Chapter Seventeen: Tobias
Eileen's death meant there was no longer any money for Wizarding expenses, such as Severus' Hogwarts tuition and expenses, and potions ingredients to make Tobias' medicines. Tobias' income provided the Muggle money the Snapes needed to pay their taxes on the house, buy food and clothes, and other general living expenses. However, there wasn't enough Muggle money left over to be worthwhile exchanging for Galleons and Sickles and Knuts.
It also made the house at Spinner's End very uncomfortable for a Muggle. Eileen's magic had made a reasonable substitute for electricity. Lumos charms provided light, other charms provided a refrigerated cupboard, and so on. Now the lack of electricity would be a severe hardship, just when there was no money to spare.
*********************************
Severus knocked on the door to his uncle's house. Aunt Gwen answered the door. "Come in, Severus," she said, pleasantly enough.
He stepped straight into the sitting room, where his uncle was sitting reading the Daily Prophet while his youngest son played on the floor.
Severus Prince looked up. "Hello, Severus, are you going to join us for dinner?" he asked.
"I don't think so. I have to get back to Da," his namesake answered. "But I need to talk to you about some things, now that Mum's gone."
Uncle Severus looked uncomfortable as he asked, "What things?"
"Da can't live in that house alone. Or at least, he needs someone to check up on him, and renew the charms and stuff."
"I thought he was planning to move in with his brother," the man said.
"Come on, you know what their house is like!" said Severus, unable to keep some of the anger from his voice. "Just go over on the weekends and keep the house spelled, can't you do that? Or do I have to ask Uncle Hadrian?"
"Severus, Hadrian has young children at home. And so do I. I don't think I can."
"What do you mean?" Severus asked, his pale face going even paler.
"We've been ... visited," his uncle said. "By people who didn't like to see a Muggle at your mum's funeral. We've been told to stay away from Tobias."
"Then I ... I'll go ask Grandma Prince," Severus stuttered.
"She's got grandchildren to worry about," he answered. "Look, Severus, I like your da, I really do, you know that. And if he really didn't have any other options, I'd do what I could, Hadrian and I both would, and your Grandma too. But Tobias has his brother. He doesn't have to live in that house. And I'm not going to endanger my little boy, or the rest of the family, for him."
Severus' face went impassive, as it normally was at Hogwarts. "I see," he said coolly. "Well, I better be going home."
"Come by any time," his uncle said. "You know you're always welcome here."
But not my Muggle father, thought Severus. "Thanks," he said, as he left for home.
**************************************
It was Sunday. Tomorrow Uncle Severus would Side-Along Apparate him back to Hogwarts.
"I can quit Hogwarts, and stay home," Severus was saying to his father, as they sat at the kitchen table eating sandwiches. "I'll brew potions to make some money for potions ingredients, and then in a couple of years, when I'm old enough, I'll work at the apothecary like Mum did."
"You'll do no such thing," Tobias answered angrily. "You will finish your education at Hogwarts! I'm arranging terms with Professor Dumbledore to pay your tuition and expenses."
"But, Da!" interjected Severus. "You can't live here alone, without any magical person. You need me here."
"Your Uncle Rafe has offered to let me stay with his family. I'm considering it. I still have a job, I could help with their house payments and expenses."
"They have no room!" Severus exclaimed. There were three bedrooms in his Uncle's house. The master bedroom, one room shared by the two boys, and one room for the three girls.
"I would sleep in the boys' room. Rafe says he can build a bunk bed for the boys to make room, like he did for the girls."
"And this house?"
Tobias sighed. "I don't know. It's got so much magic in it, it can only be sold to another magical person or be destroyed. Obviously, I can't afford to have it demolished, and I don't know if I can find a buyer."
"What if you stay here, and I come home every weekend? To renew the charms and stuff?"
"And how are you going to get here every weekend? We can't pay for Knight Bus round trips to Hogwarts every week."
"I'll Apparate," said his son.
"You're only fourteen! You can't get your license until you're seventeen."
"I'll be fifteen in January. They'll make an exception for me," the boy insisted, stubbornly.
**************************************
Professor Dumbledore considered the request of the Slytherin boy sitting on the other side of the desk from him in his office.
"What about your uncles? Or your grandmother?" he asked.
"They've been threatened by Lord Voldemort's people," Severus answered. "They don't want to risk it. They say he can move in with his brother."
"That sounds like a reasonable alternative," the Headmaster said.
Severus dropped his head, suddenly feeling very tired, as he recognized himself having the same conversation he had had with his uncle. "They're very crowded," he said softly. "I'd like to keep my father in his own house, if at all possible."
"Severus, you are asking me to let a fourteen year old -- "
"Fifteen in January."
"--- nearly fifteen year old boy Apparate without adult supervision. And you would need to be exempted from the law for Underage Wizardry as well."
"But they do grant exemptions, sir. There's an allowance for children with Muggle relatives, when they turn fifteen."
"If they are deemed mature enough and responsible enough," Dumbledore added. "You have a history of detentions for unprovoked attacks, Mr. Snape. That doesn't sound responsible to me."
Severus had been afraid of this. "I'm sorry, sir," he said, black eyes boring into blue eyes, willing Dumbledore to understand his predicament.
"You don't usually act on your own initiative, do you, Severus?" the Headmaster asked gently.
Severus shook his head slowly. Did he understand?
"And that's the problem, son," he continued. "What might you be asked to do if they knew you could Apparate outside Hogwarts, unsupervised, on a regular basis? Without the restriction on your use of magic?"
Severus sucked in a breath, and his eyes widened. He hadn't thought of that. How could he not have thought of that!
"Is your father planning to sell the house?" he asked, noting the boy's response with satisfaction. He hadn't been pulled in too far yet.
"He'd like to. It's hard for a Muggle to find a magical buyer by himself, though," Severus said softly, with a twinge of bitterness.
"Severus, I cannot grant your request," the Headmaster said, "but I will do what I can to keep your father in that house."
Severus lowered his eyes in disappointment. "Thank you, sir," he murmured, expecting nothing more to come of it.
******************************
Albus Dumbledore bought the house on Spinner's End, and rented it to Tobias Snape for the cost of paying the yearly taxes. He sent one of the Hogwarts house-elves over on a weekly basis to keep the house in good repair. When the Headmaster called the boy in again a few days later to tell him the arrangements, Severus thanked him softly, with tears in his eyes.
*******************************
Author's Notes
Nothing in canon mentions that an underage wizard or witch can be exempted from the restrictions on Underage Wizardry, or allowed to get their Apparition license early. I'm basing this on the concept of Juvenile Emancipation in the United States, whereby a minor can gain some adult privileges before reaching the age of majority, and from many farm states in the United States where farm children are (or have been) allowed to get driver's licenses as early as 14 years old.
Posted by Madmaxime at October 11, 2006 02:42 PM