Comments | terri_testing: Folly, Part Eight

terri_testing

Folly, Part Eight

Jun 27, 2014 22:27

Chapter Summary: Miss Ingold escorts our heroes to the local park, where Severus pushes Neville, and Abby pushes Severus.

“The first thing a principle does is kill somebody.” Dorothy Sayers, Gaudy Night

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neville, harry potter fanfic, severus snape

Comments 14

oryx_leucoryx June 28 2014, 16:41:59 UTC

Good on Abby, for looking out for Neville, and paying attention, noticing the holes in Severus' story.

And congratulations to Severus for realizing a Death Eater can be a better parent than the Longbottom extended family.

Does this mean he will not raise the question with Dumbles? Or perhaps he will still do so, but listen more critically? In any case, he still has to bring up the matter of living arrangements and child-care.

Did Abby grow up in that town? Did she know the Evans family, even from a distance? Can she guess who it was who must have died because of Severus?

Dumbles... terri_testing October 9 2014, 14:57:23 UTC

It does mean that when Twinkles raises the issue of Severus's unworthiness to be a parent and role model, Severus will have armor against the shafts....

I've been assuming Abby to be an outsider, brought in to take the librarian post. (How many in that economically-depressed former mill town can have taken a degree in library science?) Also, I shouldn't have thought there to have been many dark-skinned immigrants in that town in Severus's youth, but that may be my ignorance showing.

But, of course, Miss Platting knows all about Sev's early infatuation with Lily, their quarrel, Lily's refusal to forgive and Sev's disappearance after. Abby can't talk with Sophy about what Severus said today without breaking a confidence, but Sophy can certainly mention to Abby not confidences, but her own observations and inferences, if she feels Abby needs the information....

oryx_leucoryx June 28 2014, 18:00:04 UTC

BTW what is Severus' old friend, Lucius Malfoy up to this summer? He should be plotting his way into the Hogwarts Board of Governors around this time, shouldn't he? We don't know from canon when he became governor, I'm just guessing. It should take him a few years to be considered acceptable, but he should make it a few years before his son starts school. So I'm wondering if he would be contacting Severus about inside information from Slytherin House, or concerns with Severus' policies. After all, Severus has been Head of House for 4 years now (assuming Horace retired completely in 1981, fewer years if the two overlapped) with no House Cup wins yet ( ... )

Board of Governors jana_ch July 7 2014, 02:41:58 UTC

Regarding Lucius being on the Board of Governors: It's likely that Lucius's father was on the Board before him, since it's such an important and respectable thing for a wizard to do. As far as we know Abraxas is still in good health, but he may be ready to step down specifically so Lucius can take his place in advance of Draco attending school.

Or, just to be radical, maybe it's Lucius's mother who was on the Board before him and whose place he will take. Isn't the wizarding world supposed to be all egalitarian and stuff? (The sound you hear is me snorting with sarcastic laughter.)

oryx_leucoryx June 29 2014, 05:30:58 UTC

Now that Severus is realizing the librarians know what they are talking about, will he read the child-rearing books they gave him? I'm wondering what insights he will have. And how he will see Albus?

oryx_leucoryx July 1 2014, 18:56:35 UTC

I keep going back to how keeping and raising Neville is going to impact on Severus in so many ways.

Now he said out loud that he will not raise Neville to follow in his own footsteps. And he is questioning the underlying beliefs of his old ways. But what will he do when Tom makes an attempt to return?

mary_j_59 July 4 2014, 21:55:18 UTC

Oh, I love this - and also part 7. Yay, Abby! She's really teaching Severus a thing or two, isn't she? But what on earth is he going to do when he has to start teaching again? I have to admit I've done such a turnabout on Dumbledore that I now see his influence on any child as entirely pernicious. And Severus is going to have to talk to him about Neville. I was really hoping Neville could go to a "Muggle" school and actually learn something. Any chance of the ladies' stepping in to make that possible?

Once again, hurray for smart and concerned and outspoken librarians! But I know that what Abby and Sophy can do may not match what they want to do. There are boundaries they shouldn't cross - but Neville and Severus desperately need them to cross them. It's a quandary, isn't it?