Thanks to you who took the time to follow, favourite and review my story.

AN 2020/12/11: chapter betaed by the amazing Miette and dpstone12 :)

Severus smiled slightly, the memory of the first Hogsmead weekend of his fourth year washing over him. In the end, it had been for the best.

Jonathan, Evan and Severus were slowly making their way to Hogsmead, enjoying their first weekend out of the school grounds. They were both excited and anxious because the first sponsorship proposals would happen today, and they hoped Severus would have a good sponsor. One of the best. A Malfoy one.

Severus had tried not to get his hopes too high. While it was true Lucius and he kept a regular correspondence, Severus had not seen his blond mentor since first year and he had never met Lord Abraxas Malfoy. Severus knew Lord Malfoy held much power and influence in the wizarding world, thanks to his fortune and his political alliances as well as the longevity of the Malfoy line who could trace back their ancestors to the time of the Founders. He doubted the Lord would have much interest for a low Half-blood though. Indeed, being a Half-blood was sometimes worse than being a Muggleborn because Mother had chosen a Muggle above a Wizard. Thankfully, nobody knew he was Eileen Prince's offspring. No one knew the estranged daughter of the powerful Prince family had remained in England, his grand-parents having claimed she had escaped to an unknown exotic destination.

Thinking about it, it puzzled Severus that his grandparents had not found Eileen and forced her to leave Tobias. Jonathan had explained the Heads of House could locate any of their house members providing they were not too far away. Only rare spells could prevent members from being located by their Head and Severus knew Mother did not have the power required for those. It should have been easy to part her from Tobias. He could only suppose his grandparents knew where she was but betrayed by their own flesh and blood, chose to abandon her to her sorry life. They might not even know they had a Half-blood grandson. Sometimes he wondered if he should dare contact his grandparents but always abandoned the idea. The main reason was the Princes had an heir, the son of Mother's brother. Older than him and pureblood to boot, Severus knew he could never hope to compete for his grandparents' acceptance.

Pushing these depressing thoughts aside, he smiled slightly hearing his friends argue about the respective value of each potential sponsor he could be settled with – there was no way he could refuse an offer if he wanted to fit in Slytherin and he doubted any sponsor would not be worth having.

"Jonathan, don't tell me you would rather have Severus with old Lord Rowle than with Lord Selwyn, known for his interest in potion making!" exclaimed Evan.

"Of course I do," retorted Jonathan. "Think like the Slytherin you're supposed to be Evan! Severus needs someone to guide him and help him in the wizarding world. He needs someone for him and Lord Rowle would be perfect, his children are pursuing careers in France and he is all alone in his mansion most of the year. Lord Selwyn is always preoccupied, looking for rare and new potions. He would work Severus like a slave and our friend would love it!"

"Well, when you put it like this, I must admit you have a point," said Evan. Turning to Severus, he smiled maliciously. "So Severus, do you prefer taking care of an old man or being a slave making potions?

Raising an eyebrow, Severus answered with feigned condescension.

"Mr. Rosier, I do think you should take Mr. Wilkes' advice and think like a Slytherin. I highly doubt Lord Rowle needs a nursemaid, nor would I be disposed to become one. However, I am sure he would be delighted to teach you how to duel, especially when he hears how decrepit you think him to be."

Smiling evilly, he added:

"I would be delighted to inform him as soon as I become his protégé."

Eyes widening in horror, Evan grabbed his arm.

"Come on Severus, you would not do this if he asked you, right?"

"It depends, what would you give me?"

"You are evil."

"You're the one who forgets to watch his tongue."

"Guys, we're here!"

Jonathan interrupted their playful dispute as they arrived in front of their destination. The Procope had been chosen because it was not in the Hogsmeade area usually visited by the students and would offer more privacy to the Slytherins. It did not hurt that it was the oldest café of the town, owned by French proprietors whose discretion was legendary.

Severus entered the café alone. Only those needing a sponsor were to come. The inside was sparsely decorated but gave a feeling of elegance and history that made Severus very much aware of the poor state of his clothing. He had refused Evan's offer to loan him dress clothes for the occasion because he wanted his sponsor to see him as he was at their first meeting. If he was honest with himself, he wanted to test the importance his future sponsor would give to his appearance.

Severus had no idea how the sponsors had chosen the student they would mentor. He supposed they had had access to every student school records and had asked other students about them but afterwards? Had the sponsors debated, fought over which student they wanted? Had he been a default choice?

None of this mattered, Severus reminded himself. He would get a mentor, be grateful for it and at least have some connection to the wizarding world. He would not get his hopes too high; his mentor was not here to adopt someone...

Snorting at himself for even thinking it, Severus gave the steward the password all mentored-to-be had been given the previous evening. He was led to a small room where other Slytherins were already waiting.

Severus almost frowned when he realized he had not known two of them were Muggleborns. Admittedly, they were seventh year he had almost no contact with but it irked him all the same. Knowing who were Muggleborns, Half-bloods and Purebloods from the most ancient Houses meant having at least a rough idea of someone's standing in politics and economics. It also made it easier to guess which kind of favours to offer or ask for. He resolved to ask Evan for a lesson on the Purebloods families to refresh his memory. He did not get enough practice with using this kind of information, since he lived in the muggle world and only went to Diagon alley to get his school materials, but he needed to know this when he graduated. He could botch a job interview because he did not know what he should have.

Two more Slytherin students entered the room and then the door was locked from the outside.

Severus repressed his reflex to try and open it right away, noticing others twitching as well. They were ten, from fourth to seventh year. One in five Slytherins was a Muggleborn, a number which would have surprised many. Severus was sure neither the teachers nor the Headmaster realized it either.

Another door opened.

Severus recognized Jonathan's father from their few encounters at King's cross. The few times Mother had fetched him from the station, she had always waited for the last parent to be gone before showing herself and meeting him. She never accompanied him through the barrier when he took the train to Hogwarts at the beginning of September. She obviously did not want to be recognized by Wizards but was it for Severus' benefit, her pride or her shame, he could not tell. On the contrary, his best friends' parents were always waiting for them on the platform at the end of the school year so he had met them a few times. Jonathan and Evan must have warned them beforehand but they had never shown less than polite amiability toward him. He usually had to suppress pangs of jealousy on these occasions, thinking of his own parents.

Severus took a deep breath to focus his mind on the coming meeting as he walked with the other students and followed Mr. Wilkes in a bigger room where 10 people were waiting for them.

One immediately drew Severus attention because she was the only woman and made for a striking figure. She was not beautiful but the set of her face, her piercing green eyes so different from Lily's as well as her rich dresses demanded attention. From his lessons with Jonathan and Evan, Severus recognized Lady Greengrass. History had it that a forest nymph had gifted the women of the family with beautiful eyes as green as trees' leaves in spring in return of a favour. Both Severus' friends had confirmed all Greengrass women had indeed possessed green eyes for as long as anyone remembered, but Jonathan added jokingly that potions and spells to modify eyes colour existed.

She had a small smile playing on her lips as she watched the assembled students.

On her right stood Lord Selwyn and his cousin. Both wore the distinctive crest of their family on their chest and were scrutinizing each young face. It unnerved Severus but he smoothed his features and did not let his discomfort show—he had had a lot of practice after all. Next to them, seating in two small armchairs were Lord Fleamont and his brother. Both were renowned for their numerous travels that always ended with fruitful business deals for their family.

An elder wizard was seated in an imposing armchair on the left of Lady Greengrass. Although his hair was pure white, Lord Rowle sat regally and his eyes were full of life. The man was how Severus pictured his grandfather in his mind when he allowed himself to daydream about an unattainable life. He thought he would really not mind having him as a sponsor.

Then Lord Nott and his nephew stood against a wood pillar. Both were smiling slightly. The Nott family had Italian ancestors and ran a lucrative business with their family members that remained in Italy.

Severus fought with himself not to let his gaze falter on the man seated just before them. He would have known Lord Malfoy anywhere, Lucius being the spitting image of his father.

Severus looked at the last man standing and had to call on years of practice not to show his shock. The man stood regally with a slight coldness in his expression. He looked like Severus' mother, except for his eyes which were as black as Severus'. Augustus Prince, Severus' grandfather, was here.

Severus made himself look back to Mr. Wilkes and tried to distract himself from his pounding heart.

He noted the Blacks, though a renowned and ancient Slytherin House, were not represented and felt a weight he had not acknowledged lifting from his shoulders. He knew being sponsored by a Black would have meant more troubles with the marauders. He had also feared what their rumoured craziness—rumours that were too numerous not to be close to reality—would have meant for him.

All in all, the sponsors seemed well suited for their tasks and Severus was certain he could work with any of them. He just did not know if he would rather have Lord Malfoy or his grandfather as a sponsor, and what he would feel should he get neither of them.

Fifth year Severus remembered he had not yet begun his study of Occlumency which would have come in handy to help calm his frayed nerves and pounding heart. Back then, he had needed all his concentration not to show how having his grandfather close enough to touch had unsettled him. He could hardly think of a worst moment to make the man's acquaintance.

Mr. Wilkes waited for all the students to arrange themselves in front of the sponsors before speaking.

"Dear Slytherins. I am honoured to witness our meeting today, symbol of a new beginning for us. For too long we let Muggleborn fools handle Wizards' matters and prevent us from doing what we should have. They are lucky because their family did not cast them aside when they showed magic. They are unlucky because they are blind to the misfortune of others like you. They are unlucky because they do not realize the muggle world has skewed their view of right and wrong, so much that they consider it normal for children to remain with a family that is dangerous to them. They are unlucky because even if their family loves them, they are different from them and do not realize how tenuous their situation in the muggle world is. We should have acted earlier but we had the hopes of acting with the agreement of the Ministry. We now know it is impossible. So we act now. Your mentor's role is clear: at the very least, he will give you advice for your future career. At worst, he will protect you from muggle threats."

He paused, letting his gaze wander on the students listening avidly to his words. It was what Severus had hoped for. Looking surreptitiously toward the other students, he saw they had been hoping for the same as he and were not disappointed. It would not have been obvious to a non slytherin observer, but a slight uplift of a corner of the mouth, a spark in one's eye, a hand moving, were signs he knew how to read.

Apparently satisfied with what he saw, Mr. Wilkes went on.

"Sponsors were first chosen for their capacity to help you. None of them were to currently have children at Hogwarts so that they can focus on you."

Well, that explained the Blacks' absence, though Severus. For once, having Black at school was a blessing. Of course, his younger brother Regulus was attending Hogwarts too. He at least had upheld the family tradition and been sorted into Slytherin. Severus did not know him well. The boy was two years younger than he, was shy and quiet for a Pureblood, and did not excel in classes.

"We tried to match you with the sponsor that seemed the best for you. You are always free to refuse a mentor. It will not be held against you. Even if you accept a mentor, you can end this association anytime. However, you will need to explain why, so that we may help you find a mentor who will be able to help you. Now, one at a time, the mentors will come forward and call for a student. If the student accepts the offer, they will go to a separate room in order to iron out the working of their relationship."

He paused, looking at the students proudly.

"Do you have any questions?"

Severus shook his head, along with the others.

"Then let's begin."

Gallantry oblige, Lady Greengrass stepped forward to face the students first. She had chosen à seventh year who gladly accepted her mentorship offer and they went to a private room to sort out the details of their agreement.

Severus held his breath when his grandfather was next. The man took his time watching the students. His gaze sat on each of them, almost as if he had not made his choice yet. To Severus, it felt like Lord Prince's gaze remained on him far longer than on the others but when the other seventh year was called forth, Severus dismissed the idea.

However, looking from outside the memory, Severus once again felt that his grandfather had looked at him for a long time. Could he have known? Severus did not look like Mother, except for his eyes. And if he had known his grandson's surname was Snape, he would have chosen him, right...? Unless the Prince really wanted nothing to do with Eileen and her progeny… Just another possible cause of heartbreak, so Severus shoved it aside.

After Lord Selwyn's brother chose a sixth year, Severus understood they were being called in chronological order, from seventh to fourth year. It meant he would be one of the last calls. From then on, time blurred with brief periods of relief when Lord Malfoy remained seated while another sponsor got up to call for a student.

At last, only Mr. Wilkes, Lord Malfoy and Severus remained.

Not daring to believe his chance yet, Severus felt his heart burst in his chest when Lord Abraxas Malfoy solemnly asked him if he accepted to be his sponsoree. Severus quickly accepted, feeling himself the luckiest Slytherin alive. After a quiet "well done" and a pat on the back from Mr. Wilkes, Severus followed Lord Malfoy into a private room.

Severus tried not to look too impressed and happy, but he had the feeling the older Slytherin was not fooled one second. Lord Malfoy—his Mentor, thought Severus with giddiness—sat on one old leather comfortable looking armchair and gestured for Severus to take the other one across the table.

Refreshments and pastries of all sorts were on the table and the young man felt his stomach rumble.

He blushed but Lord Malfoy only smiled and told him to serve himself. Severus gratefully took some orange juice—he liked pumpkin juice well enough but nothing compared to fresh orange juice—and tried some chocolate macaron. He had never had those but recognized them from pictures Lily had shown him once. They were delicious and he thought his Mentor gave a faint nod of approval.

"Mr. Snape. I am glad you accepted my sponsorship offer. There was some debate about who was the best match for you and I prevailed in the end. My son is convinced you will make the Malfoys' name proud. I followed his advice. Do not disappoint as it would trouble him greatly."

Severus took a gulp of orange juice to moisten his suddenly dry throat. The fool. He had not realized that having Lord Malfoy as his mentor could influence his friendship with Lucius.

"That being said, let me lay the rules for this sponsorship to work. Do not hesitate to add things you deem important."

He paused to let the words sink in. Severus nodded and he went on.

"My first use to you is to be a bridge between you and the wizarding world. Anything you need to know or do in the wizarding world, you come to me. If I can help you in your studies by providing some magical background, I will. In return, I expect you to do your best as a student and a Wizard, to uphold the Malfoys' reputation. Of course, in time, this relationship may encompass other grounds more personal. However, never hesitate to call for me if you need help in the muggle world. I will be the one to take responsibilities for defending you, no matter the means I choose," explained Lord Malfoy. "Do you have any questions or remarks?"

"No sir. Those are good bases to build upon," answered Severus earnestly.

The Lord smiled and they shook hands sealing the deal.

Severus had been grateful to Lord Malfoy who had really invested himself in the sponsorship while still handling it with delicacy. He had taken the time to meet with Severus every Hogsmead weekend for an hour. The Lord had always asked Severus about his studies and his potion projects. The light of pride in the older man's eyes when Severus described his work had made Severus stand a little taller in his chair. Once, Lucius had joined them and they had spent the afternoon together. Severus could not help but think that it would have been perfect if Mother had been here too.

The Lord had broached the subject of Severus' home life but had not insisted when Severus had avoided giving specifics. Lord Malfoy had only said that Severus was to call for him no matter the hour of the day if he needed help. He had also asked Severus to organize his holidays to be able to spend two weeks at Malfoy manor with the Malfoy family.

Severus had been unsure how he would manage it but had not dared say so to his sponsor.

The older Severus smiled wistfully. His sponsor had become more and more important to Severus since their first meeting. Now that Mother... Never mind that thought. Lord Malfoy was among the few people whose opinion Severus cared about.

It was during one of those Hogsmead weekends that Lord Malfoy had introduced him to Lord Voldemort.

Severus had known that both Jonathan's and Evan's family were involved with the Lord and that during summer, they had all been working on devising strategies to capitalise on the discontent of many people caused by the lost election and refused inquiry.

His friends had told him they were working on making Lord Voldemort's campaign promises a reality despite the loss of the election. They had remained vague about this and he had not pushed. He had had enough on his plate not to be hurt by not being involved in a political project.

One Hogsmead week-end, he had joined Lord Malfoy dressed in his unique dress robes. They were a gift from his mentor for his birthday, in addition to a rare ingredients book. The robes were simple yet elegant, the fabric a green so dark it seemed black under certain lightning. The only embellishment bordered the robe sleeves edge. Snakes were embroidered in silver, encircling Severus wrists. They gave a faint glimmer when Severus moved his arms, a subtle way to catch attention or emphasize a point. He had made the effort to brew a potion that would clean all potions residue from his hair—it was tedious, time consuming, and required some expensive ingredients, which was why he rarely did it—and put his long hair in a sleek low ponytail. When he had looked at himself in the mirror, Severus had deemed himself passable, far better than his usual ugliness, and that would suffice.

He did not know why Lord Malfoy had told him to dress formally but he had no doubt he was in for an exciting day.

His Mentor led him once again to the Procope. Unlike sponsorship day, today they were admitted into the grandest private room of the café.

An assembly of Slytherins was comfortably sitting, with a lone figure in their centre.

The man was handsome. He had a commanding yet warm air to him. His eyes were sharp and seemed to take into every detail while the man carried on with his conversation. Severus was torn between envy and awe. This was someone he could follow.

Lily's warnings resonated faintly into his mind but he paid them no heed.

Lord Voldemort observed him carefully while Lord Malfoy introduced him. Severus did not hear a word that was said, subjugated and in awe as he was by the Lord's presence.

"I am so glad to finally meet you Severus."

Lord Voldemort's voice was precise and agreeable, with just a hint of warmth for Severus that emphasized his words.

"Abraxas praised you greatly, as did some of your year mates and above."

Severus blushed at the praise. He was getting used to Lord Malfoy congratulating him but apart from him, adult recognition of his talent was few and far between.

"It is an honour to meet you as well my Lord," managed to answer Severus.

"Come Severus, sit with me while I explain why you were brought to us today."

The young man sat gingerly on the armchair across the Lord while Lord Malfoy took a place beside him.

"I waited for you to be better accustomed with your mentor before asking you to come to me. I did not want to assault you with too many changes."

Fifth year Severus could not help but wonder if Lord Voldemort had wanted to have Lord Malfoy's impressions on Severus before meeting him.

"I will be direct as I have heard you do not like people who beat around the bush."

Severus smiled to himself. In his opinion, one of Lord Voldemort's greater assets was his ability to adapt to the person he was talking to, and in Severus' case, to speak clearly without detour.

"We need you to help our cause. You know of my late elective program. You know my positions. I know you agree with them. I am planning to win the next Ministerial election. For this, I will need competent Wizards in key places. You are one of the most brilliant in your generation from what I am told. We will have a great need for you."

He paused, looking Severus in the eyes. Severus had the fleeting impression of a feather against his Occlumency shield which vanished so quickly he thought he had dreamed it.

Looking at the memory, fifth year Severus saw Lord Voldemort frown slightly. He rewound the memory and again, the feathery sensation was present. Had Lord Voldemort tried to Legilimency him?

Why?

It was nothing like Dumbledore's attack of his mind. Then, the headmaster had sought to watch his memories. Legilimency could be used more lightly, to gauge the mood of a person, to feel his general feeling at one precise moment. It was less intrusive and gave less information but it could still be a lot of help to stir a conversation one way or another.

He could not fault the Lord for wanting to check that Severus agreed with him, yet using Legilimency to do so was troubling.

Lord Voldemort spoke again.

"In the meantime, we still need to protect our children. We want to create a net to protect those who need it and punish those who dare attack magical children. Many have already agreed to join and look out for those Muggles who would attack underage Wizards. We will punish them so they will not dare attack us again. Of course, you cannot use your wand outside Hogwarts for now, but you would be provided with potions and other means of defence that leave no trace after use."

Fourth year Severus could not be happier. They were taking steps to effectively protect children. And under the pretence of looking out for others, he could protect Mother and himself from his father without having to tell his mentor.

"We are putting into place a system to alert us when magical children are in trouble with muggle. We will then contact the more suited of us to deal with the situation. You should not be contacted unless it is an emergency and no one else is available.

Severus bristled. He was quite capable of defending a child against Muggles with the right weapons.

Lord Voldemort smiled and raised his hand to prevent Severus from talking.

"I have no doubt you are more than capable of handling a couple of Muggles. However, incidents happened. I do not want to take the risk of having one of you youngsters hurt by a Muggle. I also want to avoid you being pursued in the eventuality you need to resort to force to save the children. It might mean an expulsion from Hogwarts or a mark on your civil record which could prevent you from pursuing the career of your choice."

Severus was awed. The Lord wanted to protect them. He wanted to protect Severus. Aside from his mentor, no adult had really cared. Even Mother only protected her son the days she felt like it.

Lord Voldemort then moved the conversation and the three of them made idle chat for a little while before Lord Malfoy excused Severus and himself.

Severus let the memory go. Lord Voldemort's cause was one worth fighting for. How could anyone deny it? If he had been born a few years later, Severus' life might have been very different, he surely would have been happier... Still a question would not leave him. Why had Lord Voldemort tried to use Legilimency on him?

Using Legilimency on someone without his agreement was an offence and could earn punishments from a fine to jail time. Of course, you had to be able to prove Legilimency had been used on you first, which was really difficult if you had encountered a skilled practitioner. However, even if it could not be proven, mere suspicion could break a reputation.

Slytherins believed in using every weapon available when needed and Severus had no objection about secretly using Legilimency on enemies. But Lord Voldemort and he were on the same side. They believed in the same cause. The Lord had had no need to try and influence him by using Legilimency.

Lily's warnings resonated again faintly in his mind and for once, he did not dismiss them. Of course, few people went into politics without expecting important gain for themselves. Lord Voldemort should not be any different but the whole wizarding world would also reap many benefits from it. If the Lord did not have an ulterior motive…

Severus sighted. Why was everything so complicated? He needed to address this new concern, even if he was fairly certain he would quickly find a plausible explanation for what had happened.

He abstractly thought he would have a killer headache when he was done, with so many thoughts, problems and emotions to deal with when he left the calm state of Occlumency but for now, he plunged on to the next memory.

It was Severus' last meeting of the year with his mentor. They had been talking about Severus' plan for the next year, the subjects he wanted to pursue in sixth year, the OWLS he was confident about and those he would need to focus on during fifth year to come out on top.

Truth be told, Severus was one of the best in his year, now that Transfiguration was more of a revision than discovery for him, unlike for his year mates. He was in the first half of the class, and improved his ranking with each new test. Professor McGonagall had even awarded him a rare praise on his exam's answer to the difficulty of using transfigured objects and ingredients to perform magic, and the limitations it imposed. It was a point Severus had researched with great interest as he had wondered if he could use transfigured ingredients in potions without altering their properties. As usual, it had led him to study far more complex rules and to broaden his inquiry to all areas of Magic instead of potion only. He felt he had not wasted his time as it had deepened his understanding of magic and McGonagall's compliment had not hurt either.

He was first in Potions and Defence against the Dark Arts, and among the five firsts in Runes, Herbology, History of Magic, Charms and Care of Magical Creatures. Arithmancy was his worst subject with Transfiguration, mainly because he had not studied it as much as he needed. Between Transfiguration that still demanded more attention from him than his others subjects, the increase in homework because, explained the professors, "it was their year before the OWLS and they needed to prepare and get used to greater amount of workload", his study of Occlumency, his spying of Lupin, his brewing for Mother, his studying of advanced spells and his research in potion and the Dark Arts, well… Severus had not been willing to sacrifice the limited free time that remained his to meet his mentor and enjoy his few friends' company.

Arithmancy was easy enough if he focused on the professor's lecture and read his notes on the day he had written them so he did not do more. He planned to use his summer to remedy this fact.

Lord Malfoy had been impressed… He even had this light that felt like pride in his eyes while looking at Severus.

"Severus. I admit when Lucius first told me about you, I believed he exaggerated your prowess and potential to give himself some importance. I realise I should trust my son to know better than that. I do not regret for one moment the decision I made to become your mentor. You have a sharp mind with a temper that you would do well to tamper. Mark my words; you have the making of a great wizard."

The man paused and Severus felt a dreaded "but" coming.

"Great wizards do not always make for great men. We are Slytherin. We learn about the world, the scheming, and the importance of all kinds of power at an early age. It does not mean we are not foolish sometimes. It does not mean we do not enjoy our life."

Severus looked at Lord Malfoy, feeling a little lost. Why was his mentor telling him this?

His mentor sighed.

"I see you do not understand what I am telling you. Do not deny it," he said with a small smile, "I can see it in your eyes. I know you have a hard life."

He raised a hand to prevent Severus from speaking.

"I will not pry but know I will be here when you need me. I do not know the details. I know you are a Half-blood Slytherin. I hear how you despise your Headmaster in the way you say his name when in a private circle. You have suffered from his bias against all Slytherins. I will not excuse it. However, having a hard life does not exclude you from enjoying its small pleasures. In fact, you need to if you do not want to end up an old man addicted to power who does not care about anyone or anything but his own achievements."

Severus though that sounded awfully like a description of Dumbledore and saw his Mentor smirked.

"Do you know what gives me joy every morning?"

"No, my Lord", answered Severus, curious about where this conversation was going.

"Every morning, to go take my breakfast, I walk through the corridor that holds all the Malfoy's line private portraits. This corridor is known only to family. They are not really portraits but paintings of everyday life. In one, an ancestor is playing with his Kneezle. In another, a Mother is watching her daughter play the piano with happiness and pride."

He paused. Severus was hanging on his every word.

"The last one is my favourite. Lucius is one year old. My late wife is watching over him. Suddenly, he turns towards her and gives her a smile so bright it illuminates my day until the next one."

The man looked at Severus, searching his face for something Severus did not know.

"Do you understand why I am telling you this Severus? Do you understand why I am sharing something so dear to me?"

No, Severus did not understand at all.

"You work so much that if Misters Wilkes and Rosier were not your friends, you would spend days without willingly spending time with people. You do not care much for people. You surely have reasons not to. But someone with an intellect such as yours must not forget what it means to care for others. You must not forget what it means to be happy because you made your friend laugh. Knowledge is not all there is to life, even if knowledge is power. Every power needs a balance, especially inside an individual."

Was his Mentor worried that Severus was imbalanced? That he would turn out like Dumbledore?

Lord Malfoy sighed.

"Forgive my ramblings Severus. I see you do not get my point still. I think a more concrete example might be more understandable to you. You know Headmaster Dumbledore is biased against Slytherins. It was not always so. You have heard of Lord Grindelwald. "

Severus nodded, puzzled.

"Grindelwald first studied at Beauxbatons, as had every generation of his house. Contrary to Hogwarts, Beauxbatons has a Dark Arts course. It is an optional course, as can be Runes at Hogwarts. Students are heavily monitored because using the Dark Arts is walking a fine line between using them or them controlling you. It is easy to become addicted to the Dark Arts so the policy is very strict and students can be dismissed from the course if it is deemed too dangerous for them and others. Grindelwald was expelled from Beauxbatons for twisted use of the Dark Arts. He was accepted in Hogwarts for his seventh year and was sorted into Slytherin. After he graduated, he became friends with Dumbledore and for twenty years, both experimented with magic. For an unknown reason, they had a fall out. Grindelwald went to Russia where he built himself a fortress with the fortune he had inherited from his father. His aim was to break the statute of secrecy."

Severus gasped. He had only known Grindelwald was a Dark Wizard now imprisoned in his Russian fortress after having lost his duel against Dumbledore. He knew some people had died because of Grindelwald but it was very abstract.

"Grindelwald not only wanted to tell Muggles about us and our world, but he wanted Wizards to rule the muggle world as benevolent superior beings, a kind of paternalistic approach for the greater good of Muggles and Wizards as he said."

Lord Malfoy looked at Severus, seemingly pleased with the impact his words had in the young man, and asked.

"What do you think of Grindelwald's aim, aside from his attraction to the Dark Arts?"

Severus took a moment to organise his thoughts, trying to imagine himself into a world where Muggles knew about Wizards and were ruled by them.

"I don't think it would have worked in the long term. Muggles would either fear us or envy us, and in both cases, it means they would be against us. I think it would have turned into a war and I am not sure we would have won without taking many damages."

Lord Malfoy nodded approvingly.

"I agree with your assessment of the situation. During his trial, Grindelwald said he wanted to rule Muggles and Wizards to protect them from each other, but I think his methods would have had the opposite effect. Grindelwald was—and still is I think—a fine tactician in our world. However, he lacks understanding of the muggle world and he did not see the potential disaster of his approach."

He paused, lost in thought.

"We, mentors, were chosen in part because of our knowledge of the muggle world compared to most Wizards."

Taking in Severus' dubious expression, he smirked.

"Yes, it can be a surprise from a Malfoy. I interested myself in the muggle world during Grindelwald's last years of machinations. At the time, I was undecided whether to invest in him or not. The Muggleborns I had met in Slytherin were much like you and had suffered a lot in their parents' world. One had even lost a sister to it. But I had met others, notably a Ravenclaw who had blown my mind with his investigations into Magic and the research this questioning led him to. He told me his way of thinking came from his Muggle school and it made me realize Muggles were evolving from the horror stories I could hear at home. They could be quite intelligent and thus more dangerous to us than in past centuries. So, I travelled to Russia to meet Grindelwald. I learned he was taking advantage of the then current muggle World War Two to conduct experiments on Muggles and evaluate the effect potions and magic had on them. As a theoretical plan, it was very interesting. As a human one..."

The Lord paused briefly before talking again.

"I heard one of his experiments tell him he was no better than Hitler and that both of them would end up dead as befit evil men. I had never heard of Hitler but Grindelwald had and he was outraged. How did a mere Muggle dare compare the brilliance of Grindelwald's strategy and experimentation with a murderous Muggle who had dumbly betrayed his ally and would thus lose what he had gained sooner rather than later?"

Severus shivered. His father seldom spoke of WWII except when he was drunk. He had once told his son that Hitler should have put Wizards in his camps instead of Jews, homosexuals and opponents, at least the man would have done one good thing in his life.

"You can imagine it made me think twice about allying myself with the man. I told him I would think again about it, came back home to gather more information about this Hitler and then firmly decided I wanted no association with Grindelwald."

Severus let out a breath he had not known he was holding; relieved his Mentor was as ethical as he believed him to be.

"This is an important lesson Severus. You need the most information you can gather to position yourself, least you end up on the side you wanted to oppose."

Lord Malfoy took a drink of red wine before speaking again.

"From then on, I learnt about Muggles, decided to know about this threat and act in consequence to protect our world."

He paused.

"Well, where was I with Grindelwald?"

"He had built a fortress in Russia and planned to take over the muggle world and have Wizards rule it," answered Severus eagerly.

The Lord smiled.

"It is reassuring I am not as boring as Binns, as Lucius sometimes says, if you remember this. So Grindelwald used tactical assassination and bribes to advance his cause. He also had to foil numerous assassination attempts on his own life. People were getting anxious and many said Grindelwald feared only Dumbledore. At the time, Dumbledore was professor of Transfiguration at Hogwarts and his reputation as one of the most powerful and knowledgeable Wizards of our time was growing. One day, Dumbledore went to Russia, duelled Grindelwald, won and had his former friend imprisoned in his own fortress. It brought Dumbledore fame and recognition even to this day."

Severus pondered all this information. What did it mean to win fame and glory by defeating a friend?

"Now Severus, here is what I wanted to explain to you. Grindelwald was a Slytherin, ambitious and cunning. He is the only living Dark Lord. Dumbledore gained a lot by defeating him. What could he gain from being associated with him?"

"Nothing," answered Severus.

"Exactly. Which is why he distanced himself, lauded Gryffindor bravery that had allowed him to win against the cunning of Grindelwald and debased without seeming to all that looked like Slytherin. He took great care of advocating everything that was the opposite of Grindelwald's ideas, supporting Muggleborns in their quest for equality. It became especially true after his nomination as Headmaster of Hogwarts. He is the one who introduced the muggle study course. And since he became Headmaster, Slytherin's reputation has declined steadily."

Severus' mentor sighed.

"It does not help that most of the Dark Wizards remembered in History were Slytherin. People focus on the facts that support their beliefs so they forget as easily that Merlin was a Slytherin. You are a Slytherin. You need to understand why this bias exists. You need to understand it in order to be able to change it."

Severus stared at Lord Malfoy. His mentor was mad. Completely cracked.

An unexpected laugh shook him out of his stupor.

He had never seen Lord Malfoy laugh. The man smiled, smirked, or chuckled. He had never laughed in Severus' presence. It warmed Severus to see his mentor trust him enough not to control himself as rigidly as he did in public. It also hurt he was laughing at him.

He hesitated, waiting for Lord Malfoy to calm down before saying in a small but petulant voice.

"I do not understand."

The Lord smiled gently.

"Our world needs Slytherins as much as it needs the other Houses. Because of past events, it is leery of us. It rejects those of us who are not influential enough. You cannot reject people without them rejecting you in return. The Wizarding world is creating what it is afraid of. This is why Lord Voldemort and his projects are so important. We need to stop the rejection. We need to accept that creatures exist and have the right to do so. We need to show the world that being ambitious does not mean we want to enslave the entire world at our feet. We need to make them understand that caution against Muggles is not hating them. We need to show them the world is not black and white."

Lord Malfoy looked at Severus' dubious expression and smiled.

"I am old. And I digressed. You are young. You first need to find a reason to do what I told you. This is what I want you to remember."

The conversation remained with Severus for a long time. Now and then, he thought about it but always ended up confused. Who in their right mind would try to hold out his hand to someone who rejected him? Why was balancing powers within yourself so important? Could he compare Grindelwald and Dumbledore's story with Lily and his?

As with creatures…

Fifth year Severus shivered. He knew what he wanted to do with Werewolves…

Sighting, he went on to the last shelf. The fifth year shelf.