章節 25: Chapter 17: It was at this moment that he knew, he fucked up... Part 2
[Part 2: Lily Evans, please for all that is holy, stay the fuck away from me!]
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"Lord Prince?!" Gaylore exclaimed, clearly taken aback, his gaze darting back and forth between me and the elderly Prince.
My grandfather entered the room with an exaggeratedly sparkling smirk. "Surprised to see me, Albus?" he replied casually.
'Damn old man has stolen my trademark sparkling teeth spell! Well, technically it was inside Malfoy's book, but that book is for one old and rarely anyone has it or bothers learning from it such a spell, and second it is mine. Idiotic magical people don't know the advantage of a sparkling appearance! Gildroy did, but he was, or will be, an idiot.' I thought, annoyed by Gramps's sparkling smirk.
Meanwhile, I noticed Gaylore quickly regaining his composure. The man was indeed socially and magically adept, able to adjust to any situation effortlessly.
"Indeed, it is quite unexpected. May I ask what brings your esteemed self here, Lord Prince?" Gaylore asked, giving me a sidelong glance.
'Yeah, screw you too, old man!' I muttered inwardly, feeling irritated by his subtle scrutiny. Gaylore thought he could undermine me yet again.
My grandfather raised an eyebrow, acknowledging my silent frustration before turning to Gaylore. "Oh, I received a letter earlier from my grandson, informing me that my presence as his legal guardian was immediately required," he explained. "And I am also here to address some matters concerning my grandson. What's all this commotion about, anyway?" he added, directing his question to Gaylore.
'Way too many OP old men in this world for my taste,' I complained silently. 'Magic grows over time, and so does mastery and knowledge. These old wizards are insanely dangerous as they age.'
Despite my frustration, I begrudgingly acknowledged the power and expertise of both my grandfather and Gaylore. My grandfather was a master of rituals and their applications, while Gaydore excelled in alchemy. Each of these old wizards had their own arsenal of tricks up their asses. I knew even other elderly wizards could potentially be just as formidable as these two morons.
As my thoughts drifted, I prepared myself for the impending shit show, knowing that my grandfather had my back, but also keenly aware of Gaylore being, well, Gaylore.
These two bags of old bones just have different sets of weapons they like to use.
[A/N: I just noticed that it ought to be Gaydore and not Gaylore!! Guys, you have to comment on such things when you read! I will correct this from now on!]
I see Gaydore gathering himself, his earlier shock subsiding.
"We were discussing matters of importance, such as Severus's recent discovery, and the implications it will have for the whole magical society," the old man says while not disclosing the whole werewolf shit as he is still oath-bound.
Lord Prince snorts in amusement as this is within his expectation. He knows his grandson is not upfront with him about some things, and he knows the boy may as well be a genius, so there is surely something that he has uncovered which gives him the courage he has been showing in most of his actions. But as Severus is his heir, he is not complaining, neither does he care to take something that belongs already to his family. He is too old for such fucking bull crap.
"Ah, I see. And what, pray tell, are these discoveries that have managed to get your panties twisted, old sport?"
Dumbledore straightens up in his chair. He needs to answer while not disclosing anything, as magical oaths are a bitch to play around. "Severus has made advancements in a certain area of magical research that could greatly benefit our community."
Lord Prince looks at the people present and sees his grandson standing up offering him his seat. Well, at least his heir is sensible enough, but these other children! Pure and utter disappointment. Sure, they have the magic, but he can gauge their skill level due to the vibes they give off. The fatso is the weakest, be it magically or character-wise. The one with black hair that looks about ready to pounce him is an impulsive idiot who has never been shown his place. The other two are somewhat interesting. One looks smart enough to know when to act, and the other is polite enough to show respect.
Lord Prince takes the offered seat from his grandson and watches smugly as the boy conjures another much more pompous chair for himself. He leans back, pretending to be unimpressed by his heir's antics, but secretly thinks to himself, 'Little Prick!' before saying, "Is that so? And what's in it for him?"
Dumbledore, meanwhile, is taken aback by Severus's wandless conjuration and Lord Prince's reply. In his mind, he is running scenario after scenario on how to play this out, but nothing is working. "Why, recognition, of course. He could become renowned throughout history for his contributions. Isn't that what we all aspire for? The betterment of our society and improvement of life?"
Lord Prince starts chuckling at Gaydore's answer. "Renown, Albus? Are you serious?! Hmph, meaningless flattery for those who are driven by their ego. Tell me, Albus, what's the real agenda here?"
Dumbledore falters slightly but gets back his bearings, and his eyes sharpen. "The greater good, Reginald. Severus's discovery could improve countless lives and save even more."
Lord Prince absorbs the information, his gaze shifting towards his grandson sitting in his pompous armchair, narrowing his eyes for a moment before speaking again. "I see your point, Albus. But what about his freedom to choose? To keep his knowledge to himself if he so desires?"
Dumbledore takes a moment, pausing to consider the situation. Lord Prince is neither aligned with the Conservative faction nor the modern progressive faction; he is his own man, so to say, but most among the neutrally aligned people have some dealings with him.
[A/N: Dark and Light faction is such a stupid notion!! That I will not be using it!!]
Everything is related to politics in some form, shape, or way, and this situation is no different. Albus Dumbledore has been playing this game long enough to understand this truth.
"Severus's choices are important, yes. But we must also consider the needs of the world, and the bigger picture," he finally responds.
"Ah, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, isn't that it? A classic one if you ask me! Ironically, this was also Grindelwald's promise to us, wasn't it, Albus?" My gramps raises an eyebrow at Dumbledore, taunting him with his biggest achievement.
Dumbledore feels like a cat that has been stroked against the fur, visibly tensing up at the mention of Grindelwald. "It's not just about that, Lord Prince. It's about—"
My Gramps interrupts him with a scoff, saying, "Save your speeches, Albus. I've heard enough. Severus, my boy, let's discuss this elsewhere. This office reeks of hypocrisy and politics."
Dumbledore, seeing that the duo is about to leave, jumps in and starts to say, "Reginald, I assure you, Severus's discovery is of great significance. It could revolutionize—"
My gramps raises a hand, cutting Gaydore off from whatever he was going to ramble about. "Save your breath, Albus. I care not for your justifications."
I smirk at how this whole situation is about to play out and decide that this is the moment to be a bitch, and snitch about what Gaydore was about to pull out of his ass on me.
"He wanted to use his position as the supreme Mugwump to coerce me into revealing my findings," I interject.
My gramps's eyes narrow dangerously, and I can feel the magic pulsing off of him. It's one thing to try to persuade me into sharing my findings, but it's a whole other matter if you try to push too hard and take what is not yours by playing dirty. "Is that so, Sev? Did you do that, Albus?"
Gaydore immediately realizes that the situation just went from bad to catastrophic, and he swallows hard before replying, "I merely sought to—"
"ENOUGH! I know the laws as well as you do, Albus. No member of a royal family or ruling caste is obligated to share their knowledge with the ICW, regardless of its importance," he shouts into Gaydore's face the moment he gets his confirmitaion.
Dumbledore blanches at the sudden outrage by the other old man. "But Reginald—"
Gramps interrupts him, saying in a stern voice, "It is Lord Prince to you, Dumbledore! Do not presume to lecture me on the law, Headmaster. Now, if this is how this supposed to be, let us address another matter. My grandson has endured years of bullying at this school. What have you done to address this?"
'Damn. I thought we were just about to be done, but it seems the old man is angry now and is out for blood!' I think, satisfied. It's extremely hard to get under the old man's skin, but Gaydore has managed it.
Dumbledore falters for a second at the change of topic. He wanted to make them share the knowledge of how to turn Werewolves into a controllable force, and he assumed that Severus would not know the implication and potential of said knowledge. But with him now being a Prince, this situation has taken an unexpected turn. And now this old bag of bones has decided to come crawling out of whatever hole he has been buried in for the past decades. "We have taken steps to promote inclusivity and—"
Gramps cuts him off again. "Empty words again. I demand to know what concrete actions you've taken. How were these individuals punished? How many hours of detention, how many points taken, and so on! You know as well as I do that as his guardian I have the right to know such things! Show me the documentation of all that you have undertaken to protect him!"
Just at this moment, Black decides to jump in. The little shit has absolutely no impulse control mechanism whatsoever. "Snivellus is lying, old man! He's always been a sneaky—"
Gramps, visibly disgusted by the display and rudeness of Black's behavior, turns towards him and waves his hand, making Black's mouth disappear, silencing him. "You dare speak out of turn, boy? Do not forget your place," he says with visible disgust in his eyes. He once again waves his hand, turning Black into a puddle.
"Stay in that form for some time to cool down while the adults talk," he says as he turns his attention back to Gaydore. "Now, I expect answers."
"You cannot use human transfiguration or corporal punishment in my school!" Gaydore says angrily at the display, now sending out his own pulses of magic.
"I can and I will! Your lack of discipline among your students is appalling. And I question the efficacy of your curriculum," Gramps replies with an equal amount of fire while fixing Dumbledore with a stern gaze.
"We are constantly reviewing and refining—" Gaydore tries to placate him, realizing that having a fight while in school is not to his advantage. Even if he wins in the end, he loses because students are put in danger, and the school itself may be destroyed. The old goat fucker prince is already inside the school now, putting Gaydore on the back foot.
"Perhaps it's time for me to reclaim my position on the board of directors," Gramps interrupts the man's rambling about his bullshit.
'Damn, this is damn satisfying!' I think happily.
"Oh, I don't believe that will be necessary, Lord Prince. We can handle these matters internally, and won't need you to come out of your retirement for such issues," Dumbledore says, looking alarmed. Having this man move out of his retirement means he is going to get active again. Be it in politics, school matters, or anything else, having people of his generation around would make his job that much more challenging because if one fossil moves out, others will do so too, and in a few days, all the cunning old bastards he managed to push out will be back sitting at the table playing the game once more.
And Dumbledore wanted to change society with his new progressive policies, but does not know that he is just a dancing clown to most Pure-blood families. After all, they can teach their children whatever they want outside of the Hogwarts curriculum in the summer, or after their education is done.
Maybe that is why he let loose Voldemort, to purge said knowledge at the roots rather than have his progress stopped by Old men that are way past their expiration date, but who knows.
"It is necessary, Dumbledore. I cannot stand idly by while this institution fails its students, and our society is falling apart," Gramps says as he shakes his head.
Gaydore pauses, taken aback by the amount of escalated bullshit that he himself has created for himself. All he wanted was to take something from a semi-orphan, and it was supposed to be so easy: invite Snape's father, influence him slightly as he is a weak muggle, take the knowledge, place the boy under another oath, and move on with his life.
Along the way, he'd also be garnering favors with the Potters, Blacks, as well as Remus's father. But now he has dug a major hole for himself.
"I see," Gaydore says.
"Severus, my boy, I want to announce that I have chosen you as my Heir. You are to invite your friends to the debutante party that is to be held in Yule."
Dumbledore looks at Severus with a mixture of shock and respect. Becoming the old man's heir means he has jumped socially from a pawn to an actual player, putting him and the Marauders altogether on the same pedestal as he alone.
Gramps turns back to Dumbledore and says in a no-nonsense tone, "I trust you'll ensure that Severus's time here is not marred by the same tragedies that befell his mother. And I am expecting those documents by the end of the week."
Dumbledore nods solemnly and replies in a defeated tone. "Of course, Lord Prince. I will do everything in my power to protect him, and I will have them owled to you."
Lord Prince nods curtly and says, "See that you do. Severus, get your tasks here finished. I am waiting outside; we have things to talk about." Gramps leaves the office, leaving Dumbledore, Severus, and the Marauders in silence behind.
*Sighing heavily,* Dumbledore leaned back into his chair, observing the four boys and the puddle that was growling angrily. "Well played, Severus. I must admit, I didn't anticipate you'd approach your grandfather and secure such a significant position for yourself."
"Why, thank you, Headmaster! I needed to even the playing field with these gentlemen," Sev said, gesturing towards the Marauders.
Potter, unable to contain his curiosity any longer, finally asked, "Who was the old man?"
Dumbledore gazed at Potter, considering his next words carefully. "That was Lord Prince. He's a powerful figure in our world, coming from a long line of influential wizards and witches. His family holds significant sway, not just within the magical community, but also in the Muggle world. As he is the closest thing to royalty we have in Britain, Severus being named his heir means that all of Severus's knowledge, discoveries, and creations now belong to the royal family. This places Severus under a whole new set of rules, rules even I, as the Supreme Mugwump, cannot simply ignore. If they were to be infringed upon, it could result in both a civil war and a conflict between a part of the magical world and the ruling Muggle class."
Potter's face scrunched up in concern as his brows furrowed. "So, any action against Severus could potentially spark a war?"
Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "Indeed, Mr. Potter. This situation has become a lot more problematic than I expected."
Pettigrew asked pensively, "But what about Remus? What does this mean for him?"
Regret was evident in Dumbledore's expression as he replied, "It means that Remus's future is now tied to the destiny of the Prince family. How and if the Prince family decides to reveal said knowledge is up to them, and I cannot infringe upon that."
Remus's pleading eyes bore into mine's, desperate for help to end the torment that had plagued him for so long. "Severus, please," he implored, his voice filled with desperation. "I can't bear to know there exists a solution, and yet be unable to grasp it. You have to help me. Please."
I met Remus's gaze with a steely determination, my expression unwavering, well, mostly due my Occlumency otherwise I'd be breaking down. "Swear an oath of loyalty to House Prince and myself, promising never to disclose any of my secrets, and I shall assist you. Those are my conditions," I reply firmly. "Take them or leave them."
The Marauders, witnessing this exchange, looked on with a mixture of anger and disgust. Sirius, in particular, could barely contain his fury, his growls echoing through the room. But it was Potter who erupted in anger. "You bloody bastard! That's basically him selling himself to you and your house!" he spat, his words dripping with venom.
I looked at Potter with a cool, disdainful gaze. "Your opinion means nothing to me! In fact none of your opinions matters to me! I found a solution to a problem, and if you are so smart go find it on your own." I retort calmly.
Meanwhile, Dumbledore, seemingly awakened from his momentary lapse, remembered the the pink Puddle form of Sirius Black and quickly intervened. With a wave of his wand, he transformed Black back into his human form.
Sirius, now restored to his original state, unleashed a barrage of curses and expletives, his rage palpable.
Severus, however, remained unfazed by Sirius's outburst. I turned to Gaydore, my tone clipped and decisive. "I assume the matter here is settled," I state in a bored tone. "I've given my conditions, and if there's nothing more to discuss, I'll take my leave. I have places to be, and I need to talk to my Grandfather."
With that, I stand up from my armchair and make it disappear. I then turn on my heel and swept out of Gaydore's office, while having my robes billow as if there is a strong wind, leaving behind a group of people stunned into silence, albeit with one idiot still shouting and cursing.
I stormed out of Gaydore's office, my mind consumed by conflicting emotions. I felt sorry for Remus, but once a secret is shared, it ceases to be a secret, and I had to demand the most secure method to keep it one. I barely registered the glances of the students passing by as I made my way down the corridor. Then, I heard footsteps hurrying to catch up with me. I turned around to see if I was the intended recipient of those steps or if there was cause for alarm, and I found Lily rushing towards me, her expression filled with concern and anger.
"Severus, wait! We need to talk," she said as soon as she was close enough.
I halted and turned towards her, my face a mask of unreadable emotions. I had a hunch of what she wanted to discuss, but I had no intention of indulging this foolish girl.
"Ms. Evans, we have nothing left to say to each other," I replied as coldly as I possibly could.
She was shocked by being addressed as Ms. Evans by me, but despite her surprise, she persisted.
"But Severus, please..."
I cut her off sharply. "Lily Evans, for all that is holy, stay the hell away from me! You readily discarded me the moment it suited your life choices! I have neither the inclination to forgive your actions nor the energy to invest in people who willingly discard my friendship for personal benefits! I'd much rather have my ass ravished by a troll than be in your close proximity!!!"
The words echoed through the corridor, drawing the attention of those nearby. Shocked whispers spread as my outburst reverberated in the air. Lily stood frozen, her eyes wide with hurt and disbelief.
'The nerve of this woman!' I thought, annoyed. 'I mean, I slapped you last school year, and you still come at me as if it didn't happen?! Just piss off!'
I turned away from her, my jaw clenched in frustration. Continuing on my way, I left her standing alone in the hallway, indifferent to whether she cried or not.
Rumors spread like wildfire through the corridors of Hogwarts in the days following my confrontation with Dumbledore, and the revelation of my true lineage is no secret to anyone. Whispers and curious eyes follow me wherever I go. The professors, too, seemed to take notice of the change, addressing me not as Mr. Snape, but as Mr. Prince.
Malfoy, Regulus, and even Narcissa were among those who couldn't help but express shock at the turn of events. They had known me as Snape for a long time, but the change in my identity was a hard blow to some of them, and the revelation has sent ripples through their circles. I noticed how Malfoy's minions have backed down and stopped following his lead; there is an obvious change happening in Slytherin and in the school.
But amidst the whispers and stares, there were also those who approached me with newfound curiosity and respect. People like Amelia and her girlfriends now openly hang out with me in the library or on the school grounds.
I observed these changes with a mixture of disgust, resignation, and boredom. I had never sought attention or recognition, but now that it was thrust upon me, I will be using it to my advantage.
'After all, everything in life is just appearance and show,' I contemplate.
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