REPOSTED

Severus Snape, Headmaster

Chapter 3

Searching

"I will be gone for a while." Severus Snape told the teachers sitting around him at the staff table during dinner one night.

"How long?" Madam Carrow asked him.

"A few days at most," he said, hoping that it would not take that long to find Potter and his friends. The idea of living in the woods and who knows where else for days on end wasn't all that appealing to Snape. "Minerva, you will act as temporary headmistress in my absence."

"Why her?" Madam Carrow looked past Severus at Minerva warily. "Why not my brother or I?"

"Because, Madam, Minerva has worked here since both of us were born and knows how to run a school much better than someone who has been a teacher for only five months."

Carrow nodded her approval and sat back. Severus had expected one of the Carrow's to want to act as temporary headmaster or headmistress but not for them to back down so easily. 'They do not suspect me then,' Severus thought to himself. The longer Voldemort thought that Snape was still serving only him was imperative. Otherwise one of the Carrow's might be put in charge at Hogwarts. Severus wouldn't let his students be subjected to their reign.

"Minerva, if you would meet me in my office after dinner to go over some things that must be attended to in my absence." Minerva nodded and watched as Severus got up from the table and exited through the door behind the staff table.

Instead of heading back up to his study, Severus went down a narrow corridor leading deeper into the castle. If he didn't know any better he would have thought that it would take him to the dungeons because of the downward slope. But it led to a much lighter, much more cheerful place than his old classroom and the Slytherin Common Room. Severus paused in front of a large picture of a bowl of fruit and tickled the pear in just the right place.

The painting swung inward and Severus stepped through. Inside the kitchens house elves bustled to and fro putting plates on the four long tables that instantly disappeared to the Great Hall above. But many more empty plates were being taken away. It seemed that dinner was almost finished.

It took a few moments for the house elves to notice that someone had entered the kitchen, but once they did Severus almost wished that they had never noticed him at all. He had never had that many dealings with house elves himself, and didn't exactly know how to approach them.

"It is the Headmaster!" squeaked a tiny house elf who stood no higher than Severus' knee. "You is not paying me my wages!" Several other house elves shook their heads and turned away in obvious distaste. Severus looked over the house elf. He was wearing what appeared to be a Weasley sweater, mismatching socks, and several tea cozy's which he was using as hats piled one on top of the other.

"Excuse me?" Severus said, trying to be civil. He had never heard of house elves being paid before, though somewhere in the inner recesses of his mind, Severus recalled Dumbledore bringing the matter up once or twice.

"Professor Dumbledore promised Dobby a Galleon a week, sir! And one day off a month." The house elf waged his finger up at Severus accusingly.

"Well, I'll make sure that I pay you, then." Dobby looked up at him and smiled.

"Can I get you anything, Professor Snape, sir? A butterbeer? Or some something stronger? You looks like you needs it, sir." Dobby was practically hopping up and down in anticipation.

"No, that's all right. I just came from dinner. But I would like to talk to you Dobby." Dobby nodded, his ears flapping against his head. "You're friends with Harry Potter?"

"Harry Potter is the greatest wizard that ever lived." Dobby said, tears of pride welling up in his eyes.

Severus took that as a yes.

"Do you think you can find him for me? Could you give him a message?"

"A message for Harry Potter, Sir?" Dobby's ears perked up. "Oh yes. Sir won't be disappointed in Dobby. Dobby can find Harry Potter, Sir."

"Very well then," Severus said. He bent down to Dobby's level to talk to him a little more privately, but doubted that the other house elves would be a security leak. They all loved Hogwarts, even if they did hate Severus for presumably killing Dumbledore. "Listen very carefully. This won't be easy." Dobby nodded enthusiastically.

Severus massaged his temples. The house elf wasn't as forgiving of Severus as he had thought he would be and much more perceptive. Dobby had boxed his ears when Severus tried to explain that he didn't kill Dumbledore in cold blood, and when Dobby realized that he tried to hurt the Headmaster he had attempted to bash his face with a large frying pan.

"I see you've had a little chat with my house elves."

"Yes." Severus said distractedly. He wasn't in the mood for one of Dumbledore's conversations.

"I was hoping that you would think of that," Dumbledore said from his portrait.

"And what if I didn't, Albus? What if it didn't cross my mind to do the same thing that old Dumbledore would?" Severus turned to face the painting.

"There's no need to get testy, Severus. The portraits of the headmasters are here to help the current headmaster of Hogwarts in any way that he or she can. If you did not think of it soon, I would have told you." Dumbledore looked down on Severus kindly. Severus just looked stonily back at him, the old look of Professor Snape fitted snugly on his face.

There was a knock on the door and Minerva walked into the room.

"Severus, you wanted to see me?" The last part came out quietly as Minerva's eyes traveled up to the smiling face of Albus Dumbledore.

"Good evening, Minerva."

"That's all you can say? Good evening?" Minerva looked somewhere between crying or screaming at Dumbledore, neither of which Severus wanted. He didn't deal well with crying and Severus was downright scared of Minerva the one time she had really lost her temper with him while he was a student and didn't want to repeat the incident. Though, Severus thought, he probably got what he disserved. "It wasn't supposed to end this way, Albus."

"I know, Minerva. I know. I didn't want it to. Please believe me."

"Of course I believe you. Why wouldn't I?" Minerva looked up at Albus who smiled softly down at her. Severus cleared his throat.

"If we could get back to the matter at hand?" Minerva tore her eyes away from Dumbledore's portrait with great effort and nodded. "Alright then. Minerva, I'm going to find Harry Potter. Do you know any information? Any idea's where he could be?"

"Not at all, Severus. I have no idea where he is. Only that he is with Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley. How do you expect to find him?"

"I sent Dobby to go look for him. Merlin knows that house elf has done it before." Minerva nodded.

"I expect that he will tell Harry about your position in the war as well?"

"Yes. If Harry doesn't believe him, which I fear will be the case, I may need some medical attention when I return." Severus ignored the chuckle from Dumbledore and continued. "Most of my potions are in the cabinet," Severus motioned to the tall cabinet behind Minerva, "but I believe that Luna Lovegood has several which I have not had time to make more of yet. If something is missing that I need, you can get it from her. I doubt that Horace has a large stockpile of these ready at hand. You can't find anything in that office." Severus said, remembering how neat and tidy he kept the office when it was his, how all the potions were labeled and arranged in alphabetical order.

"Harry trusts the elf though. He has no reason to believe that Dobby would lie to him." Minerva tried to reason.

"Yes," Severus said, "but he also tried to keep Harry safe by breaking his arm Harry's second year." Minerva nodded. "Minerva, watch out for the Carrow's while I'm gone. I don't know what they will do to the students, or for that matter, the teachers that oppose them or the Dark Lord."

"I'll keep my eyes open, Severus, but I doubt that they will try anything on the teachers." Severus tried to let Minerva's confident tone reassure him, but he couldn't help feeling that something bad was going to happen. Something was going to happen at Hogwarts while he was away. "As much as the Carrow's are evil, they are afraid of you, although I doubt that they would admit it out loud. After the incident with Ginny, things actually started to improve. Neville said that he might have to go into hiding before Christmas break. He hasn't needed to yet and it is after New Years."

"They're just biding their time. Students are still being hurt, still being tortured." Severus leaned on his desk and furrowed his brow. "And I won't be here to protect them this time. I won't be able to stop Carrow."

"But you'll be helping to stop Voldemort." Severus looked up and saw the determined look on Minerva's face. "And I swear to you, Severus, I will do everything to make sure no harm comes to those students as long as I live."

"I know, Minerva," Severus said, his fears a little more at ease. He knew that Minerva would do everything in her power to make sure that Hogwarts remained safe. He always knew that. Severus just needed to hear it out loud for his own sake of mind.

There was a loud crack as Dobby appeared in the office.

"Dobby has found Harry Potter, sir!" the elf squeaked excitedly.

"Did you speak to him?" Severus asked.

"Oh, yes, sir. I speak to Harry Potter. He did not believe Dobby at first but Dobby beat some sense into him, sir." Severus looked at Dobby warily.

"You didn't hurt him did you?"

"No, sir! Never hurt Harry Potter, sir!"

"Alright then. Where is he staying?" Severus asked, his fears a little more at ease.

"Dobby doesn't know what to call the place, sir. It's a big forest." Severus's shoulders dropped. They were back at square one. "But Dobby can show Professor Snape!" The little elf stuck his hand out innocently for Severus to take hold of.

"Very well," Severus said. He put on his cloak and took the sword. Dobby's eyes widened when he saw the gleaming metal.

"That is the sword that Harry Potter pulled out of the hat!"

"Yes, Dobby, it is. Harry has to find it by doing something brave," explained Severus.

"Oh that will not be hard, sir. Harry Potter is always doing something very noble and brave," Dobby said, taking Severus hand.

"Yes, he is, Dobby. Apparate where they can't see us. I need to think of how I'm going to do this." Dobby nodded. Severus felt the elf's grip on his hand tighten. With a pop they were gone.

"Do you think he'll be alright?" Minerva asked the portrait of Dumbledore.

"Oh, yes. Severus has an impeccable knack for wheedling his way out of difficult situations without a scratch." Dumbledore said, looking down at Minerva. "Never fear. I doubt that there will be a duel. Though Severus will most likely come back with a few interesting stories." Dumbledore scratched his chin. Minerva nodded. It was going to be a long night.