The Truth is Spreading
Severus nodded, resigned. He could live with his current appearance. He even liked it, which was strange as he had cultivated his awful looks before that, thinking he deserved them. This made him wonder, "I have a personal question. I would like it to stay between the three of us. Is that possible?"
Narcissa nodded and No. 15 said, "As long as it doesn't go against magic and the more important laws, sure, go ahead."
"You said being an unwilling donor can make a person actually go insane in some cases. I don't think that happened in my case, but my understanding is that Lockhart cursing me with it reversed the negative effects the primary spell had done to me over time?"
"Indeed, it just went too far onto the 'positive' side of things."
"Much too far," Severus scowled. "Anyway, I noted a difference in my attitude. In retrospect, my emotions were stuck in a teenager's mindset. I felt like no one understood me, I hated myself and the world, and I even saw no problem with bullying children," Severus swallowed, "I was wallowing in self-pity, to be honest."
"Oh Severus," Narcissa put her hand over his and squeezed it.
No. 15 nodded, and said, "Yes, there were some remarks about this in the documents I studied last week. We strongly suspect this to be a possible outcome, but it's much harder to verify and measure. But we encountered this with the counter-curse. Are you sure your emotions changed after Lockhart's spell?"
Severus frowned, "Now that I think of it, it seems that my mindset only really changed after you cast the counter."
The Unspeakable nodded again, " That would fit my resources. I recommend you meditate soon. You're trained in mind magic?"
"Yes."
"Very good, that will help you find your true equilibrium."
"Thank Merlin."
"You might notice some changes in attitudes within your House too. Please do try to document your observations."
"I will."
"And I'll keep your personal business out of my report for the next 200 years. Afterwards, you won't care about it anymore and we'll retain the knowledge. Would that be sufficient?"
"Yes, it would."
"Now, on another matter. We'll offer a blanket pardon until the end of January and establish the procedures within the Auror force again, so I recommend that you strongly advise the perpetrators to come forward and swear the oath Mrs Malfoy swore. Oh, by the way, may I have a copy of your written oath, Mrs Malfoy?"
"Certainly," she handed it over. She had her copy saved in her files.
Severus nodded as well and thought about it, "It probably will become quite obvious who had cast The Spell in most cases. I'll do my best not to have the guilty parties become persona non grata within the school but I will ensure they understand the law Ignorantia juris non excusat applies here, like for everything else."
"That's an excellent point. We might use it in the article as well. Maybe in its English translation."
The other two chuckled.
Severus summarised his tasks, "I'll meditate, have a house meeting at the start of term and have all the students learn the counter-spell and have them cast it too. Additionally, I'll assure the guilty parties know the scope of the law and the penalties and they come to swear the oath to you. I'll observe and document my findings. What else? Right, I'll strongly recommend the other three Heads of Houses to do the same, after the article has been published. Oh, and I'll get the photographs from Mr Creevey."
"And I'll teach Lucius as soon as he returns and after the news break, I'll discreetly campaign for the other suspects to swear the oath."
"Very good, I don't think I could have found someone more qualified for these particular tasks," No. 15 remarked.
"Well, we found you, didn't we?" an amused-looking Severus said.
"Indeed."
They agreed to meet again next Saturday. It would be after the article was published but before the students returned.
Harry and Ron were enjoying their dinner with the other people who stayed at the castle over the holidays when Ron elbowed Harry gently and said, "Look! It's Snape!"
Harry (and everyone else) looked up and saw the mentioned teacher had come out of the side door and was walking toward their shared table in measured steps.
"Oh," one Hufflepuff seventh-year girl sighed dejectedly.
"Severus! You've changed in appearance once again! Tell us how that was accomplished!" the Headmaster called out excitedly, expecting the Potions Master to scoff and decline to answer.
Severus took his seat and said, "The Unspeakable from the Department of Mysteries of the Ministry, whom I've been in contact with, found the counter-curse for the spell Gilderoy Lockhart has hit me with. It's a long story, which will soon appear in the papers, so I'll save my breath and eat if you don't mind."
Dumbledore minded and said, "The papers you say?"
"Indeed, published by that Department."
"But Severus, that..." he trailed off, noticing all the interested eyes and ears.
"Albus, there's no way around it and it really is for the Greater Good that the public is informed of this. Believe me."
Dumbledore frowned. He didn't like it, but Severus was right. There was no way around it, if the one department he could not influence was in charge. He just didn't like it when others made the decisions. It wasn't for the best most of the time, he had learned.
"You must tell me later, my boy," he said.
Severus sighed and answered, "If you insist. But let's do it in the staff room. I don't want to do it more than once before the news breaks."
Dumbledore conceded and returned to eating and the rest of them did so as well.
"What do you think Snape is telling the teachers now," Ron asked when the two boys entered their common room.
"I wish I knew! Why didn't he tell us? He said it'll be in the papers soon anyway," Harry whined.
"Yeah, not fair!" Ron flopped onto one of the couches close to the fireplace.
"We must tell Hermione everything about it when we visit her tomorrow!" Harry curled up into the other corner of the couch.
"She'll go bonkers not knowing."
Harry grinned, "Yeah, let's share the pain."
They sniggered.
"By the way, Harry. Do you know if rats...er... hibernate or something?"
"Uh, I don't think so? Why?"
"Well, Scabbers disappeared after Dean was petrified."
"Wow! Do you think he got petrified as well and no one noticed?"
"I dunno," Ron answered morosely.
"Maybe the loud alarm scared him, and he's hiding."
"That sounds about right. Good idea! Better than him joining Mrs Norris and Dean. Thanks, Harry!"
"You're welcome."
They settled down and started to play chess.
In the staff room, Severus told all present teachers about The Spell and its counter. There was much disbelief and anger.
When Severus had finished his tale, Albus, who had heard part of it already, sat there quietly contemplating the repercussions.
Not so the others. Minerva was especially incensed. "You'll teach me the counter-curse this minute, Severus Snape," she snapped.
"Sure, even if I don't think you were an unwilling donor, but better safe than sorry in this case. The incantation is Redianormalis with the wand pointed at the target. No wand movement."
"Redianormalis? Very well, that should be simple enough," Minerva said and cast the spell on herself. There was not much change. But she seemed to relax a bit.
The rest of the teachers tried it as well with few outward changes other than some of them becoming prettier. Mainly Aurora, Septima, and Bathsheda. And Filius to all of their surprise.
Even Albus cast the counter-curse on himself and frowned a little afterwards. Severus wanted so badly to perform Legilimency on the man just then. Naturally, he refrained from doing so.
There was much speculation about who had cast The Spell in some of their presences, but no one could say for sure.
"This will turn the whole wizarding world on its head," Albus muttered.
"Hopefully for the better, wouldn't you say, Albus?" Filius asked.
"Yes, yes, certainly. I just wonder how that will play out if the pure-bloods get smart again and have more children. I won't say it's bad per se, but you have to agree that it'll change a lot of the current dynamics."
"My hope is that the pure-blood part of our world will not feel as left behind by us half-bloods and the Muggle-born as they do now and will be less opposed to the necessary process any society has to take part in or it'll stagnate too much," Severus thoughtfully answered.
"Hear, hear," Filius agreed.
Dumbledore nodded but didn't look convinced.
Some of the others were sure it was because he feared he would lose some of his hold over their world. As for all his assurances that he didn't want power, he had certainly amassed quite a lot over the decades. Sure, he had declined the Minister's post more than once, but he did take the post as the main educator of magical Britain's youth as well as being the Head of their national and international legislature.
"Well, I'll speak to Croaker tomorrow, maybe we can hold them off a little. There should be no need to worry the public," Albus decided.
"What do you mean 'we'? I certainly don't want them to stop," Severus said with certainty.
"Me neither!" many of the others called out.
Albus nodded, looking quite serious and bade them all goodnight.
As soon as the powerful old wizard had left the room Severus turned to Minerva and asked, "Minerva, I plan to visit the Creevey family tomorrow. Would you mind accompanying me?"
"Not at all, but why?"
"The Unspeakable thought it to be a good idea to publish before-and-after pictures of Lockhart and myself as a warning and an incentive to cast the counter-spell. And Mr Creevey was taking many pictures that day, I remember."
"That's a good idea," Filius nodded.
Minerva was a little more on the fence about it. Albus didn't seem to be very happy about it, but she agreed, and they decided to go after breakfast tomorrow.