Chapter 5- A Decision is Made.
A group of witches and wizards were idly waiting for Fourish and Blotts to open and ended up having a conversation to pass the time.
"Bin' reading The Daily Prophet? That little baby girl who was found in a muggle alleyway of all places."
"Of course. They say she is a magical but not much else to go on. Don't know who her parents are."
"That is sad, the picture though is priceless."
"I can't even imagine our old Potions Master looking after a baby."
"Severus Snape? Snape?"
"The one and the same."
"Really? So where is he working now?"
"He's still teaching at Hogwarts."
"Blimey, And old Dmbledore is still Headmaster. He must be positively ancient."
"Over a hundred years."
"Oh ! I thought he must have been closer to two..."
"Well, I am sure that the staff and students will be just as curious as we are. I can't imagine he would have the patience to put up with a baby."
"Curious? I should say so considering his reputation." A snort of muffled laughter. "After all, think about it. he is so crotchety and mean when it comes to teaching potions."
"So he is looking after a baby whose parentage is in question?" asked a tall blond man with icy grey eyes who had overheard the comments. "I wonder... What is her blood status?"
"I doubt he is even thinking beyond The. Fact. That. She. Is. A. Baby." an elderly woman hissed at the elegant looking wizard angrily.
The sound of a large rather unwieldy handbag slamming against the thick-skulled wizard resounded throughout Diagon Alley.
HogwartsHogwartsHogwartsHogwarts
After taking Jenny for her daily afternoon stroll outside, Severus had a bundle of questions for the resident medi-witch who had finished giving Jenny another medical checkup before proceeding to the Great Hall for their supper. Jenny was wrapped up warmly and happily sucking her fist while Seveus held her snuggly in his arms.
Once they entered the Great Hall Severus settled little Jenny into the baby lounger that Minerva had conjured up for him and he proceeded to eat his meal while he waited for her to wake up for her feeding.
"Should Jenny be eating something more substantial than the baby formula?"
"Sorry Severus but no. The formula is easily digested and has all tlhe calories she needs at present. She won't be able to safely eat solids for another month Severus. Then she can be started on a little rice cereal and applesauce. Poppy explained as she sent a stinging hex at Albus who was showing Jenny one of his lemon sherbets and telling her that she would enjoy tasting one of them once she got some teeth.
"Don't you dare try to get her to taste that candy Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. She is too young and will be for quite some time." Poppy scolded the Headmaster who dropped the candy onto the table
"I wasn't going to give it to her Poppy." He protested as he rubbed his hand. "Honest!"
"Olay then. But if I see you..." Poppy left the rest of her threat hanging as she shook her finger at him.
"You won't." Albus promised as he hunched his shoulders slightly and tilted his head slightly as he smiled innocently.
An Owl flew in with a parchment tied to its leg that had an official seal on it that indicated it was from Martin. Albus stared at it for a moment then after a quick glance at Severus who had finished giving Jenny her bottle and was now cradling her gently against his shoulder as he patted her back in order to burp her.
With trepidation Albus broke the seal and unraveled the parchment.
I have found Jenny's mother. Not a very hopeful situation. Will need to speak with both you Albus, and Severus on the matter.
Martin
"Good news Albus?"MInerva asked quietly.
Depends upon how one looks at it thought Albus as he turned to look at Severus whose shoulder and back was covered in baby formula from Jenny's last burp. "Jenny's mother has been located."
Severus looked up with a look of concern upon his normally unreadable face as he said in a flat voice, "She has?"
"Oh... That's good, isn't it?" Minerva asked then realised from the look on Severus' face that he was ambivalent about that.
"I suppose so... " Albus answered as he folded the parchment. "But I have my doubts that she had Jenny's welfare at heart."
"Minerva and I will be happy to look after Jenny while you and Severus speak with Martin." offered Poppy.
"We will return afterward and let you know what is to be done... with Jenny." Severus said with a wistful sound in his voice as he reluctantly handed the baby to Minerva.
"If you need either of us we will be in my office waiting for Martin." Albus said as he placed his hand on Severus' shoulder after cleaning off the baby formula with a wave of his wand.
"Severus you are wearing a hole in the floor." Albus said as he watched the nervous Potion Master strside back and forth in front of the portraits who were also looking quite confused and concerned. "I am sure Martin will have some good news to share with us..."
"Like Jenny's mother has been found and she is sorry she dumped little Jenny off in the alleyway and now want's her child back?" Severus growled slightly and walked over to one of the chairs sitting across from Albus' desk and sat down with what could only be described asa protective frown upon his face that indicted he was questioning the whole situation.
"Let's wait till Martin gives us his report before getting too worked up." Albus answered as he avoided answering Severus' unspoken question. "There maybe more to the situation than what we know."
Fortunately to Albus' relief, the Floo activated in the fireplace and Maritn arrived at that moment with some official looking Muggle papers in hand.
"Martin. It is good to see you,"
"Thank you Albus, and Severus." Martin nodded and strode over to the unoccupied chair beside Severus.
"I take it you have found Jenny's mother and now she wishes for her baby to be returned to her?" Severus asked in a slightly perturbed and harsh manner which was in Martins opinion quite understandable due to the circumstances.
"Severus!" Albus' voice had a note of warning, which caused Seveus to glower at Albus for a moment and then subside.
"Don't be too harsh on him Albus I can understand Severus' concern is for Jenny's welfare." Martin hurriedly intervened before anything more was said.
Martin set some muggle papers down on Albus' desk as he explained that first he had gone to the hospital where Jenny was born and to get what information he needed to locate the muggle mother. He
admitted ruefully that he had used a low level legimency upon a few of the nurses and the doctor and aftaerwards took the time to investigate what he had discovered of the mothers background before he went to talk to her and show her the original article from the Daily Prophet about Jenny.
" You understand thatI cannot reveal the name of Jennys mother to you- but I can disclose the details of my investigation." He looked not only at Severus and Albus but at the portraits lined up on the Headmasters office wall.
When his listeners confirmed that they undersood, Martin explained to Albus and Severus that at first, she thought he was a childcare worker from the London Child Healthcare Services who was checking on how she and Jenny was doing and said that the baby was with her parents for the past month while she got backon her feet job wise.
Knowing that she was lying through her teeth, Martin had unfolded the Daily Prophet to show her the article about Jenny's rescue and silently set the paper down in front of the young woman. For a few moments she stared at the moving photograph that was on the front page and then looked up at the stern features on the man who explained that Jenny was a magical child and that he was from the Wizarding Child Services.
"Upon seeing the article and upon hearing I was from the Wizarding Child Services she broke down and confessed that she had hidden the child in the alleyway because she was afraid of the child and what she thought of as its strange demonic like powers. "
"Demonic? " Severus and Albus were almost speechless.
"Yes, unfortunately it seems that is the consensus among her people when confronted with things they know nothing about." Martin explained, "But rest assured not all Muggles think that way though. Just the narrow minded ones whose minds are not open to new ideas."
Martin paused a moment longer then continued with his tale.
"She explained that she had been working in London for just over a year and a half and met a man who she thought loved her and when she found that she was pregnant he had said callously that she either had to chose between the birth of the child or him. As much as she wanted him to stay she did not wish to abort the child. It was against her principles."
Martin thought that her principles where a bit skewed considering she had abandoned her baby. He had kept his opinions to himself though, while she continued to speak.
"She told me that she had fully intended to visit her family but instead had stayed away from the village she had grown up in, as she did not want her family and friends to know her situation. - but after Jenny's birth she had second thoughts and was thinking about returning to her home to beg for her parents forgiveness for having a child out of wedlock but then decided not to as she was scared and fearful of what her strict and unforgiving family would do to her if they found out she not only got pregnant but had kept the child."
"How very sad." Albus looked distressed at the thought but undersood it none the less.
Martin nodded as he explained that the mother continued to talk to him in an emotionless defeated voice. Of how everything regarding work and child care had been going along till Jenny was about two and a half months old when she started to show signs of being, what she referred to as a strange and dangerous child. It was then she knew that she was being punished for her crimes against her family's beliefs.
"She also said that she did not know, or care where the father of the child was, because she never had stayed in contact with him."
At that point of the narration, Martin admitted he had been shocked at her callousness for after all she could have taken the child to an orphanage but instead had deliberately abandoned the child. He asmitsted that he would have called in the Muggle Aurors but decided against that. Instead he had her taken to a special hospital where she could get help for herself and maybe be able to straighten out her own miserable life before the guilt that was consuming her took its toll.
Upon being given the choice of being charged by Muggle authorities for abandoning her child or being sent to a hospital for evaluation of her mental and emotional state, she signed the papers giving up all rights to Jenny but Martin could not get her to reveal the name of the father who, she said disappeared before Jenny was born and didn't deserve any consideration in the matter.
Albus was shocked and flabbergasted at hearing the whole disturbing story while Severus looked grim and angry as he himself could relate as he had experienced poverty and neglect when he was a child. His Mupggle father was a drunkard and had stated he would have nothing to do with such an unnatural whelp but at least his mother did her best to deal with the problems of raising and getting him a proper wizarding education.
"Then what is going to happen with Jenny?" snapped Severus as he tried to keep from showing his own feelings for the child, as he did not wish to be pitied after she was taken away. "Is her next stop to be an orphanage?"
"I hope not." answered Martin as he looked pointedly at Severus. "I have had fine reports that you have proven yourself to be quite caring while being responsible for Jenny's care." He then looked at Albus, "And you Albus, along with other members of your staff have been willing to offer aid in looking after Jenny so due to the unusual circumstances I have come to a decision."
"Yes?" Albus asked and Severus felt a little more hopeful but did his best not to show it.
"It is a break from standard procedure but I believe it would be in the child's best interests to stay for now with those who would be willing to take her in and truly love her."
An explosion of cheers resounded throughout the Headmasters office as each of the portraits screamed their approval and several of them disappeared to inform the other occupants of the castle.
Authors Notes.
I hope everyone enjoyed this story called Severus Finds a Baby. It is short but next up will be
Severus And Jenny The Rugrat.