FIC: Shedding His Childhood Skin (PG)
Title: Shedding His Childhood Skin
Type: Fic
Age-Range Category: Three
Characters: Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore
Author: geminisister
Beta(s): Jocos
Rating: PG
Click to View [Warning(s)]Bad language, Bad Headmaster Dumbledore, Unspeakables.
Note(s): Thanks to the organisers and my beta for all of their help.
Summary: Severus Snape reluctantly takes up the post as Professor of Potions at Hogwarts, but not is all as it appears. He has friends in secret places and secrets of his own to keep.
Headmaster Dumbledore was furious with his new Professor of Potions, as he had gone behind his back and used magic to assist a squib and Hagrid the groundsman. He was shaking with anger as he had liked to keep things as they were and now Severus had gone and interfered.
There was no time to reprimand him as the students were slowly making their way into the Great Hall. Minerva, his deputy head was off supervising the arrival of the first years and Flitwick was waiting for the students who were in his choir to arrive in order to rehearse the Hogwarts song.
He would chastise him later in private and his eyes twinkled with malice. Severus Snape had to be firmly put in his place and know who was in charge. He had manipulated him as a child and now would enjoy manipulating him more as an adult. He had ensured that he had no friends. It was all for the greater good of course.
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Earlier…
Severus Snape stood on the platform of Hogsmeade train station, awaiting the imminent arrival of the Hogwarts Express. Dumbledore had forced the role upon him to escort students to the castle and to supervise Hagrid and Filch with their duties as well.
It had begun to rain just as he heard the whistle of the Magical Express. He listened to Filch grumping about animal shite and heavy luggage and it taking him hours to finish the fucking chore. He cast a magical spell over the cart, it would now hold much more and also be light as a feather to move. He wondered how long it would take him to become aware he now had a magical cart.
Severus had earlier seen the rickety boats that had not changed since he had sailed across to Hogwarts in his First year. He recalled how students had been traumatised by landing in the water or being drenched due to the bad weather. He secretly cast a spell to ensure all boats got across safely.
He also noticed the worn ropes between the boats linking them and made them unbreakable. He knew he could do nothing about Hagrid. He was a law unto himself.
He watched the train draw to a halt and Hagrid called out for the first years bringing back memories of his own first day at Hogwarts and subsequent arrivals that perhaps were not so pleasant.
Severus had had other job offers and there had been one in particular he had wanted, but Dumbledore had forced his hand into taking this one. The other job - well Dumbledore did not know about that job and he never would. Severus had a secret to keep and he vowed above all else Albus Dumbledore would never discover it.
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Even earlier…
Dumbledore had exploited Minerva McGonagall for years, or so he thought. He had blackmailed her into moving from her previous ministry job to becoming a professor.
But Minerva had a secret, she in fact was an Unspeakable and had been undercover for years, feeding much information back to them about Dumbledore. This way they could take action to suppress his plans and move their own, putting paid to many of his outrageous schemes.
She had been shocked when she discovered that Severus Snape was to be used as his next scapegoat in Albus’s latest “for the greater good” plan. The headmaster could not help himself from crowing that he had the best potioneer in Britain about to become his new professor of potions.
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Inside the Department of Mysteries, Minerva waited anxiously for their newest recruit to join them. She would be his supervisor and apart from her and her boss, no one else would know his true identity. In the past they had discovered a mole in their secret organisation and it was crucial no one else knew.
When he walked into the secret office, Severus Snape was stunned when an Unspeakable removed their disguise and revealed themselves to be Minerva McGonagall. The senior Unspeakable only gave his code name and did not reveal to him his true identity.
“Oh laddie, come here.” She opened her arms to him and he stepped into her warm embrace. He knew that his mum and Minerva had been friends as children at school and she had visited his mum as she lay dying at Spinner’s End and had attended her funeral too.
She handed over to him an envelope with a crest embedded into the wax. The letter was stained and old.
He looked quizzically across at the witch but she gave her head a little shake. He understood whatever she had to say could wait.
+++
Severus had gained his Mastery In Potions quicker than any student for centuries. He also did not pay for his tuition by being gifted money from the Dark Lord or Lucius Malfoy, but he let others think that it could be one of them.
Instead, it had come from a legacy from the Prince family. His mother had failed to inform him before her death that all Princes came into money on their graduation from Hogwarts. The cost of his Mastery education had been paid in full.
He was informed in the letter given to him by Minerva that his Great Uncle, Severus Prince had been an Unspeakable and he had requested that his great nephew be given the opportunity to join when he reached twenty one years old.
He had long since discovered that Albus Dumbledore used tea, sugar and sweets to poison, manipulate and get into people’s heads, but he was stronger now and knew much more how to combat the old wizard’s tricks.
During his Mastery had learned so much more of the outside world. He also learned so much more about Albus than ever before and not all good either but that of course was not new to him.
He was going to need to be subtle. He smiled to himself, at least if he is an ugly bastard with greasy hair made worse after brewing he would be unlikely to be followed or mooned over by students.
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He and the DOM had come up with a guise that he loved. He had new robes with lots of buttons, a nasty attitude toward students and vowed to keep everyone safe in his classroom no matter what that old fool did.
Minerva had been a great help creating his new guise and adding her unique specialised charms.
Severus was especially proud of the way his robes billowed. That was all Minerva’s doing, she had cast charms onto his robes and cloak so they would swirl around him, he looked like a giant bat and the first time he saw his silhouette he nearly had a heart attack. It was perfect.
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The latest Unspeakable addition to the DOM was ready, Severus Tobias Snape Disapparated, heading off on his first mission.
He knew his mentor and boss would be close to hand should he require further help or advice. He was now looking forward to becoming the new Professor of Potions at Hogwarts.
This Slytherin had cast away his childish skin and now stood a powerful man, a wizard his late mum and Uncle Severus could be proud of.
Headmaster Dumbledore was going to rue the day that he ever thought that Severus Tobias Snape was a pushover.