Chapter 13 – Appeals and Reprimands

Fleur Delacour, filled with righteous anger, turned out to be a revelation for Harry. Not only did it make her even more enticing than she already was, as he had previously noted, but it also revealed a whole new facet of his betrothed which he had never known existed. The affection and respect he felt for her deepened because of it.

Though he had promised her the day before that he would talk to Dumbledore about Snape's behavior, she apparently harbored enough doubt about his intentions—or more about his tendency to try to deal with everything on his own, as she informed him—that Harry arrived in the common room the following morning and was greeted by the sight of Fleur waiting impatiently on a nearby sofa. By her side sat Hermione, who appeared to be slightly in awe of Fleur; his betrothed was obviously still incensed by Snape's actions. Upon seeing him, Fleur rose and greeted him with a perfunctory, "Good morning, Harry," before grasping his hand, beckoning Hermione to accompany them, and essentially frog-marching them out of Gryffindor common room.

It had been Hermione who had pointed out—quite correctly—that courtesy, as well as proper procedure, dictated that their first appeal should be made to their head of house, rather than directly to the Headmaster. And while Fleur was clearly eager for an accounting from the Headmaster as to why this situation had been allowed to persist, she had grudgingly agreed with Hermione's assessment. Therefore, to Professor McGonagall's office they were to go.

On the way to their destination, Harry's thoughts led him to his new understanding of several of Fleur's traits, as she admitted to having herself. The first was that Fleur was a rather patient witch, one who would put up with quite a bit before truly becoming angry. However, when that anger was released, it was rarely a mild display, and more often resembled a spectacular pyrotechnic explosion. She was a passionate witch, and for that fact, Harry could only be thankful; life with her would never be dull.

However, he had also learned that Fleur was particularly intolerant of bullies, gossipers, and those who looked for ways to enjoy the misfortune of others. This was due, she freely admitted, to the treatment she had often received as a young Veela attending school, and the prejudice to which she had been subjected all her life. A sure-fire way to completely bypass her normally long fuse was to expose her to someone behaving in the manner which Snape had done—her patience generally evaporated quite quickly in such cases.

Another thing which he had known for a time, but which had been abundantly displayed only recently, was that Fleur was fiercely protective of anyone she deemed part of her family. It appeared that Harry—and perhaps somewhat surprisingly Hermione—now fitted into that category. Since their return to school, Harry had found that Seamus Finnegan, with whom he had roomed for the entire first four years of his schooling, had been quiet and withdrawn where Harry was concerned, though he had been as he ever was with everyone else. A chance remark a few evenings earlier had betrayed the fact that he now believed the Ministry in their smear campaign against Harry, and was suspicious of Harry's complicity in the matter of Cedric's death.

Harry, true to form, had been more than willing to let his dorm mate believe whatever he liked, but he had not counted on Fleur's protective streak. The French witch had eyed Seamus with some distaste, before she proceeded to tell him in pointed and sometimes insulting fashion, exactly how stupid she considered him to be in believing the Prophet's slander. Her observations had not been brief either—it had finally been Seamus's rather petulant and quick departure which had served to halt her diatribe.

In light of her character and sense of right, it was clear that nothing would interfere with her demands for justice for Harry and Neville, and she had vowed to her companions that morning, that if Dumbledore was not prepared to rein the potions master in, then she would have no choice but to involve her father. And knowing Jean-Sebastian and his own tenacity, involving him would likely involve a world of hurt for Snape and would undoubtedly bring Fudge into the situation. It was obvious that the Snape was retained by Dumbledore for some reason other than his less than sterling teaching record, and as such, Fudge would take a perverse delight in making certain that one of Dumbledore's men was ejected from the school, forcefully if possible. And while this would perhaps give Fudge another weapon to use against Dumbledore, the three companions all knew that Jean-Sebastian would consider the quality of education and the protection of his daughter and her betrothed to be his first priority.

Strangely enough, Harry found her determination to be infectious, and though a part of him still nagged, telling him that he could handle the potions master himself, the new and growing sense of belonging to a family told him that he could be worrying about more important matters than a petty, greasy bat with a chip on his shoulder. Besides, the thought of Snape getting reprimanded, coupled with the even more delicious notion of Malfoy finally not getting away with whatever he wanted, was far too tempting to pass up. He could almost hear Malfoy's usual response. "When my father hears about this…"

Unfortunately—or fortunately, depending upon whose opinion was canvassed, McGonagall indicated that she was powerless to do anything regarding Snape.

"Unfortunately, Mr. Potter, I believe you will need to speak with the Headmaster on this subject," she said with some regret. "I am glad you are receiving such good advice from Miss Delacour and not allowing Severus to get away with his behavior any longer."

Fleur's eyes narrowed in what Harry understood to be fury, having seen it several times in the past day. "Professor, are you telling us that you are aware of the abuse Harry has had to put up with from the potions professor?"

"Directly aware? No," was the response. "And I will thank you not to insinuate that I would have allowed it had I known. The fact of the matter is that I've always known how Professor Snape felt about Harry; even had I not been aware of his hatred for James, I could hardly have missed the comments he has made in my hearing over the years.

"But knowing of his feelings and suspecting him of improper behavior in his classroom are two completely different things. He's always been very circumspect in my presence, not surprising given he knows what my likely reaction would be."

"But what about his propensity to take away points or assign detentions?" Fleur persisted.

"He is very careful about the assignation of detentions, as he knows they are, to a certain extent, scrutinized. As for points, I will only say that not all is as it seems. I can assure you, however, that I would never allow him to influence the point system to the degree that it would adversely impact my, or any other, house."

With that, the three friends had to be content, as the deputy Headmistress would not be more explicit. She encouraged them to seek out the Headmaster immediately and discuss the matter with him. The three, correctly interpreting her words as a dismissal, took her advice.

A few moments later, the gargoyle outside the head's office announced them to Dumbledore, who immediately granted them access. They settled into the chairs across the desk from the Headmaster, and Harry could not help but notice Dumbledore regarding them curiously.

"Welcome, Harry, Miss Granger, Miss Delacour," the man said with aplomb. "I had not expected to see you in my office this early in the term. Nothing has happened with Madam Umbridge, has it?"

Harry rolled his eyes. "Only if you consider the fact that she's incompetent, and does not know the material in the slightest."

"She tried to bait Harry into saying something she could use against him," Hermione chimed in. "But Harry kept calm and didn't give her anything."

"Very good," Dumbledore said with a nod. "Until we can come up a way to remove her, avoidance is the best policy."

"I must admit to being confused, Headmaster," said Fleur. "Since the woman is clearly not qualified to teach the subject, wouldn't it be easy to have her sacked?"

"I've tried," said Dumbledore with a sigh. "Unfortunately, the matter is out of my hands. In the past, this law was put into place to ensure the quality of instruction at Hogwarts was maintained in case a candidate could not be found by the Headmaster. Generally, however, the appointment would be made by the educational department. If the Headmaster did not agree with the appointment, he could bring it up with the Minister, and have him arbitrate the situation. The law has never been changed, unfortunately, and it's being abused by Minister Fudge. As he is the one who appointed Madam Umbridge, there is nothing I can do at this point to remove her. We need some ammunition against her before we can make our move."

It was convoluted and much of it did not make a whole lot of common sense, but Harry, having known for quite some time that things in the magical world were often nonsensical, pushed the matter from his head. The Minister was a problem for another time.

"If you are not here about Madam Umbridge, what can I do for you this morning?"

"We're here about your other problem professor," Fleur said in an even, yet implacable voice.

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at Fleur's tone. "Have you had an issue with a professor, Miss Delacour?"

"No, but Harry has. And apparently, it's been going on for some time."

The Headmaster's gaze shifted to Harry. "Mr. Potter?"

With as little emotion as possible, Harry related the events of the previous day's potions class, explaining the facts with little embellishment.

At the end of his account, Dumbledore sat back in his chair, and directed a stern gaze at Harry. "You say this is not the first time Professor Snape has behaved this way?"

"He's always seemed to have had it in for Harry, sir," said Hermione. "He seems to have a knack for showing up at the wrong moment so that he can catch Harry doing something he shouldn't, while missing what Malfoy or someone else did to provoke it. In fact, I'd say it's happened a few too many times to be merely coincidence."

"To the best of your knowledge, has the professor ever given you unfair grades?"

Harry scratched his head; he had never even considered this aspect of the matter, though from Fleur's expression, she evidently had.

"I'm not sure I know, sir," he finally responded slowly. "I've always known that the professor doesn't like me, but I never thought to question the grades he has given me. And how would I know that a potion he graded as an 'Acceptable' should actually have been 'Exceeds Expectations?'"

"How indeed?" was the Headmaster's rhetorical reply. He turned his attention to Hermione. "And you Miss Granger? By all accounts you have shown a certain amount of skill in potions class. Have you noticed anything with respect to Harry's grades?"

Hermione was clearly uncomfortable with the question, but she gamely tried to answer it all the same. "I'm not sure either, Headmaster. I think Harry's potions have been graded properly, though Professor Snape has not been as forthcoming with assistance in Harry's case as perhaps he has should have been."

Dumbledore motioned for her to continue.

"Well," Hermione said slowly, "for example, sometimes when Harry has made a mistake, the professor will vanish his potion. He's not exactly kind about either, usually calling Harry stupid, or saying that he was watching Harry do the steps in the wrong order. Shouldn't he correct Harry if he notices he is doing something wrong, rather than simply giving him a failing grade?"

With a sigh, Dumbledore nodded his head. "Yes, indeed he should, Miss Granger. Have you ever seen Professor Snape behave this way with anyone else?"

"He seems to have a certain amount of dislike for Neville too, but to a certain extent he is hard on all Gryffindors, and favors his own house. I understand that there is a certain amount of bias for one's own house, Headmaster—that is unavoidable. But Snape goes entirely beyond what is acceptable. He has taken points from me for being an 'insufferable know-it-all,' and in Harry's first-ever potions lesson, he asked questions which were definitely beyond what a first year should know, and when Harry could not answer, he deducted points."

"Is there an appeals process for unfair detentions and point losses sir?" asked Fleur.

Dumbledore smiled and responded: "There certainly is—in fact, you are now invoking it."

"Then it should be published a little more clearly, sir," said Hermione somewhat hesitantly. "I had no idea it existed."

"I believe you are correct, Miss Granger. I shall speak with Professor McGonagall on the matter.

"Regarding Professor Snape," Dumbledore continued, "I was certainly aware of his antipathy toward you, Mr. Potter. But while I am well aware of the cause of his disdain, it is not my place to explain the matter any further to you at this time. I assume Sirius has explained it at least in part?"

At Harry's nod he continued. "Very well then. As I was saying, I knew of his issues with you, but as you never approached me about his behavior, I assumed that it did not approach inappropriate levels."

"You did not know of his behavior towards Harry?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Contrary to popular opinion, Miss Delacour, I neither know everything that occurs in this school, nor do I attempt to know, though I do try to remain informed as the major issues at Hogwarts. There is far too much involved with the running of the school, not to mention my other positions, for me to become some all-knowing being at this school. At some point, I have to rely on information from others, and I trust in my professors to tell me if anything is amiss."

Sitting back in his chair, the Headmaster appeared to consider something and when he spoke, it appeared as though he was musing out loud and not truly talking to them. "Perhaps that is my greatest failing—the tendency to trust in others when they do not truly deserve it, or perhaps when they are adept at hiding their actions from casual scrutiny. Perhaps taking a more active role will help ameliorate the problem."

He was silent for several more moments before he turned his attention back to the students. "Thank you for bringing this to me, Harry. You may be assured that I will speak with Professor Snape about this."

"Thank you, sir," said Harry in response.

"I beg your pardon, Headmaster," said Fleur, her countenance set in a stony cast, "but I'm concerned about the treatment I will receive from Professor Snape, just by my association with Harry. And furthermore, with all due respect, the professor is undermining the education at this school with his behavior, and affecting the futures of many students graduating from this school. I won't go into the mockery he is making of the points system. I don't want to tell you how to do your job, but hasn't he proven unsuitable for his position?"

Dumbledore gazed placidly at Fleur, and while she was obviously a little uncomfortable with his scrutiny, she held her ground and met his eyes without flinching.

"You are to be commended for your concern, Miss Delacour. However, I do not believe that the situation is as bad as you seem to think."

Turning to Harry and Hermione, Dumbledore asked, "How would you rate Professor Snape's knowledge and teaching ability?"

A little uncomfortable, Harry nevertheless spoke up. "He's unpleasant, and sometimes even a foul git, but he's obviously a master potions brewer, sir. And when he actually takes the trouble to explain something, he is able to do so effectively."

"Miss Granger?"

"I'd say the same as Harry, sir."

"Very well," said Dumbledore. "I have observed the same—I've always known Professor Snape to be a brilliant brewer, and I am aware that his teaching method, though perhaps rough and blunt, and perhaps overly demanding and exacting, is acceptable. The exception to this, of course, is what we have already discussed in some detail—he needs to take a greater interest in correcting his students before they make a mistake if he is in a position to do so.

"However," he continued with a stern glance at them all, "I can assure you that the questions I asked you regarding Professor Snape's behavior were not mere idle conversation. The integrity of the educational process is a responsibility held by both parties—the professor and the student. The professor must teach the subject matter, help the students achieve what they are capable of achieving, and grade their work fairly and properly, while the student must listen to the teacher, give their best effort, and turn in work they have completed to the best of their ability. Clearly, in your case, Harry, Professor Snape has not upheld his end of the equation to the level I expect. His behavior in the classroom, while not proper, has not been egregiously so. However, I assure you that had there been any suspicion of unfair grading—beyond not offering advice before a student fails—I would have been much harsher with the professor than I will otherwise. As Headmaster of this school, I must consider the deliberate act of grading assignments improperly as a major violation of the educational process. I believe he needs to be taken to task and instructed in the proper manner to treat the students, but given what you have told me, I do not believe he has crossed that greater line. Am I correct?"

Harry, with support from Hermione, had to agree—rather reluctantly—that Dumbledore was correct. But Harry could not help but to add, "I'm not sure he'll ever be fair toward me."

"I understand that, Harry, but can you claim a complete lack of bias yourself? We are all colored by our perceptions, and yes, our experiences, and though I will not tell you more of Professor Snape's past, I can tell you that certain events in his past, have influenced him. However, it is not a requisite of the position to like all the students, merely to teach them properly and treat them fairly. Since I believe that for the most part he has been upholding the necessity of teaching the subject—though certainly more professionalism, not to mention personal care and attention, is desired—I believe I will focus on his fair treatment of you and demand he make changes."

"And if he won't?" Fleur asked, her tone and manner still somewhat confrontational.

"If that were to happen, Miss Delacour, then you can be certain that I will take the appropriate steps.

"With regard to your other points, though, I will tell you that Hogwarts has not experienced a dearth of potions graduates since Professor Snape began teaching here—on the contrary, though many will not scruple to say that they do not like him, very few have complained about his knowledge, or his ability to teach. And as for your concerns about the point system, I assure you I have that well in hand."

Harry looked curiously at his Headmaster, but no further explanation appeared to be forthcoming.

Dumbledore, however, adopted a stern visage when he spoke next, "I appreciate you approaching me with your concerns. However, in the future, I expect you to be a little more circumspect and a little less… confrontational in the way you make your case."

That last was clearly directed more at Fleur, but to Harry's eyes, Fleur appeared to be anything but repentant at the way she had addressed the Headmaster. Her next words made that fact abundantly clear.

"Thank you for listening to us, Headmaster," said Fleur. "I apologize for the way I spoke, but I do not apologize for the things I said. We truly do appreciate your assistance in this matter and hope that it can be resolved without involving my father who is, as you know, now Harry's guardian. I'm sure you are aware that my father would be much less circumspect in making his sentiments known."

Dumbledore inclined his head in understanding of the meaning of Fleur's words. "I understand, and I thank you for bringing this to my attention. I will take it up with Professor Snape personally."

And with that, the discussion ended. And though Harry would perhaps have preferred to see Snape pitched out of Hogwarts on his ear, he could not fault Dumbledore for his words and opinions on the subject. As long as Snape was off his back, he would be content.

Leaving the office, the three friends made their way toward the Great Hall for breakfast, in silence for the most part. There was much to consider.

As it turned out, it was the next day after dinner before Albus called the potions master into his office to have the discussion he knew that Severus would not take well. In preparation for the confrontation, he had investigated the incident from the previous day's potions class, not because he doubted the young Gryffindors' claims, but because he wanted to confirm exactly what had occurred from various sources, should Severus ask. Unfortunately, he knew exactly how the conversation would progress—Severus would respond with a derogatory comment about Harry's arrogance, while instantly blowing off whatever he was accused of. It was the man's modus operandi, after all.

It was a simple matter, to be truthful. Though he was the Headmaster, he had always tried to make himself available to the student body—to be approachable, as it were. A few subtle comments to get the right students thinking about the subject about which he wished to learn more, and a little passive Legilimency later, he had all the facts he required. He had even managed to snare a couple of Slytherin fifth years in his net, a fact which he could hold in reserve should Severus prove obstinate, not that Albus expected him to be anything else. It was a good thing passive Legilimency was not illegal—frowned on, but not precisely illegal. It was not something Albus practiced much, though he was very skilled at it, but it was a good way to quickly get to the bottom of things when he either could not, or did not wish to draw the attention of a formal investigation. Luckily, it only revealed active and surface thoughts; to obtain memories, one would have to invoke active Legilimency with the incantation, and Albus was not certain he could withstand the things he would find in an adolescent's mind. Memories of his own adolescence were more than enough for him.

Investigation was not the only activity in which he had been engaged, however. Most of the previous evening he had spent soul-searching, asking himself over and over again if he had made the right choice—did the benefits of having Severus in the castle and close by outweigh the obvious drawbacks?

The man himself was more than a little unpleasant, and even Albus, who fancied he possessed an unusually large well of patience, found Severus to be difficult to tolerate. He was always in a foul mood, his personal hygiene was suspect, he could hold a grudge with an almost unparalleled ferocity for years at a time, and his world views were at odds with everything Albus cherished. And in particular, the man was such a headache to regulate and control, that Albus had several times wondered whether having him here was truly worth the benefits, both real and potential. In fact, had Albus not had been absolutely certain that Severus was working for the light, his behavior alone would cause Albus to seriously suspect the man was still in fact a Death Eater, and still loyal to his erstwhile master.

He had decided long ago that when the Dark Lord returned—and Albus knew he would return—having Severus as a supposedly loyal Death Eater, yet positioned in Hogwarts, would be an invaluable asset. The Dark Lord could then be convinced that Severus had remained faithful to the Pureblood cause and used his position to spy on the light. Thus far events had proven that theory. Whatever else the man was, his powers of persuasion were not lacking, as he had immediately convinced the Dark Lord that his loyalty was unchanged, and had been admitted into the ranks of Voldemort's Death Eaters once again without question. And his worth as a spy had once again been proven invaluable, as several pieces of priceless information had been gained, not to mention tragedies prevented. The trick, of course, was in making use of the information, without alerting Voldemort to the fact that his circle had been compromised.

And yet, for all that benefit he brought to his position, one could not ignore the fact that Albus had unleashed the man on the student population knowingly and willingly. And contrary to what he had said earlier to Harry and his friends, Albus was well aware of the fact that though those who graduated with a potions NEWT were extremely well educated in the subject—for Severus truly was a gifted teacher when he took the trouble—there were many who could not stomach the thought of spending two additional NEWT years after the five they were already forced to put up with him. It had certainly impacted their society, as fewer potions NEWTs graduates meant that certain doors had been closed all to those students who may have pursued their NEWTs if Severus were not the Hogwarts potions professor. And those who did pursue their NEWT studies through self study, obviously did so at a slower pace, and likely gained their NEWTs with a less precise knowledge of the subject than they would have, had they been taught in a classroom with a true master of the profession.

As for Severus's insistence that he would only accept students who scored an Outstanding on their potions OWL… Albus snorted at the thought. The man certainly had a certain arrogant conceit, to attempt to thumb his nose at international standards, which declared that anyone with a passing grade in an OWL subject was eligible to continue to NEWT level studies. Though Severus blustered and snarled about it, the fact of the matter was that Albus had always made the true standards known, and saw to it that Severus accepted those who achieved those standards, whether he liked it or not.

Albus was well aware of the fact that he was taking much onto himself with the decision to keep Severus in his position. Some might say that the damage he was doing far outweighed the benefits to Severus's position as an inner circle member of Voldemort's retinue. In all fairness, Albus could not help but agree, especially when he had to deal with situations such as Harry's.

The thing which always stopped him from cutting all ties with Severus and sending him on his way, however, was the vital role Severus played. Voldemort was a very real threat, and in order to defeat him, Albus knew that every weapon in his arsenal must be employed to its greatest effect. Otherwise, if the unthinkable were to happen and Voldemort should win, it could usher in a dark age the likes of which had never before existed, and which could last for centuries to come, possibly even spreading to all four corners of the world. In the light of such fears, concerns about the number of potions NEWT graduates seemed an almost insignificant consideration.

When the time finally came and Severus sat across the desk from him, Albus considered the man before him. He was a petty, immature bully, but his greatest failing when it came to Harry Potter, was the inability to separate the boy from the boy's father.

Severus likely knew why he was here already; there had been no other overt incidents in any of his classes to Albus's knowledge. His face was already set in his customary sneer and Albus knew there would be a certain level of acrimony in the coming discussion. With Harry as the subject, it could not proceed in any other manner.

"I suspect you know why I have called you in my office today, Severus," Albus began without any preamble. With Severus, it was always best to be blunt and straightforward.

"The Potter brat has complained again, no doubt," drawled the potions master with a sniff of disdain.

This was exactly the kind of attitude which called Severus's usefulness into question, and Albus was determined to nip it in the bud.

"Again?" Albus queried gently. "Are you suggesting Mr. Potter has complained before?"

A roll of the eyes met Albus's question. "Incessantly I would imagine. The boy is as arrogant and spoiled as his father was."

Albus shook his head. "And that is where you are wrong, Severus. Mr. Potter has never before complained about your behavior, though I think that there are likely many instances in the past where he should have."

"Then I suppose you have taken the brat's side and I am here to be reprimanded."

"Indeed you are, but I will remind you that I am not stupid, Severus. I am well aware of what occurred in your potions class two days ago, and his account has been corroborated by several students of both houses."

"Who did you speak to in Slytherin?" he demanded, instantly incensed that one of his own house members would betray him for a mere Gryffindor. It was Severus's second failing—an overwhelming loyalty to his own house, coupled with an almost pathological hatred for anything in red and gold.

"You know I have ways to find out the truth, Severus. I am well aware that Mr. Malfoy cast the first hex. Mr. Potter protected himself, and then responded in kind. I will also point out that Mr. Potter's object lesson was rather mild—a mere stinging hex."

Snape affected a nonchalant ignorance. "If that is so, Headmaster, then I was not aware of it. I saw Potter hex my house member, and I responded with the appropriate punishments."

"Do not insult my intelligence, Severus," Albus snapped, his anger building in the face of potions master's continuing belligerence. "I strongly suspect you were waiting outside the potions classroom for something to happen, as it usually seems to between those two—especially the way you let Mr. Malfoy get away with whatever he wishes. Regardless, a little investigation—which was no less than what I did, by the way—would have revealed the true events. You have once again let your arrogance and your hatred for that boy color your judgment."

Snape leaned back in his seat in an indolent and insolent manner. "I assure you, Headmaster, that Potter is well able to get himself into trouble without any manipulations on my part. He is exactly like his rule-breaking, arrogant father."

Albus sat back in his seat, removed his glasses and massaged his nose in frustration. Severus truly was blind if he could not see what everyone who met Harry—and had known his parents—could plainly see. It was frustrating, and though Albus knew he had to make the attempt, he knew that Severus would refuse to see reason.

"It truly makes me wonder, Severus," he said at length, "how such an intelligent man can be so blind about something which is plain to everyone else. You must get past this. You cannot continue to take out your festering resentment of James out on his son."

"Perhaps I simply see much more clearly than everyone else," Severus growled.

"Not when you insist on comparing Harry with James. The fact of the matter is that Harry is nothing like James was. He doesn't have the arrogance—which even you must admit James grew out of as he aged—nor does he have James's devil-may-care attitude.

"In fact, I believe if you examined the matter closely, you would see that Harry is much more like his mother, than his father, other than his rather striking physical resemblance to his father."

"Oh yes," drawled Snape with a roll of the eyes. "Potter is much like his mother. Lily excelled at every subject and was the most intelligent witch I have ever met. Her son barely scrapes by with acceptable grades and has none of the flair for potions which his mother had."

"I believe Mr. Potter has some extenuating circumstances which have affected his performance over the years. I believe you will be surprised to see his improvement across the board this year, Severus."

"I would not be merely surprised," said Snape rather flippantly. "Astonished does not even begin to cover what I would feel should the whelp actually develop some intelligence to go with his arrogance."

By now Albus's anger—always slow in developing—was beginning to build in the back of his mind. This was exactly why he wished he did not have to keep this man on staff and protect him against his own actions. He was so inflexible, so unwilling to learn or admit that he may have been wrong. Though holding his temper was beginning to be more difficult as the conversation went on, Albus bit back a caustic retort and forced himself to deal with the former Death Eater in a rational manner.

"That will be quite enough, Severus," he reprimanded. "I will not have you saying anything else about Harry, or any other student. In fact, if it were not Harry we were speaking of, you would have lost your position long ago."

Curiosity written on his face, Severus raised an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, Albus. Of what are you speaking?"

"Oh come now, Severus—you are not blind, nor are you stupid. Mr. Potter has had to learn to rely on himself. It is a consequence of his neglectful upbringing by his aunt and uncle. Any other student would have complained to his guardian or his parents the first time you behaved in the manner you behave toward Mr. Potter on a daily basis. The first time would have been a formal reprimand, placed permanently in your file. The second could very well have resulted in your dismissal.

"Furthermore," Albus continued, interrupting whatever Severus was about to say, "you should know that the free ride you have enjoyed with Mr. Potter has come to an end. Surely you know that Monsieur Delacour has taken over Mr. Potter's guardianship. Trust me when I tell you that Jean-Sebastian is not a man with whom you should trifle."

"So, you wish me to favor the little whelp like everyone else in this institution does?"

Albus glared at Severus, forcing him to look down after an intense staring match. This discussion—far more intense than any they had had before, regarding Harry—was long overdue. It was time for Severus to understand that this behavior and continual belittling of the young man would no longer be tolerated.

"I do not know how you think that Mr. Potter receives special treatment, but I assure you that he receives only his due as a student—I expect the same from you.

"As for his guardian, Mr. Potter and Miss Delacour have informed me that they have not informed Jean-Sebastian of what happened in your potions class, nor do they plan to do so. However, they have both made it clear that repeated incidents of unfair behavior would result in their bringing her father into the situation, and I would not blame them, nor would I stand in their way if they felt such a step was necessary. I need not explain to you just how damaging that would be to your continued tenure here. Once I am not able to protect you, your only recourse would be to rejoin Voldemort. You know what would happen then."

A grimace was Snape's only response. Albus took it as a sign that he had finally managed to reach through to the man, if only to frighten him into behaving as he ought. He did not for a second believe that Severus truly believed anything Albus had just told him about Harry. If he acted properly, that was sufficient—there was nothing Albus could do to alter his beliefs. As he had told the children the day before, it was not necessary for a professor to like his students, only that he treat them properly. At this point, Albus would take any progress he could get.

"It appears I have no choice, Headmaster," the man finally said, his reply equal parts sulky and nonchalant.

"Indeed, you do not," Albus agreed. "I would hope that you would agree to behave with professionalism and decorum because it is the right thing to do, but at this point, I will take nothing more than your agreement due to your lack of other options."

A sneer was his response, but Severus also nodded his head.

"And let me be rightly understood, Severus," said Albus with more than a hint of steel in his voice, "that if I suspected you of intentionally grading Mr. Potter's work improperly, this would not be a reprimand—it would be an exit interview. But that is not something with which I need to concern myself, am I correct?"

Severus did not respond, he merely nodded tightly. He did not even allow his customary sneer to adorn his features.

"Good. I trust that your fair and unbiased judgment will continue, and that the educational process will be protected. The only thing I must insist upon in the matter of your teaching style, is that you be more proactive in assisting your charges—no more vanishing potions and berating students after they have made a mistake."

Again Severus agreed, though not without a certain level of anger.

"Now, as for the particulars of the altercation," Albus continued, noting the potions master's even darker expression at the mention of the incident, "as I have said, I have reviewed the incident with several of the students who were there. In particular, I found that not only did Mr. Malfoy and his friends incite the confrontation with their taunting, but that he also cast the first hex. As such, I am hereby reversing Mr. Potter's points deduction and detention, and reassigning them both to Mr. Malfoy. You may inform young Draco that he will serve his detention with Mr. Filch tomorrow evening."

Though Snape appeared like he wished to protest, he wisely kept his own counsel.

Albus shook his head slightly and focused a glare on the potions master. "Severus, I know you do not like this, but it is a reality. In particular, I would like to see you work with Mr. Malfoy. Until now the boy has been allowed to get away with the worst behavior. He must be brought to see the fact that certain behaviors have consequences, or he will turn out exactly as his father has.

"In addition, I must see your own behavior improve, not only to Mr. Potter, but to all who are not members of your house. I do not wish to have to do it, but I will review every punishment and reward you give out if I have to."

The potions master appeared a little green, but Albus just inwardly smirked. Over the years, Severus had thought that his point changes were relatively easy to slip through the cracks, while detentions received a little more scrutiny. He thus removed points with impunity, though generally the detentions he assigned were more deserved.

What Severus did not realize, however, was that Albus already did review every point modification the man made, regardless of who was the recipient. A record was created of every punishment and reward handed out by every professor, head student and prefect, though only the Headmaster and deputy had access to those records. That was why a professor was required to state the point action—or detention—and the reason for the action. Albus spent some time every evening going through those records, and would then reverse those unnecessary or blatant deductions, leaving the man ignorant of the fact that his teeth had been pulled. It had proved necessary—otherwise, Severus would have single-handedly made the House Cup a mockery, ensuring his Slytherins won the house cup year after year, and by a handy margin. Not that Albus would ever let him know he had done this—it would no doubt incense Severus in the extreme. The man was already difficult enough to deal with, without adding that humiliation on top of everything else. Albus had not even told McGonagall that he was doing this, though he suspected that she already knew.

"I hope that this discussion has been clear, Severus," Albus continued after a moment of watching the man chew the issues over in his own mind. "I would hate to have it repeated, especially if Mr. Potter's guardian were to be brought into the fray."

Severus nodded curtly, and pulled himself to his feet. "I will attempt to modify my behavior, Headmaster. Now, if you will excuse me, I believe it is time to retire."

Without another word, Severus turned on his heel and stormed from the room, his cloak billowing in behind him. Sighing, Albus reached over to his candy dish and popped a lemon drop into his mouth, savoring the tart, yet sweet, candy. In truth, he had no faith whatsoever that Severus would change in any meaningful way. Oh, he would undoubtedly curb his natural unpleasantness for the time being, but Albus knew that he was simply incapable of modifying his cherished beliefs. He would change his behavior for a short time, but eventually his hatreds and grudges would force their way back to the surface, and he would yet again be every bit as insufferable, his changes completely forgotten. Albus had seen it before. He was not certain just how many more times Snape could survive the cycle.

The rest of the week passed in an uneventful manner. Fleur's potions class with Professor Snape was spectacular in the complete lack of anything resembling the man's expected behavior. In fact, had Fleur not already known of the reasons for his changed attitude, she would have been surprised, and then suspicious that her friends had misled her with their stories of Snape's lessons. As it was, other than the one time when she had asked a question—not due to a lack of knowledge, but rather to her curiosity about his reaction—Snape had completely avoided her and all but ignored her very existence. The fact that the man absolutely exuded bad temper, regardless of his tight rein on his own emotions, left Fleur glad of the fact. She wanted to have no more personal contact with him than the lessons absolutely required.

Defense class was the next major event of the week, and though she had already heard stories from her friends about Umbridge's inability to understand the subject, let alone teach it, the woman's behavior was something she had not expected.

It appeared that number one on Umbridge's hit list was indeed none other than Harry Potter. Although she was unpleasant at times to certain members of the student body—as was expected, considering she was a well-known bigot—Harry had been the only one she had openly baited, as far as they were able to determine. Fleur had entered the classroom expecting to be the recipient of the woman's displeasure, by the simple fact of her Veela heritage.

However, other than a slight tightening of the eyes and a disdainful sniff when the woman had first seen her, she had acted much as Snape had, and completely ignored Fleur altogether. After a certain amount of thought, Fleur had determined that either Dumbledore had warned Umbridge against any kind of overtly improper behavior, or the woman had decided that Fleur was unnecessary to whatever plans she had up her sleeve. The chilling part of that thought was that Harry was undoubtedly a major part of her plans, and Fleur could not be in class with him.

What was entirely evident from almost the first moment Umbridge had had the students open their books, was the fact that Defense this year was a pointless exercise. As Harry and Hermione had already said, Umbridge taught them nothing, understood what actually was in the book imprecisely, and had no intention of allowing them to use their wands at any point during the year. It was a sticky situation, as Fleur, though she was certainly competent in defense, was no prodigy like Harry was, and she was certain she would have a difficult time passing her NEWT without first practicing the spells which would be on the examination. And it was obvious she would not obtain that in Umbridge's class.

Defense was an afternoon class, and once it let out, Fleur headed straight back to the common room in the company of the other seventh year Gryffindors. Since the fifth years were free that afternoon, Fleur found the group of them lounging in the common room. True to form, Hermione had her textbook and parchment spread out on the table, her face intense with concentration on her work. With her sat Harry and Neville on either side of her—both working gamely away on their own homework—while Ron looked bored on the opposite side of the table. Fleur shook her head. Ron was a good and staunch friend for the most part, but his aversion to homework was almost legendary. Fleur was surprised Hermione had been able to get him as far as she had on homework which was not due until the next week.

Once again feeling the frustration of the Defense class, Fleur flopped down on a nearby sofa and groaned.

Harry smirked. "Have fun in Defense?"

"Oh yes," Fleur said with a glare. "Umbridge is so intelligent and knowledgeable, and she has our interests at heart. I just know that I'll learn…" she paused dramatically, "…absolutely nothing that I'll need to know to pass my Defense NEWT!"

A smattering of laughter was heard, Fleur's voice having gone from innocent worship to frigid disdain as she completed her declaration.

Harry directed a look of wide-eyed astonishment at Fleur's declaration. "But Fleur, Professor Umbridge said that we'd get enough theoretical knowledge in her class that we'd have no problem with our tests."

Harry's breathy imitation of Umbridge's voice brought out an even louder burst of laughter from those close enough to hear the exchange.

"Ah, but not everyone can be Harry Potter."

"Alright, alright—enough of that already!" Harry groused, alternately glaring at Fleur and Ron. "I think I owe you for that comment, Ron."

Ron's responding grin was all insolence.

"But Fleur's right," Hermione interjected. "How are we supposed to pass our OWL with Umbridge teaching us nothing, and not even allowing us to use our wands? Even Harry I think would admit to needing at least a time or two to practice the spells we will be quizzed on."

"We'll do the same as we do every year," said Harry with a shrug. "The same we did in first year with the stuttering idiot, or the second year with the fraud… Need I go on?"

"But this is different, Harry," Hermione complained, her voice taking on an almost whining quality. "We have OWLs this year and those test scores will affect our future schooling."

"Is this how it always is?" Fleur asked teasingly.

Smattered chuckles were heard throughout the rest of the room, and several of the students shared an amused glance.

"Well, for starters there was Professor Quirrel in first year," Harry began. "He not only stuttered so badly that you could not understand him, but also had Voldemort hitching a ride on the back of his head."

"Yeah, then there was the fraud, Gilderoy The-Only-Spell-I-Can-Cast-Is-An-Obliviate Lockhart," chimed in Ron. "The moron couldn't cast anything properly, and then to cap the year, he tried to off us and take credit for killing the basilisk for his latest work of fiction."

"And how about the disguised Death Eater from last year?" added Neville. "Although I will admit that Crouch was actually a decent teacher—at least he knew his stuff."

"That's nothing," one of the twins spoke up.

"Yeah, in our first year, our Defense professor didn't even last until Halloween," said the other.

Angelina rolled her eyes. "And her replacement didn't make it past the end of the year himself."

"There you have it, Fleur," said Harry. "Defense has always been a problem like the Headmaster said. Only once in my time at Hogwarts has the professor been competent and on our side!"

"Then how have you managed up until now?" Fleur demanded.

"We've had to fend for ourselves," was Harry's simple reply. "We used the textbooks—when they weren't Lockhart's fiction, anyway—and practiced on our own."

"But that's not going to happen this year," contradicted Hermione. "Not with Umbridge watching us like a hawk."

"Perhaps there is a way around it?" Fleur suggested. "We learned some things from Auror Moody this summer. Is there a way for us to get some more books and practice on our own?"

Hermione chewed on her lower lip, deep in thought. "We'd have to make sure it doesn't get back to Umbridge."

"Would Dumbledore support us?" asked Ron.

Hermione shook her head. "It would be best if we didn't involve the Headmaster. If it got back to Umbridge that he had helped us, it may give her a reason to see him removed from the school."

It was a quandary, but there had to be some solution which they had not come up with yet. If they needed to fend for themselves, then that was what they would have to do. Still, without a teacher, it would be very difficult. Surely something would come up to improve the situation. At least, Fleur hoped something would present itself. It would be a long year with Umbridge at the helm otherwise.

Updated 05/23/2013