Chapter 3
Severus sat stiffly on a bed in the medical wing, listening to the heavy roll of the clock tower’s gears. He willed the sound to keep him calm.
In the days following the incident, he realized that he had been rendered completely incapable of occulating, among other changes in his behavior and personality. He was undoubtedly still himself. He was mentally intact, but something was different. He felt open, raw. His emotions were far stronger and his impulses difficult to control.
Is this what it had been like to be young?
He hated it.
“Are you quite sure Poppy?” Minerva nervously asked as she glanced over the results of the diagnostic spells that floated around his head. He glanced around at them warily.
“Why wouldn’t I be sure?” Madame Pomfrey eyed the two suspiciously, ever skeptical from years of working with lying children.
“He is ten years and seven months old, that is exactly what it says right here.” She pointed at the floating runes by the boy's blank face.
“How is his mind? Is it sound?”
Poppy Pomfrey cast some more charms, reading the results.
“Yes, no more turmoil than the average boy. Minerva, who is this that I’m treating right now?”
Minerva’s immediate reaction to seeing a tiny Snape had been to sweep him off to Poppy Pomfrey to demand she cast diagnostic charms without explanation. Severus was not surprised that Pomfrey was bothered.
“I… in due time, Poppy. We must protect him.”
Protect him. His lip twitched.
Severus Snape did not need protection. Especially not from two broody old hens.
“I’m not a child.” Snape spat quietly. Poppy turned to regard him with a practiced blank face.
“Well I’m sorry mister, but the diagnosis is quite critical. You are indeed a child.” She deadpanned.
After that diagnosis she shooed them out with a lollipop, making the massive doors swing together with a dramatic flick of her wand.
A lollipop. The nerve.
“Goodbye!” She sang over her shoulder just before the heavy oak fell shut with a dusty boom.
That woman truly hated not being in on the secret. He dropped the accursed lollipop onto the ground.
“Well, I suppose that’s that.” Minerva started on their way back up to the headmistress’s office.
“We’ll have to hide you. If someone knew that this was possible… Severus, you have discovered another method of immortality! And from just one drop of-“
“Spare me the theatrics please woman. I know well what it means.”
Impulsive. He regretted the words the moment they left his mouth.
“Besides, I haven’t discovered it, have I? It was an accident. I can’t recreate it.” He tried mending, almost sheepishly, but the damage had been done.
“Well… This disrespect is not befitting of a young man at all. You’ll be in detention on the first day of classes. I'll tell you that much.” Minerva huffed.
“Very funny.” He said in his signature sarcasm. It felt different from this mouth.
“Oh yes, that’s how we’re going to hide you. If we can’t find a way to reverse it by the start of the school year, you will be attending Hogwarts as a student.”
What? No.
“You’re joking.” He stopped dead in his tracks, staring up at the woman, searching for any hint of humor. No, she was dead serious.
“Oh god, you’re not joking.” His muggle upbringing shone through, the color draining from his face in mortification.
“Minerva, you are not sending me to take charms level one with first years.” He growled, to no effect.
“I'm sorry Severus, but I am not going to allow this information to fall into the wrong hands. You will stay here at Hogwarts where an eye can be kept on you until we have a solution.”
“So you’ve decided the best course of action is to keep me captive?”
“I will put you in the charms cell on the roof If I must.” Her brows raised in challenge, daring him to try to oppose her. The same way she would any other child.
Severus could not stand it.
His small face twisted up in rage. His hands fisted on either side of him willing some semblance of control over his own emotions.
Fine. Then that would be his deadline. He would cancel all pending orders, give clients back their galleons then spend every day brewing until he found a solution.
He simply nodded once and allowed her to lead him back to her office, where he sat silently and stewed in his anger.
Minerva allowed him the space, sending off an owl quietly as the dour little boy sat in front of her fireplace and stared into it with a distant look in his eye.
“I… I’m going for a walk.” The boy spoke suddenly, rising from his seat.
“I’ll be in the owlery, contacting my clients.” He explained.
She seemed to consider for a moment.
“If you leave the grounds I will know Severus.” She said in that same motherly warning voice she used on her students.
He nearly opened his mouth to say something horrid, but his jaw clamped itself shut for him in annoyance instead.
Of course, I know that. Had the senile old hen already forgotten he had also been headmaster once?
“You’ve made yourself quite clear, Minerva. Behave or get locked in the cell on the roof like Serious Black.” Severus repeated her threat.
Minerva said nothing, offering only a thin smile of confirmation. She flicked the door open for him with her wand.
“Be back before sundown. I’ve asked someone to meet with you. If they get here before you I’ll send my patronus.”
Snape was out the door before he could let himself respond.
It was getting too much for him. This awful motherly cooing from Minerva. He shouldn’t have come to her for help. He should have known she would overreact if it involved a child.
But I’m not a child… Severus Snape is a nearly fifty-year-old man and his proof was in his memories and experiences. Nothing could take that from him.
If only Flamel were alive. Perhaps he would have had all of the answers for him.
Perhaps he should consult Dumbledore’s portrait.
His magically shrunken dragonhide boots echoed loudly down the empty staircase as he reached the first landing. Then, something caught his ear.
What was…
Severus froze, waiting for the sound of his last echoing step to finish.
A soft magical chime sounded somewhere down the hall opposite the staircase.
The book and quill.
The chime sounded again distantly, gentle and alluring. He felt a slight magical tug in its direction. Gripped with sudden curiosity, he allowed the sound to guide him.
The door to this room was heavily warded and tightly locked with a series of goblin-wrought silver mechanisms in a design on the door.
Severus had always thought the intricate vault door was quite beautiful.
But why hadn’t he ever heard this sound before?
It was still faint beyond the thick divide, but he heard it.
He drew his wand and spoke the incantations to release the wards along the locks as he had when he was headmaster, but this time, the magic hung thick in the air like static.
Had it always felt like this?
The bell rang in his ear clearly now as he walked up the spiral stairs. He found its source on the top of the handrail, a series of bells that hung from a sculpture resembling a Lily of the Valley. He knew it was there, but had never heard it chime.
He looked into the room at the top of the stairs and the curiosity returned. He stepped towards the book pedestal in the middle of the dark room. The magic was dense here like he might float away in its pressured atmosphere.
Getting onto his top toes, he looked down at the Quill of Acceptance and the Book of Admittance. The method of enrollment that the four founders of Hogwarts had set into place on the day of the school’s creation.
The quill was enchanted to find prospective students by age range and magic use, and the book was enchanted to decide whether or not their names should be written.
His eyes rolled down the old dusty pages.
And there amongst the last five names, was his own.
Severus Tobias Snape
Conflict clashed within him.
On the one hand, seeing his name so fresh on these pages felt so rare and precious, but on the other… What did this mean? How was it possible for his name to be in the book twice?
He pointed his wand at the pages and spoke his full name and birth date.
The dusty rotting pages fluttered to life, flipping back fifty years' worth of entries. There at the bottom of the page was his name again, but… it was faded. Far more faded than any of the other names around it, so much so that it was barely visible.
His jaw clenched. Why did Hogwarts erase his childhood from the pages? Has this ever happened before? What did it mean for him?
Overwhelmed with questions, he briskly turned away from the pedestal but was surprised to a halt.
An ornate silver-blue bird sat perched atop the Lily of the Valley bells. It seemed to be contemplating him intelligently. Its bright honeyed-orange eyes glanced over the boy's form once, then it opened its wings and fluttered soundlessly down the spiral stairs. Not a wingbeat to be heard.
Severus blinked away his confusion and made his own way down the steps back onto the landing behind it with some hesitation. When he reached the bottom of the stairs he found a woman, standing expectantly by the headmistress’s staircase with no bird in sight.
She looked quite beautiful in the low light, wearing an intricately designed dark red frock dress. A short cape hugged her long neck, leading the eye up to the crown of curls piled neatly on her head.
He knew her and it made him want to run.
“You must be him.” She spoke softly and tilted her head at the door. Her voice was familiar but older. She no longer sounded like the bratty child he once taught.
“Come on.”
His Adam's apple bobbed nervously, but he fell into step behind her as she headed up the stairs.
Why was she here?
More questions but no answers. He grits his teeth.
“Miss Granger! Come sit. Would you care for tea?” Minerva exclaimed as soon as the younger witch stepped into her office.
“That sounds lovely Minerva, thank you.” She plopped herself into one of the cushy seats by the fire. She seemed quite familiar with her surroundings.
“Ah, I see you’ve already had the honor,” Minerva said as she spied Severus hesitantly stepping in from the open door.
“Yes. Well, truthfully, I only caught him sneaking a peek into the book of admittance.” She said casually as she took the offered tea from Minerva, stirring milk into it. Minerva turned her head to look at Severus curiously. He still stood nervously near the door.
“Really? And what did the young man find?” Minerva was asking him directly.
“My name. I found my name.” He answered flatly.
“What a treat. To get to see your name newly written. Congratulations are in order. Come sit dear, and tell me your name.” The younger witch offered him a small smile.
He felt the color drain from his face.
His name. The bird.
He glanced nervously at her expectant face. Had she heard? Did she know? Surely Potter had shown her his memories. She must have recognized him instantly as the pathetic little boy from the pensive. Right?
He searched her eyes carefully but found her face as impassable as a porcelain doll. It gave nothing away. What an infuriating turn of tables.
What happened to Severus Snape, the double spy? The master of occulomency?
The intense, intimidating man that once commanded respect was gone. In his place now stood a scrawny, frightened little boy.
When Severus failed to respond, Minerva spoke for him.
“He may not want to answer that question quite yet.” She said with a careful glance at him, setting herself down with her own tea cup next to Granger.
“That’s quite alright.” Granger turned her gentle attention back to her tea, and Severus found the strength in his legs to join the witches at the fireplace. He took the seat farthest from them, especially from Granger.
“Now then.” Started Minerva, pitching her voice a bit higher as if to try and brighten the tense atmosphere.
“I'm sure you are quite curious as to why I have called you here, Miss Granger.”
Granger nodded, taking a tentative sip of her black tea and milk.
“First order of business, This young man here requires your charm expertise. I am aware that you were able to evade attention from the press with your own charms. Is that right?”
“That's correct. You need to hide the boy?” She glanced at him from under her long, relaxed lashes. Her eyes shone in the dancing light of the fire. They were the same gold-flecked orange as the little bird on the Lily of the Valley bells.
She is an animagus.
“Yes. It is quite critical that he stays unseen.” Minerva explained with a low, anxious tone.
Hermione nodded in understanding, those striking eyes laid directly into his own onyx ones, expression unreadable.
“He’ll need a new set of robes. I know a shop that uses the correct materials for my charms. I can take him myself if you would like.” Thankfully, she turned her attention back to the older witch, letting his expression of distaste go unnoticed.
“I would quite appreciate it.” Minerva glanced a warning at the boy across the couches as if she knew he would object to this. He had admittedly nearly opened his mouth to do just that.
“There is also one other thing. I understand if you refuse.” She said, smoothing her robes nervously over her crossed knee.
“I think you’ll find I’d do just about anything for you Minerva.”
“Thank you for that sentiment dear, but you may perhaps want to wait for me to explain what you're getting yourself into by agreeing to this.”
“Go on.” Granger encouraged.
“Well, This young man is in need of a legal guardian to sign for his admittance to Hogwarts.”
Severus could not believe his ears. Was this woman serious? She was asking a former student of his to become his legal guardian?
Severus opened his mouth to protest but he was interrupted in a hurry by Minerva.
“Of course, you will only have to sign for him! I do not expect you to take him under your wing or care for him or any of the sort.” She said with a glance at him.
Hermione stared contemplatively into the fire for a moment before answering.
“On the contrary, Minerva. I think I’d like to learn more about your charge.” She offered him a sweet smile and he was caught in those eyes again. They made him feel quite like a mouse being inspected by a cat.
She definitely knows.