A Lamp To Light The Way

Towards the end of the feast Severus leant over Topfur and muttered to Aphy

"Love is that extraordinary young man really your godchild."

"Yes Sevie he is"

Delores looked offended and disgusted when she noticed that Topfur was not actually touching his food. Rather he was concentrating on retrieving his pewter Zippo lighter and hipflask from his coat pocket balanced on the back of the chair he sat on.

The students noticing what he was doing, finally dropping all pretence of eating. All eyes watching the professor calmly ask Dumbledore.

"May I please use this goblet sir"

"Certainly Jamison" Dumbledore answered.

Tpofur opened the pewter flask and poured a generous measure of an unearthly silvery blue liquid into the goblet. He then dipped his finger into the fluid and wiped it across the goblets rim.

Flicking open his Zippo he ignited the liquid residue and to the horror of faculty and student body alike he raised the still burning cup to his lips. Drinking from it while the flame so dark people swore they were black burned around him.

"Oh Harry where are you" whispered Ginny dejectedly to herself more than anyone else.

"Professor Snape may I use your office until mine and mein gottmutter's is ready as we are teaching on the 7th floor of the dungeons."

"Yes certainly and the 7th floor if memory serves is the, Armoury and training chambers of the founders. Along with the torture chambers," drawled Snape.

"Yes love we will be teaching on the corridor of blood." Aphy replied.

"Aphy I'm going to our rooms," said Topfer yawning.

"Ok poppet. See you later and the word is godmother please try mnot to slip into your mother tongue dear."

"Oh and while Delores I apologise for upstaging your illuminating speech just in case your ministry friends have any ideas I am a trained assassin and master of I forget how many martial arts, both armed and unarmed."

Aphy engaged in conversation with severus discussing high alchemy turned to the entranced hall and yawned "79 core I think if you discount the 37 differing styles of each discipline, oh and your cage fighting, street fighting and improvised weapons Hmm I do believe I am forgetting something."

"Ah yes thank you for reminding me Severus darling 33 forms of armed martial art and of course combinations of your magic your toys and other skills" said Aphy as she held Snapes hand absentmindedly.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Malfoy, Crabbe , goyle and several of Draco's cronies not important enough to to be named, skulked in the 6th floor dungeon corridor. Waiting for Topfer.

"Lets see if our new professor can protect himself without his armoury" spat Draco distastefully still smarting from his public humiliation by a freak.

As the thugs watched and waited, Topfer strolled nonchalantly towards their hiding place, clutching his still burning goblet using the dark ethereal flame to light the way.

It worked rather like a hand of glory, giving light only to the holder. Which is why Draco didn't see Topfer as he strolled with featherlight step down the corridor.

He began to hiss in a fairly accurate impression of Tom Riddle.

"I'm going to kill you Draco."

"Goyle I'm going to slit your worthless throat."

"Crabbe, Crabbe you are going to die a horrible painful death."

So unnerved were the gang that, when Topfer laid his hand on Draco's shoulder and his other and whispered

"BOO"

The whole group leapt into the air as one and landed again in a puddle of their own manufacture before running, screaming to the relative safety of the slytherin common room.

Jamison laughed gently before wandering, whistling a merry tune to Snape's private quarters, where a comfortable bed and an Irish coffee made with Ogden's and the finest fresh Columbian coffee beans were calling his name.