Chương 61: Chapter 60 - A Meeting Among the Professors.

[Chapter Size: 6000 Words.]

Third Person POV

Hogwarts.

...

...

"So, how was the first week?" Dumbledore asked in a curious tone, though his voice carried a certain amusement in front of everyone.

The first meeting between the staff was only supposed to take place at the end of the first month, with the intention of discussing all the students and everything related to that new school year.

However, the Headmaster had moved it forward to that Monday night, after just one week of classes, with the goal of reporting how those first few days had gone, since things had become a little more hectic than they had expected within Hogwarts.

The first meeting brought together all the professors of the core subjects and extracurricular classes, as they wanted to discuss the school's overall situation. The second part of the meeting, which would take place later, would be only with the Heads of House.

"Well... a rather peculiar plan, I must admit, Headmaster..." Alistair Hawthorne muttered, the man who was none other than the professor of Care of Magical Creatures.

"I heard about the incident during your first class. A rather peculiar and dangerous situation, I must say." Edith Ravenshaw, the professor of Ancient Runes, let out a small laugh.

"Well... I never imagined that stepping out for just a few minutes to fetch a few things would cause so much confusion on the very first day. It was surprising... but also quite shocking." Professor Hawthorne said.

"Headmaster, this meeting wasn't supposed to happen until a month from now..." Minerva commented, crossing her arms.

"I know, I know, Minerva..." Dumbledore replied calmly, without hiding his amusement.

"Headmaster, if you want to talk about Severus Snape, I think we should get straight to the point instead of beating around the bush, don't you think?" Professor Pomona Sprout remarked.

The other professors simply turned their gazes toward Dumbledore. It was obvious that this meeting had been called for only one reason.

"And here I thought we'd be talking about how to deal with the wild phoenix inside Hogwarts..." the Care of Magical Creatures professor commented with some disappointment.

Of everyone present, he was the one who showed the greatest fascination with the bird, given the extreme rarity of a phoenix. Even more so when one of them had, quite unusually, apparently chosen Hogwarts for some unknown reason.

"I can assure you that the phoenix has already been dealt with, Professor..." Dumbledore replied, letting out a small sigh.

"I assume Fawkes did something?" Flitwick asked curiously.

"Actually, the phoenix was looking for someone among the students... and found them. But Fawkes ended up becoming extremely stressed upon discovering that Hogwarts had a phoenix of her own kind."

"As if it weren't enough for Snape to have one for himself, now another student has one as well?" Slughorn asked in disbelief.

The Ice Phoenix was certainly another reason for that meeting. Ever since they had gathered on several occasions, the professors kept asking where she was. After all, she was extremely difficult to find. It didn't take long for them to discover that she simply never appeared because she remained invisible, an ability that, as far as they knew, no phoenix was supposed to possess.

Questions about how Severus had obtained that bird continued to arise, but no one had any answers. Even the Care of Magical Creatures professor had tried to get some information during the last class, but Severus had only replied vaguely that he had happened to come across one while out walking, without offering any further details.

"Ah, my dear..." Dumbledore displayed a restrained smile. "To tell you the truth, it seems our student full of surprises this year wasn't satisfied with just one phoenix."

"He bonded with both of them?" Minerva exclaimed, leaving the other professors even more astonished. It was a thought they had all entertained if they were being honest. That phoenix had appeared, and they had all immediately connected it to Severus somehow, but none of them seemed willing to believe it.

"Shortly before this meeting, Fawkes returned to my office and conveyed to me what had happened. From what I understood, he was arguing with this new phoenix, while Severus managed to reach an agreement between the three of them. In the end... the new phoenix ended up forming a bond with him."

"How...? How does he manage to attract such extraordinary magical creatures?" Slughorn asked, absolutely beaming, as though he himself had earned a phoenix.

The other professors merely rolled their eyes. They knew Horace Slughorn all too well.

'The achievements of my Slugs are my achievements!' he often said during lunch, making his colleagues believe that the professor had a somewhat exaggerated ego.

And everyone knew that Severus wasn't part of the Slug Club... So the Potions professor's opinion of him was rather low in the eyes of the others.

"By Merlin... two phoenixes and all those magical abilities... Where did this child come from?" asked the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, still unable to hide his shock from the class he had taught Severus.

"Well... not just any student can tell the Headmaster to go fuck himself and still keep studying at Hogwarts..." Flitwick remarked with an amused smile, discreetly watching Dumbledore's reaction.

Several professors choked, exchanging glances, while some couldn't hold back small laughs.

"Ah, yes... I suppose that was also... rather unusual," Dumbledore replied without seeming the least bit offended, stroking his beard with an embarrassed smile.

"We can't deny that the boy is completely different this year," the Ancient Runes professor commented, breaking into a wide, excited smile. "In my classes, he's not just excellent... he's revolutionary. I've never seen a student combine runic circuits that way with such ease. Doing something like that on the very first day of class was fantastic."

Flitwick seemed delighted by that, letting out a small laugh. "And even more surprising was the gossip that came afterward, saying he tried to break a shield using a transfigured sword."

Minerva nearly choked on her pumpkin juice when she heard that. "A sword?" she asked, staring at her colleague in disbelief.

"Yes. You didn't hear? From what I was told, he simply created a sword in the middle of the classroom to test a combination of runes. I've never seen anything like it." Professor Ravenshaw said with a cheerful hum.

"We all heard you mention that he started experimenting with new combinations on the very first day," said the Muggle Studies professor, Arthur Pembroke. "But... hadn't that student been absent from your subject for more than two years? I think he only attended during his third year before dropping the class."

"Exactly. That's why I was even more impressed." Professor Ravenshaw said, then turned back to him. "You mentioned that he came to talk to you during this first week, didn't you? What was it about?"

"Ah, yes. He seemed quite interested in Muggle subjects," the professor replied.

Several professors exchanged surprised glances. That was certainly not something they had expected to hear about Severus Snape.

"Interested?" Flitwick repeated.

"Yes. He approached me one morning after a class had ended and came into my classroom looking interested. He asked several questions... and, to be honest, there were some that I simply didn't know how to answer."

"What kind of questions couldn't you answer? I assume they were about Muggle subjects, correct?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"He started asking... strange questions, to be honest, and they were about Muggles..." the professor commented, still showing a certain hesitation. "He wanted to know about alchemical formulas... or rather, Muggle chemistry. He asked about breaking molecules apart, something involving chain reactions to generate energy and... I think he mentioned infinite energy. Can you believe that?"

The other professors merely looked at one another.

"I teach about telephones, cars, electricity, and how Muggle society works in general. I don't know anything about those things," he continued. "When he realized that, he simply stopped asking."

"I never imagined Severus Snape would have any interest in Muggle subjects..." Flitwick commented. "But honestly, I have no idea what any of those things are either. Why would he be interested in Muggle chemistry?"

Dumbledore also remained thoughtful. Even for him, that information was entirely new. "I assume he showed no further interest in your subject after that, correct?" the Headmaster asked.

The professor shook his head. "No. Once he realized I couldn't answer, you could see the disappointment in his eyes. I even noticed that he was carrying a book with him... but he seemed to give up on the idea of showing it to me. He looked... disappointed."

"But aren't those subjects extremely advanced even for Muggles?" another professor asked, one who knew a little more about Muggles than most.

"They are. At least as far as I know, they're not something Muggles study easily."

"This is all so strange. We all know something is happening," Minerva spoke up again, this time in a far more concerned tone. "How is it possible that a student we all knew, and about whom we had countless concerns regarding his ideological and even magical inclinations, simply returns as though he were... Merlin himself reincarnated? Or perhaps something even greater?"

No one answered.

"These interests... these abilities... Does anyone here know how to make trees grow out of the ground?" the professor insisted.

Everyone present immediately shook their heads. They were already aware of one of Severus's new abilities. During Defense Against the Dark Arts, he had caused roots to burst from the floor and transformed them into a tree capable of trapping the dummy. In Care of Magical Creatures, he had done the same thing personally to Potter and Black.

None of it had gone unnoticed by either the staff or the school itself. The students weren't talking about anything else either.

The Headmaster had his own private suspicions... 'The questions Mr. Snape was asking... the way he reasoned... the completely new ideas... the creativity in Ancient Runes... the knowledge of Herbology... the elemental spells... the bond with magical creatures...'

'Even Fawkes seems to enjoy his company. And, curiously enough, the bird never tells us exactly what the two of them do together. He never revealed what happened that night.'

The Headmaster pondered internally over the mystery that was Severus Snape.

Silence once again settled over the room. After a few seconds, Dumbledore finally spoke.

"Even last week, I wouldn't have been able to answer that question, Minerva. And I won't discover the answer today either... I still don't know exactly what happened between the old Severus and this new Severus." He took a deep breath before continuing.

"But allow me to ask another question." Everyone turned their eyes toward the Headmaster. "Which of the two Severus Snapes do you prefer?"

The room remained silent. Everyone immediately understood what Dumbledore meant.

After all, that theory had already spread among both the professors and the students: was it possible that someone was using Polyjuice Potion or some other kind of magic to impersonate Severus Snape?

"No," Dumbledore answered before anyone could even voice the theory. "I consider that extremely unlikely. Hogwarts would have detected an intrusion of that nature."

The Headmaster had already cast countless detection spells, reinforced enchantments, and even created additional barriers around several entrances to the castle just to make sure, and Severus continued to move through the school without any issue.

"Honestly, of all the possibilities, that one seems the least likely to me." He rested his elbows on the table. "If Severus were an impostor, it would be much easier to imitate the old Severus. Instead... he does precisely the opposite."

Dumbledore smiled faintly. "He makes a terrible attempt at being the old Severus Snape... because he behaves like someone completely different."

"Well... I suppose you're right," Minerva sighed. "But the other students aren't handling it very well."

"You mean your lions are a bit restless, don't you, Minerva?" Slughorn remarked with a subtle smile. "I see them provoking Snape during class. But this new and brilliant Snape treats them like the wind."

His expression soon turned into one of amused mockery. "They simply can't get under his skin anymore. I imagine they're quite frustrated..."

"Well..." Professor Flitwick decided to speak, changing the subject before an argument could begin. "I agree with the Headmaster about what we've already discussed. If he were an impostor, he would be doing a terrible job of it. I'm more inclined to believe that he truly changed... that he gained something different over the summer, just as he admitted to all of us."

"Well, I wouldn't mind if he were an impostor either," commented the Music professor, Octavia Strauss, seemingly unconcerned by the horrified looks directed at her. "But I must admit that the boy has extraordinary talent. Perhaps that was exactly what had been missing from my classroom."

She smiled, clearly pleased. "So, honestly, I don't care what happened. What matters is that he's there now. He's learning to play the piano in a way I've never seen anyone learn before. And it's obvious that he had never played before, yet he's learning at a speed that's hard to believe. Even though his hands aren't used to it, they quickly develop a level of motor precision that normally only musicians with years of training can achieve."

Dumbledore nodded slowly as his eyes swept across each of the gathered professors. The Arithmancy professor remained silent, but he was deeply astonished.

Through a subtle use of Legilimency, Dumbledore was able to perceive his thoughts.

Severus's mathematical formulas were flawless in his classes. Although he wasn't pleased about admitting a student so easily after he had never attended before, both Slughorn and the Headmaster himself had requested it, so he had no choice but to accept a new student into his subject. But to say he was surprised by Mr. Snape's abilities would have been an understatement. He solved numerous problems using methods completely different from those taught in class or found in the textbooks. Even so, every logical and mathematical calculation arrived at exactly the same result.

The Headmaster also saw the same thing in the Ancient Runes professor's mind, though she couldn't put it into words. She considered Severus's runic combinations revolutionary.

While most wizards created new runes simply by increasing their complexity, Severus did the opposite. He rebuilt entire circuits more efficiently, preserving the flow of magical energy without causing instabilities or increasing the complexity of the established runic formula.

A single incorrect combination could completely interrupt the magical current and its effect... At best, the spell would simply fail. At worst... it would result in a devastating and dangerous explosion.

The changes made by Severus were small, almost imperceptible. But they were incredibly precise.

Through the professor's memories, Dumbledore saw how many hours she spent studying those circuits created by Snape, utterly fascinated by what the student had managed to create.

He also observed, through the memories of the Care of Magical Creatures professor, that various animals seemed to be naturally drawn to Severus. That only reinforced the conclusion that the hypothesis he had heard from Severus himself was correct. The boy truly had awakened an affinity similar to that of the Druids themselves. A subtle sense of relief appeared on Dumbledore's face because of that.

As far as he knew, no Druid in history had ever followed the path of the Dark Arts. They loved animals and plant life, drew upon the life force of the forest, and protected it...

Finally, he saw the Music professor's memories. Severus's first notes on the piano were still clumsy, but within just a few minutes, his movements became natural, as though he had been born destined for music from the very beginning.

He absorbed the instrument's rhythm, mechanics, and expressiveness at an almost impossible speed.

His voice also drew attention. When he introduced himself, he displayed the skill of a master with the guitar, but his voice was the icing on the cake. It was beautiful, steady, and filled with emotion, conveying far more than words alone ever could.

For a brief moment, Dumbledore almost believed that Severus was using some kind of mind-affecting magic to enhance that effect. But after examining his memories more closely, he realized that wasn't the case.

The emotion seemed... genuine.

In Charms, he performed every spell flawlessly, but what truly stood out was his completely unrestricted way of manipulating magic. He could levitate objects and move them according to his own will without showing the slightest effort, wand, or gesture... He controlled everything with nothing but thought... Not even Dumbledore possessed such mastery over magic.

That also explained what happened during Potions.

Severus barely paid attention to Slughorn's explanations anymore, nor did he seem bothered by it. Instead, he spent his time studying his own books while his cauldron floated beside him. Flames appeared spontaneously beneath it, without the boy using any visible spell, as though his mind alone were capable of creating and controlling them so they neither went out nor spread. The fire continued to circulate beneath the cauldron, maintaining the perfect temperature, while the ingredients dropped in one by one without Severus even needing to look. He used telekinesis itself to chop and crush the ingredients like a true Potions master, all without ever looking at the cauldron.

It was impressive and, at the same time, disastrous. Most of the students spent more time watching Severus than paying attention to the lesson. Cauldrons began exploding, and Professor Slughorn had been dealing with quite a headache because of his sixth-year class as a result.

Many students admired his abilities, but there was also a negative side among them... frustration, envy, and resentment were becoming increasingly apparent.

There was no doubt that this new Severus inspired far more envy than the old one ever had. After all, everyone remembered what he had been like before.

Not even the Slytherin students knew how to behave around him.

After Professor Strauss's comments, everyone fell silent for a moment...

"How is he doing in your classes? I mean, beyond all your praise..." the Headmaster asked curiously.

"In Potions, he doesn't pay much attention either," Slughorn commented. "I admit it irritates me sometimes. But he's proven that he knows everything about the subject, and when I see that cauldron of his practically alive and working on its own, anyone would think he's cheating..."

"It's the same in my class, and whenever I ask a question..." Minerva added, "...he answers it perfectly." She sighed. "Sometimes he doesn't even look at me. He just answers."

Every assignment he was given was completed flawlessly.

The Headmaster nodded thoughtfully.

In Transfiguration, he never made mistakes.

In Ancient Runes, he had already demonstrated his creativity by conjuring a sword during class, something that was still being talked about among the professors.

"There is also the issue with the Ministry," Dumbledore added, and everyone turned their attention to him.

"They sent a letter practically begging Severus to allow them to study his Animagus form."

A few professors chuckled quietly.

"Everyone wants to see it. However, Severus has never shown it. He's certainly not one to show off," Professor Slughorn said.

"More than he already is?" the Arithmancy professor remarked with an ironic smile.

No one could deny it. Everything he had been doing since arriving at Hogwarts just one week earlier was already enough to attract the attention of practically the entire British wizarding community.

"In Defense Against the Dark Arts," the professor continued, "he answered every one of the professor's questions correctly and even demonstrated spells that not even I recognized."

Silence filled the room.

"The boy has always had a reputation for creating spells... but now he's on another level." The Headmaster closed his eyes for a moment, recalling the memories he had seen in the DADA professor's mind.

'Elemental magic... an explosion spell...' Even he had to swallow hard.

He possessed something more powerful than Bombarda Maxima. The impact had shaken the entire classroom. The professor's memories were unmistakable.

Severus controlled fire with frightening ease. He also commanded air, although that element was not yet as refined as his control over fire.

Even so, he had managed to combine the two into a spell that Dumbledore himself had never been able to perform.

A vacuum explosion. Even more impressive was the explanation Severus had given the professor while demonstrating the spell.

He seemed to understand perfectly every principle behind that magic.

'And that's not all,' Dumbledore murmured.

He also possesses an extraordinary affinity for ice. Reports of entire environments freezing in his presence had already reached everyone's ears.

Even without the company of the Ice Phoenix, who also possessed that ability, Severus was capable of drastically lowering the temperature around him. At first glance, it resembled the influence of a Dementor.

But Dumbledore knew it was completely different. It was not an aura of despair. It was pure elemental control.

And he was certain that Severus was capable of much more than merely freezing the surface of his surroundings. It was no coincidence that an Ice Phoenix had formed a bond with him.

Likewise, the Fire Phoenix also seemed to share an unusual connection with him. In fact... Dumbledore was beginning to believe that Severus possessed an even greater affinity for fire than most wizards could possibly imagine.

And there were also all the other aspects in which he had changed outside the classroom.

His social circle had changed drastically. The contrast was so striking that even Slughorn didn't quite know what to think. He had abandoned his old Slytherin companions in favor of a rather peculiar group.

Severus was no longer so averse to the other students, whether they were pure-blood wizards or Muggle-borns. In fact, he personally made a point of looking after that newly arrived Muggle-born girl in Slytherin.

Dumbledore had to admit just how strange Severus had become. At times... he even seemed like a Gryffindor at heart.

He communicated far better, found answers for practically every situation, justified his anger when necessary, and, above all, knew how to recognize an injustice when he saw one.

He certainly no longer seemed like someone walking toward Voldemort's ideals.

That was a great relief for Dumbledore in that regard. Severus's potential was already far greater than Dumbledore's own had been at the same age, and that was remarkable, considering that the Headmaster himself had also been regarded as a prodigy during his student years, just as Riddle had been in his own time.

Little by little, Dumbledore began to believe that Severus could become a great wizard of the Light.

Someone capable of guiding the world in the future. After all, he himself would not live forever. If the war against Voldemort continued over the coming years, that boy might become one of the most important pieces in bringing it to an end.

But before anything else, he needed to bring him to his side. He needed to understand him. He wanted to discover what his true ambitions were.

He had already made that mistake once. He had also seen a genius in Tom M. Riddle... and, in the end, had allowed him to become the greatest Dark Wizard his own school had ever produced, terrorizing the entire wizarding community of Great Britain during this era.

Even with all that affinity for nature, magical creatures, and forms of magic clearly aligned with the Light, Severus still possessed terrifying raw power.

Dumbledore would need to watch him closely. To seek honest answers and understand the origin of all those changes.

In any case, he merely made a few general remarks and moved on to asking about the other students in order to disguise the true purpose of the meeting, obvious though it was.

There were still administrative matters to discuss, but no one showed much interest. Everyone knew that the only topic that truly mattered that night was Severus Snape.

After all, only one week had passed since the beginning of the school year. The professors already knew practically every returning student, so there was rarely anything that did more than make them roll their eyes.

Normally, the first-year students were the most interesting topic during the first meetings, but it was still far too early to evaluate their personalities or talents. Nearly all of them were still just trying to adapt to life and the rules at Hogwarts.

Shortly afterward, the main meeting came to an end. All the professors left the room except for the four Heads of House.

Minerva McGonagall.

Pomona Sprout.

Filius Flitwick.

Horace Slughorn.

Now, only the five of them remained.

"Now we can talk seriously," Dumbledore murmured, closing the door behind the last professor.

"There's nothing wrong with Snape, if that's what you want to know, Minerva," Slughorn said immediately. "All of these changes are positive."

"I know, I know, Horace..." Dumbledore replied, interrupting him with a calm gesture. "We're not saying otherwise. We're just a little concerned... and, at the same time, excited. We want to understand where all these changes came from."

"You said he met Newt Scamander, didn't you?" Flitwick asked, filled with curiosity.

Immediately, the other three Heads of House turned their eyes toward Dumbledore. They all seemed to lean forward slightly, eager to hear the Headmaster's answer.

"Yes. I sent him a letter last week. Newt had already informed me that he had met a truly remarkable student working at a dragon reserve."

"A dragon reserve?" Professor Sprout repeated, her eyes widening.

Dumbledore merely sighed, still somewhat fascinated. "Well... I don't know exactly what happened, but Severus underwent a sudden change in a single day. He simply left home, went to Diagon Alley, rented a room, started buying countless books, and then suddenly found work both in the wizarding world and at a bar in the Muggle world to earn money over the summer."

The four Heads of House exchanged astonished glances.

That weekend, Dumbledore himself had gone out to investigate what had truly happened to Severus during the holidays.

What he didn't reveal was the depth of that investigation. He had spoken with Tobias Snape after knocking on his door, examined his memories, observed the memories of the neighbors, and gathered practically everything he could discover.

From the memories he examined, it became clear that Severus had remained exactly the same throughout most of the first month of the summer holidays. He had met with Lucius Malfoy shortly after returning home. And ever since his argument with Lily at the end of the exams, he had never spoken to her again, spending nearly all his time at home in his room.

Then... in a single day... everything changed.

Tobias himself had been unable to explain it. When Dumbledore examined his memories, he saw a man who did not treat his son well. The Headmaster had to admit with horror that Severus Snape's life at home was far from pleasant, but for the moment, his focus was elsewhere, and all he saw was that the man had merely found his son's behavior strange on an otherwise ordinary day.

Severus went into the bathroom and made irritating noises that annoyed Tobias. When the man went to confront him, the boy looked at his father with a gaze completely unlike his usual one, gathered a few of his belongings—mainly books—and left the house.

His eyes were no longer black; they were a brilliant green... There had been no magical outburst, no dramatic transformation, no cries of pain... He had simply changed.

He handled Tobias's aggression flawlessly and never returned to Cokeworth for the rest of the summer after walking out that door.

"Yes..." Dumbledore replied when he realized everyone was imagining the kind of job Severus had found. "His job in the wizarding world was taking care of dragons."

The four professors stared at him in horror.

"Taking care of... dragons?" Minerva repeated.

"Yes. It was a reserve right here in Scotland. To tell the truth, not very far from Hogwarts."

"Working with dragons? What was he thinking?" Sprout asked, utterly incredulous and horrified.

The others shared exactly the same expression.

"And that's precisely the most surprising part, Pomona." Dumbledore rested his hands on the table.

"The great revelation was that Severus knew exactly how to deal with those beasts." The Headmaster then turned his gaze toward Slughorn. "Horace... I must say that you know the language of snakes, correct? The language of Salazar Slytherin."

The Slytherin Head of House stiffened slightly in his chair as he noticed everyone's attention turning toward him.

"...Yes, Headmaster," he replied reluctantly.

Dumbledore nodded and continued. "Someone speaking the language of snakes is not unprecedented, although it is both rare and concerning." He paused briefly. "But... have any of you ever heard of someone capable of speaking with dragons?"

The silence was immediate.

No one answered.

Dumbledore could still vividly recall the memories he had witnessed while investigating the reserve.

He saw Severus speaking strange words. A language completely unknown. Just a few sentences were enough for fully grown, wild dragons, previously agitated, to simply calm down in Severus's presence.

It didn't seem to be a spell. It didn't seem to be Legilimency. Nor any known form of mind control. It was as though those creatures truly understood him.

Dumbledore needed to understand what had happened to Severus Snape. He needed to uncover the source of all those changes so he would know how to deal with the boy from that point onward.

And, if anyone asked him, he wouldn't deny it. He himself was prepared to tell the boy as much the next time they met...

During the summer, he had investigated practically every step Severus had taken. Not because he suspected the rise of a new Dark Lord, but because he had never witnessed such a profound transformation happen to a single wizard in such a short time.

"..."

The entire room immediately fell silent after those words, and Dumbledore couldn't blame them.

"You're talking about the language of dragons? There has never been such a thing," Slughorn said, while the other professors immediately agreed with uneasy expressions. Speaking to snakes was one thing, but speaking to dragons?! Did anyone really need to explain the difference between those two creatures?

Even Horace had never heard of anything like that, and he certainly possessed knowledge far beyond the average wizard in many branches of magic. If there truly were a language capable of communicating with dragons, he would probably have heard of it.

"Exactly. Severus Snape can speak the language of dragons," the Headmaster said.

The silence only deepened.

"Throughout the entire month he worked at the reserve, he was able to calm the dragons. Not even the most experienced handlers, with over a decade of service there, could deal with those creatures the way Severus did."

Dumbledore paused briefly. "He didn't even need to use brute force. A few words were enough, and the dragons obeyed him. Sometimes reluctantly... but they obeyed. And many dragons seemed to adore Severus's presence... I've never seen anything like it either."

"That should be impossible..." Slughorn murmured.

"It should," Dumbledore agreed. "But that isn't the case."

"Severus simply is... far too extraordinary now." The Headmaster made no effort to hide that information from the Heads of House.

Newt Scamander already knew. The reserve staff knew as well. From the information he had gathered, Severus had never tried to hide that he knew the language. Several Ministry Aurors at the reserve had heard him uttering those strange words while calming dragons that, only moments earlier, could only be restrained by several wands pointed at them.

"I asked Newt that very question myself," Dumbledore continued. "He tried to reproduce some of the sounds he heard Severus use." The Headmaster smiled in an almost resigned manner.

"It didn't work. The dragons only looked at him with fury."

"Why?" Flitwick asked.

"Because, apparently, it's a hereditary ability. Even repeating exactly the same sounds, the dragons only looked at him with irritation, as though he had no right to speak that language."

Dumbledore took a deep breath. "That means the language doesn't depend solely on the words. It's tied to Severus himself."

Once again, silence filled the room. There were far too many questions... and far too few answers.

In any case, the meeting continued. Dumbledore informed them that he intended to speak with Severus in the coming days. He still needed to officially settle the student's punishment for the insult, but above all, he wanted to have an honest conversation with him.

He hoped to understand his true intentions. And he sincerely wished that the boy would become one of the greatest forces against Voldemort when the war finally reached him.

"And how is Miss Evans handling this entire situation?" Dumbledore asked Minerva and the others.

It was the question everyone wanted to ask, given the relationship the two of them had shared before...

Minerva sighed before answering. "She's devastated." Her voice was careful.

"The girl seems to have her mind full of thoughts. In some classes, she's much more distracted than usual. The professors have noticed." She said, with all three colleagues beside her nodding in agreement.

"It's understandable. From what I've noticed," Flitwick added, "Severus doesn't even look at her."

"I've noticed that too, even though I don't teach Gryffindor and Slytherin together..." Sprout commented. "And that's exactly what I find strangest." The others turned their attention to her. "We all know Severus was in the wrong. We were disappointed by the way he treated Miss Evans at the end of the previous school year."

She took a deep breath. "But... considering the way he always behaved, I expected him to keep trying to get her attention. To show her that he'd changed... Don't get me wrong, Severus is outstanding at Herbology now, and I admire his abilities more with every class, but I expected that, you know?"

Sprout slowly shook her head. "Instead, he simply doesn't seem to care anymore." She cast a thoughtful glance at her colleagues. "That's been troubling Miss Evans." A small, sad smile appeared on her face.

"And I have to admit... his new appearance, his demeanor, and this entire transformation must be a very painful blow for her."

"Well... that's a delicate matter. I don't think we should interfere," Dumbledore murmured. "But everything indicates that Severus is determined not to try to mend that friendship. Which is sad..."

"I highly doubt she'll just stand by," Minerva replied. "Sooner or later, my lioness will go looking for him. It's obvious she'll try to talk to Snape, even if he ignores her."

Dumbledore remained silent for a few moments before raising his eyes to the professor. "Then allow me to offer some advice, Minerva. When that happens... be prepared to deal with a girl with a broken heart."

His words left the four Heads of House in silence. Based on Severus's behavior during that first week, Dumbledore no longer believed that Lily Evans held the same place in his heart.

At another time, he would have been deeply concerned. Knowing Severus's history and the company he had kept, the first assumption would have been that the boy was treating Lily that way because of prejudice against Muggle-borns.

But... that clearly wasn't the case. Not when Severus had befriended students from several different Houses. Not when he had brought together Slytherins, Ravenclaws, Hufflepuffs, and even Gryffindors into the same group every day to talk by the lake, without showing the slightest distinction based on blood status. On the contrary, he was defending his new companions, always leaving his phoenix with the first-year girl.

That was, at the same time, both innovative and reassuring. "So..." Dumbledore murmured, more to himself than to the others, "Severus's indifference toward Miss Evans has absolutely nothing to do with prejudiced beliefs..."

That realization brought him a measure of relief. Severus seemed to have completely abandoned any inclination related to blood purity.

Even so... the fact remained.

Everything indicated that Severus Snape no longer had any intention of rebuilding the friendship he had once shared with Lily Evans.

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