Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin

Chapter 12: Back to School (pt 1)

7 August 1993
The Headmaster's Office at Hogwarts
9:00 a.m.

"Cockroach Clusters," Severus Snape said with an affected irritation. When he'd first returned to Hogwarts as a professor, he'd been annoyed by Dumbledore's quirk of basing all his passwords on types of candy. Then, sometime around his second year of teaching, he finally realized that the old man's "quirk" was deliberately chosen for the purpose of reinforcing the perception that he was simply a dotty old man and not one of the most powerful wizards alive. The epiphany surprised Severus at the time, but he quickly decided it would be best to continue being irritated over the matter so that if it ever became an issue, he would have a reservoir of staged memories showing his "contempt for the doddering old fool." Dumbledore invited Snape in before he even could knock, and the Potions Master took his customary chair and declined the customary offer of a sherbet lemon.

"Well now, Severus," Dumbledore said amiably. "You asked to see me first thing this morning to discuss some matter of importance that you were unwilling to discuss over the floo. Which is actually somewhat convenient because I also have a somewhat sensitive matter that I need to discuss with you."

"Oh, Headmaster? What about?"

"Now, now, my boy. You asked for the meeting first, so it's only fair that we discuss your business first."

Snape wrinkled his nose slightly. Honestly, he didn't know how that made things "fair" or what "fairness" even meant in this context. Gryffindor sentimentality, he assumed. Or perhaps the Headmaster thought his own "sensitive matter" was more controversial than Snape's and he believed that granting a request before making one would make Snape more inclined to assist.

"Regrettably, Headmaster, oaths limit me from being too free with background information, but I have a personal request to make, and since I cannot tell you very much about what's going on, I can only hope that I have earned a measure of your trust."

"You have my complete trust, Severus," Dumbledore said earnestly.

Snape nodded his head and suppressed his instinct to sneer at such earnestness. It was never wise to sneer at one's superior, but especially so when you were about to ask him for a favor.

"As you know, I sometimes work during the summers under a pseudonym as a freelance instructor of Occlumency and Legilimency. I have been asked to perform some work related to those two skills during the coming year. I would not normally even consider accepting such employment during the school term but there are ... unusual circumstances. You see, the prospective employer was a suspected Death Eater during the War. And while I cannot at this time provide you with any detailed information, I believe that through this side job, I can gain valuable information that will be extremely helpful to your own primary agenda."

Dumbledore nodded. His "primary agenda" was one of Snape's preferred euphemisms for "finishing Voldemort for good."

"How much time off do you need?"

The quick response caught Snape by surprise. He had not expected Dumbledore to acquiesce so easily. "Obviously, the favor he wants from me is bigger than I'd thought."

"Not much," he said aloud. "Roughly one weekend every few months. I had thought that I could schedule this work during Hogsmeade weekends, since the school will be relatively empty."

"I don't foresee a problem with that. I do trust you, Severus. And if you say that this work may be of benefit to us all, you certainly have my permission to accept this opportunity so long as it does not interfere with your official duties here."

With that, the Headmaster paused as he considered how to proceed with his own request. "It is ... interesting that you should raise the issue of trust, Severus. I suppose to be fair I should ask you the same. Do you trust me?"