“beyond wandpoint” 105 by gingerbred
Mar. 24th, 2019 07:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
beyondwandpoint“11 12r Wednesday - Dinner 2 - Deal”
Severus Snape, Hermione Granger, Staff: Filius Flitwick, Slytherins: Vincent Crabbe, Daphne Greengrass, Tracey Davis, Millicent Bulstrode, Harper Hutchinson, Aaron Avery, Sheldon Shafiq, Torsten Touchstone, Ella Wilkins, Flora Carrow, Hestia Carrow, Astoria Greengrass, Ava Avery, Tomasina Touchstone, Gryffindors: Harry Potter, Hufflepuffs: Salome Perks Smith, Wayne Hopkins, Zacharias Smith
Mentioned briefly: Staff: Pomona Sprout, Sybill Trelawney, Slytherins: Draco Malfoy, Theo Nott, Gryffindors: Ron Weasley, Ravenclaws: Padma Patil, Anthony Goldstein, Hufflepuffs: Megan Jones, Ernie Macmillan, Oliver Rivers, Justin Finch-Fletchley
Originally Published: 2019-03-03 on AO3
Chapter: 105
Characters:
Severus (HoS, Potions), Hermione 7G (Prefect, Supreme Swot)
Staff:
Professor Filius Flitwick (HoR, Charms)
Slytherins:
Vincent 'Vince' Crabbe 7S (Beater, Winged ex-Couch still-Potato), Daphne Greengrass 7S (Sparkly! Fwoopers!), Tracey Davis 7S (Swottier), Millicent 'Millie' Bulstrode (Reserve Beater, yes, that.), Harper Hutchinson 6S (Prefect, Chaser, flash Robe Model), Aaron Avery 6S (Reserve Chaser), Sheldon Shafiq 6S (Reserve Beater, and charm on legs), Torsten 'Tor' Touchstone 6S (sleepyhead, heir to the Touchstone potions fortune), Ella Wilkins 6S (Prefect), Flora Carrow 6S (friendly twin), Hestia Carrow 6S (Chaser, sporty twin), Astoria 'Tori' Greengrass 5S, Ava Avery 5S, Tomasina Touchstone 5S (Prefect, Potions savvy heiress)
Gryffindors:
Harry 7G (Team Captain, Seeker, the Boy-Who-Lived-to-Annoy-Severus)
Hufflepuffs:
Salome Smith 7H (née Perks, bonded to Zacharias Smith 6H), Wayne Hopkins 7H (budding Egyptologist), Zacharias Smith 6H (bonded to Salome Smith 7H, née Perks)
Mentioned briefly: Staff: Professor Pomona Sprout (HoH, Herbology), Professor Sybill Trelawney (Divination; Scarves, Tealeaves, Patchouli, oh my!), Slytherins: Draco 7S (Prefect, Team Captain, Seeker, Swot), Theo Nott 7S (Swottiest, Nervous Wreck), Gryffindors: Ron Weasley 7G (Prefect, Keeper (but also only in the Quidditch sense), the Boy-Who-Exists-to-Annoy-Hermione), Ravenclaws: Padma Patil 7R (Head Girl), Anthony Goldstein 7R (Prefect), Hufflepuffs: Megan Jones 7H (the Muggle-born who quite sensibly left), Ernie Macmillan 7H (Head Boy), Oliver Rivers 7H, Justin Finch-Fletchley 7H
Previously:
The reactions to the bonding haven't been good. Monday morning Hagrid throws Severus against a wall when he hears the news. (040) While it is hardly a pleasant reaction, it is certainly preferable to having Bellatrix Crucio him after Severus reports the bonding to Voldemort that same evening. (057)
The Slytherin girls declare an... embargo on the seventh year boys. Some may be finding that decision... frustrating. The Slytherin boys reluctantly conclude they probably can't do much to help the Head's situation, but they mean to avenge him against the seventh years. (083)
Severus passes along to Filius just what some of his students have been saying about the Potions Master and his bondmate (100), while Hermione sets her Charms Instructor straight on the attack four of his fourth years launched on Hufflepuff Newton Kurz Tuesday night. (097) Filius decides he needs to call a House meeting to address some of the alarming behaviour the... Snapes have reported. (100) (Mentioned 102)
Megan Jones' parents remove her from Hogwarts to keep her safe. And unbonded, for that matter. A clear advantage for having engaged parents if ever there were one, and not simply Obliviating them, say. (Revealed 096) Sybill adds some anxiety to the situation by telling her students 'Megan Jones will face great peril before reaching the safety of her new home.' (Mentioned 100)
At lunch Wednesday, Severus decides to get a little experimental on Goyle's arse, literally, and discovers the he can perform a Curly Snake's Tail Hex by mirroring the Curly-Pigtail Jinx Hagrid has been known to use. Because why the hell not? (099)
Wayne Hopkins inadvertently hexes Housemate Justin Finch-Fletchley while aiming for Draco. But karma isn't the nicest of ladies (nor is she remotely convinced ladies should even be nice, ffs), and Wayne gets hit by Oliver River's hex in turn. Draco's luck appears indecently good - unless one stops to consider who has commandeered his home for the past year and a half, that is. (That has a way of relativising things.) (100)
Daphne resolves to speak to Theo about some of her suspicions and sets up camp in the Slytherin common room. He had been hiding from her and everyone else in his dorm before sneaking to dinner under a Notice-Me-Nott. (102) Daphne and Ella decide Daph will research the cultural aspects to bonds once they discover the library has been picked clean of the presumably more useful books on the topic. (100)
Minerva has Ron... assisting Argus to search for the long lost portrait of Healer Mathew. (Mentioned 100)
Severus is forced to confront the fact Vince is a potions dealer, and is unable to identify three of his potions without further testing. (097) He discovers one of those potions is the Liquid Lust Hermione was given, and is now a walking, stalking rageball. (104) Woe betide the person who crosses his path! (<- Foreshadowing? Hmm... Maaaaybe? Nah.)
Daphne keeps glancing up from her reading, keeping an eye peeled for Theo. She's growing more and more frustrated, both with that endeavour and the books she's skimmed. Theo hasn't put in an appearance, naturally, or she wouldn't still be looking for him, and the books keep contradicting one another, and in a few particularly egregious examples, sometimes even themselves. It's enough to make her want to throw something.
Fine, not really, but it's not helping her mood any.
Fwoopers.
Fwoopers Fwoopers Fwoopers...
That usually helps, but she finds her thoughts drifting to the drawing Harper had made for her instead. Well, why not? Either way, it puts a smile back on her face and she feels better now.
Well... mostly.
Fortified enough to get back to those horrible books at any rate.
Astoria spots the tenseness in her sister's posture and comes over, taking a seat on her chair's arm.
"Is it that bad, Daph?"
"Worse," she chuckles. Tori doesn't know anyone who can complain in such a peaceful and contented manner, but she knows her sister well enough that she isn't thrown off by the smile on the girl's face. It's all in the eyes and body language. Daph's not pleased with the work she's doing.
"Yes, you sort of looked it." Tori drapes an arm around her sister's shoulders, and much of the tension leaves Daphne at the touch. "Anything I can do to help?"
Daph turns to the younger girl, pulls her down towards her, stretches a little and then plants a kiss on her forehead. "You're a love. You know that, don't you?" Tori just beams. "You could help me keep an eye out for Theo, I need to talk to him." That gets her a look, a sort of significant one, Tori would hate to see her sister try to take on all the other girls on her own, and she has a bad feeling about why Daph wants to speak to Theo... Daphne catches the look and reads it properly, "About an assignment," she adds, hoping to put her sister's worries to rest. She feels a little guilty lying about it, but there was no point making her fret.
Tori's not sure she's convinced, but if her sister wants help, she's got it.
Fellow fifth years, Ava Avery and Tomasina Touchstone make themselves comfortable on the couch adjacent to the Greengrasses. It doesn't take long for Tori to decide her rear would greatly prefer a comfortable couch to the rather unforgiving chair arm she's perched on. She joins them - still mindful to watch for Theo - and the girls happily chat with one another; they've known each other their whole lives and still haven't run out of things to discuss.
But then, today had been particularly eventful.
Obviously they start with Vince's truly gossip-worthy assortment of hexes and jinxes from this morning. How could they not? The whole House has been positively obsessing over them, chattering about them - amongst themselves, naturally - virtually non-stop. All. Day. Long. Even Professor Flitwick, who is usually pretty lenient, had had to have a word with the Snakes in two of his classes for the resulting inattention today, Ava reports. But then, he'd also shown some marked interest in those wings himself.
Who could blame him?
Tori can't help noticing Daphne, still concentrating on her books, nevertheless smiles every single time they mention those wings of Vince's. It's almost like magic. Once they've exhausted his hexes as a topic (At least before dinner; they'll definitely be revisiting it. Repeatedly.), Tori brings up Gregory's tail from lunch. She just knows Daph would have liked that too. Such a pity she missed it.
She's right, but for the wrong reasons. Daphne perks right up, laying her boring books aside and begins to interrogate them for details. Was it just a hex, or a Transfiguration?
The girls are none too sure, it had all happened so quickly... And then Tomasina speaks up, "Based on the way it was moving, I'd lean towards a Transfiguration. It seemed to reflect his attitude," Ava outright laughs at that image (A tail with an attitude!), and Tomasina finishes less surely, "If that makes any sense?"
"Yes, it makes perfect sense. Thank you. And well noted, I appreciate it," Daphne adds with a pointed look towards Ava. There are reasons Tomasina is the girls' Prefect for her year. Ava generally fails to get that.
What she does get is she's being snubbed. Ava stands and announces to the rest, "It's well past time to go to dinner." Salazar's portrait had declared as much a good ten minutes prior, in fact. "Are any of you coming?"
Tori looks hopefully at her sister, "Daph? Please say you'll join us?" Daphne glances towards the boys' dorms again, and Tori tries once more, "I don't think he's coming. And if he does, you can talk to him there, can't you? About classwork?" She prompts.
And sure, if it were truly about that, Daphne certainly could. She sighs. With a last, almost wistful look towards Theo's dorm, she joins the other girls as they head to dinner.
She'll be all the more surprised to discover the boy in question somehow reached the Great Hall before them, not that the location is remotely conducive to the conversation she wants to have...
It'll have to wait once again.
Filius calls his Prefects to the front of the Great Hall once they're all present. As always, he's reluctant to have it appear as though anyone's in trouble, especially when they aren't, at least not as individuals. Speaking to them as a group was a lot less likely to give that impression anyhow. He's relieved, very, that none of them had been behind any of the behaviour he needs to speak to his students about.
The things Severus had had to say about the Head Boy... Oh dear. That had been very distressing. Very distressing indeed.
But Mr. Macmillan is a Hufflepuff, after all; that's for Pomona to manage (and she might have done, even if not severely, had anyone thought to tell her). No, Filius needs to see to his own House. And soon.
He takes a breath and collects himself, much as he would before a duel.
In general, he's trying not to think overmuch about what Severus had told him. He'd already ruined his lunch that way. It wouldn't do to ruin his dinner as well...
The five Prefects and the Head Girl meet him at the side of the Hall where the little Charmsmaster explains in no uncertain terms that he expects every single member of his House to be present at a meeting this evening.
Miss Patil and Mr. Goldstein are - quite naturally - quick to note the seventh years have Astronomy...
Fair enough.
"So you do, so you do. Nine oh seven sharp then," he informs them, his tone brooking no further discussion.
Nine oh seven? Merlin, they may even have to run...
They return to their table and pass the word.
Almost for the first time since their bonding, Severus' feelings are a great deal stronger than Miss Granger's. That is, if one ignores the literally torturous session at the Manor Monday evening and most likely Hagrid's assault from that same morning, but Severus would very much like to, ta. To be fair, he may have had other things on his mind during those moments, and not been quite as aware of what the bond projected at all times while Bellatrix turned her wand on him or his ribs broke. That's just as an example, naturally, and mentioned purely for illustrative purposes, and not to garner any sympathy for the man.
Never that.
As Severus stalks through the corridors, for once he feels like he's sending and not receiving, and although he is still angry, quite angry, the fact he isn't being bombarded by her feelings helps work to calm him. It's almost as though, for the first time since the bonding Sunday, his feelings make sense. He feels... like himself. It's as though he'd been using Polyjuice for too long and has finally returned to a body - or in this case: a mind - that simply feels... right, regardless how unattractive. The feelings he's experiencing for once correspond to the things he thinks and has endured and this - finally, finally - truly does feel... right. That really is the word for it.
Quite strangely, even though he's mad enough to spit nails.
It's a most odd juxtaposition...
It helps that there's no reason to Occlude. (Except - a small voice tries to suggest - that Miss Granger is presumably bearing the brunt of his acrimony. But he's too inflamed to listen to the voice, and he's borne up under her every last change of mood, her relentless emotional barrage the past several days, hasn't he?) He has cause to be rankled, and both masters would expect the response. It's restorative to simply let go and live in the moment for once.
And he does.
It's something of a relief, too, a respite to not be inundated by her feelings - so wearing -beyond finally feeling more like himself. That's not to say it isn't a relief as well when she feels better than he does, not at all, but understandably there hasn't been all too much of that for her lately. Just a few isolated instances that could have him wondering how much good that link could do, were he not too busy worrying about the liabilities it represents instead. But again, in the interests of fairness, those liabilities are non-trivial, and greatly threaten his goals. He's sacrificed much, for a very, very long time, to achieve those objectives. Anything that jeopardises them unnecessarily is hardly likely to be... welcomed.
He's in a mood, there's no doubt about that, but he can feel himself... unwinding as he makes his way to dinner. It's odd, and leaves him a little off kilter. He's not enjoying the bond's adjustment process much. The only good thing about it is that they appear to have a little time to do so. Having survived reporting the damnable thing to the Dark Lord Monday night, which in retrospect seems bloody unlikely, there don't seem to be any imminent threats at present. Small favours. He strengthens his resolve to spend some time addressing the various issues this weekend.
The Loyalty Vow leaps instantly to mind, closely followed by a mental picture of his towering pile of library books on the subject. Bugger. His thumb is back to tracing the ring and he glances at it briefly, thinking he should probably add it to the list as well.
Hermione is glad, so very, for the Peace in her system. The initial fury, the... outrage had been strong, passionate, and it gave her a sense that feelings through the bond could occasionally be overpowering, and might well be so presently if she hadn't taken the Draught. That had certainly been the case Monday night, come to think of it. Which now has her wondering if the Professor finds them just as taxing, because she can think of a few occasions she'd been rather... het up. He's Occluded much of the time. She hasn't. She can't. So she's left to wonder how her feelings make him...
Feel.
With the Peace in her, it's much easier to stand apart from his emotional deluge, to separate it from her own feelings. The anger isn't hers. There's no confusion about that at all. Her body responds, of course it does - she can feel the tension, the change in breathing, her pulse rate - but nowhere near as strongly as it would were they her own emotions, and additionally those responses, when they come, are highly muted thanks to the Draught. No flush of her cheeks. No clammy hands... Still, the whole thing throws her, she feels... off kilter, but ultimately not... overwhelmed. No, objectively, it's not that.
And slowly but surely, she may just be getting the hang of this. It's certainly less of a shock than Monday had been.
The longer she remains calm, which she does by and large, the more that calming influence works its magic on Severus and the more he calms in turn. He never really notices her sucking the anger from his system much like one might the poison from snake bite. He just knows he begins to feel... better.
Sod's Law, however, dictates that can't last.
The discussion at the Hufflepuff table quite naturally tends to revolve around Megan's leaving school, where she's gone, what she might be up to and if Professor Trelawney's vision is something they should be worried about... (Only a single one of the dozy Firsties thinks they're referring to her spectacles, which is probably an improvement over usual.) The badgers are inclined to worry; it's the dark side of their caring for one another and their loyalty. As traits, they're fairly well established in the sett. (Well, perhaps with a few notable exceptions.) For now, when they aren't worrying about Megan, they worry about Justin (and his two heads).
Wayne Hopkins, freshly returned from the Infirmary just in time for dinner, looks plenty abashed at the mentions of his inadvertently hexed roommate. That's a primary difference to the Gryffindors, of course. There they'd have presumably praised his Hex to the rafters and it might have been a source of some personal pride that he'd pulled it off. As it is, however... It's unclear if his loss of appetite is due more to guilty thoughts of Justin, or the after effects of Oliver's Horn Tongue Hex. Wayne's tongue does feel like someone's turned a Scourgify on it, though... Brutal.
The fretting at the table, quite logically, is focused primarily amongst the older students, as Megan and Justin are... were both seventh years. A little put out at no longer receiving any attention from her peers for her recent bonding, Salome Perks, Smith, whatever gives her bondmate Zacharias' neck a caress that gives him gooseflesh followed by a quick nibble on his earlobe that ensures she'll be missed, and then rises to go sit with some of the younger girls who still show an interest in the flash new ring on her hand. Their fascination with the bauble nicely assuages her craving for the spotlight.
Harper's been keeping an eye out. He spots the vacant seat next to Zacharias and quickly takes it. The two sixth years certainly have enough classes together to be acquainted even though they'll never be friendly. House and Quidditch rivalries probably aren't the only cause for that, although the fact Zacharias made the Hufflepuffs' team as a Chaser this year has undoubtedly increased the tension between them. Harper silently puts up his Slytherin Privacy Charm and without further preamble asks Smith, "Do you have any Pain Relieving Potion?"
He and the 'Puff are both in sixth year N.E.W.T. Potions, and it's a complete mystery to him how Smith, of all people, was able to build up a potion selling concern of a magnitude to apparently rival Vince's. Possibly greater, even, now that Harper thinks about it, considering the other two Houses were also more likely to purchase their potions from Smith than the Slytherin. But the fact of the matter is the Hufflepuff does deal in potions, just as Vince does, and it's not like Vince was any great light in the field either. Presumably all it had taken was the start up Galleons to buy into the business. And to be fair, Smith is a good deal more competent in the subject than Vince will ever be. At least Smith knows what he's selling.
Harper doubts Vince has any Pain Relief on hand anyway. He certainly hadn't had any on the weekend, or the seventh years wouldn't have bribed Harper to try to get some of the Potion off Pomfrey with a deliberate injury. And even if Vince had it, Harper could hardly ask for some just so as not to suffer the beat down the boy has planned for him - it would rather defeat the purpose. And that presupposes Harper would still even be willing to buy it from him. Harper most definitely is not. He'd meant it when he told Draco Vince wouldn't be seeing another Knut from him. That broom has flown.
So he asks Smith instead.
Zacharias isn't too greatly surprised. Politics in Slytherin appear complicated, and every now and again, one of the Snakes tries to make the buy off of him instead of Crabbe. That suits him, of course. He even goes so far as to sell the occasional potion at a loss to cloud the provenance of the things. Wouldn't do to have word get out that Crabbe is generally cheaper. It requires some very active bookkeeping to still come out ahead, even within their House (he's not willing to have the other Houses subsidise the Snakes' potions, of course - Merlin, were it ever discovered!), but he thinks it's worth it.
He does not, however, tend to keep much stock himself. Why would he when Crabbe is easily accessible - on any given day at all three meals - and willing to cover the outlay himself?
Easily accessible, that is, except for when he's in the Infirmary...
As such, Zacharias has to turn Hutchinson away. "Not at the moment, I'm afraid." The Slytherin's face falls at the news. "But tomorrow morning, perhaps. If that helps?"
It really doesn't. Harper expects to need it tonight when Vince gets out of the Infirmary. Possibly immediately after dinner, even. But tomorrow sounds far too late. He shakes his head, "Thanks anyway."
Zacharias nods, and the Snake slithers back to their table.
"What was that about?" Fellow sixth year Wallace Williams asks him.
"Business," Zacharias answers, explaining little, but that's all it takes. His Housemates come to him, after all, when they need something. It can only help convince them they're right to do so when even the Slytherins can be seen buying from him. Considering that, he resolves to try to get Hutchinson some of that Potion and to undercut Crabbe's price while he's about it. It would definitely be worth the bother if he can make the hand off public enough. Perhaps at breakfast tomorrow.
Harper retakes his seat at the Slytherin table, his disappointment clear. Double checking, he asks the other sixth year boys, "None of you managed to get any Pain Relief since the weekend, did you?" Chances are even if they had some, they'd be hoarding it after the shortage this weekend.
"Was that what you were talking to Smith for?" Aaron asks, keeping his voice low. Harper nods, still looking pretty down in the mouth. "Put up the Privacy Charm, would you?" He asks, waiting until Harper does; Aaron is still too young to have learnt it. Funnily enough, he doesn't raise his voice all that much even now that it's cast. "You know, I'm pretty sure he gets his stuff from Vince..."
"What?" Harper can't believe his ears.
"You're joking," Sheldon sounds sure. He'd have noticed if that were the case. Wouldn't he? But it's definitely strange that Aaron did if he didn't. If he asked, Aaron might tell him that's because he doesn't spend all his time sniffing after the girls, but Sheldon would only take it for sour grapes and fail to recognise the truth in the statement, and the boys don't actually like to quarrel. Much.
Jinxing is a whole different matter.
"Well, I've seen them huddled together confabbing after meals on more than one occasion, so you tell me," Aaron replies instead.
"But his Ten Second Pimple Vanisher was cheaper than Vince's," Thorsten objects as if that settles it, and the others simply stare. It's a bit of a toss up if it's the fact the terribly rich boy is trying that actively to pinch Knuts that he's shopping around, or the fact his fortune stems from a potions empire that makes this little titbit so unexpected. They manage not to laugh, but only because they're good Snakes.
"Were any of you planning on buying from Vince in the future?" Harper asks the group, and one after another, they shake their heads. "Then we probably need to find out if Smith's reselling for Vince or not, or we'll end up putting Galleons in both their pockets."
"That's just wrong," Torsten agrees sombrely, mindful of his Knuts.
"See if he has the Pain Relief tomorrow morning once he gets a chance to speak to Vince. And I'll ask Vince so we can compare the prices," Sheldon proposes. "Would that be definitive?"
"No, especially as I just asked him now. With that forewarning, he has time to try to order some in from wherever he gets them, even if it isn't from Vince. But it would be an indication."
"Should we try getting the Pimple Vanisher from them both?" Torsten offers. "You didn't ask for that, too, did you?"
"No," Harper replies, "but if Smith has it when you do, we don't know if he did all along, or because Vince can get it to him."
"I could ask tonight then." Torsten counters. "If he has it, I buy some. If he puts me off until tomorrow, it would be another indication, as you said. And Sheldon could ask Vince for some, too, when he asks for the Pain Relief..."
Harper appreciates that he's singled out the two wealthier boys to do the additional purchasing, without making a topic of it, it was good of Tor, but those two instances won't be enough.
"As if he'd believe I need Spot Remover," Sheldon snorts, his complexion fairly legendary.
"No one said it had to be your face gone spotty," Torsten remarks with a smirk.
Sheldon cocks a brow and merely replies, "We share showers after Quidditch you know..." After more than five years sharing the same quarters, they are all well aware the rest of the boy is every bit as pristine as his face. If they weren't, Sheldon is perfectly capable of reminding them of that fact. Just as he's done now, actually.
Harper tries to get them to concentrate - it feels like he's back to herding Kneazle's - and they put their heads together and make plans to try to determine if Smith is just fronting for Vince, or simply using him as a supplier. The assumption is they should be able to figure this out by the end of the week if they spread the load a little.
"We could ask the girls to help," Sheldon suggests.
"We should be letting them know once we figure it out anyway, so we may as well get their assistance while we're at it," Harper agrees, and then turns thoughtful. "But what will we do for potions if we aren't going to either of them?"
Sheldon grins. "Well, a few of us are good with a cauldron..."
"By which you mean me?" Harper asks, somewhat incredulously. The others involved in the conversation hadn't progressed to N.E.W.T. Potions, after all.
Sheldon gives him a smirk that clearly answers that. "You and the girls, yes. We can hardly ask Draco," he replies with a casual shrug, and Harper resolves to be more careful about how he presents the idea of the Girding Potion to them. He'll have to make sure not to mention the blond, or they apparently won't go for it. Bugger.
He thinks about it some more, it's not without some appeal, but reluctantly protests, "I can't afford to go up against Vince like that. He'll annihilate me if I try." Truthfully, he isn't sure he can hold his own against Vince in a fair fight. Harper's the better student, no question, but somehow he doubts Arithmancy and Ancient Runes, say, will do him all that much good in a duel. Vince has also learnt a thing or two from his father's... friends, and no one says the fight has to be fair. And with Hunter there to worry about... Even Crankshaft... Probably Ella, too, if Vince stopped to think about it. (Far from probable, but not worth the risk.)
No, Harper can't afford to do this, and the others have a good idea why.
"You wouldn't be doing it on your own, Harper. It would be a group effort. He wouldn't even have to know you're brewing. One of us can manage the sales. And if he has a problem with it, we'll make it clear you were pressed into service, and we're not buying from him at any rate." Sheldon looks to Aaron, who immediately nods his agreement. Torsten isn't far behind.
At that, Harper finally acquiesces, and they turn to the girls, expand the Privacy Charm and begin devising a joint plan of attack.
It doesn't escape the seventh year boys' notice that they can hear fewer and fewer of their Housemates. It's a strange sort of silence spreading at their table. As they can imagine 'why' well enough, they don't force the issue.
They're happier being ignored.
Particularly after Draco had a few earnest words with them about the likelihood they can expect to be on the receiving end of more of their Housemates' Jinxes.
No, those three are poking at their meals in a decidedly sober fashion, their own conversations muted, the absence of two of their number a harsh reminder of their unwelcome new status in the House.
Luckily for them, those Housemates are currently more concerned with hatching plans that don't involve them in the least. Sheldon, Tomasina and Torsten elect to finance the initial potions supply reconnaissance operation. Torsten takes a moment longer to come to that decision than the other two, he has to run the numbers after all. He finally concludes he can always resell the potions they purchase later on. There will probably be some scarcity in the near future, when all is said and done.
It does indeed take them until the end of the week via a complicated series of buys distributed over all seven years and both dorms of the House to ascertain Vince is supplying Smith, or the 'Puff is fronting for Vince, whichever. Either way, they'll be sure, Vince is earning off of this. The Hufflepuff is able to offer nothing that Vince doesn't have.
Given Smith occasionally undersells Vince, it's more probable that he isn't a straw man, but the theoretical competition, not that he's much by way of competition if he's completely dependent on Vince as the source of his goods, but there it is. The maths don't lie. Within short sales cycles, the difference in price will fairly consistently work out to Smith charging five Sickles more a phial. They'll find it intriguing to see he tended to give the boys better prices and soak the girls to make up for it. There's no way of knowing why (although Millie will be sure it's because he's a prat, er, sexist), but the suspicion will be he was more worried the girls would spill the secret and Vince would discover what Smith was doing with the prices had he given them the discount. (Millie will feel that proves her point quite nicely. Nits. Er...)
The result of their actions will cause a brief fluctuation in potions prices, and an uptick in sales of course, and then word gets around the House and it comes to a halt. Smith and Vince never make another sale to a Slytherin after the House meeting this coming Sunday. Excepting the seventh year boys, naturally.
Harper, Tracey, Flora and Ella will start brewing for the House, while the Touchstones and Sheldon will arrange the necessary supplies, having adequate credit with suppliers for the undertaking. Hestia, also in sixth year N.E.W.T. Potions, will quickly be drafted to manage the stores' inventory, while Tomasina acts as go-between to keep ingredients stocked. Torsten will have the dubious privilege of keeping books for the complicated joint enterprise, and positively thrive in the role. Harper and Tracey will both be happy for an opportunity to earn some money, Harper in particular, as the brewing will be decidedly less painful than most of his schemes, particularly when Smith and the Gryffindor from their Potions class aren't around to cause the occasional cauldron to explode.
Friday evening, Sheldon - already confidently anticipating the Smith embargo decision - will dispatch an owl order for ingredients to Madam Lyssandra, the proprietress of Dogweed & Deathcap in Hogsmeade. Torsten, with much the same thought process, after careful consultation with Tomasina (who understands these things far better than he ever will), takes it upon himself to order a basic selection of the potions that they won't be able to brew for themselves any time soon from Slug & Jiggers Apothecary. Just minutes after after they come to a resolution during Sunday's meeting, Sheldon will rather smugly present the four brewers with the first batch of ingredients, telling them to 'get to it' and 'no lazing about'. Harper will jinx him on principle - changing his shoes into sparkly purple pumps - much to everyone's amusement, but the mood will be light, and become lighter yet when Daphne begs Harper to teach her the Spell, to no one's great surprise.
Harper, quite naturally, will happily do so.
Trying to make the best possible use of the fact Ron has detention, Harry has been waiting in an alcove close to the Great Hall for 'Mione to put in an appearance on her way to dinner. While it might interest him to know the alcove is where his friend has taken to eating some of her meals, that information still wouldn't help him now. No, at the moment it's basically a waiting game.
He plans to intercept her...
And that's about the extent of this plan.
He hasn't quite worked out what he's going to say... Fine, he honestly hasn't a clue. He was just going to play that bit by ear, see how things went... But he doesn't imagine the circumstances will improve any time soon, and means to make the best of the opportunity Ron's absence provides. All sorts of people have gone past as he lurks there waiting, but 'Mione wasn't amongst them. Several members of his House have already entered the Great Hall.
Ron appears, visibly dirty and a little exhausted from his session with Filch (and as yet unsuspecting that it was only the beginning), and Harry reflexively draws back further into the shadows. If none of the rest had noticed him, it's unlikely Ron of all people would, but then that's why it's a reflex: it doesn't exactly have to make sense. Harry nearly laughs at himself once Ron's entered the Great Hall, which may be the most self aware he's been in days, but increasingly he feels rather silly hiding there.
The stream of people passing had slowed to a trickle and now even that has mostly run dry, and he's begun to wonder how much longer he should stay there. It's possible 'Mione means to skip this meal, too.
It'd have been a better strategy were he waiting on Ron, and perhaps he needs to rethink his approach. On consideration, hiding outside the library might have made more sense... His stomach growls and he's about to give up, when he hears footsteps nearing from the dungeons. There've been many of those, obviously, but these are on their own, without company, and somehow that gets his hopes up. Irrationally, he is sure. And yet he waits a little longer, just to see who it is. Hoping...
Which understandably leaves him all the more conflicted when the approaching figure turns out to be Snape.
Harry doesn't even falter for a moment, the waiting has made him impatient, and that really doesn't do good things for his thought processes. (Although some currently present might argue that difference should be most difficult to detect. 'Mione might have also blamed the low blood sugar, were she about, but no. No, she's not.) Despite that lack of hesitation, he surprises himself almost more than the Potions Master when he leaps forward and calls out to him, "Snape!"
Potter has grown to sound so much like his father, there's a moment when Severus nearly flinches. Nearly. He's had rather a lot of practice not doing so under worse circumstances. Still, that fact naturally only serves to irritate Severus even more than he already is or the sight of the boy tends to make him. Wandlessly and silently, he casts a Muffliato as he comes to a halt and then rounds on the Chosen One, his cloak swirling wide behind him.
"That's 'Professor' to you, Potter. Five points from Gryffindor for your abiding lack of... respect towards... faculty."
Harry couldn't give a Flying Fig about the House points - Merlin knows, he's lost enough of those over the years, and won plenty, too - but the response checks his impulse to enquire after 'Mione. He can't imagine Snape is going to give him a straight or remotely useful answer (although it might have helped if he hadn't just bellowed 'Snape!')... No, he imagines he can only expect more tormenting there, and he has no intention of setting himself up for it. (Further.)
Deep inside, he's frequently a vengeful little boy, and much about the situation with 'Mione has him very angry. Especially as anger is a great deal easier to stomach than guilt. What he wants, very much so, is to see the man squirm.
Unfortunately, he hasn't got a whole lot of opportunities to do so.
'Where's your wife?' Hmm. Tempting, but Harry discards it almost immediately. Snape will know the friends are on the outs. There's no way the git wouldn't twist that knife given the chance, and Harry's quite certain which of the two of them 'Mione's absence bothers more.
And then he has a brilliant idea.
He's sure of it. Which is usually the signal that it's time to pack it in, because those are famous last words if ever he's thought them. But then, Harry's never really been the sort to err on the side of caution. No, instead, following a hunch he demands, "What did you do to Goyle at lunch?"
Later he'll realise the knowledge he's chasing hadn't made any difference, but for the moment... For the moment it seems terribly important. Like a chance to regain some control.
He hasn't had too much of it lately. Sometimes that makes him lash out.
Severus doesn't answer at first, he just stares at Potter like something he'd wish to scrape from his boot. In particular, of course, because that suggests he'd have flattened him with it first. Flat brat. Yes, the thought has some appeal. More than a little, in fact. Eventually he answers, wishing he were elsewhere. "What makes you think I did anything to Goyle?"
"I saw you," Harry lies without hesitation. He's had a fair amount of practice, and Severus' conscience, not nearly as extinct as rumoured, does the rest, particularly as he has no pressing need to hide.
"And what possible concern is it of yours?" He effectively gives it away as he draws nearer, coming to a stop immediately before the impertinent Cruppy.
"That was Hagrid's spell, wasn't it?"
"It's hardly Hagrid's spell." The amusement is sincere; the notion is laughable. Still, this whole encounter smacks of a complication, and Severus is quietly weighing Obliviating the boy. But of course it would be best to see whom he's told first. The Legilimens wastes no time performing the Spell - which goes completely unnoticed by its target - and he is a disquieting mixture of appalled and gratified to discover that if anything, Potter's mind is even less protected at present than it had been when they'd regularly practised Occlumency together two years ago. Despite the consequences that inability had had at the Department of Mysteries, he's patently learnt nothing.
Severus had always told Albus there was no use.
"A variation on it then," Harry amends with a shrug, uncaring and missing the point. "I thought the Spell was supposed to turn a person into a pig."
It takes little effort for Severus to poke about the boy's thoughts. Potter's told no one about the Jinx. Weasley's omnipresence had made the very mention of Severus' name a 'very bad idea', and for once Potter had kept his observation and suspicions to himself. And yes, they were only that: suspicions. The boy had lied. Again. And yet Severus still doesn't Obliviate him, choosing - almost cat-like - to play with his prey instead.
"You are aware, are you not, that Hagrid left the school in his third year?" The dread eyebrow lifts. "And he's not in possession of a wand?" The arms cross in an intimidating pose that quite dismissively also manages to imply Harry is no threat whatsoever. And he isn't, if one is confident one's wandless magic is adequate to the task of bringing him to heel. Severus, quite manifestly, is.
"Human Transfiguration is difficult enough with a wand," the Slytherin pauses again for effect. "And how many such spells had you mastered as a third year?" Frankly, that was partly why Harry had always assumed Hagrid had just got it wrong, but he's beginning to suspect he had it wrong instead. "Our Care of Magical Creatures Instructor, I believe you'll find, has what is known as a 'sense of humour'. On occasion, he employs it by being fa-ce-tious. That's when one..."
"Yeah, I know what it means," Harry interrupts, his face a twisted grimace.
"Why, Potter. You surprise me. Three syllables. Undoubtably my dear wife's good influence." Harry considers that confirmation that asking Snape about 'Mione will never lead to satisfactory answers, and could well be right. He firmly resolves not to do so, ever, not that that in any way keeps the taunt from landing.
No, it stings.
Severus smirks in recognition of that fact, his mood slightly buoying.
That smirk has Harry deciding to test the power of his knowledge and trying to gauge Snape. Snape will never like him no matter what he does, and Harry's hardly one to worry about overstepping anyway. When has he ever? "Show me the Spell and I won't tell anyone it was you," Harry hurls at him, jutting his chin forward defiantly in much the same way James had in his time.
The vestigial desire to land a solid right hook pricks across the backs of Severus' knuckles. He wouldn't, he left the lad he once was far behind, but the reminder of those days sparks something deep within him and his response to the boy's insolence has always been more than a little... visceral.
Ironically, in this, they're much the same, the Professor and the Boy-Who-Lived-to-Annoy-Him-No-End. They're both quick to take offence, and when Severus has the freedom to respond as he pleases, just like Harry, he tends to respond to a challenge in kind. It doesn't help in the least that they're frequently unclear which of the two of them has issued one.
Severus just laughs. "Don't be absurd. And if it isn't a Potion, I'm not required to teach you a thing, Potter. Or have you forgotten how well our... extracurricular sessions went the last time?"
"You wish," Harry gets in a jibe of his own. Snape's eyes narrow as he takes his meaning and recollects how Potter... stole a look at his memories. Only an unmitigated idiot would throw that in his face. So... Potter to a T then... "Should I just tell them all you're the one who gave him that tail? I can do that if you'd like..."
Severus probably couldn't be less fussed by the threat if he tried, beyond the fact it irks him, non-trivially, that it was issued. But then that's vintage Potter, in best form, and Albus has only encouraged it over the years. For once, however, that fact is helpful. The boy has accused him of any and everything so often over the years that no one is likely to pay his claims the least bit of attention. And even if they did, it still would make no difference. Not this time. All relevant parties are well aware of why Severus might have cause to Hex the seventh year boys. In fact, by some strange, heretofore unheard of alignment of the stars, for once they all doubtlessly agree with him on the matter. If Severus truly believed that weren't the case, he wouldn't hesitate to Obliviate the little berk. No, he poses no threat at all; the very notion is ludicrous.
But...
He might be of some... use.
Severus considers and then appears to relent, there's little harm in it, especially as they know the counter to the Spell. He can trade an insignificant bit of magic for an... expediency. In fact, he might go so far as to provide context, because the number of irregular spells truly is negligible. And honestly, he's proud of his observation about which spells are affected, and it's likely to go completely forgotten with his death just like all his other accomplishments. He'd like one or the other to live on if he can find a way for them to safely do so.
Not that Potter is likely to outlive him by much, but...
It had been... There had been a certain appeal to teaching Miss Granger his Brightening Charm, and then identifying Crabbe's accursed Potion had all but ruined it. Perhaps this, the knowledge another one of his achievements won't perish with him... Perhaps this could recapture that feeling.
In part.
Not that Potter would ever sing his praises, of this much Severus is sure. But when the time comes and the boy passes the information of the discovery along, perhaps the next person will see Severus more clearly for who he was posthumously.
He almost wonders if he's growing maudlin in his dotage... And then decides it's highly probable - since when has he worried about his legacy? - not that it checks his impulse. No, it's hardly his aim here, merely an added bonus, how fortuitous, and he's now firmly decided to use this to get something he wants from the boy.
"I'll tell you what, Potter. If you're so... eager to learn the Spell," he hadn't actually been, it was simply a power play, but finds he now is, just a little, "I shall be happy to show it to you. And I'll even explain it.
"With a few provisos." Of course. That was only to be expected. And yet Harry has a sinking feeling. His brow knits together in anticipatory displeasure as he waits for the old git to continue.
"If you give me an Oath not to tell anyone who it was who taught it to you or to teach anyone else what I'm about to impart without my explicit consent, for as long as I might still be able to give it, and to never use it against me...
"That's all you care about." Harry truly can't stop himself. Any thoughts he may have had about Ron's lack of control... Well, the cauldron is every bit as black as the kettle.
Severus can't resist taking a dig back, "Patience, Potter. I wasn't finished. Against me, the students of my House... or my bondmate." He savours the last word, drawing it out. Potter shifts uneasily, thoroughly displeased with what that implies, and Severus is... satisfied.
"You didn't ask me not to tell anyone it was you who cast it on Goyle," the boy carps, because his idiocy is rampant. Sadly, it's not terminal. Or at least, hasn't proven so yet. There's still time.
"You've miscomprehended, Potter. As usual. I was never concerned about it. And no one is likely to believe you in any event. But I do have a further condition." In fact, it was the primary reason for this exchange, not that he expects the boy to realise it. "I also want you to swear you won't pass along knowledge, in any way, to anyone else unaware of the facts, of any details of the attack last Friday." Harry bristles at that on principle, sure he should have some issue or another with it, especially after the problems Professor Dumbledore's Oath caused, but Severus softens the requirement, "Not without express permission from myself, the Headmaster. Or Madam Snape."
The use of 'Madam Snape' is deliberate and antagonistic, Severus just can't help himself sometimes, not when he doesn't have to anyway. There are so many impulses he has to curb, he can't resist taking full advantage of the occasional outlet. It succeeds in riling Harry sufficiently that he neglects to really register the request for a moment.
But when it sinks in, instead of muppetting, for once he only asks, "Why?" It's still surly, of course it is, but anything else would have bordered on a wonder. Or an Imperius.
"Because I think it would be in her best interests." Severus' smirk is virtually predatory.
Harry's about fit to burst now. Snape really takes the cake. "And you seriously think you're more concerned with 'Mione's best interests than I am?"
"Oh, your concern has been incredibly evident, I'll allow you that." The statement hangs there in the air between them, and Harry begins to suspect it might be sarcasm. "And while I think if you were convinced of that, you'd do this of your own accord," that sounds suspiciously as though it weren't sincere, "formulating it as an Oath provides additional... protections." Not the least of which is against the mental link the boy shares with the Dark Lord, although Severus would be a fool to say so. No, on the contrary, he's far better off with the boy questioning his motives, doubting him at every turn...
That, at least, has certainly gone brilliantly. Small mercies.
He lets the boy consider it for a minute, and atypically Potter does.
That must be Miss Granger's influence as well.
"At the moment, most of the people aware of an attack are inclined to believe Miss Jones was the victim." Technically that's probably not true, yet, given staff know it had been Miss Granger, but within days - as word spreads amongst the students and they draw their conclusions - it should be. And Potter isn't likely to notice the difference. Either way, it hardly matters, and it had sounded good.
"Not telling anyone else means she won't get their support, their understanding..." Harry tries to object.
Severus scoffs, "Because they've been so supportive and understanding so far?" That sat. "I'm not asking you to never say she'd been attacked. If at a later point you find it advisable, have at it. Make something up. It wouldn't be the first time, would it?" Not even within this very conversation... He manages not to rub that knowledge in. "I'm simply requesting that you to decouple it from the events of Friday, the bonding, and most of all to wait before you consider doing such a thing until she's... less vulnerable."
Oof.
That took an unexpected turn and the fight quite goes out of Harry.
He stands there silently considering things for a few moments, and oddly the Potions Master gives him time to think it through.
The Oath is a limitation he can more than live with, that's not the problem. Of course not. But the suggestion Snape might be more worried about 'Mione's welfare than her friends are is... Well, this is really throwing Harry for a loop. And yet, he can't see as how this would be disadvantageous for her. Especially not as she would have the power to end the restrictions...
Without any of his usual hostility, he finally draws his wand and gives his Oath, covering every stipulation Snape had asked, and even adding his own not to tell anyone Snape had hexed Goyle.
For the second time this evening a Gryffindor surprises Severus by simply cooperating. He's not sure what to make of it. But he doesn't stop to think about it for long. Instead he immediately proceeds to demonstrate the Curly-Pigtail Jinx, as if that were sufficient for the boy to learn it. But Potter's seen and heard it cast properly, additionally he has the proper colloquial name of the Jinx and if he's truly interested, a trip to the library isn't out of order. Severus had promised to show him the Charm, after all, and not necessarily to teach it. Still, he has no qualms. If Potter wants to use it on the whole of the Gryffindor Tower, he more than has his blessing.
In fact, he's quite enjoying the thought.
It's not like the boy would be able to claim Severus taught him the Jinx. No, people are far more likely to think it was Hagrid. And it's not even as though it would be particularly difficult to counter were Potter to go a little wild with the Spell. Merlin knows, it had gone wrong often enough in years past with people... misunderstanding which 'pigtail' was meant and mistakenly hoping for curled bunches, of all things. Quelle surprise. Poppy has had more than one young witch in her care sporting tails that required sorting, unfortunately to their great distress - and yet with a certain degree of regularity - shortly before they had... assignations. Severus can never emphasise enough how important practice and dry runs are, but then, students rarely actually listen to him.
He follows by explaining that mirroring the Jinx had produced the Curly-Snake's Tail Hex, again he performs it just the once - Potter can practise on his own should he actually care to - and explaining irregular Spells - those dependent on the handedness of the caster - almost in passing, knowledge Potter could have easily gleaned from any book on the topic had the little lout actually cared. But then, he does not. Much as Severus expected, Potter fails - utterly - to grasp the significance of his observation that those spells are linked to magic pertaining to human physiology.
He's trying to picture Potter's response to someone - most probably Miss Granger - explaining Severus' genius to him after his passing. It causes a flash of dark humour. He also derives some pleasure from the mental image that the boy may now be trying to mirror any and every spell he encounters, just in case. Knowing how few spells are affected and how little change their mirroring makes... Yes, that too provides Severus with some amusement.
It had taken two, maybe three minutes. No more. And all in all, just for the moment he's recovered - somewhat anyhow - from the discovery of Crabbe's potion, and no longer feels as out of sorts.
Not good. Far from that. But at least a little... better.
Harry for his part hadn't even demanded assurances from Snape that his demonstrating the Spell would follow Harry's Oath, but isn't entirely surprised when it does. Except now he has to wonder a little about what that says about the man. But then, it wasn't about the Spell anymore and hadn't been for a while. That was just a nice pretence, because he and Snape, they don't talk about anything... real. So they aren't two wizards concerned about the same witch, of course not.
That would be... ridiculous.
No, they're two adversaries trading information for an Oath to modify behaviour. That's a much more comfortable way of looking at things.
And yet after the lesson is done, Harry finds himself quietly pointing out, "I'm not sure it will do much good, you know. My not telling anyone about 'Mione. Gin and Ron know, and Ron, he's sort of..." Truthfully he doesn't know anymore just what Ron is. "I'm happy to keep it under my hat, but Ron's not thinking too clearly about things right now..." And if that statement in any way helps generate some understanding, some tolerance for his friend in class tomorrow... Well, Harry can hope, can't he?
"Then it would unquestionably be advisable if you could persuade them not to talk about it as well. As it is, there's enough speculation going about, and it probably would be best for her if that were focused on Miss Jones instead." It's not that Harry's unconvinced of that, but he can't imagine how to do it, and it shows.
"Perhaps you could find a way to induce them to take similar Oaths?" Harry still looks uncertain. "Try, Potter. She doesn't need any more aggravation just at the moment." But at that the boy looks surprised again, because it sounds... concerned, sympathetic, and Severus quickly recovers, "And neither do I. See to it."
The tone, the posture, normally Harry would be provoked, he's sure of it, but somehow he finds himself not entirely believing that last bit. He couldn't explain it if he tried.
The Potions Master stalks off towards the Great Hall without a backwards glance, and Harry stands there staring after him long after he's gone. But by the time he gets moving again, he's resolved to do just as Snape had asked.
A/N:
A super chipper shoutout to grooot and erexen, your emails meant the world, and LostAngelSoul, you are and remain a sunshine. Thanks so much for being the people you are. 😘
Thanks also to buttons1721, SofiaC_Casiopea and the anonymous peeps who hit 'kudos'; your show of support was particularly welcome last week. ❤️
It really does make a difference. 😊
(no subject)
Date: 2019-04-14 02:44 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-04-16 10:02 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-04-23 02:04 pm (UTC)And Snape is raging and it feels normal to him, finally! haha Thank dog for that Draught of Peace, Hermione!
I very much enjoy the way the Slytherins approach a problem and solve it as a group, gearing up for the best possible outcome. I love that they figure out what is going on with the potions distribution and cut Vince off cold.
There are so many things gearing up for tonight - Harper's beat down by Vince, if he gets out of the infirmary, Filius' talk with his out-of-control Turkeys and wasn't there a rumor going around that SSHG fans might be in for... a moment? I can't wait to find out!
At the top, Daphne perks up about Goyle's tail. Was it just a hex or a transfiguration? It reacted to his attitude, so one girl says. Must have been a transfiguration. And then Severus confirms that it was a human transfiguration in his encounter with Potter. And oh, what a delightful encounter it was! Harry is just so... gosh I don't even know. You have such a great handle on him and how he seems to think. It was bliss to watch Severus manipulate him and end up in a better mood for it.
On to the next!
xoxo
(no subject)
Date: 2019-04-23 04:39 pm (UTC)They’re very aware that they’re ‘outnumbered’ and have learnt to work together. That’s not to say they won’t türn on each other when the situation seems to call for it (like it does with the seventh year boys), but they do have a weird flavour of loyalty, and a collective drive to succeed.
Potentially a couple of nice moments between them, more of a slight variety of them really.
I kind of feel for Harry and Severus. They just get under each other’s skin and it’s gotten to the point where it’s practically impossible to just do ‘normal’ interaction or take something only for what it actually *is* anymore. No, instead there’s all this history and bad blood to sort through / get past, slights real and imagined that poison everything, seemingly forevermore... And then you suddenly find yourself thrown into the same boat, working towards the same goals... Tricky. Especially if you haven’t been in a House where they effectively train for that sort of thing.
Just because the girl has Fwoopers on the brain (and does she ever), doesn’t mean she isn’t right, or actually sharp. *nods* It’s sad how many people miss that, especially those who’ve sat beside her in class for years.
(no subject)
Date: 2019-04-27 11:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2019-05-06 11:50 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2021-11-02 05:15 am (UTC)Flitwick's "9:07 sharp!" bit endangered my tea. Hermione and Severus might just risk their Prince(ss) Swot titles.
Thanks for another look at the intrahouse life of the Slytherins. Multuple students are working together to sus out the truth behind the potion dealers. What fun! And then they create and run a small business together. Will more students purchase from the Snakes, or will they sell to Smith and let him front for them? Will it remain in-House?
Maybe I'm terrible, but I half-want Ron's DoP to be a squib, or work too well. I don't want Ron to suffer, but I do want some him to learn empathy for Hermione, even if the process to get there is unpleasant. I just want them to be better friends for each other. To do that, they need to grow more.et's just say it's ok if Ron's growth is less pleasant than the others. 😈