Chapter 12

Disclaimer: A big thank you to JKR for writing such compelling characters. I promise to return them when I am done. Hopefully, some of them will be a little bit richer than when this started. ^_~

Author's Note: Much thanks and gratitude to GrammarPolice for her beta and SlytherinHeirx for his Britpicking (especially as he was in the process of moving house at the time). *grin*

Chapter Twelve

Later, in Minerva's office, the two co-conspirators laughed over cups of coffee and slices of chocolate cake. Minerva smirked as she added some Firewhiskey to her cup and held the bottle over Severus'.

"Please," he said, holding the cup steady. "I couldn't believe Slughorn would pick up the challenge without me even trying."

"Like leading a lamb to slaughter," Minerva agreed with a chortle. "Hermione will certainly give Malfoy a run for his money these next two terms. And with Potter and Weasley not here to distract her, it will be even better."

"Indeed. The last year she spent with those two looking for the Horcruxes was probably the best thing for her," Severus said. "She learned practical experience and, as I understand it, she also studied her seventh year textbooks. I don't believe Draco even did that very often."

"No, I believe not," she said in agreement. "He has the brains, but he's lazy. Last year, he coasted through believing he was entitled as the son of a Death Eater and the godson of Riddle's right hand wizard and the teachers could do nothing to prevent it. This year, I fully intend to make sure he earns anything he's given."

"Indeed. Tell me, did Shacklebolt really forgive the N.E.W.T.s for any Seventh year student who fought in the battle?" Severus asked. "I couldn't believe he would do that when I heard."

"He did." Minerva huffed in annoyance. "He believed that fighting Death Eaters and werewolves, as well as giants, was proof enough of their proficiency and the students didn't have to take the N.E.W.T.s unless they wished."

"And, of course, Miss Granger wishes," he sighed. "Though I'm not surprised Potter and Weasley gave them a miss."

"She wants to attend University, Severus," Minerva reminded him. "They won't admit her without proper scores, no matter how much real life experience she has. Harry and Ronald wished to become Aurors and, in fact, were accepted into training almost before the smoke of battle cleared, as it were."

"And Draco?"

"Mr Malfoy did not participate in the battle. As I understand it, he actually tried to hinder Harry in the destruction of the Ravenclaw Horcrux hidden here, and wished to capture him to turn over to Riddle. Of course, it was Mr Crabbe who started the Fiendfyre and eventually destroyed the diadem."

"I wish last year could have been different," Severus said with another sigh. "I believe the Dark Lord..."

"He's dead, Severus. You can say his name," Minerva coached.

"V...Voldemort," he stuttered. "I believe V...Voldemort was suspicious of me and wanted the Carrows to watch me as well as teach the students the Dark Arts. It's the only way Crabbe would have learnt that particular curse in this school. Of course, his father may also have taught him," he mused.

"However he learnt it," said Minerva bitterly, "he's dead because of it and his stupidity in trying to use it to harm other students."

"Yes, quite."

* * *

...Monday, 4 January...

Breakfast in the Great Hall was subdued. Most of the students who had returned to the castle the previous day heard the news that Professor Snape was back before they sat down to dinner. This made the Headmistress' announcement of his appointment to teach N.E.W.T.s level Potions for the rest of the year superfluous. By then, the idea had sunk in: Professor Slughorn was out and Professor Snape was in.

The noise level increased as owls entered the Hall with the morning mail. A good number of students still subscribed to the Daily Prophet and soon the rustle of newspapers was echoing in the vaulted ceiling.

"Oh, dear," Filius murmured, glancing through his copy of the paper. "This can't be good." He handed his copy to Minerva with an article folded out so she could read.

"Hmmm," she said, scanning the article. "Severus, you need to read this."

"What nonsense are they printing now?" Severus said as she handed him the paper.

Severus Snape: Risen From the Dead?

Special Correspondent

Severus Snape, double agent in the Second Voldemort War, which ended last May when Harry Potter destroyed He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, has apparently risen from the dead and returned to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to teach.

Mr Snape, the accused murderer of Albus Dumbledore, was believed to have been killed when bitten by the Dark Lord's familiar, Nagini, although his body was never found. Now, this reporter has discovered the members of the Wizengamot granted him a conditional pardon, and allowed him to return to Hogwarts as a teacher.

Did Mr Snape really die as we were told or was he spirited away by escaping Death Eaters as part of their plan to continue the war by corrupting the students of the hallowed halls of Hogwarts? Is the Wizengamot just as corrupt considering they granted this so-called pardon? Stay with us for more developments as this reporter ferrets out the truth of the matter.

"What the hell...?"

"Indeed," Minerva said fervently. "She certainly won't be allowed on school grounds during term time. I will not allow it. Don't worry," she reached over and patted his hand, "perhaps by the Easter holidays, the story will have died down."

Severus looked out over the Hall, scowling at the students who stared at the Head table and, more specifically, him. Most dropped their eyes to the plates in front of them or back to the papers they were reading. He lowered his voice and said, "How did she even find this out? Shacklebolt assured me..."

"I would assume one of the students who was here over the holidays wrote home last week and told his or her parents," Minerva said. "From there, it probably was 'leaked' to the Prophet and they went looking for conspiracies. That woman loves to stir up trouble."

"Perhaps she gets a commission for the papers her stories sell," Filius piped up. "But if that were the case, she'd be better paid by a publisher of fiction."

"I thought the Prophet was a publisher of fiction," Rolanda chortled. "After all, they print her stories, don't they?" Those staff members who were close enough to hear the lowered voices laughed and turned to spread the joke among the rest at the table.

At the Gryffindor table, Hermione sat reading Skeeter's allegations and becoming more annoyed as she listened to the whispered conversations around her. She and Neville were the only Gryffindors from their year to return for N.E.W.T.s, and he was looking decidedly green as he realised there would be two more terms of Potions under Professor Snape.

"Do ya think Snape's really a vampire?" Ginny whispered, leaning over the table to talk to Hermione.

Hermione choked on her tea. "A vampire? Ginevra Molly Weasley! Where did you get that idea?"

"Ron told us what happened in the Shrieking Shack," Ginny replied. "He said Professor Snape died in front of all of you. Isn't that right?"

"It all happened so fast, I really don't know," Hermione prevaricated. "He may have still been alive when we left. I didn't stop to make sure and neither did Harry or Ron."

"So he could have been taken by escaping Death Eaters?" Neville asked.

"Why would Death Eaters bother with someone they probably thought was dead?" Hermione countered. "It would have only slowed them down to carry him off."

"But Skeeter says..." began one of the younger students.

"Rita Skeeter writes a lot of rubbish," Hermione huffed, her eyes narrowing as her temper flared. "I, for one, choose not to believe a word she writes from my own experiences with her."

"Yeah," Ginny said. "I remember what she did to you and Harry during the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Mum got really upset with you because of Skeeter and her insinuations."

"I intend to ignore Rita Skeeter's insinuations and concentrate on my studies," said Hermione. "We have N.E.W.T.s to get through at the end of the year and I'm already a term behind."

"Only you, Hermione," Neville said with a laugh as they got up from the table to go to their first class.

* * *