Path to Victory – A Severus Snape Story (Worm/HP)

[Sir Rabby]

Path to Victory – A Severus Snape Story

AN: The premise is simple. Snape snapped after the werewolf incident and triggered with path to victory, aka Contessa's game breaking shard. It's not very serious but I don't think I'll let this turn to crack. Either way; I'll keep at this until I'm bored or Snape becomes God-King of the Universe. Whichever happens first. =)

Really; don't take this too seriously.

Chapter 1.01

Everyone daydreams on occasion. Errant thoughts flicker through your mind conjuring up pleasant fantasies and magnificent dreams of the future. For most people this is just a way to escape the drudgery of their mundane lives.

For me it's not.

I can't explain the how, or why of it, but something happened to me. Something miraculous that made my daydreams more potent. I only have to think of a query and the answer presents itself in my mind's eye.

Well, not exactly. The steps to make those daydreams a reality pop up in the back of my mind. The first time it happened I followed the steps out of a sense of fatalism. I can honestly say that moment was the worst in my admittedly terrible life. I didn't think I had anything to lose.

It appeared I had everything to gain.

I had found myself in the Headmaster of Hogwarts' office. The imposing geriatric wizard looked down upon me with his usual benign contempt as he attempted to explain to me why my suffering was meaningless. As if I cared about his concern for the beast that nearly mauled me. I could have taken it, the man's contempt for Slytherins wasn't anything new to me. What I couldn't take was his flowery praise for Potter's self serving heroics.

Something snapped within me. Right then and there I felt woozy and suddenly I was staring at the vastness of two great wyrms doing battle with each other. Or perhaps they were merely entangling and intertwining with a purpose I couldn't grasp. Either way it was grand and in that moment I knew something life altering had occurred even it didn't know what exactly.

"Are you alright, my boy?"

The old man's words shook me from my reverie. I looked straight at his deep blue eyes and all I could think of was a singular question. Why? Why couldn't he see the evil in these bloody 'marauders'? It wasn't until the maelstrom in my mind settled and the question came to forefront.

How can I make him see their depravity?

Immediately a crystal clear picture burned itself into my mind. Instructions of a handful of steps whispered into my ears from a source I couldn't perceive. The voice wanted me to say something. One particular line and I couldn't find a single reason within me to deny it.

I looked right at the man and bit out, "On average, sir, how often do you think your students end up in Madam Pomfrey's ward?"

I saw the confusion on the Headmaster's face mirrored in the expressions of Black and Potter. The silence stretched out for a few seconds before the old man finally answered.

"I couldn't rightly say, Mr. Snape."

Oh, so I was Mr. Snape now?

The next step called for me to stand up, grab the edges of the massive oaken desk, and say my next sentence.

"Would you venture a guess, sir? Would you think it was higher or lower than a hundred and two times?"

The greybeard frowned momentarily before replying, "I would certainly hope it's much lower than that, Mr. Snape."

I flashed my sightly yellow toothed grin at the man and bit out, "It's fourteen. Tell me, sir. What depravity haunts your castle that would allow a student to get hurt badly enough to warrant a hundred and two separate stays under Madam Pomfrey's care?"

Black said something but I couldn't make it out over the sound of my frantic heartbeats. Perhaps the voice was insulating me from his vapid nonsense so I could focus on my real target. The only man with real power in the so called hallowed halls.

The voice next called for me to interrupt the Headmaster in the middle of his reply.

"I can say young Mr. Snape that-."

I was instructed to lean forward over the desk and say, "What makes you think I fear an expulsion?"

The old man frowned again but I battered onward, "Especially considering my very first act afterward would be paying a visit to the Daily Prophet. My friend, I'm sure you remember him, the Malfoy heir through his father has the ear of their editor. I wonder what they'd have to say about your utter incompetence."

If I was in control of myself I would have been mortified. Dumbledore was far from incompetent, I didn't know why the voice made me say that but then again...I had nothing to lose. Lily didn't want anything to with me anymore and my only friends wouldn't lift a finger to help me if it came down to it.

I might as well see this through to the end.

Potter started to open his mouth, presumable to spew out his verbal diarrhea, but Dumbledore waved him down.

"I know you must under a great amount of stress but I must-."

Another interruption.

"One hundred and two visits to the hospital wing and not a single disciplinary act from you. This doesn't even account for your heinous gall in trying to blackmail said injured student, a student who you were entrusted to keep safe, into keeping your secrets. Tell me, sir, did you even have permission from the Board of Governors to allow a monster sanctuary in Hogwarts?"

The Headmaster's frown turned slightly harsher, "What exactly are you implying here, Mr. Snape?"

"Interesting response, sir. Is blackmail suddenly not an acceptable recourse? I assure you, sir. I've taken your wise lessons quite to heart."

Wonder over wonder both Black and Potter stared the Headmaster down. Obviously they weren't on my side but they couldn't help but wonder where this would go. The voice instructed me to remain as still as possible and wait for precisely forty seven seconds.

I could feel sweat drops work their way from my forehead to my eyebrows downward to my slightly hooked nose. Nothing else happened. The Headmaster sat still as a statue for a time before he finally spoke up again.

"Then what do you suggest, Mr. Snape?"

The voice told me to sit back down in my chair, look down to my lap, and summon a few tears. It wasn't difficult, I had plenty to be sad about, and within just a few seconds I was finished with the task.

I looked back up at the man and said, "I'm done, sir. Completely and utterly done. You will keep these two and their hangers on away from me." I fell silent for a heart beat or two and continued on, "If they point their wands at me, for whatever reason, I will kill them."

I almost couldn't keep the shock out of my face and the Headmaster grew angry but the voice spurred me on.

"I have nothing left to lose. If throwing myself on the non-existent mercy of the Ministry is what it takes to stop this farce I will do it. I can take a lot of suffering, more than you could possibly conceive off from your perch of unassailable power, but not from them. Never again from them!"

I deliberately didn't look at the two miscreants and kept my furious gaze at the old man. My tears still flowed freely and for the first time I could see the man's expression growing softer. The silence dragged on but eventually he broke it.

The old wizard seemed to deflate in front of my eyes when he finally sighed and said, "I see I have been greatly remiss, my dear boy. As much as it pains me to admit I see now that this wasn't merely a case of schoolboy mischief."

Oh, gods.

It's working.

It's really really working.

The voice counseled silence and I followed it eagerly.

"I will speak at length with these young Gryffindors, and you have my word my dear boy, that they will not cause you any more strife."

I nearly screamed my delight out into the world and only the voice's insistence at silence kept me quiet.

"While I can't and will not retroactively punish them, I will see to their future good conduct."

The man's eyes narrowed when he focused solely on my own and I could feel his gaze burning into my mind. For the briefest moment I could understand why the Dark Lord feared this man. The palpable aura of indomitable willpower hung cloaked all around him.

"Of course, this will also apply to you. I will not have you causing trouble yourself. Do you understand?"

I nodded so fast and hard my head almost fell off.

"Very well. You are free to go, Mr. Snape."

The path lit up brightly with it's last instruction for this altercation.

It ordered me to whisper softly, "Thank you, sir."

I saw the old man nod and made my way out of the office. Just when I reached the door the Headmaster's voice came a last time.

"I expect you in here next Sunday morning at nine sharp, Mr. Snape."

I was confused about what he could possibly want from me when he continued, "Ostensibly for a detention. I trust you can keep to that ruse?"

Once again I nodded my assent and headed out of the office.

It worked!

It actually worked!

What else could this voice do for me?

I searched inward for the voice and asked it a question.

'How do I make Lily my friend again?"

 

[Sir Rabby]

Chapter 1.02

I lay down on my bed in the Slytherin fifth year dorms daydreaming. I had asked the voice question after question and a knot settled in my stomach. When I found out I could ask the voice multiple questions that could be encompassed into a single path I tore into it with a single minded focus.

I threw any manner of commands and queries at it to see what stuck and it led me some painful conclusions.

Most paths weren't very long. A generic request for more magical might was a mere four hundred and twelve steps. The incredibly dangerous and almost hubris-like question of becoming the Dark Lord's equal was by far the largest. Twenty four thousand four hundred and twelve steps.

Which brought me to the knot in my stomach.

When I asked the voice for a path to making Lily be my friend again I was left with a bitter tasting ash in the back of my throat. It would take six thousand three hundred and nineteen steps to let her forgive me completely. It turned out that I could make the entirety of the fifth year Slytherin girls swoon at my feet sooner than it would take to get Lily to accept me in her life again. I briefly wondered why

What was so heinous about me she couldn't accept?

I tried whittling down the number of steps by adding or removing clauses to the question. I tried; 'How do I make Lily more friendly to me' and the immediate response was a full thousand steps cut out from the process. I tried adding a clause; 'How do I make Lily like me as much as I like her?' and my heart nearly gave out.

Forty nine thousand six hundred and eleven steps.

I almost because violently ill when the implications hit me. It was more difficult for me to become Lily's equal than the Dark Lord's. I fully admit I had my issues. I'm not as arrogant as the pompous Potter to think other wise. I come from a dirt poor back ground, my social graces are nearly non-existent and the only path to power I saw was something that offended my oldest friend to the very core.

Perhaps that was my problem?

Maybe I did have a little in common with Potter, just a smidgen mind you, in the sense that I believe myself in the right. In the sense that I shouldn't have to change to accommodate others. Perhaps I was deluding myself into thinking Lily should simply accept me the way I am.

Maybe I watched one too many Saturday morning feel good shows on ITV. The real world obviously doesn't work like this.

I took a deep breath and resolved to work on myself before doing anything else. I need to improve myself, substantially, and then....and only then will I ask the voice again how many steps it would take for Lily to be mine again.

No, that wasn't it.

I'd make myself better to the point where Lily would come to me.

I smiled at nothing in particular as I considered my options. I didn't want to start off by trying to change my disposition , the way I thought or any of my priorities. The worry in the back of my mind was that losing myself might not be worth it. Instead I settled on improving my outward issues first. I'd see what came out of it later.

'How do I improve my appearance?'

Thirty two steps.

That seemed rather doable and since today was a Saturday, and I am me, my homework was done and I had the day free. The first instruction bade me to make my way to the common room in the dungeons. When I walked into the common area of the Slytherin dorm the voice urged me towards Narcissa Black. A sixth year girl who I might have shared four conversations with over the past five years I spent at this school.

Non of them were very unpleasant but each left me slightly shaken. The girl had something about her that made me feel ever so slightly inadequate. Regardless, the voice bade to walk to her and walk up to her I did.

I followed the steps to the letter, came to halt slightly to the right of her – even though I couldn't conceive of a reason why-, and smiled at her. It took a moment before she deigned to take notice of me. I know she saw me, her friend fell silent momentarily when I made my way over to them, but I didn't mind. The voice hasn't let me down yet.

"Yes, Severus was it?"

You know damn well who I am. I tutor your obnoxious little shit of a cousin. We both know he wouldn't pass a single potions exam without my skills but sure...let's pretend you don't know me.

I smiled even wider when I said, "Indeed." I fell silent for precisely seven seconds before continuing, "I like your hair."

A single perfectly manicured eyebrow rose up as the blond girl took in the question. The silence stretched on and on while I strained to keep my smile plastered over my face. Eventually the girl finally spoke up.

"Thank you, Severus."

Whispers in the back of mine spoke the next step of the path I found myself threading and I faithfully adhered to it.

"I don't like my hair. Could you help me make it better?"

Oh god.

I sounded like a complete nitwit. How could she possibly be swayed by such a blithe and ill conceived question. I was almost lost in the horror of my preposterous situation when she interrupted my musings. The girl stood up and cleared her throat.

"Well? Turn around and give us a spin, Severus."

I felt the eyes of the entire gaggle of sixth year girls attention burning through me, straight down into my soul. If I wasn't in grips of the path I would have been mortified to be seen modeling for them. I smoothly arced around once, twice and on Narcissa's insistence, another last time.

"Hmm, what you think Evelyn? Essence of lavender and a handful of beauty charms should do it, if I'm not misjudging the situation."

Her dark haired companion, Evelyn Mulciber, a distant cousin to the Mulciber in my year – and honestly quite a bit more appealing than him-, nodded firmly and shared her words of wisdom.

"Well have to see it thoroughly washed first, of course, before we can properly ascertain it's state."

Narcissa seemed to agree with her friends judgments when she said, "Quite right you are. Well, then Severus." The blond girl stuck her wand into the air and wordlessly summoned a small pink box.

She opened the box, rooted around in it for a moment, and withdrew a small container from it. She extended it to me with a wide smile and with the words on her lips, "I'm gladdened to see you taking care of yourself again, Severus. Lucius was most put out with your...lethargic outlook for the past few months."

I reached out as the path instructed me to grab the container but she held it out of reach.

"Tell me, Severus, if you will. Has some other, more worthy lady, perhaps caught your eye?"

I didn't flinch at the allusion and firmly kept my smile up. Even without the voice I could tell this was her price. Nothing happened down in these dungeons for free but as long as the voice guided me I did not mind. I didn't care for anyone in particular but the voice had an answer ready.

"Nobody in particular but I was of mind to accept Professor Slughorn's invitation, for once. I felt I shouldn't do so unaccompanied by anyone. It would be...unseemly."

The girl's smile widened considerable and I might even have thought had it sincere.

"I can't say I know what has gotten in to you, Severus, but I believe I'm starting to see the potential Lucius always speaks so highly of."

Really?

I would have thought the man was just stringing me along but for these purposes it wasn't important. I executed the next step on the path and almost imperceptibly bowed towards the girl.

"Most kind of you, Narcissa."

She finally handed over her little container with a few grooming instructions I took the heart. I deposited the little flask into one of the many pockets in our uniforms, and thanked the girl.

"You're quite welcome, Severus."

Now, onward to the bathrooms. My path is clear.

 

[Sir Rabby]

Chapter 1.03

I found myself in front of the mirror in the bathroom in my own dorm and desperately tried to find a difference with my hair. Keeping Narcissa's tips in mind I'd washed it over, and over, for a good long while but I couldn't quite tell if it became any less slick. I shrugged and decided to simply put my faith in the path.

Once I applied the goop the blond sixth year had given me it suddenly became clear. I'd never have an eye for aesthetics but even I could appreciate the smoothness of my hairdo. I tied it up in a pony tail and followed the next steps on my preordained quest. The voice wanted me to slam my face into a wall. My eyes bulged out in shock but after a brief moments consideration I went for it.

-Thud. Thud.-

Ignoring the pain wasn't hard, I had plenty practice, I followed the instructions back to the mirror and stared at my handiwork. Almost absentmindedly I swished and flicked my wand around. Spells I was sure I never learned flowed out of it without any issue whatsoever. The implications were staggering. I watched the effect of the magic with a keen eye and before my very gaze I saw my crooked nose straightening out.

A few more beautification, or at least that what I presumed the spells were, later and I could have looked at a double of my father. Not the way he is now, of course. Years of back breaking labor, the inexorable march of time, and the harsh consequences of alcoholic overindulgence had caused him to wither away.

No, I looked like he did in the old pictures my mother kept in her drawers. The pictures that his parents, my grandparents, took just before he went off to fight in the war. The great war. The war, which he claimed, that separated the boys from the men. I didn't put much stock in his words but I could appreciate the sentiment. Without meaning to I found myself smiling at my reflection.

One of the spells must have cleaned up my teeth properly because the faint yellow was replaced by glittering white teeth and my smile was almost blinding. I didn't think I was a particularly vain person, or even cared about my appearance, but I could certainly grow used to this.

With this current subsection of the path taken care of the whispers led me out to the castle proper. I made my way through the common room yet another, flashed my newly bright smile at Narcissa on a whim, and took in her faintly amused smile. I could hear the titters of her vapid friends but they didn't touch me.

Not today.

Maybe not ever anymore.

With a completely uncharacteristic smile on my face I stepped out of the entrance to the dungeons and headed out to the nearest stairs. My mind was racing a thousand miles an hour as I trusted the path to see me to the next location. The implications I considered earlier were still scintillating and I could barely contain my eagerness in testing their limitations.

Before I knew it I found myself on the seventh floor of Hogwarts and was slightly curious about the latest steps on the path. It bade me to softly whisper 'Lost and Found Room' thrice as I crossed the area in front of the painting of Barnabus the Befuddled Knight. I would have thought that nothing would surprise me anymore but when a door suddenly appeared on the wall across from the painting I had to frown.

Hogwarts was strange. I knew this. Staircases shifted on arbitrary whims, entire hallways occasionally lead you to strange places, but I had never heard of doors suddenly appearing. I opened the door and my jaw nearly fell to the floor as I took in the sight. Stacks and stacks of stuff filled the room to the walls. It was vast and with a single glance I could already tell the room was filled with riches.

Other people may regard this as trash but someone like me. For someone who was dirt poor, no shoes poor I believe the correct term was, this was nearing heaven. The voice told me to make way to the center of the maze of goods and pick up a old ruffled sack. I upended it immediately and it's contents spilled out all over the ground. Completely in tune with the path I bent over and grabbed a set of uniforms made out of acromentula silk.

The enchantments on it seemed to be unraveled but a few twitches from my wand took care of that. I nearly ripped off my own garments in my haste to try on the expensive robes.

They felt just like they looked. Utterly luxurious.

I was still lost in my admiration for the find when I whipped out my wand again and saw it twitch in the patterns for a summoning spell. From everywhere in the room small shiny things raced towards me. Just in time I pulled up the sack and caught the items with it. My eyes once again nearly popped out of my head when I noticed them for the pieces of jewelry they were.

Nothing I would wear myself but valuable non the less. Still, I checked the path, and breathed a sigh of relief when it didn't call me to gaudy myself up. One takes their blessings where they can. I caught my reflection in a dusty mirror and I felt yet another unbidden smile erupt.

Current path complete.

My appearance was, by any metric you could conceive of, simply better. The path delivered exactly what I wanted it to and I had to conclude it knew best. The endless list of attaining Lily's friendship on equal grounds still loomed large but I pushed it back. It was simply too depressing to let intrude right now. Instead I asked it another fairly straightforward question.

'How do I become a better wizard?'

Immediately hundreds of steps presented themselves and I let the path carry me where it may. There was still a faint worry in the back of my mind, which is I why I decided to keep my questions low key, but this couldn't be bad. Right?

Absentmindedly I walked and walked.

Before long I came across a group of third year Slytherins cornering a scared Hufflepuff. My instructions were clear. A quick 'Protego', a whispered banishing spell or two, and an 'Incarcerous' to end it. The Slytherins looked at me in dismay and more than a little bit of wariness. The Hufflepuff on the other hand ran out from their middle and hugged my leg.

The little midget couldn't have been much older than eleven and through her incomprehensible babble I could only grasp one thing. She wanted to go back to her friends but she lost them.

So much for Hufflepuff's sticking together. The path ordered me to kneel down next to the girl, wipe off her teas, and smile widely at her. I wasn't sure whether this was to comfort her or how this could possible make me a better wizard but I wasn't complaining. Not after the way the whispers proved themselves.

I kept up my smile and followed next set of instructions, "It's alright, sweet heart. I'll take you to your dorms. I'm sure you'll find your friends there. Is that alright?"

The saccharine sound of my voice almost startled me. I didn't know I could make those inflections..

Her sniffles had almost dried up by then but my attention was taken up by the next steps. I turned to the group, found that the girl still hadn't let go of my arm, and calm stated my concerns.

"Shame on you lot. We aren't Gryffindors."

I released the group from my bindings and braced myself for their vitriol. I wasn't worried about them, well not them exactly, but among them was a Dagworth, a Nott and a pudgy little Greengrass. If they were of a mind to...they might write their parents. I didn't think they could cause me much trouble but then again. When have things ever just worked out for me?

Instead their reaction almost shook me to my core.

The little Nott boy walked up to me and in a tiny voice said, "We're sorry, sir. Could...could you teach us how you did that?"

The voice took over and I said, "That depends. Will you be using those skills to bully defenseless little Hufflepuffs?"

His tiny neck must be sore from the rapid shaking he did.

"No, no we were just..I mean..." He trailed off for a moment, looked behind at his compatriots and seemingly came to a conclusion, "No, we won't. Isn't that right, guys?"

Almost as one they all agreed with him.

"Very well, I'll come find you Sunday afternoon. Make sure your homework is done before then."

I barely heard their hasty agreement before they all whisked off to somewhere. I looked down at the little Hufflepuff girl still clinging to me, sighed, and resigned myself to taking her to her dorms.

"What's your name, little girl?"

She seemingly got herself under control and managed to whisper, "Selena Wentforth, and what's yours?"

I rolled me eyes and replied, "Severus. Severus Snape."

The tiny Hufflepuff nodded firmly and said, "I like that. It sounds...strong."

I'd waste time trying to figure out what she meant but apparently the path agreed with me. It was just the inane mutterings of a tiny person.

"Will you teach me too?"

I resisting groaning as I felt my free time for the foreseeable future dry up before my eyes.

"Of course, sweet heart."

Oh god, again that saccharine voice. This path better be worth it.

 

[Sir Rabby]

Chapter 1.04

I saw the little midget to her dorms, waved her mechanically off, and continued with the rest of the path.

"Bye, Sev'rus!"

Things were changing rapidly for me. Only yesterday I would have bit her head off from daring to turn my name into a diminutive. I couldn't even put it all on the path I was on. I was lighter somehow, as if a huge chip on my shoulder just dropped off.

A concern for another day.

Several hundred steps still remained and I was internally bracing myself for whatever may come. It didn't take long before I stumbled upon a not-so-abandoned alcove where a group of young Ravenclaw's were studying. Half of them secured themselves a seat around the only table while the others had to make due with the floor.

Without even breaking my stride I twirled my wand around and looked on in slight amazement at the conjured table and seats that suddenly appeared. Transfiguration was certainly not my strong suit, I was nowhere near as good as that infernal Potter, but looking on my handiwork in passing told me my new found skill was promising.

I was so looking forward to the next class with McGonagall.

"Thank you!"

A chorus of voices shook me out of my daydreams and I graced them with a path driven smile. Why did the voice have me smile so much? How could this possibly help me become better?

The conundrum kept my mind firmly in its grip until I almost bumped into two of my classmates I shared a dorm with. Mulciber and Avery were not a pleasant bunch when I first met them and the passing of time has only seemingly firmed up their annoying dispositions.

Avery reacted first, "Hey there, Snape."

Another path induced smile.

Mulciber was only lagging a moment behind him, "You look different, Snape." Of course, the little twit wouldn't be himself if he didn't poke and prod everyone he came into contact with, "Ohh, let me guess! You finally hit it off with the mudblood?"

Avery joined in with the sentiment, "Yup, a tumble with that redhead would do it. How was she, Snape?"

My smile grew wider when I responded, "Not all, boys. I have a detention with Dumbledore."

Avery frowned before asking, "And that has you smiling?"

In a showing of rare compassion Mulciber added his own concerns, "Did those Gryffindors do something to your mind, mate?"

My smile was still plastered over my face when I followed the next step on the path..

"Well, you see, this is either going to end with Dumbledore keeling over dead or things are going to change around here."

Their confusion was palpable but before they could reply I walked on ahead with a brisk pace, turned back and said, "Take care, mate. Oh, and remember! You don't need to impress him, he's already proud of you!"

What?

What in good gods did that mean? I would have just shrugged if off but Mulciber grew pale and I actually felt a touch of concern myself. Fortunately the path supplied an answer. It bade me to turn back around and say, "Really, your father already lived his life for someone else. Don't make the same mistake."

I guess I sort of understood what was going on but I still felt like a large part of the puzzle was missing. The context just wasn't there and from the looks of it Mulciber wasn't quite up to elaborating for me. I turned around yet again and made my way through the hall. I was yet again amazed by the seemingly endless stream of information the voice possessed.

I was looking forward to testing it's limit but before I dared that I wanted to finish my current paths. I still didn't quite understand what the active path had in store for me though. That is...until I walked past two bickering Hufflepuffs.

"You're a witch! Not a muggle with magic! By Circe's tits, what will it take for you to grasp that?"

I froze.

What.

Oh.

Oh.

Clearly I needed to specify my queries to the voice. I still had a few more steps to go on this course but oddly enough I didn't mind finishing up. From what I could sense this would only take me another hour or two and I certainly didn't begrudge that paltry amount of time. Not when I had already promised away my free afternoon tomorrow.

I could already imagine the havoc this would cause to my reputation. Then again, my reputation hasn't exactly helped me along all that much. I nodded to nobody in particular and resolved to stick to my wait-and-see approach.

"Wait up, Snape!"

Huh, it appears Mulciber ditched Avery and decided to tail me.

"Yes?"

Faintly out of breath the boy just stared at me for a good long moment before replying, "What was that about? How do you know that? What makes you think you can say that?!"

I grew very still and let the whispers in the back of my mind take over.

"Alright, in order. That was me being nice, Hephaestus. A voice whispered it to me in the night and I'm Severus Snape." I let a small grin appear and said, "I don't need a reason for what I do."

Oh, no. That sounded ominous. Almost as if the voice was setting things up for further mayhem down the road. It was hard to put into words how I felt about it. On the one hand I was more excited than I'd ever been prior to today but then again...I'm fairly certain I've never been this disoriented either.

Clearly Hephaestus didn't quite know what to make of me if his gaping was any indication.

"You called me by my given name, Snape. You've never done that."

I grabbed my chin between my index finger and my thumb and stroked my fuzzy, almost shamefully patchy, beard.

"Do you mind?"

The boy froze momentarily but recovered after a few seconds, "Well, uhm...Can I call you Severus?"

It's been nearly five years since I first met the lad in front of me. In the back of my mind I considered that I perhaps should have had this conversation with him by now. Oh well, I can't fix the past and now I have the voice to fix the future.

Speaking of the voice. Now it ushered me onward again.

"Of course. Care to walk with me?"

"Sure."

Hephaestus was still slightly frowning but I guess he reconciled himself with my queer knowledge. I wasn't sure whether that was entirely commendable but then again...I wasn't doing much better either. Perhaps going with the flow was indeed the best course of action.

"How do you think you did on the OWL's Sn-, uhh, Severus?"

I cleared my throat – why, again...I have no clue- and said, "I'll get all Outstandings except for a single Exceed Expectations for Transfiguration."

Mulciber...no. Hephaestus smiled at me, possibly for the arrogance of the statement, but didn't bother pointing it out. Instead he almost seemed to expect it.

"Of course, I doubt you'd even get one EE, Severus. I've never seen you struggle in any class."

I briefly slowed down to let him catch up to and to ask him, "Really? Not even in Transfiguration?"

The boy snorted, "What's struggling for you is won through grueling hard work for the rest of us mortals."

No, no no. Don't say it. Don't say it!

"Is there anything you didn't understand on the OWL's you'd like me walk you through?"

God damn it. That's certainly going to be another few hours I'll never get back.

"Nah, I got most of it. Just details here and there. Besides I don't want to think about them anymore. Thanks for offering though."

Or not.

There has to be something to the whispers that I'm missing. I'll get to the bottom of this during the summer break. We'd be headed off from Hogwarts the week after the next and I'd have plenty time to experiment then.

Or I would if I wasn't still under age.

"Damn it."

The words came out before I could even think of putting a stop to them.

"What?"

I waved off his concern and just said, "I just realized I can't do magic during the summer, again. Living surrounded by muggles isn't exactly conducive to my..tests."

Hephaestus faintly cocked his head sideways and said, "Uhm. Would you like to spent part of summer at my place then?"

Five years.

Five years with these people and nothing like this ever happened. A single morning with a strange, but utterly delightful, voice in the back of my head and things just work out. I'd feel like waiting for the other shoe to drop but I got the sense things were only going to get better from here on out.

I barely held in a wince at the hopeful note creeping into my tone, "Are you sure?"

The lad punched me lightly in the arm, pulled me in close, and nearly yelled in my ear, "Why else would I offer it, Sevvy?

Even the path couldn't keep the facial tick that sent Hephaestus off tittering with laughter in check.

"No, just no, Hephy. I won't have it."

"Sev? Russy? Oh, trust me. I'll come up with something."

The tick endured.

"Oh god, that's adorable. Wait until I show Regulus!"

I was almost convinced the path was in cahoots with Hephaestus when he managed to dodge my swipe at his chest. Somehow I didn't mind his laugh though. Especially since it, for once, wasn't aimed at me.

 

[Sir Rabby]

Chapter 1.05

Normally when I wake up in the morning I'm fairly out of it. I'd be grumpy and groggy to the point where I had to actively will myself to get out of the comfortable embrace of sleep. Today wasn't like that. The voice ordered me to go to bed at ten forty five and I found myself rising easily at eight in the morning.

Normally I'd stay up far later than that, short changing my rest for more time in the present, while I fiddled with my potion recipes. Yesterday evening however I wasn't fiddling. I followed the path faithfully, if slightly mortified, when I dropped ingredient after ingredient into a cauldron. It felt haphazard, illogical and more than a little off putting.

I was throwing in supplies that, in my eyes, simply had no place in potions. Why would any potion need silver scraped off an ancient piece of jewelry? Why did Professor Slughorn have human molars in his ingredient cabinet? Who did the dried up blood I scraped off the hospital wing's floors belong to?

It was a confusing mess that haunted me but I had no reason to suspect the whispers. They'd been good to me, more than good in fact, they'd been amazing. I had long since gotten used to the stares of people out in the corridors of Hogwarts but I got the sense they weren't malicious anymore. Not that I particularly cared what those borderline literate nitwits thought of me. I did have to admit though that walking through the halls unmolested, for a given value of that anyways, was something I could get used to.

So when the voice instructed me to scrape blood of a floor...that was simply what I did.

I held the clear blue concoction in my hand as I made for the Headmasters office. I still had fifteen minutes or so left before I needed to show up for my 'detention' but the whispers counseled haste.

I wandered the hallways leading to Dumbledore's office mindlessly when I came upon the foul beast and his little sidekick. The rat faced bastard almost instinctively shied away behind the monster while Lupin's vicious yellow gaze seemed intent on avoiding mine.

I would have obliged the creature but the path make itself known again.I felt more than I saw my wand hand twitch inside the sleeve of my new uniform and plastered a wide grin on my face. I saw the confusion evident on Lupin's visage and thought I finally found a reason for the incessant smiling the path had me do.

Clearly it put people off balance.

Before Lupin could formulate a greeting, malicious or otherwise, my wand jumped out in intricate patterns sticking Pettigrew to the far wall and bringing the beast down to it's knees, tied up. I drank in the fear evident in his eyes and I stalked ever closer to him. With my creepy smile firmly in place I walked up to the thing, grabbed it by it's hair, and noticed his soundless mouthing.

Huh.

Once of the spells must have been a silencer.

The next step on the path called for me to pull his head backwards, conjure up a funnel, and to deposit the contents of the potion I was carrying in it. Lupin was clearly discomforted by the concoction but I wasn't about to pretend I cared. Hell, if he was on fire I wouldn't piss on him to put him out, but it appeared the whispers found a use for him. The creature spasmed, shook and more than a little bit of white foam appeared to drip out of the sides of his mouth. Heh, maybe the path was making the rabid nature of the beast more plain for the world to see?

I'd love that.

Next I was to stun him, vanish away the foam, and free the rat faced lad still stuck on the far wall. I levitated the unconscious monster, twirled my wand at him some more, and headed back out to the headmaster's office.

"Hey! What the bloody hell are you do doing Snivellus?"

Without even looking back I pointed my wand over my shoulder, stunned Petttigrew, and summoned the unconscious creature to follow me at a brisk pace. Wonder over wonder we didn't run into anyone else as we made way for my appointment. Within minutes I found myself in front of the stone gargoyles guarding the office of the headmaster and whispered to them their password for the day.

'Everlasting Gum'

I rolled my eyes at the immaturity of the password but it didn't bother me as much as it used to. I still thought the old man did it to diminish whomever had to endure his gargoyles but it just passed me by. No matter what happens I had my voice. My invisible guardian angel that whispered me.

I just knew I'd be fine. Regardless of what may come.

Lupin's unconscious body must have bumped into the edges of the stairs leading to the headmaster's office more time than I could count but again, I simply didn't care. He deserves worse, the spineless bastard that he is. As much as I may despise Black and Potter at least I comprehend why the Sorting Hat put them in Gryffindor

When it came to Pettigrew and Lupin though I was baffled. I could have assumed that they might have bamboozled the Hat somehow if that didn't give those boys far too much credit. Perhaps they simply begged the Hat to put it where they wanted to be.

The floating creature and I made it to the top of the stairs and found the door leading to Dumbledore's office closed. My wand darted back out again, made a short sharp movement, and the door swung wide open. Dumbledore was already sitting behind his office, staring at me, but the curious glint in his eyes evaporated when he took note of Lupin.

Before the wrinkly old wizard could speak up the path presented it's next step.

"I cured your monster of it's illness."

What.

Dead silence.

If it wasn't for the path guiding my entire body I would have collapsed to the ground from utter shock. I knew the whispers had knowledge beyond the kin of mortal wizards. I knew that when I threaded a particular path I could make use of magic was supposed to be out of my reach. I knew all of that.

What I hadn't considered was that it might include potions as well. The implications were so enormous I could hardly contain my excitement. This was revolutionary. No! This was so far beyond revolutionary it could hardly be described. It was on par with the disbelief the average the muggleborn had for the existence of the Philosopher's Stone.

A single scraggly white eyebrow retreated almost into the Headmaster's hairline when after what felt like an eternity he broke the silence.

"I see."

Was that it?

Was that the extent of his reaction?

Almost faster than I could perceive the man had his wand out and summoned Lupin to his side. Before the creature – no, just a regular boy now- crossed the six feet from the entrance to the desk he was unbound, awakened and had his bruises taken care of.

Well, damn.

I guess there really was a reason why the Dark Lord feared this man. If it wasn't for my now unshakable belief in the might of my path I would have fallen on my knees to beg for mercy. Or well, maybe that was slightly exaggerated. I might have just ran away; Slytherin self preservation instincts and all that rot.

The silence stretched on again as the wizened old man flitted his wand around this way, the other, and finally his manic wand hand came to a rest. The shock on face was undeniable and I took it as yet another confirmation of the power of my mind-voice.

"He's cured. I-I...I can't find any sign of him ever having been a werewolf. How did you manage this, my dear boy?"

Lupin's incredulously responded, "Really? Am I cured, sir?"

What did he just say?

Does the simpleton believe the Headmaster to be a chronic liar? The simpering fool.

The whispers bade me smile, yet again, and say, "It was a potion's recipe I'd been working on for quite some time, sir. I could write it down for you but I'd like to...settle some issues beforehand."

The Headmaster whipped out his wand again, tracing the same intricate patterns, and seemingly came to the same conclusion he had before.

"How utterly marvelous...You have no idea, my boy, of the amount of good you might do with just this potion."

Lupin turned around to me but I hit him with a silencing spell before he could share his vapid opinions.

"Oh, I'm quire aware, sir. I would have had no issue taking the potion to my grave though, had our altercation yesterday proven to be less than satisfactory."

The man flinched violently and whisper told me the next step was to dial my smile down. Perhaps so that I would not be perceived as arrogant perhaps? Either way; by now I was a firm believer in the Tao of the Path.

Dumbledore canceled the silencing spell on Lupin a fraction of a second before I reapplied it again with a twitch of wand, hidden in the folds of my sleeve. The headmaster frowned in confusion and turned his wand back on the boy. Yet again in a single imperceptible twitch of my wand, almost simultaneously with the Headmaster, reapplied the charm.

Finally the white beard's eyes landed on mine and I swear I could divine the smallest of upturns on the sides of his mouth. The old man was amused and desperately trying to hide it.

"Perhaps, young Mr. Lupin, you might find your way to the hospital wing. I'm sure Madam Pomfrey would be more than delighted to hear the good news."

I noticed the imposing opaque yellow eyes of the lad had turned hazel brown but I'd already mentally dismissed the boy. I walked past him, dodged his outstretched arm with mere millimeters to spare, and sat down on the chair he previously occupied.

When he finally seemed to catch the hint and vacated the office I found Dumbledore's intense gaze locking me in place.

"How extraordinary. Well, what are we to do with you, my dear boy?"

The path's next step was to smile, yet another infernal gods be damned smile, and say, "I have a few idea's, sir."

 

[Sir Rabby]

Chapter 1.06

It took a while for Professor Slughorn to stop directing his effusive praise towards me. I felt vaguely uncomfortable taking credit for a breakthrough I knew wasn't accomplished by me...but I got over it rapidly. It wasn't like the voice would suddenly leave me right?

"We absolutely have to get you to speak at the next gathering of the Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers! Good lord, I venture that for the first time in decades that name might actually be somewhat fitting!"

The Headmaster clearly took note of my discomfort but seemingly didn't care enough to put a stop to Slughorn's gushing. In fact, the white beard subtly pushed him onward when he kept asking innocent questions.

The Potion's professor stared at me wide-eyed when he continued, "Not just speaking at the next event, oh no no no. I'll arrange for you to be the key note speaker, my boy. This accomplishment deserves nothing less.. Think of the societal changes this will spur on!"

I was struggling to keep my facial expression schooled into a somewhat pleasant one. I feared I'd crack through the peasant mask I was wearing before Slughorn quieted down and it seemed like the man was actually picking up steam.

"Sons would be welcomed back into the bosoms of their mothers! Daughters would once again grace their fathers on their arms!"

And so forth.

Good lord man, get a grip on yourself.

I kept a simpering smile of my own plastered over my face when I replied, "I imagine so, sir."

"Indulge the curiosity of an old man, if you will. Where did you find the inspiration for this magnificent find?"

I wasn't sure why the path kept pushing me to keep the Headmaster somewhat unbalanced but I certainly didn't mind following it.

"Mortal terror, sir."

Ah, finally.

Blessed silence.

The Headmaster lightly cleared his throat but before he could say something I was directed to interrupt him, yet again.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I have a few prior commitments to attend to. A handful of third year Slytherins, and a particularly inquisitive first year Hufflepuff, require my attention."

The old white beard frowned and said, "Whatever for, Severus?"

He's moved on to my first name now. How droll. I wonder how the man would respond if I addressed him as 'Albus' but the path didn't call for it. Neither did I particularly care to push my luck outside of it.

"A tutoring session, sir. They were most insistent and I fear I lack the inner fortitude to deny the little brats. For long anyways."

Slughorn snorted loudly and Dumbledore wasn't doing much better than him even if he was giving me odd looks. Eventually they settled down though and released me from the boring tedium of having to explain the theory behind the potion. A potion that Slughorn indelicately dubbed 'Wolf-B-Gone'. Why the man settled for such an appalling name I'd never grasp but I found myself not caring.

"Is there any particular empty classroom I could commandeer, Professor?"

The rotund potioneer just smiled and handed his own set of keys with the admonishment to return them at the end of the day. Clearly the man was already besotted with me, he would never have given these out otherwise, but I didn't mind. The reflexive Slytherin nature of the gesture sat rather well with me. He all but guaranteed I would be available to him later today and if he didn't grill me incessantly when I did I'd eat my own robes.

Oh gods, he'd likely even invite a 'close' friend or two to impress.

My rather pleasant mood shriveled up immediately after I made my way down the stairs and came face to face with the werewolf. Or well, the ex-lycanthrope. Had he just been sitting there all this time? Does he really not have anything else to do? Anything at all?

Perhaps this was just unavoidable.

"Severus, I'm glad I caught you. I thought that you might have already-."

Did he just call me Severus?

I'd never been more grateful for the path as when it guided my wand through a silencing spell. I graced the ex-lycanthrope with a short, sharp smile and walked past around the lad. Unfortunately the boy decided to follow me and attempted to get my attention by waving around madly with his arms.

Fine.

I canceled the spell and bit out, "What Lupin? What could you possible want from me?"

The scruffy looking chap seemed fairly troubled, sighed deeply, and said, "I guess I deserved that. I haven't been very fair to you in the past-."

Hah.

Oh my wonderful, brilliant guiding voice. Thank you for crashing into my life so unexpectedly.

I canceled the spell and said, "Read my lips, Lupin. I don't care. This isn't an opportunity for you to unburden yourself. In fact, I hope you feel terrible for a good long while to come."

I smoothly turned on my heels away from the shocked lad and briskly set out to the Hufflepuff dormitories. I had a little midget to pick up. I didn't know exactly why the path was so insistent I accompany her but again, I didn't mind playing along.

"Please, Severus, if you just let me-."

I looked over my shoulder at him after I felt the silencer connect and almost yelled out, "If you want to make reparations, Lupin, I would suggest you start living up to that badge on your robes. I, quite literally, don't want anything else from you. Now, shoo."

Ah, it was a build up to that. I could live with it. If the annoying twit actually managed to live up the responsibilities of a prefect he might actually become a worth while individual. I briefly considered whether I'd ever willingly associate with him but gave up after I couldn't find a compelling reason.

A chipper voice greeted me when I arrived at the Huffepuff stairwell, "Hello Sev'rus!"

Was there something wrong with her mouth? I thought brats grew out of that annoying lisp when they were eight. I know I certainly did.

Again that damnable saccharine inflection came out, "Good afternoon, Selena. How have you been?"

The little brat graced me with a bright smile, "Great! I told my friends about this but they said they would rather learn from me. You know, after I learn from you!"

The little midget was so cheerful I could barely stand it. Of course she wouldn't comprehend the reason behind her friends reticence. Who would voluntary spent time with Snivellus in the dungeons? I didn't blame them.

Except this girl though.

Perhaps I should think more charitably of her.

"Ah, they might not be as brave as you are, Selena."

Her little face scrunched up, dare I say it...adorably, when she responded, "Why would they need to be brave? We're here to learn magic and become proper witches....and wizards."

A faint blush accompanied those comments and the path just counseled me to smile again. Gods, this is going to be a long afternoon.

A little over ten minutes later we arrived in an empty classroom near the Hufflepuff dungeon's after we picked up the group of third year Slytherins. I had set that group up to practice a mid level shielding charm, the protego, after walking them through the incantation and wand movements. Clearly the voice was also a gifted teacher because it immediately offered up personalized tips to each of the boys.

After I set the boys on their task I focused on the littlest brat. As a first year she didn't have the magical refinement necessary to quickly grasp fourth year spells so instead I worked on others with her. She picked up the Aegis surprisingly quickly. She managed an impressive disarming charm within mere moments and at that point I had to call it quits.

She proved far too energetic to contain.

Instead I turned her on the others. The sight of the first year bulldozing through their hastily brought up shields while she dodged, deflected and generally dominated the group was hilarious.


It turned out that her dancing classes, the ones she looked down on but her parents forced upon her, proved a boon to the little girl. Her intuitive grasp of deflecting spells by catching them obliquely didn't have a point of origin I could point to though.

I cleared my throat and grandly proclaimed, "Well, that was absolutely wonderful! Now, there only remains one thing undone. Could you venture a guess as to what that is, Nott?"

The boy looked at me vaguely confused but when he followed my gaze to Selena he seemed to get it. He walked over to her, extended his arm, and said, "I apologize for our behavior, Wentforth. I hope you can accept my, and their, apologies."

This was extremely promising.

 

[Sir Rabby]

Chapter 1.07

After apparently brokering a uneasy peace between the third year Slytherins and the particularly plucky first year Hufflepuff I headed out with three of the lads back to our own dormitories. I say uneasy because Selena unexpectedly turned out to be more stubborn than I had anticipated. In fact the girl insisted she'd fight each of the boys solo and only accepted their apologies once she had them thoroughly submitted.

It suffices to say I was growing more and more attached to the little brat and had two of the Slytherins escort her to the Hufflepuff dungeons. Selena actually called them honor guard and officially earned her first genuine laugh from me.

"Uhm, Mr. Snape?"

I could also get used to the respectful way these youngsters were threading around me.

"Yes, Dagworth?"

The boy frowned a bit, sighed deeply as if resigning himself to something awful, and finally said, "Could you, perhaps....maybe...uhm, not share what just happened with anyone?"

Oh.

I didn't even need the path for this one even though the confirmation it provided was nice to have. I smiled widely at the boy, while playing with my scraggly beard, and held my tongue for a minute or so while I tried not to show my amusement. I didn't want to crush their little ego's. At least, not before I could take advantage of that.

"Very well, Dagworth. I'm sure I don't have to mention that if in the next few days I need something done discretely you and your friends will, of course, hop to and not ask any silly questions."

Their rapid nods and loud assent was amusing the first few seconds but I quickly tired of it. Fortunately we arrived at the Slytherin dorms by then and I found other distractions. I'd forgotten it was Sunday, don't ask me how, and the vipers nest was charged with a palpable aura of anticipation. Of course tensions always ran high in Slytherin with the older students jockeying for position and the younger ones having to blithely accept whatever the former might inflict on them.

To keep a lid on things a particularly clever Slytherin, details are unclear as to whom exactly, set up a dueling ring in the corner of the common room. As far as I as aware no other dormitory had those and correspondingly it was a great source of pride for us. Every Sunday afternoon, and generally the activities lasted until twelve o'clock, every single Slytherin had the opportunity to challenge any other. The reasons weren't important and in fact it was a minor taboo to mention them in public.

To cut down on too many embarrassments the challenges themselves weren't supposed to be public either. In practice this was a polite fiction where everybody knew but didn't mention it. The prefects maintained a sorting charm on a box, don't call it a suggestion box in their presence, in which you could drop off a little note proclaiming your challenge. These notes were then sorted by the prefects and they were in charge of subtly feeling out the recipients of the challenge.

Peer pressure being a fairly powerful motivation, especially for hormonal nitwits, meant challenges were almost never declined. Generally a good showing, even if you lost horribly, was enough to keep your reputation in tact.

I already had my suspicions of the path, especially considering the way it had been systematically tearing down my old reputation, molding my perceived standing to it's wishes. By now I had enough faith in the whispers to, and perhaps I just liked the way the third years looked at me now, proverbially 'roll with it'.

The voice counseled a swift course of action and I found myself writing up a challenge to Bellatrix Black. The seventh year brunette was many things. She was objectively one of the prettiest girls in the school and quite well aware of that fact. She was vicious, both in her day to day as well as in duels, and had no issue showing that. She was also hands down the best fighter in Hogwarts and nobody had challenged her since I was a third year. That...was about to change now.

One of the sixth year prefects cleared his throat, glanced over at me to confirm I actually wanted this and hadn't taken a leave of my brain, and headed out to the brunette. The girl sniffed arrogantly and stared me down with a terrifying grin on her face.

The prefect was incidentally a fairly distant cousin of mine but made it quite clear the world would burn before he, and his relatives, ever recognized me as kin. Ostensibly because I was a half blood but more likely because they didn't want to risk Augustus Prince – the Head of their House – to remember he had a direct descendant.

Septimius cleared his throat, a lot louder this time, and proclaimed a fight was about to commence. I had admit that I was more than a little bit nervous, despite the whispers backing me up, or perhaps because of the voice. I had a few guesses as to why it wanted me to go this route but the fallout could potentially be catastrophic. If I continued with this I was essentially locking myself into the path. I certainly could not afford alienating the powerful house backing Bellatrix without the help of my path.

"Well, well. Cissy told me something interesting had come over you, little faux Prince, but this is a surprise. Tell me, are you just that confident or did you just want to show off your new found good looks with everyone's eyes on you?"

Huh.

I hadn't even considered that angle.

I followed the next step whispered to me from somewhere and said, "Not at all, Bellatrix."

I was bade to smile widely, again with the gods be damned smiling, and continue, "You're right in the sense I wanted all eyes on me. I'll leave you to figure out the reason.

"She scoffed but didn't seem to want to retort. We both stepped into our designated spots, two Prefects charged up the dueling ring's wards that kept our spells from flying out of it, and we waited for the gong to start.

-Thud- -Ring-

I was ordered to step slightly to the left. Then again to the left. Next to the right and after which to crouch.

I executed all the steps faithfully without even consciously considering them. The path kept the amazement out of my expression when I dodged every single spell the powerful witch had lobbed at me. There were no restrictions, beyond the obviously illegal ones of course, so when angry colored flashes past by me with only millimeters to spare I felt my heart try to jump out of my chest.

The next few seconds were similar enough to cause Bellatrix to yell out, "Fight back, Snape!"

Apparently the path had been waiting on that because the next set of instructions were to cast a perfectly executed banisher twenty inches or so to her right. The girl dodged to the left, her left and blessedly so my right, and caught it on a hastily constructed shield charm.

This gave me enough time to direct a reducto curse at the ground in front of me, with control so fine the resulting shrapnel was reduced to tiny little pebbles, and banished the whole lot to her. Faster than I could have possibly believed I was made to follow it up with a transfiguration of the pebbles while in mid air.

By the time they reached her each of the pebbles had been changed into a tiny cherry bombs that pelted her shield with individually insignificant explosions but combined proved beyond what she could endure. While her shield caught the most of them quite a few landed on her scorched the prideful witch something fierce.

She shook it off remarkably quick.

A warning was whispered into my ear to roll forward and slightly to left, I briefly noted the melting rock were I had just been, and rolled backwards and further to the left. While Bellatrix wasted her precious time I managed to catch her with a levicorpus upending the girl. When my follow up stunner was caught by her protego horribilis and reflected back at me I was ready with my own protego horribilis.

Just before the twice reflected stunner hit the witch I saw her gape at me for just a split second before she was knocked out. Absentmindedly I cleaned up the dueling ring with what I recognized was an overpowered reparo, turned to the silent and shocked audience and gave them a theatrical bow that wouldnt have been out of place in the Sun King's court.

The first to shake of their shock were my little cadre of third years and I bathed myself in their adulation accompanied by loud cheering. Next, from an unexpected source, came the clapping of Bellatrix who had somehow – really, how did she do that? - shaken off my stunner.

"That, little faux Prince, was certainly impressive." She drawled out.

After she turned a razor sharp grin on me she continued, "Of course, this merits a round two."

The predatory grin I knew must be plastered all over my face came entirely separate from the path.

I could get used to this.

 

[Sir Rabby]

Chapter 1.08

Four!

Four consecutive, no holds barred, brawls before she finally conceded my beating her wasn't a fluke. Bellatrix had a thing for punishment it seemed and my faithful whispers instructed me to never hold back. Apparently it was important I crush the brunette thoroughly and come through the ordeal as unscathed as I had.

The tensions in the vipers pit had suddenly shifted significantly.

After the second fight every Slytherin who hadn't witnessed the first two was in attendance. Bellatrix and I had given them a show worthy of the best House Slytherin had to offer and they knew it. When I walked off the combat dais all eyes were on me and curiously absent of their previous barely contained disdain.

The full coterie of third years capitalized immediately on the new social order, as good Slytherins are expected to do, and could be heard loudly proclaiming their status as my students. From the corner of my eye, for the path counseled me against meeting anyone's gaze in particular, I spotted the way they had supplanted the traditional spot in the far corner reserved for the fourth years.

Again as expected by Slytherins when confronted by a challenger of unknown strength the fourth years yielded to them without much ado. I could hardly contain my glee when I thought through the implications of the path my whispers had set me on. The third years might be able to get away with a bluff now but sooner or later they would have to stand their ground. The youngsters would search me out before the school year was over to formalize our loose agreement.

They couldn't be secure otherwise.

"Would you allow me to accompany you to Professor Slughorn, Severus? I would have a few words with you."

I carefully schooled my expression, as to not give away the internal turmoil within me, into as polite a mask as the one Bellatrix sported and simply nodded minutely my assent. The haughty Black was transformed and in her place stood, not exactly a supplicant, but a wary and dangerous fighter who knew her limitations. Her fairer sister, Narcissa, quietly raised a drinking goblet to me as we passed her.

I didn't know whether to applaud her strength in parading her new, and rather reduced, status in the middle of our common room or look for the hidden dagger her newly gained respect for me might conceal.

Either way. I was committed to this new destiny of mine.

As the two of us walked out of commons I reflected on my past behavior. I could, from my newly gained lofty position, admit to myself my previous attitudes were rather ill advised. I had gained more in an afternoon with a tutoring session and a smile than I ever had in the past few years. I could admit that perhaps I was my own worst enemy.

My disdain for the opinions of others may have been the single positive attribute I had but my reckless disregard for their perceptions of me certainly wasn't. No wonder Lily didn't want anything to do with me. There was no might about it. I truly was my own worst enemy.

Regardless, dwelling on the past wouldn't help me now. I had best leave it where it belonged. Discarded but not forgotten, so as to not be encumbered by it while resolving not to repeat those mistakes. I obeyed my guiding voice in its counsel to keep my gaze straight ahead, my shoulders square, and to pay the brunette walking with me absolutely no mind.

It appeared she would make the first move.

She lightly hummed before speaking up, "I'd ask you where you were hiding those smooth reflexes, Severus, but I think we both know you won't answer."

She fell silent for a heartbeat or two before continuing, "Not without a fair exchange, of course."

It sounded like a statement but it wasn't. Even without the whispers I could tell it was a request. A request my wonderful path seemed eager to to fulfill.

A short laugh and then, "Of course."

Another few moments of silence between the Black girl responded, "I'm afraid I don't know you well enough to guess at your interests. Narcissa however informs me that potions is one of them and that you are an accomplished crafter of spells.."

Ah, clever girl and by that I mean Narcissa of course. Obviously the first thing she'd do was run to her cousin and grill him on every observation he'd made of me. That poor boy. On the other hand I do notice how Bellatrix still hasn't offered up anything of consequence.

I mimicked her earlier hum and just smiled at the air in front of me.

The brunette harrumphed and said, "Many Blacks were known as highly acclaimed spell crafters. I might be induced to allow you to peruse some of their works."

How did the muggles put it?

Ah, jackpot.

Another smile and, "That sounds wonderful, Bellatrix."

She nodded and I could tell she was about to make her retreat as we just arrived at Slughorn's office. My guiding voice however instructed me to invite the girl in with me. I could have considered the reasons but by this point I was just along for the show.

"Would you care to venture in with me? I fear the esteemed Professor would otherwise keep me through the entire evening."

Bellatrix smiled, what seemed to me quite genuine, and said, "Very well, Severus."

Ah, the path was allowing her back some measure of pride. I should have known. It does seem to carry quite the long term view on matters. A trait I most certainly must make my own.

I hardly knocked once on the good Professor's before it swung open on it's own. Clearly Slughorn anticipated my arrival eagerly, even to the point of charming his door, and I confidently strode in with Bellatrix on my heels. My old self would have let her in first but that obviously wasn't in the cards anymore.

The man almost burst of his study to loudly proclaim, "Ah! There you are, my dear boy! Come in, have a seat, make yourself comfortable!"

Wow, he really was pulling an impressive charm offensive. Would this have worked on me before? I can't right tell but it wasn't all that important.

"Thank you, sir. The elder Ms. Black accompanied me here and I felt I shouldn't ask her to return by herself."

The man quickly glanced over to her, turned back to me and smiled widely, "A fine scholar and a gentleman to boot. I'm sure her father would be most pleased with the company she keeps."

What?

What!

The path smoothed out my inner turmoil by presenting its next step. I was to pleasantly nod along with whatever Slughorn said and position myself across from his guests.

I ventured a look over at Bellatrix and her smile grew even wider.

"Are you entertaining my father, sir?"

Arrogance was dripping from every single last one of her pores. The sheer assumption over her words, the tone with which she conveyed them, and her general bearing all indication she had not a single doubt of her position in this world. Of course, her Head of House would be entertaining her father. Why wouldn't he?

"Indeed, Ms. Black." The rotund professor continued as he followed him into his private study, "We were in fact discussing young Mr. Snape's stellarfind."

In Slughorn's study we found, as expected, Mr. Black. Lord Black's younger cousin, in fact. As well as a few people I faintly recognized from articles in the Daily Prophet.

"Good evening, father."

Her aging father turned his head so Bellatrix could kiss his cheek and whispered something I couldn't quite make out in the process.

Smooth.

She continued a moment later, "Severus? Are you going to keep me in the dark?"

What was she implying here?

Slughorn's voice carried over to me, "Ah! Modest and brilliant! Mr. Snape has just today finished creating a cure to the infectious curse known as Lycanthropy, Ms. Black. While I would readily admit there may have been a few...irregularities as to it's testing, we have confirmed it works. And work splendidly it does! It leaves nary a trace of the vile curse."

Ah, he's looking out for me. Wonderful. Then again, what was the worst Lupin could do to me? Complain loudly he hasn't assented to becoming my guinea pig and in the process ruin Dumbledore?

I doubt it.

Bellatrix's eyes bulged out comically but I couldn't pay it much mind Slughorn once again demanded my attention.

"If I may properly introduce you, Mr. Snape." The potioneer neatly guided my through a veritable host of the cream of Wizarding society. Members of the intelligentsia, a fair few politicians and more than a handful of the representatives of the Sacred Twenty Eight. The noble families that were heavily involved with the original founding our society here in Britain.

Eventually however I came to stand before Bartemius 'Barty' Crouch , who by far possessed the most readily available political power in his position as the ranking Judge on the Council of Magical Law as well as his other position as the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

He was quite literally judge and jury in our messed up little society, if not quite an executioner.

The path immediately prompted me to extend my right hand, palm my left over his when he accepted my gesture, and step in close.

"I'm so very pleased to meet you, sir. I know you must hear this often but my mother and I are great supporters of yours!"

I sounded so utterly fake to my own ears, and clearly the man had a knowing glint in his eyes, but I was a valuable commodity now. He was a consummate politician and I was in his eyes too great a prize to be claimed by any other.

"I always applaud a political interest in young witches and wizards, Mr. Snape, and in return might I remark that I am greatly impressed by your accomplishments today. I certainly expect to follow your career with a keen eye, young man."

All I was told to do was smile.

 

[Sir Rabby]

Chapter 1.09

As much as I could appreciate the benefit of allowing these highly influential and connected individuals to ingratiate themselves to me I was getting weary of the process. Far from slowing down the evening seemed to stretch on endlessly. Somewhere around the second hour of schmoozing I realized that more people had started arriving. I almost balked right then but thankfully another friendly appeared with the second wave of socialites.

"Well met, Severus."

I turned around and came face to face with Lucius Malfoy. One of the only people in this infernal place that I might actually count among my friends. Of course, the haughty blond was still a Slytherin and seemingly couldn't help broach the same subject that was on everyone's mind.

For him, likely just him, I didn't feel like allowing the voice to suborn the conversation.

"Likewise, Lucius. How do you enjoy following your father around like a lost puppy?"

He snorted lightly before responding, "About as well as you must enjoy being the center of attention like this. How come you didn't let me know you were working on this magnificent cure?"

Mostly because I didn't know I was.

I rolled my eyes at Lucius and said, "I'm working on many things, Lucius. Would you like me to send you a list every time I have a new thought?"

That drew a smirk from the unreasonably handsome youth, "Perhaps you should, Severus." He made an exaggerated glance at all the people around and continued, "We wouldn't want these lot to take advantage of your charitable nature."

I couldn't contain myself. I just threw my head back and a tension releasing laugh bubbled up. Unfortunately it caught the attention of the closest socialites around but I didn't pay them much mind for the moment. Lucius always knew how to get me to loosen up and I was grateful for it.

He stepped a little closer and whispered, "Really though, Severus. Don't let anybody here swindle you into a verbal agreement. If there's anything I picked up in the past year it's the many and varied ways business deals can be skewed to ones detriment."

As I nodded my comprehension to Lucius I noticed from the corner of eye Slughorn barreling down on me with another assortment of likely politically influential fops. I let the ever lasting path bubble up again into my consciousness and plastered a smile on my face. Lucius gave me a vaguely unsettled look but I had to focus on the newcomers.

"Ah, there you my dear boy! I'd like to introduce you to Madam Milicent Bagnold, Undersecretary to Minister Harold Minchum. I have no doubt the two of you have a great many things to offer each other!"

Without even waiting around to see if I could handle the lady the man disappeared into the crowd again. Perhaps he believed he'd be more useful to me mingling with his many guests? I smiled when I considered the man had to have been watching me, or at least keeping tabs on me, for the past two hours and by now must be reasonably confident in my glad handing proficiency.

The middle aged witch extended a dainty little hand which I light grasped by her fingers. I pulled softly pulled up the hand, while simultaneously bowing towards it, and placed a barely perceptible kiss on it. When I rose back up again the voice counseled me to keep a firm gaze on eyes while I smiled charmingly.

Madam Bagnold didn't blush, she was clearly far too polished a politician for that, but I couldn't fault the path for putting me through that. If I survived the past few hours I could get through this.

"It's an honor meeting you, Ma'am."

She did however smile a toothy grin and said, "Oh, you're certainly a polite one, young man. Most accomplished potioneers I've known tend to be cranky old men. This is a wonderful change of pace, wouldn't you agree?"

My next response was on my lips before I even fully processed it.

I smiled a razor sharp grin at her and spoke softly to make sure she leaned in to hear my words over the din of the gathered crowd and said, "As long as it makes it more difficult for you to deny my future funding applications, Ma'am."

Lucius looked utterly horrified. A near passerby who just barely heard me looked horrified. I'm sure I would have had a matching expression on my face if I wasn't in the grasp of my precious path.

Madam Bagnold however snorted indelicately and loudly laughed at my jibe. She stepped a little closer, grasped my hand fully, and gave it a very firm handshake.

"An informed young man with some spine in him might actually have a future with me. Do try and remember me when you've graduated, Mr. Snape. I'll be keeping an eye out for you!"

When the Undersecretary drifted off into the crowd Lucius was still gaping.

"What."

I immediately turned some of his earliest words he spoke to me back at him.

"I think you'll find you meant, 'pardon me'."

This time I had Lucius being unable to keep the deep bellied laugh from spilling out.

The rest of the evening passed by without much of anything being settled. I was congratulated by what felt like half the Wizard world. The rest seemed eager for the chance and I had no doubt Professor Slughorn would find a way to oblige them.

True to Lucius' warning quite a few representatives of the Sacred Twenty Eight attempted to get me to agree some to deal or other but with the apparent solid support of House Malfoy behind me few of them pushed the issue. Cygnus Black the Third was in fact the only one who didn't seem to mind attempting to bulldoze through Lucius' ardent defense of my right to finish Hogwarts unmolested by their grubby little paws.

Fortunately for me Lucius was a practiced smooth talker and without specifically threatening the elder Black's remaining progeny in Hogwarts he managed to convey their vulnerability to similarly aged and powerful men. A few moments of pleasant topical discourse followed before Cygnus one again turned his attention towards me.

"Hmm, it appears that my daughter is most vexed with your deft wand-arm young man. I do hope you will continue to spar with Bellatrix? If she doesn't get it all out her system I fear she'll be terror incarnate in the summer." The man smiled a yellowed grin, "There are of course only so many times you can obliviate your neighbors before their wits leave them entirely."

I wasn't exactly sure what the man was implying. Did Bellatrix just throw around flashy magics that couldn't be explained away? Did she do things to the muggles?

The man left it so wonderfully vague.

Instead of accepting his premise my path formulated a question for the man, "Could I ask if there is a particular tutor in the dueling arts you could recommend? Bellatrix pressed me sufficiently for me to conclude she was rather well trained, sir."

There. A question and a challenge rolled up into one. I guess I could somewhat grasp where the mind-voice was taking me but I already felt nervous. I just implied that her best was only enough to make pay attention. I wonder how the man would take it?

"Most certainly, young man. In fact, why don't you come by, some time after the first week of summer, and I shall present her for your pleasure."

Oh, that wasn't so bad. Why was Lucius paling?

His smile turned positively predatory when he continued, "I'm quite certain dear Aunt Cassiopeia would be more than willing to take such a promising student under her wing. Even if only for an afternoon."

The man gestured his farewell and seemed to make way to Slughorn's floo connection. Lucius, however, was still beyond pale and...was that genuine worry I sighted crossing his eyes? Perhaps that last might be somewhat ominous if you squinted at it but I didn't quite understand the concern here.

Without saying anything he gripped my upper arm and just held on tightly.

I let the path fall away, turned to him, and asked, "What's wrong? What are you doing, Lucius?"

He shook his head slowly and after a brief moment of silence said, "I'm holding on to you Severus. I'm quite literally just holding on to you so I can literally pull you back from future stupid mistakes like that."

I could tell he was genuinely upset because he repeated himself. Lucius never repeated himself.

"Uhm, I don't really follow."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Lucius pulled me closer to him. When I was closer to the unfairly handsome wizard than I was perfectly comfortable with he whispered, "Cassiopeia Black, Severus, is the sole reason the Low Countries didn't fall to Grindelwald before Dumbledore got off his boney ass." He ceased whispering and furiously bit out, "She may be approaching frailty now but I do certainly hope you comprehend why I'm worried about you, you stupid boy!"

Oh.

I felt silence for a moment while I considered the implications.

A minute passed and then another.

I thought very loud and very hard at the back of my mind, 'How do I keep myself safe at all costs?'

I resolved to never drop that particular path.

Ever.

AN: Wow. Heh. I really enjoyed writing the by-play between Lucius and Severus. I'm not sure canon supports the relationship I'm portraying here but I refuse to believe Severus didn't have at least one good friend.

 

[Sir Rabby]

Chapter 1.10

I once again reflected on my changed circumstances and the way they impacted on the rest of the student population in Slytherin. When I walked out of my shared dormitory I was flanked by Rosier -Evan - and Hephaestus while Avery - Evert- and Wilkins -Richard - seemed content to trail me at a short distance. The two boys walking besides me were talking my ear off about some subject or other, I wasn't paying much attention, but it was a clear indication at the shifting social structure within my year group.

These shifts also occurred in the rest of Slytherin as I was made aware by all the nodding, smiling and cheerful greeting my wonderful mind-voice had me doing. People whom I had never spoken to before wished me a pleasant morning, others simply settled for waving at me, while the majority kept their gazes on me as they furiously whispered to each other.

We passed through the common rooms and I swear I could feel every last one of their gazes follow me around. The most burning among those was Bellatrix's who seemed to be whispering to Narcissa out of the corner of her mouth as she refused to look away from me.

"I can't believe you cured werewolf-ism, Severus! This sounds like something you might want to share with your roomies!"

Ah, Hephaestus and his tendency to shorten words. I'd think it was simply a case of laziness but the way he so diligently tried to work them into each of comments meant that he knew it annoyed me. He also quite clearly didn't seem to give a proverbial rat's arse.

I merely rolled my eyes and said, "I'll keep that in mind for future discoveries, Hephaestus. Keeping you informed will be my very first concern. Also, it's called Lycanthropy."

He slapped me on my back and replied, "See to it that you do, Sevvy. Also, I don't care!"

Oh gods.

Save me.

Eventually we made it to the Great Hall in time for breakfast and the path once again asserted itself. I was directed to the middle of the table, usually reserved for seventh years, and while my – I hesitated to call them my posse but that's what the boys in my dorm had been reduced to – posse was not entirely comfortable with it they still followed me there.

Wonder over the wonder the already present seventh years cleared out a space for us and belatedly I noticed I had somehow managed to end up straight across from Bellatrix Black.

The brunette flashed me a grin and said, "Morning, Severus."

I matched her smile and simply replied, "Likewise, Bellatrix."

Fortunately that was the end of it as Dumbledore snapped his fingers and perpetrated his most egregious misdirection. I remember seeing him do that on my first night in Hogwarts and being in awe of the wizened old fellow who snapped all this food in existence. The next day I spent hours in the library researching how to conjure food, only to be gripped with a severe case of disappointment when I came across Gramp's law. Figuring out afterward that the Hogwarts House Elves both prepared and transported the feasts wasn't a pleasant realization either.

I was just enjoying my second helping of bacon when the morning post arrived and the mind-voice in the back of my head asserted itself loudly. When a post owl got within a feet or three of me I raised my wand at the nondescript and plain looking brown owl, banished its package out the bird's grip, and with another swish encased the package with a clear cube that resembled plastic.

I was rather confused until seconds later as it fell in front of me and I could from up close spot the miniature explosion. Hephaestus and Evan looked on in amazement as the explosions kept rocking the clear plastic box but my hastily assembled defenses seemed to be holding up.

Out of nowhere Dumbledore appeared in a flash of flames, took the box, and once again departed in the same bright orange flames.

Dead silence.

The timing couldn't have been worse. Just as everyone was paying attention to my smiling, and waving, picture on the cover of the Daily Prophet the entire Hall turned to me as one. I smiled brightly at no one in particular and hoped they would soon stop staring at me.

Why does this only work when the path wants it?!

Hephaestus loudly piped up, "Blimey, Severus. Do you reckon I have egg on my face?"

I wildly threw my head backwards and bellowed out a hysterical laugh at his antics. The fact that I couldn't rightly tell whether he was joking, or truly was this egotistical, was simply the icing on the cake. The brief sharp spike of tension deflated and that was the moment the Headmaster reappeared.

The man had a curious glint in his eye as he stared me down.

God damn it.

I was still laughing and the old white beard seemed to crack a smile as well.

"It's good that you can laugh this off, Severus. Please do not let the actions of a few deluded souls stop you from attempting to accomplish a great amount of good, my dear boy."

Oh.

Oh.

"Thank you, sir." I smiled widely at the man, "I hadn't planned on it!"

The Headmaster stared at me some more, nodded as if he reached a conclusion, and slowly made his way back to the teacher's dais where he was immediately beset by Professor Slughorn. The man was quite probably lambasting the Headmaster for acting too slowly, or failing to update the wards, or something. I'm sure he has nightmares about losing such a prized possession such as myself.

It might reflect badly on him.

I considered that for a moment and rejected it. I shouldn't be so negative, the man went to great lengths to help soften my recently acquired fame, and I should at least try to be more grateful about it. I resolved to privately thank the man later and turned back to my bacon.

Bellatrix still hadn't looked away from me and made her presence known again.

"How did you know to look out for that, Severus?"

Was it me was that just a touch more respect creeping into her voice? And how was I getting out of this?

Almost without meaning to I blurted out what the path provided, as I had no clue how to answer that on my own, and said, "There's a little Seer in me."

After which I turned back to my bacon.

Just before I could take a bite of it though she continued, "I don't mean to be rude, Severus, but the Princes have never had a Seer in their line."

Once again I let the path take over, "Quite true, Bella, but I do have more than one parent."

Lightning fast I reached to save the bacon tray from Evert's projectile snorting of pumpkin juice and dumped half of it my own plate. Bellatrix's eyes widened comically, yet again, because I might have in inadvertently used a rather familiar appellation with her.

Or perhaps it was because I showcased yet another mild care of future-seeing. Huh, I could have sworn there was a better word for that. Oh, yes. Precognition.

Hephaestus stared at me. Evert stared at me. Bellatrix stared at me.

I was rapidly resigning myself to this becoming a recurring event.

The brunette still hadn't touched her food but did manage to find the will to ask, "Again, I don't mean to offend you, Sevvy." - I couldn't rein in the violent flinch, Hephaestus' own snort didn't help matters either -, "But I was under the impression you had a muggle father."

It didn't sound like a question but it was. I was sure of it. At this point I did infact notice how strange I was being but I saw no reasonable way of out this without trusting my path yet again.

I smiled, much like a simpleton, and replied, "Again, you're quite right, Bella."

Was the path having me claim that one of my father's ancestors was a fortune teller? Was I advertising some sort of gypsy heritage? I was lost but like I thought before...I saw no reasonable path out of this. I might as well batter through the awkwardness.

Bella's gaze had taken on an especially burning quality, "Is your father a squib, Severus?"

Ah, it seems she simply decided to skip over the pleasantries and went straight for the throat. Somehow this felt exceptionally fitting for her. My mind-voice counseled silence for precisely thirteen seconds, and blessedly directed me to finish chewing slowly, after which I was to say in a particularly blase tone.

I shrugged and said, "Who knows these things really?"

I saw the girl valiantly battle a facial tick of her own but otherwise she seemed to take the matter in stride.

Another few seconds passed before she forcefully stood up, stepped back and turned on her heels, and she strode rapidly but dignified out of the Great Hall. I ventured a glance over to her sister, Narcissa, and did as my path instructed me.

I winked at her.

Slowly.

Oh. Good. God.

Why?