Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Series (1997-2007) and any characters and original locations within the books belong to JK Rowling. I own my original characters and my plot twists. I am not trying to pass any of these characters or copyrighted ideas off as my own and therefore it isn't plagiarism or copyright infringement.

Chapter Twenty-Two – Working with Nott

Leo ran off to the Library. He was sure that Snape was the Half-Blood Prince. The previous owner of the book seemed too talented with potions not to be Snape. He quickly wondered if he could find anything. Perhaps he should try looking through the old Newspapers. He bumped into Theo up there and whispered, "Okay, so the reason why Harry pulled that off in potions is because he came across a book written in by the Half-Blood Prince. Now, I have a feeling I know who he is, but I need to find something. I know that Snape was a Slytherin in school, but was it possible that he could've gotten in as a half-blood instead of a pure-blood?"

Theo's gray eyes widened, "Well, he hung out with the future Death Eaters, Avery, Mulciber, Evan Rosier, and Wilkes."

Leo pinched the bridge of his nose, "I fear I won't get any answers from Slughorn as not only do I resemble two Death Eaters I have the same last name as one. I wish I could talk to him about Snape. You know I think he keeps pictures of his former students." He thought for a moment, "But maybe I should try. Do you think you can look through old articles for the name Prince and maybe try looking through the birth announcements? I know that he was in the same grade as Sirius and according to his recent obituary; he was born March 8, 1960, so Snape would've been born between the fall of 1959 through the summer of 1960. That information may help you narrow down your search."

Theo shrugged, "I've always loved research. I'd love to see what I can find, though I never thought I'd be researching a Professor."

Leo grimaced, "Hopefully Snape will live a very long time, but you know he's a spy and thus he has enemies on both sides. So, he's more of a target. If he dies before his time, I think someone who could enlighten the world to the man he was rather than paint him like a villain. You know it would really suck if that horrible reporter Rita Skeeter decided to write a biography on him." Leo shuttered as he remembered the beetle woman who was present for the Triwizard Tournament.

He shook his head, "Yeah that would be horrible. I'll duplicate any articles I find so that we can have a copy. I think you're right that Professor Snape deserves one day to have the public to know the truth."

Leo soon stood in front of Slughorn's office on the sixth floor. He quickly knocked on the door and disappointed Slughorn answered, "Well, Leo, what can I help you with?"

"Oh, well I understand that I have two strikes against me, so I'm not here to ask to be a part of your club. I just wondered if Snape was so proficient at potions, he was one of your favorites, right?"

Slughorn furrowed his brow, "What is your interest in Professor Snape?"

"Oh well, he's brilliant. He may've decided to pursue the noble art of teaching instead of changing the world by working for the Ministry. Instead he's decided to teach future Wizards and Witches capable of changing the world one day. I admire him and I just really wanted to know what he was like when he went to school here."

Slughorn pursed his lips, "Um, well."

Leo decided to change tactics, "What if I told you that I'm an Animagus?"

Slughorn's eyes widened, "Well, those are quite rare. I think you might be the first of your generation."

"I'll show you but you have to promise not to tell the Ministry. Due to the current volatile political environment, I'd rather the Death Eaters not know my secret. I will register as soon as this brewing war is over and that snake-faced man who's made himself a lord is gone for good. So, you promise not to report me?"

He opened his office door and ushered Leo in, "I understand that you'll do the right thing later. It would be best if He-Who-Must-Not-be-Named didn't find out. So, you're quite talented at Transfiguration?"

Leo smiled realizing he just got his foot in the door, "Yes, I'll show you." He wandlessly transformed into his platinum Lion and circled Slughorn before transforming back.

He clapped his hands, "Well, that's quite unique. I don't think I've ever seen anyone with a form that unique. I mean its platinum with a golden mane. Wow, I think I'd like to invite you to my next dinner."

Leo looked around, "So do you have any pictures of Snape?"

Slughorn stopped staring and walked over to his shelf where he kept his pictures. He pulled it from out behind some other ones, "Ah yes, here he is."

Leo looked at the picture of a young gangly and pale faced Snape with long black oily hair. He was clutching a Advanced Potion-Making text. "So, I'm guessing he was quite astute at Potions as he's clutching his book here."

He smiled fondly, "Ah yes, I don't remember ever seeing him without that book. I'm not sure but it seemed like it was a used copy. I don't ever remember it looking new."

"Ah so the book could've belonged to a family member. His mother's maiden name was Prince, right?"

"I didn't think he told anyone about that. Yes, her name was Eileen Prince and I remember teaching her while she went to Hogwarts in the 1940s. She was also very talented in potions. I have found that one's ability with potions tends to run in families."

"Thank you, Professor. I look forward to our next potion class. I'm no Harry Potter or Professor Snape but I think I'm an adequate student." Leo winked and headed to the door.

*Break*

Leo found Theo in the back corner of the Library at an isolated table. He sat across from him, "So did you find anything about Eileen Prince?"

Theo's eyes widened, "Yes, I found Professor Snape's birth announcement and a photo of Eileen being the captain of the Gobstones team in her fifth year, but look at the picture."

Leo looked down at the old photo and it resembled the photo he'd just seen of Snape in Slughorn's office, "Yes, there's a family resemblance. I think he got more of his appearance from her. Okay, so we should file these away somewhere. I don't want to answer questions if he sees us with them. Do you want to meet me near the Forbidden Forest? I want to see if you've studied that spell long enough."

Theo chuckled, "So you want someone to run around the castle at night with you."

Leo shrugged, "I might as well have fun before the world's thrust under the thumb of a crazy man."

Theo checked the time, "Perhaps we should meet after dinner."

"Ah yes, we should probably eat. By the way you did a great job of keeping your cover in class."

He just cleared his throat as he left the library.

After dinner Leo walked outside and headed toward the edge of the forest where Theo was waiting for him. He smiled, "So, are you ready to attempt the ultimate Transfiguration spell?"

Theo rolled his eyes, "If you can do it, it can't be too hard."

"Spoken with the arrogance that could only belong to a pure-blood," Leo sarcastically smirked. "Now, I'll watch while you attempt it and then transform."

Theo pointed his wand at himself and performed the hand gestures correctly and spoke the correct incantations. Leo watched with wide eyes as his form transformed into a big black Wolf. He looked a bit like Sirius in his dog forum but he was bigger. He also looked much more like a wolf than a dog, "Ah, so you truly are a lone wolf." Leo quickly transformed and the two of them ran through the woods together in their animal forms. Leo couldn't help but wonder what Draco's would be if he ever perfected the spell other than an albino ferret. When the sun set and the moon began to rise, Leo nonverbally communicated with Theo that they should head back. The two of them bounded for the castle and transformed back on the covered bridge.

Leo turned to Theo, "You did wonderfully. Did you like it?"

"Yeah, it was freeing. I cannot wait to do it again. Should we meet on the weekends to run around?"

Leo shrugged, "We'll see. I think it's a great idea." Leo walked a head of Theo so the two of them wouldn't be seen entering the castle together.

The first couple of week of school flew by and Leo wasn't able to find out any more information about Draco's plan to achieve his assignment to kill Albus Dumbledore. He spent the majority of his free periods with either Theodore or Hermione doing their large amounts of homework. He spent two hours on Tuesday and Thursday training with Madam Pomfrey in the healing arts. He was shocked when in Herbology with Neville, Ron, Hermione, Ron, Ernie and Hannah, when Hannah was informed that her mother had been murdered by Voldemort. She chose to leave the school. Things were getting worse and Leo feared for Draco's sanity.

Soon the day for the Gryffindor Quidditch tryouts had arrived. Leo rolled his eyes when he recognized the haughty and horrible Cormac McLaggen from sharing a dorm with him shortly the year before. He did not like the guy's attitude and could tell that he was expecting Harry to give him preference because they were both members of the Slug Club. However, Cormac didn't know Harry that well. Harry was one to give everyone a fair shot. Leo tried to contain his laughter when he overheard his answer to Harry's questions as to why he hadn't tried out the year before. He'd admitted to eating a bunch of Doxy eggs as a bet and ended up in the Infirmary.

Leo couldn't help but shake his head and turned to Harry, "Which position do you think I'd be better at, Chaser or Beater?"

Harry looked at him and smiled, "You did quite well this summer playing a Chaser."

Leo shrugged, "Chaser it is."

After two hours it was decided that the three Chasers would be Katie, Leo, and Ginny. It took him a bit but Harry found a couple of beaters, who weren't as good as Fred and George, but showed some promise. Jimmy Peakes, a third year managed to hit Harry in the back of the head with a Bludger, and Ritchie Coote seemed lanky but had great aim. Leo sat in the bleachers next to Hermione as they watched the Keeper tryouts. Cormac managed to block four goals out of five but then seemed to fly off in the complete wrong direction. Leo turned to Hermione and whispered, "Hey, was it me or did it look like Cormac was just confounded. You're not by chance that skilled at nonverbal spells, are you?" Hermione didn't answer but she did blush causing Leo to believe she was responsible for Cormac's miss. "Ah, so that's what happened. Well, I think it's great. He's horrible and I'd hate to play on a team with him. He's so full of himself, why do you think I traded dormitories as quickly as possible last year?"

When Ron mounted his Cleansweep, Leo heard a cry of, "Good luck," from the somewhat air headed Lavender Brown. He raised his eyebrow and looked over at Hermione who didn't seem to notice it. Leo was excited when Ron saved all five penalties in a row. Leo left the Quidditch pitch when he overheard Cormac trying to say that Ginny went easy on Ron. Leo shook his head knowing there was no way that Ginny would ever go easy on any of her brothers.

That night Leo, Hermione, and Harry received invitations to dinner with the Slug Club in Professor Slughorn's office. Harry had to decline as he had a detention with Snape. Slughorn offered to see if Snape would let him off but Harry didn't hold his breath. Leo, Hermione, and Ginny all made their way to his Sixth Floor office to find Crabbe and Goyle standing in the corridor. As they were out of earshot Leo whispered, "Isn't it odd for those two to be seen without Draco?"

Neither Ginny nor Hermione responded to his question, so he took a quick glimpse back down the hallway. His eyes wandered back down the corridor and he realized he recognized the wall the two were standing by. It was the same wall that hid the door to the Room of Requirement. He couldn't help but wonder if Draco was attempting to fix the vanishing cabinet in the Room of Requirement. He walked into the office and was seated to dinner with McLaggen, Zabini, and Melina Bobbin. The three of them had a seat and prepared to converse with the enemy.

"Good evening everyone, I had hoped to have Harry here tonight but he had a prior engagement he had to attend. With him not here we do have a couple of friends of his: Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger. Ginny is quite skilled with a Bat-Bogy Hex. Hermione is quite knowledgeable about every topic. Was I correct that both of you were at the Ministry with Harry a few months ago?"

Ginny and Hermione both seemed a bit embarrassed about being put on the spot like that, so Leo cleared his throat, "I don't think any of us like to talk about it. We did face quite a few Death Eaters including some of the fathers of our fellow students. In fact Lucius Malfoy was the leader of the group and he even ordered them to leave Nott behind as they chased after us. You see to escape Harry had the idea to have all of us fire at the tall shelves holding the prophecies while he distracted the masked men. Not to mention Bellatrix Lestrange was there, we're all still pretty shook up that she murdered Sirius Black. He was innocent you see, he was framed by Peter Pettigrew. Yes that man is alive and can turn into a rat. That's how he hid for twelve years while Sirius rotted away in Azkaban. Sirius was the only Gryffindor in the Black family line and he was killed by his first cousin. Oh and Lucius' sister-in-law. So, Zabini has your mother killed any new suitor's recently?"

Everyone stared at Leo for a moment because one he hadn't been introduced and they were also shocked that he was there as well. Ginny and Hermione both raised an eyebrow at him when he mentioned Draco's family connection. Zabini just glared at him for his remark and Slughorn cleared his throat, "Ah yes, I'm not sure if you all know Leo here. He's quite talented in Transfiguration and he's not that bad at potions, either. So, what do your parents do?"

Leo looked around and quickly thought of something, "Well, my father is a French Author and my mother's English born but she's always stayed home. My father wanted to research the Merlin and Morgan la Fay. He believes there was some sort of connection between the two. I don't think he's found anything yet, but as you know these things take time."

"Ah, research, so have you given any thought to what you'd like to do?" Slughorn's belly jiggled like a bowl full of jelly.

Leo wanted to scream with all of the attention he was being given but hid it behind an indifferent façade, "Well, I've given it quite a bit of thought. I've been studying with Madam Pomfrey. I want to be a healer but I'd also like to research and incorporate the Muggle genetics. You see, the magical gene is a dominate trait. However, I believe when a family limits its gene pool by only marrying pure-bloods, it's more likely for a Squib to be born. Also I'm already looking into family trees because I think that a large amount of Muggle-born Wizard and Witches have a Witch or Wizard somewhere in their family line, making them decedents of Squibs. So, even though Hermione has denied any relationship to Hector Dagworth-Granger because she was Muggle-born, I theorize that if I trace her ancestry back far enough we might find him to be one of her distant ancestors."

"Oho, that is all quite interesting, but I'm afraid it would be difficult to get the funds to research that topic in the current political environment," Slughorn's forehead wrinkled with worry.

"Ah yes, but Hermione here is quite bright, isn't she? I'm sure her strong beliefs in equality to all, which includes all magical creatures, will lead to legislative changes. I agree that changes need to be made about some of the Pure-blood laws on the books. I guess I have a bit of interest in Magical Law as well. In fact I read through the law books last year. Were any of you aware that a Pure-blood patriarch is protected from murder under one of these laws. If said Pure-blood patriarch had more than one child and one of his children was sickly, he has the right to weed out any weakness in his family line."

Ginny gasped, "Oh, that's horrible. Are you saying that some Pure-blood fathers actually kill their children?"

Zabini scoffed, "Of course the Weasley is surprised. I mean your parents wouldn't dream of killing a child or," he rolled his eyes, "birth control."

Leo's eyes narrowed and he growled, "Not every family has you. I mean after having you, I'm sure your mother was quite motivated to use birth control at all times."

Professor Slughorn held up his hands, "Now, now. How many of you here know Melinda Bobbin?" He looked around the table, "Well Melinda, dear how's the apothecary business doing?"

Leo droned out what the quiet second year mumbled about how well her parent's apothecaries were doing. He looked over and smirked when he noticed Zabini glaring at him. At his smirk Zabini's eyes widened and he let out a gasp. Leo removed his eyes from him and noticed a disgusted look on Hermione's face. He looked across the table and noticed Cormac was busy flirting with her by dipping his finger in his pudding and licking it off. Leo shook his head and placed his hand on Hermione's, who was sitting next to him. He leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I figured you'd rather not have Cormac's attention. Now laugh as if I'm saying the most titillating thing or that you think I'm funny. Don't worry, I know you like Ron and I think the two of you'd make a great couple. You know you should really tell him how you feel."

She turned red and giggled. Cormac's face turned red with anger and Leo had to suppress a smile. The rest of the dinner passed without any more disturbances, but Leo couldn't get Zabini's wide eyed look out of his mind. What had the coffee colored Italian figured out? No one could trust a Slytherin; they were generally too clever for their own good and were as slippery as snakes.

A/N: Yes we are moving along now. I wonder when Draco will do something while Leo is sleeping. He is starting to suspect why the two oafs were standing outside of the hallway. What do you think about my adlibbed Slughorn dinner? Is Leo a wonderful liar or what? I know how this will end it's just the getting there part.