Chapter Twenty

Detours

When Jennifer arrived Monday evening, Severus had stayed up to wait for her. She stepped into his sitting room to find a pot of herbal tea and a plate of pumpkin butter sandwiches.

"Oh, thank you, Severus. It's so good to be home," Jennifer said with a smile, sitting down and accepting a cup.

"Then the trip was well worth it," Severus decided.

"Yes," Jennifer agreed, taking a sip. "How was Seren?"

"I am happy to report that she seems to be cured of her tendency to float at inopportune moments," Severus replied.

"Really? Just like that?" Jennifer said with surprise.

"As I understand it, Mage showed her a movie about a Red Balloon, and he pretended to be the boy in the story while she pretended to be a balloon. I don't know the details, but after the movie, she decided that she didn't want to be a balloon anymore and wanted to play tea party again," Severus explained.

"That's all well and good, I suppose, especially since she came to the decision herself," Jennifer mused. "You don't think we're holding her back by doing that?"

"Absolutely not. We did nothing but allow a family member to present the problem to her in a way she could understand it so that she could correct it herself," Severus replied firmly.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Jennifer said with a smile. "How are things with Quintin?"

"At last report, Quintin was more than a little put out about the fact that his best friend has dropped all activities involving defense and got away with it. He convinced Jack to replace Jeremy on the Quidditch team instead of making someone else step aside to make room for him," Severus replied.

"You must admit, Quintin is rather good at standing up for himself when he needs to," Jennifer said.

"Thus far, perhaps. We'll have to wait and see how it goes from here," Severus replied.

Anna stepped onto the second floor to drop off some farm estimates in Hermione's office when she noticed someone was in the Indoor Gym. It was so unusual that anyone would be in there during breakfast that she couldn't help but take a peek around the corner.

All of the mirrors were covered as if Boulderdash had been working out, but the real reason was to keep Quintin from looking in the mirror while they were practicing. Severus and Quintin were working on a complex form that was far above her level... then again, she had never gone too far with it. She only did forms to keep limber rather than having any interest in defense stances since her magic worked differently; Sirius always did an extra set in the morning after she was done to practice more complicated patterns. Had she ever seen Sirius do this particular set, she wondered? It was hard to tell, because Severus kept stopping to nitpick every single misplaced foot and posture, stopping so often that she couldn't see the full rhythm.

"Let's stop for now. It's obvious we're not going to be able to get to the end of that routine before you leave for your first class," Severus said with apparent disapproval. "That will also give us time to have a spar."

"A spar?" Quintin repeated unsurely, hoping he had misheard. "You want me to spar you?"

"There is no one else here," Severus pointed out. Anna ducked further back to make sure neither of them noticed her.

"I'm not sparring you when I know you're going to win. How about letting me go to breakfast?" Quintin complained.

With a simple gesture, Severus knocked him onto his rear.

"If you think that every battle will be with someone at your skill level, you really do need a wake up call," Severus said sternly.

"I'm not fighting any battles with anyone. Sparring as a sport is one thing, but I don't like fighting and I have no intention of doing so," Quintin said defiantly.

"Then you will die," Severus said bluntly.

"Nobody is after me, and if they were, I can always run..."

"You can't always run," Severus informed him.

"Then I'll simply defend myself and wear them out like Andrew does," Quintin replied.

"The difference being that Andrew is a master at Transfiguration and you can't even stay on your feet. What if it isn't just your own life on the line? What if you are the only wizard who can keep a Dark Wizard from destroying your friends, your family, or even this society? Are you so much of a coward that you would let those you care about be killed because you will not stand up for them?" Severus challenged him.

"Dad, I have no intention of becoming an Auror."

"This is not about what profession you choose. Regardless of what that choice is, you are still a Snape!" Severus snapped.

"With plenty of family members who will handle whatever situation comes up," Quintin reasoned. "I'll just let them handle it."

Anna felt the tension build in the pause that followed, and just before her brother could completely lose his cool, she stepped into the room.

"There you are, Severus! How about coffee?" Anna intercepted. "Quintin, shouldn't you be at breakfast?"

"Going," Quintin immediately agreed and scampered out of the room before Severus even had time to fold his arms, eyeing his sister disapprovingly.

"I was in the middle of a lesson," Severus snapped.

"You were about to wipe the floor with him," Anna said knowingly. "I decided to save you from a situation that you'd end up regretting. So how about that coffee, because I'm curious as to why you're suddenly putting so much pressure on Quintin when nothing is going on right now."

"Nothing is going on... yet," Severus added evenly. "Do you truly believe things will stay as docile as this for long?"

"Not really, which is why I think we should enjoy it while we can," Anna said, stepping out the door. Severus followed, and the two of them went to the main staircase and were within his study in just a handful of steps.

"As far as I'm concerned, enjoying the lull is a waste of precious time when we should be preparing for the next time trouble ends up on our doorstep," Severus said.

"Yes, but what trouble, though?" Anna wanted to know.

"Any trouble," Severus said curtly, pouring them each a cup.

"Well, the only trouble I have is believing that you are putting pressure on Quintin just because something might happen to him someday," Anna said seriously. "You're doing this for some specific reason, aren't you?"

"Sugar?" Severus asked, refusing to answer.

"What's really bothering you? Is it the Maxens?" Anna asked.

"No, although I can see why Quintin most certainly should be concerned about them," Severus admitted.

"I've had more students complain about incidents they can't explain, while others are complaining about the Maxens sending unfriendly messages inside their heads, not to mention having urges to do things they wouldn't normally do. But the only one I have in my class is Doug, whose main offense mostly involves taping dung bombs to the bottom of Dawn's seat since she goes to class right after he gets out. It's those two older girls and Zelda who are the most likely culprits, and they're not in any of my classes this year," Anna said.

"Jennifer, Aurelius, and Icarus are aware of it, but only Icarus has had any luck catching them," Severus replied. "I'll speak to Laura about taking a week or two away from her normal curriculum to educate them on the rules and criminal implications of using their abilities in that manner."

"Good idea," Anna agreed. "I gather whatever you're worried about goes deeper than that."

"Yes, although it is something that I cannot discuss directly," Severus replied seriously. "What I can say is how deeply concerned I am of Quintin's attitude when it comes to defense. Even Andrew, who was just as opposed to confrontation as Quintin at this age, understood the necessity of learning."

"It's ironic, isn't it?" Anna said with a soft, sympathetic smile. "The two of you waited so long and worked so hard to have a child who could grow up happy and free of fear, without having to deal with the traumas of his younger siblings. But now that you have successfully done so, Quintin feels so safe in his home and with his family that he doesn't see the need to be anything more than who he is or what he wants to be."

"He is arrogant in a way that frustrates me to no end, so sure of his own world views that he defies me without even hearing my concerns. To make matters worse, he is the sort of child where even threats don't work; he challenges them immediately, and there's a risk that such tactics will only embolden him further," Severus complained.

"It also doesn't help that you're not scary anymore," Anna decided.

"What was that?" Severus asked in surprise.

"You're not the same brother I reunited with when I returned to Hogwarts. You're not the old crabby Potion Master anymore," Anna explained bluntly. "You're not even the stern but wiser Defense Professor you became after that. Now you're the Headmaster, and you're here to defend the students and to encourage free thinking. Yes, you can be firm and stern when you need to, but you listen carefully to their arguments and take their side in an argument whenever you can, so they can thrive naturally and learn how to teach themselves. You're patient, more accepting... maybe even a little more eccentric..."

"You mean I'm Dumbledore."

"No," Anna chuckled. "But you are the embodiment of all seasoned Headmasters who were meant for this job. Surely you've seen it in yourself by now."

"Of course I have. Jennifer and I have had many conversations about it," Severus said with a sigh. "But that doesn't change the fact that as Quintin's father, I need to step in and guide him to a better path than what he's on right now."

"Don't handle it like a father, handle it like a Headmaster," Anna argued with such fervency that Severus gazed at her quizzically. "Do what all the other headmasters do when they have a problem they can't solve. Get someone else to do your dirty work for you."

Severus pondered it for a moment.

"What very good advice," he decided at last.

When Quintin arrived in the indoor gym for family defense forms, he was more than a little surprised to see his grandfather inside waiting for him.

"About time you got here. You were almost late, you know," he grunted.

"Where are all of my cousins?" Quintin asked.

"Andrew took them all out to the back grounds to practice. This is one on one today," Thomas informed him. "Your father asked me to get you to the next skill level, so we're going to be working like this until you do. I hear you have to fill in as Beater on your Quidditch team too, is that right?"

"I'd rather be Keeper. Filling in at Beater was Father's idea," Quintin said in annoyance.

"It's alright. I was a Beater in my day, and a damned good one too. If you do a good job, I'll take you out to the Pitch after we're down to train you how to be a good Beater," Thomas promised.

"And if I don't do a good job?" Quintin asked testily.

"Then I train you how to be a Beater the hard way," Thomas told him darkly. "Now, line up and stop wasting my time!"

Quintin did as he was told, knowing better than to cross his grandfather. By the time he got back to the common rooms, he was more than a little beat.

Jeremy, however, had plenty of energy and waved him over to the research table instantly.

"Hey, Quintin! About time you got back. Guess what I found?" Jeremy asked.

"Do you really think I care?" Quintin asked testily.

"I think you will, because I touched base with Mr. Carnegie and he found out that some of those scrolls and books in the Scribe's Quarter had O'Lauren's signature on it! They all went to Boulderdash to be sent off to be conserved, but after that, they're going either to the Headmaster's Study or the Research Library, so you might be able to gain access to them," he concluded.

"Great. Let me know when you find out anything," Quintin said. "I'm going to lie down."

"But I can't do it, you're going to have to help. You're the only one with permission to enter the Research Library, after all."

"Then get permission," Quintin suggested testily, heading to the back room. Jeremy leaned back to watch him walk away, a bit baffled.

"How in the hell does he expect me to do that?" Jeremy asked to no one in particular.

"If I were you, which I'm not, but if I were, I'd ask Anna about it," Oscar suggested from the other end of the table.

"Does she have the authority to let him in the Research Library?" Ozzy asked his brother. Oscar shrugged.

"I don't know. If she doesn't, she'd likely be willing to ask the Headmaster for him," Oscar explained.

"Good point. I think I'll talk to her when she gets in tomorrow," Jeremy decided, then started on his homework.

When Anna walked over from the tunnel with her early morning volunteers, Jeremy was already waiting by her classroom door.

"Oh, hello, Jeremy!" one of the first year Hufflepuffs said with a bright, yet surprised voice. She had thick blonde hair and a sunny personality, even first thing in the morning.

"Good morning, Kitty," Jeremy replied.

"I was just telling Professor Black that I got into Owls last night, and I'm so excited!" Kitty Martin replied happily.

"Yes, it's great to have some first years this year," Jeremy agreed. "Can I talk to you before classes, Professor Black?"

"Sure! Thanks, everyone, time for breakfast," Anna said to her student volunteers. They said goodbye and began boasting about how hungry they were as they walked down the corridor.

"Come on, we can cut to my office from the classroom door," Anna said, and she let them in her classroom and into her office. "Kitty was telling me that the Order of the Owls might help us out with the new cold cellar."

"I'd say the prospects are good, considering the enthusiasm," Jeremy decided. "I'm surprised it's never been needed before."

"Our main crop has always been grains," Anna explained. "What little vegetables we've grown were modest enough that we could simply put it in the basement. But as you know we're rotating vegetables in the main fields for a year or two until prices get under control."

"Building cold storage sounds like an awful lot of work for something you may only keep up for a year or two," Jeremy said.

"Having proper storage will make sure that the school can always do whatever crop is the most economical. Besides, there are many benefits to adding a variety of plants into crop rotation other than just a cover crop," Anna explained. "We're also going to be building some cold frames this year so that we can use the front fields for a longer period of time."

"You're talking like a real farmer now, Anna," Jeremy teased.

"I know, right? Farming is something I never ever thought I'd be doing in life, even educationally. Heck, I never thought I'd do anything that made me get up before the sun came up... this is a long way from what I went to college for!" Anna said with exasperation. "Remember that before you get into debt trying to educate yourself... there's always a possibility that your profession several times in your life. Of course, that's what keeps life interesting. Anyway, what did you want to talk about? Go ahead and sit, you don't need an invitation from me."

"Thanks," Jeremy said. "Quintin and I are working on a project trying to find information about a missing school artifact. Did you know?"

"Did I know you'd be nosing around looking for O'Lauren's box? Yep, I was warned," Anna confirmed.

"Did you know that all the sudden his father picked now to decide to get drill sergeant on Quintin's ass and make it so he can't help me with this?" Jeremy asked with frustration.

"Some of it... but watch your language," Anna warned as an afterthought.

"Well, Quintin has a lot more privileges in this castle when it comes to doing research, namely full access to the Restricted Section and special access to the Research Library," Jeremy went on. "I need access so that I can conduct research until his father's done being mad at him."

"Yes, I see the problem," Anna assured him. "The rule to the Research Library is that it's for professional research only. From what I heard from Jennifer, this box thing is being handled as a school project since the Headmaster wants it found anyway. I can see that excuse being enough to get more privileges to the Restricted Section, but if you want to use the Research Library, you'll have to produce an article to justify it."

"You mean like the Founders one? It took a whole team for that..." Jeremy protested.

"You don't need anything to that scale. This is a report on one single magic item," Anna pointed out. Jeremy immediately looked relieved. "I don't see why you can't do an informative piece that you could sell to a magazine interested in unique magic items, and we have a few out there that might buy something like that. You should probably talk to Professor Craw about it. She would know the specifics that magazines look for in articles like that and put you on the right path. After you know what you need to include, I want to see a cover page and a thesis statement of what you're researching before I'm willing to request you get added to the list."

"I think I'll go now, considering she's likely to have coffee and pastries set out during breakfast," Jeremy reasoned.

"More than likely," Anna agreed with amusement. "Don't forget to bring your cloak to class, we're spending half the day at the farm today."

"I'm getting back in the habit of carrying it around anyway now that the weather's turned. Think we'll have snow early this year?" he asked brightly.

"I don't know about early, but I doubt it'll be as late as last year," Anna decided. "Which is why we need to work on those cold frames."

"Plastic pipes 101. Won't that be fun?" Jeremy joked.

"Should be," Anna agreed. "I'll let you know once you're added to the door."

"Thanks," Jeremy said, and Anna smiled as she watched him go. Perhaps this unexpected detour would be good for both of them.