I Walk Alone,

Chapter 19, Until The Other Kiddies Knock Him Down

When it was time to return to Hogwarts for the second term, Severus experienced a feeling akin to grief over leaving the library. Raislen and his parents promised to have him back again next year at the sane time for the winter holidays providing Eileen gave her permission. Raislen said he'd have invited Severus over the summer, but the family would be away book hunting for the entire break. Severus knew he should've found this more disappointing, but, the promise of more new books was just too exciting. After he finished the book on Merlin and Nimue, Severus read dark arts texts as well as history books on Egyptian wizards throughout the rest of his stay at the Westcravens. On the train back to Hogwarts, he and Raislen told Heather all about the visit. She listened with rapt attention as they spoke. "And he didn't even pull your hair," she drawled to Severus. "Lucky bugger."

"I save that for my favorite Heather toy," Raislen crooned, reaching for the ends of Heather's hair. She attempted to move away, which resulted in him chasing her around the compartment while Severus watched on in open bemusement. The chaos stopped when the snack cart arrived. Once they were settled with pumpkin pasties and cauldron cakes, peace was restored. "I envy your snowman," Heather said eventually, speaking around a mouthful of cauldron cake.

"Why, we didn't get the poor bloke animated," Severus said with a chuckle.

"Because it just seems fun to make a snowman with friends! I never get to spend the holidays with friends, and all my cousins are younger than me so there's no fun there," she explained.

Raislen nodded at her. "It was fun. If it snows again this winter, we'll build one at Hogwarts with you. How's that?"

She brightened. "Yes, that sounds great. Thanks, Prat."

Raislen grinned as if she'd called him darling. Severus sighed and rolled his eyes. He preferred books to weirdness with girls any day! Books didn't make things strange and complicated. Not at all. Never! "Would you like having a sibling," he asked Heather suddenly, recalling the discussion with Raislen and his parents about not liking children. They'd asked him if he wanted a sibling, and he still wasn't certain. Not that it mattered now, with his father gone anyway. He hastily returned his focus to Heather in order to avoid missing his dad today. It wasn't going to bring Tobias back, so he could miss him another day when there was nothing better to do.

"Hm," Heather said thoughtfully. Finished with her cauldron cake, she moved on to her pumpkin pasty. "I can't decide. Sometimes I think it may be nice, and then again it could be annoying. On one hand, I'd have someone to build a snowman with over the holidays, but on the other, if my parents had another child now, I'd probably be stuck minding it all the time." She made a face. "Then again it would grow up someday, and having a sibling that didn't require looking after may be alright. I suppose it hardly matters, though, as they don't seem interested in having more children."

"Well you and I have the kid," Raislen told Heather, nodding at Severus. "He's all the little brother we need, and he doesn't require minding, so it's perfect."

Heather chuckled. "True."

The three of them were able to build that snowman sooner than Severus expected. It snowed hard two weeks after their return to Hogwarts. Raislen, Heather and Severus were outside in the snow the instant classes were over. They had an energetic snowball fight, then built their snowman. When he was complete, Raislen stuck an extra Slytherin school robe on him and a scarf. "He's a Slytherin Snowman," he declared happily.

"He does appear to be the most posh snowman ever," Heather said, giving Raislen a smile of approval. Severus found himself hoping the older boy wouldn't ruin it by calling her Heather Toy. Fortunately, Heather continued speaking before Raislen could. "That was great fun, guys. Thanks for making a snowman with me."

"Any time," Severus said, spontaneously pelting Heather with a snowball. Squealing with the shock of cold snow in her face, Heather bent to scoop a snowball into either mittened hand. Simultaneously, she lobbed one at Severus and one at Raislen. That second snowball fight of the day went on for a good five minutes. When it was over, they were a bit tired, so settled for the more leisurely activity of making snow angels. Raislen drew horns on his, turning it into a snow demon to Severus's amusement. "It's far more fun playing in the snow with others than by oneself," Heather observed. She lay on her back, looking up at the winter sparse trees.

The next day, it was cold enough that their snowman hadn't melted. Raislen suggested they attempt to animate it again now that they had Heather to help sort out the kinks.

"The trick shall be to keep the snow a powder rather than harder ice, while allowing it to flow without crumbling when he moves," Heather said, frowning in concentration as she stared hard at their Slytherin snowman.

"Yes, that's the bit we never quite managed," Severus said, unable to keep the frustration of that memory from his voice. All three of them just stared at their snowman in contemplative silence for several minutes. Their concentration was suddenly broken when their Slytherin snowman's head fell off. It was then that they saw the barrage of snowballs flying at him from behind.

With a yell of pure fury, Raislen dashed in the direction of the flying snowballs, Severus and Heather on his heals. Whoever had decided to ruin their fun was going to pay. When they discovered just who had chosen to do so, it was not at all a surprise. James, Sirius and Peter laughed, lobbing their snowballs at the three of them now rather than their snowman. That hardly mattered, because all their pelting had already knocked him down.

The Gryffindors' snowballs weren't soft and harmless as were the sorts Heather, Raislen and Severus had made to strike one another for their snowball fights. Instead, James, Sirius, and Peter had packed their snowballs down so that they were rock hard. They must have made enough of them in advance, Severus thought as a dark rage filled him.

They must have seen their Slytherin snowman and decided that it would be great fun to ruin him. How he hated them. What sorts of prats had fun doing such things? This was precisely why he disliked most other children. They were either like these gits, or somehow thought gits like them were the greatest thing after self stirring cauldrons. Yelling, he forgot to throw snowballs, using his feet and fists on all three Gryffindor Gits instead. Of course they responded in kind and Heather and Raislen also joined in the fray. None of them ever knew who, but some Prefect or other must have reported them, for Professors Slughorn and McGonagall were suddenly there, yanking them apart with magic, effectively ending the brawl.

"One-hundred-and-fifty points from Slytherin," Professor Slughorn thundered.

"Precisely," McGonagall snapped out. "One-hundred-and-fifty points from Gryffindor as well. I do hope you are all quite satisfied."

"But that isn't fair," Raislen burst out, turning indignantly to professor Slughorn. "They started with us."

"Untrue," James said smoothly. His tone was reasonable, as if he'd never done an unjust thing in his life. Severus glared. "We were actually attacking their snowman," James continued. "Snowmen have no feelings, so we did no harm. It was just a joke. They charged at us like three wild bulls over a snowman!"

Sirius nodded. "They're all three a bit mad if you ask me."

"I'll show you mad, you little," Raislen growled.

"Mr. Westcraven," Professor Slughorn snapped. "Because I am a reasonable man, and because you are usually a good student, I shall offer you a choice. Detention with the headmaster to whom you can explain your unjustifiable behavior or fifty more points from Slytherin. Which is it to be?"

"But they," Raislen began angrily.

Professor Slughorn cut in with a sharp clearing of his throat. "Which is it to be, Mr. Westcraven?"

Raislen sighed as Severus glared daggers at the three Gryffindor gits. That glare held a promise for retribution to come.

"Detention, I suppose," Raislen said glumly. "Slytherin house shouldn't have to pay simply because I am not allowed to protest unfair treatment."

"I am warning you, Mr. Westcraven," Slughorn said.

"May we have detention with him, Sir," Heather asked suddenly. Severus nodded hurriedly, wishing he'd thought of it. He'd just allowed the gits to distract him with rage. If today had taught him nothing else, he'd learned that rage was difficult to think through.

"That is very fair of you, Miss Knight," Professor Slughorn said, giving her a pleased smile. "You may all report to Headmaster Dumbledore tomorrow directly after classes. For now, it's to the common room with all of you." As the three walked away, they could hear McGonagall berating the three Gryffindor Gits. At least that was something, Severus thought darkly. Just not nearly enough. No one spoke until they were in the Slytherin common room where they huddled together in a corner. All three were so angry that they forgot to remove their heavy winter cloaks.

"It's not fair," Raislen growled through gritted teeth. "What was Slughorn thinking?"

Severus found himself wondering what Dumbledore would say tomorrow. "Who knows," he muttered darkly. "It makes me sick how they always manage to paint everything as a harmless prank, though."

Heather nodded. "Somehow enough people seem to fall for it too," she marveled.

"It's alright," Severus soothed all three of them. "We'll get even eventually."

The next day, they all met up after classes so that they could arrive at their detention together. Somehow it was important to present a united front. Headmaster Dumbledore gave them a pleasant smile of greeting, but the expression didn't last long, quickly becoming a look of open disappointment. "How is it that none of my favorite students ever invite me to tea for a nice sit down and catch up? Instead I only see them when there is trouble."

"But they started it," Raislen protested at once. "Sir," he added hastily.

Dumbledore nodded, tugging at the ends of his sweeping mustaches. "Would anyone care for a lemon drop," he inquired distractedly. All three accepted a candy to be polite. Once that pleasantry was done and over, the headmaster continued to speak. "They started it, and they goaded all of you into losing points with them, when it could've just been them who lost house points. They also goaded you into this detention and you allowed it. Do you know what this means?" When they all three sullenly shook their heads, he gave a sad smile. "It means that you gave up your power. You could've simply reported them instead. A very neat solution, simple and free of violence."

Raislen shook his head. "They'd have just said something smarmy and gotten away with it as always."

"Perhaps not," Albus said. "Not if you'd gone to the right professors, who are aware of such tricks."

Severus thought of Flitwick right away, and even Dumbledore himself. He found himself giving a slight nod of understanding. "We could've done," he admitted. "But later they'd make us pay so why not just be done with the fight now?"

Albus sighed. "I think you are all smart enough to come up with a better way. Remember, when you give up your power, you don't just give it up. You hand it to someone else," he said gravely. Severus turned this over and over in his mind as he stood in front of the headmaster's large cluttered desk. Eventually he glanced at Heather and Raislen to see thoughtful expressions on their faces as well. They were also considering how to best apply that lesson for the future. "For now, though," Dumbledore continued. "Why not have some tea. I can see that I have at least given you something to think about, and that's enough for today."