B.Q Book Four: The Black Queen's War

Chapter 9: Questionable Loyalties

"If you haven't finished by now, you won't. Bottle your samples and bring them here."

Whatever had put Snape in such a mood when Jen talked to him at the feast had thankfully been sorted out by the time for the seventh-years' class on Tuesday morning. He was just his normal curmudgeonly self, and that such a thing was comforting was a sad thought all on its own. Surveying the class down his hooked nose, Snape's scowl lightened just the slightest bit like it normally did any time he was with his NEWT-level class. "As I hope at least one of you would remember from last year, I am looking for a few able-minded students to assist me with my first and second-year classes. By 'assist', of course, I mean keep the idiotic children from killing each other until they have barely enough restraint that I can actually attempt to teach them the delicate art of potion-brewing without all my lessons leaking out their ears between one class and the next. As recompense for your time, I will permit you to assist me with some of my experiments, and any papers published as a result will have your name on it. Any of you who have an overabundance of patience or perhaps just a fondness for children or, worse, the idea that you might wish to teach one day, let me know by the end of the week. I wish to settle this as quickly as I can, so if you dither, you will likely find that the spot is filled."

Susan raised her hand, a tiny frown on her face. "Professor, you're still doing research? I thought that with the war going on, you would be brewing potions for the Ministry or, at the very least, for the infirmary."

"If the Ministry wishes me to brew potions for them, Miss Bones, they will come to me and offer to pay me what my time is worth. I do not engage in charity. Now, out. Miss Black," he added when everyone was halfway through packing up, "stay behind."

A faint smile found its way to Jen's face. Why would it not? The last time he wanted her to stay behind for a private chat, she found herself working out the puzzle of how to remove a Dark Mark. Hopefully whatever challenge he had for her this time was just as stimulating.

"I assume, based on the way you have taught the youngest Ravenclaws and Slytherins to look up at you in awe, that you intend to volunteer for the position?" he asked instead.

Sighing, she nodded. It might not be the challenge she expected, but she consoled herself with the fact that she already had plenty of obstacles to deal with already. The last thing she needed was to overburden herself, even if said burden would not be a straining one. "I had seriously considered it. One must never overlook the opportunity and duty of shaping young minds."

"Impressionable and fragile minds, you mean," he drawled. "That is not a surprise. However…" He shrugged and waved his wand to send the various labeled vials on his desk to his office and shut the door behind them. "You would be a bit of a special case. If you wanted, I would allow you to help me with my experiments as the other assistants would."

"I sense a 'but' coming."

He nodded, and a smile lit her face. What could be behind curtain number two, she wondered. "But that is not the only thing I could do to compensate you for your time. Despite my love of potions, I have other talents as well, and one of them is that I am a fair hand at Arithmancy and spell-crafting. As you might be able to guess, I had some problems as a teenager, and when one combines an aggressive outlook, a talent for making new spells, and four potential victims who deserved everything I could throw at them…"

"Why, professor," she purred, "are you implying that you spent your teenage years creating new dark magics?"

Wrapping his robes about him, he let just a tiny smirk show. "Anyone with a hint of sense would deny ever doing something like that. That said, if I were guilty of doing so and found someone who had an interest in such spells and whom I could trust not to do something foolish with them, I might be convinced to part with some of that knowledge."