Severus Snape memories (as retrieved September 2002)
Snape was walking the school corridors, when his wand buzzed insistently at his side. Draco Malfoy had triggered the emergency alarm. He did not hesitate and immediately picked up a steady pace to run to the lake. He disapparated as soon as he felt he had left the apparition wards of the school and apparated at the gates of Malfoy Manor. The park went by in a blur, while he sped towards the house.
When he entered the living room he felt as if he had entered the center of chaos himself. The priceless chandelier lay on the floor burst into a thousand pieces. Lucius Malfoy was screaming: "He is coming, he is coming." Bellatrix Lestrange was wailing with what probably was frustration and seething anger. Narcissa's eyes were wide with fear and she knelt at Draco's feet. Draco Malfoy was slumped in a chair, looking utterly drained and spent, his hands shaking as if he had lost all control over them.
Snape hastened to him. "What happened?"
Neither Narcissa nor Lucius Malfoy asked why he was here. Lucius Malfoy was going on about how the Dark Lord would arrive any second and that they had nothing, that Potter had gotten away.
Snape stumbled, momentarily gripped by fear, and covered up his mistake by joining Narcissa at Draco Malfoy's side.
"Short version!", he snapped.
"Snatchers got Potter and his friends and brought them here. The Mudblood had done something to his face. None of us recognized him. Didn't want to call the Dark Lord before we were sure." That was Narcissa.
"Then, why is he coming?", Snape asked.
"They had the Sword of Gryffindor. Giveaway. Aunt Bella freaked out about that. Potter, Weasley dungeon. Granger here, Bellatrix crucioed her to learn why they had the sword. Goblin said it was fake. Potter escaped dungeon. We fought. Lost. Lost my wand. Dobby disapparated them." That was Draco Malfoy, speaking, the words coming out raggedly, pushed out with great speed, nonetheless.
Snape asserted the situation in seconds. His gaze fell on the utterly drained Draco Malfoy. Under his chair, the little elf Prudy was panting heavily.
The boy's eyes met his. "Snatchers caught them because Potter said the Dark Lord's name. How could he be so fucking stupid?" His voice rose. "How could he be so fucking stupid?"
Before he could ask the question one more time, Snape pulled him up by his collar and slapped him once, very hard.
"Merlin, Draco, get a grip, get a grip!"
Draco Malfoy stood with his mouth opened. He was utterly exhausted, his hair plastered to his temples, and his thoughts were probably open to anyone with a shred of legilimency. Snape checked quickly if Bellatrix had yet invaded his thoughts, but she was too preoccupied with her own fear for the moment.
There was no time for subtle magic. Snape drew his wand and pushed, using a non-verbal spell probably none but him knew, a spell that seemed to refill Draco's resources, lent him some of his own abilities, if only for a short time.
Draco's mouth snapped shut and his face became a mask, walls of occlumency built up in the matter of seconds, and not a moment too early. The Dark Lord arrived, his snake by his side, his ominous presence filling the room with a distinct threat.
None of the Death Eaters was stupid enough to remain standing. Snape knelt and the Malfoy family practically grovelled at his feet. Bellatrix was whining and stammering apologies.
"I would certainly like to know why I have been called," the Dark Lord said, his voice deceivingly soft.
His demand was met with silence. His gaze met Snape's. Snape met his eyes and answered with a steady gaze of his own. "I've just arrived to check on the potion's ingredients I asked Draco to get for me. I am not entirely sure myself what happened."
"Dear Bella, tell me," he ordered the distraught woman who lay before him, writhing reaching for his feet and yet not touching them as if she did not think herself worthy.
"We had Potter," she whimpered, "but he escaped."
The Dark Lord didn't wait to get a longer explanation. He distributed the Cruciatus curse on everyone but Snape. Snape watched Draco closely, and saw his strength dwindling. He readied his wand, probably to redo the spell he had done before, when the Dark Lord suddenly stopped.
"You are very lucky, that I just got the most excellent news," he said. "I am tempted to be lenient towards your continuous failures. It doesn't really matter. Once I have what I want, Potter will fall."
The Malfoy family slowly picked themselves up but remained on their knees. Bellatrix still laid prostrate on the floor, sobbing.
"I will hear some details, now," he said. His eyes fell on Draco.
"You certainly are a disappointment, but maybe that is no wonder, considering your father. Explain."
Draco averted the eyes of the Dark Lord and looked at the broken chandelier. He looked distraught, the shadows under his eyes all too prominent. His voice shook with fear while he recounted what had happened.
"I can feel your anger, Draco," the Dark Lord said. "Why are you angry?"
He looked up. "Potter took my wand."
"Let it be a lesson," the Dark Lord laughed. "I thought you were just weak, but maybe you are stupid as well. That you would not recognise the Potter boy."
"He is hardly my friend." His voice was devoid of any emotion.
"Maybe I should just remove you permanently from my death eaters. Or should I rather take your father who made the mistake of calling me?"
It was a testimony to the fear in the room, that Narcissa shook and shuddered, but did not dare say anything.
"My lord," Snape said. "If I may?"
The Dark Lord stopped scrutinizing Draco and set his eyes on the potions master.
Snape stood, his face as unreadable as ever. "Draco is working on a promising project for me. That is why I sent him here to get rare ingredients."
"What kind of project is this?"
"A potion that basically works like a shield charm, more powerful than anything conjured up with a wand. It would make our forces indestructible."
"And you think, I should let young Draco live?"
"He is clearly not a fighter, my Lord, but surely you know best how to use everyone's abilities for the good of your reign. And Draco is quite skilled at brewing potions, if I say so myself."
He scoffed. "Certainly, better than that imbecile Slughorn who can't be bothered to really side with you."
The Dark Lord laughed. "Severus, Severus, I can see where you are going with this."
He waved Draco to come nearer.
"A potion that would make my fighters invulnerable?"
Draco nodded.
"How is your project going, and how is this potion called?"
"I have reason to believe, that it will work soon." Draco licked his lips. "I have decided to call it the Phoenix Potion, because even the killing curse might be stopped."
The Dark Lord's eyes took on a cruel glint. "Well, Draco, I'll show leniency to the Malfoys one more time. Leave with Severus. Brew your potion, and once it is finished, we'll test its effectiveness against the killing curse on you and your family."
Draco bowed. "Your mercy is past comparison, my Lord."
Chapter 28: The Manor (March 30, 1998) III
Summary:
Minutes of the Malfoy trial concerning the events of 30th march, 1998, Malfoy Manor
Notes:
I just couldn't resist. I like court room drama...
Chapter Text
Narcissa Malfoy's evidence concerning the events on March 30, 1998 as given in the Malfoy trial (January 2002)
[prosecution] Mrs Malfoy, before you begin to tell us about the events of March 30, 1998, I want to remind you that we have the testimony of your own trial, and that you were under oath at that time as you are now.
[defence] objection
[judge] on what basis?
[defence] the prosecution is correct that Mrs Malfoy cannot deviate from her testimony she gave in September 1998, but she can add information that was not relevant in her own trial.
[judge] sustained
[prosecution] Mrs Malfoy, let's begin with the most important question. Did the accused recognise Harry Potter on March 30, 1998, when he was brought to Malfoy Manor by snatchers?
[witness] Yes, he recognised him.
[prosecution] What makes you so sure?
[witness] Draco and I had talked about Lord Voldemort's rule when he came home from Hogwarts for the Easter Break, just two days before Potter was captured. I was complaining about the, for lack of a better word, discomfort of having Voldemort as a guest in our house and Draco agreed with me. If I remember correctly, he said. 'You know, mother, that it is not likely we'll ever have peace again in this house.' That was the moment, I was certain, that he had doubts about Voldemort. I had suspected before then, that he was not happy, or less than eager, again for lack of a better word.
[witness] When the snatchers brought Potter's friends, even I suspected, that it was Potter. I had seen him often enough in their company. Draco took his time, when my sister asked him to identify Potter, too much time I thought.
[prosecution] Wouldn't you say, that the fact that he took his time, could be interpreted that he simply was not sure about the identity of the captive? Potter had been hit by a stinging hex after all and it distorts the face almost unrecognisable.
[witness] Draco usually is quick. He does not dawdle. And Potter still had the unruly hair and his glasses. His scar was also visible.
[prosecution] You want me to believe, that the accused managed to hide the fact that he knew it was Potter from your sister who was a powerful legilimens second only to Voldemort?
[witness] It was enough to sow doubt, and once Bellatrix saw the sword of Gryffindor, she didn't want to call the Dark Lord any longer.
[prosecution] This, esteemed wizengamot, seems to me much like an interpretation in hindsight, understandable, considering that Mrs Malfoy wants to protect her son, a fact that is well known after all. No more questions.
[defence] Mrs Malfoy, how would you describe the atmosphere in Malfoy Manor at the time Voldemort was a frequent guest there. Would you say that you could talk openly?
[witness] (short laughter) Certainly, not.
[defence] Even not to your own family.
[witness] None of us ever spoke what we thought.
[defence] So, if someone else apart from you, let's say your sister or another death eater like Fenrir Greyback would have heard Draco utter that sentence about how you would never have peace, how would they have reacted.
[witness] Draco would have gotten in trouble over it.
[defence] So, what do you think your son wanted to tell you?
[witness] He wanted to let me know that he was afraid and that he had doubts, as explicitly as he dared.
[defence] When he was called by your sister to help identify Harry Potter, did something strike you as odd?
[witness] Apart from the fact that he took his time? He fiddled with his family ring. He pulled it off and put it back on, several times.
[defence] Why did this strike you as odd?
[witness] My son is not prone to fiddle.
[defence] After Bellatrix saw the sword of Gryffindor, she decided to get information on where Potter had gotten the sword. And she decided to torture the captives for information. Did something strike you as odd, when that happened?
[prosecution] I am sure we don't need to go into detail about that, Ms Granger.
[defence] On the contrary, this is very important. So, did something strike you as odd?
[witness] Draco stayed. Usually, he would avoid being present when people were tortured. He would leave whenever he could get away with it. And the fact that he grabbed you and…. threw you on the floor. It was not his usual reaction.
[defence] Would you say that it is possible, that he whispered something into my ear?
[witness] Yes.
[defence] Now, what did your son do when your sister cursed me repeatedly? Could you please describe where and how he sat?
[witness] He sat on a chair to the right of my sister.
[defence] Could Bellatrix see his wandarm?
[witness] No. His left hand pressed his knees, but the right hand must have been at his side.
[defence] Did you by any chance see the house elf Prudy?
[witness] No.
[defence] Did you notice anything off about your son, when Bellatrix stopped with the cruciatus curse and started carving me with her knife?
[witness] Draco was breathing very heavily, he seemed drained.
[defence] When Harry Potter and Ron Weasley entered the room, what happened then?
[witness] There was duelling.
[defence] How fast did Draco lose his wand?
[witness] Almost immediately.
[defence] When Dobby had disapparated us, Severus Snape arrived. Why?
[witness] He claimed that he wanted rare potion ingredients.
[defence] How did you son react?
[witness] He was very agitated, and Severus had difficulty calming him down. We were all afraid, because my husband had called … Voldemort.
[defence] Did he shout? What did he shout when Severus Snape arrived?
[prosecution] Objection. It has been decided that Miss Granger's testimony on the events in the Manor are untrustworthy, because she was subjected to the cruciatus. She is obviously trying to make her own version plausible.
[defence] I am allowed to collect evidence for a different interpretation.
[judge] Not sustained. I hope you know where you are going with this, Miss Granger.
[defence] What did Draco shout?
[witness] He shouted "How could he have been so stupid?" Several times.
[defence] So he did not shout something like "Potter escaped"?
[witness] No.
[defence] What do you think he meant?
[prosecution] objection
[judge] sustained.
[defence] How did Severus Snape react?
[witness] He shook him, told him to get a grip, slapped him. It seemed to work Draco seemed to calm down just in time… Voldemort appeared seconds after that.
[defence] Voldemort did not kill you and your family for the failure to hold on to Harry Potter, why?
[witness] Severus convinced him that he had asked Draco to do a special potions project. A shielding potion.
[defence] Did you know anything about this?
[witness] No. But Draco had owled me about ingredients before he came home for the Easter break.
[defence] Thank you, no more questions.
[defence] I would alert the Wizengamot to the fact that Mrs Malfoy noticed that Draco Malfoy was 'drained' as she called it, after Bellatrix stopped her torture. Please note as well, that he seemed not to be distressed about Harry Potter's get away. His distress was about someone's stupidity. It is possible that he meant the mention of Voldemort's name – which could be considered stupid since it led to Harry Potter's capture. I would also alert you to the fact, that Draco Malfoy as has been proven by the testimony of Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood had duelled with three in November in Hogwarts and had not lost his wand, but lost almost immediately to Harry Potter, a fact that could be explained either by his exhaustion or his willingness to lose. Both would speak in his favour. It also is clear that the accused's claim that he was developing a potion can be backed by his asking after ingredients before the Phoenix Potion was mentioned and by what Severus Snape said in the presence of Mrs Malfoy.
Excerpts from the testimony of Prudy, the house elf
[witness] I hid under Master Draco's chair and while he cast the scutum spell on Miss Granger, I tempered with his wand, so that Bellatrix Lestrange would not see it.
Chapter 29: Off to Hogwarts
Summary:
Christmas break is over and the children are off to Hogwarts.
Notes:
It is my headcanon that some of the more abysmal customs surrounding Hogwarts are abolished after Voldemort's fall...
I mean who lets a whole train of children unsupervised ?
Chapter Text
Neville and Pansy went to the Grangers to get breakfast the day school started again. Ever since Colin had started with Hogwarts, it had become a tradition to see the children off. When they arrived, the family had just finished a drill.
"I know, you know it was a drill," Draco scolded the children. "You still should not have opened the door before we went through the questions. I could have been poly-juiced." He pressed his lips together, and the thin red line left from his split lip, suddenly stood out. It would probably fade with time.
"Dad," Rina griped. "You are never satisfied. We were in the safe room in under two minutes, wards in place, my patronus on patrol, and everything."
"I'm tempted to do it again," Draco growled. "Next time, just wait until I or mum have answered the questions, before you open the door."
"Yes, dad." Rina elaborately rolled her eyes.
"I saw that," Hermione said.
"You were supposed to see it. Honestly, I am an adult now, I shouldn't hide in the safe room."
"It is because you're an adult that you should stay with your siblings. You are the one who can conjure a patronus."
"O.k. Until Colin will have mastered the patronus," Rina said.
Breakfast was a lively affair. Meg and Lizzie showed Neville the riddle books they had finished, and Colin showed Pansy his sketches of elves from Middle Earth, or was it Mid Earth? Robert had decided that it was a good idea to test what noises his spoon would make on various dishes.
Neville accioed his newest acquisition, that he had just bought yesterday in Muggle London, out of his rucksack.
"Draco," he said. "You know, the other day, I realised that it is really annoying, that I can't contact you. So, I bought this, but I must admit, that I probably botched starting this."
He placed the Muggle phone on the table between them. While Draco took the phone and looked at it, Neville took another slice of the fresh chocolate lemon cake, his favourite.
"You've charged it?"
Neville scoffed. "I know about electricity, Draco."
Draco pressed some buttons and the screen of the phone came to life.
"Did you get a small plastic card as well?"
Neville opened his sack. "It must be in there."
"It's called sim card."
"Accio sim card." A tiny plastic item fell into Neville's hand.
Somehow Draco had opened the phone thingy. Neville watched fascinated when Draco opened something that looked like a tiny drawer and put the plastic item in.
"You must have gotten a number to go with that card."
Neville took out all the papers he had gotten in the Muggle shop. Draco looked at the papers and began pressing the small screen several times, too fast for Neville to follow.
Then he took out his own phone and wiped across the screen and pressed the screen several times. Neville gave a start when his own phone suddenly rang twice.
"I've called you. Now my number is in your contacts. I'll show you how to use this on our way to King's Cross. We must get going. So, who wants cookies for the road?"
Meg was the first to shout for cookies. "You are not going to school, young Lady," Hermione said, but Meg got a bag with cookies just like Robert did.
Neville was pleasantly surprised when Draco gave him another bag. "You're going to school as well, aren't you? I know you like them. And you should get a reward for making sure the children don't get into mischief on the train."
Hermione ushered them to the very end of the platform 9 . They were early and there were not yet many parents about, but Lizzie had already waved to at least three other children, including Matilda Fawley. Matilda was a very shy girl and returned a miniature almost invisible wave that escaped the notice of her scowling father, who was bent over his shoes, waving his wand to tie his shoelaces. Luna and Blaise joined them at the end of the platform and the children chattered until the train arrived.
When the children made to board the train, Draco held Colin back. "Just to give you some advice, son, if you have a crush…"
Colin rolled his eyes. "…don't try to get her attention by insults and sneers. I know this, dad. There is no need for you to tell me this, every time."
Neville thought it was superfluous as well. The probability of Colin trying to imitate his dad in that respect was zero in his opinion.
Rina hugged Hermione. "There is no need for your love advice either, mum. I promise I won't throw the avis spell at some unsuspecting person just because I am jealous."
Hermione flushed. "It is pretty bad behaviour."
Draco shook his head. "Of all your action, that is the one that haunts you?", he asked.
"It is only the most likely to be reproduced. I hardly expect my children to have to do some of the stuff I did during the war."
When the children had boarded, Draco gave Neville a last advice about his new acquisition. "I suspect that your phone could work at Hogwarts, if you put a scutum on it. The connectivity is probably rotten, but you can give it a try. Don't tell that to any of the pupils though. You don't want all of the school suddenly preoccupied with smart phones."
"I will try that," Neville said.
He bent down to kiss his wife. He would apparate home this evening after the children were settled, but he would not miss an opportunity to kiss Pansy. "Good luck with the tailing," he whispered in her ear. He knew better than to speak a name, but he had seen Pansy's newest observation target already. Leave it to his dedicated auror wife to combine fun and work.
Just before he went on the train, he saw Astoria Greengrass hurrying along the platform a bag in hand.
"Neville," she called.
"Morning, Astoria," he said.
"I want to board with you. I got an owl by Flitwick this morning. Dawlish has taken ill, and the headmaster wants us to cover Defence against the Dark Arts for the next weeks. I thought we could use the journey to sort the curriculum."
"Well, I hope Dawlish was not jinxed."
"Don't say that too loud."
Chapter 30: A teacher's duties
Summary:
Neville walks the Hogwarts Express and tries to drive some important points home.
Chapter Text
Neville walked down the aisles of the Hogwarts' Express and checked in on the students. He personally thought it was one of the improvements from his own days as a pupil that made a lot of sense. Always have a teacher on the train.
He didn't have to pick apart too many fights. Mostly the children would stop fighting when he came near, it was only one Ravenclaw and one Hufflepuff boy from sixth year who were too invested in a pissing contest to see him on time.
He saw Lizzie happily munching on the cookies from her bag together with her classmates. The children sat double in that compartment, but Neville let it lay. They were first years and if they wanted to sit cramped so be it.
James and Richard were unsurprisingly in the loudest compartment of all which held the Quidditch team of House Gryffindor. They were talking strategy for the next game.
"We will win the house cup this year, Uncle Neville," James told him. "Hufflepuff doesn't stand a chance in the next game."
Neville found some encouraging words for his house team. He was just secretly glad that the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin game was already done with. That one was still the most competitive.
Colin and Rachel were in a compartment of their own, their heads bent over books, the bag of cookies between them. Colin had apparently already recruited Rachel to the solution of what he called the "house elf mystery". In a corner of their compartment sat little Matilda Fawley. Neville told her that her Hufflepuff housemates were in the front of the train. There would certainly be place for one more slip of a girl, but Matilda shook her head.
"I don't feel that well, Professor Longbottom," she said. "I have a bit of a headache."
Neville pulled out his wand. "Let me check, if it's anything serious."
He ran a quick sickness finding spell over her but found nothing. "Best got to the Hospital wing, when we are at Hogwarts and tell Ms Auren to give you something."
"You should drink something," Colin said. "Headaches usually are just caused by lack of hydration." He offered her a cup from his own water bottle, and Matilda drank a few sips.
Rachel took out her wand and waved it over little Matilda's head. "This is an anti wrackspurt spell. This will help as well."
"Do you want a cookie, Professor Longbottom?" Colin asked.
"No, thanks, Colin, just share them with Rachel and Matilda. I got my own after all."
At the end of the train, Neville finally found the head girl, the head boy and the prefects. Rina had it all well in hand, which was no surprise. Her fellow head boy from Hufflepuff usually let her lead the way. Prefects and Heads greeted him.
"Are you finished with the schedules?" Neville asked.
"Not quite," the Gryffindor prefect David Finnigan answered.
"When you are finished, I want you and Ms Fletcher to come and find me at the end of the train. Some House Gryffindor business."
"Yes, Professor," both answered.
When he reached the compartment, Astoria had chosen, she had already opened some books and pinned down notes on what they should cover. Neville looked at the curriculum of sixth years.
"Patronus," he said. "Can you conjure a corporal patronus, Astoria? If you can't I can supervise that lessons."
"That would be nice."
"Shield charms. Ah. Dawlish actually has the scutum on his curriculum for the seventh years. His curriculum is really very ambitious."
"According to his notes, the lessons on scutum never work well. The spell is too exhausting and not everyone is up to it."
Neville thought for a while. "You know, if we want the NEWT class to really get some practice, we could invite Pansy for some lessons. Maybe I could persuade Draco to come for a day. Then students wouldn't have to cast the scutum."
"That is a good idea, only some parents might not be too happy about it."
"Well, we are only taking over for a few weeks, so they can hardly pressure the headmaster to sack us."
Neville took out his phone. "I am going to ask him immediately. Who knows if this thing works at Hogwarts."
"They work under a scutum. And I have a device to charge them."
"Oh, yes, of course. You call your girlfriend with a phone."
Astoria flushed a bit. "Yes."
She sighed. "You know, Neville, it is nice to have someone who is so accepting about me and my significant other. My sister really tries, but she'd sooner not have me talk about Ellie."
Neville scoffed. "I lived with Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan in a dorm for years."
Astoria chuckled.
"Is it true that Harry Potter never had a clue about them?"
Neville chuckled. "When he was invited to their wedding, he thought they had a double wedding and had forgotten to insert the brides' names on the invitation."
Astoria laughed out loud. "That's not true, is it?"
Neville shrugged. "Unfortunately, it is not even my own joke, but Draco's. It sums up Harry's cluelessness about them nicely though. Pansy told me that Dean and Seamus were an open secret even in the Slytherin common room. And that nothing surprised them more than the brief time Dean dated Ginny."
Astoria nodded in agreement. "I somehow envy their bravery."
"Well, Dean is muggleborn and things are different in the Muggle world. And after everything they went through when they were separated in seventh year, they simply did not care any longer. You are from an old family, your girlfriend is not a witch, it is more difficult for you."
"Thanks, Neville, I hope I'll find the courage to stand by Ellie."
"On another note, it is true though, that Seamus did blow up the wedding cake."
"Funny, that David somehow managed to inherit this particular tendency, although he is adopted."
They both still laughed when the boy with two dads knocked at their compartment door, co-prefect in tow.
"Mr. Finnigan, Ms. Fletcher," Neville offered them a seat. Both students had a bit of a wary look about them.
"Cookie?", Neville smiled at them. "Don't be alarmed, nothing serious has happened." At least not yet.
Astoria had a puzzled look about her. The two students took a cookie and sat down.
"You will now tell me everything about the Gryffindor trial of courage."
David Finnigan had stopped munching on his cookie and Jane Fletcher had become flushed within seconds.
"What?", they stuttered. "Trial of courage, there is no such thing."
Neville drummed his fingers on his knee and arched an eyebrow. "You do know that I have been an auror for years." He still smiled.
Both looked at Astoria uneasily.
"I can assure you that I have my reasons to have Professor Greengrass as a witness to this conversation."
"It's a house secret," David said.
"And I am head of your house and responsible for you. Out with it."
Jane Fletcher was the first to break under his scrutinizing eyes.
"We do it at the end of fourth year," she admitted. "We get a portkey by some …" she hesitated, "…former Gryffindors."
"It's meant to remind us of the bravery of Harry Potter who won the Triwizard tournament in fourth year," David added.
"We go there, nick a couple of dark artefacts and leave again."
Neville sighed. "What do you do with the artefacts?"
"We open the 'Fiendfyre room' and throw them in. And then we have a house party." David looked sullen. "It's one of the highlights of the year."
"I can't believe neither headmistress McGonagall nor Finchley put a stop to this."
"I don't think they knew," Fletcher said.
"The 'fiendfyre room'?" Astoria asked.
"The former 'Room of hidden Things'. Where one of Voldemort's horcruxes was stored and destroyed. It is still on fire."
Neville looked at his two students. Gryffindor bravery really bordered on insanity, at least once in a while.
"And what exactly is the place where you go to nick these dark artefacts?", Astoria asked in a very strict teacher voice.
"Malfoy Manor," Neville answered. The two Gryffindor prefects gasped. Neville knew that he had just further cemented his fame in the school, but he had learned enough from Pansy over the years to not miss such a golden opportunity.
Astoria jumped from her seat. "What? Teenage Gryffindors nick dark artefacts from Malfoy Manor, of all places? As a trial of courage?"
Neville could not have hoped for a better reaction to drive home his point.
"Nothing ever happened," Jane Fletcher said, somewhat sullenly.
"No, it didn't," Neville agreed. "A fact easily explained by the way. The lady of said manor has always seen to that."
He grinned at his baffled students. "That certainly takes out much of the fun in hindsight, doesn't it?"
It was an effort to keep a straight face at their shock, but even though Neville had just been teaching for half a year, he knew that it sometimes was not good to laugh.
"I want it to be crystal clear, that this has to stop. Trials of courage tend to be foolish, nicking dark artefacts is perilous, but now it has become a potential death trap."
Astoria nodded vigorously.
"Why?", David asked.
"Have you never heard about the Cut out curse?"
"Just rumours," Jane Fletcher said.
Neville turned to Astoria. "We're going to put the 'Greengrass guide' on the curriculum. Care to explain?"
Astoria tapped her lip in thought. "Some pureblood families tried to ensure that their family members would not betray their ideas and set up curses that would be activated in case of betrayal or for squibs. Anyone stepping out of line or a squib would be cursed, sometimes only in a mild manner, like them not being able to enter the house or have further contact with family members, sometimes the curses are deadly. In any case the affected are unable to talk about their family's secrets."
"Deadly?" David Finnigan asked. His eyes betrayed his uneasiness.
Astoria nodded. "Yes, deadly. Now, you can probably tell me, why the Malfoy situation is extremely volatile and dangerous?"
Neville supressed a smile. Astoria was in best teacher mode. Let the students work it out for themselves.
"The head of the house is dead, and the heir has been cut out?", Ms Fletcher asked. "The curse has become volatile. And it is a deadly curse?"
"Exactly."
"So, as your head of house I forbid this trial of courage ever to take place again. I will make an announcement in the common room, but I wanted you prefects to be informed. And if anyone goes against my order in this, House Gryffindor will start the next schoolyear with negative house points. Have I made myself clear?"
"Yes, Professor Longbottom."
"You can join your friends again," he dismissed them.
The Gryffindor prefects made to leave the compartment. Jane Fletcher turned at the door.
"Professor Greengrass?", she asked. "How could you even write your book?"
"The legal settlement with my father explicitly forbade him to activate the Greengrass cut out curse."
"Blimey," David said.
"Mr. Finnigan, guard your tongue," Astoria said.