Chapter 12

Severus and Krait only regretted that they could not be flies on the walls in the Goodchild and Brewer households.

In the former, the program, 'Featuring Musicians' was listened to by the Goodchild twins who liked to know who was likely to be the next popular classical musician so they knew who to admire. Amos Leroy had come to the public notice via this medium when he was seven years old; and when he was actually still singing songs suitable to his years rather than the clever but not always tuneful opera written especially to showcase his range without taking artistry into account. The twins listened in some shock to the announcement that the featured musician was called Godfrey Goodchild; and decided right away that the name was a coincidence.

By the time the interview made it plain that the name was NOT a coincidence – that was Godfrey's voice, and he spoke of only his oldest siblings being able to be afforded instruments – the twins were incandescent with fury.

Then Mrs Goodchild said,

"Well goodness me, fancy the wireless thinking little Godfrey is actually good enough to play on air! A little presumptuous of him but he does sound presentable!"

The twins knew enough to know he was more than presentable and were in a towering rage.

"Why, they must be idiots!" said Mr Goodchild "To feature Godfrey and never to have given a break to our truly musical twins! We'll go up to town tomorrow and show them what the best Goodchilds are like!"

The twins were eager to show Godfrey up; but Terence at least knew neither of them were in Godfrey's league.

"He IS better than us, dad" he ventured.

"Nonsense!" said Mr Goodchild "You've had lessons since you were much younger than when he started fooling around on a borrowed instrument of some idiot schoolgirl who has no sense but to let another try to spoil it."

"Jade Snape is a fantastic musician" said Terence "It's a shame she never performed in public; I'd pay to hear her live. Her whole family are musical. I don't think they know how musical they are because it's just part of their life" in which summation he was totally correct and unwontedly honest with himself.

Mr Goodchild refused to believe that their younger son could possibly manage to surpass the twins; after all he had gone without to PAY for them to have lessons; and duly carted the pair to the offices of the Wizarding Wireless.

After an audition, when they were told they might earn pay as occasional accompanists, Mr Goodchild hit the roof, demanding to know how they dared present his idiot younger son Godfrey and then refuse to do the same to his more talented siblings.

He was told in short order that Godfrey Goodchild was the truly talented one, and he should be proud of such an extraordinary son but that the older two were musical enough but not….. well nothing out of the ordinary. And when he blustered about having paid for them and Godfrey only picking up stuff by fiddling about with friends' instruments was told that if the boy's talent had been so criminally neglected by his parents, then it proved his genius that he should learn so well without proper lessons.

Mr Goodchild stormed out with a tearful and hysterical Chloe; Terence paused long enough to say 'thank you' and 'sorry about the scene'; he had been growing up a lot.

And Terence managed to write to Godfrey congratulating him on his success without eating too much gall and wormwood as he did so.

Besides, Godfrey knew all the right people; and if he was teaching at a former girls' school of wealthy pupils there might be the chance to wangle a few introductions and a rich wife. Terence hated being poor and he knew by now that he did not have enough talent to make it rich by his music; so a wealthy wife was the best idea to hold out for. The Goodchilds were good family after all, if poor.

oOoOo

Meanwhile the Brewers had missed the broadcast and had to be filled in by a nosy neighbour asking if the delightful young composer Silvina aged fourteen was indeed their daughter.

They answered angrily that they had no idea what the neighbour was talking about; that they had always discouraged Silvina from wasting her time with such twaddle and that as she had chosen to run away she was no daughter of theirs anyway, telling lies as she had about poor little Celestina.

The Neighbour, who knew Celestina and wished she did not, smiled brightly and asked if Silvina had then refused to say what a cruel unpleasant child Celestina was in mistaken belief that it was right to shield her before she got into serious trouble; and Mrs Brewer's voice soared high above the notes Amos Leroy ever reached but even less tunefully.

The nosy neighbour promptly wrote to Silvina and told her to make sure she had a good agent who would tie everything up nice and tight so her parents would not end up the financial beneficiaries of her undoubted talent as well as congratulating her on a pretty yet sophisticated piece of music that one found oneself humming all the next day.

Silvina read the letter in some astonishment and took it to Severus.

"They can't take it can they? If I do ever make money?" she asked.

"When. Not if" said Severus "You get a small fee for agreeing to have your piece played in public; didn't I tell you? We've set up an account in Gringotts for your professional fees. That way you don't get any hassle over tax until you're old enough to pay it; Gringotts will see to that. You get the benefit of belonging to a wealthy family but it's always nice to be a bit independent too even if you only use it for purchasing illicit potion supplies because of my well-known views of stealing from my dungeon."

Silvina grinned.

"I doubt I'm ever going to be good enough to make it worth while" she said "But I take the point. CAN they make me hand it over?"

"How can they?" said Severus "They're no relatives of yours; they renounced claim to you when you ran away. In front of an Auror. Then they signed papers to give you up too; and I legally adopted you as my daughter. These Brewers have nothing to do with Silvina Snape."

Silvina brightened.

"They don't have any claim on me from before you adopted me do they?" she asked "For my early pieces if I rework them?"

"I think you'll find they already renounced you by then" said Severus. "And you were already my ward. Besides, if you change anything, it becomes your intellectual property from when you change it. And besides, I can afford better quaestors than they can" and he winked at her.

Silvina hugged him.

She then went and wrote back to the Nosy Neighbour thanking her for her congratulations and telling her how much she was enjoying a proper musical education, and how to use music in magic too; and telling her that as she had been legally adopted since the Brewers had given her up entirely they had no claim on her intellectual property. She signed it 'Silvina Snape' and enjoyed doing so; and added a PS to the effect that her new dad and mum were connected to enough powerful people that they could protect her every which way to Sunday and it was great to have parents who cared about you and who you could love and respect.

The nosy neighbour raised a slight eyebrow over that; not merely at the indictment of the Brewers but as one who had been to school with a boy once known as Snivellus Snape who had not been the paradigm of a potentially loving parent; but then, Silvina had been a spoilt brat in some respects who now wrote with perfect civility and friendliness; so people did change. And the great Harry Potter had spoken warmly of the help he had received from Severus, his foster father as well as Sirius his Godfather; and Sirius Black had been no paragon at school either. Indeed the nosy neighbour had laughed more over HIS appellation as Starriest Crack on the Convolvumort broadcasts than over anything else. Well, with such contacts, Severus Snape really COULD protect the child; and if that silly piece Cerulina Speedwell Brewer said anything to HER, she would take great delight in pointing out that fact!

oOoOo

Silvina's celebration piece involved organising the musical juniors into a band to play a piece she called 'Stuff you, you silly moos' written solely for farmyard saxophones. It was thoroughly silly and she enjoyed it no end.

It was by way of a catharsis and a final separation from her parents; that overcame all the negative thoughts meeting them unexpectedly at the Celebration had brought up to her mind.

Godfrey meanwhile read Terence's letter, read between the lines about his brother's likely hanging out for a rich wife; and laughed indulgently. Terence did not change in some respects! But in the more profound respects it was decent of his elder brother to swallow pride and mortification over Godfrey becoming mildly famous to congratulate him. A few years ago, Terence was one with Chloe in refusing to accept that Godfrey had any real ability and trying to shut his eyes to Lucius having sponsored his music training; after all, what could Lucius, a mere Slytherin, know. That Godfrey had chosen to be hatted into Slytherin not the family's traditional Ravenclaw was also a bone of contention; Godfrey having chosen purely to be with the wonderful girl Jade Snape who offered him use of her flute and lessons. And he had been in with a jolly bunch too; whereas in Ravenclaw only Mei Chang had been anything but dull. And he had friends for life from it; Seagh and Jade, Harmony – now married to Percy Weasley; Victor, expelled and now a year below his chronological age but a different boy and ready to be friendly; Dimsie Burke who had not been so jolly at first; and out of this school Grigs Havelock and Heather Burns of Lionel Dell's set, Jade's cousin Aurelia Yaxley and his special friend Gerald Purbeck, the muggle born boy who was now working as a medical transfigurationist at St Mungo's and was working with a Healer Visick whose twin children were at school in Prince Peak, the healers investigating the judicious use of muggle techniques alongside magic. Gerry Purbeck was more sceptical about muggle techniques than his almost pure blood supervisor; but then, muggle medicine had failed Gerry and only St Mungo's had saved his life. And good perhaps to have an enthusiast and a sceptic working together, even if it seemed a paradox over which was which!

Godfrey wrote back to Terence thanking him; and saying that it would be nice to play together as brothers some time. It WOULD be nice. He also wrote that perhaps they might meet up some time just for a chat now they were both grown up and over any childhood rivalries. It was a slightly awkward note; as Terence's had been to him. But Godfrey did not want to hold grudges if Terence was prepared to meet him half way; and it was scarcely Terence's fault that mum and dad had told him and Chloe that they were the best. And a harder lesson to learn if Terence was ever told that Godfrey was better than him and if he did not realise it for himself. Godfrey of course did NOT know that Wizarding Wireless had already disillusioned the older Goodchilds about any brilliance they might have believed in; but as Terence had worked it out for himself the older Goodchild had taken it less hard than Chloe who was more convinced of her own genius than him.

And actually when Terence received the letter he determined to practice harder to be worthy of playing with his talented brother, even if it was only for personal satisfaction and not in public. Music meant enough to Terence to be honest about that whatever it cost him.

oOoOo

As it happened, the Brewers wrote to Wizarding Wireless and told them that as the parents of the fourteen year old Silvina whose music had been featured they were most displeased as they had not been approached for permission and hinted that a lawsuit might be in the offing without a financial settlement.

This somewhat confused the directors of Wizarding Wireless; who wrote back that the Brewers were mistaken; since their surname was not the same as that of the young composer, and if they had a daughter called Silvina in the Prince Peak Academy, this was a coincidence; for they had been granted permission by the child's parents both of whom taught at the academy. The unspoken comment 'go sue and be damned to you' was left in the air. So far as the Wizarding Wireless directors knew, Silvina was another of the ubiquitous Snape children. And lucky for the child to have a talent of her own with so famous a sister as Jade Snape at that. Naturally they did NOT mention Silvina's surname to these importunate people who might be just anyone; and even fishing for information for some nefarious purpose. And under due consideration the company quaestor passed the Brewers' letter to the Auror Office in case it was some elaborate forerunner to kidnap or fraud. Alastor Moody's encyclopaedic knowledge and elephantine memory connected the name with parents who had disowned a child who was now one of Severus' extensive brood – really, Severus was a glutton for punishment – and had no rights to the said child. He sent Draco to drop a word to the wise.

oOo

"Look here Brewer; you disowned Silvina and signed her away for adoption" said Draco bluntly "Which Wizarding Wireless has no idea about; but you cannot suddenly decide that because Silvina's in to make a small fortune out of her skills that you've changed your mind. She is legally adopted; and any attempts to gain remuneration now she's as you might say a saleable commodity is tantamount to fraud."

"It was nothing of the kind!" Brewer blustered, angered at not being given an honorific 'Mr' but feeling unable to complain to a Malfoy. "I was merely concerned that the girl was likely to drag our name into some vulgarity with her ridiculous twiddling!"

"Now that HAS to be an untruth when nobody could possibly call the fine music that child writes as 'twiddling'!" said Draco "Her music will be the classics of tomorrow as anyone with any knowledge can see; of course I've had musical training since I could walk; it is sort of obligatory for our class, isn't it? But I learned a bit more than just playing when I was learning chanting with Severus Snape when we were fighting Voldemort and I know enough to realise she is talented and to spare! So don't give me that guff about vulgarity as though she was writing the sort of tripe the Broomstick Boys have been turning out until they got good writers!"

Draco knew fine well that Brewer did believe half of what he said; but was lying about not being interested in the money. He was most pleased to get in the dig about their class of people learning music; and to remind them that he had personally fought Voldemort. It drove home what and who he was rather well.

Mr and Mrs Brewer goggled in incomprehension.

"You mean you consider it RESPECTABLE?" said Mrs Brewer. "And profitable in a respectable way?"

"More than respectable; laudable" said Draco. "I shall be learning from her too as I understand she's done some original academic research into the use of music in magic too. Remarkable girl. I understand she's blossomed since she escaped the oppressive influence of your repellent youngest brat; still certain you don't want that one checked for curses? You'll find getting her into a school pretty hard if you don't."

This was a sore point; the Brewers had applied to Hogwarts and had a polite refusal to take the girl from Dumbledore on the grounds that he had taught too many would-be deatheaters; and though he was retiring, he suggested that they not approach his successor who had heard of their daughter.

Englebert Hellibore had also written politely that as having girls was a new departure for him he only wished to take young ladies not ill-conditioned brats as he had been warned that Celestina Brewer was. Madam Maxime of Beauxbatons had been no more helpful and had suggested Durmstrang; and there was no way they were going to send their precious darling to the free school amongst guttersnipes and goblins. Even if they would have her; and the snide comment that Draco had made that the free school had at worst pickpockets and sneak thieves and did not want to lower the tone of the place was burningly embarrassing. Obviously they would not send her to that awful man at Prince Peak – and that Silvina chose to return there must PROVE she was deficient – and that left little choice.

They had written to Durmstrang; it was at least an education.

And the shock of receiving an owl by return of mail from Madam Agata Bacsó refusing to take a child who was by all accounts untrainable, at the most charitable assessment cursed and at less kindly view merely a brat, was a shock. Agata wrote that she had had quite enough of Odessa-ripe children who thought they were owed the earth; which was hard enough to swallow in pure bloods but even worse in such of dubious blood status as unknown and nameless English families. And this level of blood snobbery was a shock to a family who were essentially blood snobs.

Celestina would have to have a tutor; and they would have to look further than Madam Olive McMillan who had taught Silvina; Madam McMillan declined to return to the household for the younger Brewer girl on the grounds that miracles were beyond her.

Several other governesses also turned down the post, some without reason and one writing bluntly that she had once met the Brewers. It was very frustrating! And now that inadequate girl Silvina was making MONEY out of something as silly as music and was considered something clever by so great an arbiter of taste as Draco Malfoy! They would have to keep that from poor little Celestina; she would demand her share of what Silvina made, and who could blame her? All this Draco read in their faces; and sighed to himself that they could be so blind and foolish. And they would not be told!

He reiterated a warning that any attempts to profit from Silvina would be open to lawsuit for fraud; and left them to their miserable life and revolting little girl.

oOoOo

Back in Prince Peak the exams were looming upon the students; and the NEWT students particularly were feeling a little hollow inside because this meant that after that term they would no longer be at school but must make their way in the world. They had all had careers counselling from Krait and Severus; which was easier for some than for others.

Helga planned to marry Stoyann Krumm and raise babies as a career; though she planned to work for a year in the crèche in Obscura Alley first. Ulrich planned to take Vehmgericht training and maybe enter politics later in life once he had proved himself. Victor, taking most NEWTs of all was at something of a loss.

"You're such a rock to me, Severus, I don't want to leave" he had said with a rueful laugh.

"Then stay on with my blessing and do research; and perhaps you'll feel like staying to eventually teach the post NEWT students as a special tutor" said Severus. "Or perhaps you'll feel like teaching Geomancy; though I prefer not to have you straight back as a teacher. Maybe you'll found a new school. There's no hurry."

"I'm already a year too old really" said Victor "I ought to shift to do something; I'm not stupid."

"No lad; but if you want to research and need more time to find yourself I have no objection" said Severus "You've made good; but there's a lot of bad things still to deal with in your life. I appreciate that. Those of us who hose up and make fools of ourselves have to do more thinking than others."

"Then I shall defer the decision by research; thank you sir" said Victor simply.

Miles Grant was another easy one; he was going to play quidditch for a few years – he had been scouted – and then teach like his brother in Hellibore's. Gaius Paddock was hoping for a post in the quaestorium if he qualified for the training. He was taking five NEWTs including DADA so there was every probability that he would. Lily Smethley wanted to be a healer; she was taking Charms, Potions and Transfigurations, perfect NEWTs for a would be healer of all round skill. She wanted to place her skills at the disposal of some deprived community which had Severus blinking slightly and wondering how so gentle and shy a girl was likely to cope. He tried to warn her about this; whilst saying that if she succeeded he would be proud beyond all measure of her. Shy Lily flushed and determined that NO obstacle would stop her!

Elsie Willis, the class swot – if one did not count the boys – was determined to be an Auror. She said that she would never even have had the chance to take as many NEWTs without the arrival of Severus at Prince Peak – which was true enough – and as she was good enough to get the grades if nothing went wrong with her exams, she owed it to him to be as good as she could be and to use her excellent education pro bono publico. And if she found it too much, then after a year or so she might then take experience as well as brains into the quaestorium.

One might trust Elsie to do something laudable but the poor girl made one feel that laudable was a somehow derogatory word.

Leticia Villeneuve had opened painted eyes wide and murmured that one did not NEED a career when one's parents had been kind enough to arrange an advantageous marriage.

Severus had felt moved to warn Leticia's little sister that if she did NOT want an advantageous marriage arranged, he would do his best to protect her from it. Cecilia had hugged him firmly and told him that she could probably get rid of any prospective suitors well enough with the aid of her twin but that he was a poppet to think of it and she would not forget.

Severus trusted the Villeneuve twins to get rid of any prospective suitors efficiently. They were hangers on of BaHH's group of Marauders and small imps of mischief; and an entirely different proposition to Leticia!

The Tugwood twins concerned Severus – on so many levels. He felt that Amy hung rather on Ellen's neck; and said so bluntly to Ellen when he had her separated from her twin. He pointed out that as Ellen was doing Care of Magical Beasts and Amy loathed large animals that Ellen should seek employment in that sector, at least initially.

"Mother will never countenance me being a groom or a dragon handler" said Ellen.

"Well there's a lot more to Care of Beasts than those two jobs" said Severus dryly. "There are jobs in the Beast Office in the Ministry of Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures; I can see your mother not liking pest control, but an inspectorate perhaps? Or what about working with the team who are filming magical animals for Wizarding Wireless Vision? I have a courtesy cousin involved in that and I can probably get you a job in that, travelling the world tracking and taking footage of wild animals."

Ellen brightened.

"That sounds fun!" she said "Amy won't like it; she hates the great outdoors generally. I don't think she'd want to come along."

"Just as well; I wasn't planning on offering HER an introduction" said Severus "You NEED to learn how to be Ellen and stop running around like Amy's shadow. You're not doing HER any favours either you know; making her dependant on you is weakening for her character."

That was a new thought for Ellen.

"Then I guess I had better separate myself from her; at least for a while" she said. "Amy wants to work in a beautician's like Madam Primpernelle's in Diagon Alley; it would kill me inside to work alongside her."

"And I suppose she cries at you and says that if you don't it will just kill her and asks how you can be so selfish?" said Severus dryly.

"How did you KNOW sir?" asked Ellen.

"Because she is the selfish one; and I've seen it often enough" said Severus cynically. "Those who accuse others of selfishness for not falling in with their plans are usually the selfish ones. And if she doesn't grow up and learn to get over it, she'll end up with lines on her face of discontent and will make herself unmarriageable –which I guess is her epitome of success. You are the strong one; and for her sake as much as yours you MUST break away. You already resent her; you do NOT want to learn to hate her. As you will if she tramples on your ambitions."

Ellen nodded.

"I will sir" she said "Dad thinks we spend too much time doing things together; I'll get him to help."

"Good girl" said Severus .

Next he had seen Amy.

"Ellen says you wish to be a beautician" said Severus.

"Yes, we do" said Amy.

"Beg pardon? You suddenly became royal to use the term 'we'? I am discussing YOUR career with you Amy; nobody else's."

"Well Ellen will want to do what I want to do."

"Amy, that is as ridiculous as saying that you will want to do what Ellen wants to do; you don't even like animals, making a career as a wildlife reporter is not, I think what you want."

"But she MUST do what I want to do! I CAN'T work with animals, they scare me! So SHE'LL have to change!" Amy sounded half hysterical.

"Are you really such a little coward and such a little fool that you need your sister to hold your hand?" said Severus brutally "What happens if one of you falls in love? You're hardly likely to want to share the same man – even if he wanted both of you. And what are you going to do if you get pregnant? You can't demand that Ellen has your baby for you or with you. Now stop acting like a four year old and face the fact that if you stop Ellen having a life of her own she's going to end up actually hating you for spoiling her dream. You are quite capable of being a beautician without having your hand up Ellen as a puppet to talk for you; so just get a life and let her live hers!"

Amy had burst into stormy sobs and fled, castigating Professor Snape as cruel; and if she expected sympathy from her twin she was mistaken. Ellen, persuaded to tough love, told Amy bluntly that she had told Professor Snape that she already resented being pushed into Amy's scheme of things and that she was jolly well going to take her own choice of career and learn to stop resenting her sister.

It was a loud and hysterical quarrel; and Krait comforted Ellen afterwards and praised her, and Dione dosed Amy with glumbumble juice.

Amy proceeded to punish Ellen hereafter by refusing to talk to her; which suited Ellen well enough, since it enabled her to get her own revision done better though Amy's pain hurt her.

oOoOo

Severus wrote to the girls' parents and asked them to come in; and explained the situation to them.

"Amy's grades will suffer if she doesn't stop fretting herself into a froth" he said "Ellen's doing better now for being encouraged to be an individual; and though I don't normally consider it healthy to have parents in when exams approach I should like Amy given some encouragement that she is still loved and valued, and have it explained that ELLEN loves and values her but wants her own space."

"And about time too" growled Mr Tugwood "I knew that being so closely joined at the hip would end in tears. Why did you have to start separating them this late?"

"Oh I had nothing to do with it" said Severus "I try not to interfere between siblings unless there are obvious problems; and the problem has only arisen because Ellen suddenly grew a backbone and decided she wants her own career. I promised to help her out; I have a cousin who is involved in gaining images for Wizarding Wireless Vision of wild beasts, such as Ellen is fascinated by. It's a little further removed from the actual handling than most jobs in the field – which she said you, Madam Tugwood, might be a little concerned about. Katharine will look out for a young girl I recommend to her and teach her the ropes."

Madam Tugwood immediately relaxed on hearing a female name for the professor's cousin!

"It – well, it's not a career we'd envisioned for either of our girls" she ventured.

"Well it is a good and respectable career" said Severus, who had learned that the word these wretched parents most liked to hear was 'respectable'; "And at least you haven't got two of them wanting to be beauticians, which I'm afraid is Amy's career choice."

"What's wrong with being a beautician? It's genteel!" bridled Madam Tugwood

Severus shrugged.

"Well, I'd not want a daughter of mine treated as a servant by the wealthy but terminally incapable who can't brew their own beauty potions so make themselves feel better by shouting at the girls who can brew such unexacting potions for their overfed, underbrained clients. I fear she'll be disillusioned if she thinks it glamorous. I feel she'd do better heading for a career in makeup for Wizarding Wireless Vision which would place her in the same FIELD as her sister, which may assuage her feelings somewhat about their separation; but unfortunately she threw a hysterical fit at me and rushed off before I could recommend that course as an alternative. I outline it to you as her parents in the hopes you can get more sense out of her. I guess she could work for Madam Primpernelle for a short while; one has to produce miracles, I should think, for HER clients. And she does do manicures and pedicures too that I am told even capable witches find soothing. But I can get an introduction for Amy to those in Wizarding Wireless Vision who might give her a job. Makeup is vital as the facsimile of any person on the vision globe is NOT a true image. Trust me; I have been filmed for the educational channel as a means for schools without a potions master to use my lectures instead, and I have had to wear makeup. I felt quite ridiculous at first, and it is also the job of the makeup artist to put at ease the more er, truculent and snippy professors over having powder and muck on their faces. I confess the result is invisible on the finished result; for which I was highly grateful. But they showed me a sample of un-made up; and I looked like I was in the last stages of some fatal illness. So I do know what I am talking about" he gave a thin smile "And I do know also who to approach."

"Well thank you for your efforts on our daughters' behalf" said Mr Tugwood "And I apologise for shouting at you about separating them only at this awkward time; I have been unable to persuade them apart."

"I was blunt once the rift was apparent" said Severus "And explained to Ellen that actually she is NOT helping Amy by encouraging her to lean on the crutch of sisterhood. Amy needs to be an individual as well as Ellen. I'm afraid I was brutally frank to Amy; anything else washes off her back. But it upset her to the point she was fuelling her own upset with hysterics."

"Amy's good at that" said Mr Tugwood as Madam Tugwood opened her mouth to protest about her poor baby "We'll talk to her and offer your advice – and kind recommendation to the right people."

Severus hoped they would soothe Amy to a state where she was at least ready to talk to Ellen again; because Ellen was unhappy too. Only Ellen was coping with it; and Amy was not!

oOoOo

Amy came and thanked Severus for his help and agreed that it might be interesting to make up people for Wizarding Wireless Vision where her efforts would too be seen by a wider audience.

Severus forbore to point out that if she did her job well, nobody would know that she had done it.

Amy was likely to be a liability to any beautician anyway; when any criticism or snideness was quite likely to have her getting upset or even hysterical; he could NOT see Amy ready to be ordered around imperiously by the women at the fringes of society who were the ones who most often used the services of a beautician. Narcissa said it was fun to be pampered occasionally, but generally she brewed her own beauty potions; as anyone who had received a Hogwarts education ought to be capable of doing! Amy would giggle too much too; and fat old women who fondly believed themselves to still be possible objects of desire would NOT take kindly to being giggled at!

MUCH safer to have her doing stage makeup!

The ridiculous lengths a headmaster had to go to for one's sillier students!