A Responsible Adult

“Please, Mr. Adams. Come in.”

Steve Adams had grown accustomed to the eccentricity of wizards, but the man who stood at the desk in the center of the room was beyond anything he had seen so far. A pointy hat and flowing white beard. When his wife first told him that magic was real, this was the sort of man he expected to be wielding a wand. A proper wizard if there ever was one.

He glanced around as he stepped inside the bizarre office. The circular room was filled with beautiful and interesting trinkets. Little noises and puffs of smoke filled the room.

“Mr. Dumbledore,” Steve reached his hand forward as he addressed the headmaster, “I am glad you were able to take the time to speak with me.”

“Professor Dumbledore, or that is how most refer to me.”

Steve raised his eyebrows. There was a twinkle in the wizard’s eye and a smirk on his face. He could not tell if that was a pleasant way of correcting his title or just a fleeting joke.

“Yes, well I suppose Professor McGonagall has passed along my concerns then.”

Dumbledore pushed a small jar of sweets across the table, but Steve waved his hand to decline. He watched as the strange man carefully unwrapped a lemon drop.

“Your daughter,” Dumbledore began, seemingly ignoring the topic Steve had brought up, “Sarah Adams. How is she adjusting to life at Hogwarts? Moving from America, that is no small change. Her professors speak affectionately…”

“Ahem,” Steve interrupted, locking eyes with the wrinkled wizard. There was a moment of strained silence and a sour look crept upon the headmaster’s face before he decided to interrupt him “I am here to discuss my concerns regarding the abuse of students here at Hogwarts at hands of one of your professors.”

“Ah, yes. That is the matter Professor McGonagall informed me about.”

“The response to that matter should be an urgent one. The information I received about how Professor Snape treats his students is more than alarming.”

Dumbledore stood, crinkling the wrapper from his lemon drop between his fingers. They made eye contact again. Steve remained seated. He had seen the look before that was upon the old man’s face. The look was one that uncaring superintendents and uninterested school board members wore when a real issue required effort on their end to fix.

“I can assure you that I will speak with Professor Snape and remedy the issue. If that is all, Mr. Adams,” Dumbledore concluded as he raised his hand towards the exit. Steve had spent twenty years in the school system back in the States, he was more than used to the dismissal of serious concerns.

“Your response to emotional abuse, failure to instruct, and endangerment of children is to have a conversation?” Steve grunted before continuing, “I still have things to learn about wizarding education, but even I know that Professor Snape’s actions in the classroom justify immediate firing at the very least.”

“Now, Mr. Adams,” Dumbledore sank back into his large chair, avoiding eye contact now. “I understand Professor Snape is a harsh instructor. It may be that young Sarah has learned that, especially being a Gryffindor herself. But endangerment? That seems quite exaggeratory.”

Steve felt his face begin to boil. How could this man, a headmaster charged with the protection of students, try to defend against these obviously true accusations? Not only that, how could he have kept Professor Snape as a potions master for so long?

“You listen to me good, Mr. Dumbledore,” Steve responded as his knuckles turned white from gripping the table, “Potions is a dangerous subject. Important for young witches and wizards, but dangerous, nonetheless. What do you call a professor who refuses to properly supervise the process? A poorly instructed student could inflict serious damage to everyone in a classroom.”

“Professor Snape does an adequate job…”

Steve interrupted before Dumbledore could speak further, “Additionally, how does my daughter being a Gryffindor make any of Snape’s actions any better? Are you saying that discrimination based on something as silly as a student’s house is acceptable behavior from your staff?”

“I would hardly call house placement a silly…”

“Verbal abuse. Failure to instruct. Lack of supervision. Emotional abuse. Harassment. These are just the acts that I am aware of. Who is to say how many other students suffered over the years from the reign of terror that man has been allowed to carry on as this school’s potion master?”

“Mr. Adams, I will not have you accusing my professors of these abuses without a shred of evidence. Now, I am aware Professor Snape can be crass and quite harsh. I will assure you that I will relay your concerns to him.”

Steve had dealt with a lot of nonsense in his life working in public education in America. But even the most underfunded and poorly managed Muggle schools would reprimand and fire a man like Severus Snape. Steve Adams would not stand for Dumbledore’s outright enablement of abuse.

“You are mistaken,” Steve’s eyes glanced around the room, before finding what he had been searching for. “I assume that to be a Pensieve, correct?” Steve stared at the strange object across the room as he continued to speak, “I have taken the time to read some very interesting books about those magical devices. Did you know that Ministry of Magic uses one to help solve cases by verifying witness testimony with memories?”

The aged wizard suddenly looked more like a ripe tomato than a headmaster. His lip trembled slightly as he began to respond, “I can assure you, Mr. Adams,” Dumbledore bumbled out, “I will take your concerns most seriously. But if there is abuse, I will need to witness it.”

Steve shook his head, “Are you calling my daughter a liar, Mr. Dumbledore? My wife and I raised that girl, and we raised her right. We taught her to respect authority. Policemen and teachers alike. But we also taught her to speak up when something was wrong. So, when my daughter comes to me with concerns for her fellow classmates, I know the words she speaks are the truth.”

Steve stood. He took a deep breath before looking down at the silent headmaster. He shook his head again in disapproval.

“It is clear to me now that you refuse to take this matter seriously. You could simply use that device to view in great detail how your students are treated by that man. Yet, you allow for the abuse to continue.”

He took a few steps towards the exit before turning once more. “You might not be receptive to the concerns of your students. But I will not stand for abuse. Especially not when there is something I can do about it. I might be a silly Muggle, but I am sure there are some witches and wizards at the Ministry who would be very interested to hear about how badly Professor Snape treats his students.”

The Gryffindor common room was louder and merrier than Sarah Adams had ever experienced yet. Even the welcoming party they held for her and the other first years on the day they were sorted was a dull affair in comparison.

A large banner hung over the fireplace that read, “Snape Sacked!” Next to the words, a stick figure with long, black hair was repeatedly burnt to ashes by a fire-breathing lion.

Sarah stood at the entranceway, just gazing at the mass of Gryffindors who had gathered in celebration. Some were drinking from mugs filled with bubbling drinks. Others were firing off spells, cheering, or chanting.

“Haven’t you heard?” her friend Lavender looped an arm around hers before Sarah even noticed she was there, “They got rid of Snape! Fred and George said they hit him with a dungbomb as he was leaving the castle with all his things.”

Sarah did not respond with a smile, but with a disgruntled look. She was not sure if her classmates knew about how Professor Snape had found himself out of a job, but she suddenly felt a waterfall of embarrassment wash over her.

“It’s all right here,” her other friend Parvati held up a copy of the Daily Prophet, “I keep trying to read it, but I can’t focus in here! They mention Harry’s name a bunch of times.”

Her father had always told her that it was better to own up to your actions than to let things boil over. Sarah pushed the wizarding newspaper that her friend was holding up away from her face and strut across the common room. There in their usual spot, sat Ron, Hermione, and mostly importantly, Harry Potter.

“I’m sorry,” Sarah spoke as she avoided eye contact with the trio. It did not start that way, but the three students had gained a reputation of being conjoined at the hip. Sarah had been friendly with Hermione, but the girl only seemed to really come to life when her two closest friends were at her side.

“My dad was the one who got Snape fired. The Ministry used my memories to confirm how he badly he treated everyone. I-I’m sorry. I should have asked but the way Snape treated you Harry, and even you, Hermione…”

Harry shook his head, “It’s alright. I’m glad someone was able to do something about him.”

“But they used your name, in the papers… and I know…”

“Hang on,” Ron butted in as he rose from the couch. He eyed Sarah from head to toe as his nose crinkled, “Are you telling me that it was you who got Snape? That guy in the paper…”

Ron looked over to Hermione who rolled her eyes, “Obviously, Ronald. The article in the Daily Prophet said it was a Steve Adams who…”

“Is that your dad?” Ron looked back to Sarah, who weakly nodded at the excited red-headed boy.

Sarah watched as Ron looked around the common room and then back to his friends. He eyed Sarah once more. Within a moment, he was standing up on top of the couch and pointing at her for all to see. With his other hand, he cupped his mouth and yelled, “Oi! Sarah’s the one who took Snape out! It was her!”

In an instant, Sarah was suddenly the most popular girl in the common room. She had always considered herself to be a bit plain looking. She did not mind. She liked reading and playing with her dogs. She liked Quidditch when her mother introduced it to her. Her family called her pretty, but they were supposed to, right? She thought of herself as just normal. That was always something she was content with.

The hordes of older Gryffindors surrounding her had been more attention than Sarah had ever received from anyone. The Weasley twins were the first in line, kneeling down in front of her.

“It was really you?” George Weasley asked.

Sarah nodded as she tried to say something, but no words came out. The group was waiting for her to say something. She could feel the burning rising in her cheeks.

“Of course it was!” Hermione’s shrill voiced pierced through the crowd, “That’s Sarah Adams! She’s my dormmate. Her dad used her memory to convince the Ministry…”

“That settles it!” Fred Weasley interrupted the ranting Hermione as he grabbed onto Sarah’s arms. Before she knew it, she sat firmly on the shoulders of the twins. From where she sat, she could see the eyes of every Gryffindor staring up at her.

“To Sarah Adams!” George yelled out, “The slayer of Snape!”

“Neville’s savior!” There were a plenty of laughs at Ron’s joke. Sarah felt bad that her fellow Gryffindor ended up as the butt of many jokes.

“A true Gryffindor!” Fred finished, as the common exploded into thunderous cheering.

Moving halfway across the world had been a difficult thing. She left all of her friends behind. Adjusting to her new life had been difficult. But Sarah decided right then and there- she loved Hogwarts. Even more, she loved her father.

The dim morning light poured through the edges of the curtains. Steve felt cold skin against him. He groaned as his opening eyes meet his wife’s gaze.

“Long night, then?”

“You wouldn’t believe it,” she spoke to him in a stressed voice, “I was called into Hogwarts.”

Steve sat up, waking up and focusing in on the conversation. “Beth,” he croaked as he gazed down at her. Her long, black hair was tangled and messy. She looked about ready to pass out at any moment. He shook his head and collected his thoughts, “Sarah. Is she okay?”

“Nothing happened to Sarah. Everything at the school is fine. Well, mostly fine.”

Steve only had to give her a look. Elizabeth was perceptive, far more than Steve was. That was one of his favorite parts about his wife. She knew what he meant without even needing to ask. “Professor Quirrell. You know, the Defense professor. He attacked Harry Potter. The boy won. It was a whole thing.”

Was he hearing his wife correctly? He sat up fully and rubbed his eyes again. He glanced at her and immediately knew that the story was true. With a deep breath, he spoke, “I am going to need you to start at the beginning.”

After listening intently, Steve let out a long sigh. Hogwarts had prided itself as a safe place for students. That illusion was broken when Sarah had sent him a letter about Severus Snape. Now to make it worse, professors were attacking students.

“I think there is more to it,” Elizabeth sighed, “Dumbledore always tries to hide things from the Ministry. I’m not the biggest fan of all the politicking either, but we’re Aurors and we need to know if there is something darker going on.”

“Sarah told me about him,” Steve was still thinking about how Harry had stood his ground against a professor. The stories about the boy must be true. “She was worried about Harry all year. During her winter break when we really got to talk about what happened with Snape, she confessed that she thought something was wrong with the boy.”

“She never told me about that,” his wife had a dejected look and she whispered.

“I think she just felt comfortable because of the Snape thing. She told me when school first started the boy looked sick. Skinny and weak. Jumpy.”

Elizabeth slipped her arms around him, and they just held each other for a moment.

“She is so perceptive.”

“You raised her well.”

His wife chuckled and he could feel it against his chest, “We raised her well. Don’t try to hide from me, either. I know you have that look on your face right now.”

“What look?”

“The look when there is something wrong that you want to fix. What are you going to do about Harry Potter?

Steve grunted. He felt his wife’s hand glide through the brown hair on his head. Her fingers massaged his scalp as she kissed his neck.

“I haven’t thought through it yet.”

“I saw a job listing today.”

“Oh, yeah? You want me to come be an Auror with you? I’ve got the old hunting rifle upstairs. I’ll strike fear into the hearts of dark wizards everywhere.”

Elizabeth pulled back from him. The light sneaking through the sides of the shade provided enough light that he could make out her face. He raised an eyebrow at her serious expression. “Department of Wizarding Education,” her voice was quiet as she ran her hands through his hair again, “It’s a small department. Only a few people.”

“You really think…”

“There’s a Muggle or two working for the Muggle Liaison Office. A couple in the Muggle Artifacts department as well. You were a teacher and principal for how long again? You are probably more qualified than anyone to work in the Education Department. Someone with your background could be running it.”

Steve shook his head, “What do I know about Wizarding Education?”

His wife laughed. Her laughs were short and sweet. His ability to bring them out of her was part of the reason they had first gotten together. He may have been a few inches shorter than her, and even shorter than most of her other dating options, but he could make her laugh like none of the others could.

“You know more than anybody,” her voice was sweet, “Not to mention everyone I work with was ecstatic about the whole Snape thing. You made quite the impression during the Wizengamot hearing. Besides, you’ve read more books on the subject of education than I even knew were written. Who was the headmaster in… uhh… 1936?”

“That would have been… Phineas Black.”

“How many members does the Board of Governors have?”

“Twelve. It used to be only ten, but that changed in the fifties.”

“When was Hogwarts founded?”

“Well, that depends on who you ask. Some say 990 A.D but others say it was not until 992 A.D that…”

“See?” his wife interrupted him, “I knew you were nervous to send Sarah to a magical school. It was all new to you. You worked so hard to understand. You do now, better than me for Merlin’s sake. You know the history and know the classes. More importantly, you’re brilliant with children. Better than anyone I’ll ever know. I know you like the new Muggle school here and you finally are getting used to working in London…”

"Stop," Steve knew his wife could ramble when she was trying to convince him.

She rolled over and pulled the covers around her. "Sorry. You were just so passionate about the Snape thing that I thought the possibility of working at the Ministry to help fix the problems at Hogwarts was something you would want to know about. Just as an option."

"Beth."

He went under the blankets and wrapped around her. He pressed his face into her neck and kissed her several times. Steve sprang out of bed and went into their shared walk-in closet.

"Where are you going so early? It's Saturday."

He flicked the closet light on and for the first time in their conversation he could see his wife's beautiful face clearly.

"I am going to apply for that job."