Dream & Shadow

16* Establishing a Business

Severus walked along the gloomy corridors of Hogwarts. The term start was worse than ever. The children burned and messed the potions out of sheer lack of concentration. Most wallowed in dreams about being a Triwizard Champion or encouraged their mates to apply despite the age as if anybody could fool Dumbledore. Severus ranted silently. The staff room was full of teachers preparing the castle for the guests and planning extra lessons. It seemed as if the adults outrivalled the students with excitement and jabbering. Severus completed the curriculum for potions in summer already, still awaiting the consent of the other two headmasters. His mood dropped even further when Alastor Moody strode noisily into the room stamping his wooden leg rhythmically until he flopped into a chair.

Severus understood Dumbledore's concern about the dangers of the tournament and agreed to the Ex-Auror for the sake of the students and Potter. But Moody made Severus' life more miserable by searching his office and lurking everywhere. Moody picked on the wrong persons. Severus hardly admitted it to himself, but he preferred Scott. After all, she had been a looker between all the older female professors. Most of them taught already while he was at school. She proofed adept and some fresh ideas could outshine a paranoid old warhorse. Severus hid behind the Daily Prophet to flee the constant vigilance, even though he knew the newspaper couldn't shield from Moody's magical eye. An advertisement caught his attention. Scott announced the launch of the apothecary in Hogsmeade. The opening was soon. Maybe it was time to establish the relationship to the guild of potion makers again. The guild crest and the ministerial licence to practice displayed prominently in the notice. Albus hadn't shown much interest in Severus' work or research and since Potter's arrival at Hogwarts Severus had been busier with other things. He seemed to be spare for Potter's safety anyway. The headmaster hadn't really spoken to him since Black's escape. Dumbledore only made clear to the staff that Potter must remain at the school before issuing the exam results. Severus answered Dumbledore's side glance coolly. Potter was at least talented enough to pass the potions exam without many efforts or paying attention in the classes.

A badge of bitterness crept through Severus. Dumbledore put all his faith into the 'old' comrades, but it wouldn't be enough to win the next war. The Dark Lord was rising again. Severus' relationship to Voldemort's faithful followers had been established well over the summer break. Everybody saw and felt the growing intensity of the Dark Mark and started to prepare. The skull and snake were still feeble but growing stronger. Everything was a question of time. Severus would return into the Dark Lords service guarding Potter's son, even if Dumbledore had 'new order members' to better care for the boy. He felt liable by the blame for Lily's death. The thoughts wandered from the green-eyed beauty to the eagle owl with the scribble on a postcard. The owl found him at Spinner's End. He had been furious and apparated within minutes to Leonor's whereabouts driven by a random magical trace to the village. Severus had scolded himself for the investigations of the Greengrass family. The unsteady handwriting implied the worst even if the text said otherwise. His anger calmed when Leonor walked out of the pub and disappeared into the darkness. Her senses had been strong enough to notice the magic and arrive safely in London. Severus put the newspaper back to the large table in the staff room. The next bunch of fools waited in front of the dungeon door to burn some more cauldrons.

XXX

The house in Hogsmeade had been in a bad state. In the meantime, the windows were clean and the wood on the outer facade had been glazed. Jackson's old furniture stood in the house of his daughter in a nice room on the ground floor. The old man found pleasure in playing with the grandchildren and wouldn't return. The apothecary changed the owner for a reasonable price plus a regular treatment of the pain in Jackson's knees and back. Leonor grinned about the idea of the grump to play Quidditch with the youngsters. Leonor relished a self-made Ciabatta after another long day. Pauline was still on the way to France. She had sent the owl to a bird trader after delivering the invitations for the opening of the healer's business. Some unused prints lay still on the workbench; there was one more invitation to write. Leonor came around and took a blank page to write a few words only. A post owl transported the missive with the regular morning mail to Hogwarts. Leonor went upstairs to the empty living room and transfigured a board into a mattress and summoned a pillow and bed covers. It would be her first night in Hogsmeade. The provisional bed in front of the fire was soft and Leonor quickly asleep in the heat of the flames.