Part 37 – Dumbledore's Office

Severus chewed on his quill as he listened to the sounds of the other students passing him by. He didn't like to think of himself as hiding, but if he was entirely honest with himself he knew that that was precisely what he was doing.

Lucius Malfoy was holding court in the Slytherin common room and James Potter was lounging by the first table you came to through the library doors; the two people he least wanted to see had reduced him to sitting outside on the cold February Saturday as he pondered his options.

Nothing he had found in the school library gave him any hope whatsoever that a student could be transferred from one house to the other. On the contrary the historical volumes he had found detailed the high reverence with which the Sorting Hat was regarded and how it was invariably accurate in placing students exactly where they needed to be to fulfil their potential.

Now Severus knew that the task Lucius had given him was truly an impossible one. No matter how hard he tried to think of a way of succeeding, realistically he knew that there was no hope at all of Sirius Black joining the majority of his family in the Slytherin quarters. What was more, he suspected that Lucius must know this. He ever wondered if the prefect was merely punishing him for some unknown transgression.

Severus therefore found himself with an even more impossible task, that of finding a way to break the news to Lucius Malfoy that he had failed, which was why he found himself hiding away in a lonely corner of the school grounds hidden from the view of the passing students.

The afternoon wore on and Severus knew he had to make a move back to the common room soon. He might be able to practice his Charms out in the grounds but he still had his Transfiguration essay to finish. He also wanted to re-read his Defence Against the Dark Arts essay one more time too, just in case he recalled something that he had failed to mention, despite having written more than had been requested.

The first spots of rain falling went largely unnoticed by Severus but as the spots turned into a heavy shower he scrambled to his feet in order to make his way back indoors.

"Severus Snape," the lilting Scottish accent of Professor McGonagall echoed off the stones as Severus jumped back startled and dropped his wand on the floor. "What are you doing out here in the rain? Do you want another trip to the hospital wing?"

"No Professor," Severus mumbled as he picked up his items. Ducking his head he hurried past the professor and into the building.

"What were you doing out there?" McGonagall asked, her tone less sharp than before and clearly curious.

"Nothing," Severus replied his eyes darting away as he looked for the quickest way of escaping the professor's questioning gaze.

"Come with me, Mr Snape," McGonagall instructed, turning away and walking down the corridor, not waiting to see if he was following her. She didn't need to check, no student would refuse a request from her, and Severus was no different to any of the others in that regard.

Struggling to keep a hold of his items he hurried after Professor McGonagall, curious now himself as to where she was leading him.

They passed through the main entrance, Severus groaning as he caught a glimpse of James and Sirius lurking near the corridor that lead to the Slytherin quarters.

"Looks like Snivelly's in trouble," Sirius said in a loud whisper that Severus had no trouble hearing at all. He felt himself flush and glared at the two boys wishing all kinds of curses on them, but he bit back a retort, something for which he was grateful when Sirius found himself on the receipt of a second glare, that of Professor McGonagall.

"Severus is not in any sort of trouble," she said as she cast an assessing gaze over Sirius and James. "The same might not be said of certain other parties, who appear to be loitering in an area of the school they have no business being in. I presume you've both been here long enough to know where the Gryffindor quarters are?"

"Yes Professor," James replied.

"Then I suggest you make your way to them before I find you something useful to do."

At her words, with the threat of extra assignments or detentions not quite hidden, James and Sirius hurried off towards the stairs and the Gryffindor tower.

Severus continued to follow after Professor McGonagall as she took him in another direction.

Finally they reached Professor McGonagall's classroom and she lead him inside and closed the door behind them.

"I know I'm not the head of your house," she began. "But I can't help but notice a marked difference in you in the last week. Your last assignment seemed hurried and not as well thought out as you normally do, and it hasn't escaped my attention that you seem to have been spending rather a lot of time with some of the Gryffindors."

"I can have friends in other houses can't I?" Severus asked, more than a little defensively.

"Of course," McGonagall replied. "It's always nice to see the students from different houses working together and getting along. But you're not exactly getting along with them are you?"

"I'm just trying to be friendly," Severus insisted, worried at the direction the conversation was taking.

"Which is to be commended," McGonagall replied. "The other thing is Madam Pince mentioned at dinner the other evening that you'd been asking about students transferring to another house, whether it had happened before."

"I was just curious," Severus said, the defensive tone even more pronounced.

"I understand you might not want to talk to the head of your own house if you want to transfer," McGonagall continued. "Which is why I thought it might be a good idea for us to have this little chat."

Severus stood in silence. Just as Lily had before her, Professor McGonagall had put two and two together and had arrived at entirely the wrong conclusion.

"I have to admit that I've never heard of any student transferring houses since I've been here," McGonagall said in a thoughtful tone. "But I know the best place to find out for sure."

"You do?" Severus asked, his curiosity rising once again.

"Certainly, come along, we'll find out right now."

Severus wondered whether to put the Professor right in her mistaken belief that he wanted to change house, only the thought of finding out for sure if it was possible or not, stopped him from saying anything. The last thing he wanted was to tell her the truth and for her to change her mind about finding out.

Leading Severus back into the corridor Professor McGonagall led him through the corridors and he soon realised that they were heading in the direction of the Headmaster's office.

"Isn't Professor Dumbledore away?" Severus asked, sure he hadn't seen him in the Great Hall all week.

"Yes, he's in London on school business," McGonagall confirmed as she reached the entrance.

"Exploding bon-bons," Professor McGonagall said in a clear voice with a small smile and a shake of her head in Severus's direction. The sweet tooth of Dumbledore was well known throughout the school and a continuing joke amongst the students that he used such passwords for his office.

With their request for entrance accepted Severus followed the Professor into Dumbledore's office.

"You're going to ask the Sorting Hat?" Severus questioned as he spied it in its usual place on one of the many shelves in the room.

"Well I'm sure the Sorting Hat will let us know it's opinion but since the decision about moving a student from one house to another would always lie with the headmaster or headmistress of the time, I thought the best people to ask would be those themselves."

"What's that?" an elderly wizard barked out from one of the portraits on the far wall of the office.

"She said something about students transferring houses," another wizard replied and Severus spun round to see which of the portraits behind him had spoken.

"That's right," Professor McGonagall said and repeated her question for the rest of the occupants of the portraits who had not been listening to her at first.

"I don't recall anyone ever changing house," a thoughtful looking witch said with a graceful shrug. "Certainly not while I was headmistress."

"Nor in my time either," the wizard who had spoken first replied. "The Sorting Hat is always accurate in where it places the students."

"Everyone goes where they belong," the Sorting Hat chimed in and Severus thought he detected a note of smugness in its voice.

One by one the former heads of Hogwarts confirmed that they had never known a student change house after they had been sorted. Severus felt his hopes sink before realising that if there was no precedent for this happening before it might make it easier for Lucius to believe that he'd tried his best; it was simply the rules of the school that were preventing him from getting Sirius moved into Slytherin house. The fact that Sirius didn't want to move away from his friends in Gryffindor was entirely beside the point.

Eventually all the occupants of the portraits had said their piece. Or at least all except a couple of occupants who were absent from their paintings, and one who had refused to answer a question from a Deputy Head, stubbornly insisting that he was only duty bound to assist the Headmaster. And unfortunately no amount of persuasion from Professor McGonagall could change Phineas Black's stance.

"I doubt there was anyone transferring houses in his reign either," Professor McGonagall said after they had left the office. "Had there been I'm quite sure he would have enjoyed being the centre of attention as he told us all about it. Besides which I doubt he would have been that accommodating to a request from a student to move to another house."

"So in the entire history of Hogwarts, no student has ever changed house," Severus commented.

"Not that any of the former Heads can remember," McGonagall replied with a sympathetic smile. "But there's nothing to stop you being friends with anyone from the other houses, and all the teachers, myself included, are here to help if you have a problem."

Severus nodded and after mumbling his thanks he headed down the stairs and towards the Slytherin common room.

Once inside the door he saw that Lucius was right where he had been just after lunch when he had ducked out of the room. Seated before the roaring fire, in the most comfortable chair with Narcissa perched on one arm, he was just finishing telling the latest version of his meeting with the Dark Lord, this version even more embellished than the previous ones.

"Severus, there you are." Lucius called out the not quite friendly accusation as Severus shuffled towards his usual table. "Where've you been? Making progress with that little job I gave you?"

Severus turned to reply to Lucius and caught the smirks of several of the other students sitting around the fireplace. In that instant he knew for sure that Lucius was well aware that no matter what he tried Sirius Black was not going to be joining any little club in the Slytherin quarters.

"I've been trying to find out if it's even possible," Severus answered in a forced strong voice. "I've spoken with most of the former Head's in Dumbledore's office and they've told me that in the entire history of Hogwarts they have no record of a student moving houses."

"You've been in Dumbledore's office?" Bellatrix asked, doubt evident in her tone.

"He's away isn't he?" Lucius asked with a frown.

"In London," Severus confirmed. "You can ask Professor McGonagall if you don't believe me."

He waited a moment, worried that one of the Slytherins might take him up on the offer. But it seemed that they were prepared to believe him rather than face the Transfiguration Professor who would no doubt demand to know why they were asking about things that weren't really their concern.

"Wish I'd known you were going there," Lucius eventually commented. "Could have been handy. Pity those portraits are all in there, the worst sort of security since they're loyalty has to lie with the current head teacher. Otherwise the password might have been useful."

"What about Sirius?" Severus asked, wanting more than anything at that point to be relieved of the task of trying to befriend the obnoxious, bullying show-off.

"Looks like we'll have to leave him where he is," Lucius replied, clearly not that troubled that Severus had failed. "Don't worry I'll find you something else to do soon."

Severus nodded and felt the knot in his stomach loosen a little, he only hoped his next task was far less troublesome.