Chapter 12 was very enjoyable to write because Snape begins to feel something different from bitterness and wariness. Other steps will come soon and unexpected. Thanks for your comment.

Chapter 12 was very enjoyable to write because Snape begins to feel something different from bitterness and wariness. Other steps will come soon and unexpected. Thanks for your comment.

Coming back to real life after so many years can be very painful. And James of course cannot understand how Severus feel. But again, this is only the beginning... Thanks for reviewing. I hope you like the story, since you keep leaving messages. Or are you collecting reviews for the Challenge? ;) Thanks in any case.

Coming back to real life after so many years can be very painful. And James of course cannot understand how Severus feel. But again, this is only the beginning... Thanks for reviewing. I hope you like the story, since you keep leaving messages. Or are you collecting reviews for the Challenge? ;) Thanks in any case.

Zabini is a very important pawn in this story... in his own way, of course ;)

Zabini is a very important pawn in this story... in his own way, of course ;)

Well, because nobody thought that a portrait - and such a disenchanted portrait as Snape's - could still be interested in real life. Also, and always in my imagination, because Minerva tried to spare him paining memories.

Well, because nobody thought that a portrait - and such a disenchanted portrait as Snape's - could still be interested in real life. Also, and always in my imagination, because Minerva tried to spare him paining memories.

First steps, first troubles. But the way to go is still very long and filled with pain and joy. Thank you very much for reading all these chapters. Again, I am honoured that you chose my story. Grazie.

First steps, first troubles. But the way to go is still very long and filled with pain and joy. Thank you very much for reading all these chapters. Again, I am honoured that you chose my story. Grazie.

James Potter is a challenge and a memory. Is the past coming back to haunt Severus. But it's also a way to discover new feelings and new truths.Thank you very much again for leaving me a note.

James Potter is a challenge and a memory. Is the past coming back to haunt Severus. But it's also a way to discover new feelings and new truths.Thank you very much again for leaving me a note.

Creating a totally new situation that could allow Severus to interact with the children in spite of his being a painting has been an enjoyable task. But it isn't complete. There is still a "last touch" that will be added in the next chapters. A very important detail.Hope I have inspired your curiosity. Thanks again.

Creating a totally new situation that could allow Severus to interact with the children in spite of his being a painting has been an enjoyable task. But it isn't complete. There is still a "last touch" that will be added in the next chapters. A very important detail.Hope I have inspired your curiosity. Thanks again.

I'm glad that you like the interaction between Severus and Minerva. Minerva is one of my favourite characters in the books. And I think that now that everything has ended and she has become old and lonely, her inner tenderness is ready to spread on those who surround her.But sorry, I don't understand your question: who were that bad? His colleagues? Thanks for your review and again, apologies for my English.

Sorry, I was wondering at his Snape's reaction to the new Potions master and wondering if the new teacher was really that bad. I would have said 'was he' but I wasn't entirely certain you weren't going to throw a curve ball and have the new teacher be a woman.

I'm glad that you like the interaction between Severus and Minerva. Minerva is one of my favourite characters in the books. And I think that now that everything has ended and she has become old and lonely, her inner tenderness is ready to spread on those who surround her.But sorry, I don't understand your question: who were that bad? His colleagues? Thanks for your review and again, apologies for my English.

Sorry, I was wondering at his Snape's reaction to the new Potions master and wondering if the new teacher was really that bad. I would have said 'was he' but I wasn't entirely certain you weren't going to throw a curve ball and have the new teacher be a woman.

Al has a very important part in this story. Can't say anything more, except that I apologise for the tragically unbetaed English of my answers. Thank you very much again.

Al has a very important part in this story. Can't say anything more, except that I apologise for the tragically unbetaed English of my answers. Thank you very much again.

Poor Scorpius has his reasons. You will discover them if you have the patience to go on ;)

Poor Scorpius has his reasons. You will discover them if you have the patience to go on ;)

Hi again and thank you for leaving me a review. I admit I was surprised and happy to see that you keep reading my story. As i always say, being a foreigner in a world of natives can be very frustrating.Anyway, don't worry, Severus is not going to waste this second chance. And it's a very particular second chance! You have just seen the beginning...Best regards.

Hi again and thank you for leaving me a review. I admit I was surprised and happy to see that you keep reading my story. As i always say, being a foreigner in a world of natives can be very frustrating.Anyway, don't worry, Severus is not going to waste this second chance. And it's a very particular second chance! You have just seen the beginning...Best regards.

I'm glad you like my idea. I've loved writing it down. Best regards from sunny Italy :)

I'm glad you like my idea. I've loved writing it down. Best regards from sunny Italy :)

Thank you very much for your kind words. I am very glad you like my novel. I hope you will like also the next chapters (only 12  to the end). Best regards from hot and sunny Italy.

Thank you very much for your kind words. I am very glad you like my novel. I hope you will like also the next chapters (only 12  to the end). Best regards from hot and sunny Italy.

Thanks for your enthusiasm, it really warms my heart. i'm sorry for the long breaks between every chapter: the story in fact is complete, and the delay is due to the time my beta needs to revise and the unfortunately long queue here at TPP. Also, these final chapters are much longer than the previous ones, so they need more time to be checked. Being foreigner in a land of almost all natives is very frustrating...Thanks again for your comment. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Thanks for your enthusiasm, it really warms my heart. i'm sorry for the long breaks between every chapter: the story in fact is complete, and the delay is due to the time my beta needs to revise and the unfortunately long queue here at TPP. Also, these final chapters are much longer than the previous ones, so they need more time to be checked. Being foreigner in a land of almost all natives is very frustrating...Thanks again for your comment. Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Thank you very much! This is a short story in 4 chapters, so events will happen quickly. Hope to hear from you again. Best regards from Italy.

Thank you! I hope you will read also the following chapters, then... There are only three left ;)

Thank you very much for your message. I hope to hear from you again.

You will, if you like. This is a finished story in 4 chapters. I'll be waiting for your comments. Thank you very much!

Thank you very much for "breaking the ice", as we say in Italy, and thank you very much for your kind comments. Hope you'll like also the following chapters (only three to the end). Best regards.

Thank you very much for your message. I think that, if you keep reading the story till the end, you will discover many other reasons why Marcello must be Italian  and why no other canon character could be used. I discovered all these reasons while writing the story, so I'm happy I decided to honour my country... of course, this statement could be true also if I were French or Spanish or German. But put in this way, it sounds incontrovertible ;)

It couldn't have been said in a better way :)  Thank you very much for your message. Now I hope you will like what happens in the next chapters, because I think they are the real "meaning" of this story. Best regards from Italy.

Hi, thanks for leaving me a message. Now, let's try to answer ^_^If you wanted to know if Albus Severus is telling a fairy tale, yes, of course you are right. That story is very famous here in Italy, and I suppose in Europe too, and has many variations.  The most famous is the king who has three daughters and who asks them how much they love him. The two older daughters tell him that they love him like they love precious fabrics and gems, but the youngest (wonder why the youngest ones are always  wisest in these tales) tells him that she loves him like she loves the salt. The king is very displeased and sends her away ( which again makes me wonder what kind of parents the novelists used to know at the time... well, easily imagined).Of course, the story ends with the king eating a food cooked without salt by the youngest daughter in disguise, and thus understanding the importance of such element.Sorry for being so verbose, but I am Italian ;)Sorry also for the long breaks between each chapter. Unfortunately, the queue is very long lately. I tell you this because the real core of the story will happen and develop itself in the next final chapters, that happen in the same day. But the distance between them will surely lessen the impact. Anyway... thanks again for reading till here, if you are still reading ;)I still haven't had the time to read Damsels and Dragons, but it's on my to read list :)

I understand about the queue. Chapter 2 of Dragons in the Dungeons went up the same day Chapter 1 posted. It hasn't moved very far since then. ^_^

Portrait Severus is exploring the world, the skills, the feelings he wasn't allowed to explore when he was alive. And you are right, Severus was never an ordinary man, so he can't be an ordinary portrait. But in my story, portraits are a bit different than in JKR's books. You are very right also about Minerva. Growing older for her seems to be much more saddening than for Dumbledore. I think that this is a sensation that many of us experience.

Dumbledor, {not a favourite of mine, I must admit } had a war to fight, he still felt he had a purpose in life, and people to manipulate, { sorry that just sliped out }. Minerva on the other hand is feeling that her usefulness is coming to an end, it doesn't matter if it's true or not, if that's the way she feels. 

Portrait Severus is exploring the world, the skills, the feelings he wasn't allowed to explore when he was alive. And you are right, Severus was never an ordinary man, so he can't be an ordinary portrait. But in my story, portraits are a bit different than in JKR's books. You are very right also about Minerva. Growing older for her seems to be much more saddening than for Dumbledore. I think that this is a sensation that many of us experience.

Dumbledor, {not a favourite of mine, I must admit } had a war to fight, he still felt he had a purpose in life, and people to manipulate, { sorry that just sliped out }. Minerva on the other hand is feeling that her usefulness is coming to an end, it doesn't matter if it's true or not, if that's the way she feels. 

Hi,

. Thank you for your comment. So far, I must say that you are picking up all the passages in my chapters that I too prefer above the others. It seems that your brain works in synchrony with mine.That must be the reason why you seem to like this story so much ;) Well, I'm glad you liked this update too. Sorry for my English, sometimes it's difficult for me to find the right words. Hope you will understand it anyway :)

Thank you! First answers arriving with next chapter... ;)