Shaun Snape, Age 8

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 who likes to twist plots and play with characters, so enjoy.

Chapter 13: Wheezes

Molly yelled up the stairs for the entire Weasley brood, plus one to come to supper before it got cold but the expected thunder of multiple running feet pounding down the staircase never came. Curious as to what could cause her usually ravenous horde to not come when first called; she climbed up the stairs, ears and senses on full alert.

She heard absolutely nothing, no talking; no movement, nothing which was a very unusual happening at the normally teeming Burrow. She saw a thin beam of light escaping under the closed door to the twins' room and moved over, carefully opening the door to peek inside.

She gasped, speechless in awe as she watched her two pranksters, the two who usually tried her patience at every turn, demonstrating and apparently teaching their other siblings the most awe inspiring, magnificent display of wandless magic she had ever seen. Shaun, Fred and George were playing catch with a series of colored balls of pure energy. She wasn't sure, but she thought Shaun was the one changing the circular spheres into the most fantastic magical beasts in midair before they would be caught, a simple ball once more. There must be twenty different animals shimmering and glowing in the air at one time. She joined Bill, Charlie, Ron, Ginny and even Percy in silent awe at the display.

As the group heard Arthur Weasley climbing the stairs, yelling for anyone home, the three dropped their hands, the magical display stopping instantly as their mesmerized audience came back to full consciousness and began jabbering questions at the three so rapidly there was no chance for any of them to respond. Arthur pushed open the door, curious as to what was going on.

"Well, hello there. It's nice to see you again Shaun. Can anyone tell me why dinner is on the table getting cold and everyone is still up here?" he asked his jovial face showing curiosity and amusement.

Everyone turned and looked at Shaun, who dropped his eyes to the floor, still uncomfortable at being singled out. "Well, I taught the twins to play catch with me a couple of months ago and we were just showing the others how to do it and…"

Molly smiled as George pulled the younger boy into a one armed hug and continued for him. "It's really wicked Dad,"

"So we were going to teach the others how to do it"

"But I guess we didn't hear Mom call"

"So she came up here and found us."

Fred continued taking the attention off his shy friend, "Well, I'm hungry…"

"All that concentration…"

"And energy has made us…"

"Starved!" The two finished in unison, breaking the tension as everyone broke out into laughter.

Arthur shared a significant look with his wife over the younger children's heads that promised more questions later before the entire group thundered down the stairs to eat.


After the warding ritual that morning, Ogden popped over to the old mansion at 12 Grimmald Place to supervise the renovation and remodeling of the dark and depressing house. As he appeared in the long entry hall, he spied a large group of elves arguing and yelling at a dingy, dank portrait that was yelling back at them.

"Filthy, vile creatures, be gone from my house! Abominations against nature, traitors to wizard kind, cease this destruction of the noble house of Black!" The old woman's crazy screams could be heard over the excited jabbering of the elves as they decided exactly what to do with her and how to remove the everlasting sticking charm she was attached to the wall with.

Ogden strode over; all the dignity and power of his magics clearly on display, making him seem much taller and grander than his actual stature. The ceremony he had participated in just that morning had awakened and attenuated his core magics as never before. He almost glowed with the power he now had at his command. He didn't raise his voice, it wasn't needed. His very presence commanded the silence of those present.

The group of now silent house elves parted like the red sea to let him come face to face with the vile woman, who also fell silent at the unusual sight before her, unsure of how to respond to a very powerful, very angry House elf.

Ogden raised both hands above his bald head, a beam of light appeared with a sudden flash between his palms as they faced each other. With a muffled oath in a language understood only by the elves, he brought his hands close together and then turned them, palms outward and sent the energy in a large powerful burst straight into the heart of the painted woman. She shrieked like a banshee as her paint curled and peeled, shriveling into wisps of grey ash that fell to the floor before the ornate gilded frame fell from the wall with a resounding crash before splitting into thousands of splinters, the debris unrecognizable.

Ogden rubbed his hands together in satisfaction, turned to look at his stunned followers and merely asked, "Anything else you need removed?" Most of the still silent elves left to begin other work, but three of the tallest elves led their leader up the stairs and toward a row of grisly house elf heads that were stuck in a gruesome display of evil and tackiness along the upper hallway. Ogden smiled in anticipation of more items he could use his newfound power on and pushed up his sleeves as his fellows stood back and watched.


It had been a quiet afternoon as each of the participants from the morning ritual reflected and recharged their energy from the tremendous amount of magic that had been expelled. Severus found himself wondering what Shaun was doing and found that he was missing his son more than he thought possible. He thought back on all the times he and Shaun had been apart overnight and then smirked, of course he was worried. The first time they had been parted, he had been stunned by Aurors and kidnapped to St. Mungo's while poor Shaun had been left to freeze in the snow. And the last time they had been separated had been when Narcissa Malfoy and her hired goons had kidnapped and nearly killed Shaun just last summer. He wondered how Shaun was doing at the Weasleys without him and hoped his son missed him just as much as he was missed.


Albus had taken advantage of the peaceful afternoon to revisit the portraits of the Four Founders. Because of their unique status as the Founders, their portraits were tied into the very magics of the castle herself and had not needed to be removed or shielded. In fact if the four portraits were somehow removed or destroyed, the wards would weaken and eventually fail altogether, a fact known only to the four and the current headmaster.

Albus had been surprised when he first enter the Chamber, but then thought ruefully, he should have realized that as connected as they were to the magics of the castle, he shouldn't have been surprised to find their portraits gleaming, the colors brighter than he had ever seen them. They actually looked as if they had been newly painted and were not over a century old.

"Albus, it's so good to see you. The ritual went splendidly this morning. I haven't felt this energetic in years and I can't wait for the rites tomorrow." Godric was beaming from the deep red leather chair he was sitting in, the flames in the fireplace behind him so clear and distinct, Albus could almost swear he could feel the heat they generated.

The old Headmaster sat down and faced the four as they gathered into Rowena's painting, the multitude of books on her painted shelves now so clear and crisp he could read actual titles from the ancient tomes.

"Yes it did go rather spectacularly didn't it? I feel like a hundred again." He smiled and said with a twinkle of his crystal clear blue eyes.

Rowena laughed a clear bell like tone as she teased. "Ah to be so young again!"

The five shared a laugh as they chatted about inconsequential things before reviewing the new ward they would be setting the next morning, one unique to the threat of a returning Voldemort and his Death Eaters.


Draco Malfoy sat on his bed surveying the destruction on the floor before him with satisfaction. How dare they send him to his room and make him stay there. It was his right and their duty to cater to his whims; after all he had just told them what he expected to receive for Christmas this year, just like he always did with… his thoughts broke down and his eyes threatened tears… Mother…he would not cry, he would not cry…he was a Malfoy and Malfoy's didn't show emotion…well except for disgust at filthy mud bloods like that creature that had defiled his aunt. How dare she betray her blood and marry an animal. After all Muggles weren't even human and then she went so far as to birth an abomination with that filthy beast? He shuddered in revulsion. It was so unnatural, like mating with a…werewolf or a …pig.

He picked up another book and ripped out each page as he muttered to himself; throwing the crumpled and torn pages to the ground to join the debris of the toys and clothes those filthy creatures had tried to buy his affections with. His face twisted into a snarl of rage as he glared at the remains of the tawdry and cheap clothing they had insisted he wear and the stupid Muggle toys that he had been given, they were all made of …plastix…and broke so easily. Just like Muggles broke so easily. He remembered hearing his father talking with his friends as they drank brandy in the drawing room before that disgusting muggle loving headmaster had him arrested and then killed. And his mother had told him glorious tales about how he would lead the pure bloods of the wizarding world back to the prominence that they deserved, that was theirs by right of their birth and the purity of their blood.

Another book was in his hands being methodically destroyed as he vowed revenge for all that had been done to him and his family. They would pay; he would make sure that they all paid.


Dinner at the Burrow was almost over when Molly stood up to fetch the tea kettle and refill her husbands and her own cup. She failed to notice the gleeful whispers of the twins before adding her usual single cube of sugar and stirring her cup before passing the sugar bowl to Arthur who added his own normal two cubes to his hot brew. They watched their brood finishing eating, feeling pride at their fine family, blowing absentmindedly across the hot tea before each took a hesitant sip, unsure if it was cool enough to drink yet. The children all squealed with delight as Molly and Arthur were turned into huge bright yellow feathered chickens. Molly was a plump chested hen and Arthur a magnificent rooster with a proud red comb standing atop his feathered head.

They turned to look at each other before clucking loudly and rising awkwardly to their clawed feet, wings flapping ineffectively as they squawked loudly and began chasing the hysterically laughing children from the room. Percy and Ginny fled up the stairs to barricade themselves in Ginny's room, the only one of the children's rooms that had a lock on the inside. Bill and Charlie just hid under the kitchen table, unable to move as they were doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down their red cheeks.

Fred, George and Shaun took off for the front door, grabbing their winter cloaks as they rushed past where they were hanging, drying on the pegs by the roaring fireplace. Without taking the time to even shut the door, the three ran, slipping and sliding down the icy path, the new fallen snow scattering with their passage. Fred reached the door of the shed first, nearly ripping it off its hinges in his haste to escape his parents' wrath. George was right behind him and they waited just long enough for Shaun to slide into the small wooden structure before slamming the door closed and throwing the bolt shut. Fred and Shaun collapsed on the floor, their heaving gulps to catch their breath intermixed with their laughter as George leaned against the door, bent over, gasping for breath, his face as red as his hair.

"That… was… wicked!" Shaun finally gasped out, reaching in his cloak pocket for his inhaler as his lips turned a light blue and his chest burned with his need to catch his breath. He knew he wasn't supposed to be outside in such cold air as it always made his chest tight. Aunt Poppy said it was from the time he had almost froze outside and that she couldn't heal it until he weighed another two kilos.

Fred managed to finally catch his breath and rolled over onto his back to look at his two companions. He had been unable to do more than flop; face first on the floor when they had first escaped into the safety of the shed but now he could move again. It was growing very dark in the shed as the last of the weak winter sun went down while they hid.

George held his breath, listening to the loud whistling wheezes coming from the floor in front of him. Everyone knew that Shaun had asthma and Professor Snape had insisted that both of the twins knew what to do it Shaun had a problem breathing because the smoke and fumes from brewing frequently gave him difficulties. "Shaun, are you all right?" Professor Snape said if Shaun could answer that question they could still manage to help him, but if he was ever unable to speak, they were to get adult help immediately.

Shaun grabbed his chest with both hands, the cold and wet air making it impossible for him to catch his breath. He coughed in shallow ineffective hacks, desperately searching for his inhaler as he fought the dark threatening his vision. He couldn't answer George with more than a "ah…nah…nah…Dad…get…Dad…" His pained breaths whistled as he panted rapidly, trying to draw enough oxygen into his starving lungs.

Fred felt around of the floor until his hand found Shaun's leg as the smaller boy sat, leaned back on his arms to make his chest expand as much as possible. He yelled to his brother. "I've got him George, go call the Professor." George slid open the bolt, half running, half sliding on the slippery snow and ice, his cloak flowing behind him as he ran for the house. He flung open the door, ignoring his mother and father as they sat on the couch molting huge, yellow feathers and grabbed the floo powder.

He flung a handful into the fire and yelled, "Hogwarts… Snape's quarters… phoenix powder!" He waited only long enough to feel the floo network open around his head and shoulders before yelling for Professor Snape. "Professor Snape, are you there? It's Shaun, he can't breath and he can't find his inhaler. Professor Snape…Professor Snape!" George sank back on his heels in relief as he saw his friend's father run from the bathroom, a dark green bathrobe tied tightly around black pajamas. His fleece lined sheepskin slippers flapped against his feet as he rushed to the fireplace, a light blue inhaler grasped tightly in his fist.

"Stand back, I'm coming through." Severus said as he flung floo powder down, waiting impatiently for the two seconds it took for the fire to change to green. He stepped through just as Fred carried a blue and gasping Shaun through the front door and stumbled onto the floor, the weight of the smaller boy finally draining all of his energy.

Severus stood up, looking around the room, his eyes stopping and widening at the two large molting half chickens that were trying to rise from the couch before continuing his visual sweep of the room for his son.

He rushed over to the two collapsed on the floor in front of the open door, shoving the inhaler into his son's hands before drawing his wand and incanting the breathing spells he knew well enough to cast in his sleep from constant practice over his son's short life. George managed to squeeze past the huddled group on the floor and shut the open door tightly, cutting off the freezing air and the flakes of snow that had been entering in wet sticking clumps.

Ginny and Percy had snuck down the stairs and were sitting on the bottom step, wide eyed and worried about the black haired boy who looked so blue and cold. Bill and Charlie had scooted out from under the table and stood hesitantly in the doorway from the kitchen, unsure as to whether or not they could help in any way.

Molly had managed to get a hand free by plucking the remaining feathers with her teeth. She pulled her wand from her apron pocket and removed the last of the prank, dispelling the chicken feet and the feathers from both herself and her husband before kneeling beside Severus and Shaun. She grasped the boy's shoulders, holding him up and sliding behind him so he could breathe easier leaned against her chest, shooing the twins over to their father and out of the way. Severus finally rocked back on his heels and looked Shaun over carefully, listening to his breathing as he watched the color finally returning to his cheeks and lips.

He picked up his son's small still shaking hand and evaluated his fingernails, frowning at the lingering blue tinge under the nail beds. He lifted his son's other hand that was still clasped around the inhaler and pushed the opening up to his mouth as he instructed him. "Take several puffs, Shaun. I've spelled you all I dare and you're still slightly blue."

Shaun nodded; his head leaned against Molly Weasley's ample breast and clamped the inhaler between his lips, breathing in as he pushed the top down. It took several bursts of medicine, but his chest muscles finally relaxed enough for him to take a deep, cleansing breath and sigh. "Better, Dad thanks."

Severus scooped his son up from Molly's lap and moved over to a couch, sitting down but leaving his son on his lap, his long fingers rubbing the boy's tense back muscles, encouraging the last tightness in his chest to leave. "Do I want to know what precipitated this strong of an attack? And why Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were chickens? Do you need to come home?"

Fred and George looked at each other, guilt plainly expressed upon their faces. "Shaun didn't do it, Professor. George and I made a potion and soaked Mum's and Dad's sugar cubes in it. When they turned into giant chickens we ran outside to hide in Dad's shed."

George looked steadfastly at his feet, afraid to meet the adults' eyes. "We forgot what you told us about Shaun's asthma and not going out in the cold without using his inhaler first."

Shaun managed to pat the pockets of his cloak; he squirmed in his father's lap before admitting. "And I must have… dropped it… somewhere when we were… running…I can't find it."

Molly frowned at her two miscreants. "Room, now…punishment tbal." Fred and George gave identical gasps and groaned as they headed up the stairs, Ginny and Percy moving to each side to allow them to squeeze through without them leaving their vantage point.

Shaun looked up at Mrs. Weasley and asked, "Tbal?"

Bill and Charlie laughed as they finally left the kitchen doorway and came in to sit down. They looked at each other and said in unison. "Punishment to be arranged later. It means you're really in deep trouble and Mum has to think up something really creative to do to you." They both looked relieved that they were not the ones being subjected to her creativity, at least not this time.

Severus smirked at the backs of the two disappearing boys thinking, 'that really was a very creative and imaginative use to three different potions. I wonder how they managed to combine them without adverse side effects. I wonder how long I should wait before asking them about their brewing methods.'

After Severus insisted that Shaun take a few more puffs of medication, all of the children were shooed up the stairs to get ready for bed. Molly sighed as she brought a tray full of tea things into the living room and sat it down on a low table. She laughed when the two men hesitated over putting sugar in their tea. "I got a new sugar bowl out and filled it myself from the pantry just now."

With sheepish grins, the three sat down and enjoyed a quiet discussion about the terrors and joys of child rearing; amidst much discussion about why anyone would think having a child was a good idea. And though it was very hard, they managed to contain their own laughter over the ridiculousness of the huge chickens until they were certain all of the children were asleep.


The next morning saw a clear cold day, almost a foot of new powdery snow covering the grounds of Hogwarts. Albus pulled his cloak tighter as he watched the peaceful landscape through the windows on his way to breakfast in the Great Hall. As he sat down in his usual spot at the single large circular holiday table he noticed that Severus did not look as well rested as the rest of the staff and turned to the younger wizard in concern. "Is something wrong, Severus? You look tired this morning. I hope young Shaun is all right at the Weasleys."

Severus rolled his eyes and began to explain. "I got a fire call from George just as I was finishing getting ready for bed. He was yelling that Shaun was having a bad attack and he couldn't find his inhaler, so I grabbed a spare one and stepped through to the Burrow. As I was looking around to find Shaun, I spotted two huge molting chickens trying to rise from the couch and Shaun and Fred collapsed by the door. Shaun was really turning blue, one of the worst attacks he's had so far, so I spelled him and then made him take several puffs before I could even ask about the chickens."

"Turns out the two Weasley menaces decided to dose their parents' tea and transform them into oversized chickens. As Shaun ran outside with them to hide, the cold air, the laughing and the exertion of running caught up with him and he couldn't catch his breath. By then he had dropped his inhaler somewhere and couldn't find it in the dark. But he's fine now, and I stayed and commiserated about parenthood with Arthur and Molly last night." He looked down at his breakfast before looking up, a somewhat feral grin on his face as he remarked. "I can't wait to here about what Molly does to them for punishment. When I left last night, they hadn't decided on one yet, but Molly can sure be creative."

By the end of the tale, Remus and Sirius were leaning against each other, holding their sides as they tried to stop laughing, Minerva had allowed her usually stern face to relax into a very unusual grin and the rest of the table was chuckling and thanking Merlin that they didn't have the responsibility to raise those two boys and that it would be another year before they started full time.

Minerva pursed her lips as she put down her teacup. "Is it too much to hope for that the boys are enrolled in Durmstrang?" Another round of laughter echoed through the Great Hall as everyone finished up eating in preparation for the second warding ritual in two days to begin.


AN: I am sitting here trying to type as I hold my home nebulizer up so that I can breathe and yes I do have severe asthma. For those of you who haven't read my author's profile, I also have two dislocated vertebrae, a permanently fractured kneecap and unstable left wrist. Now you know why I can update so frequently, I can do very little else except read and surf the internet. But you are the ones who benefit from that; now don't you. Thank you again for reading my muse and your kind reviews.