Snape- first interlude (1971)
May. 4th, 2009 09:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coyotegothTITLE: A Knock at the Door
CHARACTERS: Snape; Dumbledore
RATING: PG
WARNINGS: none
FEEDBACK: welcomed
ARCHIVING: please ask
SUMMARY: As with certain other chapters of my Harry Potter story, which in total is an alternate version of the events following Half Blood Prince, these is an interlude, in which I explore a certain character in more depth than my post-Book 6 plotline tends to allow. As with this piece, these will be glimpses into the life of Severus Snape, addressing a few of the key moments in his background.
This is the latest chapter of my Harry Potter story; it contains Half-Blood Prince spoilers. (Please note that this series is not Deathly Hallows compliant.)
A Knock at the Door
Within the town, dark and dank, a house, alone at the end of its street. Within the house, a pale, thin boy, curled up in a small room under the stairs. He reads quickly, his nose an inch from the page, as the light spills in from the window outside...
...and suddenly, becomes slightly less bright. The boy looks up at once, as the light from outside dims again, and again. It is dark now, but the boy does not turn on a light; he feels around until he finds a stub of candle, and as he scrapes a match alight...
A sudden knock at the front door. The boy blows out the candle, and silently moves closer. He risks a quick glance out the front window, but a bush blocks his view, as the knock comes again. He moves closer.
“May I please come in?” comes the voice from outside. It is not a voice the boy has heard before; it sounds deep- almost musical- and pleasant in tone. He decides to risk a quick peek out through the gap between door and jamb. A tall man with white hair; he seems to be wearing some sort of robe, and boots with... buckles?
“Hello, there,” the man says. “May I please come in?”
“Are you from the police?” the boy asks warily.
“The police?” The man chuckles softly. “No, indeed. I am here to speak to you, not your parents. I am addressing Severus Snape, am I not?”
“Who are you?” the boy asks suspiciously. The man is looking back at him through the gap now, eyes twinkling behind glasses.
“I am called Albus Dumbledore.”
“Albus? Because of your hair?”
Dumbledore laughs; it is not an unkind sound. “No, no- I was named long before my hair turned white; I’m quite pleased to see that you know your Latin, however. May I come in?”
“Father will be angry if he finds you here when he comes home.” It is not quite a refusal.
“As it happens, your father is in the middle of a surprising run of good luck in his wagers for the evening; he will be gone for quite some time to come, and will be in a relatively good mood when he comes home.”
“He’s never in a good mood.”
“I did say ‘relatively.’ However, if this is not a convenient time...”
“What do you want?”
“I want to talk to you.”
“What about?”
“Your future.”
Severus hesitates, staring intently at the closed door for a moment. Finally, hesitantly, he pulls it open a crack.
“Ah- hello,” Dumbledore smiles at him. Severus tenses; usually, when people smile or laugh in his presence, it means that something bad is about to happen. This man, however, does not look- or feel- threatening.
“Hello,” Dumbledore finally repeats. “Have I the pleasure of addressing Severus Snape?”
A cautious nod; he still holds the door ajar. “We can certainly hold the conversation from here, if you wish,” Dumbledore says. “It did, however, occur to me that you might wish to avoid having neighbors report to your father the presence of a stranger on your doorstep.”
“He’d be angry.”
“My point precisely. May I please come in?”
Severus hesitates, then lets go of the doorknob, and takes a step backward. Finally, he gives a cautious nod; only then does Dumbledore step inside.
“Thank you,” says Dumbledore with a warm smile, as he closes the door behind himself; if he finds it odd for the two of them to be conversing in the dark, he says nothing of it. “I do apologize; I know that having strangers come to call without prior invitation can be somewhat unsettling. However, I did feel that this might be better than your having to explain mail from a stranger.”
“I don’t get mail.”
Dumbledore smiles again; Severus watches him closely, but sees no hint of malice in it. “There are days when I wish I could say the same,” Dumbledore replies. “However...”
“What did you mean, my future?”
Dumbledore pauses for a moment, as though wondering how to proceed. “I am headmaster of a school called Hogwarts; I am here to speak to you about the possibility of your enrolling there. It is... well, a school for gifted children.”
“Gifted? You mean smart?” Severus scowls. “I wish I could go to a school for smarter children- all the children here are stupid; they take forever to read anything, and make fun of me when I know the answers in class. It’s just a bunch of rubbish about what year did this happen, and what’s nine times seventeen, and... it’s stupid. Most of the teachers think I’m cheating, but I’m not.”
“I know you’re not,” Dumbledore says quietly. “I’ve taken the liberty of examining some of your schoolwork; you have an intellect that is truly remarkable.”
For just a second, Severus looks hopeful. “Does that mean...?” Then, he seemed to sink into himself. “It doesn’t matter; he’ll never let me attend any special school. He mocks me more than they do.”
“That is unfortunate,” Dumbledore murmurs; Severus nods, and adds, “Besides, he’s angry at me.”
“Why?”
“He says I broke it, but I didn’t.”
“Broke...?”
“That bowl.” Severus points at an ornate crystal bowl on the table. “He broke it when he was drinking, but he says I did. It was grandmother’s, and it’s old; now, it has a big crack in one side from where he knocked it off the table.”
“I see.” Dumbledore pauses for a moment. “May I take the liberty of turning on the lights? It won’t be for long.”
Severus hesitates. “All right.”
Dumbledore does so, and then walks over to the table; he picks up the bowl and holds it up above Severus's eye level. He seems to be murmuring to himself; then, he puts the bowl back down. “I’m afraid you must be mistaken,” he says. “This bowl is undamaged.”
Severus gives him a sharp look, and then strides over to the bowl; he stares at it for a long moment, then back at Dumbledore. “You did that.”
“Yes.”
“How...?”
“By magic,” Dumbledore says simply. Severus stares at him fixedly, and then says, “You’re not lying,” in tones of utter certainty.
“No.”
Severus hesitates. “Is... do they teach that at your school?”
“Yes, they do; Hogwarts is a school for young witches and wizards.”
“I thought I was the only one who could do this,” Severus says; Dumbledore can hear the disappointment in his tone, although most would miss it.
“I assure you, you are likely to prove to be an exceptionally gifted young wizard,” he says kindly.
“Where is this school?”
“Scotland.”
“How do you get there?”
“On the train.”
Severus looks upset again. “I can’t afford a train ticket.”
“Hogwarts has a discretionary fund for people in your circumstances,” Dumbledore says. “It will help pay for everything you need.”
Severus frowns in thought. “Tell me more.”
He listens intently as Dumbledore speaks, occasionally interjecting with pointed, intelligent questions. Finally, Dumbledore concludes his presentation by drawing his wand, and using it to cause the bowl to twirl lazily through the air. Severus watches this intently.
“Where do I get one of those?” he finally asks; Dumbledore seems to tense for just a moment.
"In a place called Diagon Alley- I'll show you when the time comes," Dumbledore replies. Severus opens his mouth to reply, but then glances at the bowl. "But... won't he remember it was broken...?"
"There are ways around that."
Severus nods doubtfully. “Do you usually do this?” he asks. “Come to talk to new students?”
Dumbledore pauses. “On occasion,” he says, “when I believe I have detected an incoming student of exceptional potential.”
Severus indicates the wand. "And I'll get one of those?"
"Yes." Dumbledore hesitates, then asks, "What do you think you will do with it?"
Severus tenses. "You're not going to make fun of me...?"
"No." Severus stares at him intently; Dumbledore feels a tickling sensation in his mind. Legilimency at this age, and without training, he thinks. Truly remarkable. Severus looks from Dumbledore, to the wand in his hand, and back again; he seems to steel himself.
"Change the world," he finally says. "I'm going to change the world."
Dumbledore nods gravely. "It may well be that you do just that."
CHARACTERS: Snape; Dumbledore
RATING: PG
WARNINGS: none
FEEDBACK: welcomed
ARCHIVING: please ask
SUMMARY: As with certain other chapters of my Harry Potter story, which in total is an alternate version of the events following Half Blood Prince, these is an interlude, in which I explore a certain character in more depth than my post-Book 6 plotline tends to allow. As with this piece, these will be glimpses into the life of Severus Snape, addressing a few of the key moments in his background.
This is the latest chapter of my Harry Potter story; it contains Half-Blood Prince spoilers. (Please note that this series is not Deathly Hallows compliant.)
A Knock at the Door
Within the town, dark and dank, a house, alone at the end of its street. Within the house, a pale, thin boy, curled up in a small room under the stairs. He reads quickly, his nose an inch from the page, as the light spills in from the window outside...
...and suddenly, becomes slightly less bright. The boy looks up at once, as the light from outside dims again, and again. It is dark now, but the boy does not turn on a light; he feels around until he finds a stub of candle, and as he scrapes a match alight...
A sudden knock at the front door. The boy blows out the candle, and silently moves closer. He risks a quick glance out the front window, but a bush blocks his view, as the knock comes again. He moves closer.
“May I please come in?” comes the voice from outside. It is not a voice the boy has heard before; it sounds deep- almost musical- and pleasant in tone. He decides to risk a quick peek out through the gap between door and jamb. A tall man with white hair; he seems to be wearing some sort of robe, and boots with... buckles?
“Hello, there,” the man says. “May I please come in?”
“Are you from the police?” the boy asks warily.
“The police?” The man chuckles softly. “No, indeed. I am here to speak to you, not your parents. I am addressing Severus Snape, am I not?”
“Who are you?” the boy asks suspiciously. The man is looking back at him through the gap now, eyes twinkling behind glasses.
“I am called Albus Dumbledore.”
“Albus? Because of your hair?”
Dumbledore laughs; it is not an unkind sound. “No, no- I was named long before my hair turned white; I’m quite pleased to see that you know your Latin, however. May I come in?”
“Father will be angry if he finds you here when he comes home.” It is not quite a refusal.
“As it happens, your father is in the middle of a surprising run of good luck in his wagers for the evening; he will be gone for quite some time to come, and will be in a relatively good mood when he comes home.”
“He’s never in a good mood.”
“I did say ‘relatively.’ However, if this is not a convenient time...”
“What do you want?”
“I want to talk to you.”
“What about?”
“Your future.”
Severus hesitates, staring intently at the closed door for a moment. Finally, hesitantly, he pulls it open a crack.
“Ah- hello,” Dumbledore smiles at him. Severus tenses; usually, when people smile or laugh in his presence, it means that something bad is about to happen. This man, however, does not look- or feel- threatening.
“Hello,” Dumbledore finally repeats. “Have I the pleasure of addressing Severus Snape?”
A cautious nod; he still holds the door ajar. “We can certainly hold the conversation from here, if you wish,” Dumbledore says. “It did, however, occur to me that you might wish to avoid having neighbors report to your father the presence of a stranger on your doorstep.”
“He’d be angry.”
“My point precisely. May I please come in?”
Severus hesitates, then lets go of the doorknob, and takes a step backward. Finally, he gives a cautious nod; only then does Dumbledore step inside.
“Thank you,” says Dumbledore with a warm smile, as he closes the door behind himself; if he finds it odd for the two of them to be conversing in the dark, he says nothing of it. “I do apologize; I know that having strangers come to call without prior invitation can be somewhat unsettling. However, I did feel that this might be better than your having to explain mail from a stranger.”
“I don’t get mail.”
Dumbledore smiles again; Severus watches him closely, but sees no hint of malice in it. “There are days when I wish I could say the same,” Dumbledore replies. “However...”
“What did you mean, my future?”
Dumbledore pauses for a moment, as though wondering how to proceed. “I am headmaster of a school called Hogwarts; I am here to speak to you about the possibility of your enrolling there. It is... well, a school for gifted children.”
“Gifted? You mean smart?” Severus scowls. “I wish I could go to a school for smarter children- all the children here are stupid; they take forever to read anything, and make fun of me when I know the answers in class. It’s just a bunch of rubbish about what year did this happen, and what’s nine times seventeen, and... it’s stupid. Most of the teachers think I’m cheating, but I’m not.”
“I know you’re not,” Dumbledore says quietly. “I’ve taken the liberty of examining some of your schoolwork; you have an intellect that is truly remarkable.”
For just a second, Severus looks hopeful. “Does that mean...?” Then, he seemed to sink into himself. “It doesn’t matter; he’ll never let me attend any special school. He mocks me more than they do.”
“That is unfortunate,” Dumbledore murmurs; Severus nods, and adds, “Besides, he’s angry at me.”
“Why?”
“He says I broke it, but I didn’t.”
“Broke...?”
“That bowl.” Severus points at an ornate crystal bowl on the table. “He broke it when he was drinking, but he says I did. It was grandmother’s, and it’s old; now, it has a big crack in one side from where he knocked it off the table.”
“I see.” Dumbledore pauses for a moment. “May I take the liberty of turning on the lights? It won’t be for long.”
Severus hesitates. “All right.”
Dumbledore does so, and then walks over to the table; he picks up the bowl and holds it up above Severus's eye level. He seems to be murmuring to himself; then, he puts the bowl back down. “I’m afraid you must be mistaken,” he says. “This bowl is undamaged.”
Severus gives him a sharp look, and then strides over to the bowl; he stares at it for a long moment, then back at Dumbledore. “You did that.”
“Yes.”
“How...?”
“By magic,” Dumbledore says simply. Severus stares at him fixedly, and then says, “You’re not lying,” in tones of utter certainty.
“No.”
Severus hesitates. “Is... do they teach that at your school?”
“Yes, they do; Hogwarts is a school for young witches and wizards.”
“I thought I was the only one who could do this,” Severus says; Dumbledore can hear the disappointment in his tone, although most would miss it.
“I assure you, you are likely to prove to be an exceptionally gifted young wizard,” he says kindly.
“Where is this school?”
“Scotland.”
“How do you get there?”
“On the train.”
Severus looks upset again. “I can’t afford a train ticket.”
“Hogwarts has a discretionary fund for people in your circumstances,” Dumbledore says. “It will help pay for everything you need.”
Severus frowns in thought. “Tell me more.”
He listens intently as Dumbledore speaks, occasionally interjecting with pointed, intelligent questions. Finally, Dumbledore concludes his presentation by drawing his wand, and using it to cause the bowl to twirl lazily through the air. Severus watches this intently.
“Where do I get one of those?” he finally asks; Dumbledore seems to tense for just a moment.
"In a place called Diagon Alley- I'll show you when the time comes," Dumbledore replies. Severus opens his mouth to reply, but then glances at the bowl. "But... won't he remember it was broken...?"
"There are ways around that."
Severus nods doubtfully. “Do you usually do this?” he asks. “Come to talk to new students?”
Dumbledore pauses. “On occasion,” he says, “when I believe I have detected an incoming student of exceptional potential.”
Severus indicates the wand. "And I'll get one of those?"
"Yes." Dumbledore hesitates, then asks, "What do you think you will do with it?"
Severus tenses. "You're not going to make fun of me...?"
"No." Severus stares at him intently; Dumbledore feels a tickling sensation in his mind. Legilimency at this age, and without training, he thinks. Truly remarkable. Severus looks from Dumbledore, to the wand in his hand, and back again; he seems to steel himself.
"Change the world," he finally says. "I'm going to change the world."
Dumbledore nods gravely. "It may well be that you do just that."
