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.
AN: To download any of my stories, click on my author name at the top of this page and then click on homepage. You may read messages, leave messages, and take the poll without signing in, but you must sign into Yahoo to download the stories. In the sidebar that says members only, just click on files and it will lead you to all three stories, each available in PDF, e-book and mobipocket formats. Enjoy and please review!
'Italics' is mental speech.
From Chapter 9:
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!"
Chapter 10: Lessons Begin
Severus was on his feet and heading for the connecting door to Remus' chambers before he finished speaking. Without bothering to knock, he threw open the heavy oak door, crashing it with a loud bang into the wall behind it, rushing in to find the shocked and stunned faces of Remus and Shaun, busy coloring in a wizarding coloring book with enchanted crayons on the floor together.
Shaun took one look at the red, thunderous face of his father, gave a startled cry of fear and disappeared before Severus could even utter a single word. Remus looked between the irate potions master and the spot where his son had been sitting, before looking up at the Headmaster who had run into the room trying to catch Severus by the arm and spluttering at the man to "Calm down, get under control before you scare the boy!"
Severus stopped, stricken with panic as he collapsed onto the couch, dropping his face into both hands as Remus met Albus' eye and commented, "Too late! What in blazes is going on? Why were you yelling at Shaun?"
The dark haired man just shrugged his shoulders in defeat and refused to answer. Albus reached his side momentarily and drew the man's chin up with one hand. "Why did you react that way when you knew it would terrify your son to be yelled at and to have you running toward him that way? Remember the last time you frightened him so badly? What were you thinking, Severus?" The disappointment and dissatisfaction with the younger man was plain in both his expression and his tone.
Severus heaved a deep sigh of self disgust. "I was just so upset and angry that he had been messing in my potions ingredients, that he would dare to even enter the lab without me, I just lost it." He looked up, a sharp pain in his chest at the disappointment plainly visible in his mentor's face. "I'm sorry, Albus, I have no excuse, but I have been so frustrated trying to find that blasted contaminant and to know that my own son, my son…" His voice trailed off as the magnitude of what he had just done hit him fully. "Nippy!"
Nippy appeared directly in front of the couch, hands on his hips, face screwed up in anger at his master, the tips of his ears reddened with strong emotion. "Nippy has young master in the kitchen. What is you doing to young Master? He is crying and shaking. He is saying "Daddy hates me!" and is so frightened we is feeling him everywhere in the castle."
Albus left the now sputtering Master to explain to his irate 'servant' exactly what he had done while he and Remus left abruptly to swiftly traverse the empty corridors down to the kitchen, hopefully to console and reassure one very frightened young boy that he was loved and that his Daddy wouldn't hurt him or send him away.
Albus stopped for a moment, still angry and disappointed at Severus for the sight that greeted them when they tickled the pear in the painting and quietly entered the Hogwarts' kitchens. A circle of distraught house elves surrounded Ogden, the Hogwarts Head House Elf who was trying to comfort Shaun without much success. The boy was curled into a tiny ball, head buried, knees drawn up and sobbing heartrendingly and muffled into his own chest. His breath was coming in short hitching sounds as a few words were distinguishable in his whimpers of pain and distress. "hates…send me…don't hit me…Daddy….hates…" His ramblings were filled with distress and agony so palpable the air was thick with his emotional backwash.
Albus dropped to his knees and simply drew the boy up onto his lap, still curled into a fetal position. He wrapped him up in his robes and his arms while muttering soothing words at the boy. Remus had dropped in front of the two and added his verbal reassurances as well as patting and rubbing the boy's shoulders and back in comfort and love. Shaun took what seemed to be an eternity to the group huddled around him, but finally he started to uncurl and melt into the embrace of the two men who were holding him. He finally looked up into his Grandfather's face, his breath still hitching with his overwhelming emotions, and managed to gasp out, "Daddy?"
"Shush, child, your Daddy's not really mad at you. He was just upset and forgot to calm down before going into Remus' room. You know how your Daddy likes to yell even when he doesn't mean it, child."
Remus scooped up Shaun out of Albus' arms and the elves helped the elderly wizard to his feet, where he stood swaying and stomping his feet for a moment until the circulation returned to his formerly asleep feet and legs. "I must say, I am getting much too old to sit on these cold floors any more! Now, Shaun, how about if we ask these fine beings for some hot chocolate and biscuits and we will discuss why your Daddy was so upset and angry? Hmm?"
Shaun wiped his tear stained eyes and running nose on his sleeve before Remus could manage to pull a handkerchief out of his pocket and then reached a hand out to his Grandfather to be led over to a table by the smoldering embers of a large cooking fire. The elves gratefully bustled around the kitchen, bringing over three mugs of hot chocolate with marshmallows and a platter with enough biscuits for a party of eight. Ogden bowed at the three before waving his arms to encourage the other elves to return to their duties.
Shaun held his large mug in both hands, blowing at the marshmallows to make them sink absentmindedly as his breath finally evened out. He refused to make eye contact with either wizard as they sat, silently gathering their thoughts and wondering exactly how they were going to explain this to an overly emotional and easily terrified boy without sending him back into a full panic attack.
Albus blew across his hot mug and then began, speaking softly and calmly. "Shaun, did you, perhaps, accidentally do something in your Daddy's potions lab that you would like to tell me about? And I assure you, that I am not mad about it, and that your Daddy won't be mad about it once he thinks it through."
Shaun bit his lower lip and looked sideways at his Grandpa, his face half hidden through his long, black hair. "When I was so scared, when Daddy and Mr. Black were in…the hospital ward…you know when..."
"Yes I remember, that was before we knew about your empathy, before you learned to block out all the emotions. I know that you were too upset and scared to be thinking about what you were doing, Shaun. It's okay, we won't be mad at you." Albus reached over and ran a boney hand through the boy's hair, tucking it behind a small ear in encouragement.
"Well, I was so scared, I sort of, just popped, and I didn't mean to! It just happened! I landed on the table in Daddy's lab and a jar fell and it broke on the floor and I didn't mean to, but Daddy was going to be so mad. And he was already so mad, and I was just so scared…I just…sort of…"
Remus caught the boy's eyes and smiled at him, encouragingly. Shaun took a deep breath and pushed out the explanation,
"IfoundanotherjarandfilleditwithashessoDaddywouldn'tfindout."
Albus had tried to follow that incredibly long word, but he had lost it after only several scrunched together syllables. 'What was that, my boy? I'm afraid these old ears didn't quite catch that!"
Remus laughed, "My ears aren't nearly as old as yours Albus, and they didn't catch that either! Shaun, just take a deep breath and repeat that clearly. You won't get in trouble for telling us what happened and I promise that I will explain to your Daddy so you don't get into trouble with him either. I believe it was an accident and we were all very upset on that day."
Shaun nodded, took a deep breath; looked directly into Albus' now sparkling blue eyes. "I found another jar and filled it with ashes so Daddy wouldn't find out. He was so angry, and I was so afraid he would be mad…like my uncle used to be…that I just wanted to fix it." He dropped his head, ashamed at what he had done now that he really thought about it. "I didn't ruin his potion did I?" He looked up, frightened once again, "It didn't hurt anybody, what I messed up, did it?"
Albus chuckled while Remus just grinned in excitement, "No, what you did actually turned out very well indeed. In fact, your daddy has been searching for the last week to find out what that ingredient was so that he could buy more and make more potions with it!"
Shaun looked up in wonderment, "But, but, it was just ashes! Nothing special, just ashes from my pocket, I have more in my closet if he wants them."
Albus and Remus shared a startled look over the small head; now busy drinking his chocolate, no longer panicking with fear. He reached out taking several biscuits as the two men held an entirely silent conversation with glances and gestures over the top of his small bowed head.
Albus called over a passing elf, "Twinkles, would you fetch Professor Snape and ask him to join us here in the kitchens. I'm sure he's worried about young Shaun and would like to join us."
The small elf bowed and popped out of sight with a snap of her fingers, reappearing just moments later. "Headmaster, sir, Master Snape is on his way. Shall I fetch more chocolate for Professor Snape, sir?"
"Perhaps tea if you would, Twinkles, and thank you for delivering my message to him."
She nodded and turned away, returning with a tray full of tea things just as Severus entered the kitchen. The tall man stopped hesitantly as he took full notice of the puffy, tear streaked cheeks on his son and the way the boy had his chin buried in his chest in timidity of his father's reaction.
He glided over to the side of the boy, kneeling down to kiss the crown of dark hair before begging for his son's understanding and forgiveness. "I'm so sorry son, I didn't mean to scare you, I just didn't think before yelling. I know I frightened you so much and I didn't mean too. I am so sorry, Shaun, will you forgive me? Remember when I told you I might get angry at something that you did, but I would always love you?" The small head barely nodded before Severus continued, "Well, I love you, Shaun, and I always will. And no matter how angry I get, or how loud I might yell, I will never, ever hit you, I promise you!" He stroked the soft, tear streaked cheek with the back of one elegantly long fingered hand as he spoke softly.
With a small cry, Shaun leaped up and threw his arms around his daddy's neck, sobbing into the familiar smelling robes, "I'm sorry, Daddy, I didn't mean to break your jar, and I knew it was expensive and I didn't mean to, Daddy!"
"Shh, its okay, I know it was an accident. I don't know why you were in my lab, but I know you would never break anything in there on purpose. I'm sorry I yelled before I thought it through. Shh, its gong to be all right. I just need to know what you put in that jar, it's very important that we find more of it. It made a potion that will help lots and lots of people like Remus get better." Severus was rubbing Shaun's back while murmuring reassurances into the soft hair of the boy.
"Remus is better? He won't hurt anymore with the full moon?" Shaun had been told a simplified version of Remus' affliction as he had witnessed both his daddy brewing and Remus drinking the Wolfsbane potion each month and had wondered about the illness and injuries his teacher suffered regularly. As an empath, they had not been able to hide the pain of the transformations from the young boy even if he had not been so curious.
"No, whatever was in the jar made my illness go away. I never will be sick with the full moon again! And I have you to thank for that, Shaun." Remus was smiling gently at the still hesitant child.
Severus drew back so that he could now see his son's face as he asked the most important question. "Exactly what was in that jar? And can you show me where you found it?"
All three men let out breaths as Shaun nodded emphatically as he swallowed his bite of chocolate biscuit, "I have more ashes in my pocket in my closet, but Grandpa you have lots of ashes in your office."
Albus' eyes lost their focus as he thought over the boy's revelation. A light of understanding lit up his wrinkled face as he whispered, "Fawkes' ashes, am I correct?"
Shaun just nodded to let his grandfather know his guess was correct as he reached for another chocolate biscuit while the adults were too distracted to realize exactly how many biscuits he had eaten already.
Albus called over Ogden to question him about how the elves disposed of the ashes from the twice yearly burning days of his familiar. "Ogden, do you have any of the ashes left from Fawkes' last burning day? When you clean my office, how do you dispose of them?"
"Oh, no Headmaster, sir; we is not throwing them away! Phoenix ashes is used in house elf healing! We is saving every bit of ashes from Fawkes so if they is needed we is having them." Ogden bowed uncertainly at the sharp gasps from all three of the powerful wizards now looking at him in astonishment.
"How are they used?" Severus almost dropped his tea cup in his excitement. 'How do the elves know about their healing and yet wizards don't?' His mind was racing ahead to several potions that might benefit greatly from the addition of phoenix ashes to them as he listened intently to the explanation from the centuries old elf.
Ogden sat down at the table after Dumbledore insisted and began to explain. "Many Headmasters in the past has had phoenix' as familiars so we is knowing for long, long times that ashes is to be saved and used for powerful healing. We is having a jar of the ashes here in the kitchen for any elf that is being hurt. We is adding a little pinch to a tea or a salve to heal almost anything, sir!" He looked at a couple of the elves that were standing at the ready in case the group needed anything else. He nodded at two of them and snapped his fingers; silently ordered them to bring the jar.
It took two of the larger of the phenomenally strong house elves to drag a huge almost half full glass cylinder across the smooth stone of the kitchen. They wobbled and struggled with the sheer weight of the container that rivaled the size of the huge house point containers in the Great Hall. Severus was actually rubbing his hands together in anticipation of getting his hands on that great a quantity of phoenix ashes. Albus looked stunned at the sheer mass of phoenix ash now available, 'That must be all the ashes from hundreds of burning days! Some of that ash at the bottom of the jar must be hundreds of years old!"
Severus snatched Shaun off of his chair and then sat down again with the boy on his lap, almost crushing the air out of him in his excitement. Remus and Albus turned identical looks on the man who looked as if his wildest dream had just been fulfilled. Severus was asking rapid fire questions at the elf without taking his hungry eyes off of the coveted ashes once. "How much do you add to a healing tea, what kind of salve do you use, is the base steeped or boiled? Do the ashes lose potency as they age or do they become stronger and more potent? What other things can they be used for?"
Albus just started laughing as he picked Shaun off of his father's lap without the man even noticing. Remus shrugged, still chuckling too hard to talk as the three left the kitchens; the potions master and the Head House Elf too deep in a highly technical discussion of the uses and properties of the magical ash to even notice their departure.
Monday morning found a very excited child holding tightly to his grandfather's hand as he awaited the arrival of his new classmates and their guardians. The Headmaster would be setting up dedicated portkeys back and forth from the castle to their individual houses, but first they had to teach the children how to use, and particularly land safely with a portkey before they could use them.
The Zabini's arrived with Neville and Agnes Longbottom only a few minutes before Oddgard Lovegood and Luna skipped up the path, Luna dressed in neon pink robes with a small swarm of real butterflies dancing around her blonde hair like a small live halo. Madame Bones was dignity personified in her formal robes from the Ministry, Susan walking sedately beside her, the tight clutching of her aunt's hand the only outward sign of the girl's nervousness. The last to arrive were the Abbots and Boots who came together on the Knight bus, a screaming squeal of it's brakes followed by sounds of various curses from the riders who had been thrown unceremoniously onto the floor at it's abrupt stop heralded their arrival at the gates.
Albus Dumbledore greeted the large group and directed all of the adults into the Great Hall for tea and explanations while Remus Lupin and Sirius Black escorted the seven excited children through the Hall and out the small door in the back. A suite of classrooms had been provided only a few steps out of the back of the Great Hall for the new Day School program by the house elves with the castle's unacknowledged assistance.
Albus made sure everyone had tea or coffee to their liking before looking around the large table and nodding in greeting to everyone present. "Good, good, I'm pleased to see all of you here today. I know you agree with me about the necessity to educate our youngsters in the safety of the castle." At the murmur and nods of agreement he continued, "Remus Lupin and Sirius Black have agreed to begin teaching your children in a modified day program. To start, it will be three days a week and will feature the following subjects: Reading, Writing, Math and Simple Herbology. After the beginning of the school year in September, they will add Wizarding Culture and Etiquette, History and Latin. Each day will have some form of physical fitness; including flying lessons, outside if possible, inside if the weather is bad. We will have Professor Kettleburn show them some of the safer creatures from his Care of Magical Creatures classes and Professor Snape will begin to teach the basics of Potions, starting with ingredients and methods of brewing only to start."
He looked around the group, many of whom he had known from the previous battle with the dark lord. He thought for a moment about how he was to phrase this and not scare the parents of these very young children. "As Madame Bones can verify, we have testimony under Veritaserum that Voldemort was not totally destroyed by young Harry Potter and his followers are actively seeking a means to resurrect him. I know that it is only a matter of time before they succeed." He waited for the gasps and loud cries of denial and distress to calm down before proceeding. "What I am going to say to you today must go no further than this room, you must not discuss this with anyone outside the castle, don't even discuss it with each other in any but a tightly secured area." After saying that, he pulled his wand and gestured in a complicated pattern as he spelled the area secure. Just as he finished, Severus Snape entered the room and took the one empty seat still at the table. Albus nodded at the dark haired man in encouragement.
With an angry and completely disgusted expression, Severus began the story. "What has been kept secret for over a year is that Harry Potter has disappeared from a very abusive household and his relatives, who currently reside in Azkaban, have no idea how or even when he disappeared." Everyone but Madame Bones made sounds of acute distress and outrage that such a thing could happen at all and then to be covered up, it was unacceptable to the people around the table.
Severus took a sip of the strong tea in front of him and waited for the angry outburst to quiet before speaking again. The group went silent almost immediately at the softly spoken silky baritone voice. "What I will tell you is known to only a very few people and I will be …irate …if it ever gets out beyond this group." The soft tones did little to mask the sheer menace and promise of terror if the secret was divulged. "Shaun Snape, my son, …is Harry Potter."
This time the startled outbursts and bewildered talk took several minutes to quiet as Albus and Severus just sat back calmly drinking their tea and waiting for the babble to stop. Severus steepled his fingers, resting his chin against his two index fingers, as he leaned forward and continued his interrupted explanation. "Suffice it to say, my son arrived in my care in a 'less than optimal' condition!" His meaning was frighteningly clear to the group now leaning forward in anticipation and outrage around the table. "He still has nightmares, he is very fragile to loud noises and being startled in any way. He is cursed with an abusive history superimposed upon being a very powerful empath." Gasps of shock as the ramifications of that combination were realized; interrupted him once again.
Severus never raised the volume of his voice as he continued, "Shaun has been able to do deliberate, carefully controlled wandless magic since before he arrived at Hogwarts at the age of three. In fact, he apperated himself here from Surrey with broken bones, a concussion, and bleeding from hundreds of cuts by himself." No one even made a sound as the impossibility of that feat was processed by the adults sitting mesmerized by the startlingly confessions of the dark man sitting so calmly telling them things that should be impossible. Several looked at Albus for verification and he just nodded in confirmation, eyes twinkling merrily.
Severus sighed with resolution, he knew it was necessary that his son's future friends and classmates parents knew the whole story but that didn't make it any easier to tell. "He also becomes invisible and completely soundless," he raised a hand to forestall any questions, "We don't know how and all he says is, 'I just want to so I do.'"
"Shaun will be taking lessons from several professors here in the castle in controlling and utilizing his magic. He had been granted permission to have a wand, though to be truthful he really doesn't need one. If your child shows any early abilities, they will be schooled in them as well. And with a daily exposure to the tremendous amounts of magic here in the castle, it is indeed likely that their magic will awaken early as well." Albus had continued the recitation. "Are there any questions, we understand that this has been a great deal to assimilate in a short period of time, but we felt it was necessary for each of you to know what exactly would be happening and why we felt it essential to begin this day program at this time."
The next hour was spent answering questions and clarifying misconceptions until the subject turned to other matters of importance.
Zyphram Zabini turned to Albus and asked, "What about the Malfoy boy, now that his father will most likely be kissed? It might be a chance to turn the boy before his other relatives and his father's associates get a chance to poison the boy's mind?"
Severus looked at Albus who just shrugged, telling the younger man it was his choice. "I don't know if I am willing to have Narcissa Malfoy know the secrets concerning my son at this time. She didn't actively participate in her husband's 'activities' but her true allegiances are unknown at this time. I have no objection to watching and perhaps including him at a later date. But for now, there has already been at least one attempt on my son's life and several on mine for being a spy so I am unwilling to allow Narcissa access to the castle."
Amelia Bones added, "Malfoy's lawyer has been successful in delaying his trial twice already and who knows what that slippery bastard might be able to accomplish. He has spread enough money around the ministry for the last few years, enough so that a conviction is not a certainty yet. We are trying to find the paper trail connecting Malfoy with Fudge, but so far we haven't had much luck. We all know he's been paying Fudge under the table, but proving it is proving hard to do. They are both too slippery to be caught easily!" She almost growled in her frustration.
Talk around the table disintegrated into individual conversations as the elves served lunch and the children returned, full of stories about the fun they had had that morning in their first class, 'How to land with a portkey!' Each child now wore a simple gold pendant of a phoenix in flight on a gold chain around their neck that they would use each morning that they had class.
Gringotts Attacked, Theft Foiled
In a prepared statement from the Ministry for Magic this morning, it was announced that a break-in at Gringotts bank was attempted last night. The unsuccessful thieves could not be identified from the ashes that remained. It was unclear which vault or vaults were the target but it is known that the lowest level, high security vault level was targeted.
A Gringotts spokes Goblin said this morning, "Go away, nothing happened and it doesn't concern you anyway!"
Minerva McGonagall was upset as she perused the headlines of the Daily Prophet, "Albus, do you know what was targeted at Gringotts last night? Whoever tried to break in must have been very desperate, no one has ever successfully broken in past the Goblins."
Albus continued to spread a thick layer of marmalade on his toast, "I suspect it was something that belongs to my old friend Nicolas Flamel, but I cannot be certain of course. Perhaps it is time to remove the item from Gringotts and place it here in the castle for safekeeping. What do you think, Severus?"
"I suspect we will have to eventually, but it would be …premature to remove it at this time, sir. It would not be of any use at this time and the danger to the children doesn't warrant it at this time. I will, of course, keep my ears open to my former associates and let you know if the situation changes." Severus turned to Shaun and placed another pancake on his plate before turning to finish his own meal.
The seven children were having varying degrees of success with flying lessons, Neville was almost acrophobic in his panic of leaving the ground, while Shaun and Blaise with Luna and Terry flew rings around all the others. The toy brooms had safety charms on them that limited the speed and height that they could be flown at so they eventually managed to get Neville flying on the third lesson.
Shaun led the group in reading, but several of the others were much better in math, and his handwriting was atrocious, until Severus realized he had never chosen which hand to have dominate so his brain was confused as to which hand to use and he had developed no concept of right and left. Albus finally put it together with the boy's history of having either one or the other of his hands or arms hurt; so he had to use whichever one was less injured and had never learned to have a choice in which hand he used.
None of the children had much schooling in any of the other subjects being taught so the group was beginning on an equal footing, but they all enjoyed the lessons and the fun way that both Remus and Sirius taught them.
Malfoy Found Dead in Ministry Holding Cells
Just one day before his trial was to begin, Lucius Malfoy, age 30, was found to be dead of an unidentified poison in his cell. The Ministry is not releasing information at this time as to whether he was poisoned or committed suicide. Allegations of bribery and coercion amongst the highest officials in the Ministry were to be addressed at his trial, scheduled to have begun tomorrow morning. This reporter cannot help but wonder who benefited most from his untimely death?
Amelia Bones was ranting in Albus office when Severus knocked to gain admittance. "You sent for me, sir?" He settled into a chair in front of the Headmasters desk, absentmindedly waving away the unspoken offer of a lemon drop. He focused his black eyes on the pacing and ranting women striding up and down in front of the large white marble fireplace.
"That slippery git, we were this close, this close to catching him in the act! One more day, one more question and we would have had that buffoon out of office and behind bars where he belongs!"
The subject of her rant now clear, Severus just nodded and acknowledged, 'Ah, Minister Fudge has eluded consequences yet again, Amelia?"
She stopped pacing and slumped down wearily into the chair beside Severus, giving him a pained expression without saying a word. She then dropped her head against the back of the chair and sighed in frustration.
His silky baritone caught her attention as he almost hissed, "Perhaps not, Amelia, I have a…reliable…source who can place the poison into Fudge's hands. For a price, he will admit to providing it to Fudge who then blackmailed a guard into slipping it into Malfoy's dinner. Are you interested?"
She sat up so quickly she almost flipped herself out of her chair, "Who and what does he want?"
"He wants immunity from prosecution and then he and his…companion…the blackmailed guard, wish to be relocated to Australia. It might help if someone was found to purchase his apothecary shop for a reasonable price so they might have something to begin a new life. Also, the guard's wife will need to be quietly bought off to accept a …divorce."
The cunning calculations going on in Amelia Bone's mind were clearly visible upon her expressive face, her monocle falling unnoticed to her chest as she concentrated. "So, Fudge found a male guard in a …relationship…with a male apothecary and used it to get rid of …a threat… Sounds like pure Fudge, manipulative bastard that he is!"
She tapped her chin with one hand as she spoke, "How about…maybe…a death …or two? Distraught over accusations that a prisoner died under his watch, perhaps a guard would commit suicide, perhaps because he remembered what he did under 'Imperius'? Would that serve better than a divorce which is public record?"
Severus leaned back, deep in thought as the possibilities flowed back and forth until the matter was decided and he left to make the suggestion to the two men involved.
Fudge Arrested in Malfoy's Death
Documents released today, implicate former Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge in the poisoning of Lucius Malfoy. The papers, signed under wizard oath before the double suicide of the two men involved prove that Fudge ordered, paid for and then blackmailed a guard into delivering the poison to Malfoy in his holding cell the night before Malfoy was scheduled to begin trial for the murders of James and Lily Potter as well as actively supporting and participating in Death Eater activities as a member of You-Know-Who's Inner Circle.
Fudge confessed to receiving bribes, withholding information and the murder of Malfoy under Veritaserum before being sentenced to life in Azkaban. He will be tried separately for fourteen separate cases of misuse of power later this month. Fudge also admitted to covering up the probable murder of young Harry Potter by his Uncle and Aunt last year. Muggles Vernon and Petunia Dursley have been in Azkaban since last October on charges of Murdering their three year old nephew and disposing of his body. (See full story of Harry Potter on pages 2-4)
Severus and Remus were having a terrible time getting a very excited Shaun to sleep, after all, tomorrow would be his birthday, the very first one he could remember ever celebrating! He was babbling about his party and what presents he might get and whether or not he would get a cake that it was almost two hours after his regular bedtime before the two men could join Albus and Sirius in the living room were a bottle of very good brandy and two more glasses were awaiting their arrival.
Severus dropped down heavily onto the couch next to Albus and gratefully accepted the brandy snifter the other held out to him. "Merlin, I never thought we were going to get him to sleep tonight!"
Remus chuckled as he accepted his own snifter from Sirius, "I still think you should have slipped a sleeping potion in his juice! It would have been much easier on all of us."
The four men sipped their drinks as the talk turned to politics; who the next minister would be and the implications of various candidates, and how Severus' experiments with the Phoenix ashes were coming before the fire burned down to embers and the four turned in to bed before Shaun's big day tomorrow.
AN: I am open to suggestions for Birthday Presents for the five year old, and don't forget it's Neville's birthday too! Thanks for reading and reviewing.