Chapter 4
The purple poison potion jape had not yet been pulled off when Severus was bearded in his office by Strang, the goblin who worked the cable car.
"There's two types below who say they used to be pupils of yours" he growled "Which, sir, being as you said to beware of reporters ain't necessarily an introduction."
"Did they give their names?" asked Severus.
"That they did; they said they was" he consulted a piece of paper "Nils Tenor and Crys Bass."
"Good grief!" said Severus mildly "well I know they're not reporters; you may bring them up and have Wiggi show them to my office. And thank you for being so efficient."
Strang nodded. It was only his job to field unwanted people, but it was nice to be appreciated.
oOoOo
The Broomstick boys stood before Severus, feeling about twelve and expecting detention. He had picked up a very nasty scar since the last time they had seen him; it had not improved his approachability nor diminished his sternness. He did at least wave them to chairs.
"So, what can I do for some of my ex pupils?" Severus' black eyes glittered.
Crys wondered if they should mutter 'nothing' and flee. Nils smiled tentatively.
"We've been in correspondence with your daughter Lilith, sir" he said.
"Don't blame me; she's Dumbledore's responsibility at the moment" said Severus with a ghost of a smile. Nils grinned; he DID have a lighter side.
"Well, she's no fan; but we were rather impressed when a fan wrote to complain that she'd enchanted a photo of us to er, fart a song of ours" he said "So we wrote, and asked if she was your relative. And she told us that her father regretted not knowing then what he subsequently learned or we would have been your star chanting pupils rather than writing second rate songs for second rate teenagers. It – well, it kind of had your style to is, so we figured she really was quoting, and wondered if – if it was too late to learn. You take post NEWT students here don't you?"
Severus blinked.
"I charge an arm and a leg for it" he said, a little nonplussed "It subsidises the poor children from slums with talent that I take."
Nils beamed.
"That's all right sir; I reckon our last album will pay for it. The use of muggle gramophones and brass disks with music on is a fantastic use of muggle artefacts, makes us a mint. We can pay. And reckon if we'd not had private music lessons we'd have been dead miserable!"
"Well then!" said Severus "You are generous to charity; I may not like your style of music but it's undeniably crafted, not just sung; and you do make an effort to breathe. And nowadays I should have enjoyed the jape of you making the barrel of horned toads croak in chorus. I was a little….preoccupied and snippy when I was expecting the return of the Dark Lord and anticipating being under cover. You left the year after Harry started as I recall."
"Yes sir; and well chuffed to be at school, however briefly, with the Chosen One."
"Do NOT even go there! That damned prophecy caused us too much grief to want to think about it – I don't believe that prophecies count until some party goes out of their way to act to change them or fulfil them!"
Crys had settled down and chuckled.
"I still recall you commenting on one girl who believed every word Trelawney said – it went 'Miss Barratt, if you must maudle what laughingly passes as your brains with the turgid and incompetent maunderings of the inept, inutile and infantile, I suggest that you keep its moronic evolutions within the roiling disaster of the unfortunate concatenation of your own thoughts, that may only be described as thought in the loosest and most charitable fashion'. I wrote it in my notebook and learned it by heart."
Severus grinned.
"HOW I loathed Powlerless Polly-put-the-kettle-on! – uh, Madam Trelwaney. A good job you never heard me on the subject to my ward – she's my wife now – about the cacaceous effluvium and I really don't actually remember what I said, save it was scatological without descent into swearing. It was a reproof to Krait, in light of the richness of the language, for calling it a load of old crap" he added. "Language is IMPORTANT; and if you want to take chanting seriously, I shall expect you to look upon it as such; and to study Ancient Runes too. You don't need high levels in it; just enough to know if a different language becomes more appropriate. For practical purposes, you can always get someone to write you a chant to your specifications in the language of your choice, same as you can get an arithmancer to calculate an equation to enclose within a chant. You should study Arithmancy further too, though, to help you. If you work under me, you'll be working hard; and for ease, both for you and for me, I'll be putting you in with some sixth form classes. Are you happy with that?"
"Should be fun" said Nils "Though perhaps we'd better have pseudonyms in case we have to deal with fans."
"I will tell them firmly that any attempt to disrupt your serious studies with their foolish and juvenile infatuations will lead to their fathers being hit with a law suit for the cost of your disrupted studying" said Severus "Most youngsters are far more chary of irritating their parents than they are of irritating teachers – or the famous. Trust me; it'll work."
"Lord, I'll say!" said Crys "I'd never dare brook you, sir, even now!"
"My post NEWT students call me Severus" said Severus "Though I prefer you to refer to me as Professor Snape to the students – if you mix with them at all. Two of the girls in the upper sixth are shy, one has scarcely realised that there is quidditch let alone quidditch songs and the rest are dire. The boys are all right but I'm dreading teaching Amortentia. I shall be drowned, I fear, in giggle. The lower sixth aren't a bad bunch all round. Emily's a fan of yours but not silly about it. You should be fairly safe."
"Thanks" said Nils. "And you're right of course; it WOULD get out, then someone would feel it their duty to write to some paper or other."
"I have a 'reporters will be transfigured' policy at the moment" said Severus grimly "I have the unfortunate Zabini boy. He's a nice kid and doesn't deserve hassle – and nor do you if you are looking to learn more than I was able to give you at Hogwarts. And as you are rich I shan't offer you a discount. I've made contacting the papers an expelling offence for his safety; it'll extend to you. Though I suggest you write an article for a serious magazine explaining that you are taking a sabbatical and are not giving up on your adoring fans. I presume you are not giving up on your adoring fans?"
"We weren't planning to" said Nils "But if we could learn more as well, it means we have a secondary career within our capabilities and perhaps it may add depth to our music too."
Severus nodded and smiled.
"I like your attitude" he said "Very well; I'll get you assigned rooms. The dinner bell is going shortly; my post NEWTers have their own table, save those who are teaching alongside private study."
oOoOo
The news that the Broomstick Boys were to study beyond NEWT level was met on the part of some – mostly girls – with wild excitement; on the part of others – mostly boys – with tepid indifference and on the part of Irmi Luytens with the bewildered question – audible to the eponymous Boys – asked,
"But who then ARE these broomstick boys? Are they of a quidditch team?"
Emily Grant was quick to fill in her classmate; then rose.
"Miss Grant?" said Severus.
"Please sir, could we get all the inevitable silliness out of the way from the little ones and the little ones in the upper sixth by asking Mr Bass and Mr Tenor if they would give a day to signing autographs, being photographed and giving a brief talk to answer pre-submitted questions so that the daftness is less likely to break out when their sillier fans moon around like lovestruck ducks?" she suggested "I'm a fan but I DO like to think that I've outgrown all that er, er….." she faltered trying to find an acceptable alternative to the word 'crap' which she had been formulating in her mind.
"The description you want, Miss Grant, is feculently turgid morbidity of non-thought" said Severus. Emily beamed on him.
"Thank you sir; you always put things so beautifully" she said.
Severus turned to Crys and Nils.
"What do you think of Miss Grant's idea?" he asked.
"Blunt and not especially flattering; obviously trained by you sir" quipped Nils "But essentially a damn good idea; it would be a good idea to answer any questions and take a day to allow everyone to get used to us and to find out that we're just a couple of young men who want to learn more. And perhaps we can finish with a big sing song, with anyone who likes to perform taking the stage and with whole school songs?"
Severus nodded.
"I DO hope you know all seventeen verses of 'There's a Zombie in My Attic'" he said sweetly.
"Seventeen?" Crys was shocked.
"It grows with the singing" said Severus "Being many-headed and mutable like any other dark creature."
oOoOo
The day next was set aside for the Broomstick Boys.
"I don't see why people can't make up and just sing their own quidditch songs" muttered Ron to Viktor Krumm "You're far more famous than them; silly moos these girls."
Viktor grinned.
"Ah, but people here have got used to me; and for that I am pleased. It is nice to be just one of the professors. They are harmless these young men, and seem pleasant; and I think it will be nice for them too to have all what our Emily calls the silliness put aside. Though there are those er, little ones of the upper sixth as she so devastatingly put it who will continue to be silly. These boys love quidditch as you do; but have no skill. You should pity them for that, and give them haven from the Tugwood twins and such."
Ron brightened.
"You're right, Vik mate" he said "I'm not anywhere in your league – though I'm good when I'm inspired – but I have played for my house, and even against your national team – and against the ruddy fey. And I'd rather play quidditch any day than only be able to write songs about it. I'll do my best to rescue them when they need it."
The autograph hunting, photograph taking and silly questions culminated in an all school impromptu concert; and Godfrey Goodchild made notes on the performance of Crys and Nils to use to give them pointers later over the bad habits they had picked up.
And Silvina had a new piece, that she could now turn into proper musical notation, with a bit of help, called 'Walking on the Alm' about her response to the beautiful alpine pastures that she now started to enjoy, as she was learning to enjoy so much.
And when it was finished, and the clapping died down, Nils rose and said,
"If you want our autographs when there's a real genius in your own school I'm ruddy well stunned" and sat down again.
Silvina flushed.
The Broomstick Boys were actually very impressed by the general level of virtuosity and skill; and Nils said to Godfrey – who had played flute –
"We DO have a lot to learn; and I reckon we've needed this experience to take us down a peg or two."
Godfrey, suddenly liking the man more than he had ever thought he would, grinned.
"Those of us who have at any time been denied music by our parents push harder to achieve it" he said "And I won a scholarship to be trained by a music teacher of Lucius Malfoy's choice; not the most fashionable one. You've good instincts; but I'd say your teacher taught you a few too many tricks and not enough solid basis. Your songs appeal because they're simple and singable; but I can see ways they might be even better – because you've tagged on tricks. But you have the capacity for greatness in knowing that there is more to learn – and being prepared to admit that. I admire that. And as some of us are actually trying to find what there is to learn in some aspects of our craft I hope you'll like to work beside us on that!"
"We should be honoured" said Crys, meaning it. "To be part of something new is exciting!"
oOoOo
The feast after the concert was decorated by the purple poison potion jape.
Those who downed their pumpkin juice in one gulp felt the effects first; and then those who had merely drunk quickly. And gradually conversation petered out as everyone stared around at the effects on each other.
Severus rapped on the table.
"Would the cleverer pupils mind enlightening the rest of us how they achieved this universal bad hair day and advising whether it has a similarly brief time of effect as a normal hair-raising potion?" he said.
The Bee Marauders stood and grinned at him.
"Ah. Another layer of would-be marauders I see" said Severus "HOW did you get that past the house elves?"
"Switching charms!" said Yrdl.
"We practised like stink!" said BaHH.
"It's most awf'lly hard" said Crow
"But we managed it!" said Batty.
"And we did the potion research!" said the twins in unison, not to be left out.
"SWITCHING spells? At your age? Impressive piece of mischief!" said Severus. "From container to jug, too, not switching the whole vessel…. Purple. HOW did you achieve purple?"
"Dried elderberries and a jolly good chant" said Vava.
"We bought our own ingredients" supplied Hette.
"I see" said Severus "Well, the lot of you can take a detention writing up all your method for me. You didn't add any extension to the time the potion lasts did you, in your chanting?" he added hastily.
"Oh no sir! At least, I don't THINK so" said Vava "If it did, it was unintentional."
"Let's hope you didn't" said Severus with a stern look. "Ladies and gentlemen, the purple pilulous peril of your fiendishly fantastic follicles should wear off in a couple of hours. Enjoy it – or otherwise – while it lasts. An example of how chanting can add to the most simple of potions. If the effect does NOT wear off, I shall have to issue further detention to learn the better control of chanting."
"Lumme, worth having purple hair standing on end, just to hear Snape – er, Severus – in full flow at the miscreants!" murmured Crys to Nils.
oOoOo
The purple hair returned to normal over the course of the evening and those who had been banished to bed before it did woke up to varying degrees of either relief or disappointment.
Severus called for attention at breakfast for Professor Fraser.
David stood up.
"I've set up warning signs in the forest, attached to muggle repelling charms, and I've done it for a very good reason" he said tersely "My pet griffon Godrica has given birth to a pair of kittens; and I am sure I do not have to remind you that even domestic kneazles can be quite dangerous when protecting their young. Those of you who have been to see Godrica know that she is skittish at the best of times; the notices that say 'trespassers will be eaten' are NOT put up in jest. Anyone who passes those warning signs is volunteering themselves as meat for Godrica's young. And frankly, human flesh isn't very good for her, so even if you are the tiresome sort of brat who likes to be disobedient for the sake of it, I'd rather you didn't. I take my pet's health very seriously. If you stay outside the perimeter I have set up you are not in the least bit in danger, Miss Tugwood" As Amy Tugwood's hand went up "I can see the thought forming in your transparent little head that dangerous creatures ought not to be permitted at school, and I ask you if you also have thought that through to realise that Abraxans and Hippogryffs are equally as dangerous when they have young and if you would like to suggest to the owners of such domestic riding beasts that they give them up. You are NOT in danger. If I were rearing a Hungarian Horntail you would have some cause for complaint, but I am not so please try not to make even more of an ass of yourself than usual."
David did NOT like Amy Tugwood; she had shrieked artistically to cling to his arm when he had shown Godrica at a safe distance to the class two years ago; and it had frightened Godrica. It had also irritated Ellie. Being married did NOT preclude David from being mooned at as one of the handsome men around.
He was much relieved that Godrica had returned to give birth; she had disappeared early in the spring and he had tried very hard not to be disappointed that she had made a bid for independence; except that it seemed it was more a quest for motherhood than anything else. She had returned before the end of term, looking smug, and had proceeded to blossom, sending David running for books with anything in them about griffon obstetrics. The written information was very limited.
She had permitted him to pet her up to the time she went into labour; and then permitted him to watch, at a safe – from her point of view – distance recording the business on omnioculars to share with other wildlife enthusiasts like Orlando Carcano. Godrica was special to David; but having records of how it SHOULD happen would be helpful for future reference if anyone was helping with a birth that needed more intervention. Both kittens were born in cauls that Godrica pierced with her sharp beak and then preened the little bodies before nudging them round to her nipples on her leonine belly. They had not formed hard beaks yet, having a slight leathery protrusion over their mouths to allow a start in life with maternal milk; and David hypothesised that this would harden and grow into a true beak as Godrica weaned them. He planned on keeping daily records with the aid of Ellen Tugwood, his only NEWT student. Ah, and that was the source of the trouble with Amy. Ellen was taking four NEWTs, one more than Amy, and that extra one was in Care of Beasts. Ellen was claiming independence from her rather clinging twin. Poor Ellen! It was going to be a rough time for her; she was the more sensible of the twins but got herself dragged into silliness by Amy. Well, David would emphasise to her how he always expected Godrica to claim independence and that true love permits room to grow; to hopefully give Ellen strength to grow up on her own. He would also ask Helga Von Strang to ask Ellen to walk with her sometimes to give her another partner than her sister to chat to; hard lines on shy Lily Smethly, but if he spoke to Lily too and explained what he hoped to achieve, she was a good girl and might herself find strength to ask Ellen to walk with her at times, or sit with her for prep as both were taking charms and potions.
Teenage girls were the very devil.
But this was good practice for next year when he would be headmaster at Hogwarts.
And Godrica would probably accompany him; her offspring would by then be mostly grown and capable of taking care of themselves. And it might not be a bad idea to give one of them to Jade and Wulf for THEIR school; to avoid brother and sister mating and causing genetic problems of consanguinity.
oOoOo
The Broomstick Boys settled happily in and though they found adapting to academic work hard at first soon found their feet, enjoying the research that was going on as well as agreeing that Professor Snape might be just as tough as he ever was, but at least he was a lighter personality these days.
The chanting HURT.
Severus insisted that they learn how to breathe after the manner of opera singers; which would have, he pointed out, the side effects of both improving their voices and ensuring that their singing careers would last longer. Crys and Nils would never have considered the option of learning anything to do with opera since they despised it as pretentious; but when asked how long they could sing without losing their voices – about two hours, they estimated – they stared in horror when Severus pointed out that they would have not then been equal to the eight hour chant some of them took part in.
They asked about so momentous a chant; and Severus explained how he had determined that house elves had a compulsion tied in to their very heritance that made them self punish for so little as disloyal thoughts – of the nature, Severus pointed out grimly, most of his own pupils occasionally felt about him – and that he and others considered this so evil they had taken steps to remove it from England and to try to get foreign elves to visit to break the compulsion by crossing the chant line.
The young men were impressed.
In common with almost all the wizarding world, especially those who had never owned house elves but accepted their existence, they had never thought about the matter; or even, really, realised other than dimly that elves punished themselves, or wondered why. Being, on the whole, pleasant young men they were much horrified and duly impressed with those who had undertaken such a drastic chant.
"If you get enough people to chant do you reckon you can one day free all elves in Europe from this awful thing?" asked Nils.
"WELL now!" said Severus "I can't say I had ever dared seriously consider so momentous a step; but as you mention it, it is an ambition worth striving for" he hesitated. "One reason it worked so well was that those of us that did it were part of the blood pact to help Harry; Harry indeed was a part of it, though he's never been one of my best chanters. He was inspired that day" he added softly.
"We read your book sir" said Crys "Even if at first it was because we thought it might be a hoot to read anything written by you that bandied about a word like 'love' in the title."
Nils kicked him on the ankle and Severus gave a wry smile.
"Ah, what it is to have a reputation as the er, 'famous sneering agelast' as some of the school song writers will have it" he said. "It is a word too many people shy away from; I've been guilty of it myself. And I have to say I always DREAD teaching the so-called love potions because there are always prurient giggles. One year I had almost uncontrollable Ravenclaws who found the idea of the juxtaposition of me and love potions and a discussion on infatuation and true love too much for them to take seriously. The class on Amortentia is to be endured. What did you think of the book once you got over smirking?"
Crys flushed.
"Well actually sir, if we hadn't read it, I guess we might not have taken young Lilith up on her suggestion" he said honestly.
"It gave us some insights into a Professor Snape not usually displayed to horrid and troublesome small boys" said Nils "Of course, when you're at school, professors aren't hardly human anyway, at least, not until you're in the sixth; and ascribing depths to them is sort of alien to the schoolchild's mentality."
"It is where the MSHG scores" said Severus "Having a group of professors prepared to be human out of school in return for the self discipline amongst participating pupils to be correct in school. It was a code name to hide us from children of deatheaters" he explained "And it's just stuck. If you care to join in first thing in the mornings, you'll pick up a lot from those kids with more esoteric skills than usual."
Crys groaned.
"That'll be tough for someone who is NOT a morning person" he said.
"If you recommend it we'll manage to get up" said Nils. "Your book was very learned and yet readable; I think it debunked the idea that blood magic must necessarily be dark very successfully. Will your chanters HAVE to be part of a blood pact?"
"Not necessarily; so long as they have their elf helpers and are protected by non-chanting individuals too" said Severus "Chanting opens you right up; it sets you at risk from the Sidhe or Fey, who hold their own servants in a like thrall. You never covered them in DADA?"
"No sir" said Nils.
"Hmmph" said Severus "Redcaps you will have done; and pogrebin, two of the lesser fey who are considerably less dangerous then their highfey counterparts. Dementors are approximately of the fey, and being limited by their nature by no means the most dangerous. Ah, you pale; I think you are starting to see the risks."
"If we can learn to counter the risks and have backup, we'd still be willing, Severus" said Nils quietly.
He was treated to one of Severus' rare warm smiles.
"Spoken like a TRUE Gryffindor, Nils; not one of the half-baked variety that hares off without considering risk, and only half prepared to be a dead hero" said Severus "I prefer live heroes myself; and if you'll learn and THEN act, you've got the best possible chance of living to tell the tale. In England the ceremony went off without the Highfey actually realising what we were up to until we'd done it; and as no two fey communities manage to talk without quarrelling, we've a good chance of pulling the same stunt in Europe. Well, as you've suggested it, I'll maybe ask some geomancers to run some studies of where to set our circle and its cardinal points; I'd set you as secondary chanters and keep the primaries as blood group. And there being more of us now, more support. And Lionel and his group perhaps as secondaries too" he murmured. "Though most of the girls are breeding….. well, no hurry. Too soon to do it this year; but NEXT solstice….give you plenty of time to learn more too" he added. "Though Krait will have birthed by then…. Well, we shall see"
"I don't think we'll have learned enough by this Yule" said Crys.
"No; you won't" said Severus. "But you've already learned enough to say 'this can be done' not 'this is impossibly hard'; and having the vision to accept that dedication, love and sheer cussed, stubborn refusal to accept the impossible. We grew a lot, all of us" he chuckled ruefully "And set up the basis for most of the post NEWT work at that, by Krait having been reared as a muggle up to when she was fifteen and assuming that if magic existed then it could do anything you could find a reason to let it do. Her instinctive assimilative correlation by all manner of jiggery pokery, casuistry, sophistry and blatant bad puns never ceased to amaze me; and I've learned to stop being amazed and just learn how to make leaps of faith for myself. It seems to work" he grinned.
Grinning was another thing the Broomstick Boys would never have associated with stern Professor Snape; but somehow it suited Severus the man. They grinned shyly back.
This year was going to be FUN!
And they got the chance to do something really serious with it too; which was good!
oOoOo
Severus was seriously considering expanding the bloodgroup again. Jade had called on the blood group; actually two of the Durmstrang bloodgroup had been the foci and had burned a large number of inferii; but not only was there a dark wizard about who wanted to be the Voldemort of eastern Europe but he had managed to raise a Scythian wizard of dubious morals and decidedly undead. And the group had much to do if that was to be another issue.
They had been dangerously weakened by the last chant; they had used two dozen chanters and that had constituted so many of the bloodgroup that there had been no backup to feed them strength. It was the skill of the chanters, not merely their proximity, that made the circle; though Severus was of the opinion that at least three dozen chanters would be required. Lionel and his blood group had fed them fluid replenishing potions and cocoa last time and seen to bodily needs, but Lionel at least was a skilled chanter now. If the best of his chanters and the best of the main blood group's chanters and some volunteer secondary chanters – Nils and Crys, and perhaps Lucius and Byron Beckard and Tony Queach and the like – were to form the main chanting group, Lionel's other people could feed power to him and his chanters and the others of the bloodgroup could feed THEIR chanters and those not blooded could form a secondary, inner ring.
And Irmi had spoken to him about Sebastian Cantripp; and he had considered Angelica Hellibore more than once. The Grant boys were not QUITE the right feel; though they were related by marriage to Chad Fenwick who was a Marauder. It did not always follow.
And there were young Marauders in the school.
They would blood in naturally; but Angelica and Sebastian must be sounded out. And he would also ask Tarquin and Ismenia if they would like to be like their adoptive siblings.
If there were any at Hogwarts this year too, they would be coming close to thirteen squared; and it would be a good arithmantic number considering the fey feared thirteen; and goblins considered it lucky for being a prime number too, as well as being feared by many wizards. Thirteen had always been a good number when marauders used it. Yes, that would be right! He grinned. Though of course his calculations would almost certainly be offset by whoever managed to have babies in the meantime too. Never mind arithmantic symmetry of numbers in the blood group; it was big enough to be self sustaining without counting. Merely that one did not have to worry if it held for any length of time on one hundred and sixty nine.
He went in search of Angelica.
"You know about the blood group of course" he said baldly.
"Yes Severus" said Angelica "I've often wondered if it would be a cheek to ask to be part of it."
Severus grinned.
"Then you won't throw a hissy fit if I suggest that you do" he said.
"Isn't that rather a direct and to the point description of a childishly ridiculous display of hysterical excess for you, Severus?" said Angelica.
He laughed.
"Snide brat!" he said "I can be direct and to the point – when I need to be. And with those close to being family" he added. "Jade dithered several times over asking you. She was afraid that despite everything you might be too much a Cackle's girl."
"Oh well, I suppose friends ARE allowed to be insulting" said Angelica "I'm a Snape's pupil through and through, Severus. I'm ready to stand by and bleed for whatever grand project you have in mind like taking over Russia or whatever."
"You do know me too well" said Severus. "The Broomstick boys suggested freeing all European elves from self punishment compulsions. I was thinking seriously about it."
"Lumme!" said Angelica "And you want some half competent chanters as backup; well I guess I'm willing."
"You may end up supporting not chanting; I'll choose the best of the best" said Severus.
She shrugged.
"I'll do what I can" she said simply. "I owe your family so much; and I can pull my weight to pass that on."
"You're a good girl Angelica" said Severus "And you've a decent family too. And you're realist enough to know that you could be mopping up blood, sweat, and urine and feeding exhausted stinking chanters with sundry potions – that I'll be preparing in proper quantities now I know what we need!"
"And THAT I can certainly help with" said Angelica. Potions was one of the three 'O' grade NEWTs she had; the only girl of her year from the original Cackle's girls to take as many as six; and indeed the first to do so.
"Yes you can" said Severus.
He approached Irmi to ask Sebastian.
Irmi beamed.
"Oh thank you Severus!" she said "I feel a bit mean towards Adrian, who also hangs out with us, but, well, Seb FEELS right and Adrian doesn't; though I guess he had all the QUALITIES to be a Marauder."
"It has to feel right" said Severus "At first we forced a few issues to make a team; people who disliked each other before blooding. Only with that we were united in a love of Harry Potter; and THAT made it all right."
Irmi nodded.
"Yes; as we all love and support you" she said. "Or whoever is a focus; like Jade."
Severus made a non-committal sort of noise. He was still always surprised to be loved by his pupils, even blooded ones!