I am a tea totaler and a salvation army member, Lewis
Detective Chief Inspector Morse looked at the lanky sixteen-year-old son that had been dropped on to his lap by the new Deputy Chief Police Commissioner Snape. The young lad looked sullen and disinterested in the proceedings going on around him, Morse just looked at his subordinate Lewis and nodded towards their office door, both men got up to leave the office with Morse turning to the lad and saying “Severus, perhaps you want to read the up to date police manual while me and Lewis just have a private word next door” Severus Snape sullenly looked up and just nodded, he knew that the two detectives wanted him to be here as much as he wanted to be, which was a big fat zero.
Morse and Lewis quickly entered the office down the corridor, after all Morse knew that resourceful teenagers could ‘accidently’ overhear conversations that were to remain private “Alright Lewis! Fill me in on why we have the Deputy Commissioner son in our office”
“Well sir! Apparently, Severus is really interested in joining the police as soon as he can and wants to be a detective. And Snape thought that Severus would enjoy a bit of practical work experience during the summer holiday and asked if you would mind if he tagged along with us and said I no….apparently the lad is very clever and enthusiastic to learn”
“Lewis! First, if that lad wants to join the police then I am a tee totaler Salvation Army member. That lad wants to be here as much as I want him tagging along which is currently zero! Second, Snape has just dumped his son on us, so he does not have to worry about keeping the lad occupied during the holiday! Well we will just have to put up with the lad and hope he does not report back to Snape our every move Lewis”
“Well sir, Severus could answer the phone for us in the office while we are out on our cases” Lewis hopefully tried to bargain with Morse
“Oh no! that lad comes with us Lewis, there is no way I am leaving him alone in my office to do God knows what” with that Morse and Lewis exited the office and made their way back to Morse office where Severus was sitting with the update police manual in front of him pretending that he hadn’t purposely eves drop on the two detectives private conversation. Severus was surprised that his da had not informed his jailors for the summer the real reason he had been dumped on them. It had all kicked off last Friday when his da had given him a letter to read from the Headmaster of Hogwarts outlining his attitude and behaviour, it really was no surprise to Severus to see in black and white what his professors actually thought of him. The icing on the cake had been when the headmaster Dumbledore had put that Severus was a lazy, disruptive influence and a bully that needed to change his attitude and work ethic and that from September he would unfortunately be put on probation at Hogwarts and if anymore bullying etc continued then he would be expelled from the school and not be able to complete his NEWTS, which he needed to attend a wizarding university and become a potion master.
Severus da had questioned him about the letter but Severus had remained tight lipped, what was the point of trying to explain to him that he was being ‘pranked’ by the so called marauders, that his housemates despised him because of his alleged blood status and the professors blamed him for all the trouble caused by him being bullied. They never believed that his coursework or homework was destroyed by either his housemates or his peers from other houses, and finally his best friend had broken up with him during their OWL examinations because of a foul insult he had said to her in the heat of the moment. Well after hours of silence from Severus about the allegations documented in his report card, his da had thrown up his hands and stated that from Monday his punishment would be doing practical work experience at the local Nick, he would be privately tutored during the summer in muggle subjects so he join the local college in September and study for his muggle O levels, then next year start studying for muggle A levels which would allow him to attend a good muggle university. He was forbidden from contacting his friends especially his supposed best friend Lilly Evans during the summer. His da had already sent back a letter to Headmaster Dumbledore informing him that Severus would not be returning to Hogwarts come September, and that Severus had formally finished his magical education.
His da had said that if he worked extremely hard then they could still go to Spain for their annual holiday! So, now that was the only bright light at the end of an exceptionally long summer for Severus, and of course that he didn’t have to see his ex-best friend Lilly Evans ever again.
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It was lunch time when Inspector Morse cleared his throat and announced it was time for lunch, Severus looked up from his reading of an old case file that Morse had given him to read, after taking pity on Severus when he had tried to start working through the police manual!
Severus found himself sitting outside an Oxford pub with Morse while Lewis (who in Severus eyes was more approachable) got them lunch and a drink. A beer for Morse, a Lemonade for Lewis and a shandy for him with three ploughman’s, they had just started their lunch and Severus was sure that Lewis had mistakenly got him a beer instead of a shandy when one of his worst nightmares at present became reality. Lilly Evans came marching up to him with her best friend Mary and new boyfriend James Potter and the rest of the marauders in tow and started questioning him. Severus just wanted to die of embarrassment, as she questioned him in front of the two detectives without even introducing herself, she demanded to know the names of the two ‘death eaters’ he was sitting with! What he was doing in Oxford and why was not he back up North or visiting his want to be death eater friends. Then to add insult to injury James butted into the conversation, he started to insult him and verbally bully him in front of the two men he had to work with during the summer holiday. It was when James recounted the few supposedly funny incidents that had happened during the last term and how hilarious it had been that he saw how angry inspector Morse had become. Severus ducked his head trying not to cry in front of his enemies, Sirius saw Severus nearly in tears and made a joke of it in front of everybody. The whole of the pub garden had stopped to see the exchanged between the teenagers and waited with bated breath the response of the Morse who regularly frequented the pub.
Morse clearly angry now stood up and Severus waited for him to verbally attack him like his school professors did, Morse picked up his suit’s jacket and took out a wallet from the inside jacket pocket with a flourish he opened the wallet and responded to Lilly and her friends with “I AM CHIEF INSPECTOR DETECTIVE MORSE AND THIS IS MY ASSOCIATE DETECTIVE LEWIS! Now we were enjoying a nice lunch here with Severus and the rest of these pub customers before YOU RUDELY INTERUPPTED US AND CAUSE A DISTURBANCE OF THE PEACE! And if you do NOT get out of my sight with in 10 seconds then YOU WILL BE ARRESTED AND CHARGED and the consequences of that will impact your future negatively, especially as the normal sentence for the offence is imprisonment for at least six months if not longer”
Sirius laughed and stated that no muggle auror arrest or conviction could affect him or his friends as they were governed by ‘magical law’ and not muggle law, Morse looked at him and grinned when he stated that contrary to Sirius very outdated beliefs, muggle law always overruled magical law and their aurors. And that any convictions or arrests in the muggle world that he made against him and his group of friends would NEGATIVELY impact them, as he would ensure that the ‘prophet’ newspaper and its magical rivals would be given details of their arrest and sentences and would ensure it became front page news. With this Lilly started to pull her group of friends away from the confrontation, suddenly realising that this police Inspector had unfairly take the side of the looser want to be death eater Snape. When the group of friends had left Severus and the detectives alone, the three of them continued their lunch but the joy of having his first meal out with adults that weren’t family or friends had been ruined for Severus.
Severus sat at the table, just wondering why he could not be allowed to enjoy even day to day normal occasions with out the marauders and now his ex-best friend ruining it for him! Meanwhile Morse was contemplating what had just occurred in front of him. If Severus was obviously used to being bullied in front of adults and expected no assistance in stopping the abuse what else had happened at Severus fancy private school. Morse would just be popping in to see the Deputy Chief Snape to discuss what he and Lewis had just witnessed.
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It was after lunch, when Morse made his way to Snape's Office to discuss what he and Lewis and the rest of the pub occupants had just witnessed. Lewis had discreetly taken Severus back to his office, to show him the new-fangled computer they had just put in the office. Hopefully, Lewis could keep the lad busy while he had a little chat with Snape. Snape's sectary nodded when he requested the meeting and soon returned from Snape's office and explained that the Deputy Commissioner had been waiting for Morse’s visit. Curiouser and curiouser thought Morse, perhaps hopefully Snape was not as oblivious as he had first thought to Severus plight at his school.
Morse entered the office to see Snape standing up looking out of the window, with a muted Northern accent the man turned round and asked “So hopefully Severus hasn’t caused you trouble this early in the week?”
“No sir! In fact the lad is pleasant and polite enough, and perhaps by the end of his placement with my team he might actually want TO become one of us” Morse countered Snape, the Commissioner turned and smiling continued “Everybody has told me how intelligent and unorthodox you can be, and I knew you were just the person to find out what the hell has been happening to Severus at that bloody school he attended”
“Sir?” queried Morse to Snape and saw for the first time how worried and upset the man looked, Snape sighed and pulled out from a desk drawer Severus letter from Hogwarts Headmaster. Morse read the letter and raised his eyebrow and continued “This does not seem to be the lad I have in my office now. Oh, do not get me wrong sir, Severus wants to be here as much I wanted him to be in my office. But that I imagine would be any teenager’s reaction to being informed they were to do ‘work experience’ at their fathers’ workplace. It must seem to Severus that you are punishing him for this letter” Morse continued
“Yes, you are right! As far as Severus is concerned, he is being punished for this letter and the reports from his professors it contains. I have had to do something, I have tried talking to him, questioning him and he just sits in front of me in silence! Really Morse I have seen hardened criminals crack under interrogation I gave Severus last Friday, but he just sat there saying nothing in his defence! So, I just came up with this adhoc plan! It is the only way I can see of finding out what is happening or happened to Severus at the cess pit of a school. You do not realise why I transferred from Manchester police force to here, it was not for the promotion, but that was a positive bonus. I Severus and me to have a new start after my beloved wife Eileen died last Christmas, numerus times I tried to intercede and stop Severus attending Hogwarts. But Eileen and Severus always managed to blind side me into allowing Severus to continue to go to Hogwarts. Being a wizard, he needed to be taught how to harness his magical ability! No matter how many times I argued that Mr Kumur and Eileen could teach Severus all he needed to know, and that he could attend a good mundane school. In fact, we could have sent to Harrow or Eaton with how much it cost to send Severus to Hogwarts but according to Eileen that was not enough and Severus needed to go to Hogwarts to mix with other magical children and his peers”
“Well I and Lewis have seen the interaction between Severus and his peers this lunchtime! And to be fair it would have been kinder to have sent him to a failing muggle school! Believe me his peers have no manners and feel they can verbally abuse him in public, it was when I interceded on Severus part they dispersed” Morse replied with a smirk in his voice
The deputy commissioner looked at Morse and questioned “What did you actually do Morse?”
Morse coughed and stated “I might have suggested that if the hooligans didn’t leave I would arrest them for breach of the peace, and they misunderstood me and thought that they would be holidaying at the expense of her majesty and being convicted and imprisoned would have a very negative impact on their lives and careers here in the normal world or magical world” suddenly Snape laughed at the thought of the group of bullies harassing his son being blindsided by one of his detectives. Snape shook his head and then continued “Morse, what I really want is for you to find out what HAS happened to Severus. And the staff at that school better hope it is not what I think has happened, because I will MAKE all their lives hell and get that school closed down before I am finished with them and the sainted Headmaster Dumbledore” Morse looked at the worried father before him, and was just about to agree to try to find out what Severus had suffered at the school, when the Deputy Commissioner secretary knocked at the office door and when admitted, told Morse he was needed in his office as a body had been found by the Oxford canal at Banbury.
It was with a sigh that that Morse ended the conversation with the deputy commissioner and went to his office, where Lewis his subordinate and Severus was waiting for him, so they could go and see the dead body in Banbury.
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Many miles away in Scotland, the most important and influential person in British magical society was quietly congratulating himself.
He had ensured that the half blood Snape boy would be justly cowered when he returned form the summer holiday. Albus Dumbledore smiled to himself when he thought of the threats of expulsion, he could hold over the boy’s head. He knew it was cruel, but he needed a tame ‘death eater’ in Voldemort’s ranks, to spy for him and he had set up Severus as the perfect candidate. Albus knew that he would welcome Severus back into the light side fold when the time was right and become the for the boy the father figure that he did not have now.
But that was a long-term goal, more immediate was his order of the phoenix elimination of Dark families squibs or muggle relations. His God son James Potter and best friend Sirius Black had been introduced to his group of hit wizards. They were now tagging along the Weasley couple to be taught how to eliminate their opposition targets. In fact, according to the report from Molly Weasley they had managed to eliminate two targets in Oxford, and Sirius and James had proved themselves by gladly personally eliminating a squib from the Crabbe family and apparent professor of the muggle Oxford University. Albus Dumbledore just knew that nothing could stand in his way, he was and would always be the most important person in the British and Western magical world’s.