Chapter 1 - An Old Man's Thoughts

Brief Author's Note: This is written in response to the WIKTT "Snape's Teaching Methods" Challenge. Details are as follows...

(A) Basic Idea of "Snape's Teaching Method" Challenge: Every man and woman needs a role model, a hero/heroine or a source of inspiration and Severus Snape is no exception.

(B) Point of the story: In her twenties, Hermione returns to Hogwarts (reason for return is up to you.) Well there, she has a little time travelling accident (how, is entirely up to you, but, preferably not silly). Snap, crackle and pop, she's at school during Snape's seventh year. Dumbledore, helpful old fart that he is, gives her a job as a teacher, while researching a way to get her home.

Being just a few years older than the oldest students, Hermione resorts to a teaching style that would stop anyone from harbouring "inappropriate feelings" or to try her authority, namely Snape's.

(C) Requirements:

(i) The story must contain a Hermione in billowing grey robes.

(ii) One person must have a body part fetish.

(iii) Heaps of jealousy must be found in it.

(iv) Hermione can teach any subject you like, but, if she's to be the potions teacher, she may not steal Snape's speech.

(iv) All else is up to the writer.

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Instructing the Professor

Chapter 1 – An Old Man's Thoughts

Vanity was the alpha and omega of Lord Voldemort's character. He had vanity of person and of situation. He had been remarkably handsome in his youth when Tom Marvolo Riddle was his name; and at the end of his life, he might have been considered a fine wizard. Few wizards could think more their abilities than he did; nor could a Death Eater from any established wizarding family be more delighted with the place he had held in the community. He had considered his attempts at unifying and cleansing the wizarding world as inferior only to the blessings of his power. And the Lord Voldemort who united these gifts, was the constant object of his own warmest respect and devotion. Unfortunately, his strong conviction in his supremacy resulted in extremely high-handed behaviour, which instead of endearing him to his supporters, only succeeded in alienating even the staunchest of them. This same self-confidence in his own powers and importance that had propelled him into ascendance soon turned into an insatiable need for affirmation, acquisition and immortality. In short, he had come to think on himself as indispensable to both his constructed coterie and elitist cause. Soon, it became perceptible that ritualised cleansing of blood, however, was too insignificant a matter in his quest for everlasting power and immortality.

When Voldemort began to show signs of an unstable narcissism, several of his followers grew uncomfortable. Among these, Severus Snape was the first to discern the emptiness of his promises of power, glory and victory for his followers. From the frequent punishments meted out to those perceived as incompetent in a particular field or inept in a certain task, Severus came to observe that Voldemort was not one to share power. That he had valued innovation and loyalty was apparent; however, his penchant for wanton bloodshed and his desire to mould his followers in his likeness proved him to be one who spends his resources instead of using them. To Severus's logical mind, this was most unacceptable. His perspicacity correctly divined that Voldemort hoarded power and because of it, the dark wizard was a constantly disgruntled creature. He did not keep to that which was just while acquiring the most; as such, he did not use the most while keeping to that which was noble. When one used resources, one was working towards one's individual desire. However, when one spends one's resources, one no longer indulges the self; instead, one spends these resources on one's followers and friends, thus benefiting them and rendering them beholden unto one. Appraising Voldemort and Albus Dumbledore, his employer at Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, on this level therefore made disparity between them more apparent. Severus saw Voldemort as a selfish, self-indulgent megalomaniac who exploited his resources for his own use. Dumbledore, on the other hand, spent his resources evenly among several endeavours. Thus, the more Severus observed, the more apparent it became to him that he would not obtain the acceptance and recognition he desperately sought in Voldemort's camp.

The Fates were kind to him, for they allowed him to be a part of another organisation, which gave him the latitude to be himself without dissembling. There, in the Order of the Phoenix, he had reclaimed his inalienable rights to parental affection and trust. Though he never received the much coveted Defence Against the Dark Arts chair, he was content to know that he was capable of eliciting some form of warmth from the Headmaster, Dumbledore and the Deputy Headmistress, Minerva McGonagall.

Voldemort's initial defeat at the bawls of the infant Harry Potter was only provisional. Severus could feel it and accordingly, made it known to Dumbledore. Having long made provisions should Voldemort resurrect himself, Severus willingly offered to play the reconnaissance role he had adopted upon his tacit defection to Dumbledore's Order. His speculations were founded when Voldemort returned after a long hiatus to wreck havoc on the fragile peace that had grown in his absence. Severus, once again, at great personal risk, infiltrated the dark wizard's inner circle. Fortunately for all parties, Severus was able to exploit Voldemort's vanity to the advantage of the Order. He further ingrained the dark wizard's inherent belief in his own indispensability to his cause through his research and development activities in the Death Eater camp. Furthermore, his youth giving elixir for the said fiend had been coupled with the barest trace of a delirium potion. The administration of this tampered elixir and Severus's constant advice soon had its desired effects. The Dark Lord became increased conceited with his abilities so much so that he had declared his omnipotence to his Death Eaters. So sure was he of his own power that he took Severus's suggestion to heart – Voldemort believed that if he collectively faced Dumbledore and the Golden Trio, consisting of Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger, he would possess eternal youth and everlasting power. His crazed imagination believed that this easily assured victory would command him the unfailing loyalty of his followers and immortality. When this scheme was revealed to the Death Eaters, a myriad of reactions ranging from alarm and indifference to indignation and relief came to the surface, marking an indelible schism in the highly factionalised Death Eater corps. Little wonder then, that those perturbed by Voldemort's inspired case of lunacy turned covertly to the Ministry of Magic so as to safeguard their lives in the wake of their leaders' demise. The Minister, Arthur Weasley, chose not to incarcerate them at Azkaban; instead, he turned them over the Aurors in Dumbledore's Order. Unaware of this slight defection within his number, Voldemort strove to bring his plans to its logical conclusion. Thus, in a fit of righteous bravado, arrogant stupidity and conceit, Voldemort fell prey to the Order's plan.

There were casualties on the side of the Order at this final assault of Voldemort's stronghold, as could be anticipated. But the death toll for it would have been higher if the Death Eater faction keen on self-preservation had not doubled up as its rear guard. Young Ronald Weasley was not one of the survivors. He was tragically killed from the avada kedavra. He had fallen prey to the dark wizard's curse when he sought to protect Harry. Voldemort, sly devil that he was, did not want to face his old adversary, Dumbledore, without a display of his powers. Possessing no honour so to speak, he opted to destroy the Golden Trio one by one before finally finishing Dumbledore. He wanted the kindly old man to suffer for the insult of mistrusting him during his school days. Originally choosing to eliminate the Auror-in-training, Harry Potter, for being a constant thorn in his side, he was none too pleased when he found that he had killed the other prospective Auror, Ron Weasley. Ron's death effectively ended the sacred trinity of power, loyalty and mind as denoted by Harry, Ron and Hermione respectively. Once shattered, the remnants of the Trio posed grave repercussions for Voldemort, as Severus had calculated. So long as the Golden Trio remained in tact, Voldemort was almost invulnerable. On the devastation of the delicate balance among them, a power even more vengeful and dangerous than Voldemort's emerged. Such was the power of hate that Severus had chosen to harness. Ron's death enabled the Order to realise their plan of extirpating Voldemort. While the rest of the Order concentrated on taking down recalcitrant Death Eaters, Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore and Severus channelled their powers to Voldemort's wand so as to overload it. In so doing, they managed to reduce both the wand and its owner to dust as the dark wizard shrieked at Severus's treachery.

While almost everyone was rejoicing over Voldemort's demise, Harry was anything but sanguine. Amidst the cheers from the survivors at the fiend's hideout, Harry's scowl and Hermione's silence almost matched Severus's. Dumbledore observed that Harry and Severus were intently glowering at each other. Hermione had sought to defuse the situation by dragging Harry away. She knew better than to further antagonise her former Potions Master when he wore his intelligible glower of contempt. Harry, however, stood his ground and quietly snarled, "You did this, Snape. You killed Ron! How could you! Why did you allow it, Professor Dumbledore! Why! I hate all of you!"

Such were the memories the pensieve chose to present to the Hogwarts' Headmaster. Albus Dumbledore sighed, rubbing his eyes in anguish. How could their victory turn out thus? Was he right in agreeing to Severus's plan? Was he right in consulting everyone but Harry? Hermione had assured him that Harry would understand; but reality proved otherwise. He should have known better than to suppose Harry was capable of rational thinking. "Enough, Albus!" he scolded himself, replacing his half-moon spectacles on his nose. "The blame should devolve on my shoulders not Severus's."

Dumbledore sighed again, leaning back into his chair as he popped a sherbet lemon into his mouth. There was no other way to defeat Voldemort and he knew it. Diotima Vector and Hermione had evinced the truth of Severus's hypothesis. It must be so. Severus had already informed him that there was no viable alternative. Ron Weasley had practically volunteered to sacrifice himself for the cause; he had readily agreed to it. Was it prudent not to have told Harry? Hermione, the observant arithmancy apprentice advised that it must be so if Harry was to be kept in check. Dumbledore shut his eyes to stem the tears that were rising anew. It had been six months and Harry was still resentfully furious with everyone in the Order. He had simply snapped and quickly spiralled out of control. When it became clear that he was increasingly prone to harming himself, Hermione and Dumbledore decided it would be to the young man's best advantage if he were to be committed to St Mungo's. A completely nervous wreck, Harry now vacillated between moments of lucid hatred for the Order and delusion memories of his youth where he spoke as if Ron was still alive. Hermione had hypothesised that given time, Harry could get over the grief and see the light, but Dumbledore privately doubted it. He knew Harry's disposition and wondered whether Voldemort had transferred his mad streak to the promising young Auror-in-training when he bestowed the scar on him. Severus came out of the incident free from visible psychological scars. He had not been affected by Harry's accusations. Dumbledore smiled wryly as he recalled the Potions Master informing him: "Potter is perfectly justified in detesting me. Perhaps we will finally be able to ignore each other with equanimity now that we have acknowledged each other's contempt."

A victory over Voldemort for the estrangement of the members of the Order – was it worth it? Why had he agreed to the plan? Why had everyone else in the Order voted in favour of it? Why was he suddenly overshadowed by self-loathing? Dumbledore tried to think of the good that had come from it, but found that his habitual levity eluded him. He laughed at himself as he wiped the tear trickling down his long hooked nose. Sybil Trelawney's prophecy has been right after all -- the trade-off would be Harry's madness. Severus would be silently amused by this, thought Dumbledore, rolling his liquid blue eyes. Noticing his owner's despair, Fawkes nudged the Headmaster's fingers gently. "Am I due for the meeting already?" whispered Dumbledore as he smiled sadly at his phoenix. Fawkes eyed him dolefully before thrilling a brief tune. "Better get going now, shouldn't I?" Dumbledore quietly said with a wink at the phoenix. He was becoming like Severus by wallowing in self-reproach and guilt. He now knew exactly how Severus felt. He shook his head firmly in an attempt to dispel these unpleasant thoughts. He was the Headmaster after all; he could not allow his personal sentiments to cloud his judgement. He would not be less than his usual self. Rising to his full height with a final sigh, Dumbledore proceeded to make his way to the staff room.