversation with Albus failed to divert his attention from his duty. He had just nodded once in acknowledgement of the other's arrival and turned back to watching the forest and the shadowy area around Hagrid's hut.
Severus pulled the two large clear glass containers out of his satchel as if he was removing a muggle bomb and showed them to the Headmaster. "This is the only discrepancy I have been able to find and I must admit I am baffled. I have never seen this ingredient and none of my references have had any potion ingredient that remotely resembles its characteristics. The label is identical and reveals no tampering or discrepancies in the glue from the others. It is clearly from my regular supplier, so with your permission, Albus, I will travel to Diagon Alley to check his stores to ascertain if he has any more contaminated salamander ash containers. If he does, I will purchase every bit he has in stock for the Wolfsbane. I will also have him contact his supplier to ship any more he has available, if any."
"Excellent, Severus, we must find out what this miracle ingredient is to supply as many afflicted individuals as possible. It might be possible to 'cure' lycanthropy! My, my, just the thought of releasing those poor people from that terrible affliction is overwhelming. Make haste, but be careful as we haven't ascertained if the attack last week was against you or Shaun. I would not like to have to explain to Shaun that his daddy is injured. That young man might level the entire castle accidentally if his daddy was hurt!" He chuckled but there was a grain of truth in his fears that both men acknowledged ruefully.
Severus waved his arm and caught Remus and Shaun's attention. When they hovered in front of the section the three wizards occupied, Severus quickly and calmly explained to his son that he was going to Diagon Alley to purchase some potions ingredients, and that he should be back before supper. Shaun just waved and yelled, "Bye Daddy, see you later" before encouraging the rapidly tiring former werewolf to fly more.
Albus looked at the flagging man and clapped his hands together, announcing "Lunch" to the relief of Remus and the disappointment of Shaun who knew he would have to take a much hated nap after eating. He reluctantly climbed off the broom, but his good mood returned as he was thrown over his grandfather's shoulder and tickled on his ribs. Still giggling as he was released, he ran for the doors as the adults followed at a much more sedate pace, laughing at the exuberance and energy of youth.
Sirius sat at the head table, lost in thought and unaware that his friend had been calling his name in concern for several minutes. Sirius finally roused himself enough to hand the opened copy of the Daily Prophet to his fellow Marauder and wordlessly dish up some ham and potato pie, which he proceeded to move absentmindedly around on his plate, never actually tasting the food. Remus read the article quickly and dropped it onto his own empty plate, reaching out and grabbing his slowly recovering friend tightly as the two held on to each other, shaking in suppressed emotions and renewed feelings of betrayal and loss. Shaun slipped out of his chair on the other side of his grandfather and climbed up to stand between the two men, one foot on each man's lap, an arm around each neck as he buried his face in both of theirs. His natural empathy swelled outward to offer comfort and healing to the two hurting men. The three hugged tightly for several minutes until Remus pulled away, leaving Shaun on Sirius' lap. "Its okay, Uncle Padfoot, its okay, Daddy will keep you safe." Shaun was patting the still shocked man with his small, soft hands just like his daddy patted him when he was upset.
Sirius returned to reality, took a look at who was comforting him and grabbed him tightly, letting go all of his grief and pain that three and a half years in Azkaban had kept him from releasing. Albus carefully removed the now very upset small boy and Remus grabbed his childhood friend and they both stood, holding on to each other as they made their way back to Remus' quarters to recover from their emotional overload at the news that Pettigrew had been kissed. Albus held Shaun to his chest, murmuring encouragements as he carried the boy out the back door of the Great Hall and down to his quarters. He stopped only long enough to fetch a calming potion before settling into the rocking chair in Shaun's bedroom and rocked the boy until only the occasional hitch in his even breathing was left before he fell into a deep healing sleep.
Severus waited impatiently as the owner of Thatcher's Apothecary finished helping a stooped green skinned hag with choosing the best pickled bats wings in the large jar of yellowish liquid. It didn't show on his stoic face and his tightly controlled stance, but he was almost ready to bounce like Shaun did when he was agitated. He had checked the shelves and the five large containers and numerous smaller ones all contained the proper dark, coarse and gritty salamander ash that their labels proclaimed. Not one blasted container had the distinctive look of the one in his satchel. 'I hope there are other containers in the back and he hasn't sold all the contaminated ones he had!' Severus' expression darkened at the thought and several prospective customers took one look at the scowling, intimidating figure in the small shop and decided to return later to make their purchases.
Mr. Thatcher had finally concluded the old hag's minor purchases and hurried over to the potion's master. He was very familiar with the persnickety quality the man demanded in his potions ingredients and his bristly personality, but he was such a good and steady customer, plus the orders that the man made as the primary purchaser for not only all potions ingredients for Hogwarts but also all ready made potions and supplies for the hospital wing made him the single biggest customer that the apothecary had, so it was well worth keeping the man happy. He was wringing his hands together in worry, Professor Snape's agitation and impatience was almost palpable in the small, cramped shop.
"Most sorry, Professor Snape, for having you wait but my assistant is out of the shop at the moment and I was unable to assist you immediately as I would have liked." The shopkeeper's servile manner and ingratiating speech annoyed Severus at the best of times and today he was almost unwilling to accommodate the obnoxious man, almost, but not quite. He really needed the man's supply of this mysterious grey powder if he was to brew much more of the miraculous werewolves' potion.
"Mr. Thatcher, I received this container that is clearly labeled salamander ash and yet as you can see, it is not. I have found a use for this ingredient, which I am afraid to say I do not recognize, and I was wondering if, perhaps, you had more jars of this ingredient in your back storage room?" Severus was trying to be polite and courteous to the leech, but it was requiring all of his skills as a former spy not to just stun the man and go search all of the shelves and boxes in the back himself!
The pharmacist took the two containers and examined them by holding them up to the meager sunlight that managed to filter through the dingy and dirty shop windows. "Ah, Professor Snape, I can't say that I recognize this ingredient either. It's clearly not salamander ash, and I don't recall seeing any similar containers in the back but if you would like to join me, we can check all of my stores. In fact, I just received a large shipment from this producer in anticipation of the start of the new term at Hogwarts and all the students who will be purchasing their supplies during the next month." He had handed the jar back to Severus who had carefully returned it to his satchel before following the chattering, highly nervous chemist to his back room.
The shopkeeper had been forced to leave Severus searching through still crated cartons of supplies frequently as he took care of a multitude of customers; but Severus worked diligently and tirelessly, but all for naught as he finished the last full crate without a single matching container to be found. Severus slumped to a chair in defeat, running his hands through his long stringy hair. His disappointment and discouragement appeared on his stoic face as anger to the now stuttering chemist, "I can contact that supplier and have him investigate his supplies and whomever he purchased his raw ingredients from if you would like, Professor. He is a very meticulous individual who specializes in only a few ingredients and usually harvests them personally. He is also very good at returning owls promptly so I could have an answer back for you in just a couple of days. Am I correct that you are interested in purchasing more of … whatever that powder is…if he has more?" The man's twisting hands and unconscious cracking of his knuckles was beginning to fray Severus' nerves even more than his frustration at not finding more of the mysterious powder. He just nodded curtly and left the dark, smelly shop, his robes billowing menacingly behind him.
Albus was reading the Daily Prophet as Severus slunk into his quarters later, defeat apparent in the slump of his normally squared shoulders. He dropped heavily into his favorite armchair and wordlessly accepted the cup of hot tea the headmaster held out for him. "I take it you had no luck, Severus?"
Blowing across the tea to cool it, he took a deep drink, shaking his head in frustration. "No, and Thatcher didn't recognize what it was either. He is contacting his supplier to find out if he knows what it is, I should have an owl in a couple of days. But…"
"But…" Albus encouraged.
"But if he doesn't recognize it I have no further ideas on how to find out what it is! It matches nothing in any formulary of ingredients that I have or have even heard of! It's obviously of animal origin, but what animal….and how did it get into my storeroom…and why?" Severus was clearly stumped and frustrated.
Albus steepled his fingers, dropping his chin into his hands, his arms propped on the arms of the chair he was sitting in as he contemplated the problem. Thinking aloud he mused, "It's obviously not one of your former colleagues, they would hardly leave a beneficial ingredient, poison maybe, explosive surely, but not something like this." The two sat quietly for a couple of minutes, each deep in their own thoughts.
Severus spoke softly, trying to logically solve their dilemma, "So who has access to my lab, that wouldn't set off the alarms…who we haven't talked to about this…who would replace salamander ash with some unknown ash…because…" he looked up at the old headmaster at the exact same moment the headmaster lifted his own head. Blue eyes met black ones as they said simultaneously, "SHAUN!"
AN: Sorry for the short chapter, but I have been sick this week, just asthma but it makes it hard to think straight. And I was busy with my daughter getting a homepage set up with downloadable PDF, e-book and mobipocket copies of Harry Potter and the Guardians of Power and Snape's Invisible Friend. There is also a poll question on the site about whether or not you would like an epilogue or short sequel to the Guardians' story. So read and review and keep me happy and typing!