There was a bustle outside the Headmaster's office.
The corridor was quite narrow so that Professor McGonagall had to direct the Slytherin students to the left staircase and her own students to the staircase to the right of the Headmaster's office.
"And if any of you move from your area, I will know it and you will be expelled! That applies to curses and spells too!" McGonagall's voice had roared over their heads.
Into the office the Head boys were summoned first.
Narcissa sat on one of the steps next to a very distraught Severus with her arm around his shoulders. She hadn't let go of him at all since she had given him her robes.
The boy was shaking like a leaf.
"Don't let them talk you into anything stupid, Sevy. You do belong where Hogwarts has placed you," she coaxed him.
Her sister Andromeda had joined him on his other side.
Word had spread like a wildfire about what had happened at the clearing by the lake, and that Severus wasn't a real boy. Severus was sure that the Slytherin girls had not known about his troubles before. Their behaviour was therefore all the more surprising to him.
Derisive remarks came from the other staircase. James Potter made it loudly clear that their own Head Boy would set the record straight. In other words, Remus Lupin would somehow twist the whole story so that the Gryffindors would end up as victims and Severus would have provoked the whole situation in some way.
Severus had not been able to get a word past his lips since the attack.
More obscene comments drifted in from the other staircase, but they were nowhere near as bad as what they had done to him a few moments ago.
"Maybe they'll finally get expelled now," Narcissa rumbled. "I certainly would like to see Sirius get it. That mental midget already reflects badly on the family and Uncle Orion complains about him without drawing a breath at every family gathering. If he gets expelled now, I reckon he'll finally get disinherited and kicked out. Serves him right."
"He'll be hauled over the coals at home when Pop finds out," mused Regulus, who had been leaning against the banister.
"Haven't you ever thought of telling Uncle Orion what kind of bullshit he's pulling here? It all goes back to our family!" asked Narcissa.
"As if Pops didn't know that already. Sirius gets punished on a regular basis at home. I don't even get to see him in the holidays anymore. But it doesn't change a thing with him!" said Regulus.
Narcissa turned her attention back to the shivering boy leaning against her shoulder, "Are you cold? After all, we are sitting here on the bare stone floor."
Severus shook his head.
"Is that actually true?" she asked him hesitantly. "I mean, I heard it from Lucius earlier when Barty Junior rounded us up, but I didn't believe it."
It was Regulus who responded, "He spilled the beans sometime after a party in the common room. We were pretty gobsmacked."
"Lucius says that it depends on what the castle of Hogwarts chooses to allow. After all, if it hadn't accepted Severus as a boy, then he wouldn't have got into the boys' dormitory," Narcissa explained. "So what's the point? You shouldn't care about the opinion of a few rotten Gryffindors," she said, turning back to Severus.
At her words, Severus relaxed a little. And the trembling subsided as well.
"Did you see what happened to your pants?" she finally wanted to know and got a shake of the head in reply.
"Do you have a spare pair of trousers?"
Another shake of the head.
Narcissa bit her lower lip. An idea came to her! "Listen, next time we go to Hogsmeade, we'll make a detour to the tailor shop and have a new pair of trousers made for you. One that will fit you and won't be as baggy and oversized as your old trousers. In the meantime, Regulus can lend you his second pair of trousers. That is fine with you, isn't it, Regulus? You both should be about the same size. Yeah, I know you don't have any money, Sevy. That's no big secret around here. I'll pay for your new pants. Knowing the headship Gryffindors in that office, they won't care what happens to you or your uniform. What is your size shoe anyway? Six? No? Seven? Okay, that should do it. As for the underwear... there I'm afraid it's less recommended to wear a boys used underwear... Trust me, you don't want that. I could ask the girls if they still have new... No? You don't want that? Okay, we're gonna have to do this another way. You'll see. We'll work it out... ...without Dumb-as-a-door or McGotta-girl."
Severus grinned slightly.
"There you are. You are smiling already!" Narcissa enthused. "Just remember this, Severus. No matter what's out there, or whoever's trying to ambush you, your house mates are your true family! Do you hear me, Severus?"
The black-haired boy nodded mutely, his expression, however, was one of doubt and fear.
He was still trapped in his own clouded world. Here at Hogwarts they were all equal, but in the world outside of Hogwarts a life of obstacles, prejudice and an uncertain future awaited him. And if Severus would be able to even think outside the box a little, he would see how others had to suffer from it too - just like himself.
But adolescents were incapable of that kind of reflection - most of the time.
Narcissa sent Regulus back to the dormitory. He had not participated in the attack and therefore he could go wherever he wanted.
"Bring a second pair of trousers. We will see what we can do regarding the other things."
It was at that moment that the door opened. The goblin moved aside and the two Head Boys came out, accompanied by McGonagall.
Remus Lupin kept his head down.
Lucius, on the other hand, looked very pleased with himself.
A glance from the marauders at their Head Boy wiped the victorious grins off their faces.
Professor McGonagall stood in the doorway to the office, bracing her hands at her much too narrow waist. "James Potter, Sirius Black and Peter Pettigrew - you are next!"
The gang rose sluggishly as they exchanged sceptical glances with Remus.
"Hurry up, gentlemen, or I will see to it that you'll get detention until your OWLs!"
That caused them to snap out of their lethargy and they pushed past McGonagall looking as innocent and unblameable as possible.
The other Gryffindors began to murmur uneasily.
"Why am I not surprised they're bringing the Gryffindors' gang in before him," Andromeda remarked, eyeing Lucius who was talking to Remus some distance away from them.
The boy had approached him and looked like a spooked deer. Lucius was quite tall for his age and yet well built. Remus, on the other hand, looked like an unfinished half-elf, rather sunk in his uniform.
Lucius suddenly pointed him in the direction of Severus with his arm.
Remus then approached the group of Slytherins with unsteady steps, wringing his hands.
"What's he doing here?" Andromeda asked bewildered.
"Guys...?" Narcissa glanced at the others, especially those from the Quidditch team.
They just nodded and positioned themselves in front of the stairs with their arms crossed so that Remus couldn't get past them or even make sight contact with Severus.
"I want to speak to her for a moment," he said in a surprisingly firm voice.
"Who do you want to talk to?" asked Andromeda loud enough for Remus to hear.
"With Severus," he explained.
"Just for the fact that you cannot even use the right pronoun, we really ought to smack you in the head!" Narcissa. growled.
"It... I... I'm sorry. I just want to talk to him for a moment," he corrected himself in a now less confident voice. "If that's what he wants..."
Narcissa and Andromeda gave Severus questioning looks. The boy shook his head so vehemently that he began to shake again, absently rocking his chest back and forth.
"He can hear you clearly enough without your dumb face in sight! You don't have to come closer for just speaking, Lupin," Andromeda determined, now also wrapping her arm around Severus' shoulder to stop him from rocking manically.
"All right... I want to apologise for my classmates' behaviour. It was stupid and wrong and I will make sure they will leave you alone from now on," Remus promised. Behind the wall of Quidditch players, you could hear his feet shuffling on the ground.
"Do you want to listen to this?" Narcissa asked Severus.
"Tell him to get lost. I don't believe a word he's saying." His voice was rough from all the helpless shouting.
"That's what I thought. Don't worry about it, Sev! We'll take care of it." Narcissa stood up and weaved her way through the human wall. Her voice was loud and clear. Footsteps scraped across the floor. To all appearances, Lupin was backing away from her. Now that was a nice thought!
"Listen to me carefully, Lupin, because I'm only going to tell you once: go back to your little minions, your self-righteous psychopaths, and leave him alone. You and your kind - none of us want to talk to you, especially him. So leave him alone! And if we catch any of you near him again..."
Just at that moment, the door to the Headmaster's office opened and spat out James, Sirius and Peter with their heads hanging.
"Mr. Snape!" McGonagall's voice thundered across the corridor.
McGonagall looked over at the stairs and the wall of Quidditch players parted under her piercing gaze.
Severus winced, but didn't move a bit.
"Do I need to send you an invitation by owl, or do you intend to grace us with your presence soon?"
Each word cut deeper into his invisible scars.
"Come, I will accompany you." Lucius stood in front of him and held out his hand. "I knew they would question you last as the obvious victim."
"I'll come with you too," Narcissa announced in a tone that didn't accept any backtalk.
Professor McGonagall, however, had other plans.
"Miss Black, Mister Malfoy, I didn't call for the two of you," she remarked in a serious tone.
Narcissa turned to the younger boy, but didn't take her eyes off the Gryffindor Professor. "Severus, would you like to go in alone?" she asked him loud enough for McGonagall to hear.
The boy shook his head silently.
"Like a girl!" Sirius squealed from the opposite side.
"Mr. Black! You have tormented our ears enough today with your juvenile verbalities. You will spend the rest of the evening in silence!" And Sirius' mouth was sealed for the second time that day with a wave of her wand. The rebellious teenager pulled and tugged at his jaw and lips, trying to force his mouth apart with his fingers, but his mouth remained sealed.
With a smug glint in her eye, the witch turned away from her trouble makers.
"Very well, Mister Snape. You may enter with company, as long as they will keep quiet!"
Narcissa nodded. Lucius, however, remained suspiciously silent and followed McGonagall into Albus Dumbledore's office for a second time that day.
oOo
Severus had seen the inside of the Headmaster's office far too often in the past.
It was huge and contorted, and the ceiling was so very high you had to crane your neck to look up. Shelves lined every wall all the way down to the arched ceiling. There were several floors connected by ornate spiral staircases. And if one was searching for a book that was too far up, there was a ladder on castors on each wall of the shelves that could be pushed to the place at any time.
The top gallery led to the outer towers, which were connected to the office. Severus had never been up there, though, and he wasn't eager to find out what else was hidden there.
As much as he was interested in the books and as much as he wanted to run his fingers along their spines just to read their titles, he could never get rid of a sense of trepidation in this room.
Until now, he had not been able to associate any good memories with the Headmaster's office. He was always called in when Potter and his friends tried accuse him of anything they had actually screwed up, or he had to justify himself because he had been reading certain books that were open to the public in the library.
Something in the corner of his eye moved and flew towards him.
It was Fawkes - the headmaster's phoenix.
Out of instinct, Severus ducked his head.
He didn't like the bird!
The animal screeched far too loud and always sat somewhere near him when he was in this office. Fawkes' beak was as long as Severus' hand was wide. His claws seemed far too big for the body of a bird. And when he twisted his neck and bobbed his head left or right, his whole body looked unhealthily twisted and tangled.
Severus was sure that Fawkes wanted only too much to peck his eyes out. The bird was just waiting for the right moment for Dumbledore to turn away from him long enough.
But again, the bird was not going to get the chance.
There were too many people around today. So the phoenix preferred to retreat to one of the upper perches and stare down at them from the top.
In the spacious room, two chimneys were built into the walls.
One was quite near the entry as a part of a lounge or a kind of lobby. In front of it were several chairs around a low table. On the table were bowls of all sorts of sweets and biscuits. The headmaster was known to have a very unhealthy sweet tooth for such sweets.
The second fireplace was in the back near the headmaster's desk.
Even though fireplaces in the magical world meant only a connection to various other places and did not have a warming effect like normal fireplaces, Severus always felt a little homely around fireplaces.
But today they would not lift his spirits.
As he now stood flanked by Narcissa and Lucius in front of the Headmaster, his heart slipped into the pit of his stomach. Next to Professor Dumbledore stood Madame Pomfrey, the young school nurse. Both were talking animatedly, but so quietly that no intelligible word got through to them. However, it was obvious who they were talking about.
Why else would the headmaster have summoned the school nurse?
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat when the two couldn't break away from their conversation.
"Ah, Severus! There you are... and with company? Minerva?" The Headmaster appeared less than enthusiastic. Minerva approached him and exchanged a few quiet words with him. Every now and then she glanced over her shoulder at the Slytherins.
"Don't give them any ideas, Sev," Lucius spoke to him quietly. "They're trying to intimidate you, to make it look like Potter and his friends are innocent! Don't let them get to you!"
"Now then," Dumbledore began, giving the boy a curious look. "Would you explain the incident in your own words?"
Severus swallowed hard.
Why was he surprised at all? Of course he had to tell them what had happened and the reason why it was so inexpressible horrible for him. Yet all he wanted to do was forget the incident.
He decided to put the matter behind him as quickly as possible. So he spoke so fast that his tongue tripped over the words.
"I was hiding with a book. Actually, no one should have been able to find me. I had occupied my place with a spell of disguise. Still, they knew where I was. They came straight at me with a large pack of their own house students. They all attacked me at once... Potter in the lead. I lost my wand, suddenly hanging in the air, and while the others were cheering for Potter, he got the defaming idea to whisk away my trousers, my underwear, my shoes. And then they left me hanging there for everyone to gaze at like a piece of livestock for slaughter..."
He wiped his eyes frantically with the back of his hand. He didn't want to give himself the embarrassment of crying in front of them.
Madame Pomfrey held her hand over her mouth in horror. Suspiciously, Severus watched her. Had she been present at the other talks, or had Dumbledore asked her to join them over the Floo network just now? Had she already been told what it was about?
Or was she just appalled at what the students did to each other when they were bored?
"Well," the headmaster began with a grin. "I think we can all agree that it was just a silly boyish prank." Stroking his beard with a gleam in his eye, as if remembering the pranks he himself had played in his youth.
"Albus! You heard what Mr Potter said, didn't you!" Professor McGonagall got angry.
"Minerva, but your students couldn't have known what to expect then..." was his reply.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucius interfered with the conversation between the two professors.
Professor McGonagall stared piqued at the Slytherin student. "Mr. Malfoy! Need I remind you that you promised not to intervene in the hearing?"
"I made no such promises, Professor McGonagall, because I was worried that you would declare him the guilty party! So if I may demand an answer? Will you please tell me, Professor Dumbledore, why it is apparently okay to display other students naked or half-naked?"
"You're twisting my words, Mr Malfoy," the Headmaster tried to talk his way out of it.
"Then please explain to us why you think it is just a boyish prank to strip other students naked in front of others against their will? I would be very grateful for your clarification. Do you think it is okay for young people to do this to each other? Or is it only okay if only boys do it to harm other boys? How would Professor McGonagall feel if you suddenly whisked away her skirt and everything else underneath? Would that also be a mere boyish prank, Headmaster Dumbledore?"
"Mr. Malfoy, restrain yourself! You are going too far with your accusations!" Professor Dumbledore objected.
"Ah, but you didn't answer my question," Lucius countered. "You didn't answer my first question, nor the second. In your opinion, where does a mere prank end and where does sexual harassment begin for you, Headmaster?"
"Mr. Malfoy, your eloquent rhetoric aside, I must point out to you that your misguided view is completely absurd and uncalled for!" said Dumbledore, still smirking slightly, but his laugh lines had disappeared. He still didn't seem to be taking the matter seriously.
"So you would find it funny if Professor McGonagall here was suddenly completely exposed?"
"As I was saying, Mr Malfoy, that is a preposterous insinuation!"
"Very well then... I think I understand your pointless justification of a prank. It must be of the same sex then to be counted as a funny prank," Lucius began with a far too smug smile on his lips. "Then I dare you to grab my crotch!"
"Mr. Malfoy! You can't be serious!" an indignant Professor McGonagall said.
"Mr. Malfoy, I demand an explanation as to the purpose of your accusations and abstruse ideas!" Dumbledore slapped the table with the flat of his hand.
"I just want you to finally admit that you let a prank pass even if this is obviously sexual harassment, because it's a prank coming from you favoured house at Hogwarts, and that really can't be a bad thing, can it? Why don't you admit it? Your Gryffindor pupils have been making Severus' life hell for five years! And none of the teachers are doing anything about it! And now they even go so far as to sexually assault him and get away with what? Punishment? For how long? A month? Until the end of term?"
"Mr. Malfoy," Professor McGonagall now spoke up, "may I remind you that you and your fellow students physically assaulted all the Gryffindor students present at the clearing? It was not my students who stood there holding their wands at disarmed boys. No, it was you!"
"For good reason!" defended Lucius. "We have been watching your students attack Severus for a long time! It wasn't us who exposed his lower body in front of everyone so that everyone could stare between his legs and make stupid remarks. Instead of making sure that all students are safe in this school, you're encouraging this behaviour, Professor McGonagall!" said Lucius snappishly, yet calmly. Anyone who knew Lucius knew that he grew more astute when he spoke calmly.
"Mr. Malfoy, just because you come from a wealthy family doesn't mean you can treat us with a lack of respect," McGonagall interjected indignantly.
"I had no intention of treating you improperly, Professor. I am merely speaking the truth that none of the other teachers will recognise." That was closer to an apology than anything Lucius had ever uttered in front of a professor in this school.
"Then why don't you explain why it should have come to this, that I only saw Slytherin violating the school rules and the Gryffindor students were the disadvantaged ones," she finally challenged him.
She crossed her arms demonstratively in front of her chest and leaned her hip against the edge of the pompous desk.
"Barty Jr. came into the common room and told us that Severus was being attacked by Potter and the whole Gryffindor Quidditch team. So far it had only ever been pranks that Severus was able to defend himself against them, even if there were several of them. Severus never wanted us to help him, and as long as he could take on four at once, I saw no reason why we should intervene against his wishes. But with the whole Quidditch team, Severus wouldn't be able to handle it. So I called everyone else together and we followed Barty to help Severus. And in case you didn't count your students, they went after Severus together," Lucius added, looking McGonagall straight in the eye. "There were sixteen Gryffindor students in number who kept Severus dangling in the air, immobilising him with spells. Who knows what else they would have done to him now that they know what he is..."
"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall did look a little horrified. "I think that's a bit of a stretch, even for their behaviour!"
"If I might say something?" Madame Pomfrey stepped forward. "This is not about who threw whom to the ground, if that is the correct description. This is about the violation of the personal rights of a pupil who - from my own point of view, without even having asked him a question - has suffered a drastic trauma that I, as a medi-witch, am by no means willing to ignore any longer. So, will you now bring your questioning to an end, or I will take the young man with me, and you can pester him again with your arguments in the infirmary in three days' time! Give me one reason why I shouldn't take him now, Headmaster."
It was Narcissa who relented: "Perhaps you forget who this is about? Wouldn't you like to add something to that, Severus?"
Severus clutched the borrowed robes in a tight grip. He closed his eyes and gathered all his courage.
"They always know where I am."
"They?" Professor McGonagall asked.
"Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Lupin." Severus looked around uncertainly. "Well, Lupin doesn't do anything, actually. He's just standing around watching... I thought it was a coincidence at first, but then it became noticeable. I was studying in the library. It was too obvious and didn't even take much effort of them to find me. Then I studied in the big hall. But it didn't bother them that there were witnesses. At first it was just little things. Dull jokes designed to defame or insult me. But then when they realised that no one would mind that they could just attack me with no punishment, they made it public when other students were also present. They put spells on my things. The other day my ink jar exploded in my bag. My notes and textbooks were ruined!"
"Well, that can happen," Dumbledore commented.
"Can you prove it was Potter or his friends?" asked McGonagall, still not convinced.
"I've told you so many times, how can I prove anything when Potter and his gang are covering their tracks and connections? They laugh at me right after their pranks and leave no evidence that could prove they were the ones who did it! When I hide to study, first I hear Potter calling my name and then footsteps echo down the hall or room and yet there is no one around! When that happens, I know they've found me! Whether it's in the garden sheds or one of the classrooms where I haven't had any lessons at all, or in a chamber next to the kitchen. They always find me. They ambush me in the toilet and make the toilet water splash up like a fountain. They make jokes about how I never stand at the urinal with the others... at least now they know the reason..." His voice failed and he stared at the floor in shame.
"Professor Slughorn doesn't do anything about it. He thinks they're just boyish pranks that I have to deal with," Lucius began again. "Then who can I even confide in when even my own Head of House doesn't believe me or want to offer me any support?"
"That's a fair question, Albus," McGonagall objected surprisingly.
"Well, I suppose I'll have to have a word with Professor Slughorn about that at some point." The Headmaster stroked his beard thoughtfully. The logs crackled loudly in the great fireplace and Fawkes croaked down at the round from above. "Now, before Mr Snape is taken to the infirmary by Madame Pomfrey, I must point out to you that you have knowingly allowed yourself to be assigned to the wrong dormitory under false pretences since you entered Hogwarts. In doing so, you have clearly violated Hogwarts house rules. What do you have to say to that, Mr Snape?"
"I did not get myself incorrectly assigned. The castle admitted me to the boys' dormitory because I am not a girl!" Severus defended himself. "Besides, my fellow students know what I am and accept me. If Hogwarts can accept that and so can my fellow students, I don't see any rule breaking here." His voice gained more strength and confidence with each word.
"You must admit, Albus," McGonagall began with a smirk, "there is something to that."
He could barely conceal his anger. "Professor McGonagall, you can't be serious! That is clearly a girl! What kind of fornication would there be if we suddenly introduced mixed dormitories now!"
"Just as little fornication as there was before!" she returned so quickly that she almost cut him off. "Mr. Snape, will you please tell us when you let your fellow students in on this matter?"
"It was in my second year," the boy explained.
At that, Poppy finally stepped in. "So, enough with the questioning! I'm going to take my patient with me now, and if there are any more questions to be answered, this boy won't be ready for them until I dismiss him."
As petite as the mediwitch was, she made up for her outward fragility with a raving voice and a fair amount of determination. No one dared to contradict her.
She waved the boy towards her. His bare feet tapped over the stone floor. With a flick the floopulwer and a loud and clear spoken destination, the two disappeared.
oOo
The days in the hospital wing turned out to be a lonely term. Outside, the sun shone and warmed up the large hall where the hospital beds were lined up against the walls. All the beds were empty except for one. It was in the far corner, furthest away from the entrance.
Severus was bored. Madame Pomfrey had not allowed him a visitor. Perhaps she believed she was acting with only the best of intentions on his behalf. He could live with the pain, but the boredom was driving him mad.
His mind wanted to absorb knowledge, learn, and investigate! Standing still was an absolute waste of time!
The dreariness of a whole day could stretch into infinity without anything to do. She didn't even allow him to read the Daily Prophet as a distraction. There were only lies and half-truths in it anyway, she used to say.
It was the third day when she finally allowed him his first visitors.
It was Lucius and Narcissa. Lucius was carrying a parcel, wrapped in brown paper and tied with package cords. Madame Pomfrey's face spoke volumes as the Head Boy charmed his way in. She watched the two students warily as they approached Severus.
Only when there was no sign of hostility or such nonsense did the mediwitch relax and return to her work in another room.
Madame Pomfrey was a strict, yet very affectionate person, and even though Severus was quite fond of her, her devotion was sometimes too overwhelming.
"Hey, Sev," they both greeted him.
"We brought you something," Lucius said, handing him the package.
"These will fit you, I hope," Narcissa said as Severus untied the knot and put the paper aside. It was a new pair of trousers and a pair of black leather shoes. The soles were sturdy and thick, not as worn as the soles of his old shoes. The leather shone and smelled of resin and honey. Shoes had never smelled like that to him before. Nor had he ever been given a new pair of trousers that no one had worn before him.
He didn't know how to react. Until now, he had also never been receiving anything, beseides rare presents from his mother.
"Thank you," he said rather indecisively. The trousers were neatly folded. He would certainly never get them folded like that again, he realised. A card had been placed between the folds. Gingerly he took out the piece of paper. On it was a dedication and the explanation of a spell.
"You may already know this one... it adjusts your clothes as long as you wear them. In case your pants are too big," Narcissa explained, settling down on the edge of the bed.
"No, I didn't know that spell before," he reluctantly admitted. The spell would have saved him many embarrassing situations.
Lucius glanced back over his shoulder at the empty room. When he was sure they were alone, he pulled up a chair and settled down. "Severus, we've been watching you."
"Me? Why?" the boy asked in alarm.
"I know someone who's really keen to meet you," he explained with a confident, wry smile. "I told him about you. You must know that he doesn't usually bother with people like you. You're only a half-breed. But I managed to convince him that it would be a bitter loss to our cause if he denied you the chance to prove yourself. I told him of your fondness for the Dark Arts. He is a master at it and welcomes young wizards interested in it."
That sounded almost like music to his ears. Someone who appreciated the Dark Arts as much as he did! This could only be a dream!
"But before I take you to him, you must promise me that you will not speak of this to anyone else!" Lucius continued. "It's a secret meeting, and it's not just students who attend. The next meeting is in a week. You should be out of the infirmary by then. I'll make sure we can sneak you out of here for the meeting...that is, if you want to?"
Severus bit his lower lip. "Why does he favour the Dark Arts?"
Lucius laughed as if Severus had said something crazy. "Well, he has his principles, and one of them is that we should not limit our horizons just because the Ministry regulates knowledge and sources of knowledge. If we turn to only one side of magic, knowledge of the other side will eventually be lost. Besides, what we learn here is only a fraction of what the wizarding world has to offer us. Do you want to learn more?"
Severus nodded eagerly.
"That settles that, then."
"What about Potter and the others?" Severus asked hesitantly.
Narcissa snorted at this. "They've been given so much detention that they won't have time to ambush you for a while. Remember, we Slytherins are your family and as a family we stick together. They won't dare terrorize you again."
"Severus, you will notice that we are a much larger alliance that extends beyond the limits the school grounds. Slytherins keep in touch with each other even after they have left school. You'll find it very useful later on. The Dark Lord is also a Slytherin, and is very keen on tradition and solidarity."
"What about my... problem?" the boy asked uneasily.
"The Dark Lord only cares about what is in there," Lucius explained, poking Severus in the forehead with his finger.
A clearing of the throat made the three students listen.
Madame Pomfrey was standing in the doorway to the hall. "Visiting hours are over for today. Please take your leave."
They both rose.
"Think about it, Severus. I would be very pleased to introduce you to him."
It did not escape his notice that the two were holding hands as they left the room. It was not uncommon for couples to form within their houses or within the same year's classes.
It dawned on him just then that he would never be able to have anything like that in his life.
AN: Lucius and Narcissa for the win!
I wanted to pick up on the fact that the house community should be considered as a family during yout time at school. That's what McGonagall said in the first film. (It was implemented rather poorly... I wouldn't want to send my children to a school where the children can hex each other, then get laughed at because they can't defend themselves if they don't know the counterspell, and the teachers just don't do anything about it...)
I wanted to portray the dungeon lads a little differently: Slytherin Family Feelings! YAY!
By the way: I am aware that some characters should not attend Hogwarts anymore at the time of this event... but who cares? :D
I also wanted to explain FTM in short: (As I did it at the original oneshot in german)
FTM is an acronym for Female to Male and means that a trans person was previously or still is biologically female and identifies as male. It may mean that some sexual characteristics have been removed or that they have received a reassignment surgery, but this is not necessarily the case. Many trans people retain their original sex organs and choose not to have final surgery. Be it because of the high dangers or costs or or or...
I hope I got this right? If not, please correct me! :)
I was wondering how that one scene would have turned out if Snape had been an FTM person. That would have put "the prank" in a very different light.
Also, I try to include the societal view of being different at the time. This may be the 70s and the young generation might have been a bit more open-minded, but homophobia / transphobia (and anything at all that wasn't heterosexual) was still the norm, and anyone who was different was generally resented, not accepted and had to fear for their lives.
Just search on youtube for documentaries about homosexuality in the 80s.
Hope you enjoyed reading!
