Kapitel 14: Chapter 13: With Age Comes Wisdom
January 9th, The Corridors, Hogwarts...
Sebastian awoke on the morning of his 18th birthday with sudden disdain. He had not known the reason why but the day had brought him an unshakable feeling of dread. The morning began with Draco trying to shower him with gifts that included a brand new black firebolt broom. He had barely managed to escape the barrage of Slytherins wishing him a happy birthday. Most of whom had only done so because they had truly believed him to be the son of Professor Snape and were trying their hands at sucking up. He couldn't blame them really but he had not been the mood to appreciate their tact.
The black mood had been further intensified when he walked down the corridors at a brisk pace and had run into a second year Hufflepuff boy. The young blond haired boy had looked up at him with watery blue eyes and a pale face stricken with fear as he scrambled to his feet collecting his scattered books and papers.
"I-I'm sorry Professor Snape sir...I didn't mean to..." said the boy as the tears and trembling increased.
"Why don't you watch where you're going!" replied Sebastian greatly annoyed by the boy's cowering.
He had seemingly ignored the boy calling him the Potions Professor.
"I-I didn't mean to sir..." continued the boy with more tears.
"Sir?" asked Sebastian suddenly realizing why the boy had been so scared.
"P-Professor Snape sir." said the boy unnerved.
Sebastian had been filled rage at being mistaken for The Potions Professor.
"My name is Sebastian!" he said with his rage building. "I am not the bloody Potions Professor stop calling me SNAPE!"
The blond Hufflepuff was down right terrified. He cowered as low to the ground as he could manage with an irate Sebastian towering over him. Harry Potter had been on his way to see Sebastian to wish him a happy birthday when he came upon the scene in the hall. He saw the scared boy and the increasingly volatile Sebastian towering over him.
"Sebastian." said Harry rushing over and pulling the raven haired Slytherin away from the terrified boy.
Sebastian's fierce obsidian gaze snapped in Harry's direction.
"Take your hands off me...Potter." he said with an icy tone.
Harry blinked at him for a second and then complied.
The blond Hufflepuff boy had taken off after gathering his books.
"Sebastian what's wrong with you?" asked Harry concerned.
"You're what's wrong with me." replied Sebastian still in an icy demeanor.
"You looked like you were going to attack that boy." said Harry.
"The little prat shouldn't have been so sensitive." replied Sebastian darkly.
"Y-You were intentionally mean to him?" asked Harry in disbelief.
"The little prat called me Snape." replied Sebastian bitterly.
Harry's dark eyes took in the curious state of Sebastian Prince. His hair had been lank and covered his face in a curtain, his robes had been dark and there was no sign of his Slytherin tie. His skin had been more pale than usual and he had not looked like he had been getting much sleep. His cheeks were sallow and his overall attitude had been shrouded in bitterness.
"W-well you do look like him." replied Harry. "Especially now."
"Watch it Potter." grumbled Sebastian bitterly.
"Is something wrong?" asked Harry. "Something tells me that this is only one incident today that seemed to make you angry."
"It's nothing." replied Sebastian. "Why don't you learn to mind your own business Potter."
Sebastian pushed passed him and suddenly felt a wave of dizziness wash over him.
{A man wearing faded jeans and black boots had come through the front door of a less than average living room. He had been utterly drunk from the looks of his swaying and had been enraged. His back was to a small boy with raven hair huddled quietly in a nearby corner. The man approached a woman with raven hair that had been in a rather messy ponytail, and dark eyes with deep circles around them. Evidence of lack of rest and poor nutrition had been evident by her pale complexion and sallow cheeks. She wore a worn house coat and old worn brown slippers. Her body had been thin and she didn't seem to have much energy.
"Useless bitch." he bellowed bitterly. "All you and that brat do is cost me money."
The raven haired woman said nothing as the man continued to berate her for her shortcomings and lack of appeal. The small boy had tears in his eyes as the drunken man struck the woman sending her to the floor.
"All you do is cost me money." said the drunken man again.
He glared at the boy and then made his way over toward him. The small boy with raven hair huddled into the corner as if trying to hide himself. The tears that streamed down his pale cheeks had blurred his vision of the drunken man as he scooped him up by the shoulders and held him in the air.
"You little shit." the drunken man said angry. "You should never have been born...if you weren't I would never have had to marry that useless bitch you call a mother."
The small raven haired boy found himself falling to the floor after being released from the drunken man's grasp. Despite the pain from landing on his arm wrong, the boy scrambled across the room until he reached his mother. The drunken man stumbled back out the front door without another word. The raven haired woman had simply lied silently on the cold floor. Her tears pooling around her head and the expression on her face blank. The small raven haired boy did his best to cradled her in his tiny arms.
"I'm sorry mother." he said softly. "It's all my fault...I should never have been born."
The raven haired woman didn't make as sound as her tears continued.}
Harry had been worried about Sebastian. It was clear that the young wizard had been having a bout with a sort of sudden illness. He tried his best to comfort him. Sebastian stared as if he had been in a trance for a short time and gripped Harry's robes as if for dear life.
"I-I'm sorry mother..." he had said as if he were miles away. "I-I should never have been born."
"Sebastian." said Harry unsure of how to help him. "Sebastian are you alright?"
The raven haired wizard suddenly blinked and noticed how close Harry had been to him.
"What the hell do you think your doing Potter?" he asked outraged.
"S-Sebastian you were having some sort of fit." explained Harry. "I-I think it has something to do with your mother."
Sebastian pushed Harry away from him and made a show of fixing his attire.
"My mother?" he asked. "I wasn't aware that I even had one."
Harry looked down at the floor.
"Y-You might have been remembering something." he offered. "Perhaps it started when Ron hit you with that memory charm in Professor Flitwick's class...maybe your memory is returning."
Sebastian sighed reaching an essence of calm at last.
"Perhaps you're right Harry." he said. "But if my life is like half of what I've seen so far...It will not be a pleasant experience when I do get my memories back."
Harry sighed.
"Well in any case...Happy birthday." he said.
Sebastian looked at Harry for a moment and gave him a weak smile.
"T-Thank you...Harry." he said.
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The Great Hall, Hogwarts...
The day continued to add to Sebastian's annoyance and the events of the great hall only seemed to kick it off in right good fashion. Owls had been coming in from all over with various gifts that various wealthy witches and wizards believed an 18 year old boy would want. Everyone watched in amazement and curiosity as presents flew through the hall in droves. There had been a great many people out there in the wizarding world all trying to get their claws on the secret son of reclusive hero Severus Snape. He had been a hot commodity in the wizarding world and everybody wanted their say in the development of his future.
Hermione glanced over at her boyfriend from the Gryffindor table. She had not figured out what to get him for his birthday and seeing the various gifts fly in had only served to make it harder for her to come up with something. Harry had told her what had happened earlier with the Hufflepuff boy in the halls and the sudden memory flash that occurred.
She sighed watching him eat his breakfast rather stiffly.
"I'd say he's gone completely Nutters." said Ron while eating his own breakfast.
"You didn't see him Ron." said Harry sympathetically. "It was like...he had no control when I found him and then he spoke about his mother."
"I wasn't aware that he knew anything about his mother." said Hermione joining in the conversation.
"He said nearly the same thing when I told him what he said." replied Harry. "It sounded like a...bad memory."
"How bad?" asked Hermione.
"He apologized for being born." said Harry sadly.
Hermione looked over at Sebastian. He had been staring down at his plate for several minutes. Her heart ached for him in that moment. She couldn't imagine what kind of life he had before coming here that would make him apologize for his existence.
Sebastian reached the end of his patience when the gifts continued to come and pulled out his wand. An unassuming orange owl had been met with hostility as he cast hex after hex driving the birds off and disintegrating the gifts. Hermione had observed him in absolute shock. When the gifts stopped coming he sat back down and continued eating as if nothing had been wrong.
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The Staff Table...
The Headmaster had been quite amused watching the young raven haired wizard from afar. He had been curious as to how the young man would deal with all the funfair surrounding his arrangement with Lady Hamershal. It had appeared he had no real cause for worry. His blue eyes showed another hint of a twinkle as he continued to watch the young wizard.
"It seems Mr. Prince is not pleased with all the attention he's garnered." said Professor McGonagall observing the young wizard.
"Come now Minerva." replied The Headmaster. "Did you expect anything less?"
Professor McGonagall sighed.
"No." she replied. "I suppose not, quite frankly...I am impressed that he had not destroyed them sooner."
The Headmaster chuckled some at this.
"I would imagine he would have." he replied. "Of course he had to make sure that none of the gifts had been from his friends first."
Professor McGonagall looked at him for a moment.
"Friends Albus or Hermione Granger?" she asked suddenly becoming annoyed.
"His friends." replied The Headmaster. "Miss Granger is included in that group you know, Minerva."
Professor McGonagall glared at the raven haired wizard.
"I imagine he intends to become quite friendly with Miss Granger." she replied bitterly. "If what I saw is any indication to the contrary."
"Minerva." said Dumbledore in a low tone.
"Don't you "Minerva" me...Albus." replied Professor McGonagall looking back down at her breakfast.
The Headmaster shook his head.
Then turned his attention back to the students.
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The Corridors, Hogwarts...
Hermione had caught Sebastian by surprise when she grabbed him on his way out of the great hall and into a darkened niche. He had been about to protest when he found himself pulled into a passionate kiss. He returned her kiss as he wrapped his arms around her. Sebastian smiled as she broke the kiss and looked him in the eyes. She had been a quite a sight for sore eyes.
"Hermione." he said in a low voice.
"I bet you weren't expecting that kind of a greeting." she said happily.
Sebastian shook his head.
"No." he replied. "I can't say that I was."
Hermione smiled at him.
"Happy birthday." she said sweetly.
Sebastian looked at her for a moment.
"T-Thank you." he said quickly.
The he released her.
Hermione noted the disapproval in his eyes.
"Sebastian." she said softly. "Is there something wrong?"
There was something that flickered in his eyes that she couldn't register.
"I-I have to go." he said pulling away from her.
"Sebastian." said Hermione confused. "Sebastian what's wrong?"
He took off down the corridor without a single word.
Hermione looked after him. Harry had been right about Sebastian's strange behavior.
Sebastian kept to himself the rest of the day not wishing to see anyone. His friends had been quite worried about him but they had all agreed that it was better to give him his space before he started lashing out at them.
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The Grounds, Hogwarts...
Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco, Ginny, and Pansy had been gathered in the usual spot by the lake. They had wanted to do something for Sebastian's birthday to show him how much they cared for him. Given his mood they had been coming up short for what to do for him. On the one hand, if they gave him a party and he hated it that would be bad. On the other hand, if they didn't give him a party then he would think they simply did not care about his birthday.
"He's got to be hurting pretty badly." said Harry.
"He must miss his mom terribly." said Hermione.
"M-Maybe she died." said Ron. "Death eaters were after him before."
"They still are as far as we know." added Draco frustrated at all this.
"Right." replied Ron. "But still...he...he acts like he hates his birthday."
"He wasn't like that before you hit him with that charm Weasley." snarled Draco.
"H-He wasn't?" asked Ron as if he had been thrown through a loop.
"You might have jogged his memory." said Harry. "He had not been able to remember anything about his mother or father before."
"Well, Professor Snape is obviously his father." said Pansy. "But this is the first time I've heard him mention anything about his mother."
"What if they were fleeing the death eaters and got separated?" asked Ginny.
"I hope that wasn't the case." said Hermione. "Who knows what those creeps could have done to her."
"Poor Sebastian." said Ginny sadly.
"Yeah." agreed Harry.
"Well, we have to do something." said Hermione. "He probably doesn't even remember any of his other birthdays."
Hermione suddenly turned to Harry.
"Harry what was Professor Snape like when it came to his birthday?" she asked.
Harry looked off in the distance for a moment.
"Professor Snape hated his birthday." he replied stiffly.
"Why?" asked Ron.
Harry looked at Hermione and then down at the grass.
"I can't tell you." he said.
"What do you mean?" asked Draco. "Why does my Uncle hate his birthday?"
Harry turned his attention to Draco.
"Y-You mean you don't know." he said as if in disbelief.
Draco narrowed his eyes at Harry.
"Spill it Potter." he said.
"H-He hates his birthday because..." started Harry and then the image of Professor Snape glaring at him made him clam up. "I-I...can't."
Hermione looked at Harry for a moment. His dark eyes had been almost pleading.
"He's not allowed to say." she said with a sigh.
"Thanks for nothing Potter." muttered Draco bitterly.
"I-I'm sorry." apologized Harry.
The group sat down trying to figure out what to do for their friend.
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The Corridors, Hogwarts...
Professor Remus Lupin had been walking casually down the hall when he happened upon Sebastian Prince standing in the shadows seemingly lost in thought. The raven haired Slytherin didn't seem to be very happy not even on such an occasion as his own birthday. Lupin had seen the display in the great hall when the young man hexed his presents from various people and sat back down to his meal as if it had never occurred. He smiled noting just how much like Snape the young man had been.
"Good evening Mr. Prince." he said coolly.
Sebastian turned around to see his favorite Professor standing near him.
"Professor Lupin." said Sebastian with a hint of delight in his tone.
"I came to wish you a happy birthday but it doesn't seem that it's terribly happy occasion for you." said Lupin observant.
"I-I don't know why." replied Sebastian. "I-I tried to be happy about it but..."
"A feeling of dread follows you no matter what you do." replied Lupin understanding.
Sebastian looked up at him relieved that he knew what he was talking about.
"Yes." he replied. "I-I know I should be happy but I keep seeing...well...my mother sir."
Lupin raised an eyebrow at this.
"Your mother?" he asked not sure if he heard him right.
"Y-Yes." replied Sebastian. "W-What kind of man was Professor Snape?"
Lupin had been confused by the question.
"W-What do you mean?" he asked.
"W-Well did he hurt people?" asked Sebastian not knowing how to phrase the question.
"I think your going to have to tell me a little more about your problem before I can answer your question." said Lupin.
Sebastian had told him that he had been having strange dreams. He told him about seeing a woman that had appeared to be his mother suffering at the hands of a very cruel man who was often drunk. He had even told him about how the man wished he had never been born and how he saw himself as the reason for his mother's suffering.
Professor Lupin took this all into consideration for a moment then gave his reply.
"There's nothing to worry about." he said simply. "Severus Snape has been guilty of many things but he would never have put his hands on your mother...and I highly doubt he would be angered at the prospect of being a father to that degree."
Sebastian had been relieved.
"S-So my mother was with someone else?" he asked.
"I believe your mother may have had a relationship with someone that wasn't your father." replied Lupin thoughtfully. "Perhaps that's what you are remembering...maybe the man wasn't so nice to you or your mother because you weren't his real son."
Sebastian considered this for a moment. It had been entirely possible. The man had not looked like him in his dreams. He also didn't seem to have any magical powers. A small smile spread across the raven haired wizard's face.
"T-Thank you Professor Lupin." he said meaningfully.
Lupin smiled at the young wizard.
"You're very welcome." he replied. "Also before I forget..."
The Professor reached into the pocket of his worn sweater and pulled out a miniature book. He held it out in his palm and tapped his wand to it saying a low incantation. The book grew rapidly until it was normal size and he held it out to Sebastian.
"Happy Birthday Mr. Prince." he said with a warm smile.
Sebastian returned his smile and accepted the book.
"Thank you Professor Lupin." he said pleased. "For everything."
"You are very welcome Mr. Prince." replied Lupin. "Now I think your friends are looking for you...perhaps they want to celebrate your birthday in earnest."
Sebastian nodded. If his friends wanted to throw him a party he was all for it.
"I believe they are going to try." he replied with a smirk.
The raven haired wizard left Lupin to his business in the hall and made his way toward the grounds. He knew his friends would all be gathered in their usual spot by the lake. He had hoped it wasn't too late to apologize.
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The Grounds, Hogwarts...
Everyone had been quite surprised to see Sebastian seemingly in a much better mood compared to earlier. Draco was the first to greet him. He threw his arm around his neck and walked with him to the others. He had been so pleased to have his friend back that he hardly paid attention to the smirks on the faces of Harry and Ron. Hermione sat with quietly trying to appear angry for his treatment of her earlier in the afternoon. Sebastian knew he had a lot to make up for on that account but he was intent on trying.
"Where were you?" asked Draco.
"I-I need to clear my head." replied Sebastian. "My thoughts have become a bit morbid as of late."
Ron chuckled at this.
Sebastian narrowed his eyes at the red haired wizard.
"We're glad your okay." said Harry diplomatically. "Everyone's been worried about you."
Sebastian nodded.
"I-I know." he said. "I apologize for causing you all to worry...and for my behavior as of late...I just was not myself."
"I'll say." piped Ron. "For a moment I thought you were Snape."
"RON!" said Ginny narrowing her eyes at him.
"What?" asked Ron not sure what she had been so upset. "Well he is."
"Ignore him." said Pansy. "He's just being a prat as usual."
"Takes one to know one." replied Ron in his own defense.
Sebastian shook his head. Hermione had not said anything to him since his return.
"Nothing to say Granger?" he asked.
Hermione tried her best to glare at him with all the rage she could muster.
He smiled at her.
{"You know very well that you cannot stay angry with me for long."} said a voice inside her mind.
Hermione's eyes widened as she looked at him.
"Did you just speak to me inside my own head?" she thought.
Sebastian simply kept his smile and watched her.
"You can use mind magic...you git..." she said suddenly going off on a tangent. "How long have you known how to do this?"
Sebastian still gave no reply. It appeared his ploy to get her to speak to him had worked.
"So are we going to throw the git a party or what?" Ron asked impatient.
Everyone glared at the red haired wizard.
"Yes." said Sebastian. "A party would be...nice."
Everyone looked at him and then at each other. One by one they all raised their wands and a large white banner appeared floating freely with the words: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEBASTIAN S. PRINCE written on it in forest green lettering.
Sebastian smiled looked at everyone.
"T-Thank you all." he said meaningfully.
"It was nothing." replied Harry with a shy smile.
"Speak for yourself." replied Pansy.
"That's what brothers do." said Draco.
"You deserve some happiness." said Ginny sweetly.
"I'm just here for the cake." piped Ron earning himself more glares. "I'm only joking...Happy Birthday mate."
Hermione smiled and walked over to him.
"Not that you deserve it." she said still clearly upset with him. "But...Happy Birthday Slytherin Git."
Sebastian smiled and pulled her into an intensely passionate kiss.
"Insufferable Gryffindor." he said.
Everyone else shook their heads and tried to look busy. The party had been a neat one. Sebastian and his friends enjoying the rest of the day together. Sebastian had enticed Hermione into forgiving him by telling her about the book that Professor Lupin had gotten him for his birthday. It had been a good thing they had gone with Hermione's idea to have the party anyway.
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The Lair of The Slytherin Prince...
Sebastian had convinced Hermione to venture away from the party and accompany him for a bit of a private celebration back in his secret room. She had agreed to join him if he promised to accept her gift no matter what it had been. Sebastian had been amused that she entertained a notion that he would ever be able to refuse her of anything. He sat on the transfigured bed with his eyes closed and waited for whatever it was that she wanted to give to him. Hermione took a small black box out of her pocket and brought it over to him.
"You can open your eyes now." she said holding the box out before him.
Sebastian looked down at it puzzled.
"You know it's usually the wizard that proposes to the witch." he said playfully.
Hermione slapped him across the arm with her free hand.
"You're not funny git." she said.
Sebastian laughed.
"I've been told differently." he replied.
"Take your present before I forget it's your birthday and start casting hexes." she ordered.
Sebastian smirked at her for a moment and took the box out of her hands. He opened it and had been both stunned and touched by the gift she had saw fit to give him. It had been a silver man's ring with a serpent band. The silver had been carved into the serpent shape and had appeared to be chasing it's own tail. The eyes had been fitted with tiny emerald stones that seemed to glow in the dim lighting.
"Hermione." said Sebastian looking at her in disbelief.
She smiled triumphantly.
"A gift befitting a Slytherin git like yourself wouldn't you say?" she asked.
"Yes." replied Sebastian.
"I had it charmed so that you never forget how much you mean to me." she said meaningfully.
He held it up and she tapped her wand to it. Sebastian had been surprised to see the words "I love you Slytherin Git." appear within the band. He would have guessed that Hermione would find a way to fit all that into a ring's band.
"So." she said pleasantly. "Do you like it?"
Sebastian slipped the ring onto his finger and looked at it. He had to admit it did look rather good on him. Hermione seemed to be thinking the same thing as she watched him. He suddenly grabbed her and pinned her down on the bed. She giggled looking up at his wicked smiled and into his heated obsidian eyes.
"Let me show you my gratitude." he said smoothly and captured her mouth in a heated kiss despite the giggles she couldn't contain.
All in all it had been a very good birthday Sebastian Prince.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein