AN: PLEASE READ: I would like to clarify that the first few paragraphs in chapter 1 are mine. I wrote them as a challenge to writers in my HPBabies group. Laume answered the challenge and wrote a fantastic story called "Kiddification", which I would recommend to you all. I only hope mine pleases you as much lol. Important to clear that up. Also you are all welcome to join HPBabies. the address is on my author page. Thanks. Rosaleen
DISCLAIMER-JKR owns all.
Blocks
To say Horace Slughorn got a surprise when he entered the
Headmaster's rooms would have been a grave understatement. He had
just been to the Dungeon to look for Snape when he'd found a potion
almost ready to explode. He quickly emptied the cauldron and tidied
up.
"How on earth could Severus be so careless?" he thought, "Come to
think of it, where IS Severus?"
A small, slightly overenthusiastic house-elf appeared and told him
the Headmaster wished to see him. Now, he was standing opening and
closing his mouth like a goldfish, looking at the potions master
sleeping, pillowed in Dumbledore's lap.
"Er Erm, Albus?" he managed. Dumbledore smiled serenely.
"Ah, Horace. Thank you for being so prompt. I have a little potion
problem to discuss with you, quietly," he looked down at Snape, "I've
just got him to sleep".
At this, the old potions professor did not even try to form any words.
"Severus seems to have been hit by, or swallowed, some sort of mind
altering potion. He is now functioning at the level of a 3-year-old".
"Do you mean that potion I just found in the dungeon? It was almost
ready to explode!" exclaimed Slughorn.
"Gracious, I forgot to dispose of that," Dumbledore used his free
hand to straighten his glasses.
"I expect you had a more pressing problem," said Slughorn, turning
his gaze back to the sleeping Snape, "I suppose you saved some of the
potion?"
"I have indeed," replied Dumbledore, "It's in the bottle on that
table. Please excuse me if I cannot reach it to you. My hands are not
exactly free".
Horace noted that Severus was clinging to the Headmaster's hand as he
slept.
"Well, I think the accident is probably due to a contaminated
cauldron. I think Severus was trying to brew a calming potion. Those
things can cause all sorts of nasty side effects if anything goes
wrong in the brewing. I'll see what I can come up with".
"I would be most grateful, Horace. I hope we can then estimate how
long this will last".
"Yes, indeed," agreed Slughorn, "I shall get to work then".
He got up and took a final look at Snape.
"I take it you are playing parent then, Albus?" The Headmaster smiled.
"It would seem so".
"Good luck," Slughorn chuckled as he walked out the door.
00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
Around an hour later, Severus shifted and opened his eyes. He stared
around in confusion and his eyes rested on Dumbledore.
"Hello, my child. Did you sleep well?" asked Albus kindly, "I'm quite
peckish and I imagine you are, too. What about a spot of lunch?"
Severus relaxed and nodded.
Dumbledore helped him up and led him to the table, where he sat him
on a comfortable chair. Sitting down beside him, he called a house-
elf, who immediately brought them soup and sandwiches. Snape merely
stared at the food.
"Open up, Severus," Dumbledore's mouth twitched as he raised the
spoon to the Potions master's lips. Perhaps he was going too far. To
his surprise, Severus obeyed and soon he had fed him all the soup.
"Good boy," Dumbledore patted him lightly on the back, "Now, what
about these sandwiches. Sparkle has cut them up nice and small for
you. They look delicious". He set some on Snape's plate and again the
man began to eat without protest.
After lunch, Dumbledore brought Snape back into his office, where
Sparkle had helpfully set up a play space for Severus beside the
Headmaster's large desk. Severus proved very interested in a pile of
coloured blocks, of different sizes and happily began to sort them as
Dumbledore replied to his post.
The calm was broken when Minerva McGonagall stormed in.
"Where is Severus?" she demanded, "Did you know he took 50 points
from Gryffindor for Potter's late arrival at Defence Against the Dark
Arts? I am in complete agreement that he should lose points but 50?
That is uncalled for!"
"Forty points to Gryffindor," said Dumbledore, "Now, kindly calm
yourself, Minerva. Please, have a seat. There is something I wish to
tell you. Severus.."
At the second mention of his name, Severus crawled even further under
Dumbledore's table and let out a stifled whimper.
"Goodness! What was that?" Minerva gasped.
Dumbledore did not answer. He had crouched down and was peering under
the table. McGonagall followed suit.
"Professor Snape. What in Merlin's name are you doing?"
The sharp words tipped Severus over the edge and he began to cry
again.
"Minerva," Albus fought to stay calm, "Please sit up again and
moderate your tone".
The Deputy Headmistress was at a loss for words now. As she reclaimed
her seat, she listened to Dumbledore gently coaxing Snape out from
under his table.
"Severus?" he called in a singsong voice, "Severus? It is all right.
Come here, child. No one is going to hurt you. No one is angry with
you, my young one. Come to me. Come on".
Eventually Severus crawled out and clung desperately to the old
wizard. Albus levitated him and sat up at his desk again, cradling
the man in his lap.
"Shhh, here, here, now. There is no need to fret, my love. You are
safe. Everything is all right. Come now, why don't you build me a
nice tower?".
The Headmaster waved his wand and some of the coloured blocks landed
on his table. After some more rocking and cuddling, Snape allowed him
to clean his nose and face and sit him ion a chair beside him.
Experimentally, Albus stacked some of the blocks in front of Snape
and turned away, with a meaningful look at McGonagall, who followed
suit.
"As you can see, Professor. Severus is not quite himself. Well
actually, that's rather inaccurate. He IS himself. It would be better
to say he is his younger self. A small potions accident, you see".
"Albus, please explain," said Minerva impatiently. She was in no mood
for the Headmaster's eccentric rambles.
Severus flinched at the tone and Dumbledore again hushed him,
stroking his cheek and hair, "Oh, the blue one? Yes I think that
would be a nice touch". Severus smiled and put the blue block he had
selected on top of his tower.
"Forgive me, Minerva," Dumbledore continued as if
uninterrupted, "Severus has been hit by, or has ingested, what
Slughorn and I believe to be a contaminated calming potion, It has
caused him to regress to the age of 3."
McGonagall gaped, "How long will it last?" she asked at length.
"That, I cannot tell you. Horace is examining the potion. Hopefully,
we shall gain some information on that when he returns. In the
meantime, I shall be caring for him".
He smiled gently at the young man who was now engrossed in his
building.
"I must, therefore, ask you, Minerva. Please keep calm in his
presence. I gather (and my recollections of his schooldays confirm
this) that he was ill treated as a child. His father, I would guess,
is the main culprit here. It would seem he terrorised Severus and his
mother".
"But his father was a Muggle, wasn't he?" the dark-haired witch was
aghast.
"He was," Dumbledore confirmed, "But clearly a man of great physical
strength and power to dominate. Magic does not do well under such
circumstances. Ms Prince was unlikely to have had much power at her
disposal if she could not stand up for herself or her son".
"Dear me," murmured McGonagall, "Poor boy. I should have been more
aware, when he was young."
She reached out and gently patted Snape's arm. He looked up and she
smiled warmly at him. Seeing the smile, Severus placidly continued
playing.
"We should all have been more vigilant," murmured Albus, "Still,
there is no point in mourning what we failed to do. I think we have
to keep a careful eye on the children in our care and I will
certainly be keeping an eye on this one".
As Dumbledore turned to Severus, there was a huge crash and the
blocks went flying in all directions.
"All fall down," laughed Severus, forgetting his fear and giving in
to childish mirth.
Delighted with this progress, the two older Professors laughed too.
TBC