Hogwarts One Half
Chapter Nineteen

by Lionheart

I O I O I

Seventeen of the older Slytherin students had been arrested and were now awaiting trial, a sizable fraction of the upper three years. Others, the majority of that House, had fines being leveled against them for ownership of forbidden or controlled magical objects, and parents were being notified - which was actually shocking some families, just not the hereditary dark ones. A few Slytherin students were even being withdrawn from school by shocked guardians who'd had no idea their child was being trained in murder and indoctrinated as a terrorist.

Snape had gone very intensely berserk in that cold rage way of his over the whole matter.

Beauxbatons was going to have a bumper crop of new transfers this year, as that institution was widely viewed as the Lightest of magical academies, too busy being artsy and having fun to go dark, a reputation they maintained by instantly expelling anyone caught performing dark magic or using dark arts artifacts. And the threat of expulsion, with its follow-up 'no magic forever' clause, was enough to get all but the stupidest and most stubborn students from touching it while at that school, learning to do without. And habits ingrained in youth often last a lifetime.

Naturally, all of Hogwarts was abuzz with talk about the event.

Nodoka felt quite pleased with herself. She had put the fear of Law and Order into a group Snape had trained to think were above the law by selectively punishing their victims while at the same time shielding the perpetrators, so long as those guilty were in Slytherin. But she had put their feelings of invincibility and invulnerability to rest.

Naturally, Dumbledore got mad about it.

Unfortunately for him, he chose to confront her about this in the Great Hall at mealtime, since she wouldn't come to his office when summoned. Casting a privacy charm around the Head Table, he began to whisper. "Professor Malfoy, you have exceeded your authority and transgressed school regulations, putting a feeling of dread into our students over their safety and poisoning their minds into a fear of law enforcement..."

He didn't even see her moving. One moment he was admonishing her. The next she was standing over him. Albus was bruised from striking the floor stones and dazed, with a pain in his jaw telling him that it was broken, probably from the blow that lifted him across the table and felled him on the other side.

Some enterprising student chose that time to cancel the privacy charm.

Nodoka was practically streaming fire with angry breaths. "You twit! You Moron! Are you a complete and utter JACKASS!?! Has it never occurred to you that by applying a little bit of discipline now, teaching them there are consequences for certain actions, that it might avoid our aurors having to KILL THEM LATER!!?" She finished in a half screech, before realizing what she had done and composing herself, instantly becoming a refined and elegant Japanese woman who could not even conceive of shrieking or violence.

"Headmaster, I find your selective view on discipline deplorable, and regrettably I must attribute your lax standards and abominable favoritism toward a certain House to your idiotic and misguided friendship with the Death Eater Severus Snape. Had any other students been caught in open violations of wizarding law your response would have been to throw them to the wolves, letting them bear the full brunt of punishments for their actions. Instead, with these pampered, evil fools, your first move is to protect them. You have lost any respect I once had for you, or for your judgment."

Dumbledore could not reply due to the interference of a broken jaw, which was unfortunate for him, as Luna snapped a picture to be in the next, special edition of the Quibbler, with the earlier paragraph as caption.

Her next statement would make up the bulk of the article.

"Dumbledore, of all of the groups that could be made to feel that rules did not apply to them, Slytherin House is the most dangerous by far. Pamper Gryffindors and the worst that will happen is they'll get into a little vigilante justice. Make Hufflepuffs feel above the law and they'll perhaps break a few import regulations or small rules in looking out for each other. A Ravenclaw with immunity from prosecution will study some forbidden things, and maybe research cures or counters for them while they're at it. But of all the groups, Slytherins are more likely than anyone to use that power to hurt others, cause damage, get a thrill out of the fear of their victims and advance themselves over the corpses of their rivals. In short, to recreate all of the horrors of Voldemort's last reign of terror. Yet you have done your level best to turn out a gang of evil hooligans under Snape, ideal to be the next generation of Death Eaters. Did you think fighting Voldemort was not enough of a challenge last time; is that why you are out doing your best to hinder the good side and help the bad? Or is your debt to Snape so deep you are helping him become our next Dark Lord? Is that why you're allowing him to train up a brutal generation of evil criminals at our school?"

Face purpling over his bruise and drooling from his injury, Dumbledore picked up his wand and wordlessly cast a healing charm that fixed his jaw, setting the bone so it could be used even without actually repairing the break. "That is quite enough, Professor Malfoy. Your unprovoked attack shall be dealt with properly, in its own time. But Severus Snape has already been pardoned by the Ministry for his acts during the last war. It was understood that he did them for the greater good, spying for the Light."

"Snape's worst legacy is not the crimes he committed as a Death Eater, or his questionable use as a spy playing BOTH sides for his own profit, but the decade of students who grew to hate his subject because he abused them, destroying any credibility of the teacher-student relationship and crippling the skills of an entire magical generation on a key subject!" She returned hotly. "Or do you choose to remain ignorant of the investigation going on right now into his crimes that he's accused of perpetrating Since You Hired Him?!"

"Until he is proven guilty, you shall treat him with the respect he deserves as a member of this staff!" Dumbledore roared, patience breaking.

"Until he starts ACTING like a teacher, I will treat him like the CHILD he behaves as!! A spoiled, evil, petulant little child at that!" Nodoka shouted to the consternation of the entire hall as Snape stood revealed in the doorway.

The Head of Slytherin sniffed disparagingly. "And who is the one shouting and striking out in front of a hall full of students? You set such a stellar example in self control, Miss Malfoy. Perhaps I missed a few lessons. Tell me..."

His cunning retort was cut off by an authoritative hand landing on his shoulder. Looking up showed him the face of two highly offended aurors, one of whom began speaking. "Mister Snape, you have been named as accomplice by several of your students in testimony given concerning their criminal acts. I am therefore obliged to place you under arrest. Please come with me. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law..."

The Potion Professor's startled eyes swiveled round to meet Nodoka's gaze. She spoke to the man's shocked face as he was chained up, "You are a childish, evil little man, Snape; and I won't let you get any more influence over future generations than you've already had. It ends now, Snape. You've made your bed, have grace enough to lie in it."

Coins began changing hands around Luna at the Ravenclaw table as bets got cashed in.

"And what about her assault on the Headmaster?" Snape shot, trying to spread some misery around while he still a chance. "Are you going to leave her there when she could be a danger to the students?"

"If he chooses to press charges it will go to trial," the auror answered calmly. "And our courts will be happy to prosecute; non-magical assault by a witch or a wizard against another witch or wizard is subject to a stiff fine of up to one-hundred galleons. However, the last person I'll believe about dangers to children is yourself, Mister Snape, alias the 'Horror of Hogwarts', and the Ministry is pressing hard for Dumbledore to come up on trial for abuse of the Boy Who Lived, and conspiracy with you on the many crimes for which you stand accused, child abuse among them. So if it comes out that he was criticizing her actions for calling us in on this case where some of your kids were caught melting the face off another, and she struck him... Why," the officer grinned. "I know our judges will be swift to punish her for it. They'll come down hard on her. They may fine her as much as a sickle, possibly even two."

I O I O I

Ryoga set his pack down and sat next to it, between his tent and the stack of branches he'd put together to form a campfire. Genma said he knew how his boy's mind worked, and he ought to, he'd raised him and trained him for over ten years. And Genma said he knew how Ranma would conceal himself and where he'd be hiding.

Searching China was hard work, though they all hoped it would soon bear fruit.

How hard could it be to track a redhaired Japanese girl in China supporting herself on the fighting circuit? Genma swore his child didn't have any other skills, except stealing, and was too dang moral to do that once he'd caught on to what that form of 'training' was.

Also Ryoga knew from experience that Ranma's extremely boyish manner and undeniably feminine figure stood out anywhere. Everyone noted a pretty face, and those... ahem, other assets stood out even more, in a literal sense as well as figurative. So in spite of dressing, talking, and acting male, having measurements a supermodel could be jealous of made his cursed rival attract so much attention, which he then beat off in spectacular ways, you only had to enter a town and ask a few questions to know if he'd been there. The contrast of a girl so pretty acting so repulsive (as well as claiming to be a boy) made him more memorable than either his red hair or martial arts would've done alone.

Cologne insisted they widen the search criteria to other physical professions that had easy entry requirements, like farming or construction. But regardless, Ranma would still be training, and so he'd stand out. So even if China did have more hidden villages than even their own government knew how to find, sooner or later Ranma would run out of places to hide, then they'd have him! Everyone was searching, and they'd narrow it down. It was just a matter of time now. With all of the people who knew that Happosai was the kind, benevolent savior he was out helping they couldn't lose!

Then they'd make that bastard Saotome pay!

Cologne had told them that no one among them would be able to use any magic devices until they'd removed Ranma's curse on them, and to do that they had to find him, err, her. It was just like that fiend to use an artifact to cast a spell like that on them before running away like the coward he was! But the ancient, shriveled old witch had many spells she could cast without resorting to tools, and Ryoga at least was grateful for the illusion of his pre-curse self.

She couldn't transform him, or so she'd said. Being locked made his curse far too powerful for so simple a cure, or so Cologne had explained, and Toma's male water complicated that yet further. So if anyone touched him they'd find a snout and tusks on his face, and these horrible two-fingered hands. And it wouldn't last very long, having to be renewed once a week. But at least no one ran screaming at the sight of him anymore. That was, no one did for about a week. It took him longer than that to find his way back to get another glamour spell cast. But at least it was some solace to his Saotome-spawned misery!

He'd enjoy tearing the flesh from his old adversary's bones.

And wandering around was better than hanging around the main group anyway. For one, he was used to it. But a far more major consideration was that between an invisible Genma stealing all of his food, and Soun gazing at him hungrily whenever he thought Ryoga wasn't looking, the Lost Boy just preferred to be out in the wilderness on his own.

Ryoga was just squatting down to cook something over a campfire when a stray paper blew into camp and plastered itself over his face. Pulling it away, he saw one of those newspapers with the moving pictures he'd happened upon from time to time, this one in English, talking about some Professor Malfoy hitting a Dumbledore guy.

Not recognizing either name, or the people in the picture (the teachers at some school, he guessed, since both of the people in the shot were called professors), he wadded up the paper and shoved it in between the sticks he'd built into a pyramid, using it to help his fire catch as he lit it with a match.

A second later he was warming his hands, grunting softly.

As the Lost Boy made careful marks on a map of China of which places he'd visited, the Tennessee Highway Patrol pulled over a speeder on the overpass he was camping under.

I O I O I

Kodachi had a happy feeling in her heart.

There were many happy reasons for this - a very happy realization when once she would have been over the top with joy to be happy over ONE!

She had a brother who loved her and cared for her, explained things about the mysterious male psyche that she'd probably never fully understand (but still remained a far sight better than trying to make sense of her father or Tachi) and then helped use them as her guide to wisdom on understanding the male mind!

For once, she could be whoever she wanted to be, and the thing she found the most joy in being was the sweet little girl she'd decided to become on receipt of so much kindness. It was odd, but every time she did a kind or generous act around here, people seemed to adore her for it.

So very much unlike the Kuno home.

And because people around her acted differently, it was far easier to understand what they did and did not view as kind or generous acts. SO very different from trying to learn from a study of the Kuno family's insanities! It was as if she had been trying to read confused kanji all of her life that someone who ought to know had just declared was not writing at all, but mindless worm trails cut into wood by burrowing insects!

It made sense to her why none of that made sense before! Her former family was insane, but growing up surrounded by them there was no sanity to compare them to!

Now she was wondering how she'd bourn it.

So much of a contrast to her happy life today. Why, just this morning she'd begun teaching her new and much beloved brother Harry the basics of her style of gymnastics. It was a female art she knew, but there was a male variant of it and she knew enough of it to get him started. They could easily import a proper instructor once he was ready and needed one. Until such time, she could get him firmly grounded in the basics.

And a bit more into shape. While she'd never say anything to hurt his feelings, Harry was scrawny and shaped like a beanpole - only without the height. She'd honestly taught four year old girls who had better muscle conditioning than he did. But all of that would come with time, which, as each other's family, they would have plenty of.

She was also grateful to be sharing his instruction into hobbies.

While she was certainly aware that her knowledge of plants and powders had started as a hobby, it had long since progressed past that into a part of her Art. So, it stood to reason (especially given the wide variety of martial arts she'd witnessed in her homeland) that other interests could spark additions to her combat repertoire.

It seemed doubtless they could, although collecting bottle caps might be a bit extreme of a stretch. Still... she paused as her mind filled with thoughts of a bottle-cap barrage and giant, rolling round wheels with bottlecap fringes bearing down on a startled enemy and put those doubts to rest. It could be done. She merely didn't know how to do it yet.

Hmm, bottlecap frisbees, those flanges supporting beautiful serrated edges...

Pulling her mind back to other business, shelving thoughts of her future combat art for now, she returned to that delightful concept of viewing how much improved her life was now over what she'd known before, and came to a core issue certain to make her life wonderful for all of her conceivable future!

The boy she'd pretended to love for so long (and actually gone far beyond pretending to a real feeling, almost without her noticing) loved her back.

That was so sweet! She was loved. It was a feeling not enjoyed since her mother passed, or the woman who'd she'd previously thought was her mother. This Lily person sounded superior, even in the rumors she'd heard, to her own slightly eccentric one.

Nonetheless, being loved was precious, a treasure unequaled by the vast Kuno fortune or any kind of privilege she had enjoyed thus far. And she had it. She had it from the boy she'd always wanted it from, a genuine hero and knight errant, questing to be reunited to his loves. A paragon of the truest values of loyalty and honor!

Okay, there was a bit of gender confusion going on. She could deal with that. It wasn't any great issue, really. Her past life was filled with insanities she'd had to put up with that were far worse. Her former brother Tachi filling his underpants with pudding and moaning about his pigtailed love, for one. Or that time her former father tried engaging her to that horrible desert prince who needed help on his used monkey farm.

She shuddered a bit at that last thought - the reason why she'd started using so many poison gas bombs, and swiftly turned her thoughts to happier venues.

Someday, it may not be soon but someday, she was going to be a bride, and the groom had already agreed, and was courting her! She was due to meet her Ranma-sama down in Hogsmead this evening, and he'd promised her a night to remember.

Life was bliss!

I O I O I

Unlike most years, this meeting of the school Board of Governors for Hogwarts was likely to be exciting, and eagerly anticipated by some while dreaded by others. Some did both at turns.

Luna was being swarmed by eager bet-takers.

There was the rather critical issue of Severus Snape's job review, whether he would be allowed to keep his position, or possibly prosecuted and even perhaps sent to jail for the criminal actions during his tenure.

Talk among the students was gleeful, and centered chiefly about how they'd punish him and what dreadful things the students eagerly anticipated occurring to their nemesis. Most of the punishments they thought up were worse than anything the Ministry was likely to do, even if the case did go to court, but that didn't stop the abused youngsters from spelling out in excruciating detail how they'd like their payback for his offenses.

Dumbledore spent the morning polishing his plans for Severus' defense. He'd been preparing those off and on since the need became painfully clear early on this year. Egad! Had it really only been a few weeks? Most years passed by with fewer major events than their initial few days with Nodoka Malfoy as an instructor.

To his displeasure, Dumbledore was not invited to the entire meeting of the Board, to hear testimonies and make initial reports, a courtesy most years he'd taken for granted. So he spent the additional time plotting and polishing his statement in hopes for a favorable outcome before going downstairs.

Among those summoned by the Board to give testimony, and consequently milling about before the closed room either before or after giving it, were several members of his staff, and he was pleased to note one who ought to have information he was seeking.

"Ah, Nodoka. I seem to have lost track of Sirius Black, and I was wondering if you could pass a message along to him. I am honestly quite surprised that he has not approached me on his own." Dumbledore smiled benignly as he approached the woman.

Looking him straight in the eye, she said, "I have no idea where Sirius is, Albus, only where he isn't. And he isn't anywhere I can get in touch with him. Perhaps if you had actually let him contact me back when we were close he wouldnt've have run off on me, but he has. I have no forwarding address or schedule of contacts, or any idea when I may see him again, and if you'd wanted Sirius to feel he could rely on you, in your place I would've started by being reliable. Your inaction, failing to step in on his behalf, sent him to Azkaban just as surely as if you'd been the Minister of Magic who'd decided he wasn't worth a trial. I am not surprised in the least that he has not chosen to contact you. You have betrayed, and continue to betray, everyone who'd ever trusted you. That's gone from Lily and James' wishes as to what was supposed to happen with their son, through countless sordid affairs on down to what you'd done trying to get Snivellus into my lab despite my most firmly stated objections and his openly stated wish to harm me. You've got no trust because you are unworthy of trust, and it will be a cold day in hell when I help you set up any more innocents to abuse and destroy - You've been playing the Master Manipulator so long you've forgotten what it is to even be human; and I wonder if you're not more like Voldemort than you suppose."

As his Legilimency confirmed that every word she'd said was true (though she had enough mastery of Occlumency to prevent him from rifling through her mind for the details, he could easily confirm that she hadn't lied, or even bent the truth once during that exchange - and it hurt to tell that she honestly believed that poorly of him), a flashbulb went off on a wizarding camera, and Dumbledore winced as he saw the reporters who'd witnessed this exchange, and knew that it would appear in the next issue of the Daily Prophet, word for word.

Nodoka had hired wizarding lawyers, and already prepared lawsuits ready to go on a moment's notice if they misquoted her - and she'd made sure the editor was aware of that, and that she had the leverage to not only shut down his paper, but to hold his personal fortunes responsible. The Daily Prophet didn't dare to cross her in any actionable way. Yet they hadn't had to misquote her to get absolutely amazing copy these days, and here he was getting caught in the center of that.

Unbeknownst to Dumbledore, Nodoka had gotten away with a tiny little manipulation of the truth in her little confrontation, that his illegal mind reading didn't catch. She'd chosen to talk about the real Sirius Black, with whom she had no contact, and who long ago had chosen not to contact Dumbledore after seeing how the old man failed to raise any defense of him, or even an investigation of events, when he was framed. She'd just let Albus think she'd been talking about Sirius running off as if this was a recent event.

However, unbeknownst to her, this was the last time she'd get a free attack in on the elderly wizard perhaps for a very long time, if not ever.

Dumbledore was powerful, and he was popular for a reason. It was just that he'd allowed himself to become critically overextended and vulnerable on some poor judgment issues that she had caused him to be called upon.

The bad news for everybody was that she was not the only one taking advantage of the Headmaster's present vulnerability.

Lucius Malfoy, who was on the Board of Governors, came out of the room where the meeting was being held and, with an insufferable smirk, invited Dumbledore within.

I O I O I

"Headmaster Dumbledore," the Head of the Board addressed him in a less-than-friendly voice as he entered the room, which was a tragedy considering all of their years of easy camaraderie together. "All we require from you to conclude our deliberations on this subject are a few simple statements. You can confirm or deny as you like. Did you indeed hire Severus Snape, knowing that he was a Death Eater at the time?"

Seeking an opportunity to use his prepared arguments, Dumbledore answered and then immediately went on to his polished defense. "Yes, of course. You see..."

"That will do," the Head of the Board cut him off with a tired voice and hurt wince, as if Albus' words had been a slap. "And were you aware of his predilections toward his own House?"

Dumbledore stilled. This was not going how he wanted. That was a loaded question, a trap that he could be ruined for answering either way. If he didn't know about his Potion Master's egregious and obvious offenses, then how could he be trusted to be aware of anything going on in his school? But contrariwise, if he had known, how could he excuse his inaction? Severus had broken every rule of teacher conduct in the book, and quite a few laws in his treatment of students. Reluctantly, he answered, "Yes, but you see..."

Again his old friend winced as if slapped, a much stronger one this time. And Dumbledore trailed off in confusion to see Severus smirking in victory at him. Had he not been called here to present a defense for his Potions teacher? What was going on?

"And did you provide any instruction or direction to Professor Snape for improving his teaching methods?" Lucius asked the question this time, grinning like a cat with prey already in its claws.

"I understood him to be an expert on his subject," Dumbledore answered in guarded tones.

"Yet he never had any instruction on teaching," Lucius concluded proudly, then turned back to face the board with an easygoing, confident manner, assured of his success, and faked a pleasant yet regretful smile. "Well, I don't see how we can reach any other conclusion. Professor Snape's defense is clear enough, and our own Headmaster has corroborated it."

The board was clearly unhappy about this, but just as clearly felt locked into something.

"What, exactly, has been concluded?" Dumbledore asked warily.

I O I O I

Once the atrocious news had spread, it was a much subdued school that was talking about it. As Professor Malfoy's personal study group gathered together, Hermione was bringing several of the other students up to speed on the shameful details.

"Snape blamed Dumbledore's 'lack of counsel and direction' for his own horrendous teaching methods, and between him and Lucius got Dumbledore fired from his post, while saving Snape's job. It's an outrage. It's horrendous, but they claimed Dumbledore was the one responsible, having hired Snape and knowing his history, for teaching him better ways for dealing with students. Snape got off with probation. He's got a year to improve, and if he can show that he can be less of an evil bastard in that time, then he can claim to be on the right path at last and keep his position, all but cleared of any wrongdoing."

Ukyo sighed. "It's not the first time I've seen justice perverted by someone coming up with a smooth lie. And from what I've heard, Snape is an expert on smooth lies."

"Uhh, what's up with her?" Padma gestured to Shampoo, who was too upset to speak.

Ranko put an arm around her friend, calming the amazon lest she scare the locals by smashing apart a few walls. "Shampoo comes from a small village, where if the leaders do anything openly stupid they simply get removed, by lynch mob if necessary. It offends her deeply to see anyone in charge get away with this type of nonsense."

"Is criminal!" Shampoo whispered, while trying to get ahold of herself. "Blind leaders are for killing! Stupid, stupid men with brains of frogs! They ruin all! Must be stopped."

"Yeah, sugar. I don't think there are many kids in this school who'd disagree with you." Ukyo pronounced sadly. "Most of them never imagined that kind of injustice could happen, until they had to deal with this travesty."

I O I O I

"How could things have gone so wrong?"

Dumbledore was pacing in his office, pondering hard, his hands seeking out his candy bowl as he walked, bringing lemon drop after lemon drop to his mouth, crunching them instead of sucking as he tried to consider his situation. "Several times now I have come to a conclusion that I must abandon the defense of Severus, and each time I find myself slipping back into old patterns, standing up for him even at tremendous expense to my reputation. It is a losing battle, one that cannot be won, and yet I continue to fight it. Why is this?"

His grasping hand came up empty. After scouring the bottom of the bowl for a moment it caught his attention, and the Headmaster stared down at the empty candy dish, his favorite comfort gone. Sighing aloud, he rubbed his temples. "I shall have to ask Severus..."

His eyes flew wide at once.

To have completed that sentence would've required the words "... for another batch." The Potions Master, when he'd first come to Hogwarts, had been on his very best behavior and had frequently offered to do errands. Often the man had stopped by, with a kindly, "I am going down to Hogsmead, Headmaster. Is there anything I can pick up for you while I am out that way?"

In the interests of building trust and friendship he'd often accepted those offers, getting the new teacher to bring him back a trinket or book, new pair of socks, or... a bag of lemon drops.

Later, his Potions Master had made a suggestion that perhaps, since he was in the habit of offering sweets to students brought to his office, it would smooth feelings if he were to mix up his own batch with a mild cheering charm built into them. Dumbledore had agreed, and thought that he and his new professor were getting along greatly. And it had naturally been accepted to continue this line of logic that hooligans and other delinquents could be made more tractable if there was a mild truth serum in the candies as well, perhaps prepared as a separate batch, offered only to those who deserved it.

The Supreme Mugwump had known his own mental defenses and shields were up to an occasional snack on such a mild compulsion potion. But staring down at his bowl he came to realize that somehow, he wasn't even sure how, the potion-dosed drops had been the only ones to be delivered for years and years. He couldn't even recall when or how that happened, only that he'd accepted it unexamined.

The first few times Severus had offered to do him favors he had checked over the things he'd delivered for possible traps or spells. But he'd found nothing, and things had been so hectic he'd soon stopped checking.

Likewise, the first few batches of Severus' special lemon drops had been carefully checked over and proved to be nothing more than he'd offered.

And yet Snape was careful, always watching, and when Albus had gotten distracted by other matters, emergencies or the war on Voldemort...

Good God!

That snake! Always poised, ready and waiting for his guard to go down, to slip in a batch of candies dosed with far more than intended - ready with an excuse, he was sure, about how the dosage had been increased because of a slip of his hand or some such. He'd have been ready with such an excuse the first few times, but when Albus didn't catch it he'd go farther. Snape could use a more potent potion or otherwise increase the effectiveness, gradually stealing away the Headmaster's mind as he chewed thousands upon thousands of lemon drops!

Horrified, Albus recalled that he'd never been too fond of the treats before Severus came to Hogwarts. He'd enjoyed dozens of sweets and candies, often changing what he offered to guests coming into his office, so as to encourage conversation on subjects apart from the often painful ones that brought them there, and put them more at ease.

That had all stopped shortly after he'd first accepted a bag of lemon drops Severus had brought back from Hogsmead.

Daily reinforcement was a powerful force. Yes, Albus believed that his mental strength was great enough to counter an occasional dose with even a moderately powerful truth serum or mood potion. Yet... DAILY... over...

More than a decade. Egad, TEN YEARS of taking this?!?! Possibly eleven, he couldn't be sure. He could no longer recall precisely when. Specific dates had fled his mind, which was itself a sure sign of tampering concerning this topic.

Constructing a possible scenario on the subject, Dumbledore accepted as fact that he had been drugged, without his knowing, into taking at least one and possibly many potions that, whatever else they'd done, had encouraged him into taking more of them; first causing him to abandon other types of candy, and secondly to increase his consumption of these. Albus recalled that he'd taken to sucking on these dreadful sweets almost constantly, and whenever he was stressed or worried he would crunch them, to consume more quickly.

Thus, whatever other potions had been brewed into them found those dosages increased exponentially. Even if those had still been only the mild serums Severus had proposed (which he could no longer believe), constant high doses over years would cause even his great mental walls to crumble - and Severus was an accomplished Legilimens, whatever suggestions or commands he wanted to implant, he could do so himself through a weak enough shield. That skill, reinforced by potions...

Albus sat down in his chair and wept.

I O I O I

Author's Notes:

And here we have the alternate view of Dumbledore, that of a well-meaning old fogie who genuinely intends to do good, but is either insane or utterly incompetent.

However, that thesis doesn't hold up on it's own. A person who is incompetent, or crazy, will make decisions all over the place. Some will be bad, some good, while most will be some variant of crazy. And, it is an inescapable FACT that Dumbledore's arranging of Harry's life was consistent - bad choices all of the time.

Well, consistent bad choices all of the time comes only through malicious intent. It doesn't happen by accident. So, if Albus is merely fruity, an old man not in control of his own marbles, then someone else must be making those choices for him.

So, the only way to get a quasi-innocent Albus is to present one who was controlled by enemy action. And who better for that than Snape?