Chapter 67 - Headmaster's Office 01.

[Chapter Size: 3700 Words.]

Third Person POV

Hogwarts.

...

...

"Cockroach Clusters."

Severus said the password calmly as the gargoyle began to move, rotating as it revealed a staircase. He began to climb it when the statue stopped moving, continuing forward until he found the brighter light illuminating the headmaster's office.

His eyes did not stop roaming the place with a certain curiosity as he entered. Although it was not his first time there, but rather his second, he was about to observe that place with his new eyes.

The first time he had been there was after the event in which Sirius Black lured him into the Whomping Willow, causing him to nearly come face-to-face with a werewolf. And the dear headmaster had made him take a perpetual vow.

In any case, he entered the office fully, while a new light began to illuminate his entire body, finding Dumbledore sitting directly in the center of the room, with Fawkes behind him.

His eyes did not even look at the headmaster's face. Instead, they immediately turned toward the rest of the office, wanting to see all the strange decorations Dumbledore kept in that place he believed to be cozy for his work.

Obviously, the bowl filled with sweets and candies was quickly noticed by Severus before his eyes moved toward the portraits spread across the entire wall.

The portraits of the former headmasters.

Severus immediately became far too curious about those ancient generations of Hogwarts headmasters. Men and women who possessed knowledge from centuries ago.

He could not help but feel a little envious of Dumbledore for simply possessing such privileges. The man could speak with any headmaster who had ever held that position, and certainly none of them had been just anybody in their own time.

To be able to speak with each one of them all day long...

Severus certainly had his own knowledge and his own experiences, but he would love to listen to and ask questions of each one of them, trying to extract as much information as possible and even gain new insights into any area of magic in that world.

He even wanted to know what knowledge they possessed about the Muggle world of their respective eras. Surely there had to be something useful there, even if wizards in general were quite disappointing when it came to the Muggle world.

He felt the gazes of all the portraits turning in his direction, evaluating him, while he let his own eyes roam over each one of them.

Men and women, most of them quite old in their portraits, with only a few still showing any color in their hair.

"I see you're quite curious about the former headmasters," Dumbledore's voice sounded.

Severus still did not look at him. He continued observing each of the portraits, analyzing every face. Somehow, he believed that this might be useful in the future and wanted to memorize the features of those men and women.

Perhaps none of them had lived for more than two centuries as he had in his original world. Even so, they possessed knowledge about certain areas that not even Severus Snape or Jon Arctic could have.

Not yet.

"You could say so. After all, they are historical figures, am I wrong?" Severus asked, speaking for the first time since he had entered the place, while directing the question straight at the former headmasters.

Some nodded immediately, while others quickly began declaring their own status with puffed-out chests, just as Severus had said.

"Well, good evening to all of you, headmasters. It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Severus Snape, I am a sixth-year student, and I would be delighted to receive guidance on matters that, in my ignorance, I may not yet fully understand," Severus said, placing one hand over his heart as he gave a slight bow of respect.

He was a king and, usually, it was people who bowed before him, not the other way around. But here he was merely a student, and even he knew how to recognize his own limitations.

He stood before people who could teach him.

That was not an aspect that should ever be abandoned by any king of Arctic. Quite the opposite. Before Jon left someone else to govern the greatest kingdom in the world so he could devote his final years to his own research, he had taught very well that a king should always recognize his flaws and understand his own imperfect nature, never allowing pride, anger, hatred, or jealousy to cloud his decisions and actions.

"He is a polite boy."

"In my time, I would have been happy to have students like him."

"Humble, and he certainly possesses quite impeccable etiquette. You must be some noble from an ancient family," one of the portraits commented.

Severus removed his hand from his chest and stood upright again as a smile appeared on his face. "Not necessarily. But it would be more than ignorance on my part, it would be sheer stupidity if I did not even know basic etiquette," Severus replied, maintaining a cordial smile.

One thing that had changed greatly since his return was his own manner of behaving, something that made the Slytherins who wanted to oppose him even more cautious, while that silent war continued to grow between them ever since Severus had confronted Lestrange on the first day.

The way he ate, walked, carried himself, and spoke was different. It was noble and impeccable. He was not intimidated and always maintained an upright posture, regardless of the gazes around him. The Hogwarts students would either be boasting about the attention they received or walking with slumped shoulders under the pressure of so many eyes.

Severus was different. He did not act as though he were boasting, nor did he show embarrassment. He remained indifferent, as though it did not matter that every gaze was directly upon him or followed him through every corridor he passed through.

To him, that was normal. It was something he was already accustomed to, as anyone who had occupied such an elevated position should be after years of experience.

And no one in this world, whether in the Muggle world with its more reserved monarchies or in the wizarding world, no matter how ancient and wealthy their noble family might be, no one possessed the experience of having been a king known throughout the entire world, feared and respected by everyone wherever he went.

Severus then finally turned his attention to Dumbledore, who was staring at him with a certain fascination.

Severus displayed a friendly smile and looked at the phoenix. Even Fawkes was watching him, tilting his head to the side.

"Fawkes," he said, not having seen the phoenix yet that day.

Severus merely raised his hand in invitation, and the phoenix simply left his perch and flew toward him. He received him easily before creating a flame, ignoring the astonishment of the headmasters as Fawkes began devouring the fire as though it were the best food in the world.

"Your display of creating flames without a wand certainly continues to make me curious, Mr. Snape," the headmaster said, watching him with attentive and even fascinated eyes.

"This is not an ordinary spell, Headmaster," Severus said, already knowing that Dumbledore had realized that.

It was not something as simple as merely creating a flame with a wand.

Severus continued feeding Fawkes until, at last, his stomach could take no more. The phoenix simply returned to his perch to rest, while Severus still kept a small flame above his finger before opening his hand and making it begin to swirl around his palm like a perfect vortex.

"Yes, I noticed your control over the element of fire. My family certainly possesses something similar. It is no wonder that we find it quite easy to form bonds with phoenixes, as you know. But I must admit that your control over flames is very different. We cannot control them in that manner. Not even I possess such control. I have heard that you can make them take any form you wish," Dumbledore said.

Perhaps he had heard that from Professor McGonagall herself, after Severus had demonstrated his flames to Heloísa for the first time at Flourish and Blotts.

"Exactly." Severus confirmed, and the flames began to gather above Severus's palm, taking shape little by little.

They soon transformed into a dragon. The creature of fire roared before leaping from his hand and beginning to fly around him, circling the office while leaving a trail of flames through the air. Even the former headmasters looked frightened, with some hiding behind objects within their own portraits.

Severus raised his hand.

The dragon returned and landed gently upon his palm, nestling among its own flames like a small hatchling.

That made Dumbledore raise his eyebrows even further. "The flames are in direct contact with your skin. Does your magic protect you from them?" he asked, curious and fascinated.

Severus looked at the small dragon before closing his hand as though he were grabbing it. The creature exploded into flames and disappeared.

"Actually, it is more than that, Headmaster," Severus said and then made one of the candles floating around the office fly toward him, removing it from its original position.

He thought it would be amusing to demonstrate it. It was not a secret he would be able to keep for very long and, to him, it was not even truly a secret.

Then he placed his hand directly over the candle's flame, allowing the fire to touch his skin.

Dumbledore fixed his eyes on it for several seconds, while the former headmasters began to grow agitated.

"He's burning himself!"

"Is he insane?!"

The voices of the portraits echoed through the office until Severus finally withdrew his hand.

His skin remained completely intact. Then, with a movement of blue telekinesis, he calmly made the candle return to its place.

And he had done all of that without even touching his wand.

"How?" Dumbledore asked, unable to understand the nature of that protective magic Severus was able to apply over his own skin.

But Severus shook his head. "This is more than a protection spell, Headmaster." And he looked at Dumbledore with great seriousness.

"Fire cannot burn a dragon." He let those words resonate throughout the room.

The portraits quickly began murmuring among themselves about that young man, while Dumbledore kept his eyes on Severus. He did not feel any attempt from the headmaster to enter his mind again.

And if Dumbledore had anything to say about his last statement, he kept it to himself, surprisingly not returning to the subject. Perhaps he would no longer be able to remain silent if Severus demonstrated something else that he truly could not understand.

"Well, Mr. Snape, please, have a seat," he said.

Severus sat down in the chair in front of him, taking a better look at the headmaster's desk. There were parchments and books scattered across it. Fawkes remained calmly on his perch, his eyes closed, but he clearly was not asleep.

"Well, it is good that we can finally speak, Mr. Snape. As you know, your behavior last week was not exactly appropriate."

"I don't regret it," Severus shot back, interrupting the headmaster.

Dumbledore turned his eyes back to him, and Severus continued.

"I don't regret doing that. I've wanted to say that to your face ever since you cornered me in this very room."

"Mr. Snape..." he tried to speak, but Severus interrupted him again.

"Look, Headmaster, I understand that I certainly should not have blamed Mr. Lupin as I did back then either. That was not fair," Severus said sincerely.

Lupin had nothing to do with it. He had merely been placed in the middle of that situation without knowing.

Severus, however, was not finished. "You declared Potter a hero when he had more to lose than to gain if he hadn't called me back at the last moment, before I entered the room where Lupin was transformed. And you also gave Black only two weeks of detention after what was nothing less than an attempted murder. That was not fair. So yes, Headmaster, I really wanted to tell you to go fuck yourself back then, and I don't take back what I said, no matter what punishment you want to give me."

"..." Despite initially raising an eyebrow at the little speech, the headmaster kept his blue eyes on him for several seconds without saying anything.

"..." Severus simply stared back at him defiantly.

To Dumbledore, that young man certainly knew how to intrigue him. He could interrupt him without showing any fear or hesitation, to the point that Dumbledore had to assert himself in order to speak. But he also knew when to stop at the right moments.

Even the current Minister for Magic probably would not have had the courage to speak that way in front of him, much less any student.

"I'm glad..." the headmaster began. "...that you are aware that Mr. Lupin was not at fault. And I apologize that you felt wronged by Black's punishment. I have reflected a great deal over the past few days. That is precisely why I waited a week before we had this conversation after what happened."

Severus merely shook his head. "Then demonstrate it, Headmaster. Words are easy to say. I know you have inclinations toward Gryffindor, and I must say that this is creating a certain resentment among the students. Perhaps not to the point of the other houses being as furious as the Slytherins are, but the other Houses are certainly aware of your favoritism as well. There is nothing wrong with liking one House more than the other three, but I believe that, as headmaster, you should be fair."

Severus paused briefly before continuing. "But I imagine that perhaps a substantial fund like the one in the Potters' vaults is rather desirable, given the war that is taking shape," Severus said calmly.

That last part brought a certain gleam to his green eyes as he stared directly into Dumbledore's blue ones. The older man could not help but frown.

Severus was not there to please that man. He would not refrain from throwing a few things in his face.

"That is quite a serious accusation, Mr. Snape," Dumbledore said in a more serious tone.

"What I can say, Headmaster, is that this is what it looks like. It is what I see with my own eyes. In any case, it doesn't matter whether you want to be fair or not, after all, I cannot expect things to suddenly become fair, and I must say that if Hogwarts cannot do anything, things outside Hogwarts can," Severus said, fixing his gaze on him.

"Is that a threat, Mr. Snape?" Now, the headmaster had completely lost the relaxed gleam in his eyes as he stared seriously at Severus.

Severus merely shook his head. "That is the problem, Headmaster. You think the world is black and white. Either you are on the side of the light or you are on the side of darkness, and everything seems to come down to either coddling someone or trying to punish them. But don't worry. What I intend to do will be through legal means. If Britain still has even a shred of justice, they will do what Hogwarts has failed to do all these years. And if it's the opposite, well... I will lose all my faith in Britain and will be more than willing to leave this island," Severus said calmly.

That was exactly his logic. Britain would have much to regret in the future if it was not willing to offer him at least a means through which he could obtain justice.

Dumbledore stared at him for several moments.

He would be lying if he said he had not expected something different from Severus's next words. Perhaps some threat or intention to act through questionable means. Because of that, he could not help but feel somewhat concerned about what that young man was truly planning to do from then on.

"Mr. Snape..." he tried to begin.

But Severus raised a hand.

"Listen. I only ask that you tell me what you plan to do," Dumbledore requested.

Severus gave an ironic smile. "That, Headmaster, is something I will try to resolve myself. The question is whether Hogwarts will keep this fair or not, and that depends on you. In the meantime, I will seek ways to deal with my aggressors outside Hogwarts myself. That has already been decided. I will not change my mind on this matter. But if you want to blame yourself in the future, feel free to do so for allowing the situation to escalate to this point. This is not something you will resolve with sweet words alone. Do we understand each other, Headmaster?" his voice echoed in a tone that left no room for discussion.

The headmaster stared at him for a moment before nodding, though he still maintained a certain caution.

"In any case, you can explain how you intend to make me pay for my offense," Severus said.

The headmaster stared at him for a few seconds before turning away.

"Well, I won't say that I am entirely pleased with your words, Mr. Snape, but I had already prepared something for you," he said, opening a drawer and taking out a sheet of paper before placing it on the desk.

It showed three days and times. Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

"For one month, you will be helping a group of third-year students with tutoring sessions. They are a group from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. It is something Professor Flitwick, Professor Sprout, Professor Slughorn, and I have agreed upon. We needed someone to teach them."

Severus raised an eyebrow. It was not the first time he had encountered something like this.

"You know my last attempt at this didn't go very well, right?"

Severus remembered his former self, making even first-year children cry. That had happened in his fourth year, when a fifth-year student had been absent and he had been assigned to replace him. The result had been all the children fleeing the classroom terrified of him.

Even after all that tension, the headmaster could not help but smile. "Well, I heard about that. But I'm sure you seem to have matured now," he said, making the last word resonate with particular emphasis.

Whatever he was thinking, Severus merely shrugged.

"All right, all right. I'll do it. I'll deal with those children," he finally said.

The headmaster nodded, though he could not help but raise an eyebrow when Severus called them children. "I think we have dealt with the most important matters. However, I would like to know if you would accept having some tea with me," he asked.

Severus stared at him, seeing no problem with that. "Yes."

The headmaster snapped his fingers, apparently wanting to impress him, as several cups, utensils, and a pot of hot tea appeared on the table.

But at the same time, a house-elf appeared. Dumbledore seemed to want to impress Severus with that small display, but he certainly did not expect the elf not to even look at him.

Instead, his eyes went directly to Severus. And the little being opened a huge smile upon recognizing him.

Severus raised an eyebrow at the elf. He knew that particular one very well. It was obvious that he was among all the house-elves whose magical contract Severus had simply reconstructed after unlinking them from Hogwarts.

But it seemed that this one needed to be reminded of his instructions to treat him as though he were merely an ordinary student.

'Please, don't show any loyalty to me in front of the headmaster. Ah, yes, he still doesn't know about our contract. Just go back to the kitchen...' Severus spoke through their connection.

He did not even need to look directly into the elf's eyes to transmit that information. After all, with his abilities, he could extend his mind regardless of where his eyes were pointed, even through obstacles.

And it would certainly be better not to make the headmaster realize that Severus was communicating with the house-elf.

The elf disappeared. Severus turned back to face the headmaster at that moment, making a questioning expression, while Dumbledore seemed somewhat confused, scratching his beard.

"Well, I wasn't expecting him to appear and stare at you. I imagine you've already been to the kitchen?" he asked.

"Yes. Iris, Roberta, and the others have already shown us," he replied.

The headmaster seemed to understand. "I see. Well, it seems he recognized you." In any case, Dumbledore turned his attention back to the table. "Would you like a lemon drop?" he asked.

The headmaster probably expected a negative answer from Severus. But he nodded.

There was a rumor among the Slytherins that the headmaster put Veritaserum inside the candies he offered students whenever an important matter came up for him.

Severus wanted to test that theory. So he did not refuse. And even if there really was Veritaserum in it, he would have ways to circumvent its effects, despite never having taken the potion before.

He took the candy and let the sugary taste spread through his mouth. He certainly would not refuse something sweet from time to time, especially since the sweets of that world were something he had never experienced much of.

"It's delicious," he said, smiling.

The headmaster certainly shared that taste and seemed to become more relaxed. Severus felt no effect on himself. Their conversation, however, was only the beginning of what that night would be.

The two had much to share.

Dumbledore wanted to know more about Severus, his new inclinations, and what had happened to him to bring about such a drastic change.

On the other hand, Severus certainly had before him a good source of information about the magical world, opinions, and countless questions for which he had yet to find answers, though each still lingered faintly in his thoughts, weighing upon him. And those answers would certainly help him understand that world a little better. Besides, of course, contributing to his own projects.

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