Chapter 6
At Diagon Alley – accessed by going through a pokey bar and into an alley behind and pushing certain bricks – Lucy was quickly introduced to Glasbhinn Green and Meadh Brown and sundry older Malfoys who were some of them almost grown up, in the care of Ian Malfoy and Bella Black.
"Was it fun on the trains?" asked Glasbhinn "I am sick our mums vetoed us coming by muggle transport, I was sure it wouldn't be dangerous."
"It isn't" said Drogo shortly "But I guess your mum and Meabh's are scared of muggles. This here is Lucy and if the rest of you approve I rather think she's Marauder material."
"Well the Snapes and Moodys are around; why don't we go find them?" said Glasbhinn. "Teddy will be along soon and I guess he'll run with the opinion of everyone else."
"WAIT one" said Lucius "I'LL find Severus and family and explain matters if you don't mind; or even if you do. You weevils had better come with me; the rest of you disperse and get your stuff. And as we're missing Timothy and Stuart I presume they already went off to find their cronies; yes, Bella, you and Tim can shed your younger siblings and do your own thing, TRY the lot of you not to get into too much trouble."
Giggling children departed leaving the two fey girls and the other first years and Lucy.
Lucius strode purposefully with his little group in his wake and ran into the tall, dark, scarred man leaving a shop selling cauldrons – JUST like storybook witches used – who was so like Lucy that she stared.
The man himself did a double take.
Lucius quickly explained the situation.
"Mmmm" said Severus. "Well young lady, I'd better be your uncle Severus for now and if you don't want to live with your mother, one more reprobate in the family won't make a whole lot of difference. I have enough room for you" he added kindly in explanation "Both in my London house and in Austria where we spend a lot of time. I'll see her parents, Lucius; it's my awful uncle and my responsibility."
"Cutting it fine; you have to get ready to be off to Prince Peak for Monday" said Lucius.
"So I shall see them tomorrow" said Severus. "I know the type of her nominal father; he won't go to the police right away because they might ask awkward questions about why his daughter might run away, and that might get Social Services involved. Which will be something to threaten him with if need be. I'll get a document drawn up for him to sign abrogating any rights over her. And a bribe to 'cover the last ten years feeding and clothing another man's child'. Stick and carrot, Lucius. I can do it quite as well as you."
"Naturally; I taught you how" said Lucius. Severus laughed.
"And it comes naturally to Krait as a Malfoy born so I watched her and learned too" he said. "Don't worry, Lucy; we'll sort out things to make sure you get to go to school, even if I have to use spells to make your mother and her husband forget you ever existed."
"That might be rather good" said Lucy "But I do love mum, kind of, and I guess I even love dad – when he's not drunk and when he's not pissed with me."
"He'll be a lot less pissed with you when he knows you're the ward of a wealthy family who can do him good and whom he can touch for a loan from time to time that nobody duns him for when he doesn't pay it back" said Severus cynically. "Oh I can find it in me to pity the man; I know Lucius doesn't but if he's inarticulate and perhaps brighter than a lot of his workmates and afraid to show it because learning is sissy and he didn't get many qualifications because the muggle state education is crap then I can understand temper. My own father was the same; and though I hated him for a while I've got over it."
"He'd pay back any loan sir – Uncle Severus" said Lucy earnestly "He's no sponger."
Severus smiled.
"Then I wronged him, and I apologise; and I'm sure we'll be able to come to an arrangement without having to resort to magic" he said. "And your mother will be able to visit you when you're in London. I'll invite them to lunch tomorrow."
"Mum's at the Kennel until eleven" said Lucy.
"Ah; then I can convince your er dad to sign you away while she's out; and then let her know that you're safe" said Severus "I imagine that however well she loves you, boarding school WOULD stop you being a bone of contention in the marriage?"
"I guess so" said Lucy.
"Any mother that lets her kid get hit about and doesn't leave an abusive husband is a pretty poor mother" said Drogo.
"That's as maybe, son; but not all women are as strong as your various mothers" said Lucius. "And many people believe that having two parents is better regardless, even in an abusive relationship; and nobody ever bothers to ask their own children what THEY want."
"WE want things just as they are, dad" said Penny "And by the way, are you going to marry Magda's friend Biirta? I'd say she was pretty gone on you."
Lucius spluttered.
"You can't hide a THING from your kids, Lucius!" laughed Severus "Biirta Hess to be Madam Malfoy the fifth then? That'll spoil the symmetry of the girls' bridge nights."
"Not hardly" said Lucius "We get in Draco and Grace and if I play too it makes up two tables. Besides, that's the least thing to consider; and I'm not even thinking about it right now, she's too young. I leave worrying about who I might marry next to Narcissa."
"Well you can leave worrying about Lucy to me" said Severus. "And if I can park my Richard on you I'll go and sort out the paperwork – and the money in a muggle bank. Try not to irritate too many people and if possible, don't lose any brats."
"You get snider every year Severus!" laughed Lucius.
"More practise" said Severus.
oOoOo
The sleek, self satisfied looking man who stopped the children as they came out of the cauldron shop with their cauldrons – Richard had obligingly come back in with then to lecture them on good choices – smiled patronisingly.
"I see none of you children have bought the patent self-stirring cauldron" he said.
"I should jolly well think NOT sir!" said Richard "It's banned in all decent schools for a VERY good reason; well several very good reasons. It stops people learning how to do it properly and what's more it isn't even very accurate. It's a product for morons and those who read 'Witch Weekly' though I do repeat myself there. The inventor of it ought to be tarred and feathered for such a travesty to potioneering."
The sleek looking wizard looked angry.
"Young man, let me inform you that I am the one and only Gaspard Shingleton, inventor of the self-stirring cauldron!" he said.
"Ah? Well if I was you, Mr Shingleton, I'd not advertise it too loudly. My dad's about somewhere and he's Severus Snape and he's wanted to use the entrail expelling curse on you for years" said Richard "Or put you into one of your own cauldrons to be stirred to death. I wonder you have the cheek to approach innocent schoolchildren admitting to your perversions and if you don't leave us alone I shall get the girls to scream."
"We can too" said Rose "And MY dad's an Auror so if I was you I'd beat it."
"You are very insolent children!" said Shingleton.
"YOU are a very insolent and importunate fellow" drawled Drogo "He hasn't left; ready girls; one, two….."
Shingleton saw the intake of breath of four little girls and left hurriedly. He had a feeling that explaining why four little girls had screamed might be very difficult; especially as the blonde one and the second boy who had spoken looked frighteningly like Mr Lucius Malfoy who was leaving the shop and catching up with them.
He was NOT aware that his farts were due to fluoresce for the next few days and – since the Durmstrang Marauders had passed on their new jinxes too – to be noctilucent.
Lucy was in the process of being taught a selection of jinxes and the shield charm; and watched the casting with deep interest.
"I say, I've got him on famous wizard cards" said Drogo "I reckon now I've seen him I can twist the Protean Charm to make the picture fart fluorescent ones every time the real one breaks wind."
"I threw away that one" said Richard "There's collecting famous wizard cards and then there's feeling offended every time you look at them…. Mind you, if he's farting wildly I shan't mind so much if I get him again."
Varjak grinned.
"I say, if we do use the Protean charm, doesn't that mean we can get EVERY card anyone has to fart?" he said.
"Tricky" said Richard.
"Are you kids even THINKING of using the protean charm?" said Lucius, dismayed, hearing the last bit of conversation "It's a NEWT level spell!"
"It's what library work is for, dad" said Varjak "Mischief."
"I don't want to know" said Lucius hastily.
oOoOo
They saw Deirdre Tremlett with her father again and she made faces at Varjak.
"Funny thing" said Drogo, loudly to Lucy "How those who might be sneered at by real blood snobs – half-bloods say, the children of muggleborn – seem to feel that they have to make a lot of the fact that there are other races who used to be more despised than muggleborn. Some sort of inferiority complex I suppose because they haven't yet caught on that most people are more interested in what people DO not what their blood status is. The species Racistus racistus is a loathsome specimen but unfortunately as common as Rattus rattus and somewhat less pleasant. The best way to deal with such a parasite is to ignore it."
"Look here, Mr Malfoy, you tell your brat to stop making comments about my daughter!" said Donaghan Tremlett angrily.
"I'd rather NOT look there if you don't mind, Tremlett" said Lucius in his silkiest and most sneering voice "The view of a man who encourages his brat in racism is NOT a pretty sight. And you know well that your spawn IS that way inclined or you'd not assume Drogo was talking about her. If the kid finds goblins unappealing to look at, now's the time for you or her to speak up and let us know that's all it is; otherwise I'd rather you didn't talk to me."
"Hypocrite! Everyone knows you were a deatheater!" yelled Tremlett.
Lucius looked down his nose.
"Everyone also knows – except apparently you – that I got over the brainwashing I received in my youth and worked AGAINST Tom Riddle. And I got over the traditional and foolish racist views I had been taught, that are promulgated and reinforced in fiction. And as I recall YOU were very happy to accept a lift out of danger during the Mudblood Pogrum that MY goblin chauffer gave you, along with other Muggleborn to a secure location. So YOU never ended up in Azkaban as some muggleborn did after humiliating trials and accusations of theft of magic. I rather wish I had left you to be indicted if you can't be at least CIVIL to my children – whatever race they are" Lucius was furious. "I didn't stick my neck out for gratitude but nor did I do so to then be insulted by someone almost as rude as a German, almost as rude even as a muggle chav. LOVELY example you're giving to my muggle-reared charge here of the lower end of wizarding society; I suppose you'll change your well-vaunted allegiance to the Kenmare Kestrels when I tell you that they were one of the teams who approached my Gorbrin with an offer to play him as their seeker; unless you're a hypocrite too that will support a team that sees no problem in playing a goblin. I suppose that's beyond the limitations of what you laughingly refer to as your thought processes; I suggest you leave thinking to those who have the basic equipment and just twang monotonously on your outsize but unexciting instrument."
Tremlett drew wand and pointed it furiously at Lucius.
The stinging hex did nothing but fizzle out on Lucius' shield; save that it was ill directed in anger and hit a small child behind Lucius, who screamed in pain.
Lucius turned quickly to see a small girl who had fallen to her knees. His charges cried out in shock as Tremlett let loose another stinging hex at Lucius' back; and all made negatory gestures to put up shield charms. Richard started chanting.
"Are you all right, little one?" said Lucius, lifting the child "Some people have no manners I'm afraid."
"Yes thank you sir" said the little girl "My daddy says the Weird Sisters aren't any great shakes at anything and that seems to include wand work."
"Oh Barbary's not so bad" said Lucius. "Dear me, Richard IS getting sophisticated; dissolving bonds of energy by the sound of it. Lucius Malfoy" he held out a hand and the child, then her father, solemnly shook hands.
"Gondoline Goyle" said the child.
"And I answer to Bob Gargoyle on stage so I do know what I'm talking about over music – AND social issues" said her father. "Robert Goyle is my real name."
"Ah yes, you spent some time in Azhkaban for throwing goblin hats at Rufus Scrimgeour, but I'm sure you have your bad points too" said Lucius.
Bob Gargoyle roared with laughter.
"Sure, you ARE as snide as they say; but you put your money where your mouth is too, and I'm proud to have shaken your hand; there's no way a kid who leaps to defend his stepdad from attacks from behind is in any way a tolerated political pawn. WHAT is that black-haired imp up to?"
"A piece of magic more sophisticated than a significant number of NEWT students achieve" said Lucius dryly "He's a Snape; I hardly need say more. I expect he'll explain in detail to Tremlett."
Donaghan Tremlett had been disarmed and was wrapped with glowing green magical ropes.
"People who attack the backs of people are very low, Mr Tremlett" said Richard coldly "And you rely on the fact that Uncle Lucius is too much of a gentleman to lay you out in front of your daughter; because he'd never sully his wand on the likes of you. These bonds will dissolve of their own accord in some ten minutes which should give you a chance to get yourself under control and try to act more like a human being and a bit less like a German Troll on Alihotsy. If I were you, I'd keep a low profile; because drawing wand on a school equipment day is a misdemeanour and attacking from behind at any time is a felony. And there are plenty of witnesses; and if the gentleman whose child you hurt wants to prefer charges for actual bodily harm of a minor we'll happily testify."
"No real harm done and I'll not want to take the effort for so mean a creature" growled Robert Goyle "But my daughter will know that the daughter of such scum is NOT likely to be a convivial friend."
"It was an accident she got hurt! And it's only because Lucius Malfoy is a gobbo-lover and a blood traitor!" said Deirdre.
"Ah like me" said Goyle.
"We need to get together for a butterbeer and a long chat sometime, Bob" said Lucius "May I call you Bob? Do call me Lucius. And I've just thought of another delicious irony; your friend who sings under the name Boggart is Phelim O'Hare, nephew of a one-time keeper for the Kenmare Kestrels that this idiot purports to support. And he's with you over the whole rights issue, isn't he?"
"And isn't he just!" said Bob. "And now the Broomstick Boys are taking up the theme – and have learned to sing – we're thinking of putting together a charity concert to help the downtrodden in other countries!"
"You might too want to look to supporting those elves who want freedom and need training for it" said Lucius "You can use Malfoy Manor as the venue if you like so long as Boggart doesn't upset my peacocks too much; I heard about the donkey incident."
"It WAS the donkey from hell" said Bob "And deserved all it got. He'll respect your peacocks; and thanks to you for the offer. You've a field to play in?"
"Yes, where the children generally camp" said Lucius. "No I DON'T especially want the general public traipsing through my neatly manicured gardens; my gardeners would lynch me. There was enough trouble when the fey community next door discovered my muggle-made sit-on-and-ride lawnmower and wedged it in the Greek temple folly after enchanting it to fly. Though that WAS the fault of the elf mowing the lawn who figured that pretending it was good fun in order to get the prying eyes to offer to do it was a good idea! He should have had the sense to let the children loose on it instead; they're relatively harmless."
"Please, can you dads sort of get pally later please?" said Penny "Only the sooner we get round, the sooner we get ice cream."
"Ah, we must get our priorities right!" laughed Lucius "Join us, Bob; give Gondoline the chance to get to know a few schoolfellows."
"Didn't your dad once have a group called the 'Animagus Wererats'?" asked Richard as they moved on.
"Yes; but it was just really a schoolkid thing" said Gondoline "He sings with Boggart in Eiwaz-2 sometimes. Eiwaz is a rune."
"Yes, it's Elder Futhark and it signifies the Yew, and protection" said Richard "Uncle Lucius is very knowledgeable about runes and actually my sister Jade has published stuff too."
"Oh how nice to meet people I don't have to explain stuff to" said Gondoline "And who don't think us dippy to believe everyone should have a chance in life."
"We sort of started it – well our families did" said Drogo "I mean, your dad's been singing about it for a while but our dads actually helped with the killing of Voldemort and making sure there was a decent government."
"That's sort of boasting" said Penny.
"And why not? I'm dead proud of dad and Richard's dead proud of uncle Severus" said Drogo "And Gondoline's dead proud of her dad for actually going to gaol for what he believes in. It's well good to have dads to be proud of."
They went on their way leaving the bound and angry Mr Tremlett far behind.
oOoOo
The tensions of the buying of school books and equipment made for a lot of excitement; from the price war between two vendors of action figures of quidditch players that degenerated into verbal abuse, fisticuffs and only stopped short at wands being drawn at the sight of a famous and powerful personage like Lucius Malfoy; to the disgraceful scene created by Xanthia Fawcett.
Xanthia had caught sight of the Patil twins shopping with their little sister; and approached Sampta.
"So I guess I'll be playing for the House team this year?" said Xanthia with a toss of the head.
"Well you'd guess wrong, especially with that tone of voice" said Sampta brusquely "Not even an apology for your behaviour last year? You've a cheek, Fawcett; I only play beings on the team, not beasts with bad attitude."
"How DARE you!" screeched Xanthia.
"I dare because I'm the team captain and you're a pretty poor example of the house that I'd rather NOT have showcased in all her bad attitude" said Sampta.
"What happened?" asked Lucy of the other eavesdropping weevils.
"Well beyond the fact of her being a blood snob generally and a bit of a lame-brained galoot, as Sampta puts it so neatly" said Richard "She threw a hissy fit over playing on the all-school second team at quidditch – it's our main game, it's played on brooms – because she's a prima donna; and then she let some ass who had a quarrel with a Huffer – Hufflepuff is one of the houses, Fawcett is a Ravenclaw – talk her into making it a team thing and she even endorsed the idea that deliberate fouling against Huffers was all right which is just SO cheesy! And the other idiots who'd got worked up all apologised and Fawcett wouldn't and actually the scratch team of younger players played up better than the team of diva types so Patil's leaving her off the team because it plays better without someone who thinks she's God's gift to quidditch."
"She's also rotten to her kid sisters because she reckons her parents didn't ought to need any other kids than brilliant her" said Drogo "She has an erumpant or two loose in her top paddock if you ask me from what I've heard; lumme is she actually drawing WAND on Sampta?"
"She is too" said Penny. "Well she's over seventeen so she's an adult and not constrained by the age law; but it also means she's breaking the law because drawing wand is NOT acceptable. Do we tell someone in authority?"
"Sampta's quite equal to dealing with her" said Richard "And here comes Bella Black. That should be fun."
oOoOo
"Fawcett, you ARE aware that's an offence for which you can be arrested, don't you?" said Bella coldly. "Put your wand away; an adult menacing a minor – which you're doing with Simi Patil there – is a serious business."
"You stay out of this Bella Black; this is Ravenclaw business!" said Fawcett.
"Which is why you're also waving a threatening wand at a Gryffindor – Sita Patil – and in public? I hardly think Flitters would think much of you displaying his house as criminals" said Bella "It's school business when you choose too to show up the whole school acting like this."
"I don't take orders from you" said Fawcett.
"Yes actually you do; from tomorrow, anyway, when my status as a prefect – and incidentally head of Slytherin House - gives me every right to set you lines or put you on head's report. And if you've any sense in that weird noddle of yours you'll back down and stop being a prat before some scared parent of a new weevil who doesn't know that it's only you and that you're bonkers calls the Aurors in to stop the ADULT witch menacing a MINOR. Put it away; and get about your business. Reckon you got infected with Amos Leroy-ness before he got expelled."
Fawcett turned her wand on Bella; which was a stupid thing to do, because Bella merely laughed and let her do her worst before wordlessly and wandlessly disarming her and casting the summoning spell all in a combination wave of one finger that left the more knowledgeable weevils speechless in admiration at the elegant economy of movement and action. Bella stuck Fawcett's wand in her own belt.
"Give me my wand back, Slytherin bitch!" cried Fawcett, starting to go for Bella. She bumped into a wall of solid air and the weevils duly and politely applauded.
"Woof" said Bella. "I'm confiscating it; you can have it back on the train tomorrow. It'll help you stay out of trouble in the meantime not to have the temptation as YOU never mastered wandless casting, never mind non verbal."
"I'll report you for theft!" cried Fawcett. Bella laughed.
"That's an intent to permanently deprive; which I'm not planning on doing. You'll have it back. And if you want to take that complaint to authority – Professor Fraser OR the Aurors Office – then I WILL tell them why I took it, and you so will be in hotter water than even if I HAD stolen it. Grow up, Fawcett; we're all sick of you being a silly little girl who's stuck at about six years old on a good day."
"I'll get back at you for this, Bellatrix Black!" said Fawcett.
"FIVE years old" said Bella, laughing scornfully. "And all watched in horrified fascination by the upcoming weevils who are astonished to see a big girl displaying such childishness; beat it you brats!"
Drogo, Varjak and Penny dragged them off.
"When Bella says to beat it in THAT tone of voice she really means it" Drogo said. "Because I reckon she thinks Fawcett might try to hurt us. I doubt she could, not most of us, but Lucy and Gondoline and Glasbhinn and Meadh are still vulnerable. And I say, Richard, how about Lucy for a Marauder?"
"We need to check with Rose and Jar-Jar and Teddy" said Richard "But she's pretty game is my new cousin."
"He said he likes you" said Drogo, absently translating.
"Jar-Jar? Like in Binks?" said Lucy.
"Yes; it's Marauder custom to quote Star Wars a lot; my brother started it" said Drogo "That's Draco; he's the eldest of all of us and he was one of the Marauders with Harry Potter and…. Lumme we HAVE got a load to fill you in on."
"We can do lots of it in Orme Court over the rest of the weekend" said Varjak equably. "Her real name is Njorjala gan Jorg – 'gan' is kinda like 'mac' at the beginning of a name or '-son' after it, and mostly we call her Jala for short but it also kind of follows that she should be Jar-Jar gan Binks."
"Oh that makes sense" said Lucy; who being another eleven year old who followed Star Wars understood perfectly.
They caught up with the others of their ilk in Florian Fortescue's Ice Cream Emporium and Lucy had the fun of eating Apricot Fool that giggled as it went down, and Rumbling Raisin that made loud noises while it was being digested. And the other marauders were told Lucy's story and voted her a good addition even though it brought them to an arithmantically dodgy number like eight.
"And it's been done by other groups without problem" said Drogo airily. "And if we're all going to be animagi, Lucy will have to decide what sort of animal she's going to be and the rest of us are going to be predators by the way which is why we're the hunting marauders."
"What's an animagus?" asked Lucy.
That explanation having been made she had to think hard.
"I'm not a great animal lover" she said "Well I'm not horsy and I don't much like the smell of dogs. And cats are a bit supercilious."
"Tigers are all right; they're big enough to have a right to be supercilious" said Jala "I'm going to be a tiger. Besides half the marauders higher up the school are Rakshasa – lumme, that means yet MORE explanation!"
Rakshasa and werewolves and manimagi were explained, and the others told Lucy what their forms were.
"Well if BIRDS are allowed – and they must be if Varjak's planning on being an eagle – I guess I don't mind the idea of flying" she said. "Besides it goes with the nose; I do have rather a beak. I seen buzzards at the zoo; they're good big birds like eagles, I guess."
"They're clumsy though in flight" said Varjak "Nothing to stop you being a second eagle if you want; there's no hard and fast rule about it. Especially if you're a different species; I'm going to be a golden eagle, but there's the fish eagle and…and others. Like Drogo and Jala are both going to be big cats, black panther and tiger. Or you could be a Goshawk; they're big and pretty smart birds, with fantastic eyesight."
"If it's big you want, go for the Andean Condor" said Richard "It has the biggest wingspan of any bird; it's a member of the vulture family."
"Trust Richard to know" laughed Rose.
"I don't think I fancy being a vulture" said Lucy "I know I'm ugly but there are limits. I want to be beautiful and to soar."
"They're not ugly and nor are you" said Richard "But I think you'd have most fun being a Goshawk; Vultures kind of need more thermals than we get this far north and especially at school up in Scotland."
"And we can go next door and look at Uncle Casimir's internet to find pictures and information when we get to yours, Richard" said Drogo.
To fly as anything would be fantastic! And to be discussing the idea of using magic to change form, only scant hours since she discovered that magic really existed and had seen it in action was, Lucy thought, quite amazing and wonderful!
And the home to which she was taken was in a very posh part of London – Kensington – and she was in a house with what felt like dozens of kids from babies up, noisy and friendly and such kind grown ups too!
And Uncle Severus went off in the morning, explaining that if all went well Mr and Mrs Summerfield would come to dine so Lucy could make formal farewells to her mother and show her that she was alive and well and not under any constraint.
oOoOo
Lucy was NOT looking forward to seeing her dad again, even if she missed her mum a little; but both her parents were perfectly civil when Uncle Severus brought them to the house; even slightly subdued. And her mother cried over her a little and told her not to waste the opportunity of a posh education; and Lucy discovered that if she was a typical Prince she would be expected to be taking ten or eleven 'O' level equivalents – her parents had NOT been told about magic – and four or more 'A' levels and that even if she was not a typical Prince, the school catered to lower achievers some of whom left school with as few as seven 'O' levels.
This certainly subdued her parents even more as they had never in their lives dreamed of having family taking as many qualifications as that. Lucy's mother had four GCSE's and her father had none at all. And they were, too, rather overwhelmed by Uncle Lucius.
That Lucius had set out to be overwhelming passed Lucy by since she had got used to him by now and thought him a perfectly wonderful person to just collect her, take her along with his children, and assume responsibility for her without turning a hair. She was unaware that Severus had pointed out that Lucius was around about the fifteenth richest man in the world – which had impressed her father no end – and was surprised when Mr Summerfield actually asked bluntly. Lucius laughed.
"Oh around about" he said "I don't pretend to be in the same league as people like Bill Gates or sundry Saudi princes. I have a lot of holdings in a number of fields; which is just as well as I have an inordinately large amount of children who can take on the various aspects of my properties when I get too old to find them exciting any more. Money's only a way of keeping score outside of having enough to live in comfort and interest oneself in various social projects. Like paying for several scholarships to the school Severus runs for gifted children; and Lucy may end up transferred there if she's musical or artistic. Unless she chooses to stay with the friends she's already made. Severus won't have his own children in his own school without good reason; but she isn't so there's no problem."
"I bet he doesn't have any discipline problems" said Mr Summerfield, giving Severus a wary look.
"Not hardly" said Lucius. "Always been a strict disciplinarian has Severus; and the best person in the world to go to in a crisis. And as he doesn't HAVE to work, he teaches as a vocation; so he's actually rather good at it."
"And if it's all the same to anyone" said Lucy firmly "I'd like to stay with my friends."
"And so you shall my dear" said Severus "And off to school tomorrow!"
I do hope everyone got the music jokes