2

Skullduggery Snoops Around

Later that evening:

Severus gently patted down the dirt around the nightblooming starfire plant, and placed the four small bulbs in his gathering basket. He would use them later in his Night Seeing Draft. Normally he enjoyed gardening, it relaxed and calmed him. Not tonight, however. Ever since returning from London, he had been out of sorts. The raven's claim had thrown his carefully ordered world into chaos, and he did not like it at all.

He, the flawed former dark wizard, with a raven familiar! It was preposterous! He suspected it was nothing but a joke, ravens were known for their quirky sense of humor. That was all it was. A prank. God knew, he had been the butt of so many, that it came as no surprise. Because the alternative was inconceivable.

He rose, dusting off his robes and took the gathering basket on his arm. The evening was cool and crisp, a rare perfect autumn day. He looked up at the sun, slowly sinking in the west, casting the last rays across the sky, turning it to amber, crimson, gold, and heather. He paused, gazing at the kaleidoscope of rich color that splashed across the azure canvas of the sky. Once he had loved watching the sun set, before he had walked down the dark road. But that had been before the Mark, when he was yet an uncorrupted soul. Before he had done the unforgivable, and betrayed the only woman he had ever loved. Now he took pleasure no longer in things of beauty, save for the softly simmering swirl of a potion brewing.

You are for me, Severus Snape.

The raven's words echoed in his head. Oh, how he wished that were so. But it had to be a mistake. He was a traitor, his heart was not pristine. He had blood on his hands, the blood of the one he had pledged to love for all eternity. How then could he be worthy?

Shaking his head, he turned away, his vision blurred with bitter tears for an instant.

Thus he missed the black speck emerging from behind a cloud, a speck that grew larger and larger as Skullduggery flew towards the great gray castle, where a lonely wizard wept in silence over past mistakes.

The raven felt Snape's pain, it pierced him like a sword thrust, though he did not know what caused it. He made a small sound of distress, and renewed his efforts to reach the castle, though his wings were heavy with fatigue. The bond was true. That he felt what his wizard did was irrefutable testimony. Severus needed him. Needed him more than anything. As did Skullduggery.

The raven flew faster, his wings catching an updraft. He would have summoned a breeze to him, but he was tired and it was never safe to tweak the wind unless you were fully alert. So he continued flying normally, eventually he would arrive at his new home.

Page~*~*~*~*~Break

It was almost lights out, and Severus was in his chambers, relaxing with his feet up, having laid aside his tests for the night and was reading The Eye of the Needle a suspense novel by Ken Follett when there came an odd tapping at his door.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

Severus set down his book, scowling. Figures, the moment he decided to take a break, someone needed him for something. "Yes? Come in, it's unlocked."

He waited for the knob to turn and his late night visitor to enter.

But no one responded.

"Enter!" he called more forcefully.

Again came the odd tapping noise.

Now very annoyed, and believing this to be some prank played by a student, Severus rose, his midnight eyes flashing, and stalked to the door, robes billowing. He jerked open the door, ready to blast whatever little dunderhead thought it smart to bait his Potions Master, only to find Skullduggery upon the other side, hovering upon inky wings.

" . . .and so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door," Skullduggery recited in a sibilant hiss.

Severus took a step backwards, for the raven's large beak was almost at eye level with him, and it was then that he realized just how sharp it was and how much damage it could do if a wizard foolishly came too close. "You! How did you find me?"

"Quoth the raven—Nevermore!" Skullduggery cried. He flicked his feathers and flew into the room, adding as he did so, "Stupid poem! You think the poor depressed bastard would have come up with something that rhymed better."

The black bird landed upon the back of Severus' recliner. Then he eyed Snape thoughtfully. "I followed the bond. There is nowhere you can go that I cannot follow. I am your familiar."

Severus quickly shut the door and turned to face the insufferable shadow he had acquired. Damn it to hell, why had he ever decided to visit the Tower of London?

"I shall tell you again, that cannot be. I am the very last person to be a familiar to a raven!" Severus cried, exasperated.

Skullduggery drew himself up and fluffed all his feathers. "And I shall tell you again, that you are my wizard—you stubborn fool! We are bonded by the Old Magic, and have been ever since I first laid eyes upon you."

"No. It's a mistake."

"The magic does not make mistakes." Skull declared. "Why deny the bond? You must feel it, as I do."

"I . . ." Severus hesitated, for the truth was he did feel something . . . a strange sort of warmth, of comfort, when the raven was near. "I feel . . ." He did not finish, trailing off and looking down at his hands. "End this farce, bird! You and I both know what kind of wizard calls a raven his familiar and it is not me!"

"Stubborn! Your heart knows the truth."

"My heart was shattered two years ago," Severus snapped. "When I betrayed the one I held most dear upon this earth, when I failed to save her from the madman who destroyed her. I have nothing left to give you. It is done. Ashes and dust are left, and that is all."

The raven made a crooning sound. "Not all. Not all, Severus. The heart that was broken can be mended and forgiveness found. You are strong in the Old Magic, did you not know?"

Severus lifted his head and looked the persistent bird in the eye. "If by that do you mean I know the old discipline of Occlumency, you are correct."

The raven shook his head. "It is more than that. The Old Magic flows through you, strong and untainted. It is one reason why I chose you."

"You made a poor choice then." The professor said scathingly.

"Poor Severus! Your past haunts you still. You have put a cage of iron about your heart and until you forgive yourself, you shall always bleed. That is another reason I chose you, because you need me."

"For what?" Snape laughed bitterly. "To plague me?"

"Perhaps. Shall I make you a bargain then?"

"What sort of bargain?" asked Severus warily.

"I shall bet you a feather that come All Hallows Eve you will agree willingly that I am your familiar. If you do, the bond shall be complete and you shall have a fine feather to write your most secret spells in."

"And if not?"

"Then I shall leave and trouble you no more."

Severus considered. Halloween was a week away. He had much to do during that time, with his classes and with brewing various drafts for the hospital and Madam Pomfrey. He didn't see himself changing his mind. "Very well," he acquiesced. "On one condition. You shall remain unseen for the week, I don't want anyone to know you are here."

"Why? Are you afraid I might influence them in my favor?"

"No, I simply do not want to answer any bloody questions." Severus snapped.

"So be it. I shall fly the shadows. May I stay here for the night? The air outside is chill."

"Fine. Just don't leave a mess on my chair."

"I would never do so! I am not some ill-mannered crow." Skull cried indignantly.

"No, you are a pushy insolent bird, worse than my students." Snape grumbled. He flung himself into the chair and tried to resume reading, but could not concentrate with the raven perched on the chair back.

He struggled to read a page, but Skull began to snore, loudly.

Muttering something uncomplimentary under his breath about the raven sounding like a chainsaw, Severus retreated to his bedroom, where he managed to read a chapter before falling asleep.

Page~*~*~*~*~Break

The next morning, Severus woke at his usual time of six thirty. He preferred to eat breakfast alone in his suite, rather than dealing with too many loud hyper children on the weekends. So he ordered some toast, an egg, an orange, and a small platter of sausage, plus extra strong coffee. Recalling what the Ravenmaster had told the tour group about feeding the ravens, he also ordered a bowl of raw meat scraps, a hardboiled egg, and some bread cubes soaked in meat juices. He knew the elves would not question what he wanted it for, though he explained he was feeding an abandoned raven to satisfy their curiosity.

Severus ate his meal upon a small wooden folding table, and Skullduggery perched upon the chair arm and gulped down his meal, eating quickly though not very neatly, as he was quite hungry.

"Thanks. I also like ground beef drizzled with honey," the bird told him, then began to preen his glossy feathers.

Severus rolled his eyes. "I never knew ravens were so picky. I was under the impression you ate decaying and dead road kill."

"Oh, we do. But we much prefer freshly killed prey, like mice and rabbit when we can hunt for it. And I have a sweet tooth, which hardly ever gets indulged within the Tower, as Master Coyle is all about nutrition—fah! Only when I fly through London can I ever taste sweets."

"Good thing too, otherwise you might be too large to fly."

Skull bristled. "Are you saying I'm fat? Humph! I'll have you know my brother Thor is the largest raven at the Tower, not me. Besides, I would burn off most of the calories flying, ravens have an extremely high metabolism."

"Touchy , aren't you?" Snape taunted.

"How would you like it if someone called you fat, professor?"

Severus smirked. "I would tell them to have their eyes examined, for clearly they need glasses."

"Maybe you ought to take your own advice then!"

"Touche, Skullduggery." He quickly finished off his coffee, then pulled on his professor's robes. "I will be teaching all day, so find something to amuse yourself, as it is not safe for you to remain in the dungeon while my students are brewing, as some of the fumes may be toxic."

"Why, Severus, I wasn't aware you cared."

"I may not want you for my familiar, but I don't wish you to die," the Potions Master conceded. "So, do find somewhere else to be during the morning and afternoon."

"Fear not, I am not a fledgling, I can amuse myself." The raven assured him. And one of the first orders of business was to find out more about Snape's background.

Skullduggery figured he could do that best by speaking with some of the other denizens of the castle, namely other familiars or the owls. Post owls were inveterate gossips, almost as bad as crows. Though they would never break confidence about their letters, they nevertheless listened and heard all the juicy gossip of the day.

When Severus stood up to leave, Skullduggery flew to his shoulder, waiting until Snape had locked the door to his quarters before flying off the professor's shoulder and through the hallway.

Severus watched him go, a bit wistfully. He had always envied birds their wings. He shook his head, reminding himself sternly to quit mooning over a raven and keep his mind on his classes. He strode down the hall to the first dungeon.

Page~*~*~*~*~Break

Skullduggery flew high, close to the ceiling, where the shadows gathered, making it easier for his concealment magic to work. Not that he had much to worry about, for most of the students were too busy rushing to and from classes to ever look up, but still, he had given his word to remain unseen . . . to wizards and witches. He had never promised to remain hidden from other familiars.

Though unfamiliar with the castle, Skullduggery had lived his entire life in another fortress with plenty of rooms and twists and turns, and so was not intimidated by Hogwarts' size. He soon discovered the Owlery, and breezed inside to speak to some of the post owls. The owls were friendly and interested to meet a Towerborn raven. Skull chatted for a few minutes before asking if any of them knew about Professor Snape's background.

"He came from a small northern industrial town . . .High Bentham. He lived on Spinner's End," one said. "He's a half-blood, Muggle father and pureblood witch mother."

"Snape keeps to himself. Only mail he gets is from potions catalogues," another replied.

"He's a bit of a mystery, he is," murmured a Great Horned owl. "He has no family anymore."

"How sad," Skullduggery hissed. He could not imagine being all alone without even one family member to comfort him. When nothing else was forthcoming, the raven thanked them and flew out the casement.

Once in the open air, the raven decided to stretch his wings and flew rings across sky, only halting when he heard the most beautiful singing coming from the forest verge. Curious as to the owner of such a lush voice, Skullduggery flew near.

He discovered a magnificent phoenix sitting upon the branch of a large oak tree, its tail throwing off sparks. Alighting on the branch next to it, the raven trilled, "Well met, friend! You have a lovely voice."

Fawkes turned his head and warbled, "A raven! I haven't seen one of your kind since I can't remember when."

"My name is Skullduggery and I come from the Tower of London."

"A long way to travel, my dark brother. I am called Fawkes. Have you come to warn us of some impending disaster?"

"No. I have come to convince one infernally stubborn wizard that I am his familiar."

Fawkes chuckled. "If I had to guess from your description, I'd think you were speaking of Professor Snape."

"Got it in one, Fire-tail. We've bonded but he . . . he refuses to acknowledge it. Claims some nonsense that he's not worthy. There is no such thing with a familiar bond, it's all about needing, not deserving."

Fawkes trilled agreement. "True, but humans have some odd notions and Severus . . . he is a troubled soul. No one needs a familiar more, but first you need to make him trust you, and he trusts very few since Lily's death."

"Lily? Who was she, his wife?"

"No, she was his closest friend, but they had a falling out, and he loved her. She ended up marrying James Potter and having a son with him—the Chosen One. The y died, murdered by the Dark One. Severus never forgave himself for not being able to avert her death."

"Ah. I see. Guilt is heavy as a mountain. What else can you tell me about him?"

"Well, my wizard, Albus Dumbledore trusts him with his life. Snape is his top agent, an unparalleled spy, as well as brilliant potions maker. He forgave Snape for carrying half of the prophecy to the Dark One, but I believe Severus has never forgiven himself."

"Prophecy?"

"The prophecy of the Chosen One. Surely you have heard of it?"

"Yes. Although we ravens tend to be wary of prophecy. It is a double-edged sword, and can be interpreted many ways. Depending upon who interprets it, it can have many outcomes."

"Are you saying the prophecy is invalid?"

"Not at all. Simply that prophecy is convoluted and should not be taken literally." Skull explained. "My mother has the Sight, and she always told us that prophecy is more than the words spoken and only a true Seer can interpret it correctly."

"I see." Fawkes chirruped. "My advice to you, dear raven, is to be patient. Severus is closemouthed with his background and even more so with his heart. But keep chipping away at the rock surrounding it and eventually you shall get in. Oh, and welcome to Hogwarts."

"Your advice is appreciated. And now . . . I must hunt. Farewell for now, Fawkes." Skullduggery soared off the branch and deeper into the forest to hunt. He was not used to hunting for his supper, living at the Tower, but it was instinct, and his sire, who had been a wild-caught raven, had taught all his children the basics. He circled above the ground searching for a likely looking mouse or rabbit.

Knowing a bit more about Snape's background explained why the man was so reluctant to accept him—he was obviously afraid of rejection.

Page~*~*~*~*~Break

Snape did his best to ignore the raven for the rest of the night, though the intrepid bird did manage to sneak food from his plate . . . and other's plates during dinner. The rascal had the temerity to steal a roast chicken leg off Dumbledore's own plate! Severus' lips quivered as Dumbledore looked about, puzzled, at his empty plate, then the old wizard shrugged and took another off the platter.

Severus ducked his head and hissed out of the corner of his mouth, "For shame, Skullduggery!"

The raven looked up from his meal, he was sitting next to Severus' water goblet. "The early bird catches the worm."

He then had the sheer audacity to take drink from Snape's goblet!

Severus glared at the insolent bird and went to swat him, whispering, "Stop that!"

Skull dodged nimbly, and Severus, forgetting that no one else could see the bird, struck the side of his hand on his goblet, nearly upending it.

Minerva gave him an odd look. "Severus, are you all right?"

"Yes, I just . . . had a cramp in my hand," Severus covered hastily, feeling himself start to flush. He could just imagine what his colleagues were thinking, that he had gone round the bend, swatting the air like a lunatic. Bloody raven!

When dessert was served, the insolent bird perched right atop the triple layer chocolate cake and proceeded to nibble away at the cherries on top, then ate three sugared donuts as well!

"Your appetite is insatiable!" murmured Snape while eating his custard tart.

"What do you expect? I am a raven."

"Merlin help us all," the wizard grumbled.

Page~*~*~*~*~Break

The second day was a near repeat of the first one, except that Skullduggery spotted Mrs. Norris lurking in the corridor and though normally cats and birds were dire enemies, ravens actually tolerated them. A raven was too big for an ordinary cat to catch, and could injure one permanently with its beak if it fought, knowing this, cats had a healthy respect for them. So when Mrs. Norris spotted the large black bird circling above her, she checked her instinctive spring and meowed, "Hello. Who might you be? You're new, I haven't seen you about before."

Skullduggery landed about three feet away from the tortoiseshell on the floor and fluffed up his feathers to make him seem larger. "Madame Chat," he purred in French, of which he knew a little from listening to tourists visiting the Tower. "I am pleased to make your acquaintance." He had discovered long ago that most cats love a bit of flattery, and he suspected the tortoiseshell queen was no different. "My name is Skullduggery and I am the familiar of one of the wizards at this institution."

"Indeed? A student or a professor?"

"The latter, madame."

Her whiskers twitched. "You speak politely for a winged one, you're much more intelligent than most birds."

"I should hope so, for I am no flutter-brained robin, bob-bob-bobbing along!" Skull said, somewhat indignantly. "I am a Towerborn raven, charged with keeping the dark at bay."

Mrs. Norris bowed slightly, her front paws outstretched. "I meant no offense, yours is an honorable profession. It is quite a relief to find one like you here, the owls consider themselves above the likes of me and are so stuffy it's a wonder they can fly. My wizard calls me Mrs. Norris, though my mother named me Ishtar." She sniffed and wrinkled her pink nose. "Tell me, friend Raven, do you like to hunt mice?"

Skull's eyes lit up. "Does a fish love to swim? Show me where they hide and I shall flush them out to you."

Mrs. Norris' tail twitched eagerly. "A joint effort?"

"Yes. We can split the catch."

"Come, Skullduggery. Let us hunt!"

Together the raven and the cat played a coordinated game of stalk and ambush, ridding the castle of a dozen mice in one afternoon. As per the agreement, they split the catch between them, a half-dozen each.

"An afternoon well spent!" purred the tortoiseshell, eagerly crunching a mouse down.

"Quite," Skull quickly ate a mouse, swallowing it almost whole, as it was a small one. When he had finished his lunch, he ventured to ask the cat a question that had been nagging him last night. "Ishtar, you have dwelled in the castle for a long time, have you not?"

Mrs. Norris paused in licking her paw. "Many years, ever since my wizard Argus was hired by Headmaster Dippet. Why do you ask?"

"I am puzzled by the rivalry I see between some of the children. Those who bear the lion upon their robes and those with the snake sigil seem to loathe each other. Why?"

The cat finished washing her face before replying. "That is a long tale, and it begins long ago, when a certain wizard named Tom Marvolo Riddle came to Hogwarts . . ."

Skull listened, rapt, as the cat explained the origins of the bitter rivalry, she even told him about Severus' boyhood quarrels with a group of Gryffindor boys who called themselves Marauders. "Nasty wretches they were!" she spat. "Tormented my wizard something awful, the brats. I scratched them whenever they tried to pick me up, and always alerted a professor when they snuck out of bed and I caught them. I was never so grateful to see the back of any human as I was when they left school. I gave that miserable dog Black a good bite on the behind to remember me by before he walked out the door, he left a package for my wizard and I spotted him."

"He sounds like someone who needed a good peck on the head." The raven said. Meanwhile he was mulling over what he had learned about Severus during his schooldays, part of the professor's poor self-image could have resulted from his treatment by the four Marauders. "This . . . House rivalry . . . why has someone not done something to end it? It seems to be a source of trouble, and such dissent is never good, it plays right into the hands of the dark. Evil's first goal is to sow dissent among those who should be allies. Such a thing should not be permitted. After all, they're all on the same side."

"Humans carry a grudge for longer than any animal."

"True. Perhaps, though, they can be taught to give it up, if they're shown something they all have in common."

"And what is that, bold one?"

"Laughter." Skull replied. "Mirth drives away darkness better than any spell invented."

Mrs. Norris sneezed. "If you say so. I am tired, I think I'll take a nap."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." Skullduggery flew out of the bowels of the castle and headed to the potions lab.

Severus was between periods, grading papers at his desk. The raven flew down silently and landed upon his shoulder. The professor jumped upon feeling the raven's weight upon his shoulder, almost upsetting his ink pot.

"Blast it, bird!" swore the Potions Master. "You almost made me ruin over an hour's work! Next time warn me when you decide to perch upon me!"

"Forgive me. I have been hunting mice with a most admirable feline and I am very tired," Skull purred into Severus' ear.

"How nice," Severus growled. "Why don't you go and take a nap?"

"Don't mind if I do," said the raven, and he tucked his head beneath his wing and fell asleep.

"I meant on a chair, not me," groused the wizard, but didn't have the heart to remove the raven from his shoulder.

He found the sleeping avian did not interfere with his grading and so he continued, pausing every so often to caress the sleek feathers. He told himself it was to give his hand a break so his fingers did not cramp.