Author's note:
This story came out of this quote from my fic, "The Highest Value", Chapter Two, "Patronage": "Tobias taught him Snape family lore."
Here is one of the stories Tobias told his son, Severus Salazar Snape. I'm using what I hope are some Manchester spellings to evoke a Manchester sound, but otherwise the idioms are all American midwest as far as I know.
t'other = the other
childer = children
in't = in the
on't = on the
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People talk about the four Founders of Hogwarts, but not everyone knows it was Salazar Slytherin who had the idea for a school to train magical children. He convinced his best friend, Godric Gryffindor, that it would be a glorious undertaking. Together, they brought in Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff to join them and that made four.
Now, what Salazar wanted was a place where wizards and witches could use their magic without worrying about the reactions of Muggles. What kind of world would they create if the use of their magic could be unfettered? Salazar imagined a new and unique culture centered round magic.
Now, at that time most magical people lived right alongside of Muggle folks. How open they were about their magic depended on the attitude of their Muggle neighbors. Most villages saw the magically gifted as just another specialty, like blacksmithing. You didn't really want more than one or two blacksmiths to a village, but then every village wanted at least one, and it was the same way with magical folk. On t'other hand, some villages persecuted their magical folk. And then a very few villages started to "specialize" in magic, like Hogsmeade did.
Now the first students for Hogwarts came from those villages that "specialized" in magic. It was a lot easier to identify magical people there and those were also the folks most interested in the idea of magical training and magical culture. In fact some people had even taken to bragging that their whole family tree included only witches and wizards. Of course, records weren't the best back then, so it wasn't all that easy to prove one way or t'other. Still, it was very common for a family in a village like Hogsmeade to be able to count only witches and wizards back to their grandparents, which in those days was often all it took to establish "pure" magical blood.
So it turned out that most of the students when Hogwarts started out were "pureblood" witches and wizards, although no one really thought much about it much one way or t'other.
Now, when the four friends founded Hogwarts, they decided to keep it hidden from Muggles. They were all aware of the binges of persecution that magical people were subject to from time to time and, besides, a main point of Hogwarts was to allow magical people to be easy about using their magic.
Now, there was no problem at the beginning, when the students came from villages like Hogsmeade. There were some students with a Muggle parent or grandparent living with them, which made Salazar a bit nervous. After all, you couldn't exactly forbid a Muggle parent from visiting the school, although Salazar actually did make an attempt to do just that. But such a child at least had one magical parent and sometimes both, so Salazar comforted himself that the risk wasn't too great. But he was still more comfortable with purebloods, who had nothing but magical parents and grandparents.
But then, something happened to bring the question of Muggle relatives to the fore, and wouldn't you know, it involved a family by the name of Snape.
Now Ezekiel Snape was a Muggle who had married a witch. They had several childer, all magical and sent them all to Hogwarts. And he had a brother named Mordecai, also a Muggle, who married a Muggle woman called Grace. They had several childer as well. Now since the brothers and their families lived in't same village, they saw each other quite a bit, and their childer played together until, one by one, round about the age of eleven, Ezekiel's childer went off to Hogwarts and Mordecai's childer went off to apprenticeships.
But it just so happened that Mordecai's third child, a boy by the name of Josiah, began showing magical breakthroughs at about the age of five. Now, most Muggle couples tended to be spooked when this happened or else managed to explain it away. But Mordecai and his wife had already seen three or four of their nephews and nieces go through the process, so they weren't the least bit put out by it. Wizarding was a decent and respectable occupation and when Josiah was going on ten, they sent to Hogwarts to arrange for his schooling.
At first, the founders didn't realize that Josiah Snape's parents were both Muggles. You see, they'd sent their letters to the school using Ezekiel's owl. But then a problem came up when it was time for the parents to actually visit the school, and Mordecai and Grace owled for instructions on how to get there.
The first owl back mentioned the best route to take by broom and noted that if there were a Muggle parent or grandparent along, they would have to be accompanied by a witch or wizard to get on't school grounds.
Well, Mordecai and Grace weren't planning to go by broom, of course, but they could work around that. But you see, Ezekiel didn't really want to take time out to go all the way to Scotland, so Mordecai and Grace owled back and asked what the instructions were when both parents were Muggles.
Now back then, there were few enough students that all four founders reviewed each one, and when they got that last owl from Mordecai and Grace, it caused quite a stir. Of course, they all knew that sometimes two Muggles had a magical child, but it hadn't come up yet at Hogwarts.
Helga didn't think it was much of a problem. They just needed to arrange for someone from the school to meet the Snapes. Rowena was already planning tests to determine if there were any magical differences that could be attributed to all Muggle parentage. And Godric thought it would a grand adventure for the boy to enter into a completely magical world.
But Salazar was livid.
The more he looked over the letters from and about the Snapes, the less he liked it. Not only were both Josiah's parents Muggles -- he and his uncle's family were the only magical people in't village. Which wasn't nearly enough for the village to be a specialized "magic" village, but with all of Ezekiel's childer, was way too many to be stable for such a small village. It didn't help that two villages within a day's ride of the Snapes had recently "purged" their magical folk. The way Salazar saw it, bringing Josiah Snape to Hogwarts was just a disaster waiting to happen. The Muggles in his village would get nervous about all those magical Snapes and turn on them. And then Ezekiel or Mordecai or Grace would give in to the pressure and tell them all where Hogwarts was and the school would come under attack.
Finally, Godric convinced Salazar to take in Josiah as a test case.
Well, Salazar got quite a surprise when Josiah showed up and took his sorting tests. That was back before the Sorting Hat, of course, so the process took several days and included interviews with all four founders. Well, the results made it quite clear that Josiah was a Slytherin through and through and he ended up in't House of the founder who'd tried to keep him from attending in't first place!
Godric was tickled pink. And for several years, the "test case" seemed to be a great success. Josiah turned out to be one of Salazar's best students and they both shared a common love for wizarding culture. Truth to tell, Josiah was one of Salazar's favorites, but he was popular with the other students as well since he didn't brag about it. And because if someone needed a favor with the Slytherin founder, Josiah could usually be counted on to put in a good word.
Well, around Josiah's fourth year, another Muggle-born came to the attention of Hogwarts, and since things had gone so well with the Snape boy, they let young Penelope Jones attend, too. By the time Josiah took his NEWTs and graduated, there were seven Muggle-born students set to attend Hogwarts the next year, and that counted one Muggle-born first year too.
It was three years after Josiah graduated that the crisis hit. It turned out that Penelope's mother's cousin on her father's side came to the conclusion that magic was the work of the devil. That's what he claimed, anyway, although Penelope's mother thought it might have had something to do with Penelope refusing to brew a love potion for him.
The exact scenario that Salazar had worried about back when Josiah came to Hogwarts seemed to be unfolding before his eyes. The cousin got together a group of Muggles with sticks and rocks and farm implements, and dragging Penelope along, set off for Hogwarts. They made good progress that first day, but then things started going downhill for the little group. Penelope, of course, had been brought against her will, and when she got a chance, she managed a Stupefy or two and hightailed it out of there.
The rest of the group still made it to the approximate location of Hogwarts after another five days of steady walking, but it didn't do them much good. Helga kept all the students off the grounds and in't castle proper, while Godric kept watch. The Muggle group wandered around and camped out for four days, then gave up and headed for home.
Godric thought the whole fiasco was just so funny and would lay to rest his friend's fears about letting the Muggle-born attend Hogwarts. It was just the opposite, of course. Salazar was convinced that all his fears had been justified and that they were just fortunate that this time the Muggles hadn't been able to get through.
Finally, Salazar put his foot down. Either the Muggle-borns would go or he would. He was reasonable though -- he agreed to let the Muggle-borns already at Hogwarts stay. Godric screamed and steamed and fumed at his friend and tried both honey and vinegar, but Salazar would not be moved. So on a very sad day, some fifteen years after the initial founding of Hogwarts, Salazar picked up and left.
Well, they needed a new Slytherin Head of House, so who do you think they picked? Josiah Snape, Salazar's Muggle-born favorite! He came back to Hogwarts to teach Defense against the Dark Arts and head up Slytherin House. And he made it one of his life's goals to bring old Salazar Slytherin back to Hogwarts where he belonged. Right along with all those Muggle-borns that scared him so much.
And the fact is, it took round about three decades, but Josiah did bring Salazar back, although by that time he wasn't really up to teaching full time. He moved back into the castle, though, continued his research and took on the occasional star pupil for special tutoring.
Josiah himself continued as Head of Slytherin House and Defense against the Dark Arts Master until he was 103 and then retired back to his home village. Since that time, most of the Snapes are still Muggles, but every third generation or so, one will be a witch or a wizard and then you can be sure he or she will end up in Slytherin House.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
Chapter Sixteen: Eileen
It was a Tuesday in October. Eileen had finished up at the Apothecary, and made her way out to Muggle London through the Leaky Cauldron. As she walked down the street to the place she usually chose to Apparate back home, a bomb exploded.
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So far, Severus had managed to delay the inevitable. His first major assignment from Avery was to brew a love potion, to be administered to a beautiful sixth year from Ravenclaw. It had taken him a month to procure the ingredients. The fourth year boys' dormitory had been rearranged to make room for a work table for Severus and his cauldron - that had taken another week to organize. And the potion itself would take one month, full moon to full moon, to brew. But he should be able to start it during the full moon this week, which meant that towards the end of November, it should be ready.
The Cruciatus Curse was another matter. Avery had smuggled him a book with the instructions for that, and many other dark curses. As Severus read through it, he began to realize the difference between the childish hexes and jinxes he and his fellow students used, and real Dark magic. A Dark curse didn't just cause harm; it revelled in it. It was magic powered with malice and hatred and a pure delight in agony and humiliation.
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The police and other emergency personnel arrived at the scene of the bomb blast within minutes. The injured were shuttled off in an ambulance to hospital. The dead were set carefully out of the way until they could be taken to the morgue.
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Tobias was worried. Eileen had not come home yet. As he set about putting something together for supper, someone knocked on the front door. When he got to the door, he saw his older brother, Raphael.
"Toby, is Eileen home?" Raphael asked. "Pam insisted I come over and check. You really should get a telephone."
"No she isn't," anwered Tobias, "and she should be. What made Pam think she might not be home yet?"
"It's been on the telly. There's been another bombing in London, and she thinks it looks close to where Eileen works. Toby, you've got to come over to our place, I think we need to make some calls."
"I'll be by in just a minute. Let me contact Eileen's people first."
Raphael knew his brother was one of the eldritch Snapes, but it still made him shiver a bit. One part of him wondered how Toby was going to contact Eileen's people without a phone and without leaving the house, and another part thought it was probably best not to know. That Toby would indeed be able to contact the Princes he had no doubt whatsoever. "OK, but if you're not there in half an hour, I'm coming back for you."
"Thanks, Rafe," Tobias said. He went up to their bedroom, and took a small hand mirror out of a drawer. "Severus Prince!" he called.
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Severus Prince, Eileen's oldest brother, lived a few streets over. He had a low level position at the Gringotts branch in Manchester. His three eldest children were grown and out of the house. The youngest, a "change of life" baby, was five years old and still at home. The boy came running into the sitting room, waving a hand mirror, and shouting. "It's Uncle Toby, come see, Da, it's Uncle Toby!"
Severus grabbed the mirror, and sent his son into the kitchen to Mummy. "What's wrong, Toby?" he asked the face in the mirror. They reserved this form of communication for emergencies.
"Eileen's not back from London, and there's been a Muggle bombing close to the Leaky Cauldron. I'm going over to my brother's to make some calls, but could you do something to check in the meantime?"
"Shite! Keep the mirror with you. I'll Apparate over to London and check it out. Call back and check in as soon as you can."
"Right." Toby pocketed the mirror, and rushed out the door. By the time he had traveled the block over to Raphael's house, he was totally out of breath.
"Gwen, Eileen might be in trouble. I'm going over to London," Severus called to his wife, and then disappeared with a loud crack.
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Tobias sat in Rafe's sitting room, his face in his hands. It looked like Eileen's body had been identified at the scene of the bomb blast. The Muggle authorities wanted him to come to London to make positive identification, and bring the body back to Spinner's End.
He took the train to London. From the train station, he took the tube to the morgue, where he identified Eileen's body. The shrapnel had spared her face, at least. Tobias was met there by Severus Prince. Eileen's brother had transfigured a bench into a hearse, and identified himself to the people at the morgue as a mortician. After Tobias signed for the body, Severus and Tobias brought it out and laid it carefully in the "hearse." The wizard then apparated the body back to the Snape sitting room.
He was met there by his parents from a few streets over, and his other brother, Hadrian, who had Apparated over from the Hebrides Islands, where he had a job helping the MacFusty clan manage their dragons.
"I can't stay yet," he told them. "I've got to get back to London to wrap up a few loose ends, and take care of Tobias." He apparated back to the "hearse" with a crack.
Tobias was leaning against the outside of the "hearse" when Severus opened the door and stepped out again. He cast an Obfuscation Charm on the area around the hearse, so no passing Muggles would notice what he was doing, and then transfigured it back to a bench.
Now that they had taken care of everything that needed to be done for the time being, the two men sat down on the bench, and the reaction set in. Tobias crumpled, and wept uncontrollably on his brother-in-law's shoulder. Severus Prince put an arm around him, and his own tears fell, more quietly.
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After classes that day, Severus was called to the Headmaster's office. When he walked into the room, he saw Uncle Hadrian standing next to Dumbledore, a serious look on his face.
"Severus, please sit down," Albus said, waving him to the couch. "I'm afraid we have bad news."
Hadrian Prince went over, seated himself next to the boy and turned so he could face him. "Eileen ... your mother ... she's been killed."
Shock and disbelief followed each other over Severus' face. "Voldemort's people?" Severus asked, with a hitch in his voice.
"No," his uncle answered with a grim smile. "It was a Muggle bomb. Tobias ... your father ... says some Muggle group has been planting them in London recently. With no particular target, except whoever happens to be there when they go off."
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Severus stopped back at his dormitory, grabbed his formal robe for the funeral and some books, and stuffed them in his book bag. On his way out through the common room, he found Avery and let him know he was going home for his mother's funeral. He would not be able to start Avery's potion this month.
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Author's note
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/17/newsid_2514000/2514827.stm According to the BBC: "1974 was one of the deadliest years in the IRA's mainland bombing campaign." There was a London bombing on October 22, 1974, which was on a Tuesday. However, I don't know if it would have been anywhere near the Leaky Cauldron, and there were no fatalities from that bomb.
According to "Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them," the MacFusty clan live in the Hebrides Islands and traditionally care for the Hebridean Black dragons of the islands.
There is nothing in canon that I am aware of that mentions any siblings for either Eileen or Tobias, so those are my own invention. I chose Raphael for the name of Tobias' brother, because there is a Raphael in the book of Tobit. I chose Hadrian for Eileen's other brother's name, because Emperor Severus is connected with rebuilding / repairing Hadrian's wall. "Pam" and "Gwen" are supposed to sound like lower class women's names from the 70's.
There is also no mention in canon, as far as I know, of a branch of Gringott's in Manchester, or anywhere else.
Chapter Fifteen: Avery
The Snapes were getting used to bad news. In February, the IRA had planted a bomb on a private coach in nearby Manchester. It had exploded on the way to an army base in Catterick, North Yorkshire, killing 12 people. And over the summer, there were several bombings in London. The bombs couldn't touch Diagon Alley itself, but Eileen still had to Apparate outside the Alley somewhere in Muggle London.
And of course, the mills continued to close down. And Tobias' breathing problems had reached to Wednesday. But he was still employed.
On the other hand, while there was an increasing level of harassment of Muggle-borns and the few related Muggles who visited Diagon Alley, there had been no actual fatalities there as yet.
For the first time, Severus actually felt a sense of dread, both on leaving his parents back in Spinner's End, and going to Hogwarts for his fourth year where one of Regulus Black's cronies, sixth year Avery, would be the ranking Slytherin. Every item in his trunk was protected with carefully cast wards.
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Lucius and Rodolphus were having tea in the solarium at Malfoy Manor. It had become common knowledge that Regulus Black called the shots at Hogwarts. There was more at stake now than a grungy factory boy with a talent for hexes. This was a direct challenge to Malfoy's power as a patron. Lucius had prided himself on not just taking his father's network for granted, but building up his own as well. This was a test of whether he could also maintain it on his own.
"I think you should seriously consider whether Snape has become a liability," Lestrange was saying. "His ancestry is questionable, to say the least. Yes, he does have talents, but they're not irreplaceable. Do you really want a war over him?"
"That's not the point, Roddy. Snape is mine. You wouldn't tell me to look the other way, or make nice, if Reggie broke in here," he said, indicating the solarium with a wave of his arm, "and started smashing windows."
"The problem is, how do you control Reggie without coming straight out in favor of low-bloods? That's how it will be read, you know."
"But why?!" Lucius slammed his fist on the white wicker tea table in frustration, which didn't even make a satisfying thud, but just gave way before the young man's fist. "Do you have any idea of how many people I'd lose if I suddenly started abandoning everyone like Snape? This is what that so-called 'Lord' Voldemort is preaching, isn't it?"
"Not exactly, Lucius," Lestrange answered. "Yes, he talks a good game for the Blacks, and he certainly realizes pure-bloods aren't getting the respect they deserve. But that's not the main thing he has to offer. He's working on immortality itself!"
"A Philosopher's Stone?"
"I don't think so. But whatever it is, he's made considerable progress. Isn't that worth considering?"
"Are you trying to recruit me? Don't tell me you've already joined?"
"Bella's been pressuring me to, and the more I think about it, the more sense it makes. But I don't want to commit myself if you disapprove. You have the prior claim to my loyalties, as always."
"If I join this Lord Voldemort, what will happen to my people whose blood isn't pure enough?"
"Your people will be your people. Lord Voldemort is more interested in getting the right pure-blood families behind him than interfering with how you deal with inferiors. And it could be a way to take care of Reggie as well."
"Really? How so?"
"He idolizes this Lord Voldemort. When, I mean if, you join him, the first thing he'll do is tell Reggie to stop undermining you at Hogwarts and with your people. That war will be won almost before it begins in earnest."
Lucius paused, seriously considering the possibility. "I am not ruling it out, but I am also not prepared to commit myself yet. What is your backup plan?"
Lestrange sighed. So close! But patience, patience. "Well, here are some ideas," he began.
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Severus noticed that the definition of what was considered "dark" varied. If one of Potter's gang used a jinx or a hex, that was "just a joke." If he used exactly the same jinx or hex, it was "dark." Despite his reputation of interest in the Dark Arts, Severus had gotten to his fourth year at Hogwarts without ever using any magic that was unquestionably dark.
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Avery had been lusting after this position ever since he had arrived at Hogwarts. Now, he was going to call the shots. Black had been useful to get around Crabbe, but now Crabbe was no longer in the picture, so he no longer needed Black. That business with Lupin had been unfortunate. He certainly didn't want to impede Snape's ability to act. No, indeed, he wanted to make full use of the fourth year's considerable talents.
Severus entered the sixth year boy's dormitory. His face was schooled to polite indifference, and he was prepared to see Black and Crouch, or at least Black, whispering in the new ranking Slytherin's ear. Instead, he found himself alone with Avery, who was sitting in a comfortable armchair set against the one wall that had no beds. He realized, abruptly, that none of his other bosses at Hogwarts had ever deigned to deal with him personally. Lucius had worked through Lestrange, Narcissa through the Rosiers, and Crabbe through those blasted notes.
Avery drew up another, less impressive armchair, for Snape. "Severus, so glad to see you," he said pleasantly. "Please, sit down."
This was another first. Severus usually dealt with his superiors standing up. Part of him was pleased, but most of him was suspicious. Avery hadn't been so friendly last year.
"I'd like to make sure we get the year off to a good start," began Avery. "I realize there was some ... unpleasantness ... last year because of Crabbe, and yes, Black. But I plan to make some changes this year. And I want you to be part of them."
Severus remained still for a moment. Was Avery trying to trick him into saying something disloyal about Crabbe or Black? "I'm sure Crabbe did what the situation required," he said carefully. "As I'm sure you will."
Avery smiled broadly. The boy certainly is discreet. He remembered Malfoy crowing over the new addition to his patronage several years back at some obligatory pure-blood function. Discreet. And compliant, he remembered.
"Of course, Severus. And Regulus will too, when he's a seventh year. But that's still a few years off. I think you'll find I take a different approach than he did."
Severus inclined his head in a slight bow as an answer. Perhaps the next two years wouldn't be as bad as he had feared. Still, he had no idea what Avery wanted from him.
"You're a very talented wizard, Severus. I think I can do a better job putting your talents to use than ... others have chosen to," Avery continued. "Advanced tutoring in Charms, in Potions. And inventive too. I understand that you often come up with your own hexes for your assignments?"
"Yes, sir," Severus answered, still wondering where this was going. Was Avery offering him a position as his lieutenant? In his first year at Hogwarts, he had been naive enough to consider that a possibility at some point during his school career, but first Narcissa and then Black, especially Black, had beaten that idea out of him.
"You're also quite a student of the Dark Arts, aren't you?" Avery continued.
Severus maintained his indifferent expression, but felt a cold lump in the pit of his stomach. Of course Avery wasn't interested in making him his lieutenant. "I'm rather good with jinxes and hexes and curses. That's not precisely the same thing," he demurred.
"No, no, of course not," Avery said, laughing as if Snape had told a fine joke. "Don't tell me you haven't AK'ed a few flies by now. Or tried out a Crucio on some unsuspecting rat."
Severus was on full alert now. He raised his eyebrow, having learned that this was often a good tactic to gain time or get more information from the other person. Was Avery serious, or was he trying to get him expelled?
He had thought about the Unforgivables, of course, and they weren't technically illegal on animals. Or at least not "unforgivable" on animals.
The Cruciatus Curse he had always dismissed out of hand. Its only possible use, other than pure sadism, was to force the victim to tell a secret or to agree to something, and stories told, or agreements made, under such conditions were notoriously unreliable.
The Killing Curse might seem to have its uses, but in an actual fight it, too, was not the best method. It took much too long to say, with so many syllables, and it wouldn't stop the momentum of an already moving body. Impedimenta was the better choice on both counts.
The only Unforgivable that Severus had ever even considered learning was the Imperious.
Avery watched Snape carefully for a reaction. There was no sign of shock or disgust from the other boy. Good. Very good.
"Not that I'd ever ask for anything illegal, of course," said Avery in a tone that told Snape he would in a second if he thought he could get away with it, "but a little Cruciatus on someone's cat or kneazle might not go astray, under certain circumstances."
"I don't think I'd be much use to you if I got expelled. It may not be illegal, but I don't think the Headmaster would like it very much," Severus answered, slowly and carefully, keeping all emotion out of his voice.
"No, of course not," chuckled Avery. "We'd have to be very careful, very careful. And you're quite the man for Potions, too. Only the Gryffindor Mudblood is as good as you, I hear. I could see a use for a little Amortentia now and then. Just to encourage the reluctant, you understand," he added, leering.
"I see," Severus answered in the same careful tone. "I'm afraid that one's a bit beyond me just now." And that was the absolute truth.
"Hmmm, yes, I suppose it would be," mused Avery. "But there are other, less demanding versions I'm sure you could handle. Or maybe even come up with your own variation?"
"That's true," Severus answered. No sense lying, he would just be found out. "Is there something specific you had in mind right now?" he forced himself to ask, dreading the answer.
"No, not just now," Avery said pleasantly. "I just wanted to make sure we understood one another. I think you'll find this year much more pleasant than last."
"I'm sure I will," Snape answered, inclining his head politely to the sixth year.
"Good, good," said Avery. "Could you send in Black on your way out, Severus?"
As he left, Severus considered that the next two years might be even worse than he had feared.
*********************************
Author's note:
The information about the IRA bombings in 1974 is taken from the BBC website.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/february/4/newsid_4148000/4148933.stm
According to the BBC: "1974 was one of the deadliest years in the IRA's mainland bombing campaign."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/june/17/newsid_2514000/2514827.stm
Chapter Fourteen: Consequences
Carlotta Pinkstone was in Hogsmeade, campaigning for lifting the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy. She believed that Muggles should know that wizards still exist. Lily attended one of her speeches.
*********************************
When he had first arrived at Hogwarts, Severus had looked forward to Defense Against the Dark Arts, which he saw basically as an extension of Charms. He did not make a clear distinction between Charms, and that subset of Charms that included Hexes, Jinxes and Curses; or between "acceptable" potions, "dangerous" potions, and "dark" potions. But the continual change-over in Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers meant that the instruction ended up being scattered and inconsistent. Severus felt he could do just as well reading and drawing on Flitwick for help as needed.
Now, though, he started to be more interested in the "Defense" aspects of the class. Last year, under Narcissa Black, he had learned to be more aware of his surroundings as her pettiness led him to be occasionally targeted himself. Simple awareness was not enough anymore. He had attracted a higher caliber of enemy, who could not be cowed with just a look. Now he had the attention of the Marauders.
***************
Gryffindor had Herbology with Ravenclaw, and they were just cleaning up after re-potting the mandrakes. Sirius, as usual, had been flirting, this time with a Ravenclaw who had just been dumped by her fifth year boyfriend. When they finally left the greenhouse, the fifth years were on their way back to the castle from their Care of Magical Creatures class. She spotted her ex boyfriend, and immediately drew Sirius into a very passionate, very public kiss. It was the beginning of Sirius' reputation as a boy who never turned down an opportunity. Or lacked one.
*********************************
Severus knocked on the door to Professor Flitwick's office.
Flitwick opened the door. He hadn't expected to see his top pupil, but then, it did happen from time to time. Just last week, the boy had needed help removing an insulting nickname from the back of his robes. In the second term of his third year, Snape's skill at Charms and particularly his inventiveness were matched only by a few of the professor's NEWT level students. "Come in, Severus," he said.
He motioned the boy to a couch along one wall, and seated himself in the armchair across a coffee table from it. With a silent wave of his wand, biscuits and a pitcher of chilled pumpkin juice wafted in from the other room, together with two goblets. "I was getting ready for a bit of a snack. Care to join me?"
"Thank you, sir," Severus answered, and poured himself some of the pumpkin juice.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" the professor asked.
"I want to learn to cast wards," Severus asked. "Will you teach me?"
Casting wards was fifth year work, which should be covered by the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. But Flitwick wasn't surprised the boy hadn't asked the current teacher. She was a Hufflepuff who believed that students should adhere strictly to the curriculum for the year they were in, and was rather taken aback that most of the other teachers saw no problem with advanced tutoring for their most talented students.
"Certainly," he said.
**********************************
Severus was at a loss. He couldn't exactly fault Potter's gang for wanting revenge for the hex on Lupin, although their real target should have been Regulus Black. By any standard he recognized, that hex had been totally unprovoked. But now, he was in a precarious position. The Marauders had established two very dangerous precedents: first of all, that he could be attacked without reprisal; and secondly, that the way to do it was to gang up on him.
And Severus's hands were tied as far as reprisal was concerned. The only Marauders he might be permitted to touch were Pettigrew and Lupin. The pure-blood leaders were off-limits to him. There was a pure-blood enforcer, fourth year Goyle, who could be called upon. But Crabbe, unsuprisingly, saw nothing that needed enforcement. Regulus Black's crowd had actually joined in the laughter at the Gryffindors' joke.
The results were completely predictable. The first wave involved trying to steal his books -- which ended after three different perpetrators ended up with green, itching hands. Then there were the people who tried to knock him down in the corridors. If constant surveillance of his surroundings was unable to keep him from facing such a situation, he used the Shield Charm and just shoved his way through, even though he risked losing House points or detention by using magic in the halls.
********************************
Make no mistake about it, Remus had been more than happy to play his part in "redecorating" Snape's robes. Forcing him to answer to Snivellus had been his very own improvisation to the proceedings. But as he watched the fallout from the prank, he began to feel uneasy.
When he recovered from the full moon that May, the Slytherin boy was not there for any part of his post transformation treatment. When he asked Madam Pomfrey about him, she said he hadn't been in at all since the fur hexing incident. That was wrong.
********************************
In June, Lucius Malfoy married Narcissa Black. His right hand man from Hogwarts, Rodolphus Lestrange, married her sister Bellatrix.
********************************
Severus sat next to Damocles at the back of the room in Runes class. Other than the now obligatory attempts of the Gryffindors to call him Snivellus, the class was pretty calm. He and Damocles had worked out a procedure for the end of class. The two of them would leave last, so that Severus had his back covered when he left, but also couldn't be jumped when he was the last one left in the classroom.
Remus figured right after Runes was as good a time as any to approach the Slytherin. He was hoping to get Snape alone, but Belby was still hanging around. Well, it might be the best he could do. He came over to Snape's desk, where the other boy was arranging his scrolls, books and quills in his book bag.
"Hi, Severus."
Seeing one of the Marauders approach Snape, Belby immediately moved between the two. "You don't want to be late for your next class, do you, Lupin?" he asked pleasantly enough, but with an edge to his voice.
At the same time, Severus looked up, surprised to hear his first name from Lupin instead of Snivellus. "Do you want something, Lupin?" he asked coolly.
"Madam Pomfrey says you haven't been helping at the Infirmary lately," Remus went on doggedly, despite the cool reception.
"To everyone's relief, no doubt," Severus responded, with the same tone as before.
"No, not everyone's," Remus countered. "Damn it, Snape, can't we just call it even?" He reached out his hand.
Severus took it, his face still impassive. "As you wish. Remus."
The Gryffindor's face brightened visibly at the change to his first name. "Good. I'll be seeing you around, then." He left the classroom feeling that he had done his part to make things right.
"My, my, Severus," said Damocles. "Two Gryffindor friends. Sluggy would be so proud of you. 'To friendship between the Houses!'"
Severus smirked at Belby's perfect imitation of a Slughorn toast.
"More like one and a half," he corrected. "Lupin only recognizes me when the rest of Potter's gang isn't around. And now there's just the small matter of getting the rest of the school to leave me alone."
"To Gryffindor recklessness! Do what you want, and to hell with the consequences!" Belby used Slughorn's manner of speaking and gestures for a toast the Professor would never have made.
Severus laughed. "Here, here!" he said, downing an imaginary glass of butterbeer.
************************************
Remus was glad to see Severus helping in the Infirmary again after his transformation in June.
************************************
Author's note:
Carlotta Pinkstone is on a Famous Wizards card, and was JKR's Wizard of the Month for November 2005. According the HP Lexicon:
Pinkstone, Carlotta (1922 present) "Famous campaigner for lifting the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute of Secrecy and telling Muggles that wizards still exist. Ms Pinkstone has been imprisoned several times for her blatant and deliberate use of magic in public places."
Chapter Thirteen: Aftermath
It was not a good time to be a Muggle-born witch or wizard. Lily Evans remembered how excited she had been to find out about the wizarding world. Now she sometimes wished she had never heard of it. She was afraid for her parents, afraid for her sister. And she couldn't see anyone doing anything about it.
The one person, ironically, who gave her hope was Severus Snape. Dyed in the wool traditional Slytherin that he was, if he thought the attacks on Muggles and Muggle-borns were a strange and fairly recent development, then perhaps it was something that could be fought. In any case, it was something that must be fought.
********************************
James, Sirius, Remus and Peter started calling themselves the Marauders in their third year at Hogwarts, but most of their activity under that guise didn't start until after the incident with Remus. Up until then, James had tried to keep some control over his hatred of Snape. He understood the patronage system and knew how easy it was for a boy of Snape's background to get sucked into it -- especially if he landed in Slytherin. But this time, he had gone too far. There hadn't been even a pretense at a reason for hexing Remus; it was malice, pure and simple. He couldn't stand Snape thinking he could gain by it.
****************
Peter was the lookout. He was always more aware of everything and everyone around him than the other three. When he caught sight of Snape coming toward the library he scampered in ahead of him, and took his place at a table next to the windows, by Remus. That was Lupin's cue.
Remus rose, leaving his books for Peter to bring later, and headed for the door. He deliberately plowed into Snape, who was on his way in, so that the Slytherin's books flew out of his arms and scattered on the floor. Before Snape could pick up all his books, Remus bent down and grabbed one of them, Unfogging the Future. He sat on top of the nearest table and started paging through the text while Snape, who had already gathered his other books, stood and waited.
"Lupin, my book, please," said Severus coolly, when the Gryffindor made no sign of giving it back.
"Did you say something, Snivellus?" asked the other boy.
Severus said nothing, not answering to the name.
"Guess not," said Remus, sat down at the table facing Snape, and continued to look through the book as if it were the most interesting thing he'd seen in a long time.
Severus was tempted to just take his place in the library without it, but he really needed the book and couldn't afford to replace it. "Lupin, may I please have my book back?" he asked again.
Remus looked up from the book. "Did you say something, Snivellus," he repeated.
So that was the game. And now Severus realized he had made an error in judgement. They had attracted the attention of most of the other people in the library. By delaying, he had made sure he would have a nice audience for his humiliation. He schooled his face to blankness and answered, "Yes, I did. I would like my book back, Lupin. Please." It was the first time he had answered to the nickname, and he heard snickers throughout the room.
Remus held the book out but did not get up from the table, forcing Snape to lean over the table to get it. "We're even now," Severus said so quietly that only Lupin could hear.
"You wish," Remus mouthed, barely audible. Then he got up from the table and left.
*********************
Once outside the library, Remus made his way to the corridor where they had agreed to meet afterward. James and Sirius were waiting for him, James having already stashed the Invisibility Cloak in a pocket in his robes.
"Did you have time to do it?" asked Remus.
"Plenty of time," James said with a big grin, and Sirius snickered. "Is Peter still in the library?"
"He was over at the table by the window like we planned. He should be here any minute."
They heard the sound of scurrying feet and Peter came around the corner, arms full of books, choking back laughter. "It's starting to show," he snorted. "Did you see Remus? He was brilliant!"
"When we left, Remus was sitting on a table reading Snape's Divination text," said James.
"He made Snape answer to Snivellus to get his book back," Peter said, and was overcome with another silent laughing fit that brought tears to his eyes.
"And I missed it!" Sirius exclaimed in mock outrage.
*************************
This is not good, thought Severus as he cleared some first years away from his favorite table in the library with a scowl. It was his favorite table because he could sit with his back to the wall, and it gave him a good view of the rest of the library. He couldn't have people grabbing his books like that. After considering what to do for a few moments, he settled on a spell that would make the thief's hands turn green and start itching if he held one for more than five minutes. Satisfied, he turned back to studying.
*************************
Lily caught up with Severus while he was still there. "We need to talk."
He got out his wand. "Muffliato. OK, talk," he said, his tone flat, and his eyes not moving from his text.
She took out a book of her own, her quill, and a scroll to make it look like they were talking about schoolwork. "What was the deal with Remus?"
"He doesn't know?"
"It's not about -."
"No. I ... verified it wasn't that. Lupin really doesn't know?"
"He has no idea."
"I was afraid of that. They told me he did, but it sounded like a lie."
"What was it then?"
"I'm not completely sure myself. I was basically told to shut up and just do it."
"What do you think?"
"I think that Black, Regulus Black, is starting to target Mudbloods and low-bloods. For no other reason. If you're not next, you're definitely in the queue."
"But he's not in charge, is he? I thought Crabbe was."
"Black controls Crabbe."
Lily went silent, absorbing the information. "At this rate, you're going to end up hexing yourself," she said.
Severus finally looked up at Lily with a half-hearted smirk. "Pretty quick for a Gryffindor." He paused, then continued. "I think they're going to use me to harass Mudbloods and low-bloods until I'm such a target I'm no further use to them. Then they're going to drop me."
"What about Lucius Malfoy? He doesn't agree with this shite, does he? Can't he do something?"
"Malfoy isn't here. He's talked to Black, and Black isn't listening. So it comes down to whether he thinks I'm worth a battle with Black. I don't think I am."
"Then you've got to stop doing what they tell you to do."
"Well, that's easy enough," he said sarcastically. "And lose any chance of getting a decent job when I get out of here? There's always the cotton mills. Oh, hang on, they're all closing. That's out, too."
"But Severus, if they're going to drop you anyway, why make more enemies?"
"Because so far I still have Malfoy when I get out of school," he answered fiercely. "And because Regulus Black's isn't the only pure-blood faction at Hogwarts. There's Rosier and Wilkes, and they've got an alliance with MacMillan over in Hufflepuff. If I can get through the rest of this year, and two years of Avery, I'll have Wilkes in my sixth year and Rosier in my seventh."
Severus went back to his homework, and Lily left for the Gryffindor common room.
********************
Severus stayed in the library until almost dinner time. As he made his way to the Great Hall, he was aware of snickers and giggling as he passed other people on his way there. Word gets around fast, he thought.
He went over to sit by Rosier at the Slytherin table, passing Regulus Black and Crouch on the way, who also erupted in snickers. It showed an appalling lack of Slytherin solidarity, but he wasn't surprised.
Rosier noticed the snickers Snape was getting and wondered what it was. When the other boy went past him to get to the free chair on his other side, he saw it, and pursed his lips. So Black and Crouch thought this was funny, did they? He transfigured a napkin into a cloak, went over to Snape, draped it over the other boy's back, and said, "Come on, Sev, we're going back to the dormitory."
Severus struggled to keep from flushing as he realized the snickers behind his back weren't from people who had seen or heard of what happened in the library. Once they were out in the corridor he hissed, "What's on my back?"
"'Snivellus', in flashing silver snakes," said Evan calmly. "I can't believe Black and Crouch would do that to another Slytherin, and in public."
With a twisted grin, Severus said, "Wrong Black. Sirius, not Regulus. It was Potter and his gang. I thought the snickers were because Lupin made me answer to that name before he'd give me back my book."
They reached the Slytherin common room and went straight up to the third year boys' dormitory. Severus pulled the robe off, and sat in his underpants on his bed while he examined the back. He had only two school robes, and the other one was currently in the laundry. He tried a number of charms to remove the offending graffiti but nothing worked. Finally he sighed, reached into his chest, and pulled out the only other robe he had - the one he had worn to The Party this year.
Meanwhile, Evan had Floo'ed the kitchens, and had the house-elves send up a tray of food for each of them. He set one on the other boy's bed. Then he sat in the chair next to the bed, settling the other tray on his lap.
The formal robe Severus had put on looked very out of place. "Thank you, Evan," he said, avoiding the pure-blood's eyes as he started to eat. The reaction was starting to set in, and his face was flushing with the embarrassment he had refused to show before.
"Do you want to try some more spells, or should we take it straight to Flitwick and see if he can do anything about it?" asked Evan.
"I think we better try Flitwick," Severus said. "I only hope this isn't permanent."
"Whether it is or not, you can borrow one of my robes for as long as you need it. I'll have one of our house-elves alter it for you."
"I owe you for this, Evan."
"No, Lucius owes you. But he's not here, I am. Crabbe doesn't know what he's doing. You don't give someone a job like that and then throw him to the wolves."
Severus smiled wryly to himself at the ironic suitability of Evan's phrase, then said, "Crabbe's controlled by Regulus Black. Malfoy's losing to him."
****************************
Chapter Twelve: Target
Professor Blenheim Stalk was the Muggle Studies teacher. He had written several books on the subject, the latest of which, "Muggles Who Notice," had come out just last year.
James, Sirius and Peter were all taking Muggle Studies as one of their electives. James thought it would show that even though he was a pure-blood, he was not prejudiced against Muggle-borns or Muggles. Sirius did because James did, and because it would prove he was not like his brother, Regulus, who was getting just plain embarrassing with his pure-blood fanaticism. Of course, it didn't escape either of them that it was considered an easy course. Peter went along with them because he always did.
Remus begged out of Muggle Studies because, as he pointed out, one grandfather and one grandmother were Muggles, so he figured he knew all he needed to know. Besides, he was quite interested in Runes and wasn't trying to avoid difficult subjects, although he wasn't particularly seeking them out either.
Severus didn't see the need for Muggle Studies, which was not exactly an encouraged subject in Slytherin House these days. Nevertheless, to everyone's surprise Evan signed up for it. Rosier was planning on being the Minister of Magic some day, a position which involved a certain amount of interaction with Muggles, and thought he should know something about them.
Severus was also not particularly interested in Care of Magical Creatures. His family couldn't afford pets, which he had never felt as a loss, so his main exposure to animals had been urban pests. Animals were useful for food and to provide certain potion ingredients, and that was the extent of his interest in them.
That left Runes, Arithmancy and Divination, all of which Severus decided to take. He thought he should get an idea of what they were like, and figured it would be easier to drop a course that turned out not to be useful, than to try to add one back later on.
*********************************
Regulus Black was not happy. Lucius Malfoy had called him on the carpet during their last Hogsmeade weekend and told him in no uncertain terms to leave Snape alone or incur his wrath. The Blacks were the equals of the Malfoys any day, but Regulus knew he did not have the power to confront Lucius directly yet. Still, he had Crabbe pretty much under his control and there were more indirect ways of getting to Snape.
**********************************
Severus liked his Runes class. Two others from the Slug Club were also taking it -- Damocles Belby and Lily Evans, and so was Remus Lupin. Damocles was the only fourth year in the class. He had taken Divination last year, and decided to replace it with Runes this year. Learning runes gave Severus more ideas for spells. He started the practice of writing his ideas down on a separate scroll that he then shared with Professor Flitwick during his next Charms class.
**********************************
"Who can we target that will get Snape in the most trouble with the rest of the school?" asked Regulus, pacing back and forth in the second years boys' dormitory, which he had cleared of everyone except Barty.
"Not a Hufflepuff," said Barty. "If we hit a Hufflepuff we'd need a damn good reason, or the whole house will come down on Slytherin. They won't take revenge on just one Slytherin."
"Ravenclaw won't do either," mused Regulus. "They're not tight enough. And no one there is popular enough."
"That leaves Gryffindor, then," said Barty. "They're our traditional rivals anyway."
"OK, the most popular Gryffindors are James Potter and Sirius Black and they're out," said Regulus. "I refuse to do what Lucius did and sic Snape on pure-bloods, no matter how degraded they may be."
"Are we counting girls? There's Evans. She's even a Mudblood."
"Hmmm," said Regulus, considering it. "Good idea, but no. She's in the Slug Club. We'll get to her and to the other Mudbloods eventually, but for now she's out."
"Well, there are Potter's hangers-on then," mentioned Barty. "Lupin, Pettigrew."
Regulus stopped pacing and smiled maliciously. "That's it! Lupin! Nobody cares about Pettigrew but everyone likes that 'nice Lupin boy.' He's never done a thing to antagonize anyone, and he's always so polite. No one will ever believe that he did anything even remotely deserving Snape's attention."
*************************
Severus was leaving his Runes class when Barty Crouch passed him the note. It was Crabbe's seal and Crabbe's handwriting. An assignment then. He stepped aside, scowling to himself. He found an empty classroom where he could read it, hopefully in private.
Stupid, stupid, he thought. Neither Lucius nor Narcissa had ever written down their jobs, but it seemed to be Crabbe's preferred method. What if someone intercepted one of these notes?
The Slytherin enforcer opened the note. "Lupin. Furren Propago." No reason was given. He destroyed the note as usual.
*************************
Dinner was over, and the Slytherins were gathered in their common room. Black and Crouch were right next to Crabbe, but Severus had to talk to him.
Regulus saw Snape coming to see Crabbe. This was going exactly according to plan.
The greasy Slytherin inclined his head deferentially to Crabbe. "May I have a moment please?"
"Go right ahead," answered Crabbe, making no move to either go somewhere more private or send anyone else away.
"I was hoping we could discuss your latest ... assignment ... more privately," said Snape.
Regulus whispered something in Crabbe's ear. "Good idea," Crabbe answered Regulus, and they retired to the second year boys' dormitory. Severus noted with unease that they were moving to Black's turf, not Crabbe's. And Black and Crouch were coming too.
"OK, Snape, out with it," said Crabbe bluntly, when he had settled himself in a chair. "What's the problem?"
"It's just that there's a bit less ... information than usual," Severus began. "Why is Lupin being targeted?"
More whispering by Black, and Crabbe frowned. "Why do you care?"
"I don't," Severus quickly answered. "But usually I'm supposed to make sure the offender knows his offense."
Damn that Black. More whispering, thought Severus.
"Lupin already knows," said Crabbe. "You don't need to. Is there anything else?"
How was he going to put this next part without sounding like it mattered to him what happened to Lupin? "I was wondering. Usually the actual spells are up to me," said Snape carefully. "Why the Fur Hex?"
"That's easy enough to answer," drawled Regulus, without even bothering to whisper in Crabbe's ear. "He's barely even a half-blood. He's got a Muggle grandparent on both sides. Makes him little more than an animal, don't you think? So it's fitting that the outside should match the inside. For a while at least."
Relief and anger and shame battled behind Severus' impassive exterior. Relief, because he had worried that the request for Furren Propago meant someone was on to Lupin. Anger at Black's insult, which applied to him even more than Lupin. Shame that he realized he was going to do this anyway.
It was less than a week to the full moon. Severus had one more question. "The note also neglected to mention when," he said.
"It was supposed to be today, Snape." Crabbe himself answered this time. "I suppose it's too late for you to manage now?"
Severus flushed. "It would be very ... difficult."
"Well, make sure it's done tomorrow then," he said, peeved. "I never heard of Lucius or Narcissa having this much trouble with you."
Severus stood there and said nothing. So that was Black's angle with Crabbe. Making him think that Snape didn't take him as seriously as the two previous ranking Slytherins.
"Well, that's it," said Crabbe, irritably. "You can go now."
Severus left the dormitory.
***************
Lily was coming back from the place near the Forbidden Forest where they'd just had Care of Magical Creatures with Professor Kettleburn. One of the most wonderful things about finding out she was a witch was finding out that unicorns and other "storybook" creatures really did exist.
James, Sirius, Remus and Peter were in the same class with her and were also on their way back.
To tell the truth, one of the reasons James had signed up for this class was that it was the only elective held outside. Oh, and it had a reputation for very little written homework.
Sirius, as usual, was running in front of them, and around them -- no one ever seemed to move fast enough for him. He loved animals, and thought it was cool that he could actually get credit for a class like this. It was almost as good as flying classes in their first year.
Peter was puffing a bit, trying to keep up. He'd glanced through the text and hoped they wouldn't be dealing with anything dangerous. He was a city boy, and of the opinion that animals belonged in their place, which was not around people. Except for pets, of course.
Remus kept a relaxed pace, hanging back just a bit to keep Peter from being left too far behind. He just liked being outside on such a nice day with his friends and he had no fear of any kind of magical creature at all. Maybe he was being cocky, but he didn't think he'd even be afraid of a dragon.
**********************************
With the full moon coming up, Severus knew the sooner he got this done, the more time Lupin would have to recover before his transformation. The Gryffindor had an outdoor class today. All the other students would be indoors. At least he could do this in front of as few people as possible.
**********************************
James and Sirius had raced on ahead, and Peter was lagging behind when Remus came upon Severus. Remus was a bit surprised to see the Slytherin here, but he knew the other boy did occasionally visit Hagrid, whose hut was nearby.
"Hi, Snape," he greeted him. His friends were too close for him to risk the more familiar Severus. "Off to see Hagrid?"
Severus lifted his wand. "They don't know anything. You don't need to worry about that."
It took Remus only a split second to realize he was the Slytherin's target, but it was a split second too long. Snape cast the spell.
"Fur?! You cast Furren Propago?!" said Remus, outraged, as fur began to sprout all over his body. "Why? I know the rules. When you do this stuff you have to tell me why! WHY?!"
He never got an answer.
**********************************
Remus was furious and humiliated. The spell took three days to wear off, all of which he spent in the Infirmary insisting that no one visit him but James, Sirius and Peter, and he was allowed to keep up with his classes from there. His body was wrenched out of his control once a month, when he was forced to actually become an animal against his will. To resemble one at any other time was torture, and he could not bear to have anyone else see him like this. Then, it was so close to the full moon that he had only one day out of the Infirmary before it was time to go to the Shrieking Shack again.
James was struck to the core. He had never seen Remus, usually so quiet, so polite, so nice, in such a state.
"So what was the git's excuse this time?" he asked. James knew very well why Snape did what he did, and whom he worked for.
"He didn't tell me," Lupin growled. "He didn't friggin' tell me."
**********************************
Severus had to admire the cleverness of what the Slytherin Black had done. He could hardly complain to Lucius Malfoy about being asked to perform a harmless and temporary fur growing hex on a Gryffindor. After that, he stopped going to the Infirmary to help Madam Pomfrey.
**********************************
Author's note
According to the Famous Wizard Cards:
Blenheim Stalk (1920 - present) is the author of Muggles Who Notice (published 1972). Stalk is a well-known expert on Muggles and author of many books (FB, fw82).
He sounded like the kind of person Dumbledore might chose to teach Muggle Studies, so I picked him.
Thank you to carecrystal for suggesting the incantation Furren Propago for the Fur Hex.
Chapter Eleven: Regulus
Crabbe, the ranking Slytherin this year and a thoroughly mediocre pure-blood, was nothing more than Lucius Malfoy's mouthpiece at Hogwarts. If he had simply stuck to that role, things might have gone on very much as they had in Severus' first year, which would have been a definite improvement over Narcissa Black. However, Crabbe found himself caught between Regulus, a mere second year, and Lucius. So long as both agreed he was fine, but when they disagreed, Crabbe simply followed the lead of whomever he had spoken to last. Under the circumstances, that was more likely to be Regulus than Lucius.
Regulus did not like Severus Snape. His mother wasn't really even a half-blood -- the Princes had Muggles scattered all through their family tree like cockroaches. The Slytherin Black smiled at the aptness of his own analogy. Snape lived in a dirty Muggle factory town with his dirty Muggle father and his dirty-blooded mother. Cockroaches and dirt. No wonder his hair was greasy.
Regulus wasn't particularly happy with Lucius Malfoy, either. Sometimes he thought the pure-blood actually liked Snape. And much as his Gryffindor brother deserved the comeuppance he got in that first year duel, Regulus could not forgive Lucius for using Snape to do it. Lucius thought that people like the Snapes and the Princes were tools to be maintained and used according to their skills; Regulus knew that some tools were so filthy they could not even be used without sullying the hands that wielded them.
*****************************
Severus loved spending as much of the weekend as he could helping Madam Pomfrey in the Infirmary. Blessed privacy and plenty of room. The Slytherin had books and scrolls spread out over a table.
It was quiet today. Just Lupin, and Severus already had his post-transformation treatment down pat. Severus respected the werewolf. Since he had discovered Lupin's condition, he had done some research on it, and realized that the boy also dealt with bone and muscle pain from the transformations, as well as the cuts and bites he inflicted on himself while in his wolf form. And yet he never complained, and always made sure to present himself to Madam Pomfrey well before the full moon.
Remus felt almost like himself again. He'd slept most of the morning away and the transformation pain had faded back to a general soreness. James and Sirius and Peter had just been in to see him, but they couldn't be expected to spend the entire day with him in the Infirmary. Snape looked like he was going to, though. Well, not exactly "with" him, more like "in the same room."
Severus went over to check on Lupin. All of the wounds were completely gone except one on his left forearm and one on his chest, but those were healing cleanly as well.
"Two new scars this month," said Remus. Anything that hadn't disappeared by now usually added to his collection.
Severus raised an eyebrow at him. "I think not," he said coolly. "Those were deeper than the others so they will take a little longer, but they should be gone by ... hmmm ... tomorrow noon, I should say."
He saw the confusion on the other boy's face. "Scarring can usually be prevented by the timely application of dittany," lectured Severus patronizingly. "With a condition as predictable as yours, scarring is completely avoidable."
Remus had never heard of this. His arms, legs, and chest were criss-crossed with dozens of silver scar lines. One or two new scars a month for several years added up. "What is 'timely'?" he asked.
"It depends. I would say within half an hour is best, but I'd still make the attempt up to two hours afterwards."
"Then how can it work?" Remus asked. "Some of the cuts are several hours old before I get here."
"Well, I don't know whether there is scarring in your ... other form but I assure you, the dittany need only be applied within half an hour or so of regaining your human form."
Lupin still looked doubtful.
"Once I informed Madam Pomfrey that I was aware of your illness, we began to discuss treatment options. I convinced her to let me try the dittany in case the time sensitivity related only to human tissue. It worked."
"It was your idea?"
"I assure you, we were taking no risks," Severus said, misunderstanding the amazed expression on the other boy's face. "The worst that could have happened was that the treatment would not have prevented the scarring."
"But it was your idea," Remus stated. "I thought you hated me."
Severus arched an eyebrow. "Whatever gave you that idea?"
Remus looked at the impassive face and the cold eyes turned toward him and found he had no answer.
"In any case," continued Severus disdainfully, "I would hardly let my personal feelings prevent me from providing adequate care. Not to mention that you are not the only person with your condition, and others besides you could benefit from this treatment."
"Not many people seem to care about people with my condition," Remus said simply, in the closest thing to a complaint that Severus had ever heard him make.
"Yes, I noticed that in my research," Severus said with a slight frown.
Severus Snape had been researching lycanthropy and discussing treatment options to make things better for him and other werewolves. Remus was getting more and more contradictory images of the Slytherin.
"Are you thinking of becoming a Healer?" he asked, a question that just a few months ago would have been inconceivable.
"I think you've ruined me for that, Lupin," Snape smirked.
At the look on Lupin's face, he continued. "Most patients complain far too much. I have yet to see anyone who has as much to complain about as you do, and you don't complain at all. I find myself getting an almost uncontrollable urge to shake some sense into them. Something which Madam Pomfrey tends to disapprove."
Remus chuckled.
"Then are you going to stop coming here?"
"No."
Remus sensed that Snape was trying to determine how much to tell him, and had a sudden flash of insight. "You don't want to become a Healer. There's someone you want to heal."
"Yes." He paused. Well, it wasn't exactly a secret. "My father. He has brown lung."
"What is it? Is it fatal?"
"Not directly, no, not usually. It just makes it harder to breathe. Eventually, you die from something that wouldn't have been fatal otherwise."
"So you're looking for a cure?" Remus was impressed.
"I don't have to. The cure already exists. I'm trying to learn enough to be able to administer it."
Remus knew the Snapes didn't have much money. "Is it that expensive, then?" He was wondering if he could convince James or Sirius to come up with the money.
"It's not a matter of money," he said, dropping his eyes to one of his scrolls.
"What then?"
"My father is a Muggle," Severus said so softly it was almost a whisper. "And the Muggles don't have a cure. So he'd have to go to St. Mungo's for a Wizarding cure."
He raised his eyes to Remus. "St. Mungo's doesn't treat Muggles unless they're reversing a magical attack. It's against the law."
"To hell with the law!" burst out the Gryffindor. Then Remus blushed as he realized that he might be expected to say something like that, considering his own position.
"Some laws are a bit easier to ... ignore ... than others," Severus deadpanned.
"Not if you have someone like the Malfoys on your side," insisted Remus. "Lucius owes you. You've been a loyal ... umm ... whatever you call it. You can't tell me his father couldn't get an exception made."
"Remus, Remus," said Severus, "you're starting to sound like a Slytherin. Better not let your friends hear this."
Remus saw genuine amusement in the other boy's eyes. And was that the first time he'd called him Remus instead of Lupin?
"Well, Severus?" prodded Remus. "I'm right, aren't I?"
"Yes you are, as far it goes," he answered, also noting the change to first names. "But what you're talking about would be a major favor. I haven't earned anything like that yet. But I still have time. Dad's not in any immediate danger -- this stage could go on for years."
*************
They fell silent when they heard the door to the Infirmary open. Regulus Black sauntered in, accompanied by Barty Crouch and Goyle. Bartemius Crouch, Jr. had come to Hogwarts, sorted into Slytherin of course, and immediately taken up with Regulus Black, becoming his right hand man.
"Sevvie," oozed Black, "I heard you were playing nursemaid to some Gryffindor." Crouch muttered something to Black in a low voice and they both snickered.
Severus's face became expressionless, his eyes blank and slightly downcast. Damn you, Black, he thought, this was bad enough in the Slytherin common room, but we're in front of someone from another House here.
He rose and greeted the Slytherin Black. "Shall I tell Madam Pomfrey I'm through here, then? Did you have something you wanted me to do?"
At this, Black and Crouch met each other's eyes and snickered again. Crouch went over to the table with Snape's notes and began looking through them, messing up his carefully organized piles. "I was right, Reggie, he hasn't been working on Sluggy's stuff. This is all medical shite."
"Sevvie, really, I'm disappointed. I can't have you endangering your marks with Sluggy." Regulus nodded to Barty, who carefully set aside Snape's work from the other texts and scrolls and pointed his wand at it.
"Incendio."
Remus looked on, horrified, as Severus' research caught fire. Severus himself betrayed no emotion whatsoever.
"I'll see you in the common room," Regulus Black said, as he strolled off with Crouch and Goyle. "Goyle needs some help with his Potions essays."
After the door closed, Severus grabbed Remus by the shoulders and in a voice hoarse with emotion, growled at him. "If you tell anyone what you just saw here, I'll kill you!" For an instant he couldn't keep the tears from his eyes, and gave a quick, gasping sob. Then he mastered himself and looked defiantly at the other boy.
To his surprise, the Gryffindor's amber eyes were flashing with anger. "They had no right ... "
"No," Severus stated softly, black eyes glaring. "They had no right."
He left for the Slytherin common room by way of the Owlery.
************
It was a Hogsmeade weekend and Lucius was holding court in a private room at the Three Broomsticks. He had a major problem and his name was Regulus Black. Snape was under his protection and damned useful he was, too: intelligent, discreet, and totally compliant. Yet Reggie seemed determined to ruin him.
Lucius knew Snape was going to bring it to a head today, and Lucius knew he had the right. He was going to have to back Snape up or lose him. It should never have come to this -- he'd had tea with Reggie a few weeks back, and asked him to kindly refrain from messing with his people. His continued provocation indicated a power play, which was ridiculous at his age. Merlin's beard, he was just a second year!
And yet, things were getting complicated. There was a faction now, which his father seemed to approve of, that followed someone who styled himself Lord Voldemort, and there had been killings. His followers held a different view of wizarding purity. There was to be some minimum required level of purity for a person to be acceptable as a witch or wizard at all, not just for positions of power.
This struck Lucius as bizarre. Pure-bloods were meant to rule, of course, but as long as they kept to their place, the Malfoys didn't much care about the purity of their followers' bloodlines. Oh, the lower classes always did jockey among themselves for position, but that was their business and something the Malfoys turned a blind eye to. To now require some minimum standard of purity would mean losing useful followers. Like Snape.
*************
Severus sat at a table by himself at the Three Broomsticks, waiting for Lucius Malfoy to call him. He thought he knew when he should be called, who should be ahead of him and whom he should be ahead of, but he wasn't sure anymore. Regulus Black treated him like a rankless first year; as if everything he'd done his first two years counted for nothing. Worse than that; he treated him as if he deserved punishment. Severus had to see if Lucius agreed with Black, and if not, whether he would be willing to call him off.
*************
Lucius had heard enough stories to know that Snape's pride had been wounded. So he decided to call him before he called Goyle, and to come out personally to greet him and bring him to the private room.
"Severus, old boy, so glad you could make it," he said loudly, making a production of shaking Snape's hand and clapping him on the back. Severus stood a little taller as he followed Lucius into the other room. Maybe Malfoy would be able to set it right after all.
**************
James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had a booth in the Three Broomsticks, and found their conversation interrupted by Malfoy's grandstanding with Snape. Remus knew what this meant to Severus and was pleased to see Malfoy giving him some public recognition.
James looked over at the greasy Slytherin with disgust. "Pathetic. What a brown noser."
"Lucius Malfoy's lapdog," agreed Sirius. "You can practically see him wag his tail when Malfoy pets him."
Peter grinned and rubbed his hands together.
Remus rubbed his left forearm, where there was not a new scar, and called himself a coward for keeping silent.
****************
Author's Note:
In Order of the Phoenix, Sirius calls Snape "Malfoy's lapdog."
Chapter Ten: Slytherins
Over half of the cotton mills in the factory town where the Snapes lived had shut down since Severus had come to Hogwarts, and in his third year there seemed to be no end in sight. More and more people in Spinner's End and the area around it were going on the dole. So far, Tobias Snape had been spared that. However, his health slowly but inexorably continued to worsen, and he was starting to have shortness of breath on Tuesday as well as Monday.
**********************
Fenrir Greyback made the Daily Prophet for another attack on a child. Unlike Remus, this one died.
**********************
The Slug Club was meeting. There were 12 members.
The Slytherin contingent was well represented: dull Crabbe, included only because he was the ranking seventh year Slytherin, sixth year Damocles Belby, fifth year Avery, fourth year Wilkes, third years Rosier and Snape, second year Regulus Black, and first year Crouch. Traditionally, the ranking Slytherin pure-blood from each year was a member of the Slug Club, no matter how undistinguished he or she was otherwise, but as sometimes happened, there was no pure-blood for one of the years. Damocles was a well-to-do half-blood, and the most talented Slytherin student at Hogwarts.
The non-Slytherin members were Ravenclaw fourth year half-blood Gaspard Shingleton, who had a knack for invention, Hufflepuff third year half-blood Greta Eisberg, who was a great cook, sixth year Hufflepuff MacMillan, pure-blood and rich, and third year Muggle-born Gryffindor Lily Evans, Potions genius and Charms whiz.
Severus hung out with Damocles and Lily at these get-togethers. Rosier preferred to sit with fellow moderate pure-bloods, MacMillan and Wilkes. Avery, Crouch and Black stayed close to Crabbe.
Severus came early, as usual, and helped Professor Slughorn with last minute preparations while the others started arriving. Rosier and Wilkes had stopped by the Hufflepuff common room on their way there, as usual, and came in with MacMillan and Eisberg. Next to arrive was Lily, who went over to see if she could help Severus and Slughorn.
Lily and Severus were arranging food on the side table when Crabbe came in with Black, Crouch and Avery. Slughorn was checking on something in the other room.
"Sevvie," said Regulus. "So chivalrous of you to help Evans with her chores."
"Quite the little house-elf, isn't she?" snickered Crouch.
Lily picked up a glass of pumpkin juice and made a show of adding something to it from a vial of clear liquid, which she had taken from a pocket of her robe.
Just at this point, Slughorn came back from the other room, and Crouch schooled his face to blank politeness.
"Why, Barty, how very kind of you," said Lily. "Here, let me serve you." She handed the glass to Crouch, who stared at it nervously.
Slughorn, who had missed the earlier exchange between Crouch and Evans, was glad to see them getting along so well.
"A toast," he proposed. "To friendship among the Houses."
"Here, here," said everyone who was there, taking glasses from the side table and taking a sip.
"Come, come, Barty, drink up," insisted Slughorn. "Or are you afraid our Potions maven here has slipped something into your pumpkin juice?"
At that, Barty had no choice but to take a sip, which he made as small as possible. Thinking his pumpkin juice spiked with Veritaserum, he avoided all conversation and left the gathering as soon as he could.
As Crouch was slipping out, Damocles and Gaspard made their entrance, engrossed in a discussion on cauldrons. They caught sight of Severus and Lily, picked up something to drink from the side table, and came over.
"So what do you two think?" asked Damocles. "Do you think the world could use a self-stirring cauldron?"
"There's been another werewolf attack. I think a cure for lycanthropy would be more important," said Lily.
"Not my area, not my area," muttered Gaspard, and went over to sit by himself, pulled out a quill and a scroll, and began to draw diagrams.
Severus put his hand out, palm up. "Pay up, Damocles."
"I don't think so," argued Belby. "He did actually say something. The bet was that I couldn't get him to say a word to more than one person."
"No," insisted Severus. "The bet was that you couldn't get him to enter into a conversation with more than one person. Muttering to himself as he walks away doesn't count."
"Lily, you call it," said Damocles.
"Aren't you afraid I'll be biased?"
"You?" said Damocles. "You'd sell your firstborn before you'd give a false judgement. I'll accept your verdict."
"Severus?" asked Lily.
"As the lady calls it," he said, inclining his head to her with a smirk.
"Muttering something in the hearing of other people is not the same as talking to them," ruled Lily. "I hope you didn't bet too much, Damocles."
The boy pulled a Galleon from his robe, and gave it to Snape. "I should know by now you only bet on sure things," he groused good-naturedly. "But you do have a good point, Lily."
"Which one?" she asked.
"A cure for lycanthropy would be more useful," answered Damocles.
"I'm sure the possibilities for making money are much better for the self-stirring cauldron," noted Severus. "If you actually do cure lycanthropy, you'll soon put yourself out of business."
"Hmmm," said Belby. "But it would make me more famous to get rid of werewolves, once and for all. Might even be worth naming a wing after me at St. Mungo's, don't you think?"
"On the other hand, if you get rich you could buy a wing named after you," countered Severus.
"Ah, the Malfoy method. But one popular invention does not a fortune make, Sev."
"True, true. But coming up with a cure for lycanthropy would be much harder."
Lily stood there watching the exchange and said nothing.
"All right, all right, don't think I don't see what you're doing," said Belby, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. "You know I'm more interested in fame than fortune, and I can't resist a challenge like that. Are you and Evans going to help?"
"Not me," answered Severus. "I'm too busy working on something else."
Lily tried to replay the conversation in her head, and figure out where it had changed from Severus trying to convince Damocles not to work on lycanthropy, to Severus trying to convince him he should. Slytherins never seemed to just come out and say what they were thinking. Between the Slytherin-dominated Slug-club meetings, and her friendship with one particular third year Slytherin, she was starting to figure some things out about the house of the ambitious.
"I'd love to," said Lily.
**********************************
Author's note
Mill closings
I'm using Bolton, a town close to Manchester, as something of a guideline for the location of Spinner's End. Quoting this website, http://www.bolton.org.uk/industry.html
"Of the number of mills, in the 1950's there were still 103 cotton mills, in 1966 there were 34, by 1979 just 8 remained."
Snape was born circa 1960, and when he approximately six years old, there were still 34 cotton mills in operation. During his Hogwarts student years, that number would be reduced to less than a third of that number.
Where'd I get all those people?
According to the Famous Wizard Cards, Gaspard Shingleton, inventor of the Self-Stirring Cauldron, was born in 1959, so it is conceivable that he would have been a fourth year when Severus was a third year. Inventing sounds like Ravenclaw to me, so that's where I put him.
According to HBP, Marcus Belby's uncle was Damocles, the inventor of the Wolfsbane potion. No surname is given, but it could have been Belby, and I don't like inventing names, so I just picked that. Since Damocles was Marcus' uncle, it's possible he was in Hogwarts when Snape was, and I decided to make him a sixth year. Also, I put him in Slytherin, because I see genius in potions as being more commonly a Slytherin trait, although I envision the occasional (rare) Gryffindor who cares about potions as being extremely talented as well.
According to the Famous Wizard Cards, Greta Catchlove, author of "Charm Your Own Cheese," was born in 1960, so I made her a third year like Snape. I guessed that Catchlove was her married name, and gave her the maiden name of Eisberg to go with her German-sounding first name. Cooking sounded Hufflepuff to me.
Ernie MacMillan is a rich, pure-blood Hufflepuff in Harry's year, so I imagined he had a male relative back in Snape's time as well.