Chapter 16: Accounts and Balances
Yes, Ron Weasley has to deal with money instead of letting it turn into a little puff of smoke in his pockets. The poor fellow! Hermione has to admit she doesn't know everything, Snape is behaving like a Slytherin, and Harry decides to become brave over a catalog.
Ron Weasley dragged himself down to the dungeons to his first meeting with Professor Snape after class. He really wanted to go back to the Common Room and work on the practice schedule for spring instead. By now, he was used to winter nights with his friends near the fireplace with his chess set or a game of Exploding Snap, with Hermione not so gently muttering something about homework. Winter was usually a pause between nearly dying in the autumn and nearly dying in the spring. Granted, he usually felt twitchy and ready for adventure after a few months of it.
He knocked on the door of the Potion Master's office and hoped Snape had gone back to the clinic. The old fellow hadn't looked too well at the feast earlier today. Or maybe he's gone to bed early, the way the Old Cat always does, he thought. He sighed when the door opened despite his wishes. Winky the house elf stood there and looked up at him. "My master will see you now," she said in an imperious little voice worthy of a Minister for Magic. Ron grinned. Dobby was an amateur! This elf would be giving orders to the Malfoys instead of the other way around.
He reluctantly followed her. He was tempted to transfigure her lab coat into red and gold instead of green and silver, but after finding out what Kreacher did to Harry's godfather, thought better of it. No, best not to make a house elf angry. Or cry, he thought.
Professor Snape was reclining on a large chair where the foot came up and still looked awful. "On the couch, Mr. Weasley. We both know why you are here." He looked pale in the firelight.
Ron had been a lot more careful in Potions once Hermione had told him how mistakes made her ill these days and had asked him to count up how many years their teacher had been inhaling them. He sat down and said, "Uh, what can I do to help you?"
"I expect we will both find out." Snape didn't seem as scary as he usually was.
Ron stayed silent anyway and hoped for a question he could answer.
That came quickly. "Mr. Weasley, please tell me all the reasons you should stay in school."
How did he know I was planning to dodge out to make money and help Mum? "I know I'll get a better job if I stay in. But I could always come back and finish up, couldn't I?" He glanced around the room. It wasn't fancy but seemed like a comfortable place. He'd thought the Head of Slytherin would have quarters like the kind Malfoy bragged on with gold on everything.
"It has been done, but rarely," the older man said. "Most people don't return. You have a very practical side, though. Thinking about the right shoes and clothing to wear after taking Polyjuice is something few people do. One might suspect you found that out the hard way."
Ron felt his face grow hot. He'd been lucky Goyle's feet were the same size as his. Then he realized Snape had probably been called in when Hermione nearly changed herself into a cat. "It's still a good thing to remember. Sir," he remembered at the last minute.
His teacher nodded. "Now I want you to list reasons why you should stay."
He thought about it for a bit. "I'll learn more spells to fight with. Hermione said she shouldn't be the only one who knows healing charms. And Harry-" The Knut dropped. He shook at some of the memories the three of them had together. "Hermione and Harry are going to stay. I can't leave them. But who's going to take care of Mum? She says the money is fine, but she'd say that anyway. Maybe I should talk to Bill. He'd tell me if she's running short."
"Indeed. I believe that is a very good idea. However, I have a temporary expedient in mind. When I was a student and my parents died, I was given a loan from the school which I paid back after I graduated. I also had sponsorship from someone much better off."
Ron could guess who it'd been from the jokes Harry's godfather had made. He swallowed since he didn't know what to say.
"I have yet to sponsor anyone personally," Snape continued. "I have enough power over the children of this house that I don't want any more than is proper. That will not be a problem with you, as your Head of House has assured me that she would claw me if I ever had such thoughts."
Ron didn't know what to think. None of the teachers messed with any students that he knew of, not even in the way Lockhart did when encouraging his students to send him Valentine cards. Everyone knew about the girl who wrote a pash note to Snape and had it come back corrected, like it was a bad essay. "Yes, sir," he said.
"I propose to be a sponsor for you. You will receive a proper wardrobe, lessons in etiquette and deportment which will seem like torture, at least it felt so for me. You will receive an allowance which I will have you account for, in a book you will also receive."
Ron's heart sank. He'd heard stories from the Gryffindors who went in for that sort of thing. Neville had described the dance lessons and had nearly thrown a party in the Common Room when his grandmother finally let him quit. Then he thought of something. "What about my sister?"
"I am sure that Professor McGonagall will not let her be neglected. It would be best if I had nothing to do with it." Snape looked stern then.
Ron nodded. Ginny would hate that sort of thing anyway.
"These lessons are taken by many well-known Quidditch players during the off-season to keep them fit. As a Keeper, you don't move around the field as much as the others do, since you must guard against the Quaffle while surveying the field, and hoping the other side doesn't know your signals. However, having to maintain one position for hours makes it difficult to move when you finally must. This can lead to stiffness in your joints later in life. Working with dance and other disciplines can lead to better health later on."
"Keepers are usually older than the other players," Ron said.
"Though they don't often become stars the way you did last year, they normally stay on a team longer than those in the other positions and sometimes become coaches. However, that's only if they maintain their bodies properly. I have heard that even Muggles have something called yoga which helps people retain flexibility longer than most."
"Yes, Professor," Ron said. It sounded like his brag of being well-dressed would come true, probably even sooner than Easter. This way Mum can spend more on Ginny, who has to have new things and not just cut downs from generations ago. If Harry was here, he'd probably let off some snide comments, but I can't think of any right now. "What else will I need to do? I don't want others in the class to make fun of me." He wasn't used to not having the twins around—they were rough on him, but they protected him from others.
"I understand your concern," Snape said. "Once you begin the lessons and dress properly, it won't be as much of a problem as you might think. Please treat the other students at those lessons well, or at least better than they will expect from you. Some of them will be Slytherins who will expect you to prank or attack them. The Headmaster won't be there to give you points and punish the others."
Ron winced. "That's mostly just for Harry, sir. Oh, wait, I bet they know Montague, too. And the slugs on the train." He suddenly realized that Malfoy and his goons probably thought they were avenging their friends. "So I need to sit there and take it? Well, I've had practice at home." At least now he had Harry on his side for when the twins were bored. Even over Christmas they'd had a few hexes go back and forth. He had to admit that this year was easier without having to watch out for them.
"I fear you will have to deal with some resentment," Snape said. "The twins have tried to make amends to Montague and his family, but do not be surprised if his friends are still unhappy about it."
"I could always show a few scars I have from the two of them myself," Ron said. "They did try to burn a hole in my tongue when I was little and killed my Pygmy Puff with their Beater Bats. That's probably why we only had Scabbers."
Snape looked unhappy. "I didn't realize they'd started so early. It might be a good idea to mention those things. The pranks you and your friends have done here could rebound on you there. If you have real trouble, don't expect the staff to help you. However, let me know about them and I will help you come up with a proper response."
Don't expect the staff to help. Ron had learned that one his first year. And then he wondered how many Slytherins Snape had told the same thing. "Yes, sir."
"For right now, I would like you to do a few lines, perhaps about Quidditch. This is not a punishment. If you must print to make your essays readable, please do so."
Ron gritted his teeth and used the quill and paper given to him. Oh, hell, he was reversing his letters again. I thought I was done with that by now. Once done, he gave the paper back. "I have some mistakes on there. Sorry, sir."
Snape looked at it. "I have seen worse. Have you ever written anything left-handed?"
"No, sir. Mum taught us all to use the right hand because that's how she learned it from Goody Whemper back in her village. Charlie gave that up as a bad job right off and tries not to write anything if he can help it. The ink always smears with the wrong hand anyway."
"There are quills now that won't do that for left-handed people. I would like you to try to write with your that hand, though. You can wash up afterwards."
Ron didn't want to admit he'd tried that already. He hated the mess he made then. This time he was given a slate and some chalk. He didn't mind that—it was much easier to clean than with ink.
When he was done, he handed the slate back. He wasn't sure which kind of writing looked worse, to be honest.
Snape didn't yell, either. He just looked thoughtful. Maybe he was like that for other classes besides theirs? Whatever it was, Ron was all for it. This year had been better anyway, when Winky showed up just when the storm clouds were moving in.
Wait, he remembered how the little elf brought Snape something on a plate. He understood being unhappy between meals. "Sir, do you want anything to eat or drink? Are you supposed to take any potions soon?"
The older man heaved a sigh. "I don't want the food or the potions, but I need them. I'm sure you're hungry too. Winky, please come here."
He's a lot more polite to a house elf than he is to us. I bet none of them have set him on fire or knocked him out, though.
The tiny elf appeared with half a sandwich and some bottles. Snape continued. "I will take the potions after I eat. Please bring several large sandwiches for Mr. Weasley and a glass of pumpkin juice. He will be here at times this winter as part of his training. He will not replace you, but when he's here you will take more naps and help with the other Slytherins."
Winky gazed at the professor with love in her eyes. "Yes, master. Winky is glad to feed more people! But master needs to eat first."
The older man sighed but did as he was told. It almost hurt Ron to watch someone forcing himself to take small bites and having a hard time swallowing them. I hope I'm never that sick!
The elf disappeared again and returned with a platter of food and a glass full of juice. "Elves in the kitchen know what you like, Master Freckles!"
Ron nearly dove in the way he was used to, but realized how it might look. He paused, took a deep breath, and tried to eat at least the first sandwich one bite at a time with his mouth closed. He imagined Hermione smiling at him for that, considering her views on the subject.
Snape looked at him with less disdain than Ron expected. "Mr. Weasley, I know you are hungry. Eating too quickly is probably a bad idea, but you are not the first young man to inhale his food. I will deal with your dining habits at another time. I am going to take my potions and then retire for the evening." He left the room, sort of wobbling while he walked.
Ron breathed a sigh of relief when the professor left. Then he realized he might eat with some other snooty purebloods during his classes with them. It was difficult for him to chew quietly and more slowly than he was used to, but he'd have to learn it anyway. Besides, the roast beef was a little tough, so he needed to work a little harder than usual as it was.
Once he'd taken care of the first sandwich that way, he just ate the rest the way he was used to and drank the juice. Then he thanked the little elf, who was still there.
Winky said, "Good to see people eat! Wish master could, but bad potions make it hard for him."
"I'm sure they do," Ron said. "Nobody in my family has any trouble with it, not even Percy. Well, except the time the twins changed his potatoes into Flobberworms. Mum made sure they went without supper that night for wasting food."
The little elf made a face to show what she thought of that.
He nodded. "Yeah, they played other tricks on him, but not at the table." No wonder Percy didn't stop at home unless he had to. Bill and Charlie were scarce these days as well. I'll have to find out what happened to Montague, he thought. They didn't go into much detail, but Monty spent a lot of time in the infirmary for just a prank. Now I'll end up taking it in the shorts for what they did. Maybe old Snape is right about showing a few of my own scars from them when it's just us lads in the changing room. He knew he'd be on his own, the way the boys' loo was some of the time.
He cleaned off what little was left on the platter. Ron was sure no food went to waste around here, but old habits were hard to break. I hope I never have to take such awful potions! He remembered the face Hermione made when she had to take hers last summer. Harry hadn't been too fond of his, either. I'm lucky I'm not hurt or sick too often. Well, except for that broken leg. That wasn't any fun, but I can't complain about it around Harry because he'll think I don't—didn't like his godfather. Well, I didn't back then, and I still don't. He acted worse than Aunt Muriel does, and that's saying something. If that's what strong drink does, I'm better off without.
It still felt weird to get special lessons. That was Harry's job, usually from a teacher who tried to kill him later. Hermione gave herself extra lessons, and a good thing, too, when she saved their lives with them.
Snape—was he really in bed this early? "Winky, should I go back there and check on him? This is earlier than when the old cat—I mean, Professor McGonagall leaves for the night."
The little elf firmly shook her head and left the room. Ron felt uncertain. He'd been with Harry a few times when his friend had been sick and hadn't wanted to bother anyone. I'm glad that watching someone throw up doesn't do it to me. But Snape would probably hate it if I was there to see him do it.
Winky reappeared. "Master is lying down now. Come back tomorrow after classes. Before then, he says to write down first page in potions book with wrong hand. The purple soap in the boys' room will take off ink."
Ron gladly fled the dungeons. He still had an hour till dinner and already had homework. And it was only the first day back! At least he'd had something to eat and didn't have to listen to his stomach grumble while trying to read a chapter in any of the books.
But Hermione was going to try to show them how to do stuff with those new boards with the wheels before it was dark out, so homework could wait.
Hermione looked at the note tucked in with a returned essay two days later.
"Dear Miss Granger. You will assist me this month with the Wolfsbane Potion for Professor Lupin. Please submit all your questions in writing before the process. I know you will have more during the process. Please do not jump up and down once this is announced in class. It would be wise not to accept anything to eat or drink from the usual Ravenclaws. They will have their turn as well, yes, even Miss Lovegood. You should see Madam Pomfrey to assure her that you are healthy enough for the final phase, which will be at night. You should not sit up late in any case this year, as your grades are already good enough. You should wait till next year to ruin your health. Sincerely, Professor Snape."
Since she was alone in the dorm room, she did jump up and down and let out an immature squeal of glee. I'll have to be careful not to smirk as much as Malfoy did when he was chosen to work on the Wolfsbane like this, she reminded herself. And we have several more months before the end of the year for someone from each of the other Houses to shadow him as well. I hopes he reminds everyone of that or it will be a long evening the next time I study with some of the other Ravenclaws in the library.
Hermione settled down with the essay and thought about all the things she and her friends had done to the potions master. Setting him on fire, setting off fireworks to steal from him, illegal brewing and oh, yes, knocking him out right before Remus was going to transform. Funny how they hadn't been punished for any of that.
If only we'd held off. We've seen the professor rant for a while and then run down and be more reasonable. He would have seen Wormtail then and Harry's godfather could have had a trial. Harry could have left his relatives two years earlier. We probably wouldn't have gone to the Ministry, and I wouldn't have a scar I have to hide from Mum. Just as well I didn't feel up to swimming last summer—there's no way I could have hidden it in the changing room, even with a one-piece suit.
She worked out the sequence of events in her head. If the professor hadn't brought us in on stretchers, we couldn't have used the Time-Turner to go back and save Buckbeak. Harry couldn't have done that Patronus. The Dementors would have had all of us.
Hermione also realized that none of her friends ever apologized or thanked the professor, not even as much as they did Professor McGonagall. Snape would be well within his rights to pay special attention only to others in Potions. No doubt he's nagged to death to do all he can for us even when we attack him, she thought. She'd always thought in any system of magic that things had to balance, like they did in Arithmancy, but there didn't seem to be any here. Unless the whole war with Voldieshorts is part of it. But what happens if we win? Are we going to have wars every twenty years or so? If the population gets too low, will there be laws like in Romania about childbirth? Her mother had ranted about it a few times and been openly delighted that those ghastly rules had ended just about the time Hermione had gone to Hogwarts.
Could the magical world become that desperate if too many wars dropped the population? Well, nothing was going to make her worry about it today. She tore up the note, threw the shreds into the hearth and lit them. Then she pulled out her skateboard. I wonder if the boys have already tried them out in the hallway? She was happy she'd practiced at home. Yes, she knew she was overcautious. Perhaps that was why they were still alive.
She met them in the abandoned classroom they'd agreed on. I'm not ready for the kind of skateboard course I'm sure the Room of Requirement would show us. And then she wondered why so many classrooms were empty. No time for that now. Hermione greeted them eagerly and showed off a little bit on how she could balance and move herself forward slowly. "I also think Cushioning charms are good to have on when you're practicing," she added.
Then she pointed down at the board and said, "Up." This time it obeyed. She felt wobbly at first, but it steadied even with her weight on it. The boys looked impressed.
"What charms did you put on it?" asked Ron who gazed at her with adoration. "The broom people won't like you breaking their monopoly."
"What charms?" Hermione said blankly. She stepped down from the board, which still hovered a foot or so off the ground.
"That's how the brooms are set up. Most of them aren't that different in appearance, but the charms on them are different." His face came alive as he talked about something he knew more about than they did. "Harry needs a broom that's fast and flexible for hunting the Snitch and dodging Bludgers. My broom, when I'm Keeper, needs to hold steady, maybe for hours at a time. The brooms they have here probably need charms just to keep from falling apart."
She smiled ruefully and sat down in one of the old chairs. Then she let the skateboard fall back on the floor. "I should have asked you, Ron. I should ask a lot more questions before I do something. I could save a lot of work listening to you and Harry." It took a lot for her to admit that she didn't know everything.
Ron sat down in a chair near hers, while Harry stood on his skateboard and tried to kick it along while not falling off in the empty middle of the room. "If you can do that with a Muggle board that doesn't look like it has much wood in it, you should go work for Nimbus. That, or they'll pay you to shut up about not needing charms if you're stubborn enough," Ron said.
Harry laughed, and then caught himself as he nearly fell.
Hermione laughed along with her friends. "I'll ask the two of you if there's an easier way to do something before I go off by myself and do something stupid."
Harry scowled. Oh, dear, she hadn't meant to remind him of last spring. "Oh, Harry, I didn't mean it that way. I should have tried to find if there were already any spells to do things to save myself a lot of work. I even had the Charms book home with me over Christmas and I never looked at it."
Ron held his hand over his heart and pretended to swoon. "What? For shame! We should check you for Polyjuice. What did you do all those days and nights?"
She snorted. "I yelled at my skateboard a lot while my parents were out. And I went to a few clubs with other girls. I never went off with anyone, though." There had been a bit of snogging in poorly lit corners, but that was more the rum in her drinks than any real desire. She was certain the boys didn't want to know about that.
"One thing you both might want to know is that I can do magic at home now since I'm 17," she said with a smirk. "I have the official letter signed by our least favorite minister. I also made several copies just in case the Ministry lose theirs, and one is in a box at Gringotts." She showed the letter to Harry and Ron. "I'm surprised she didn't cut off her hand before signing mine. Ron, yours will come this spring, and Harry, you'll have to wait till summer."
"I know just the quill she should sign mine with," Harry said, as he rubbed the back of his hand. He'd stepped down from his board.
"That owl will probably come to the Burrow," Ron said. "Maybe you ought to hide your letter at Grimmauld Place. Kreacher's awful, but he'd guard it pretty well. Or maybe even Snape. He didn't seem fond of Her Royal Pinkness when she was here, either. Even when he's knocked flat with his potions, he can still petrify people without being a basilisk."
Harry sat down and pulled out what looked like an old catalog from of this pocket. "That reminds me, I have to talk to him about what's in here."
Hermione was curious. "What's that?"
"It's owl order for potions ingredients," Harry said, as he finally took a seat. "Anything made out of basilisk goes for lots of Galleons, but they have to be properly prepared. I don't know what's left of the one in the Chamber, but there should be some of it that hasn't gone bad."
"May I look at that?" Hermione was curious. She'd been Petrified at the time but had heard all about how her friend had killed it and the Diary, and then saved Ginny.
Harry handed it to her. She looked at the dog-eared page. Her eyes widened when she saw the prices. "Now, they probably won't pay this amount, because they need a profit," she said. "But I'm sure they would still pay a lot of money considering how much you have just for the bones."
Ron looked downcast. "The old trout in the infirmary would probably tie you to a bed if she thought you were going down there with us, though. So we'll need to get someone else for the preparation."
She nodded. She was going to push her luck just on the Wolfsbane Potion. She also had no real desire to find out what years-old basilisk bits smelled like. "You're probably right about that," she said. "We already found out I don't know everything, and you could lose a lot of money if I did things the wrong way. If we have to include Professor Snape, he should have a fair share for his work, or even just making sure you two do things right. There's probably enough for everyone. He can't go down there without you to open the door anyway."
Harry looked relieved. He probably thought the professor was going to take everything for himself.
She continued. "It might be a few weeks before anything happens. He has to brew the Wolfsbane Potion soon, and er, I might end up helping with that." Hermione tried hard not to grin.
Ron laughed. "Better you than me!" Then he turned serious. "But I'm going to have to take dance lessons," he announced dolefully.
"You mean like the ones Professor McGonagall had us do in the Great Hall?" Harry said with a grin.
"No, real ones like the other purebloods do," Ron said, kicking one leg idly as he sat. "I'm to have an allowance for spending money, but I have to keep track of it the way Mum does her betting on Quidditch. I've never done that before. I just spend what I have until it's gone."
Hermione was about to volunteer to help him, but Harry spoke up first. "Why don't you ask Percy? Or even the twins? They have to keep accounts for the shop."
She was happy to let someone else take the lead this time. Ron might actually do what one of his brothers told him, even though he would listen to her.
Harry continued. "I should do the same for any money from the basilisk parts. I want to help my family, but I can't do it with any money in Gringotts or the Ministry would find out. There has to be a way to keep that separate. The same goes for you, Ron. Snape would ask questions if you were out of money all the time from what he gives you, probably, but if you help me with that awful beast, he probably won't ask many questions where those payments go. He was on our side at the hearing, even though I didn't think so at first."
"How to keep it hidden and safe, though?" Ron asked. "I don't think anyone in our room would steal, but our dorms are easy for anyone in Gryffindor to get into. I'll have to keep my allowance safe or have to explain to Snape what I want any money for." He looked dismayed.
"Why not in the Chamber itself?" Harry said.
Hermione sighed, but let Ron speak for himself. "Maybe for the basilisk money," her friend said. "But I don't want to ask you for my allowance money. I might as well keep it with Snape, or Hermione. It's probably a good idea for me to think before I spend anything, but…" his voice trailed off.
She didn't want that responsibility at all. "Is there a kind of trunk that won't open for anyone but the person who owns it? I use some charms to keep my things safe, but if someone really wanted to break into my trunk the hard way, there's not much that can be done." She couldn't imagine any of her roommates taking an axe to anyone's trunk, but any boy with a broom could ignore the stairs turning into a slide whenever they liked.
"Maybe the goblins at the bank would sell me something?" Harry said. "They won't be surprised. Everyone knows both the Ministry and the Prophet would snoop under my bed if they could."
All of them thought of a certain beetle who probably had.
Harry sighed and waved the catalog. "I might as well be the one to ask Snape about this. There's bound to be something left."
"I'll go with you," Ron said reluctantly. "I'm going to have to be there a lot anyway."
Hermione cleared her throat. "I can ask questions when I'm on Wolfsbane duty. I've been looking for books about it, or even magazine articles which list the whole procedure. I don't think the whole class should have stay up the whole night together."
Ron shook his head sadly. "And to think you picked that potion over slicing and dicing a basilisk. You're smart, though, that will be only one night, and we'll have to do things with him for days and hours at a time."
"And we'll still have to practice with the skateboards," Hermione pointed out.
Harry got a faraway look in his eyes. "Can't wait till I can teach mine to fly," he said.
Ron nodded. "Would it be all right if I told my brothers about these things? It's only the carpets which are banned. Won't it be fun when the Ministry hears about them and finds out there isn't a law against them?"
All of them laughed. Ron continued. "I'm sure Percy will pretend to be helpful…he says there's lots of ways to keep things from passed."
The conversation broke up then after they set a time to come back into this room and practice till the weather became a bit better. Hermione went back to her room and decided to listen whenever Lavender or Parvati gossiped. A lot of knowledge about the magical world wasn't in books. I have only myself to blame, Hermione realized once she sat down with her homework. I had the Charms book with me and never looked. Or asked Professor Flitwick about them. I will shut it and listen more. That seems to be helping me with that study group in the library anyway. She began to scribble. Outlining her main points with paper and a biro helped her to keep her essays short. Well, shorter.
Harry Potter sat at Professor Snape's desk in his private office and shook. He shouldn't be so afraid, especially not after the session where he'd given the older man his memory of a truly glorious broom ride through the Forbidden Forest.
"This is a catalog I also receive," Snape said. "Why is the page with the basilisk parts important to you?"
"I killed one my second year down in the Chamber," Harry said. "I have the memory of it if you'd like to see." He would just as soon give that one away.
"I heard rumors of it. The Headmaster said little about it, and I was detailed to brew the potion from the mandrakes which had just become mature. And then I had to escort Mr. Lockhart to St. Mungo's…it was the only time I have ever seen him speechless." He looked as if he savored the moment.
Harry didn't blame him. He still remembered that quick 'Expelliarmus' which blasted that idiot away and how even the all the Gryffindors had cheered. "Yes, sir. But the Chamber is real and I can still get into it. It probably smells really bad in there by now, but we'd like your help in collecting and preparing parts to sell."
Snape looked thoughtful. "It has been nearly three years since the thing died. The worst is likely over. No doubt it's been seeping into the school atmosphere ever since." He grimaced. "Do you know the Bubblehead Charm?"
"No, but I think that's what Cedric used for the Second Task. Krum tried to change himself into a shark but didn't do it that well." Harry thought about it for a moment. "I'll look at a Charms book." That might work for his next detention, too.
"It's not difficult. Will you be alone, or will I continue to collect the entire set?"
"Probably just me and Ron. Hermione said she was doing the Wolfsbane potion with you. Madam Pomfrey would go spare if we dragged her along to everything else we did."
"Reasonable enough. Since it involves the school, the Headmaster should know about it. He may draw up a contract so everyone has a fair share of any sales. For instance, if I am allowed a share, I would prefer to take half in Galleons and half in parts. There are some potions which require them which are normally too expensive to brew. These potions will benefit the Order, I assure you."
Harry was happy to hear that. But it would only be right if the professor could sell some of them, too. "Ron does want to help, though. He's your assistant for now anyway. I think he wants to earn the allowance he'll get and not just have it for breathing."
"Oh, he'll earn it!" Snape said with a snort. "Having both of you will make it easier. Don't be surprised if I lecture as I go. I'm sure you'll learn enough about basilisks to give a lecture to Professor Hagrid. That reminds me, he might want to be involved, too. Although I might have to worry about his desire to breed them."
"I hope not!" Harry exclaimed. He still had occasional nightmares about that fight, even with the Sword of Gryffindor and Fawkes to help him.
The older man nodded. "Now, how do you want any proceeds to go into your account? I will need to sell a small amount at a time, since the price will do down if everything is dumped onto the market at once."
"Er…in cash, sir."
"That should be in the contract as well." Snape wrote down a few notes. "No doubt the press would find out about any extra income and raise questions should that money be donated to a cause you wish to keep secret. Or avoid being pressured by other parties for donations."
Snape had been at the guardianship hearing where the Weasley's family's need for money had been brought out into the open. Harry didn't know who else would lean on him, though. Ron always refused any help anyway. "Yes, sir." Short answers were less likely to get him in trouble. I wish I'd thought of that in the Toad's class last year. Even Hermione kept after me to shut it.
"Mr. Weasley is likely to prefer cash as well. Both of you would do well to purchase account books to manage your finances. I will order them for you. However, you will soon be of age to take over complete control of your account at Gringotts. You might wish to go there and review it. Nobody would be surprised if you showed interest in it, especially since your finances were discussed in the hearing. I am sure your House Head would not mind escorting you there and back again."
"Er, I'd also like a bank box that nobody can get into. I don't know anyone who's a thief, but Luna, er, Miss Lovegood has stuff being stolen all the time. I want something not even Skeeter can get into."
"Very wise. It should be large enough for your Pensieve as well. Gringotts is likely to be helpful with that as well, or perhaps the Headmaster."
Harry fidgeted on the chair. Is there a way to keep Dumbledore out of it, too? Of course, he'd only open it for very good reasons. Maybe I should talk to the staff at the bank, they don't seem to care that much about who's on what side now.
As if reading his mind, Snape continued. "There are many ways to keep someone out of a box like that, but you might discuss that with the goblins. At greatest need, it will still be metal which could be melted down and the gold extracted from the results."
Harry nodded. I'm the only one who can go into the Chamber, except for Voldemort. If he wins, I'll have other problems besides money.
Snape then lectured on the bits which had likely survived this long and made a wild guess at the possible total value of the remains if sold over time. "We should gather together and discuss this with the Headmaster. This way we can feel whatever decision is made is fair and a contract drawn up with any safeguards we need."
Harry thought that was a good idea. Snape would deserve something for all his work and the contract would make sure everything was done right. I know, he thought, I'll ask Professor Binns to read it and see if he can find anything wrong with it. I was glad he showed me what the testimony at the guardianship hearing really meant when I was going to yell about it.
After making an appointment for another Occlumency lesson, Harry left to let Ron know what was going on. His friend would have money this year and not fuss all the time about running short. Hermione was going to do what she wanted, and if she could buy the boards her family was probably well-off, especially with both her parents being dentists. I'll be able to help Mum without the beetle nosing into it, too. Getting rid of the mess down there should help the whole school, too. He wrinkled his nose as he went up to his dorm room to work on homework and tell his friends what was going on. Now he knew that fumes from potions made people sick, he bet the air from the Chamber was pretty awful.
Once it was time for dinner in the Great Hall, Harry wondered if there was any other stuff down there and if it was worth anything. Maybe we should go through the trash in the junk room part of the Room of Requirement, too. But the Chamber stuff probably belongs to the school anyway. It would only be fair if I let Snape down there a couple of times to see what else there was.
Severus sat with the Headmaster after dinner and told him about the Chamber and the basilisk. They decided that the school should have one share, Harry more because he'd killed the beast, some for Ron for assisting with preparation, and that Snape should have some recompense for overseeing the preparation and brokering the sales.
I should acquire a bank box for myself, he thought. Albus was a busy man and didn't need to know all the details of how each party managed their shares of whatever sales might occur. His finances with Gringotts were an open book, and the Swiss account wasn't much yet. He would not have to report how much of his share was in parts and how much in Galleons, though the total value would equal the share going to the school.
Once the short conference was over, he met Flitwick in the hallway back down to the Great Hall. "Filius, here's your Speaking Stone back. I want to find one to keep, though, since I am sure Miss Granger will have many more questions when brewing the Wolfsbane than she will submit in writing beforehand. This one has capacity for three hours, but Miss Granger is likely to fill it and then some."
The Charms professor laughed. "You'll need six hours at least. I'll order you one that goes to nine. She'll have questions about preliminary stages as well."
"That might do," Snape said dryly as they stood in the hallway. "With that much time, I'll lecture somewhat during the process and may transcribe it later for a paper. I'll give her credit for any insights she might have, of course. I have a few times already."
"When do you plan to let her know about this?"
"Once the class completes the potions as a group. I've begun a list of things for each member. What do you think the Ravenclaws in your class might want which they might not be able to buy on the market? I have an idea for Miss Lovegood already, but not for the others."
Flitwick nodded. "It's not everyone who wants to give my students recognition. I'll think about them and get back to you. As for the stone, I'll order it right off and do the charms myself." They walked into the staff room and poured a bit of tea into the cups they left there. Snape winced as the brew was thicker and stronger than usual and added more lemon. "I wonder if there would be a teapot left if the inside was ever cleaned," he mused.
"It's replaced every century right on schedule!" Flitwick protested with a laugh. "It's quite a ceremony, really…"
"Ah," said Snape. He took a tentative sip and decided he could endure it. He should purchase a duplicate and leave it behind for the continued survival of the staff, since he was fairly certain he would not be here for a replacement, if Flitwick spoke the truth. "I can't say I blame Madam Umbridge for putting in four sugars the one time I caught her in here having a cuppa."
"Speaking of her," the older teacher said, "How on earth did you convince her that the gillywater you gave her was real Veritaserum?"
Snape grinned. "I let her test it on me. I pretended to confess to all sorts of ghastly things. She was shaking with terror by the end of it."
Flitwick chortled with laughter. "Do you still have the memory? I'll take that in exchange for the Speaking Stone instead of Galleons."
"I'll be happy to. That reminds me, I should have Miss Granger write an essay on the properties of Veritaserum and have her discover the Ministry has its own brewers for it. Perhaps she might not be quite so eager to put a hidden jinx in any agreement. I suspect that she will have trouble finding people to sign anything she draws up in future."
"Ah, yes," Flitwick said. He took another sip of the staff tea and didn't even wince. "I must admit, my usual impulse to allow Gryffindors to play with their food turned out badly. Mind you, not as poorly as when you were a student. I still regret that part."
Snape knew he had to be gracious. Apologies to him were still extremely rare. "As you have undoubtedly seen, I am quite protective of my students this year. I am quite happy that you are paying a bit more attention to yours, and especially ecstatic over Minerva finally realizing she had to take a stronger hand with hers."
"True. I just wish the cost to you had not been so great."
"And yet here I am," Snape said lightly.
"Do call on me if you need someone to take a class, though. You haven't been quite yourself since Christmas. I assume the Swiss poisoned you more than usual. If nothing else, I can terrify them into doing essays by having a little dueling practice with the worst behaving ones."
Snape was taken aback. He was slowly beginning to become used to kind words, but actual deeds were still few and far between. "I may well take you up on that, Filius. Poppy has been making sure I have a lie-down both mornings and afternoons lately, but I still feel exhausted much of the time anyway. I don't know how much help Mr. Weasley is going to be yet, but Winky adores him for every platter of food he devours. I don't mind her keeping him as a pet thus far."
The other teacher snorted. "My assistant is Mr. Zabini. Fortunately, I can teach him the system I used for grading and do the assignments from Slytherins myself. Almost all the Snakes have similar counterparts in other houses, so I have no trouble keeping the curve fair."
"I am sure my assistant has some talents, but I'm not certain what they are yet," Snape said. "I suspect I am to use him as a chess instructor when I am not supposed to walk around much. At the very least his presence means Winky can take a nap when she doesn't want to."
"Ha! I wonder where she gets that tendency from…"
"Yes, very funny." He nodded to Flitwick to show he had taken no offense, and then rose to stagger back to Slytherin. Once there, he ran the gantlet of his students' concerns but dealt with them as quickly as he could on his way to his quarters. A few of them would have to wait till the next day when he had more strength, but none of the problems seemed drastic.
Then he sat down in blessed silence in his parlor. Winky brought him something to eat and said she'd bring the potions later, so he had a chance to enjoy his food first. As he ate, he considered today's decisions. Having the boys do most of the work for the basilisk would improve their ingredient preparation techniques. They would earn their shares. I'll have to restrain myself from taking all my share in pieces of the wretched thing, he realized ruefully. I hope Mr. Potter is willing to allow me down the opening to explore the rest of the Chamber. I suspect many things are down there that belong to Slytherin as a house. And perhaps it might be as well to have someone to call for help if any of them are too ghastly for me to deal with.
He remembered the Speaking Stone he was to receive from Flitwick. Then again, he really would need it for Miss Granger's many questions during the final preparation night for the Wolfsbane. Of course, the only reason the last stage is at night is because my day is so full already. There really isn't any arcane reason for it, just tradition. As far as I know, that is. He would need more research on that factor. Other brewers also finished it off in one long run at night, but was that for the same reason he did so? And yet the brew was so expensive that nobody dared try the last stage during the day. That's something to be considered once a team can brew it and no one brewer has to be responsible. Or perhaps on a weekend with the next victim from my Potions class? Miss Patil or Miss Bones could be watched for a daytime attempt.
As he sat slowly eating his soup, he went over the rewards he wanted to give to various students once the bet was won. The Quibbler has drawings of some of the strange creatures Miss Lovegood insists truly exist. I need to ask her if those are the work of her father or her. She was present when her mother died, and Pandora Lovegood was known for experiments which she should have had adult assistance with. The next time the daughter has detention, I'll ask her if she can draw them herself. I have an idea about that if she can. I wonder if she would see any such creatures in the Chamber? Harry might go along with that just to be polite.
He took out some paper and ink and jotted down some other ideas. He already knew what young Mr. Weasley should receive. Miss Granger would be delighted to see some of her ideas in print. He wasn't certain about Mr. Potter. Draco, what to do for Draco…ah, yes, he knew what the young man would like best, but that wasn't possible. I have an idea what he could do this summer. I wonder if Madam Pomfrey will give him a recommendation for it? I'll have to ask Narcissa if she could help me with the young ladies like Miss Parkinson and Miss Bulstrode.
He put his quill down for the moment. I'll have to return to the list and keep at it till I find something suitable for each one. Fortunately, it's a relatively small class.
Once he finished the soup, he sighed and stared at the high tower of essays. If he didn't keep up with them as they came in, they would soon grow into a pile almost impossible to catch up with. No doubt the other teachers were equally despondent. Snape moved into the sturdy chair that leaned back, moved the side table to the front, and began. It was probably hopeless to wish they were more interesting than before the Christmas break. He consoled himself with the thought that if Riddle had been hired for the Defense teacher, he too would have a similar task.
No wonder conquest of the magical world had seemed preferable. Then again, the Ministry would inflict similar heaps of paper on the Dark Lord should he ever succeed. He briefly imagined Percy Weasley attempting to explain to him why he should read a certain report and nearly choked on inner laughter.
It would serve him right!
Ron Weasley walked away from the Common Room and up to the seventh floor of the Astronomy Tower. He felt out of breath and berated himself for letting himself get out of shape. Maybe that stupid dancing class is a good idea, he thought. He walked in front of the spot in the hall and muttered, "I want to learn how to take care of money" over and over again.
He was about to give up and go back to his dorm when the door appeared. He entered it and discovered a counter like the ones at Gringotts against the back wall, while a desk, one chair, a notebook, and an ink with a quill on top of the desk sat nearby the counter.
What really made his eyes fly open despite the late hour was that a young-looking goblin was behind the counter. He gulped. Going to the bank was Mum's job. But he had asked for help.
"I am Lockmore," the goblin said. "I'm here to teach you about money."
Well, this was a lot more than he'd expected! "I have to start keeping track of the allowance I'll get for helping Professor Snape," he said. 'And I might have more money later for something else. I don't want to spend it all at once and I need a safe place to keep it."
"You can start an account with the bank from here," the goblin announced.
Ron grimaced. "But then people will put it in the newspaper when I send some of it home to Mum."
"We won't tell anyone," the goblin said.
"But Harry said they would. Oh, wait, that's because of the guardianship hearing," Ron said.
"Yes. You are already a member of the family and so may transfer what you want to a relative's account. But you will probably have to show your book to the person giving you the allowance."
Ron shook his head. For once the rules were different in his favor. That was nice. "I don't know how to keep a book the way Mum does for her Quidditch pools. I usually just have the money in my pocket, spend it, and then it's gone." He then told the goblin how much he normally had for family spending money.
Lockmore frowned. "You need to practice writing down what you spend and what you spend it on. Do you owe anybody any money?"
"No!" Ron never borrowed from anybody no matter how empty his pockets were. He knew of some students who did and how little they had left when they finally settled up. He liked making a show of treating his friends when he had money, and accepted some things from his friends, but made sure to make things even by doing things for them when he didn't have anything in his pockets.
He sat down at the desk and saw the notebook was stamped with the name LEDGER. He opened it and the papers was full of tiny squares, probably to put numbers in. "The boxes in this book need to be bigger because of my handwriting," he said, though he didn't want to complain about anything given to him.
Suddenly the squares did get bigger! "Oh, that's better!" he said. "Thank you."
"Now, pretend you have the money your family gave you and write it down at the top," the goblin instructed.
Ron did it and tried not to leave any blots. It wasn't much. But he supposed he had to practice before he could do better with more.
"Write down on the left what you spent it on, and then how much you spent on each one. At the end of each line, write down how much you have left after each thing you bought."
Of course, he'd bought some Fizzing Whizbees, if only for the fun of watching people trying to catch them in the Common Room. He tried to remember what he'd spent on them. "Is it all right if I just guess if I don't remember?"
"Yes," the goblin said, though he didn't look happy about it. Ron then tried to remember what he'd bought and how much he'd spent on everything else. He still had two Sickles and a Knut left from what Mum had given him for this term, so he had to figure things backwards to come out with the right amount. He realized that he honestly didn't remember some of the things he'd bought. "Can I take this book with me out of here?"
"Yes, please!" Lockmore looked happy about that. "For the next month, just put down what you spend things on. Once the month is over, come back up here and I will be here to answer questions."
That was going to be easy enough. He knew he was going to have to make runs to the kitchen to sneak some food up to Gryffindor Tower if he wanted to hand out anything to his friends for the rest of the term. He'd noticed Hermione had a sweet tooth, even more so than Harry. Maybe it was because her parents didn't let her have any at home?
"One last thing," the goblin said. "On a different page, pretend you have 100 Galleons. Decide what you would buy with it ahead of time. That way, if you have extra money, you can look at that list and decide which ones you really want the most. When you come here again, if you want to talk to me or do anything with Gringotts, just say, "Ronald Weasley Account Clerk".
Ron knew something even better. "No, I'll say Ronald Bilius Weasley Account Clerk. Almost nobody knows my middle name, so if they pretend to be me for some reason, they would have to know it. This way Mum can have some of my money if she needs it."
The goblin almost smiled this time. "Very good idea, sir."
Ron blinked. Nobody called him sir, ever! He thought he could get used to it. "I'd better go. I don't know when I'll be back. Thank you."
He scampered back to Gryffindor Tower. It was almost too late, and he didn't want to get caught by Filch. It was easier to move around without Snape doing night patrols, but Filch was better at catching people lately, so he didn't want to risk it.
Once he returned, he put the ledger into his trunk under a pile of junk. If he ever had real money, he'd keep the ledger up in the Room as well. This was better than making Harry open up the Chamber whenever he wanted some money anyway.