Daddy Dearest - (No Update, Edit)

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 38 ~ Mathias Returns to Hogwarts

About noon, Mathias walked out into the living room dressed in his Slytherin robes with Severus' gift tucked under his arm. Hermione, sitting on the couch and reading "Spells Weekly" looked up at him.

"Mum, I want to go back to Hogwarts," the wizard said.

Hermione's face fell a little.

"I thought since you were here, you might stay the weekend, Mathias," she said to him.

Mathias looked at his mother.

"No, I need to go back. I have to talk to the Professor," he said.

Mathias was sorry to disappoint his mum, but he had things to do. She'd get over it.

"All right, but I have to tell you something first," Hermione said, taking a deep breath. "The reason the Professor brought you here so quickly this weekend was because the knowledge that you are his son got out, and he wanted to tell you before you heard it from your schoolmates. Everyone at Hogwarts probably knows Severus is your father by now, Mathias."

Mathias scowled.

"How did they find out?" he asked his mother. He had been hoping for a little time before all the aggravation set in.

"I think it was because Voldemort accepted you. That information had to be passed through his ranks. Some of the Slytherin students' parents are deatheaters or DKV members. One of them probably told a student," Hermione said.

Hermione didn't tell him that Jasmine Malfoy was the one who spread the information. She didn't want any kind of altercation between them.

Mathias sighed.

"I have to face everyone sooner or later, mum. It's all right. I can handle it," he said. "Would you take me to Hogwarts?"

Hermione nodded, thinking her son was a very courageous little boy.

"Just let me get my cloak," she said, rising and walking to the closet. She took out her cloak put it on, then looked at her son.

"I hope you're wearing more than boxers and socks under that robe," she said to him, putting her hands on her hips. Mathias hated clothing and would probably walk around naked if she'd let him.

"I am, mum," Mathias said with irritation. "It's cold out there. I'd freeze my kno…I'd freeze."

Hermione cocked her head at Mathias. He was about to say he'd freeze his knobblies off. What were they teaching him in Slytherin? But then again, that sounded an awful lot like something Ron would say.

She kissed Mathias on the cheek and ruffled his hair.

"Come along, Mr. Granger," she teased opening the door.

"That's Mr. Snape, mum," Mathias corrected her.

Hermione looked down at her son, her chest tightening at his words. There was a change in Mathias all right, in his perception of himself. He had a father now and was going to let the world know it.

"All right, Mr. Snape. Let's go," she said with a small, wan smile.

They exited the house. Hermione warded the door, then took Mathias' hand.

They disapparated.

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Hermione unwarded the gates of Hogwarts and watched Mathias make his way over the grounds towards the castle. She didn't attempt to escort him. He was growing up now, and she needed to give him some room. She watched him until he disappeared over a rise, then sighed and apparated back home, hoping he didn't have to go through too much of an ordeal.

Mathias entered the main door. It was lunchtime, so he went to the Great Hall. The moment he entered, the chatter in the hall fell silent. He walked up the aisle, the eyes of students and staff following him as he walked to the Slytherin table. His housemates were also quiet, watching him as he took a seat.

Severus was seated at the High Table, and watched as Mathias entered the hall and sat down. Outwardly, his son didn't act fazed by all the attention he was drawing. The boy sat down in front of a plate, and began to pull food towards him, filling it. Slowly voices began to be heard again, in low tones, almost everyone commenting that Mathias was Professor Snape's son.

At the staff table, several female staff members leaned forward and glared at Severus, who ignored the old biddies. Their approval or disapproval meant nothing to him. The only female staff member not in attendance was Poppy, who was on weekend leave, an assistant left in her place from St. Mungos.

At the end of the table, Albus was beaming however, delighted that Severus finally acknowledged his son and the boy knew the truth. The Potions Master had informed him this morning that he and Hermione had told Mathias the truth about his parentage, and the boy had reacted relatively well. The Headmaster wasn't surprised at this. With his mother's logic and his father's discipline, the child was unlikely to fly off the handle. More than likely he would ponder the situation, then accept it and use it to his benefit. He was a Slytherin after all.

Albus looked down at the young wizard, who was calmly eating when every eye in the Great Hall was on him, the same as his father…who was also calmly consuming his meal as if all were right as rain. Albus chuckled. They were very much alike.

Of course, Jasmine Malfoy was the first to approach Mathias. She sat down on his right side and stared at him until he turned to her, a frown on his face.

"Don't sit there staring at me, Jasmine. If you have something to say to me, say it," Mathias said, his black eyes glittering at the young witch.

"I was wondering what it's like to find out your father is Professor Snape," she asked him as the other Slytherins listened carefully.

Mathias eyes washed over all of them.

"Not too bad really. Having a father who is Head of House kind of gives me an advantage, don't you think?" he asked her, smirking a bit.

His housemates murmured agreement. Jasmine's blue eyes darkened.

"But…but you thought your father was dead. Aren't you angry? I'd be so furious I wouldn't even speak to him," Jasmine said, frowning.

Mathias looked at her.

"There were reasons for it, Jasmine. Good ones that I can't tell you. I'm not going to spend my time being angry with him. I am going to learn all I can from him instead. I want to be a Potions Master, and my father is the best. Since he's my father I'll be able to learn things from him the rest of the students won't. So I'll have a leg up when I graduate. I will probably do quite well in university," the boy said evenly, returning to his food.

Jasmine eyed him as the rest of the Slytherins nodded and returned to their meals, chatter starting up at the table again. Her father wouldn't be pleased that Mathias accepted the situation and actually thought it was advantageous. Draco wanted him bitter and angry, hating Professor Snape. But Mathias was too logical for that.

Jasmine left the seat, returning to her clutch of witches and they began cackling among themselves about Mathias and how dense he was. Her seat was soon filled by Andreas Mbutu, who pulled up some food and began to fill his plate. Mathias glanced at the silent wizard as he fixed his food.

"Hi Andreas," he said, biting into a piece of chicken.

Andreas looked at the wizard, his black eyes twinkling.

"Hello, Mathias Snape," he said, smiling, showing beautiful white teeth.

Mathias smirked at him and returned to eating. Andreas didn't seem to have a problem with his father being the Head of House. Suddenly, Mathias' thoughts turned to the day Andreas was in the common room when he and Jasmine were arguing, and how the boy had said it was good he liked Professor Snape. His brows furrowed.

"You knew Professor Snape was my father," Mathias said to the black wizard, his voice low.

Andreas bit into a tomato, then nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Mathias asked him, frowning.

The wizard turned his black eyes on Mathias.

"It wasn't my place to tell you. He was supposed to tell you, and he did. It was better that way," the wizard said, eating a forkful of peas. Mathias looked down at the wizard's plate. It was filled with vegetables.

"You have no meat on your plate," Mathias said.

"I don't eat a lot of meat. Only sometimes," Andreas answered. "Flesh blocks the spirit. I cannot use the Old Arts well if I have too much meat in my system."

"Old Arts?" Mathias asked, interested.

"The magic of my people. My ancestors did not use wands. It was not part of our magic. Our magic is different," Andreas said, eating a mouthful of rice.

"So how can you use wand magic then?" Mathias asked, intrigued.

"Well, one of my ancestors was enslaved by a white pureblood wizard, and he found her attractive. She had seven children for him before he freed her to return home. He was married, you see, and his wife saw the children looked like him, became very angry and demanded my ancestor be sent away. Her husband complied. The children could do wand magic, and they returned to the homeland and married into the tribe. The magic stayed with us as has our original magic," Andreas explained.

"So you can do wandless magic?" Mathias asked the wizard, impressed.

"It is not wandless magic like you know, but yes…I can do some things without a wand," Andreas said, "You can too. Your eyes are black."

Mathias blinked at him.

"What's that got to do with it?" Mathias asked him.

"Black-eyed people are connected to the "Dark Soul of the World." They are his children and are very powerful…but have to struggle not to be evil once they discover their power. The Dark Soul likes dark things, but you can still use its power for good," the wizard said, biting into a piece of toast with jam. "If you want to."

Mathias had never heard anything about a "Dark Soul of the World." He figured it was a belief of Andreas' people.

"The Dark Lord was once black-eyed," Andreas said, "He is very evil and draws on and is ruled by that power, though he probably doesn't know. He is something else now."

Mathias looked at Andreas.

"How do you know that?" Mathias asked him, his eyebrows raised.

"My parents and my grandparents. They felt him long ago, his growing evil. There were many meetings about him, but it was decided that it was the white wizarding world's problem and we would not interfere unless his evil reached us. I don't agree. I think he should be stopped now before he comes into full power. But we have been commanded not to interfere. Only someone who knows the Old Arts and the Dark Soul has any hope of stopping him," Andreas said, looking at Mathias evenly.

Mathias stared at the wizard, and felt something compelling him to ask the wizard the next set of questions.

"You say I am connected to the Dark Soul?" the boy asked him.

Andreas nodded.

"Could I do the Old Arts?" Mathias inquired.

"Perhaps, if someone taught you," Andreas said, "It is not easy, but maybe possible."

Mathias thought about this.

"Could you teach me, Andreas?" he asked the black wizard.

It would be very cool if he could do wandless magic. Maybe he could help his father against Voldemort when he got older. Maybe he could become a spy too, and help destroy the despot.

Andreas' black eyes washed over Mathias.

"Maybe I could. But you couldn't tell anyone…not even your mother or father," he said in a low voice. "We would have to test you, to see if you are connected enough to draw on that power. You would have to drink a potion I make and walk the "Dark Path" of your soul to see how powerfully you are connected. It is very frightening, and you could come back fearful of everything," Andreas said, his eyes somber as he looked at the pale wizard.

Mathias was excited. He wasn't afraid to find out if he were connected to the "Dark Soul." As far as keeping it a secret, he wouldn't tell anyone even if it didn't have to be a secret. That kind of power would be even more powerful if no one knew he had it.

"Teach me, Andreas. I want that kind of power," Mathias said.

The dark wizard studied Mathias.

"The Old Arts are very powerful, Mathias. They are not for everyone," the boy said evenly. "But I think maybe, they are for you."

He looked at Mathias intently as if he were seeing inside him. He nodded.

"I will try to teach you, but not now. Later," the boy said, rising from the table. "See you, Mathias Snape."

Andreas left the Great Hall.

Suddenly, Jasmine was back and looking at him with distaste. Gods. What did the witch want now?

"Why do you talk to him? He's not like us," Jasmine said.

Mathias scowled at Jasmine.

"What do you mean, Jasmine? Andreas is a Slytherin, and a pureblood. Even I'm not a pureblood," Mathias said. "If anything, he shouldn't talk to me."

"He's…he's black," Jasmine said, looking at Mathias as if he were stupid not to see this.

"So? He's black. What's that got to do with anything?" he asked the witch.

"Well, we're white," she said, exasperated with the wizard.

"And?" Mathias asked her.

"We shouldn't associate with him. He's beneath us," Jasmine said vehemently. "Don't you see how hardly anyone talks to him? Only a few people will play chess with him, because he's good…but other than that, he's left alone. You shouldn't associate with him. His people come from the wild. From the jungle. He's probably a cannibal, pureblood or not."

Mathias looked at Jasmine.

"Get away from me, Jasmine. You say the stupidest things sometimes," he snarled at her.

"I'm telling you, Mathias. Associating with Andreas Mbutu is going to put you in the lower social strata," she warned.

"The lower what? I don't care about that, Jasmine! Get out of here!" Mathias said loudly. Everyone looked at them.

"You're going to stop talking to me like that, Mathias. I swear you are," Jasmine seethed at him.

"I wouldn't talk to you like that if you made sense," Mathias said. "You're an idiot, Jasmine. You say and believe the stupidest things."

The little witch turned red as a salamander.

"How dare you say that!" she yelled at him, her hands on her hips. "I have very acceptable views. DKV approved!"

The clutch of first-year witches heard Jasmine's angry voice, rose as one and started toward them. Mathias' black eyes shifted and saw the approaching hoard. He decided now would be a good time to retreat.

"Gotta go," he said quickly, rising from the table and heading for the double doors at a good clip.

The witches surrounded Jasmine and asked what was wrong. She told them what Mathias had said to her, and they all squawked with fury, angry he had escaped their wrath.

At the High Table, Severus shook his head and smirked.

Mathias certainly didn't mince words. The spoiled witch had her work cut out for her if she hoped to ever influence his son around to her way of thinking.

Severus finished his meal. Mathias came back early…and that could only mean one thing. The boy wanted to talk to him.

He'd make himself available.

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A/N: Sorry for the wait. Still sick, but I got it out. So Andreas has agreed to teach Mathias the Old Arts, or to try anyway. Yeah, I'm making up my own little belief systems again. "The Dark Soul of the World" lol. Andreas will give more info on this later on when he is instructing Mathias. It would be great if the boy could develop that power and use it on you know who, eh? Ah, the plot thickens…again. The talk between he and Severus ought to be interesting. Well, please review.