A Life Rewritten

Part 34 - Dark Times

‘I do not want to see or hear of any unnecessary bloodshed. You will refrain from violence against the students unless... punishment is needed.’ Severus sat behind the headmaster’s desk as he growled dangerously at his new deputy headmaster and deputy headmistress, Amycus and Alecto Carrow.

‘You are boring, Severus,’ Amycus drawled, ‘you’re headmaster now, you can do what you want!’

‘I am...’ Severus snarled, ‘You may be too thick to realise it, but spilling magical blood is wasteful. I will not tolerate it.’ He explained much to the disappointment of Amycus, whose blood lust was impossible to hide.

‘He’s right, Amycus,’ Alecto hissed, ‘even the Dark Lord himself has expressed this before.’

‘Let your sister be the voice of reason.’ Severus smirked, but Amycus wasn’t convinced as he crossed his arms and scowled, ‘I will let the staff know that they are to send any students deserving of punishment to you.’ He added temptingly.

‘Alright, fine...’ Amycus declared after a moment of thought, an evil grin forming on his face at the thought of being able to dish out any form of punishment he wished. Severus nodded, concealing his growing fear for the students as he was about to let these two Death Eaters loose in his school.

‘You are dismissed.’ Severus announced, waving a hand at the siblings.

After Severus was sure he was alone, he let out a deep sigh and leant back in the large chair.

‘You’re trying your hardest, Severus...’ a soft voice came from behind the new headmaster,

‘I know, Albus, I just don’t think that it’s good enough...’ Severus replied, standing to look at the late headmaster’s ornate portrait. Dumbledore sat in a gold leaf chair stroking a scarlet phoenix that perched on the desk in front of him. Severus knew it wasn’t really Dumbledore, just a painting that had been enchanted to adopt his mannerisms, but he appreciated being able to still receive counsel from it.

‘You are protecting the students as best you can,’ Dumbledore replied, popping a sherbet lemon into his mouth, ‘they may not see that or appreciate it, but I certainly do.’

‘What does it matter if you appreciate it? You’re just a painting!’ Severus frowned, the counsel he received wasn’t always useful,

‘Is it not what Albus would say?’ the old wizard asked, looking over his half-moon spectacles with a twinkle in his blue eyes.

‘I suppose he would.’ Severus sighed, a small smile forming on his face at the annoying accuracy of the portrait.

A soft knock came at the door to the office, ‘Come in.’ Severus called, he smiled at Laurie when she poked her head around the door.

‘I saw the Carrow siblings walking down the corridor, so I hoped you’d be free... headmaster,’ Laurie smirked at her husband’s new title as she crossed the office and kissed him on his cheek, ‘I feel as though we’ll be spending even less time with each other this year...’ she sighed glumly,

‘He has an important role to play, Lauriana.’ The portrait spoke, much to the surprise of Laurie,

‘Albus!’ she laughed for a moment and then her expression fell, ‘I’m sorry...’

‘For what, my dear?’ he asked idly putting another sweet in his mouth, clasping his hands together over his stomach,

‘For everything that happened... to you.’ She answered despondently,

‘It had to happen in the way it did, Lauriana, you shouldn’t pity me.’ He replied nonchalantly.

‘Come, Laurie,’ Severus held her hand and led her away from the portrait, he could tell how sad it was making Laurie, ‘the students should be arriving soon.’ He said as they left the office to go to the Great Hall for the start of another year.

The Great Hall felt dark and gloomy as the students sat at their tables and first years were sorted. It was as if the presence of Severus as headmaster, a man still feared by the students for his cold and sarcastic exterior, had caused them to lose the aura of excitement at the start of a new year that they usually showed.

Severus stood in front of the High Table and gave a rather short welcome speech, for he was not like Dumbledore and didn’t feel the need to waste his or anyone else’s time with messages of hope. He needed to maintain his image as a cruel and unforgiving Death Eater to the Carrows, and ultimately to the rest of the school, despite how much this hurt him.

Laurie sat next to the headmaster’s chair at the High Table, feeling ostracised by the rest of the teaching staff for the same reasons as Severus had been. She was there the night Severus killed Dumbledore and the Death Eaters attacked the school, so she had been tarnished with the same brush. Minerva shifted next to Laurie uncomfortably as she gave her a hurt look,

‘What is it, Minerva?’ Laurie muttered during the feast, she wasn’t sure whether it was the mood of the school but the food tasted bland this year,

‘I can’t believe the truth about Severus, surely you must have known from early on, Lauriana?’ Minerva whispered, trying to be discreet and keep Severus from hearing her,

‘It... doesn’t matter now... the details are immaterial...’ Laurie didn’t want to answer her question,

‘Just tell me, how long have you known that this was who he truly was...’ Minerva pleaded quietly, it was clearly something that had been on her mind all summer,

‘...From the beginning.’ Laurie sighed with a wince at Minerva’s double take, she looked pale.

‘W-what? Since you yourself were a student?’ she asked in disbelief, Laurie nodded curtly, ‘And you are one of them too?’ Minerva’s voice quivered, Laurie nodded again, ‘Well... your parents were the same. Why am I surprised.’ She finished scathingly, choosing to ignore Laurie for the rest of the meal.

Laurie felt torn up inside at her words, she wished that she could tell Minerva the truth that it was all going to work out in the Order’s favour. But she couldn’t, she needed to maintain this appearance, as Severus did, otherwise their plan would fail and everything Severus and Dumbledore had worked tirelessly towards would have been in vain.