“beyond wandpoint” 100a by gingerbred
“11 12m Wednesday - Lunch at the Castle 3” Part 1
Severus Snape, Hermione Granger, Staff: Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Poppy Pomfrey, Sybill Trelawney, Professor Sarah Sapworthy, Bathsheda Babbling, Argus Filch, Nurse Wanda Wainscott, Slytherins: Draco Malfoy, Theo Nott, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Daphne Greengrass, Harper Hutchinson, Ella Wilkins, Hestia Carrow, Róisín Rosier, Hunter Hutchinson, Gryffindors: Ron Weasley, Dennis Creevey, Ravenclaws: Padma Patil, Mandy Brocklehurst, Darius Inglebee, Hufflepuffs: Wayne Hopkins, Oliver Rivers, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Newton Kurz, Others: the Bloody Baron, Sunny, Portrait Phineas Nigellus Black
Mentioned briefly: Slytherins: Blaise Zabini, Aaron Avery, Sheldon Shafiq, Valerie Vaisey, Gryffindors: Harry Potter, Ravenclaws: Michael Corner, Terry Boot, Morag MacDougal, Luna Lovegood, Hufflepuffs: Megan Jones, Others: Slinky, Portrait Temperance Mathew, Boadicea Waterhouse, Swaine Swoopstikes
Originally Published: 2018-12-20 on AO3
Chapter: 100 part 1
The original version of this chapter exceeded livejournal’s maximum post length. It’s been split in two parts.Characters:
Severus (HoS, Potions), Hermione 7G (Prefect, Supreme Swot)
Staff:
Albus Dumbledore (Headmaster), Professor Minerva McGonagall (HoG, Transfiguration), Professor Filius Flitwick (HoR, Charms), Poppy Pomfrey (Mediwitch extraordinaire), Professor Sybill Trelawney (Divination; Scarves, Tealeaves, Patchouli, oh my!), Professor Sarah Sapworthy (Xylomancy, Twigs!), Professor Bathsheda Babbling (Ancient Runes), Argus Filch (Squib 'Care'taker), Nurse Wanda Wainscott (chatty)
Slytherins:
Draco 7S (Prefect, Team Captain, Seeker, Swot), Theo Nott 7S (Swottiest, Nervous Wreck), Vincent 'Vince' Crabbe 7S (Beater, Winged Wonder), Gregory Goyle 7S (Beater), Daphne Greengrass 7S (Sparkly! Fwoopers!), Harper Hutchinson 6S (Prefect, Chaser, flash Robe Model), Ella Wilkins 6S (Prefect), Hestia Carrow 6S (Chaser, sporty twin), Róisín Rosier 6S, Hunter Hutchinson 4S (Imp)
Gryffindors:
Ron Weasley 7G (Prefect, Keeper (only in the Quidditch sense)), Dennis Creevey 4G (almost as bad as Colin)
Ravenclaws:
Padma Patil 7R (Head Girl), Mandy Brocklehurst 7R (musical), Darius Inglebee 4R (Reserve Chaser, impatient Patient)
Hufflepuffs:
Wayne Hopkins 7H, Oliver Rivers 7H, Justin Finch-Fletchley 7H (D.A.), Newton Kurz 4H (Dennis' and Hunter's recently hexed potions-challenged friend)
Others:
The Bloody Baron (Slytherin House Ghost), Sunny (the Snapes' house elf), Portrait Headmaster Phineas Black
Mentioned briefly: Slytherins: Blaise Zabini 7S (Keeper), Aaron Avery 6S (Reserve Chaser), Sheldon Shafiq 6S (Reserve Beater, and charm on legs), Valerie 'Val' Vaisey 6S (Chaser), Gryffindors: Harry 7G (Team Captain, Seeker, the Boy-Who-Lived-to-Annoy-Severus), Ravenclaws: Michael Corner 7R, Terry Boot 7R, Morag MacDougal 7R (lippy Muggle-born with that lippy), Luna Lovegood 6R, Hufflepuffs: Megan Jones, Others: Slinky (the Slytherin House's chief house elf), Portrait Temperance Mathew (Healer and School Governor), Boadicea Waterhouse (turn of the century Portraitist), Swaine Swoopstikes (Potions Master, Professor and Entomologist, past HoS)
Previously:
Last chapter's Previouslies.
Under the influence of the potion the Slytherin boys had administered, Hermione has some... uncomfortable thoughts about centaurs thanks to the portrait in Minerva's classroom. 029 When she returns there with Severus to punish Draco, he misinterprets her reaction and removes the portrait, which she appreciates. 054 It occurs to him that they hadn't fetched help when she was attacked 055, and he begins to treat the painting more that a little rudely. Oh, and with turpentine. 073
Ernie Macmillan and three of the seventh year Ravenclaws (Terry Boot, Michael Corner and Morag MacDougal) make some highly inappropriate comments about Hermione and Severus and their bonding which leads to a duel with Theo, Draco and Blaise after Tuesday's Potions lesson. Severus catches them at it and takes fifteen points a nose from the Turkeys for duelling in the hallways. 071
Harper and Hestia fly over to join the girls in the stands; Val remains on the pitch with the reserve players, putting them through drills. Harper had been playing Keeper so they could get some realistic practice in, and this way Aaron could work on his Chasing skills. Unfortunately, it's not nearly as likely that one of the sixth year Chasers will be unable to play in the upcoming match as it is that Blaise will be unfit to Keep. Which is more than a little worrisome. It would mean Harper would have to fill in for him and Aaron would take over Harper's usual position, and should compromise their team on two fronts.
Harper thinks he'll need to speak to Draco about this, and he probably needs to get in a lot more practice Keeping. This lunchtime session is shaping up to be as much about him as it is the reserve teammates. Draco will naturally be easier to convince when in the days to come, thanks to Slinky's liberal application of the Insalacious Saltpeter, Blaise becomes measurably less... sharp. As he's the only one of the boys present at practice this afternoon to have actually eaten much of his lunch, the difference in his Quidditch game will already be noticeable and stand out by contrast.
Daphne casts the warming Charms on her classmates as they sit down next to them and magically expands the blanket covering their laps as Ella begins passing out the lunches. She and Hestia soon fall into a discussion of their last Charms assignment. Harper, stealing a glance at his classmates to make sure they're occupied, Summons his book bag and, a bit awkwardly, begins to root through the pile. Somewhat fumblingly, so unusual for the otherwise athletic and highly coordinated young man, he hands Daph a sheet of parchment. The real stuff, and not some of his Geminioed supplies. Something that's likely to last.
Well, if she doesn't bin it first.
"Here, I, um, I drew this for you." He shrugs uneasily, shifting where he sits, "I just wanted to say thanks for the slippers."
She unrolls the parchment and it's a drawing of her. Her in her uniform with gigantic fairy wings. She's not at all sure how he did it, but the wings sparkle. They're positively twinkly, shifting and changing, and she's... She's rapt. She cries out in glee. Any hopes he'd had of Ella and Hestia not noticing fly across the pitch and just keep going.
"What's that?" Hestia asks, suddenly with nothing better to do.
Ella, sharper by far, targets the obvious, "And when did you draw it?" She's smirking, and Harper begins fidgeting more. It had to have been sometime this morning.
"During class," he admits, and Hestia laughs.
"That's our Prefect for you. Leading with good example."
"Hey, if you didn't notice me doing it, then it's not like I disrupted class." He arches his brow at her and does his best to look superior.
He almost pulls it off.
"Thank you so much! It's absolutely beautiful!" Daph coos, because of course she does, breaking the tension. Sure, if he'd had his druthers, he'd have preferred cooing to other possible responses. Just maybe not with Ella and Hestia looking on to tease. Because they definitely will later. It's like a universal constant or something.
Witches.
Still, he's relieved. He'd sort of hoped Daphne would take the drawing in the spirit it was meant. He'd really appreciated the work she did on his slippers, and this was pretty much the only way he could think to show it. That's one major disadvantage to her being a year ahead of him; he'd been at a bit of a loss what he could do for her that she couldn't do better for herself. With the possible exception of Cleansing Charms, that is, which seems frankly insulting, never mind unnecessary. Well, that and hexes, obviously, but that's hardly useful here. But he draws well, he's been doing so for years, and he'd quietly sketched the picture of her over the course of the morning. It helps that drawing doesn't have to be an expensive hobby if he doesn't use fancy inks, brushes or parchment. His regular quill does the job rather nicely for his preferred style. He thinks he managed to capture her excitement from when she first saw the things flapping on Vince's back this morning.
She thinks so, too, and doesn't mince words raving about it.
Hmm.
Ella will give him no peace about that, that's for sure.
Eventually the other girls return to their Charms discussion, and Daph's praise, too, turns more conversational. "How on earth did you make them sparkle like that?" She's just curious this time and not pursuing the information to use it herself. She has a good eye, and can create a decent pattern when she uses magic, but she's certain she couldn't draw something manually like that to save her life. (Not that one generally needs to, obviously, but still...)
"Charm," he shrugs.
"I imagine you know a lot of them then," she smiles. He nods a little stiffly. "Because I can't see that being one of the more useful ones to know," she laughs. She wrinkles her nose in amusement, clearly teasing, but it's not the same sort of thing he'll take from Ella and Hestia. This is... nicer. "Or is there much call for sparkly things in your work?" There's something impish about the question that he doesn't dislike. Not at all.
Smart witch, Daph. She put that together quickly. He has to admit there is not. In fact, he'd had to consult one of his books in order to do it. With the exception of Dumblebore's robes (and how often would he wish to draw those?), there really aren't a lot of things that would need that effect. But the Charm is cheaper, clearly, than magical inks. And it hadn't taken him long to learn. And it had completed the drawing nicely.
Her fingers resting on those sparkling wings, stroking them softly, she looks at him a bit shyly and begins to ask, "I don't suppose..."
He smiles at her kindly, but has to disappoint her there like everyone else. "Daph, if I did, I'd teach it to you," he answers the unasked question, reading her thoughts easily enough.
She surprises him with a bit of a blush and an even shyer smile, "I'd sort of hoped you would." Unfortunately, he's a teenage boy and doesn't quite make sense of that; he just sits there wondering why she seems a little relieved when she comes up empty.
She traces her fingers gently, appreciatively along the curves of the wings he's drawn. "It's really very good," she says, probably for the seventh time, and he shrugs once more. It's weird. He's somewhat uncomfortable with the praise, and yet simultaneously secretly rather pleased. His ambivalence bewilders him. "Have you ever thought about pursuing it? Drawing? As a career?" Ella's words have stuck with her.
Harper shakes his head, a little disparagingly, "You can't make any money with it."
She can point to any number of portraits hanging around the castle that would seem to prove the opposite, although her argument about the age of the tapestries is similarly true of the portraits. It's not quite as bad there, there's still call for portraits of people from the present day, but still... Most of the works surrounding them day in and out are very old.
More crucially, she wouldn't dream of pushing him into a discussion of money.
It's a sore spot for him, and unusual enough that he mentioned it of his own accord. She knows it's a sign of trust, that she won't twist the knife.
That, or that he takes her for harmless as much of the rest of the House does.
She's honestly not sure.
There's a difference between kind and harmless, though, and it bothers her sometimes that her Housemates frequently assume she just isn't able to harm.
That's not it at all.
She chooses not to.
It's a pity that experience has taught her to question that. It would have been better for both of them if she could have taken that in the spirit it was meant as well.
Val comes over to join them and Daph and Ella collect their things soon after to head to the library. Daph shows Harper which Finite Incantatem to use to return the blanket to it's original parchment state when they're finished with lunch. He'll perform the Spell when they're about to leave for class. That he then finds himself with an extra piece of quality parchment in hand when he's done the Charm may or may not be coincidence.
But he's not one to waste, and he carefully puts it with his things.
At some point it had crossed Minerva's mind that the portrait that used to hang in her classroom portrayed a number of subjects who could perhaps supply her with information as to the identities of poor Miss Granger's attackers. She'd like to take a crack at interrogating the centaurs. This is her first chance to speak to Severus about it since that realisation, and she means to take advantage of it. She knows he believes she needs to be kept out of the loop as to what happened, that he seems certain Albus feels that's necessary. Albus, typically, hasn't said anything one way or another, not taking a stand. But perhaps most revealingly, he hasn't filled her in on what happened either.
In light of that, Severus may well be correct once again, which is a source of annoyance for a variety of reasons.
She needs to approach this delicately then, or the Potions Master is likely to deny her request for access to the portrait outright.
"I say, Severus, I was wondering where the portrait from my classroom went. You needn't worry," she rushes to allay any concerns before he can object. "Naturally I wouldn't dream of hanging it there again - I agree with your actions in removing it completely - but I was hoping I might have it back?" There's a pause where he doesn't nibble and she feels pressed to supply a reason. "I had thought I might hang it in my quarters..."
Minerva has always been terribly transparent, which was part of the reason she won't be learning a great many of the details about what had taken place Friday, or many of the other things to which he's privy and she is not. He can't help being amused that she, of all people, is trying to 'out Slytherin' him, of all people, but in all seriousness, he turns to her, flicks up a Muffliato, and quietly tells her that those centaurs had watched five men administer that potion to his bondmate and hadn't sent for help.
"You can't have it back."
His tone is even, but somehow all the more ominous because of it.
It sounds incredibly final, and she sits there blinking a bit owlishly. Honestly, she can't think of a reasonable objection to what he says. She simply hadn't thought of it in that light.
And she finds it very discomfiting to do so now.
"I've sorted them... appropriately," he further assures her. Technically he hasn't, but he will. Over time. He wants to draw it out, to savour it, to allow them to marinate in fear. He sees no point in clarifying that to his colleague.
Minerva flinches visibly at the thought, mostly of what they'd done, and misunderstanding her reaction, with some annoyance Severus now points out, "It isn't the same as were they sentient beings, Minerva. And in the face of their dereliction of duty, and craven desire to watch..."
Minerva flinches even more. "No, of course, Severus, you're absolutely correct. I don't need it back."
When she doesn't say anything further, he draws his wand and puts an end to the spell. It's a visual cue that this particular conversation is ended as far as he's concerned, and truthfully, she has no desire to pursue it further. She's quite sure Severus dealt with the centaurs more... appropriately, as he put it, than she ever could have.
She observes him now and once again feels a bit of relief he would neither expect nor understand were he aware of it. For all his antisocial posturing, she is positive no one else on staff would have championed Miss Granger's... Madam Snape's honour on that score with the ferocity she feels certain he brought to bear on the portrait.
It's not love.
Merlin, it's not even a relationship.
But for something that can't be undone like their bond, that concern on his part is far from a bad thing.
Easily a third of Slytherin still seems to... prefer arranged marriages. Or at least to favour them anyway. Possibly even a greater percentage. It's frankly hard to tell from the outside, if one's not aware of the details. By and large, it's fair to say the House is reticent as a whole, and the parties tend to be physically non-demonstrative, rendering it nearly impossible to tell an arranged relationship from a... naturally occurring one. Minerva's not altogether certain she should see the Snapes' bonding as so very dissimilar. It's probably because it affects one of her students that she looks upon it differently.
But then, they're all her students, really.
It bothers her, just a little as she considers it, that she tends not to see it that way.
She looks to her House's table, the youngest Weasley boy and Mr. Potter... Mr. Weasley seems to be responding to Madam Snape's situation in the most unfortunate way imaginable. (That's a failure of imagination on her part, and she's doing the boy an injustice. There's no question it could be better, but it's early days yet and it honestly could be far worse. Which isn't to say Ron suddenly becomes sensible...)
And Mr. Potter...
She'd have hoped they'd both have been more supportive of the young woman. And even if Mr. Weasley couldn't see his way clear to doing so - she can understand why that might have been an ask too far in so short a period of time - but that if forced to choose, Mr. Potter might have thought to support his other friend.
She supposes that's part of the difficulty with those two boys permanently living in one another's pockets.
Her lips purse in annoyance.
There's no sign of Madam Snape in the Great Hall, she notes and finds that... worrisome. She supposes she hasn't just missed the witch. She'll give it a few days more, and then she might have to intervene. She considers whom she might speak to, and is disappointed to realise she has to reject each of her little lions in turn.
Miss Lovegood is the one she finally selects as the best option.
Yes, she'll give things a few days to settle, and if things haven't returned to some semblance of normal by next week, she'll see about asking Miss Lovegood to intercede with the boys on Madam Snape's behalf.
The knowledge that Severus had taken action on something so... non-essential as the portrait is comforting. No one would have known of it if she hadn't happened to ask after the painting. It isn't something he's done for the sake of appearances, but because he felt it was right. She finds that reassuring. If he's keeping an eye on the non-essentials, perhaps he'll see to it the girl... the young woman isn't neglecting the essentials either.
Severus watches Minerva's face shifting, her displeasure often evident. He's been feeling... off lately. The physical abuse hasn't helped, but the bond has really unsettled him and he projects much of his own discomfort with his situation onto those around him. He erroneously assumes Minerva is still angry with him for bonding Miss Granger, and further that she condemns his actions with respect to the portrait.
Unfortunately, he's effectively not taking the advice he gave to Hermione about not changing her behaviour in that he changes how he acts towards Minerva. Eager not to be on the receiving end of still more disapprobation - Merlin knows, life's too short - he avoids her in the days to come.
Almost out of the blue, an idea suddenly strikes Minerva as to whose portrait she could hang in her classroom. If there were one of the witch to be had, that is. She knows exactly whom Madam Snape needs. Muggle-born? Witch? A woman who had achieved much in her lifetime and was an excellent role model? Check, check, check and check.
She'd be perfect.
Minerva needs to talk to Albus about getting that painting. Soonest.
Somewhat distracted, she rises and with nothing more than a muttered, "I need to speak to Albus about a portrait," towards the group, she leaves.
Severus naturally takes that for further confirmation that the woman will never forgive him for anything.
Ever.
He can't help stewing a bit as he sits there silently.
Minerva's talk with Albus won't be nearly as fruitful as she'd have hoped. He won't be able to tell her where to find the portrait she's seeking.
Headmaster Black will join the conversation, proving useful for once, and can tell them he knows for a certainty that Boadicea Waterhouse had painted a portrait of the witch in question while he was Headmaster. As Temperance Mathew had been a school governor, the portrait of the famous Healer was actually done at Hogwarts, and had gone into storage there. Awaiting such a time as... Well, as portraits do.
Unfortunately he can't say much more as to what had happened to the painting thereafter. He'd passed only very shortly after Temperance had, the Lethargic Lurgy claiming them both. For obvious reasons, there are gaps in his knowledge of that time. But he knows he'd rather lost hope when he heard she'd died. She and Swaine Swoopstikes were their best chances for finding a cure for the thing. Swaine had gone on to continue her work successfully, as Phineas has since learnt, but for them and many others, it had simply come too late.
"Well, that's settled then," Albus will smarm. "It's lying about here somewhere." If that were the case, not at all clear nearly three quarters of a century later, it's far from an easy task to find it given the size of the place. Minerva's face will betray those thoughts, much as it would any others. "Now, now, Min. Cheer up. I'll have Argus lend you a hand."
Argus won't be precisely happy to do so, but he'll comply. He always does. Still, he'll grumble about the amount of work he has to do, and she'll suggest setting Mr. Weasley on the job. He has detention, after all.
He'll respond that Mr. Weasley won't be helping him long enough to make much progress, and Minerva will smirk and say that can be changed.
And change it she will.
When the Gryffindor team finally forces Ron to approach Professor MacGonagall after dinner to ask for her permission (for a change) for the team to practice early tomorrow morning, she'll grant it (after much back and forth); that had been her intention all along. However, Ron will suddenly find himself with an additional detention, to be served immediately. He won't even be sure for what, to be honest, although the same is largely true of his other detentions as he hasn't quite acknowledged his role in receiving them, and most certainly not his fault. He'll be left with a vague feeling it's related to breaking curfew this morning. Not that he thought she knew...
Fair enough.
He'll just be a little fuzzy on why he's the only one with detention. Still, he'll be lucky enough to think to stop himself from saying as much before he gets the entire team a detention. That wouldn't have gone over well.
It will be a close thing, though.
His luck will hold long enough for him to search twelve broom cupboards this evening for the portrait. It'll be dirty, sweaty work, but probably still better than cleaning the hallways manually would have been, and he'll be happy for the change. When he reaches the thirteenth, however, a bucket containing a good deal of rubbish and - so much worse - a nest of spiders, somehow - almost magically - will fall from a shelf, overturning on his head.
He'll run shrieking bloody murder down the corridor.
His screams will attract Argus, who will be pleased to discover the portrait of Healer Mathew in the cupboard, and promptly forget to look after Weasley to see what the boy's about. He will, however, report Weasley had run off and left his chores uncompleted, and Minerva will assign Ron a similar task tomorrow evening to compensate for it.
Nothing quite makes an evening like two detentions, after all.
Filius has the poor fortune of attempting to interest Severus in their conversation once again, but the Potions Master's mood has shifted significantly for the worse, and there's presumably no way back from his funk just at the moment.
The Charmsmaster is very poorly rewarded for his kind efforts by Severus casting a Muffliato and turning to tell him just what the Ravenclaw's students had had to say about Miss Granger, Madam Snape and their bonding.
In full. Off-colour. Detail.
Filius loses all colour himself as Severus continues, relentlessly, until he finally pushes his plate away in revulsion. He can't imagine what's gotten into his students. First his fourth years ambushing a lone Hufflepuff and now this... The longer he listens, the angrier he becomes, a not remotely common response for the magnanimous little man, and the number of points he means to take from them keeps rising. By the time Severus has finished his recitation, Filius has arrived at thirty points a nose for a grand total of ninety. And that's on top of the forty-five in toto the seventh years had already lost for duelling in the corridors.
Shameful. Absolutely shameful.
He'll need to speak with them, he decides, and resolves to do so after classes today. All of them, really. After dinner then. This is unacceptable behaviour and he can't begin to understand it.
All too typically, he's soon on his way to forgiving them, and seeking the blame with himself.
Perhaps he hasn't been paying enough attention to what they've been doing lately... Between Frog Choir and the Hogwarts Orchestra, classes, grading, his duties as Head of House... Perhaps he's been stretched a little thin.
The stretch certainly hasn't made him any taller.
Severus has had enough.
Tired and annoyed, and it's only midday, he rises and leaves, determined to have Sunny bring him something delicious and actually enjoy his lunch for once.
He bloody well deserves it.
Sunny will happily provide him with the same sort of barm cake butty he'd brought the Mistress. Severus will be every bit as enamoured of the thing as she was, and it starts a bit of a trend, with the elf providing many of the meals for both of them in the days to come.
Sunny, naturally, will be pleased as punch. The only thing that will detract from his happiness is that unfortunately they don't think to take those meals together. He'll feel certain it's only a matter of time. Humans can be quite silly, but for the most part, they eventually see sense, he is sure.
Filius, his appetite now thoroughly ruined, doesn't remain much longer after Severus leaves. Pondering his students and their atrocious behaviour, he somewhat reluctantly heads to the Infirmary to see to Mr. Inglebee. But just the thought of the lad at the moment leaves a bad taste in his mouth.
That will be mitigated slightly by informing the fourth year that he has detention - once he gets out of the Infirmary - for attacking Mr. Kurz. And the chance Filius has to finally see those wings of Mr. Crabbe's that Poppy had been talking about... Well, that cheers him greatly. They're everything he'd hoped and more.
With the help of Nurse Wainscott, Filius begins Mr. Inglebee's treatment as Severus had advised, after filling her in on the Potions Master's suggestions and at least some of his reasoning. (He quite wisely keeps the bit about wrong-handed irregular Charms to himself.) It's only the matter of minutes to convince the Nurse and administer the Boil-Cure. Well, a couple of them. Severus was right - of course he was - that's the lion's share of the work done right there.
By the time Poppy returns from lunch, Filius and Wanda have made great progress towards healing the fourth year. So much so, in fact, that Darius won't have to miss the House meeting this evening, in which Filius will come about as close as he ever has to giving the group a thorough bollocking. While it won't make much of an impression on many, it will register with a few just because of that contrast.
Typically, those probably aren't the ones he really needs to reach, however.
Wanda, of course, hasn't changed substantially in the last day or so, and over the course of the afternoon, she'll be quick to tell the other students in their care all about the elaborate staff efforts to sort Mr. Inglebee - within the constraints provided by patient confidentiality.
Obviously.
Word will spread, naturally, in the days to come about the horrendous hex Creevey had performed on Inglebee. Things will become distorted, as they do, and the rumours will paint quite the colourful picture about how it took most of the staff to undo it (which will do wonders for Dennis' reputation, the students being as they are, a fact that drives Hermione to distraction). The way the Slytherins will tell the tale, their Head had been the one to solve the problem, not that most of them will know what exactly that problem was, but that's probably the only perspective that will really matter from their point of view. Even Draco and Gregory won't suspect Creevey had used the Furnunculus, certainly not from the description anyway.
Of course Dennis will be more than happy to provide Hunter with some of the details. Such as he knows them anyhow.
As Minerva will have decided against sharing the salient pieces of information regarding the Jinx with her young Gryffindor, Dennis' understanding of what he had done will be non-trivially flawed. Fortunately however, she will sit him down and make it exceedingly clear to him that he hadn't remotely grasped the spell (that will be a bit of a blow to his ego, but then all that juicy gossip about the sheer magnitude of his hex will more than make up for it) and he isn't to attempt to perform it again. Ever. Professor McGonagall has a way about her that commands respect, and all but the densest, or, um, the Gryffindorest of her House tend to take her word as law. Dennis will accept that he's in no position to be teaching others the Jinx. But that won't mean he can't say what he'd done.
It's only natural that the Pimple Jinx will quite capture Hunter's imagination as a result.
Eventually the younger Hutchinson boy will work up the courage to ask his Housemate Sheldon Shafiq if he'd mind lending him one of his books on jinxes. Amused at the prospect, the sixth year will agree (it will help sway him slightly that they're distant cousins on their mothers' sides from the Shacklebolt line). Hunter will spend an evening studying the Jinx, eager to get it right. It will take him another day to work up his confidence, and then he'll feel ready.
Wednesday evening next week, Harper will agree to run interference with the rest of their Quidditch team after practice and Hunter will lie in wait in one of the alcoves along the corridor leading to the dungeons. Dennis and Newton will come along for moral support. Well, that and to satisfy their curiosity, of course. When Vince passes, as Dennis and Newton do their very best Notice-Me-Nots on the trio, Hunter will move in to cast.
Mindful of his swish and careful to enunciate properly, Professor Flitwick would be so proud - well, except for the whole jinxing thing - he'll let loose with a great, "FUR-nunculus!"
In seconds, Hunter's exaggerated outcropping to his wandstroke and unwavering intent - just like Professor Moody had taught him - will have Vince covered top to tail in boils. That much might be expected. But Severus is right, of course, that it can be tricky to try to master a spell solely from written material.
Case in point, for the Pimple Jinx the second syllable is stressed. Fur-NUN-culus. Hermione can't emphasise enough how important pronunciation is; she'll readily add this to her list of examples once she hears of it. (Unfortunately that will give rise to more people deliberately mispronouncing this particular Jinx - she really should have thought that through, and, really, everyone would have been better off if she were to have kept it to herself. She'll find that quite frustrating, but as the countermeasures will be known, the results fortunately won't get too terribly out of hand. It will, however, provide Severus with a reason for a good chuckle. That in turn will leave him feeling the need to make it up to his wife, which will rapidly render her frustration a thing of the past, as it typically does. But of course, that's a ways off yet.)
It transpires when one mistakenly stresses the first syllable as Hunter does, the boils sprout fur. Copious quantities thereof. (Although some of that excessive growth will be down to Hunter's intent as well.) As Crabbe's luck would have it, it also transpires that that fur is apparently very closely related to Kneazle fur, enough so that it will trigger another allergy attack in the seventh year.
As Vince will still be sporting his Bundimun coloured hair, that fur too will manifest in Snotter green. All that, combined with his black nails... Merlin. He'll look like a lumpy, green Sasquatch. Or maybe a mouldy Yeti. A mouldy Yeti, struck by a Hair-thickening Charm and struggling to breathe thanks to severe allergies. To itself, apparently. He'll sink to his knees as the fourth year boys make a run for it, and still be lying, wheezing on the floor of the hallway when his teammates eventually come past.
To be fair, the boys aren't quite as callous as that might appear. It'll be hard to see just how blue Vince's lips will have turned given the Everlasting Lippy Charm Róisín will have applied to him. The neon hot pink makes quite the impression with the rest of the school next week. She'll have to go back to an issue of 'Witch Weekly' from the eighties to find the right spell, but it will be so worth it.
That demonstration sends a flurry of girls scampering to the library to study the charms. Unfortunately, they'll discover the colours are seriously outdated, wouldn't you know it, and there hadn't been more modern work along those lines as the basic Charm - independent of colour variant - tends to really dry out one's lips. As Vince's lips will testify to one and all only too clearly a week later. They'll be sufficiently chapped that it will put everyone off those particular charms for some time to come.
Of course, by then, he'll have other things to worry about, because the year isn't shaping up well for him. Not at all.
By this point, when the Quidditch team finds Vince on the ground, Gregory will have so much practice, he won't even think to ask before taking Vince to the Infirmary; he'll simply scoop him up and go. Poppy will no longer be surprised to see them coming, although the pink lippy, green fur and black nails combination is certainly something new.
She may just covertly snap another picture. For her records, to be clear.
Suitably impressed with the results with Vince, the trio of terror (as they're calling themselves next week) will then go looking for Ron, and Hunter will proudly cast the Jinx again, finally getting Dennis his longed for revenge for the Weasel's attack on Colin (what are friends for?), much to their mutual satisfaction. A great deal of laughing ensues to a chorus of Ron's 'Bloody hell's as they make their getaway.
Severus will again be called for a consultation, Poppy Floos with the details - boil-covered yetis, one in ginger and one in mouldering green - and then it will be his turn to struggle not to laugh as he prescribes a Depilating Draught in addition to the Boil-Cure.
He'll be right to do so. Absolutely. The combination will neatly do the trick.
But of course he'll have to fight even more not to laugh when the Draught renders both boys completely bald.
On the upside, once the Hair Regrowing Spells return them - more or less - to normal (Ron will be quite displeased with his crew cut, and maintain his eyebrows are all wrong), Vince will no longer have green hair. Just as well, really, as it would have clashed with his thoroughly reddened nose and ultra pink lips.
A/N:
‘Harper’s drawing’ of Daphne with wings made by the most magnificent MyWitch. Thank you so much! ❤️
Severus Snape, Hermione Granger, Staff: Albus Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, Filius Flitwick, Poppy Pomfrey, Sybill Trelawney, Professor Sarah Sapworthy, Bathsheda Babbling, Argus Filch, Nurse Wanda Wainscott, Slytherins: Draco Malfoy, Theo Nott, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, Daphne Greengrass, Harper Hutchinson, Ella Wilkins, Hestia Carrow, Róisín Rosier, Hunter Hutchinson, Gryffindors: Ron Weasley, Dennis Creevey, Ravenclaws: Padma Patil, Mandy Brocklehurst, Darius Inglebee, Hufflepuffs: Wayne Hopkins, Oliver Rivers, Justin Finch-Fletchley, Newton Kurz, Others: the Bloody Baron, Sunny, Portrait Phineas Nigellus Black
Mentioned briefly: Slytherins: Blaise Zabini, Aaron Avery, Sheldon Shafiq, Valerie Vaisey, Gryffindors: Harry Potter, Ravenclaws: Michael Corner, Terry Boot, Morag MacDougal, Luna Lovegood, Hufflepuffs: Megan Jones, Others: Slinky, Portrait Temperance Mathew, Boadicea Waterhouse, Swaine Swoopstikes
Originally Published: 2018-12-20 on AO3
Chapter: 100 part 1
The original version of this chapter exceeded livejournal’s maximum post length. It’s been split in two parts.Characters:
Severus (HoS, Potions), Hermione 7G (Prefect, Supreme Swot)
Staff:
Albus Dumbledore (Headmaster), Professor Minerva McGonagall (HoG, Transfiguration), Professor Filius Flitwick (HoR, Charms), Poppy Pomfrey (Mediwitch extraordinaire), Professor Sybill Trelawney (Divination; Scarves, Tealeaves, Patchouli, oh my!), Professor Sarah Sapworthy (Xylomancy, Twigs!), Professor Bathsheda Babbling (Ancient Runes), Argus Filch (Squib 'Care'taker), Nurse Wanda Wainscott (chatty)
Slytherins:
Draco 7S (Prefect, Team Captain, Seeker, Swot), Theo Nott 7S (Swottiest, Nervous Wreck), Vincent 'Vince' Crabbe 7S (Beater, Winged Wonder), Gregory Goyle 7S (Beater), Daphne Greengrass 7S (Sparkly! Fwoopers!), Harper Hutchinson 6S (Prefect, Chaser, flash Robe Model), Ella Wilkins 6S (Prefect), Hestia Carrow 6S (Chaser, sporty twin), Róisín Rosier 6S, Hunter Hutchinson 4S (Imp)
Gryffindors:
Ron Weasley 7G (Prefect, Keeper (only in the Quidditch sense)), Dennis Creevey 4G (almost as bad as Colin)
Ravenclaws:
Padma Patil 7R (Head Girl), Mandy Brocklehurst 7R (musical), Darius Inglebee 4R (Reserve Chaser, impatient Patient)
Hufflepuffs:
Wayne Hopkins 7H, Oliver Rivers 7H, Justin Finch-Fletchley 7H (D.A.), Newton Kurz 4H (Dennis' and Hunter's recently hexed potions-challenged friend)
Others:
The Bloody Baron (Slytherin House Ghost), Sunny (the Snapes' house elf), Portrait Headmaster Phineas Black
Mentioned briefly: Slytherins: Blaise Zabini 7S (Keeper), Aaron Avery 6S (Reserve Chaser), Sheldon Shafiq 6S (Reserve Beater, and charm on legs), Valerie 'Val' Vaisey 6S (Chaser), Gryffindors: Harry 7G (Team Captain, Seeker, the Boy-Who-Lived-to-Annoy-Severus), Ravenclaws: Michael Corner 7R, Terry Boot 7R, Morag MacDougal 7R (lippy Muggle-born with that lippy), Luna Lovegood 6R, Hufflepuffs: Megan Jones, Others: Slinky (the Slytherin House's chief house elf), Portrait Temperance Mathew (Healer and School Governor), Boadicea Waterhouse (turn of the century Portraitist), Swaine Swoopstikes (Potions Master, Professor and Entomologist, past HoS)
Previously:
Last chapter's Previouslies.
Under the influence of the potion the Slytherin boys had administered, Hermione has some... uncomfortable thoughts about centaurs thanks to the portrait in Minerva's classroom. 029 When she returns there with Severus to punish Draco, he misinterprets her reaction and removes the portrait, which she appreciates. 054 It occurs to him that they hadn't fetched help when she was attacked 055, and he begins to treat the painting more that a little rudely. Oh, and with turpentine. 073
Ernie Macmillan and three of the seventh year Ravenclaws (Terry Boot, Michael Corner and Morag MacDougal) make some highly inappropriate comments about Hermione and Severus and their bonding which leads to a duel with Theo, Draco and Blaise after Tuesday's Potions lesson. Severus catches them at it and takes fifteen points a nose from the Turkeys for duelling in the hallways. 071
Harper and Hestia fly over to join the girls in the stands; Val remains on the pitch with the reserve players, putting them through drills. Harper had been playing Keeper so they could get some realistic practice in, and this way Aaron could work on his Chasing skills. Unfortunately, it's not nearly as likely that one of the sixth year Chasers will be unable to play in the upcoming match as it is that Blaise will be unfit to Keep. Which is more than a little worrisome. It would mean Harper would have to fill in for him and Aaron would take over Harper's usual position, and should compromise their team on two fronts.
Harper thinks he'll need to speak to Draco about this, and he probably needs to get in a lot more practice Keeping. This lunchtime session is shaping up to be as much about him as it is the reserve teammates. Draco will naturally be easier to convince when in the days to come, thanks to Slinky's liberal application of the Insalacious Saltpeter, Blaise becomes measurably less... sharp. As he's the only one of the boys present at practice this afternoon to have actually eaten much of his lunch, the difference in his Quidditch game will already be noticeable and stand out by contrast.
Daphne casts the warming Charms on her classmates as they sit down next to them and magically expands the blanket covering their laps as Ella begins passing out the lunches. She and Hestia soon fall into a discussion of their last Charms assignment. Harper, stealing a glance at his classmates to make sure they're occupied, Summons his book bag and, a bit awkwardly, begins to root through the pile. Somewhat fumblingly, so unusual for the otherwise athletic and highly coordinated young man, he hands Daph a sheet of parchment. The real stuff, and not some of his Geminioed supplies. Something that's likely to last.
Well, if she doesn't bin it first.
"Here, I, um, I drew this for you." He shrugs uneasily, shifting where he sits, "I just wanted to say thanks for the slippers."
She unrolls the parchment and it's a drawing of her. Her in her uniform with gigantic fairy wings. She's not at all sure how he did it, but the wings sparkle. They're positively twinkly, shifting and changing, and she's... She's rapt. She cries out in glee. Any hopes he'd had of Ella and Hestia not noticing fly across the pitch and just keep going.
"What's that?" Hestia asks, suddenly with nothing better to do.
Ella, sharper by far, targets the obvious, "And when did you draw it?" She's smirking, and Harper begins fidgeting more. It had to have been sometime this morning.
"During class," he admits, and Hestia laughs.
"That's our Prefect for you. Leading with good example."
"Hey, if you didn't notice me doing it, then it's not like I disrupted class." He arches his brow at her and does his best to look superior.
He almost pulls it off.
"Thank you so much! It's absolutely beautiful!" Daph coos, because of course she does, breaking the tension. Sure, if he'd had his druthers, he'd have preferred cooing to other possible responses. Just maybe not with Ella and Hestia looking on to tease. Because they definitely will later. It's like a universal constant or something.
Witches.
Still, he's relieved. He'd sort of hoped Daphne would take the drawing in the spirit it was meant. He'd really appreciated the work she did on his slippers, and this was pretty much the only way he could think to show it. That's one major disadvantage to her being a year ahead of him; he'd been at a bit of a loss what he could do for her that she couldn't do better for herself. With the possible exception of Cleansing Charms, that is, which seems frankly insulting, never mind unnecessary. Well, that and hexes, obviously, but that's hardly useful here. But he draws well, he's been doing so for years, and he'd quietly sketched the picture of her over the course of the morning. It helps that drawing doesn't have to be an expensive hobby if he doesn't use fancy inks, brushes or parchment. His regular quill does the job rather nicely for his preferred style. He thinks he managed to capture her excitement from when she first saw the things flapping on Vince's back this morning.
She thinks so, too, and doesn't mince words raving about it.
Hmm.
Ella will give him no peace about that, that's for sure.
Eventually the other girls return to their Charms discussion, and Daph's praise, too, turns more conversational. "How on earth did you make them sparkle like that?" She's just curious this time and not pursuing the information to use it herself. She has a good eye, and can create a decent pattern when she uses magic, but she's certain she couldn't draw something manually like that to save her life. (Not that one generally needs to, obviously, but still...)
"Charm," he shrugs.
"I imagine you know a lot of them then," she smiles. He nods a little stiffly. "Because I can't see that being one of the more useful ones to know," she laughs. She wrinkles her nose in amusement, clearly teasing, but it's not the same sort of thing he'll take from Ella and Hestia. This is... nicer. "Or is there much call for sparkly things in your work?" There's something impish about the question that he doesn't dislike. Not at all.
Smart witch, Daph. She put that together quickly. He has to admit there is not. In fact, he'd had to consult one of his books in order to do it. With the exception of Dumblebore's robes (and how often would he wish to draw those?), there really aren't a lot of things that would need that effect. But the Charm is cheaper, clearly, than magical inks. And it hadn't taken him long to learn. And it had completed the drawing nicely.
Her fingers resting on those sparkling wings, stroking them softly, she looks at him a bit shyly and begins to ask, "I don't suppose..."
He smiles at her kindly, but has to disappoint her there like everyone else. "Daph, if I did, I'd teach it to you," he answers the unasked question, reading her thoughts easily enough.
She surprises him with a bit of a blush and an even shyer smile, "I'd sort of hoped you would." Unfortunately, he's a teenage boy and doesn't quite make sense of that; he just sits there wondering why she seems a little relieved when she comes up empty.
She traces her fingers gently, appreciatively along the curves of the wings he's drawn. "It's really very good," she says, probably for the seventh time, and he shrugs once more. It's weird. He's somewhat uncomfortable with the praise, and yet simultaneously secretly rather pleased. His ambivalence bewilders him. "Have you ever thought about pursuing it? Drawing? As a career?" Ella's words have stuck with her.
Harper shakes his head, a little disparagingly, "You can't make any money with it."
She can point to any number of portraits hanging around the castle that would seem to prove the opposite, although her argument about the age of the tapestries is similarly true of the portraits. It's not quite as bad there, there's still call for portraits of people from the present day, but still... Most of the works surrounding them day in and out are very old.
More crucially, she wouldn't dream of pushing him into a discussion of money.
It's a sore spot for him, and unusual enough that he mentioned it of his own accord. She knows it's a sign of trust, that she won't twist the knife.
That, or that he takes her for harmless as much of the rest of the House does.
She's honestly not sure.
There's a difference between kind and harmless, though, and it bothers her sometimes that her Housemates frequently assume she just isn't able to harm.
That's not it at all.
She chooses not to.
It's a pity that experience has taught her to question that. It would have been better for both of them if she could have taken that in the spirit it was meant as well.
Val comes over to join them and Daph and Ella collect their things soon after to head to the library. Daph shows Harper which Finite Incantatem to use to return the blanket to it's original parchment state when they're finished with lunch. He'll perform the Spell when they're about to leave for class. That he then finds himself with an extra piece of quality parchment in hand when he's done the Charm may or may not be coincidence.
But he's not one to waste, and he carefully puts it with his things.
At some point it had crossed Minerva's mind that the portrait that used to hang in her classroom portrayed a number of subjects who could perhaps supply her with information as to the identities of poor Miss Granger's attackers. She'd like to take a crack at interrogating the centaurs. This is her first chance to speak to Severus about it since that realisation, and she means to take advantage of it. She knows he believes she needs to be kept out of the loop as to what happened, that he seems certain Albus feels that's necessary. Albus, typically, hasn't said anything one way or another, not taking a stand. But perhaps most revealingly, he hasn't filled her in on what happened either.
In light of that, Severus may well be correct once again, which is a source of annoyance for a variety of reasons.
She needs to approach this delicately then, or the Potions Master is likely to deny her request for access to the portrait outright.
"I say, Severus, I was wondering where the portrait from my classroom went. You needn't worry," she rushes to allay any concerns before he can object. "Naturally I wouldn't dream of hanging it there again - I agree with your actions in removing it completely - but I was hoping I might have it back?" There's a pause where he doesn't nibble and she feels pressed to supply a reason. "I had thought I might hang it in my quarters..."
Minerva has always been terribly transparent, which was part of the reason she won't be learning a great many of the details about what had taken place Friday, or many of the other things to which he's privy and she is not. He can't help being amused that she, of all people, is trying to 'out Slytherin' him, of all people, but in all seriousness, he turns to her, flicks up a Muffliato, and quietly tells her that those centaurs had watched five men administer that potion to his bondmate and hadn't sent for help.
"You can't have it back."
His tone is even, but somehow all the more ominous because of it.
It sounds incredibly final, and she sits there blinking a bit owlishly. Honestly, she can't think of a reasonable objection to what he says. She simply hadn't thought of it in that light.
And she finds it very discomfiting to do so now.
"I've sorted them... appropriately," he further assures her. Technically he hasn't, but he will. Over time. He wants to draw it out, to savour it, to allow them to marinate in fear. He sees no point in clarifying that to his colleague.
Minerva flinches visibly at the thought, mostly of what they'd done, and misunderstanding her reaction, with some annoyance Severus now points out, "It isn't the same as were they sentient beings, Minerva. And in the face of their dereliction of duty, and craven desire to watch..."
Minerva flinches even more. "No, of course, Severus, you're absolutely correct. I don't need it back."
When she doesn't say anything further, he draws his wand and puts an end to the spell. It's a visual cue that this particular conversation is ended as far as he's concerned, and truthfully, she has no desire to pursue it further. She's quite sure Severus dealt with the centaurs more... appropriately, as he put it, than she ever could have.
She observes him now and once again feels a bit of relief he would neither expect nor understand were he aware of it. For all his antisocial posturing, she is positive no one else on staff would have championed Miss Granger's... Madam Snape's honour on that score with the ferocity she feels certain he brought to bear on the portrait.
It's not love.
Merlin, it's not even a relationship.
But for something that can't be undone like their bond, that concern on his part is far from a bad thing.
Easily a third of Slytherin still seems to... prefer arranged marriages. Or at least to favour them anyway. Possibly even a greater percentage. It's frankly hard to tell from the outside, if one's not aware of the details. By and large, it's fair to say the House is reticent as a whole, and the parties tend to be physically non-demonstrative, rendering it nearly impossible to tell an arranged relationship from a... naturally occurring one. Minerva's not altogether certain she should see the Snapes' bonding as so very dissimilar. It's probably because it affects one of her students that she looks upon it differently.
But then, they're all her students, really.
It bothers her, just a little as she considers it, that she tends not to see it that way.
She looks to her House's table, the youngest Weasley boy and Mr. Potter... Mr. Weasley seems to be responding to Madam Snape's situation in the most unfortunate way imaginable. (That's a failure of imagination on her part, and she's doing the boy an injustice. There's no question it could be better, but it's early days yet and it honestly could be far worse. Which isn't to say Ron suddenly becomes sensible...)
And Mr. Potter...
She'd have hoped they'd both have been more supportive of the young woman. And even if Mr. Weasley couldn't see his way clear to doing so - she can understand why that might have been an ask too far in so short a period of time - but that if forced to choose, Mr. Potter might have thought to support his other friend.
She supposes that's part of the difficulty with those two boys permanently living in one another's pockets.
Her lips purse in annoyance.
There's no sign of Madam Snape in the Great Hall, she notes and finds that... worrisome. She supposes she hasn't just missed the witch. She'll give it a few days more, and then she might have to intervene. She considers whom she might speak to, and is disappointed to realise she has to reject each of her little lions in turn.
Miss Lovegood is the one she finally selects as the best option.
Yes, she'll give things a few days to settle, and if things haven't returned to some semblance of normal by next week, she'll see about asking Miss Lovegood to intercede with the boys on Madam Snape's behalf.
The knowledge that Severus had taken action on something so... non-essential as the portrait is comforting. No one would have known of it if she hadn't happened to ask after the painting. It isn't something he's done for the sake of appearances, but because he felt it was right. She finds that reassuring. If he's keeping an eye on the non-essentials, perhaps he'll see to it the girl... the young woman isn't neglecting the essentials either.
Severus watches Minerva's face shifting, her displeasure often evident. He's been feeling... off lately. The physical abuse hasn't helped, but the bond has really unsettled him and he projects much of his own discomfort with his situation onto those around him. He erroneously assumes Minerva is still angry with him for bonding Miss Granger, and further that she condemns his actions with respect to the portrait.
Unfortunately, he's effectively not taking the advice he gave to Hermione about not changing her behaviour in that he changes how he acts towards Minerva. Eager not to be on the receiving end of still more disapprobation - Merlin knows, life's too short - he avoids her in the days to come.
Almost out of the blue, an idea suddenly strikes Minerva as to whose portrait she could hang in her classroom. If there were one of the witch to be had, that is. She knows exactly whom Madam Snape needs. Muggle-born? Witch? A woman who had achieved much in her lifetime and was an excellent role model? Check, check, check and check.
She'd be perfect.
Minerva needs to talk to Albus about getting that painting. Soonest.
Somewhat distracted, she rises and with nothing more than a muttered, "I need to speak to Albus about a portrait," towards the group, she leaves.
Severus naturally takes that for further confirmation that the woman will never forgive him for anything.
Ever.
He can't help stewing a bit as he sits there silently.
Minerva's talk with Albus won't be nearly as fruitful as she'd have hoped. He won't be able to tell her where to find the portrait she's seeking.
Headmaster Black will join the conversation, proving useful for once, and can tell them he knows for a certainty that Boadicea Waterhouse had painted a portrait of the witch in question while he was Headmaster. As Temperance Mathew had been a school governor, the portrait of the famous Healer was actually done at Hogwarts, and had gone into storage there. Awaiting such a time as... Well, as portraits do.
Unfortunately he can't say much more as to what had happened to the painting thereafter. He'd passed only very shortly after Temperance had, the Lethargic Lurgy claiming them both. For obvious reasons, there are gaps in his knowledge of that time. But he knows he'd rather lost hope when he heard she'd died. She and Swaine Swoopstikes were their best chances for finding a cure for the thing. Swaine had gone on to continue her work successfully, as Phineas has since learnt, but for them and many others, it had simply come too late.
"Well, that's settled then," Albus will smarm. "It's lying about here somewhere." If that were the case, not at all clear nearly three quarters of a century later, it's far from an easy task to find it given the size of the place. Minerva's face will betray those thoughts, much as it would any others. "Now, now, Min. Cheer up. I'll have Argus lend you a hand."
Argus won't be precisely happy to do so, but he'll comply. He always does. Still, he'll grumble about the amount of work he has to do, and she'll suggest setting Mr. Weasley on the job. He has detention, after all.
He'll respond that Mr. Weasley won't be helping him long enough to make much progress, and Minerva will smirk and say that can be changed.
And change it she will.
When the Gryffindor team finally forces Ron to approach Professor MacGonagall after dinner to ask for her permission (for a change) for the team to practice early tomorrow morning, she'll grant it (after much back and forth); that had been her intention all along. However, Ron will suddenly find himself with an additional detention, to be served immediately. He won't even be sure for what, to be honest, although the same is largely true of his other detentions as he hasn't quite acknowledged his role in receiving them, and most certainly not his fault. He'll be left with a vague feeling it's related to breaking curfew this morning. Not that he thought she knew...
Fair enough.
He'll just be a little fuzzy on why he's the only one with detention. Still, he'll be lucky enough to think to stop himself from saying as much before he gets the entire team a detention. That wouldn't have gone over well.
It will be a close thing, though.
His luck will hold long enough for him to search twelve broom cupboards this evening for the portrait. It'll be dirty, sweaty work, but probably still better than cleaning the hallways manually would have been, and he'll be happy for the change. When he reaches the thirteenth, however, a bucket containing a good deal of rubbish and - so much worse - a nest of spiders, somehow - almost magically - will fall from a shelf, overturning on his head.
He'll run shrieking bloody murder down the corridor.
His screams will attract Argus, who will be pleased to discover the portrait of Healer Mathew in the cupboard, and promptly forget to look after Weasley to see what the boy's about. He will, however, report Weasley had run off and left his chores uncompleted, and Minerva will assign Ron a similar task tomorrow evening to compensate for it.
Nothing quite makes an evening like two detentions, after all.
Filius has the poor fortune of attempting to interest Severus in their conversation once again, but the Potions Master's mood has shifted significantly for the worse, and there's presumably no way back from his funk just at the moment.
The Charmsmaster is very poorly rewarded for his kind efforts by Severus casting a Muffliato and turning to tell him just what the Ravenclaw's students had had to say about Miss Granger, Madam Snape and their bonding.
In full. Off-colour. Detail.
Filius loses all colour himself as Severus continues, relentlessly, until he finally pushes his plate away in revulsion. He can't imagine what's gotten into his students. First his fourth years ambushing a lone Hufflepuff and now this... The longer he listens, the angrier he becomes, a not remotely common response for the magnanimous little man, and the number of points he means to take from them keeps rising. By the time Severus has finished his recitation, Filius has arrived at thirty points a nose for a grand total of ninety. And that's on top of the forty-five in toto the seventh years had already lost for duelling in the corridors.
Shameful. Absolutely shameful.
He'll need to speak with them, he decides, and resolves to do so after classes today. All of them, really. After dinner then. This is unacceptable behaviour and he can't begin to understand it.
All too typically, he's soon on his way to forgiving them, and seeking the blame with himself.
Perhaps he hasn't been paying enough attention to what they've been doing lately... Between Frog Choir and the Hogwarts Orchestra, classes, grading, his duties as Head of House... Perhaps he's been stretched a little thin.
The stretch certainly hasn't made him any taller.
Severus has had enough.
Tired and annoyed, and it's only midday, he rises and leaves, determined to have Sunny bring him something delicious and actually enjoy his lunch for once.
He bloody well deserves it.
Sunny will happily provide him with the same sort of barm cake butty he'd brought the Mistress. Severus will be every bit as enamoured of the thing as she was, and it starts a bit of a trend, with the elf providing many of the meals for both of them in the days to come.
Sunny, naturally, will be pleased as punch. The only thing that will detract from his happiness is that unfortunately they don't think to take those meals together. He'll feel certain it's only a matter of time. Humans can be quite silly, but for the most part, they eventually see sense, he is sure.
Filius, his appetite now thoroughly ruined, doesn't remain much longer after Severus leaves. Pondering his students and their atrocious behaviour, he somewhat reluctantly heads to the Infirmary to see to Mr. Inglebee. But just the thought of the lad at the moment leaves a bad taste in his mouth.
That will be mitigated slightly by informing the fourth year that he has detention - once he gets out of the Infirmary - for attacking Mr. Kurz. And the chance Filius has to finally see those wings of Mr. Crabbe's that Poppy had been talking about... Well, that cheers him greatly. They're everything he'd hoped and more.
With the help of Nurse Wainscott, Filius begins Mr. Inglebee's treatment as Severus had advised, after filling her in on the Potions Master's suggestions and at least some of his reasoning. (He quite wisely keeps the bit about wrong-handed irregular Charms to himself.) It's only the matter of minutes to convince the Nurse and administer the Boil-Cure. Well, a couple of them. Severus was right - of course he was - that's the lion's share of the work done right there.
By the time Poppy returns from lunch, Filius and Wanda have made great progress towards healing the fourth year. So much so, in fact, that Darius won't have to miss the House meeting this evening, in which Filius will come about as close as he ever has to giving the group a thorough bollocking. While it won't make much of an impression on many, it will register with a few just because of that contrast.
Typically, those probably aren't the ones he really needs to reach, however.
Wanda, of course, hasn't changed substantially in the last day or so, and over the course of the afternoon, she'll be quick to tell the other students in their care all about the elaborate staff efforts to sort Mr. Inglebee - within the constraints provided by patient confidentiality.
Obviously.
Word will spread, naturally, in the days to come about the horrendous hex Creevey had performed on Inglebee. Things will become distorted, as they do, and the rumours will paint quite the colourful picture about how it took most of the staff to undo it (which will do wonders for Dennis' reputation, the students being as they are, a fact that drives Hermione to distraction). The way the Slytherins will tell the tale, their Head had been the one to solve the problem, not that most of them will know what exactly that problem was, but that's probably the only perspective that will really matter from their point of view. Even Draco and Gregory won't suspect Creevey had used the Furnunculus, certainly not from the description anyway.
Of course Dennis will be more than happy to provide Hunter with some of the details. Such as he knows them anyhow.
As Minerva will have decided against sharing the salient pieces of information regarding the Jinx with her young Gryffindor, Dennis' understanding of what he had done will be non-trivially flawed. Fortunately however, she will sit him down and make it exceedingly clear to him that he hadn't remotely grasped the spell (that will be a bit of a blow to his ego, but then all that juicy gossip about the sheer magnitude of his hex will more than make up for it) and he isn't to attempt to perform it again. Ever. Professor McGonagall has a way about her that commands respect, and all but the densest, or, um, the Gryffindorest of her House tend to take her word as law. Dennis will accept that he's in no position to be teaching others the Jinx. But that won't mean he can't say what he'd done.
It's only natural that the Pimple Jinx will quite capture Hunter's imagination as a result.
Eventually the younger Hutchinson boy will work up the courage to ask his Housemate Sheldon Shafiq if he'd mind lending him one of his books on jinxes. Amused at the prospect, the sixth year will agree (it will help sway him slightly that they're distant cousins on their mothers' sides from the Shacklebolt line). Hunter will spend an evening studying the Jinx, eager to get it right. It will take him another day to work up his confidence, and then he'll feel ready.
Wednesday evening next week, Harper will agree to run interference with the rest of their Quidditch team after practice and Hunter will lie in wait in one of the alcoves along the corridor leading to the dungeons. Dennis and Newton will come along for moral support. Well, that and to satisfy their curiosity, of course. When Vince passes, as Dennis and Newton do their very best Notice-Me-Nots on the trio, Hunter will move in to cast.
Mindful of his swish and careful to enunciate properly, Professor Flitwick would be so proud - well, except for the whole jinxing thing - he'll let loose with a great, "FUR-nunculus!"
In seconds, Hunter's exaggerated outcropping to his wandstroke and unwavering intent - just like Professor Moody had taught him - will have Vince covered top to tail in boils. That much might be expected. But Severus is right, of course, that it can be tricky to try to master a spell solely from written material.
Case in point, for the Pimple Jinx the second syllable is stressed. Fur-NUN-culus. Hermione can't emphasise enough how important pronunciation is; she'll readily add this to her list of examples once she hears of it. (Unfortunately that will give rise to more people deliberately mispronouncing this particular Jinx - she really should have thought that through, and, really, everyone would have been better off if she were to have kept it to herself. She'll find that quite frustrating, but as the countermeasures will be known, the results fortunately won't get too terribly out of hand. It will, however, provide Severus with a reason for a good chuckle. That in turn will leave him feeling the need to make it up to his wife, which will rapidly render her frustration a thing of the past, as it typically does. But of course, that's a ways off yet.)
It transpires when one mistakenly stresses the first syllable as Hunter does, the boils sprout fur. Copious quantities thereof. (Although some of that excessive growth will be down to Hunter's intent as well.) As Crabbe's luck would have it, it also transpires that that fur is apparently very closely related to Kneazle fur, enough so that it will trigger another allergy attack in the seventh year.
As Vince will still be sporting his Bundimun coloured hair, that fur too will manifest in Snotter green. All that, combined with his black nails... Merlin. He'll look like a lumpy, green Sasquatch. Or maybe a mouldy Yeti. A mouldy Yeti, struck by a Hair-thickening Charm and struggling to breathe thanks to severe allergies. To itself, apparently. He'll sink to his knees as the fourth year boys make a run for it, and still be lying, wheezing on the floor of the hallway when his teammates eventually come past.
To be fair, the boys aren't quite as callous as that might appear. It'll be hard to see just how blue Vince's lips will have turned given the Everlasting Lippy Charm Róisín will have applied to him. The neon hot pink makes quite the impression with the rest of the school next week. She'll have to go back to an issue of 'Witch Weekly' from the eighties to find the right spell, but it will be so worth it.
That demonstration sends a flurry of girls scampering to the library to study the charms. Unfortunately, they'll discover the colours are seriously outdated, wouldn't you know it, and there hadn't been more modern work along those lines as the basic Charm - independent of colour variant - tends to really dry out one's lips. As Vince's lips will testify to one and all only too clearly a week later. They'll be sufficiently chapped that it will put everyone off those particular charms for some time to come.
Of course, by then, he'll have other things to worry about, because the year isn't shaping up well for him. Not at all.
By this point, when the Quidditch team finds Vince on the ground, Gregory will have so much practice, he won't even think to ask before taking Vince to the Infirmary; he'll simply scoop him up and go. Poppy will no longer be surprised to see them coming, although the pink lippy, green fur and black nails combination is certainly something new.
She may just covertly snap another picture. For her records, to be clear.
Suitably impressed with the results with Vince, the trio of terror (as they're calling themselves next week) will then go looking for Ron, and Hunter will proudly cast the Jinx again, finally getting Dennis his longed for revenge for the Weasel's attack on Colin (what are friends for?), much to their mutual satisfaction. A great deal of laughing ensues to a chorus of Ron's 'Bloody hell's as they make their getaway.
Severus will again be called for a consultation, Poppy Floos with the details - boil-covered yetis, one in ginger and one in mouldering green - and then it will be his turn to struggle not to laugh as he prescribes a Depilating Draught in addition to the Boil-Cure.
He'll be right to do so. Absolutely. The combination will neatly do the trick.
But of course he'll have to fight even more not to laugh when the Draught renders both boys completely bald.
On the upside, once the Hair Regrowing Spells return them - more or less - to normal (Ron will be quite displeased with his crew cut, and maintain his eyebrows are all wrong), Vince will no longer have green hair. Just as well, really, as it would have clashed with his thoroughly reddened nose and ultra pink lips.
A/N:
‘Harper’s drawing’ of Daphne with wings made by the most magnificent MyWitch. Thank you so much! ❤️