“No, something isn’t right there.”

Leaning in to examine matters, Severus hummed in surprise. “Well spotted,” Neville had picked up on a rather subtle shift in the ingredients – Severus had given half the class textbook instructions and the other half his own alteration without informing them, keeping an eye out for responses as they worked.

Neville, for his part, had noted that his potion called for a few more cuts of ginger than was strictly necessary, which in fact made the matter far more potent, allowing the solution to dissolve quicker into the bloodstream and scour away the symptoms of a common cold. Not to mention have a bit more bite to it. “Five points if you can tell me whether it will have an adverse affect or a positive one.”

‘ we’ve all suffered. but we owe it to their memories to do our best with these lives. ’

{ Meme }

Such aching wisdom did not belong on the tongue of one so young. So many of his most recent set of students were now veterans of war, bloodstained and trying their best to make their way forward. He found regret in the fact that he had hid away, rather than address his wounds and face his trial immediately – not because having avoided the situation so long had left him crippled, but because if he had been able to step forward sooner, he may well have been able to provide something resembling support.

“This is the time to show unity and move forward,” He agreed quietly, “So long as we remember this, and do what we can to change the way our society thinks, we may be able to avoid a third Dark Lord of recent history.”

“They ignore me.”

{ Meme }

It was a sad day indeed when a Gryffindor heart bled out in front of the Head of Slytherin. There were very few explanations for such an infamous occasion and not a one of them was pleasant. Desperation. Desolation. Disengagement from reality. Regardless of the surrounding circumstances and overall feelings involved, a Gryffindor only bared himself to him when matters were well and truly hopeless.

He never could figure out the drive in it – the idea of seeking out the one person who consistently barred an otherwise consequent free existence at Hogwarts seemed all in all counter productive – but his response to youth rendered so helpless in their own emotions was as consistently calm in these scenarios as it was for his Slytherins after hours.

“What gives you that perception?” There was little point in telling a child that their friends or family didn’t mean to do something, when chances were the matter stemmed either from perception or deliberate intent on the other parties. In order to oust the problem and find a solution, the first step was identifying the cause of the turmoil.

“The battle’s done and we kind of won.”

{ Meme }

A fair assessment, considering the astounding damages taken on both sides. Though the Dark Lord had been defeated, the devastation in the wake was still phenomenal even two years later. Severus was among the survivors, but the cost of that was high. To see the guilt of living on so many young faces he recognized was one of those prices.

“Those of us who have made it through must endure, Mister Longbottom.” The waspish and biting tone was gone, replaced by the hollow echo of a man he hadn’t had the opportunity to be. It gave a softened edge to his words that had never been there before. “Despite all that has been lost, prejudice has not left the wizarding world. It will be something we as a community must continue to eradicate from our ways of thinking if we are to keep something like this from happening again. Voldemort was not the first of the dark lords, nor, I suspect, he will be the last. If we wish to keep a third from rising in our lifetime, then we simply must carry forward.”

‘ they’re afraid of you. ’

{ Meme }

“As they should be,” Severus could not afford to be anything less than a tyrant.He could barely keep the Carrows from torturing the students as it was. Even with the convoluted glory that came from being the one among them to destroy Albus Dumbledore, he had to tread with extreme caution in order to grant even nominal safety to his students.

His.

Yes. As Headmaster he could no longer afford to consider only the Slytherins under his governance. Each and every child in this castle was meant to be under his protection and he was failing them. It was a brutal game in which he was forced to play, but there were minor victories.

Sedatives in the Carrows tea tended to make them a bit less trigger happy with spelling the students, at any rate. And now this – a lone, brave Gryffindor daring to face Dumbledore’s murderer and point out the hideous truth of what he had been forced to become. He was his father’s son.

“I suggest, Mister Longbottom, if they find classes to be so fearsome that they seek refuge in ignorance elsewhere.” That of course was not a suggestion to skip class – the Death Eaters adored any excuse for punishment. No, it was far deeper than that. He was, for all accounts and purposes, encouraging a Gryffindor to find a way out. And to stay out, if he could. “It is not as though Hogwarts has not loathed a teacher before,” He added quietly, before making to sweep past the boy and praying, silently to whatever force would listen, that the young man read between the lines and retreated somewhere safe.

“I guess it’s all the same.”

{ Meme }

“It most certainly is not,” Each word was punctuated by a sweeping step as Severus banished the ingredients before Longbottom, cold dread clawing through him at how positively abysmal the boy’s comprehension appeared to be. “An essay,” It was all he could do not to shout as he leaned over the fool child, “On the effects of digitalis leaf as opposed to digitalis root, with particular emphasis on the differences between those cultivated in spring as opposed to those cultivated in autumn shall suffice. You will attempt this again, after I have reason to believe you’ve learned something.” Severus leaned back, eyes still ablaze at such idiocy in his classroom as he added flatly, “Thirteen inches, by the end of class, or it’s detention.”

“Bugger this.”

{ Meme }

“Excuse me?” Standing at the head of the classroom, Severus gazed down at Longbottom in time to note that his cauldron was mere moments from a dangerous overflow. Wand dropping into his hand in an instant, he waved the whole mess clear, vanishing the contents even as he strode up behind to the young man’s table and snapped, “Nevermind buggering, you botched it.”

Despite the fact that if Longbottom hadn’t spoken out in class Severus might well have missed the pending disaster, he carried on sternly, “And that’s no way to speak in class. Now, can you tell me where you went wrong?” Judging from what he’d vanished, there were several points, but what mattered was whether Longbottom could identify any of them.

“Bunnies aren’t just cute like everybody supposes!”

{ Meme }

Severus wasn’t even sure he wanted to know the source of this particular outburst, but at the same time there was a small glimmer of curiosity that couldn’t help but wonder what madness the young Longbottom was on about. Perhaps he had been befuddled, to come to him with such remarks – and if such was the case it would behoove Severus to observe the matter before escorting him to Pomfrey as was appropriate.

“What are you blathering about?” The exasperation was as real as the curiosity and professional concern, nevertheless.

“Why’s it always me?”

{ Meme }

“Phenomenal question, Mister Longbottom,” Severus returned, eyeing the boy pinned up to the wall like a butterfly mounted on a display. “Dare I ask who is responsible for your current predicament?”

No sooner had he asked did Severus remember he could – and rightly should – correct it. Drawing his wand, he carefully extracted and hovered the boy down to the floor before arching a brow as though to indicate he was still in need of an answer.