" People of magical Britain were shocked to find out that none other than our wonder boy of Hogwarts, the Hufflepuff hero, and the next Merlin- by many experts account- have been the victim of violence by none other than his father – if one could name him as such- Tobias Snape.
A muggle.
He was found in his home, frozen to the spot where his mother's blood and her unborn baby was spilled by the brute. Eileen Prince was a pure-blooded woman who was expecting for the second time, no doubt with joy…"
Albus threw the paper in the fire, and sighed.
This was not supposed to happen.
The situations with muggles, and muggleborns he had worked years to improve a little bit, had turned into a war zone over the night. There were uproars, street fights and duels going on and on every where on the country. Voldemort supporters and non-conformists all had found the best alibi to push for the complete eradication of all muggle things, some went further and suggested they don't allow any muggle-born to attend Hogwarts, or refuse them jobs. At least it stayed in suggestions only, mostly because Arcturus Black had saw fit to allow marriage between Blacks and a muggleborn.
Some suggested they were only good for breeding, or to be used as slaves like what they had done in America- Albus knew it was their SKIN color that made them slaves not being muggle-borns- but no-noe listened to him. He tried telling them that while rituals and customs and holding onto their great grand fathers wants were cool and dandy, they could never achieve progress in this manner. Britian needed a renewal and it needed it fast. For merlin sack, they still didn't use phones! And how hypocritical of them to get the idea of newspaper and trains from them and reject phones, because it made it hard for ministry to eavesdrop on floo conversations, or made those who invested in it – cough Malfoys cough- lose a substantial amount of money.
There were others – who in their minds were softer -suggesting they kidnap muggleborns when they first showed magical uptitude , or if their names showed in Hogwarts registry, and get them adopted by purebloods, or to use muggles for breeding, but then if the child was magical , obliviate those used up things and live happily ever after.
It was like everyone left their brains somewhere. Kidnapping babies? Going on obliviating spree? Children needed their own parents, to grew up in loving warm families, not to grew up in foster homes neglected and unhappy.
Why none of them suggested they invest in magical children welfare, like building a school so they could learn things ealier? Of course those snobbish pure-bloods didn't like it, because it made things equal in Hogwarts. Muggleborns , and some of those poor half bloods could use it and learn things, not to act like stupid tactless things in their older years.
Not a day went on that he didn't get a howler, or a very colorful letter telling him how they felt about his muggle infested school, or how they would how sorted that dear boy better and "if he was in wither slytherin or ravenclaw he wouldn't have come to be an orphan". As if. The only place that helped him and made him feel comfortable was Hufflepuff. As a small child with an attitude (Minerva told him in details how he had used some very interesting remarks in his defend of Pettigrew) If he was in slytherin, he would have been bullied relentlessly outside of his house and inside, and in ravenclaw they would only turn their back to him out of jealousy.
Severus situation had turned into a political matter over night, and following the attacks on muggles, and muggleborns, even the non-magical government had a say in it.
Muggles wanted a piece of him, like they had with Edison and Einstein. Purebloods wanted a piece of him, and many half blooded and muggleborns families lined up for him. Given he had no other relatives it was a tough decision.
So came the wizingamot full session over two days to deal with Severus situation. Nobody knew what to do to placate outraged citizens , and Albus didn't know how to do something that kept both muggleborns and purebloods alike happy.
Albus was ashamed to admit he had fucked up, fucked up big.
He wanted to use Severus as an icon, a half-blood who was raised completely muggle, to promote his campaign. By being a half-blood, and behaving like he did – gaining allies, respecting the old costumes like Eternal friendship and having friends in all places – dark, light and neutral- it was going to be a full success. Not to mention how his subtle act of innocence in getting the permission for Halloween had not gone unnoticed by Albus. Boy was good, but still had a lot to learn.
-he even suspected he was the one who had planned the whole werewolf prank to warn mister Lupin of any harm that might come to their mutual friend, miss Burbage. No doubt he had figured it out, seeing Lupins aura as clear as a day. All he needed was a trip to werewolf section. He even suspected it all was a ruse to go search for Sylwan in school records, and later Albus had it confirmed when Arcturus got Sylwan removed from the wizingamot, right after mister snape befriended his younger grandson.
Albus preferred him in Gryffindor, but as much as he had talked with the hat, it didn't consent to a resorting. He liked his friends, Bones, Prewatts, Longbottoms. Muggleborns like miss Evans and miss Burbage and a Ravenclaw like miss McKinnon. Mayhap he could influence the younger Black heir and get Gryffindor a second Black!
The Slytherin though could make a problem. He wanted to distance mister Pettigrew, seeing as he would be trouble in later years, he wasn't particularly special in anything, the definition of average. It was good to allow it for a couple of years for the sack of unity, but ultimately, he was the one person who could hold Severus back, or merlin forbid lead him to Tom.
Thus, he allowed it, and see the harassment of him by other students no issue. He had to learn to stand for himself and soon, maybe being bullied taught him it was bad form and saved him from going dark.
The abuse part though…he had suspected, but had to be cautious. If either Bones or Longbottom got a whiff of it, they would remove the boy and get him under their wings, it would decrease his level of influence on the boy, so he had asked Minerva to see to it.
And he had bloody asked, no tasked Minerva to find out if he was abused or neglected, and the woman told him it was not possible.
Why he had not listened to Poppy telling him of Mister Snape broken nose and light weight? Why he assumed that Pomona was just being a mother hen about those letters he got? Exaggerating somehow?
When his gut told him something wasn't quite right.
Now the boy was an orphan, the Evans family had petitioned for him in muggle world, Malfoy in this world, with Longbottom and Bones not far behind.
He suspected that Malfoy would win, and he couldn't let that happen. It was like gifting the boy to Tom and that would mean no chance for the lighter side to win.
-oh, he knew it was the lighter side and the grey side, but now it was shifting to fully Black side. Tom was gathering werewolves and vampires, creating a backup army from inferies.
Malfoy had already semi removed the Bones family and the Longbottom claiming as eternal friends, they would not- could not punish the boy if he ever done anything wrong or against the law.
"Imagine if mister Snape becomes an Animagus, and does not want to reveal his form to the ministry, would the clause of (by wand, had and blood) mean you have to assist him in any law breaking too?
And his theory was sound, because there was a case of triple unforgivable cast by a wizard, who his eternal friend helped him conceal. The eternal friend only escaped Azkaban by revealing that he was unable to do anything against his wishes.
Malfoy had money to bribe, charming others and using logic on the last part of people who disagreed with them. Threatening or killing them was on the table too.
Malfoy was also the closest relative he had.
Albus feared the boy, and for the boy. It was only one option that Malfoy recruited him for the dark side – and surprisingly the best of them. The two other options were far worse. As young and inexperienced as he was, Severus was powerful and if he was pushed, he would make a far better obscurus than Credence, and if Malfoy – mainly his master- waited until the boy reached the adulthood and then sacrificed him in a ritual to gain more power…
Not to tell what they could do with a phoenix, the blood or tears mainly would be used in many dark potions and if Tom managed to enslave her, he could pass any wards save Fidelus.
In some distant parts of his heart, Albus found out he genuinely cared for the boy. In this situation, he preferred he was in either Bones or Longbottom care, the Evans family, or any other family beside Malfoys. He feared for his life, that they would kill him as soon as they got him, because Tom would never allow one with potential to be more powerful than him to survive.
The worst part was that Severus couldn't, or wouldn't talk at all and it had been three days. He had shut himself and did not show any reaction to any stimulant, and he was staying in the hospital again. Albus had gone to see him, and the boy's eyes were vacant, hollow. He was surrounded by his friends, Frank Longbottom, Marlene McKinnon and Evans girls, but still remained in this catatonic state. He couldn't confirm anything, he could talk in his own behalf or reject anybody who wanted to claim him.
On would think, wonder why wizingamot bothered to
The boy had the gift of perception, and Albus guessed an affinity for the mind arts, from his mother's side. This would explain why he had a panic attack in his dorms, or reacted like that to Minerva's first class. Occluments, in their younger years, only suppressed memories, unable to sort them or layer them because their mind and body had not developed. If he was naturally, either an occlument, or a legiliment, or both, Tom would kill him for sure.
Occlumency. the Princes.. Dumbledore 1, Tom in Malfoy's clothing 0
And he smiled. He had found his loophole.
