Chapter 14
The next morning Severus returned to the school before the sun fully rose, and made his way to the breakfast feast. The day passed by with a normal amount of annoyance and tasks. He taught and graded papers and potions, and he brewed extra ointment for any other children who received the blood quill before he could deal with it. Then once night had fallen and curfew had begun he made his way to the office of Umbridge. He knocked once, and was met with a child opening the door trying to leave with tears in their eyes. He quickly grabbed their arm lightly and leaned to whisper in the little girls ear,
"Make your way to my office, I have ointment to help it heal and to take away the pain. I will be back there very soon, enter and close the door behind you, no one will bother you. Take this pass in case you run into another teacher, and please trust me." as he whispered he handed the pass to the small girl who nodded and left the room with the pass in her hand. Severus then straightened himself and entered the office, allowing his anger to clearly show on his face.
"Professor Snape, what a delight. Would you like a spot of tea?" The woman asked, she was still wearing that horrendous pink suit. Severus silently thanked his mother for teaching him how to dress with authority. He couldn't imagine ever believing that an outfit like that would serve any purpose other than to gain bullies.
"I am not here for tea Dolores." He spat.
"What can I help you with?" Her voice was still light, but Severus did not miss the fear that quickly flashed through her eyes.
"While I doubt your intelligence, I believe you have enough of a brain to understand that I am not one to be messed with, am I correct in this assumption?" Severus turned and closed the door to the office, locking it and placing an easily noticeable silencing spell as he spoke.
"Of course, I have heard many things about your capabilities with potions."
"I am not speaking of my potions." Severus simply stated, rolling his sleeves up enough that the woman before him could easily see the dark mark on his forearm.
"Of course." Umbridge spoke, her voice shaky and her eyes failing to keep from looking at the mark on his arm.
"I have spent my life spying on the most deadly wizards in the world, I have never been caught, I have never failed in my mission. I have flawlessly played a very deadly role in a dangerous and risky play. The things I have seen and the things I know how to do would scare even the darkest prisoners of Azkaban. They will make a dementor tremble in fear." Severus paused, laying his hands on the desk and leaning closer to the woman who sat behind it before continuing, "I have never failed in doing what I chose to do. Do you understand what I am telling you?"
"Yes." there was fear in her eyes, but her voice did not betray her, which almost impressed Severus. He knew exactly what it was like to be on the other side of this type of speech, and it had scared even him.
"Good. Knowing this I want you to listen very closely. If you dare to hurt another child within this castle with that damned blood quill, or by any other means you will face my wand, and I never fail to cast the needed spell. These children are under my protection, no matter which house they are from, and I don't take kindly to anyone threatening them or their safety. Now, I don't care who you are or who you work for, or what you think, you have a very simple choice. Either admit to your actions and leave this place immediately…"
"I will not be leaving." Umbridge interrupted, her face stern.
"Very well, you will take option two then. As I said before, I am not someone to be trifled with. And I don't take kindly to people throwing their political power around as if they rule the world. I like it even less when they choose to hurt children to make their point. So let me make this very clear. You live in a magical world, and at the end of the day political power is nothing more than a sheet of paper. I might not have any of that type of power, but I have magical power that I promise you will never compete with. And it just happens that I don't give a damn what your papers say. You hurt another child in any way, mentally, physically, or emotionally, and you will find yourself in an unknown location receiving every bit of pain you dished out, until I force Emerald potion down your throat and kill you slowly with all the most painful poisons that this world can wield. Do I make myself clear?" Severus spat, his voice was deadly and his eyes almost looked on fire with anger.
"As you said, you are a wonderful actor, but I assure you I see through your lies." She replied, Severus simply raised his wand, and pointed it at the cat that laid sleeping in the corner of the window, it was the only cat the woman had been allowed to bring to the school, the others simply stayed on her wall in the form of paintings,
"Avada Kedavra." The green light shot out and the cat fell from the window it's eyes still open even in death,
"I assure you, I am not acting." Severus replied, his voice more deadly than it had ever been.
"Peaches!" The woman called, trying to stand, she was forced back into her chair with a quick movement of Severus' wand.
"Are we clear on your options? Leave. Or die."
"Ye..yes."
"Good. I'll be seeing you, Umbridge. Oh, and just in case you get the idea to try to get me arrested, it's my word against yours, and I promise you I am immune to Versaitum and I know how to make you say exactly what I want. Do not try me, or you will find just how much power I wield." With that Severus left the room, his robe blowing behind him as the door slammed open against the wall, causing many of the paintings in the office to fall.
Severus quickly returned to his office, removing the anger from his face and voice he entered to find not one but three small children there. The little girl he had sent, another little girl and a small boy. They were all in their first years, the girls were wearing yellow, but the little boy had on blue.
"I see you brought some friends." Severus softly spoke, greeting the children,
"They… they had detention too." The little girl whispered.
"Ahh, well then, it is good that you brought them. Do you know of any others?"
"No sir." The small boy answered.
"Very well. When you return to your dorms tonight I expect you to spread the word that if anyone receives detention from that witch, they are to report to me afterwards to receive treatment. That is until I can deal with her."
"Deal with her?" the other little girl asked, she still had tears falling, but Severus noticed that she wasn't allowing it to affect her voice.
"Yes, deal with her. She will be dealt with by the end of the week, but that still allows a few days for her to give out detention."
"How are you going to deal with her?" The same little girl asked.
"That is my problem, not yours. Now, let me get the ointment and bandages and I will have you all fixed up in no time." Severus replied, placing a smile on his face.
"Thank you sir." the small boy answered.
"You are welcome. Now, tell me what are your names?"
"I'm Bobby. Bobby Frankfurt." The little boy answered.
"My name is Mary Billard." The little girl he had met at the door of Umbridge's office replied.
"I'm Haven Modds."
"It's very nice to meet you all, as you will learn again tomorrow at your first potions class, I am Professor Snape." Severus answered, noticing that the girl who shared a name with his mother actually reminded him of her.
"You teach potions?" Bobby asked, his voice hesitant.
"Yes. I assume your hesitation means you have heard of me?"
"We have. They say you're mean and rude. I don't think we should judge people based on others' opinions though, It's stupid. Some people don't like me, that doesn't mean I'm a bad person. Plus potions is like the most powerful thing we can learn here, it'll be cool." the little girl named Haven answered.
"Very true, potions are a very powerful version of magic. Yet, it takes precision and careful actions. One mistake can lead to death, hence my hesitation to make it a fun and energetic class. You will be expected to behave, but I assure you it is not to be mean, it is for your own safety." Severus answered, finally moving to Mary and softly beginning to rub the ointment on her hand "I will not ask useless questions" Severus held back a growl at the writing on her hand. Punishing a child for curiosity was like punishing a dog for eating a bone. He tried his best to push back his emotion, and still act calmly around the children.
"Do not listen to what Umbridge has told you. Do you understand me? She does not know what she is talking about, and therefore any punishment she gives out should be ignored. Now, if you are told these things by another professor then you may listen, but when it comes from Umbridge you are to ignore it. Understood?"
"Yes sir." Mary replied, tears were still in her eyes.
"Mary, what did you even ask, I don't even remember hearing you ask a question?" Bobby asked, he had been in the same class.
"I didn't ask about it during class. I went up after and asked about homework and if we were supposed to use other sources for our papers as well or just the textbook." Mary answered.
"Mary, may I ask you, are you from a wizarding family or a muggle one?" Severus asked, kindness in his voice.
"Muggle sir."
"As I said before, do not listen to what she tells you. The question you asked her is a very wise question to ask, and I think higher of students of mine that ask it. Umbridge is never going to think you are capable or good at anything."
"Why sir?" Haven asked.
"Do any of you know the term blood purist?" He asked, earning head shakes from each of them.
"What does it mean?" Bobby asked.
"It is a term I wish none of you had to learn. It is a belief that some in our world hold. Those who hold it believe that only pureblood witches and wizards deserve to use magic. Meaning, muggleborns should not be here at Hogwarts, or at any wizarding school. Umbridge is one of these people."
"You mean like you know who?" Bobby once again asked.
"No. Voldemort is not fighting for blood purity, he is fighting for a change of command, as every history book you read will tell you, if you read them close enough. Many will want you to believe that he is fighting for blood purity though."
"Why do they want to lie?" Mary questioned, as Severus finished bandaging her hand and moved to Bobby.
"Those that write the books work for the current system, and therefore they don't want Voldemort to win. So they twist the truth to gain more support."
"Does anyone tell the truth?" Haven asked.
"Some do, there are books that tell the full truth. But for now, you will just have to read your history books very closely, the truth is in them. And then, you all can make your own choice on who you believe to be in the right."
"But why can't we read the truth?" Mary questioned again, a furrow in her brow.
"They are in the restricted section of the library." Severus answered.
"Can't you give passes for that?" Bobby questioned.
"I can. And if the three of you prove that you are focusing in classes I will give you the pass for it, but I am not going to let you get behind in classes for it." Severus replied.
"I think if there are books that tell the truth, they should make those the textbooks." Haven stated.
"I agree, but they do not. Therefore, you should all keep your grades up so that you can gain access to them." Severus smirked.
"We will sir." Bobby replied.
"Sir?"
"Yes, Miss Billard?"
"How did you know to make the ointment?"
"You three are not the first students to receive such punishment, although only one was willing to come to me. I was lucky to run into you when I did. Leaving the wounds untreated can easily lead to infection and increased pain for weeks. So, if you run across anyone who has the wounds, please send them to me." At that Severus moved to Haven and began rubbing the ointment into her wounds. Bobbys had said not to be arrogant, and Haven's said to respect her elders. Severus found he didn't need to ask about what it meant, he gathered from their personalities that it was not what they had actually done. The group fell quiet as Severus finished placing the ointment and bandaged Haven's hand.
"Professor?"
"Yes Mr. Frankfurt?"
"Do we need to use other sources for our potions homework when we get it?" Bobby asked, earning a laugh from his friends and a smile from Severus.
"If you want a good grade that will greatly help you, but you can achieve a good grade using only the textbook." Severus replied.
"Thank you sir." Mary answered with a small smile as the group stood and walked towards the door.
"You are very welcome, now, I am going to walk you to your dorms seeing as it is so late after curfew. Stay with me." Severus spoke as he exited his office with the children following close behind.
Severus took the three children to their dorms, first the girls and then Bobby, running into Flitwick as he dropped Bobby at the door to the dorm.
"Thank you for walking him back, Severus. May I ask why you needed to, he hasn't even had a potions class yet."
"No, and he was not in trouble with me. Care to walk with me?" Severus asked, not wishing to have the conversation within hearing of any curious child.
"Of course." Flitwick said, setting out down the hall with the younger man.
"Harry came to my office last night, he had been in detention with Dolores. She uses a blood quill as her punishment."
"Surely not. Does Albus know?"
"I have no idea, I wasn't about to go seeking out his advice on the topic when I could handle it myself. I quickly placed some ointment on Harry's hand and bandaged it. Tonight I went to talk with the witch. On my way into her office a first year Hufflepuff girl was coming out, her hand was bloody and she had tears falling down her face. I gave her a night pass and told her to go to my office. When I made it back to my office she was there, along with two of her friends, one of them was the boy I just returned to you, Bobby Frankfurt."
"You talked to her?" Flitwick asked, he was hesitant to see what the man had done.
"Yes. Don't worry, I gave her a choice."
"A choice?"
"Yes, she can leave and turn herself in before weeks end, or she'll be gone by weeks end."
"Gone? Severus do not do something rash and get caught, there is too much at stake."
"People go missing in war, Flitwick. Especially when they go wandering in the wrong side of town. I have it on good authority that she has plans to go to the bad side of Diagon Alley this weekend, that is her own choice."
"And if she cancels her plans?"
"She won't." Severus answered, his confidence sending the message that his words didn't.
"I don't plan to stop you, if she has hurt one of my Ravenclaws, or any student for that matter, she deserves it. Besides, if she knows what is good for her she'll choose Azkaban." Flitwick answered. There were times when he saw Severus that all he could see was the man's mother, he carried himself like her, he spoke like her, and he had her brain. Yet recently, Flitwick could see almost nothing but his father in him, his eyes carrying the same fire that his fathers had always had. His shoulders the same power, his voice the same harshness and heaviness of the dark lord. There had been days that Flitwick wondered how nobody else had figured it out, and in that moment he realized why they hadn't. Severus was basically invisible to everyone until he could do something for them, as was almost every Slytherin.
"I won't let there be another danger to these students in this castle. I can't stop him at this moment, but I can stop her, and I'll be damned if I fail at it."
"Thank you for taking care of Bobby, and for taking care of the two girls. Can I ask what ointment you used? I was under the impression that there was not a treatment for the blood quill, I thought they had refused to make one since it was a punishment device, and since it was banned I assumed one had not been made."
"They did refuse to make one, and according to the public there isn't one. But, I am a potions master for a reason, I created one."
"Just today?" Flitwick asked, surprised at how fast the man seemed to be saying he had worked.
"No. I created it in my third year here."
"Your third year teaching? What on earth for, I don't recall any other use of a blood quill."
"My third year as a student. And you don't recall it because he did not broadcast it, clearly or he would not still be in charge." Severus answered, his voice still perfectly controlled, but the anger in his eyes grew slightly.
"Your third year as a student! Severus, you invented a potion in your third year?"
"Yes. No one else was going to, and I hated having to look at the writing for days after the detentions as it faded. Besides, I needed a way to remove the scars so that my parents would not find out. I didn't want to fail the mission my father had given me." Severus replied, lowering his voice as he finished speaking.
"You continue to amaze me, Severus. And you continue to be a reminder of all I have failed to do."
"Do not hold it against yourself. You were not the one doing it, and you have always done your best to help me. You should never blame yourself for his actions."
"Neither should you." Flitwick answered, his voice firm and kind.
"I don't."
"You do. But I know why, so I will not try to pretend like I don't understand it. I find myself doing the same when I think about your mother, as I'm sure your father does. But, if you are going to remind me not to, I will remind you not to. You couldn't have stopped it."
"Like I can't stop him now?" Severus snapped back. He was not stupid, he knew that he had always had the power to combat Dumbledore, but he had never used it. When he was young the fear held him back, and now he awaited his fathers word, trusting in the man who raised him, despite the seemingly daily increase of what was lost to the war that continued on despite the fact that he could end it.
"Just because you have the raw power to stop him does not mean you would succeed. He is a powerful wizard as well, and if he fought well he could defeat you. Your father knows this, as he knows many other things. This is why he does not tell you to stop him, but it will come. And when it does, I will be by your side."
"Thank you, Flitwick. I greatly appreciate it. If you will excuse me, I need to brew some potions, I have a deadline to meet."
"Of course, have a good night Severus." With that Flitwick turned back towards the Ravenclaw dorms, and Severus returned to the dungeons. He then made a cup of tea before setting up in his lab that he kept in the spare room of his apartment and began brewing Remus' first batch of wolfsbane for the month.