395Harry Potter sat back down at the Hufflepuff table in the Great Hall for the Halloween Feast, having just returned from Godric's Hallow. He and his friends, not just those in Hufflepuff, had managed to get seats near the head table. There were his dorm mates, of course, but there was also Hermione Granger with her every present book with it's knitted blue and bronze bookmarks sticking out of several places. She'd been dragged over to the table by Blaise Zabini a few minutes ago. Harry looked at Blaise.
"I told her she could read until the Headmaster opened the feast," Blaise said. "She thought she had plenty of time to finish the boook."
Harry took one look at the thick book that Hermione was reading, just as she marked another page about two fifths of the way through with her seemingly endless supply of knit bookmarks. "Not happening," Harry said. "Hey Dean, paper and pastels? Are we going to have to take those away from you along with Hermione's book later?"
"There is no way I'm going to spend my first Hogwarts Halloween feast sketching," Dean said. "I just have to make sure the votive sketches I made are flat and organized and that's going to only take a couple minutes more. I hate the binding on this sketch book. It does hold the sheets well enough. Hey Hannah, did you find Susan?"
"Yeah, she'll be here in a moment," Hannah said as she sat down beside her fellow Gryffindor. "She kind of lost it after she put the votive candles for her parents and uncle down a bit ago. Faye's with her. She brought a new skirt for her, and Seamus Finnigan you will not mention how that happened or anything that happened after it."
"You heard her," Dean said. "She will post that picture again if you do."
"What picture," Harry had to ask.
"Just an embarrassing one that no one should see," Seamus said. "Don't tell them about it, Dean"
"Now he has to," Draco said sitting down. "I don't know what you did to my godfather, Harry, but I have never seen the Professor smile like he is right now, and that scarf ... where did he get that scarf?"
Harry looked over to discover that Professor Snape had entered. He was still wearing his sister Lily's green and gold scarf. "Lily and I may have somehow removed his Dark Mark ... I think it was more Lily and his regret. She's apparently been getting letters for the last three years that were addressed to our mum, without telling me, in fact I didn't even know she was my sister at that point, since magically she's Lily Potter not Dursley. Professor Snape has been writing letters to Mum and thinking they went no where. Anyway, his voice was a bit horse after everything, and that's Lily's scarf."
"You removed a Dark Mark," Hermione said, looking up from her book. "That's supposed to be impossible."
"Hermione, Hermione, Hermione," Ron said from his seat next to her, placing his left arm around her. "How many times have we told you, magic doesn't believe in the impossible." With his right, he slid an orange bookmark into her book and shut it.
"There are Rules For Magic," Hermione replied turning to face Ron but not removing his arm. You could hear the capital letters in her voice. "Some things can't be done with magic."
"Well, really?" Ron said, jolly. "Like surviving being hit a particular death curse? You know the one."
"Oh, no, not here, not another argument about logic and magic," Harry said. This was not the first time, and Harry was sure it wouldn't be the last time, the two had started a similar argument. "This is a feast, will feast, not get involved in that again. I am eternally grateful that the Sorting Hat didn't put you two in the same house."
"Oh they'll end up in the same house, some day," Faye said, Susan arriving behind her. "I mean, just look at them. They can't resist each other. Fated mates, I say."
"We are not!" Ron and Hermione said in unison.
"Harry," Draco said softly, having moved around from where he'd initially sat down. "Do you think, you know, my..." He trailed off, as if all the courage he had had disappeared in bringing up his father and his dark mark.
"I don't know, Draco. I'm not sure how. Maybe."
Severus Snape took a look around his parlor in his Hogwarts quarters. It was Saturday, the second of November, the first Saturday in November, which meant it was time for his meeting with the Lord Black about the Black Scholarships. It was a regular meeting, he'd last met Lord Arcturus the day before he died to discuss the progress of the academic scholarships. The generally occurred the Saturdays after the mid point of a term or end of term. It was something that he'd learned to enjoy as Head of Slytherin.
He'd always had the meeting in the parlor. Professor Slughorn had told him was the best place to do it. It needed to be a comfortable discussion. Severus was not sure how comfortable this discussion was going to be as he charmed the black pillows on his leather couch to yellow. Draco had suggested it when his godson had come to talk. The boy was really worried about his father, whose death mark burning had recently turned septic, sending Lucius back to Saint Mungos. The boy had so much hope when he'd seen the clear skin where Severus's mark had been.
Severus returned some long hidden childhood photos to the end tables. He smiled as he looked at the picture of him and Lily on the tire swing in her back yard, laughing as Petunia poured a bucket of water on them from above. He'd have to visit Petunia. There was some good times that had been long forgotten in his regrets that deserved to be talked about in their childhood.
He'd been apprehensive about this meeting since he'd heard that Sirius Black had been cleared and was now installed as Lord Black. When they'd met on Halloween at Godric's Hallow there had been a great tension between them, only held back by the presence of the Potter children. Black had admitted then that he was under the care of a mind healer at the moment, and would be for quite some time. Severus had held back his cutting response, doing his best to keep his attention on Harry Potter and his sister Lily.
He hadn't had much time with Lily yet, but already Severus had decided that the little girl was much like her mother and namesake. When she's smiled at him after his dark mark had been removed, it reminded him so much of Lily. He had a bit of regrets later that night when it finally sunk in that the nine-year-old has received his drunken rumblings of regret letters for the last three years.
Severus bent down and adjusted the bouquet of resurrection lilies. He'd asked the house elves for some lilies, but had not expected that they'd put the red flower there. Right before he'd departed for Hogwarts, he'd reminded Black in his best professor don't forget about your assignments voice about today's meeting advising that he better be well prepared, and on time.
The chimes rang for top of the hour, mixing with the music of his door chimes that informed him of Black had arrived. Severus stood and strode to the door, his black professional robes, immaculate. It it may have been Sirius Black that he was greeting, and there were most certainly things between the two would not just wash away, but he was a professor of Hogwarts, these were his students, and he was going to do his best for his students, even if Black was stuck in the same childish way he'd been back when they'd been school boy rivals.
Severus opened the door to discover Sirius Black dressed not in the leather jacket that he'd worn on Halloween. That jacket was not fitting for the Black Lord. He was wearing Arcturus's robes. "I know they don't fit," Black said. "That damned house elf my mother left behind insisted and hid everything else. It was this or naked, and I don't think anyone would find me arriving at Hogwarts naked appropriate."
Severus suppressed a smile as he replied dryly, "No it would certainly not be appropriate, Mister Black." He stepped back to allow Black to enter. "You are no longer a toddler, nor is this your house."
"You have really got that professional reply down, Snape," Black replied. "Lily always said you were going to become one, but I never could see it. Harry says good things about your teaching though, and it's been a long time, so I'm trying to follow my mind healer's advice to take everything as if it's a fresh experience, to see it in new eyes. It's a work in progress, though. I've only been out for four weeks, after all."
"I see," Severus said, gesturing to the sofa. "Your grandfather and I usually handled this over a glass of black Irish whiskey."
"I'm not allowed whiskey at the moment," Black said, glancing around the room. "You've got a better parlor than Grimauld Place."
"Well, it is a grim old place," Severus said. "I took these quarters the year I overlapped with Professor Slughorn. They were originally guest quarters. I never moved to his because these are actually closer to the Slytherin Common Room. Take a seat."
Sirius took a seat at one end, adjusting the pillow behind him. "I took a look at what my grandfather had written down about the current scholars. He had some high hopes for them, though personally a couple worry me. I see that eleven of the thirteen slots are filled currently"
"I have to share your concern. There is a distinct lack of understanding of the privilege of having a Black Scholarship to Hogwarts. I was one from my third year on."
"I didn't know. Which slot?"
The slots in the scholarships were all named after stars, and since most Blacks were named after stars it wasn't surprising that there was overlap between scholarships and members. Severus had been cursing his scholarship slot name since he got it. "Sirius."
"No, what slot did you have. I really want to know," Black said. Severus just stayed silent. "Oh. That had to have been ... it really is a good thing that grandfather never shared the scholars names with Regulas and me. There is no way either of us would have let that go." Severus just raised a eyebrow in response. "Anyway, I think I want to start with what had been my Grandfather's personal choice, in the slot that shared his name. I really don't know why he chose Marcus Flint."
"I think it was more for the boy's Quidditch talent than anything else," Severus said. "And I'm beginning to regret appointing him as captain of Slytherin's team. I used to see so much joy in that boy. Do you remember Edwin Marks? The Hufflepuff Seeker in our fourth and fifth year?"
"Oh yes. Always smiling as he chased down that snitch," Black smiled. "Remember when someone set loose all those snitches in the grand staircase and he volunteered to collect them?"
"Yes. Well Flint was like Marks until this year," Severus said as tea suddenly appeared on the coffee table. "Tea?" he asked as he picked up his own cup.
"Probably for the best," Sirius said, picking up his own cup. "Just the right amount of sugar."
"The house elves remember," Severus said. "You might actually be able to get through with him, his Quidditch obsession. He has developed a bit of 'you don't understand the importance of Quidditch" and since I never played."
"Unless you count that pickup game with you and Lily as beaters in our third year," Sirius said. "I really should have complimented you on your bludger hits on James. Couldn't at the time, for well reasons, but you two and especially you totally wrecked James and there was nothing I could do about it with the way you managed to control both bludgers. I think I can talk to Flint."
Severus nodded. "Now, Regula Eddincot, the Canopus Scholar. A rare case of one who has had scholarship since first year, not certain why. I was just told after her sorting that she had the scholarship. Very good academics, especially transfiguration. Could use some help in herblogy. Has tried to get on the Quidditch team the last few years. I'm probably going to put her as a prefect next year."
"I'm going to need to meet with her, but not for scholarship reasons," Sirius said. "Scholarship wise, I don't think I need to worry about her, but at this point of her education I want to make sure she's on track for her personal goals as a Black."
"I'm not sure why you'd need to meet with her outside of scholarship reasons," Severus said, puzzled, and not exactly he could allow it, though Regula was a very rare muggleborn in Slytherin, and the scholarship made Black her magical guardian.
"Did you notice her home address," Sirius asked.
"Number Eight Grimauld Place ... oh," Severus said putting things together. "Yours or Regulus?"
"Regulus," Sirius said. "I didn't know until I read Grandfather's scholarship notes. Apparently Reggie didn't think wizards could get muggle girls pregnant, though her mother is actually a squib from one of the Tatting Sisters. Yes those sisters. There is limits to what even Blacks will do for purebloods. That being said, it's better that some scandals stay in the past."
"In that I have to agree," Severus said. "Any idea how she ended up on Grimauld Place?"
"The Malkins took her in after she was thrown out at age ten, they own seven and eight," Sirius said. "I need to talk to her as my niece, preferably before Yule."
"I'll see about arranging it, Gretel Goyle, Vega Scholar," Severus said. "Middle of the road, does her best. I'm actually surprised she got five OWLs. She won't get more than two NEWTs."
"Grandfather agreed about that," Sirius said. "I know the Goyles, met Gretel when she was five, I think. Nice girl, and she'll do her best. I think she's got a betrothal contract but I don't know with who."
"Edelweiss Smith, twice her age, and she's pretty much resigned to it," Severus said. "I wish I could do more about it, but she's getting married over Yule and will probably return pregnant."
"That's one good thing about the scholarship, we keep them in school," Sirius said. "Her father is the fourth Gregory?" Severus nodded. "I'll try something. Amelda Rowle, Procyon scholar, sixth year, widow?"
"Her father matched her up with old Cantankerous Nott, who insisted on a wedding, his ninth, before her OWL year," Severus replied. "He died on the wedding night, and Arcturus gave her a scholarship last year."
Severus watched as Sirius paged through the papers he had. "And apparently a cottage for life, with a house elf for her and Nott's baby, which the Nott family is not acknowledging. Twelve OWLs!"
"Genius in both charms and potions," Severus said. "Overly quiet, but is dating Robert Tate, a prefect in Hufflepuff. Baby Amanda is just starting to crawl around the Common Room."
"I can see why my father called the program the save the witches from the wizards scholarships," Sirius said.
"A bit," Severus said. "I've always tired to have a couple scholarships open for those cases during the year. Minerva has been making things a bit better for girls caught like Smith and Rowle. It's only been a couple years since the girls have been allowed to bring their babies into the common rooms to study and socialize. The Governors used to push for the witches like them to be housed separately and sometimes expelled after they got pregnant. Minerva and Dowager Longbottom have had quite a bit of success over the last few years. I think it's actually worked to reduce the in Hogwarts pregnancies. There is nothing like a crying baby to keep young wizards in their pants."
"Agreed. I'm not seeing any issue with Jacob Moore, the Rigel Scholar, save some notes about lack of enthusiasm about transfiguration," Severus nodded at Sirius's statement. "Horace Green, the Betelgeuse Scholar, charms help. Doris Castel, the Archernar Scholar, I see a note about finances outside of the scholarship."
"Actually, since I wrote that note to your grandfather, that family has gotten quite a bit worse off," Severus said. "I'm actually renting at a very low rate my house in Cokeworth to Doris's mother and siblings after that dunderhead Faust blew up his father's potion's business. Cassandra, she was a Burke then, was the Procyon Scholar when we were at Hogwarts. I'd say that she was the third best in potions at the time, and I expect her to get on her feet quickly again, but it happened at just the wrong time."
"Rival for you and Lily, or just the next best?" Sirius asked.
"Rival. I'd trust her with any potion you want made," Severus noted as he paged pass the ones that Sirius has passed by quickly, not unexpectedly. His grandfather would do the same, but usually not the same ones each time. "Nicholas Green, the Capella Scholar, third year, I am trying to find that boy someone to bring him out of his shell. If you have any ideas, please."
"Unfortunately not. Krystal Kirk, Altair Scholar, fifth year, is she the one who got caught ..." Sirius began.
"Having transfigured certain male only parts of the castle's walls into clear crystal, yes," Severus said. "You talked with Fred and George Weasley?"
"Had to. They had some old marauder tools in their possession," Sirius said. "They may still have some, but I got back some particular ones that they'd obtained from the Marauder file with Flitch. I do hope you didn't go too bad with Miss Kirk."
"Miss Kirk was handled appropriately, given that it was an appropriate proportional response to previous actions," Severus said with a smile. He'd quite admired the charm work, not just for the successful implementation of some rather difficult charms against a resistive structure. Normally it would be some fifth year boy who tried what she had, and not as vengeance, for peepholes in theirs.
"Now those are words I would have never heard from you when we were in class together," Sirius said. "I have four open scholarships. Any candidates to review."
"Unfortunately, the scholarships were seen as basically dead with the existing ones administered until you were freed," Severus said. "I'm afraid I didn't think about the effect on new scholarships your release would have until Halloween when I encountered you. I regret that I am currently unprepared to recommend any Slytherins for scholars at this time."
"Or those related to the Black family in other houses," Sirius added. "I was reminded of that this morning when I brought Andromeda Tonks nee Black and her daughter back into the family. She was apparently the last Sirius Scholar. She asked me to pass along her thanks for the extra tutoring in Potions after she completed her NEWTs for her Auror entrance exam."
"I am not sure that I will class Miss Tonks as a serious scholar, however I do admit that she does not fall among the dunderheads I usually teach," Severus said.
"If you can find at least a couple possible new scholars by the end of November, I'd like to have them in place by the Yule luncheon that I intend to revive for the scholars," Sirius replied. "If you don't mind, I'd like to visit a few of the scholars. Don't worry about me finding where they currently are. I have my ways."
"You always did," Severus said, standing. Sirius stood as well.
"Oh, young Lily gave me this," Sirius said, pulling an envelope out and handing it to him. "She said letters like yours were the type she felt she needed to respond to, even though they were directed at her mother."
Severus took the letter then escorted Sirius out of his quarters, having no idea when he'd have the courage to open and read it.
Ernie Macmillan was from a long line of Hufflepuffs. In fact some accused his family of being Hufflepuff. There was no actual connection, though. The MacMillan family tree was completely documented for the last twelve hundred years, and they were fairly certain that none of the families that had married in to the family were from the line of Helga Hufflepuff. He had expected to be the Hufflepuff in his year, much like his alcove mate Draco had expected to be the Slytherin in his year.
That was before sorting went in unexpected ways, and Ernie discovered just how much Harry, the youngest in the dorm, slid into the big brother Hufflepuff role. That didn't mean that Ernie didn't get to be a Hufflepuff, just that Harry was better at it due to long experience with a big family. Ernie was an only child, though not for lack of trying on his parents part. His particular year had a lot of only children, but Ernie did have three younger cousins who lived the same cottage in the highlands, since his two uncles died in that Denmark place.
So Ernie wasn't totally out of everything when he entered the alcove that he shared with Draco. The two's beds were physically the same, pillows, thick comforter, with the bed fit sideways into the nitch in the wall, but that's where it ended. Ernie's was pure Hufflepuff, black and yellow patterned. Draco's on the other-hand was befitting where he had hoped to be sorted with silver and green bedding, one pillow being green and the other green, silver, and brown striped, obviously not from Hogwarts.
When Ernie slipped through the grated gate of the alcove, he heard the slight sounds of sniffles from Draco's bed. He was curled up with that odd pillow facing the wall. Ernie knew that Draco had gotten a letter from his mother that morning and Draco had missed two classes as well as lunch. As he approached Draco's bed he noticed that the green silk pillow had tear stains on it. Draco's usually perfectly coiffed hair was a mess.
"Draco, you missed lunch so I brought you something," Ernie said softly.
"Not hungry," Draco said even as his stomach sounded otherwise.
"Okay," Ernie said. "I'll put it on top of your trunk." He matched action to words, before turning back to Draco. "Bad news?"
"The worst," Draco said, still facing the wall, but no longer hugging his pillow so tightly. There was near silence in the room, the only sound coming from Ernie's breaths and Draco's soft sobs. Ernie closed the grate, shutting off the sound from the rest of their dorm mates. Ernie sat down on the foot of Draco's bed and waited. "Mum says Father's going to die."
Draco shifted so he was no longer curled up with his pillow but sitting up against the corner formed by the head of his bed and the wall, the draped canopy in green silk pushed against the wall. It was obvious that he's been crying for quite some time. Ernie didn't move from his place at the foot of the bed, but did pull Draco's trunk so it was beside the bed now, the plate of sandwitches that he'd obtained along with the bottle of butter beer that the Gabbies had pressed into his hands after he'd offered to see how Draco was doing now within Draco's reach.
"I thought he was finally getting better until a couple days ago," Draco said. "I thought the burns were finally healing. But ... But ... he wanted revenge. Mum tried to stop him, convince him not to, but he obsessed over it." His breath got a shorter. "He tried to figure out where Harry's family. He heard they were in the Auror pen, and got burned again when they left. He went to the Black trial, and sat behind the Dursleys, unable to move and having it burn again. And ... And ... " Draco trailed off.
Ernie moved closer to Draco, and took his hand. "It's okay, Draco. Is saying it helping?"
"A little," Draco said, squaring his shoulders. He took a cloth from his robe and blew his nose. "Father found Augustus Rookwood, the unspeakable death eater. He'd apparently found the street where the Dursleys live. No one seems to know what he planned, all Mum knows is that Father was found, his body burning by a old witch and a young girl on the street."
"The witch brought Father to Saint Mungo's, but he's dying, and mum says that the healers don't think he'll recover."
Suddenly Ernie found Draco in his arms. "I don't want my Dad to die!" He held his alcove mate close, letting Draco draw strength from the touch.
He didn't know how much time passed, but they almost missed Potions. They arrived late, sliding into the desk they shared, ten minutes late. Ernie thought it was strange that Professor Snape did not take points, in fact he didn't even say anything. He just put a single hand on Draco's shoulder. Draco looked up, smiled slightly. Then Professor Snape returned to his lecture.
Somehow the afternoon of Guy Fawkes Sirius Black found himself running down toward Privet Drive in his Padfoot form. It was a Tuesday, and he'd promised to visit to talk to Lily about her biological father, like he had with Harry at Hogwarts. He had chosen to take an old public floo to the neighborhood, rather than any other method, as his recovery from Azkaban had made that the best method of travel for him. The floo was at the former Little Ravel Halt, a no longer in service station on the Whinging Line, and Sirius had decided to run as a dog through the Laughing Manor Estate on the public path, taking a turn off it to head down and around the pond that the children of Privet Drive used.
No one was swimming in it. Not in November, but sitting on a log next to was Primrose Dursley. The four, almost five-year-old, girl had removed her shoes and was dangling her feet into the water. She seemed to be staring out at nothing in particular. Her natural blond hair had changed to match her older sister/cousin Lily's, something that Petunia said was an accidental magic that Primrose has come to control. Primrose was trying to convince Lily to let her keep her hair red.
As Sirius got closer, he could tell that the girl had been crying, and hadn't been sleeping. He slid up to her and under her right arm, suspecting that the girl needed some quiet comfort and that his grim form might just do it. Her arm pulled him closer, almost into her lap, but his form too big to fit. Primrose began petting him, her hands running though his fur, and her head found a place against him.
Gradually the girl relaxed. Her posture moving from a stiff straight gazing into the distance to a loose, even limp hug of Padfoot. Sirius let her relax, to fall asleep against him. He let her sleep for a good five minutes against him, before regretfully transforming back to human and picking her up. He summoned her shoes and socks wandlessly, before heading to Privet Drive.
Sirius had barely stepped onto the pavement when Lily spotted him and ran up. She looked like she was going to shout, then stopped herself and came closer before whispering barely loud enough for Sirius to hear over the soft noises of the cul-de-sac after everyone had gotten home from school. "Is she asleep? Mum sent me looking for her when she realized that she hadn't seen her for a while."
"Yes," Sirius said softly. "I found her sitting next to the pond. She fell asleep petting me as Padfoot."
Lily nodded. "She hasn't been able to get to sleep since she found that Death Eater Malfoy nearly burned to death in front of the Matthew's house on the corner. Mrs. Gallegher found her standing from his still burning body." Lily's voice was soft and quiet, a tone that he'd heard her namesake use when she discussed losses to You-Know-Who. "I don't blame her. I've had a few nightmares about that Professor in the Leaky Cauldron, myself. Seeing a burning man trying to say something to you and the flame goes higher when you get closer." Lily shuddered at the statement.
Sirius shifted Primrose in his arm slightly, just as they reached Number Four. He was glad that the construction workers had left for the day. The Dursley's were raising the roof on their garage in order to fit a couple more rooms for their large family, and hoped to be done by February. According to Petunia if it went well there were others on the street who planned on doing the same thing. It wasn't anything like putting a new room in would have been done at where he'd grown up, being quite loud and taking way too long, which was why he was glad they'd left for the day already when he carried Primrose into the house.
"You found her," Petunia said waddling towards the door. Petunia was nearly six months pregnant, due on Valentine's Day, and was already quite rotund from it, not that Sirius would say that to the woman. He had learned better when Lily was pregnant with Harry. Her voice dropped. "And she's finally sleeping. Can you take her up to her room? The door says Iris and Primrose."
"No problem," Sirius replied with a whisper. He carefully carried the little girl up the stairs, Lily following them. Lily passed them when he reached the top of the stairs, and had the door open and bed covers turned down by the time Sirius reached them. Sirius put her on the bed, and turned away as Lily pulled Primrose's jeans off and put the covers over her. He spotted a large stuffed bear on the dresser, and picked it up. He slid it into Primrose's arms. The girl pulled it close and buried her face against it's head.
"I have to help Violet with her homework," Lily whispered. "Will you stay with Primrose for a while."
Sirius nodded and sat down on the other bed, pulling out some information on some scholarship candidates to read as Lily quietly left the room. He stayed there for a half an hour before Primrose stirred and opened her eyes.
"Where — there was a dog — how did I get," she mumbled. Sirius put down the paperwork and turned back into Padfoot, moving up next to Primrose's bed. "Oh, so that's Padfoot."
Sirius changed back. "You weren't here when I showed my form a couple days ago?" Sirius asked.
"Maybe. I think I was at Gwen's," Primrose said, tilting her head and frowning. "Yeah, that was before the time I found ..." Primrose looked like she was going to cry again, before taking a deep breath.
"Need to hug Padfoot again?" Sirius asked. "My grim form is at your service."
"Don't think so," Primrose said. "But can I ride you like Noel says he did?"
"Let's go out in your back garden and we'll have some fun running around until you're called in to eat," Sirius said. He watched the little girl's face brighten into a smile.
"Okay," Primrose said, now smiling widely. "But we can't run in the house. Mum says it isn't safe."
Sirius resolved that he was going to make sure that Primrose keep that smile as much as possible.