Chapter 9
Lydia did not believe in hanging about; and worked out the soonest best time for a ritual blooding.
The dozen new members of the blood group cut their palms fearlessly and joined with their elders; and Sextus found he had tears in his eyes to know that he would never lose wonderful Lilith however much he sniped and sneered; and that he had family, a huge caring family who did not care that his mother was a bit weird and that his father was a rather inadequate muggle. And Lilith hugged him.
"I – now I'm your brother!" he said in wonderment.
Lilith giggled.
"Good job you're not really" she said.
Sextus was hurt.
"Why not?" he said snippily "Don't want to acknowledge it?"
"You poor prune" said Lilith "If you were really my brother, how could I marry you when we grow up?"
Sextus, for the first time in his life, was entirely robbed of words.
Lilith kissed his cheek.
"Aren't you a little young to be thinking of marriage, half-pint?" said Sextus, finding his tongue
"Oh yes; but you're far too much like dad for me to ever let you get away" said Lilith airily.
Zabini had been doing some thinking and went in search of Mimi.
The whole of the marauders seemed to have disappeared and so did the junior menaces. Come to think of it, the Marauders did occasionally disappear en masse; and what they got up to he could not guess. Was it something to do with the source of their power? Or was it that they really did go off on missions against the likes of Odessa? Surely not the little kids? Zabini was achingly curious; but he held it in check and when the various Marauders reappeared, or rather when the Slytherin ones returned to their common room he jerked his head to Mimi in a summons as though he did not care where they had been.
Mimi raised an eyebrow but wandered over to him.
"I want to talk to you in private" he said.
"Indeed?" said Mimi "I'd have sort of rather liked an appearance of Mr Manners to comply with your request."
Zabini compressed his lips.
"Would you mind a private conversation with me?" he said.
"Not at all; detention room?" she suggested.
Zabini managed a rueful grin.
"Well it's not a place most people would choose to go; as such a perfect place for a private assignation" he said.
Zabini was self possessed and patient; so they walked in silence until they were in the detention room.
Then he turned to her.
"You could have left me under amortentia and let me make a ghastly fool of myself" he said "Why didn't you?"
"It's against my moral scruples" said Mimi "You see to make a fool of you by physical means is one thing; especially the partial goblin transformation with the highly doctored polyjuice potion because you had all sounded off rather and we wanted you to know what it feels like – being looked at askance, having people trip over you and so on. But making people make fools of themselves by mucking with their thoughts, y'know that's rather off. I'm with dad on that, who disapproves of love potions on general principles though he has to teach amortentia; 'cos they ain't really love potions."
"What do you mean? For a brief while I was consumed with love for you, however disgusting I find that now!"
"No you weren't; you were consumed with lust and a degree of partiality that made you seek my best points – from your point of view. It's an infatuation potion and that's not love. Love, whether romantic love or the love of family or friends, is a love that will lay down the life if need be. Even amortentia can't make someone sacrifice themselves. You heard of the Malfoy twins?"
"Who hasn't?"
"Madam Myrtle Malfoy died in 1943 by Basilisk; and she was a ghost. Abraxus got her skeleton and persuaded her parents to give of their blood, and all the marauders volunteered to give blood too for the love of their friend; and part of the basilisk went into it too and phoenix tears and at the height of the ritual Abraxus reached into the boiling cauldron and as the flesh boiled off his hand it formed flesh for Myrtle and he pulled her out of the cauldron restored. It only worked because she was still a child and her parents still lived; but THAT's love."
Zabini was staring, frightened and impressed.
"Alright; I am impressed" he said. "That kind of puts into perspective why you would despise love potions. But I guess there aren't many people that wouldn't have liked the idea of me, that dislikes your kind, making an ass of myself over you."
"Like I said; I don't believe in mucking with people's heads. It's what Voldemort did. Look here, Zabini, will you swear to be discreet if I tell you something?"
"You trust my word?"
"Actually, if you give it, yes" said Mimi "You're a bully and a racist but otherwise you're as straight as a die; you never try to hide your misdeeds. It's one of your few likeable features."
"Ah, honest to a fault! All right I swear to keep secret what you tell me."
"Bella Black; when she was growing up the first time and met Tom Riddle, he used a combination pleasure spell and the cruciatus curse to muck with her head and control her. Bella as she is now doesn't know that yet; daddy told me because she's determined to view the memories of her old self that mother Krait stored in the Pensieve to understand what happened. And I want to be on hand to help my friend. THAT's why we don't like mucking with thoughts. All the deatheaters had a compulsion planted in them so that by the use of a Parseltongue phrase they became as instantly obedient as house elves; it's where Voldemort took the idea from. And most elves are, when all's said and done, pretty loathsome creatures."
He stared.
"But you're an elf!"
"Sure I am; but I'm a free elf with self determination and autonomy. And now the eight-hour chant has got rid of the compulsion to self punish it makes me sick that some elves still cringe and creep and I want to shake them until their brains run out of their noses!"
Zabini gave a harsh bark of laughter.
"Well how's about that? You're racist too!" he said.
"Not really; what I hate is people who won't do the best for themselves, who won't let others help them and who insist on reinforcing stereotypes. Like those goblins who must cut a shady deal because if everyone thinks it's what all goblins do, well then they might as well. I hate those men of any race or condition that feel that it's manly to throw their weight around and beat on those smaller than themselves; I despise those who are so weak that they feel they have to hurt women or smaller people. Like I hear you and Crabbe tried to leap on Kazrael except that it was a trap those weevils set."
He pulled a face remembering.
"I just want you non humans to know your place!" he said.
"What and are you with those who want Goblins under the same sort of obedience bond as elves? How would YOU like to be under the imperious curse all the time just because your ancestors cut a deal? You are negroid, Zabini; chances are your ancestors were in this country because they were slaves once; either because I don't suppose wizards living beside muggles gave a damn any more than the muggles in those days or because you've muggle slave ancestors. It's not the issue here that it is in America; and you can step aside from that. I've been a slave, Zabini; I was sold as a baby and I was a slave until I was five, knowing nothing but fear and pain. When daddy and mother Krait freed mummy they came looking for me; and subsequently I was adopted and I've known nothing but love and consideration since. You look on me with envy, Zabini; because I have an idyllic life now. And I'm strong because I can deal with the crap in the past and put it behind me; hardly ever think about it. And I have a loving daddy and three loving mummies because Krait is kind enough to share with mummy and Dione and that helps me be strong. Strength is about knowing that you are loved by family and friends; and that's why Voldemort was a sad little git because he wanted to subject people to his will rather than having friends."
Zabini's thoughts were jumbled and filled with anger and jealousy.
"You saying your stepdad never beat on you?" he said.
"Never; REAL men don't" said Mimi. "Yours have I take it? Your mum isn't married right now is she?"
"No; but there's always men around." Said Zabini "They all want her because she's beautiful."
"And rich" said Mimi cynically. "Like you; Greengrasse finds the bulge in your robes that's full of galleons a REAL aphrodisiac. I know; dad's warned us because we're all loaded too because of Krait getting her hands on Voldemort's loot. Even with what's in trust for her little brother and sister. Only dad and the mums are all pretty austere people so lots of people don't realise and we don't get lionised for it as much as people like you. You're quite lucky in your year 'cos there's only Greengrasse and Safell in Slyther, one Raver and the two Huffer girls looking at you with arithmantic zeal; Erica is richer than you, Clem is kind of able to draw on the Malfoy too, Jaska thinks you're a git and Meliandra isn't exactly fond of you either and I 'spect she'll marry Gorbrin anyway 'cos they're close friends and that's a better basis for marriage than all the so-called loooove silly girls go on about."
"Yeah; she's a blood traitor."
"Idiot! She can see past WHAT he is to WHO he is; Lucius says that he realised that being racist was actually rather foolish because it was failing to look at facts and make use of all resources; like the people in the old days who thought women didn't have brains at all and Lucius HATES above all things to feel foolish. When the facts bear out that goblins and elves are capable of performing as well as humans then ignoring that is like trying to say that the sun rises in the west. You can say that goblins and elves perform as well as humans and it isn't fair because I don't want them too because I don't think they ought to be able to; and when I say it out loud I bet you're feeling hot about the face at how jolly childish it sounds."
"Well you don't even look like an elf!" said Zabini.
Quite what bearing that had on it was a little obscure. Mimi shrugged.
"I stand as tall as I can – which isn't very – and I take a pride in my appearance; and I don't cringe and I don't have fear and resentment in my eyes; and I smile a lot because I'm happy and I walk with self confidence. THAT's why I don't look like an elf. Polly's the same; and she was born free too. Cuh, I'm glad I've perfected my animagus-like form for the ball though, it's a better size for dancing; I'd be puzzled as to how to dance with anyone outsize like you human types otherwise" she said "My mum lives in that form most of the time; it's more convenient. Well you don't think dad would sleep with her if she was small enough to be hurt, do you?"
He shrugged.
"How would I know? Men like to hurt women."
"Not real men; I keep telling you. Why, do YOU want to hurt women Zabini? If so, I'd ask yourself why. Do you want to punish your mum by proxy for putting men and wealth over you and whassisface, er, Blaise?"
"You shut up! You have no idea!" shouted Zabini.
"Don't I? I hope not. But I rather fancy I do. Now, did you want anything else? Only we had rather a heavy party inviting the new levels of marauders in for their superb helium gas jape – among other things – and I could do with a cup of tea and to put my feet up."
Zabini had half grinned despite himself over the helium jape; the head's voice had been hilarious.
He nodded.
"All right; I guess I'm glad you have a code over amortentia and the like" he said; and swung off.
"Well whaddya know?" muttered Mimi to herself "He's a ruddy victim!"
The two new groups of Marauders were feeling particularly buoyant and decided to celebrate by getting up a concert for the whole school, involving participation from anyone else of their own years that felt like it.
This led, in the second, to Magnus Weasley volunteering to help behind the scenes – getting him voted a capital fellow – and Genevieve Harris condescending to play the flute to add some tone to the proceedings for all the world, as U-may giggled, as though she was a ruddy Ravenclaw. Solon Bullivant added his mite of aid to Magnus, who was a friend of his. The Hufflepuffs giggled a lot and said 'ooh they couldn't' and if they were hurt that Nathan took that at face value the rest of the group considered that their own fault; and of the Ravenclaws Wendy Waffling and Isis Pince volunteered to help out so long as they did not have to perform. And that, as Jingjie said, was fine, though they were welcome to join in any choruses.
In the first, McLaggan started to try to take over and organise the whole show; and the marauders stuffed him head first, boneless and under langlock into a cupboard in disgust. Alcippe and Lycidice volunteered of course; and so did Julian Bode, a rather quieter seer than Hazel Spikenard, who found his occasional visions faintly embarrassing and was glad that nobody in his class turned a hair when he stood up in class in the middle of the week and said,
"Behold, the pack leader is come that makes the wolves no more! Only the Ferret can steal away the wolves by making the pack leader his follower!" and sat down again; and had to be told what he had said and done.
Lilith had rejoiced; Jade would never succumb to any wiles from Von Frettchen!
Julian preferred not to perform either; he was afraid something might trigger one of his visions right in front of the whole school. And it was for Julian's sake that the first abandoned the idea of doing a sketch satirising dramatic seers to poke more fun at Hazel.
In Slytherin the stable triangle plus Maia Pleiades and Gareth Rookwood were prepared to do what they might; Gareth was a bit of a loner still but it was nice that the marauders and their other friends were better than civil to him. Only Michelle Makepiece was declaring that this was childish too.
"Cuh" said Lilith "And there was me thinking a campaigner for rights could use the stage as a platform for political agitation with a witty poem or song. Oh hang about, I suppose witty is childish as that's your favourite adjective."
Michelle flushed; but she could hardly accuse Lilith, whose sister was an elf, of racism.
The Hufflepuffs volunteered to a man; and Sextus volunteered Drusilla MacMillan and Abelard Pomfrey to work with him and Lycidice and Venus and Paris in a formation flying display. Drusilla and Abelard were the star turns and much needed on the Hufflepuff first quidditch team such that their second seven must take its own chances; and Lycidice made up for her lack of talent magically in her ability on a broom that had her in the Gryffindor second team.
Of the Ravenclaws the two other boys and Fenella Crawford volunteered; so there were good numbers for a show.
Lilith and U-may devised a comedy turn based on U-may's experiences with the snake charmer in India; they scrounged all the baskets they could and at first all the audience could see were baskets with lids – often rather makeshift – and the sound of haunting pipe music. The lids began to lift; and then the other curtain drew back to reveal Lilith and U-may playing pipes whilst in snake form – which had necessitated charming the pipes since snakes do NOT have the right sort of mouths nor yet fingers for the holes – whilst out of the baskets rose other members of the Marauders with dippy expressions on their faces, swaying in time to the music.
This was followed by a chorus; the Marauders explaining that they thought people might like to hear the song they used to enchant hydrogen into being helium. They sang, with gusto, for 'The Irish Washerwoman' is a lively jig,
"Fusion reaction that's potent and magical
it is cold fusion so will not be tragical
transfiguration of molecules small
from weight one to weight four and we're having a ball!
Hydrogen gas is entirely too flammable
We need to mix it by means that are whammable
Crush it together and make it combine
Into helium gas that is our wish sublime
Hydrogen gas has a one proton nucleus
Which for a start we must duplicateus
Add on two neutrons oh isn't it fun
Then we have helium and we are done!"
They had also prepared enough helium gas to sing it through again in the Donald Duck voice just because it was funny.
The audience surreptitiously checked their own voices and were relieved to find that the only ones affected were the ones on stage!
Next was the broom display because if the gas had not dissipated they didn't need their voices at all.
Genevieve got polite applause for her flute playing next.
It was perhaps unkind of the marauders to have her followed by Lilith singing 'walking in the air' a signature piece of her family; providing her own musical interludes with her flute.
That brought the audience to its feet and had Amos Leroy wondering again that the Snapes should waste the talent the family had just on chanting and mucking about at school.
Leroy was never going to learn.
Alcippe next gave a riding lesson on a horse that consisted of Nathan and Isambard with rather droopy wings; and horseplay was very much the order of the sketch which finally had to be abandoned because both riding instructor and horse were giggling too much.
Nathan also did a Convolvumort sketch with Isambard as Tuurd the troll and Maia Pleiades as Leaky the house elf and Michelle Makepeace briefly interrupting to scream that it was degrading to elves.
Lilith stood up from the chorus.
"No it isn't you idiot; the point was to show how people like Voldemort degraded everyone elves and all!" she said "My little auntie Rose is a half elf not the easy way like you are, but because my git of a grandfather screwed an elf and didn't care if she died or not! You know NOTHING of degrading because even your slavery was pretty damn soft by comparison to a lot! You don't do the cause of equality any favours by screeching without knowledge or employing brain before you open mouth to shove in foot! Now shut up or sod off!"
"Ten points from Slytherin for egregiously bad language I'm afraid" said Padfoot from the audience "Miss Makepeace you are out of order; please refrain from ill informed outburst."
Makepeace subsided muttering.
"She is SUCH a silly creature" sighed Mimi to Zabini, who she found herself next to "One tries to be sorry for her but I'd as soon jinx her into a ball."
"Well we agree on one thing" said Zabini.
Convolvumort glared at the audience and added, rather extempore,
"And when I have ULTIMATE POWER I shall CRUSH and obliteeriate completely ALL theatre critics and turn them into something amusing and peculiar! And after critics I shall also deal with opera singers except they're already something peculiar" he could not resist the dig at Leroy who flounced off in dudgeon.
The chorus sang again, and produced 'Modern Hogwarts Potioneer', 'There's a Zombie in my Attic' and 'My Old Man's a Desplincher' encouraging the audience to join in.
"What in the name of all that's wonderful is an agelast?" asked Zabini, of a line in the 'potioneer' song.
"Someone who never laughs" said Mimi "A slander on daddy but funny because he's very good at stern."
"Yeah, I remember" said Zabini.
The concert finished up with the 'Cauldron Monster Song' which meant less to those children who had come since Severus Snape had left to go to Prince Peak; but stories about him did linger!
The staff could not in any way complain that such frivolities as concerts and helium japes in any way interfered with class work since the marauders tended to be at least 'E' grade students in most of their classes, even Jayashree in Hufflepuff. Lilith had her own suspicions that Jayashree had ended up in Hufflepuff to be with Mohini, whose name came up first, so that two little Indian girls could be together in a strange land; and intended to encourage Jayashree to be a singularly unHufflepuffish Hufflepuff. It had worked out to their advantage however, in being in the position to be the first group ever of Marauders to have at least one member in every house.
Professor Dumbledore did not mention how much this delighted him too!
He might have been less delighted to hear the Striped Marauders discussing their next jape; Lilith proposing that they steal the Quidditch pitch so it disappeared.
"Don't be daft; how are we supposed to do that half pint?" said Sextus.
Lilith giggled.
"Well of course we don't ACTUALLY steal it" she said "But if we enclose the area in a chant – the volume, rather – and then stick it under the Fidelius Charm no-one but us will be able to see it until the secret-keeper chooses to cancel the spell."
"I say! That's a nice piece of lateral thinking" said Gennar.
Lilith spent several minutes explaining the Fidelius Charm to those who did not know and the group voted to leave that to next term to spread out japes so that the staff shouldn't get too waxy.
It was nice to have a jape in reserve.
Zabini went to see Madam Hardbroom.
Connie was rather equivocal about Darryl Zabini.
On the one hand he was a brilliant young potioneer, almost in Gorbrin's and Ming's class, and only below them for lacking the readiness to experiment and take on new ideas. On the other hand he was inclined to be trouble for his racism.
"Madam Hardbroom, I think I might be under the influence of a potion" said Zabini.
Madam Hardbroom blinked.
"Indeed? Do you know who might have given you such?"
"I – I'd rather not say" said Zabini "If I am, I'd like to deal with it myself. Only can I ask you about effects and see if I am?"
"You may certainly ask" said Connie.
"We all know about love potions; but is it possible to make one that draws you to someone without actually wanting to be drawn; someone you don't even like?"
"Not so far as I know" said Connie "Dear me, that would be remarkably subtle; if indeed it is possible. And I do not THINK it is."
"Would – would professor Snape be able to?" asked Zabini, greatly daring.
Connie's face worked slightly but she managed as kindly a smile as she could for this troublesome boy.
"If it is possible, Professor Snape would know certainly" she said. "He was your house master before I came; would you like me to arrange to talk to him by floo this evening?"
"Oh would you ma'am? I should be grateful" said Zabini.
Zabini repeated his explanation to the grim scarred face in the greenish flames after tea.
Severus frowned in thought.
"If it were a potion it would be very subtle indeed; and I have to say, still subject to negation by Liberamore Major. Ask Madam Hardbroom for a dose in any case; though any potioneer capable of brewing such a draught would KNOW that Liberamore Major would counter and that anyone suspeting being manipulated would take it. I suspect, Mr Zabini, you are subject to an older potion that only nature brews; teenage hormones."
"I – oh, do you think so? Only it seems odd to feel, well drawn to someone and then also dislike them."
"Oh not at all, Mr Zabini; we've all been there" said Severus "And suffered all the painful and embarrassing effects like having a hard on for no apparent reason; or on looking at a particular girl, even one you don't generally speaking fancy just because the way she moves sets up a train of thought in that embarrassing parallel mind we have that men learn to control better than boys in the throes of growing up, the one that lurks below the trousers and thinks things that we'd rather it didn't. Generally there are two reasons that one might feel partiality on the one hand and repulsion on the other; firstly the fact that the attraction is true but the growing up process leads to the emphasis of the more childish characteristics of each that repel. I cite you Lily Evans and James Potter who screeched at each other continually through school and then got married – very happily – and became the parents of Harry Potter. The other reason is that the attraction is largely physical and your mind militates against the attraction and the small things that would normally make you shrug and merely not like the girl involved loom large because your subconscious mind WANTS her to be likeable. Unless of course you're attracted to someone who isn't born of a wizarding family."
"I – no she isn't" said Zabini.
"Ah" said Severus. "That was why I missed my chance with Lily Evans; she was a mudblood, as I had been taught to call the muggleborn. I was very confused about my feelings for her; ended up pushing her away. I got lucky; I had a second chance but I regretted for years treating her badly. Did you want to tell me who, or would that embarrass you as I know all your year?"
"I – she isn't in my year but it would embarrass me" said Zabini hastily.
"Well, so long as she is of nubile age and you're not getting feelings for weevils I'd say it was perfectly normal; though hellishly uncomfortable for you of course" said Severus "And I am glad you've the common sense to want to talk about it. If it's a matter of her background I think you need to ask yourself what it is about her background you dislike; and why. If like me, you're only parroting what you've been taught then you need to grow enough backbone to find out for yourself and make up your own mind. If, like Mr Dell, you've had a bad experience – he had a death threat from a muggle in his early years – you have reason and need to examine whether the individual who has caused you problems is an isolate example rather than typical. You're a clever youth, Mr Zabini; too clever to let yourself be used and led like a sheep to the views people want you to have. And if you end up still in the belief that non wizards and non humans are inferior then at least you have found some logic to support that; and it will be YOUR idea. I cannot but think that any arguments of that kind are spurious; but I will not tell you what to think. Merely how to behave under the discipline of the school. I have a suggestion to make, for what it's worth."
"Sir?"
"Get two pieces of paper; and on one write down what you like about this girl. On the other, write down what you dislike. Weigh them both up and see which is more compelling than the other. Of the dislikes, consider if there are any that could be changed; I mean, if she picks her nose in public you could ask her not to, though that tends to be a boy's vice more than a girl's. If she has a screechy voice suggest she go to the chanting class and ask Tony – uh, Professor Queach – to help her modify it. If she's a goblin, she can't change that; and then you need to think if you can either consider her an exception to you normal views or whether your normal views are mistaken. Then you can decide whether or not to invite this wretched girl to the Yule Ball – as I suspect you're wondering about. I'm fishing in the dark here for not knowing the girl in question you understand; but I hope I'm able to give some fair examples?"
"Thank you sir; I think it's a good idea. And I do thank you for giving me time; especially as you don't like me."
Severus shrugged.
"I don't like your ideals or your attitude. I shouldn't be surprised if at times you're rather miserable, Mr Zabini; and not just as a result that my most talented daughter is a weevil right now and doubtless making a flaming nuisance of herself."
Zabini managed a grin.
"I bet the helium gas jape was her idea" he said, and quickly explained.
Severus chuckled.
"Little HORRORS!" he said "We came across the notebook of a Weasley long gone from Hogwarts with a number of jinxes in it….and a few skiving potions. Lilith was reading it avidly; but I washed my hands. She's Professor Dumbledore's problem in term time. I'm sorry; I'm tremendously proud of all my children. And I believe that of the older two who are at Hogwarts, you could talk to them about anything if you tell them I asked them nicely to listen; they won't blab. Or any of Lydia's male marauder friends for that matter. Mimi's lot are all girls unless they've expanded sine the beginning of term. But Chad, Mad, Leo and Mort are good lads."
"Gosh sir, my mum doesn't even know if I've got friends let alone any names!" blurted Zabini.
"So that's why you and Blaise are so sullen is it? No attention at home? I can't say I ever got on with Blaise; you at least have brains."
"I can cast wandlessly an wordlessly sir; I taught myself. But I'm used to shifting for myself, Mimi was right, I was palmed off onto servants and they were all stupid and useless and I despise them because they were just snivelling fools!"
"Alas, a lot of servants can be – whatever their race" said Severus "Once people accept servitude, or have servitude thrust upon them, it is hard for them to have self respect. And I suspect you find it hard to have self respect being – what, elf-reared?"
Zabini nodded.
"Yes" he said.
"So if you put down the inferiors that raised you, it's easier to feel that you have risen above them I suppose" said Severus. "But I suspect they cared only for your physical well being; you reared yourself. And that is not easy; believe me, THAT I know, because you get all the muddled, infant ideas of what's right and what's wrong set in your head without any adequate parent figure to shift them or correct them; and then you're at school and judged on those ideas and then you fight back and become the pariah and join a gang of bullies because if you can make some of those who sneer at you feel one down you then feel one up."
"Gosh sir, how did you know?"
Severus smiled sadly.
"Because I described my own experiences. I had a violent father and a sullen mother who regretted having had me. I managed to get over it. I hope, Mr Zabini, you manage to get over it sooner than I did."
"How old were you then?"
"I, Mr Zabini, was thirty four years of age before I really got over it" said Severus. "Of course, I'd had my head mucked with by Voldemort in the meantime that did not exactly help; but when we get locked into the pernicious path of personal perfidy and self destruction it is hard to break away. Resentment tastes like stale vomit to chew upon but we can't resist doing so. If you're as strong as I suspect you may be, you will examine all the things you resent as objectively as possible and see if you can't see if any have moulded you; and if you want to break away from something negative doing that moulding. I hope that's of help?"
"It is sir; and thank you again, and thanks for using a second lot of floo powder to keep talking" said Zabini.
"You're welcome; your year and those above, and even the year below are still very much my kids" said Severus. "Always feel free to ask Connie to talk to me; or write me a letter."
"Yessir" said Zabini.
The flame flickered and returned to its normal colour.
The boy had a lot to reflect on.