Through the Looking Glass ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 46 ~ Quite the Surprise

Lord Voldemort had quite the price on his head, but after Minerva discovered what had happened via Dumbledore’s journal, and shared it with the Ministry, it was decided that since the despot wasn’t captured or killed, but left the wizarding world of his own accord, no reward would be issued. So, although Snape had technically rid the wizarding world of the despot by facilitating his departure, he received no reward or recognition for it.

”Anyone could have delivered the mirror to Voldemort,” the Minister said to the Council, which agreed. The agreement was not because they truly believed this, but because all that reward money would remain in the Ministry treasury.

Snape was free now, but with Albus’ death, his hopes of using him as an investor for his apocathery shop were dashed. He did go to Gringotts to see if he could take out a loan, but since he had little assets of his own, he was promptly turned down by the goblins.

”Mr. Snape, you have no investments, no property, and very little savings. You also have no experience in running a business. Your potion-making skills are well-respected, but just because you have talent doesn’t mean we can take the risk of losing money by investing in your endeavors. Perhaps you should take a position in an already established shop, under a successful apocathery. You can learn the business, save your money and work your way up. Once you have enough Galleons to open your own shop, we will be glad to give you a loan,” Griphook the goblin told him as they sat in a private office.

Snape scowled at him over the large desk. The goblin was sitting on top of a stack of books so he could interact with the wizard. The Potions master felt like blasting the little bastard right off of them.

”If I had enough money to open my shop, I wouldn’t need a blasted loan,” he snapped.

Griphook gave him a crafty smile.

”That’s how the world of banking is, Mr. Snape. High finance, low risk. You have to have money to get money,” the goblin replied. “Good day.”

Needless to say, Snape left Gringotts in a foul mood. It seemed he would have to remain at Hogwarts. He might be physically free to do as he pleased, but financially, he was in a bind.

********************************

Classes resumed two days later, and that morning while sitting at breakfast, picking over his eggs, Snape received an owl post. It was rare he received any mail, so he opened it immediately.

From the desk of: Mr. John Bartleby. ESQ
Ickle, Fickle and Bones

Addressed to: Mr. Severus Tobias Snape
Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Dear Mr. Snape,

Salutations. I am contacting you concerning a legal matter of some import, the reading of Albus Dumbledore’s will, which will occur at ten o’clock AM, on the morning of . . .


Snape’s eyes widened. That was today! When had this joker sent out the owl? This morning? Of all the idiotic . . . stupid . . .

Snape rose and walked down the dais toward Minerva, who looked up at him.

”Yes, Severus?” the Headmistress said to him.

”Ah, Minerva, I’ve just received an owl requesting my presence this morning at a reading of a will,” the Potions master said. “I know it is very short notice . . .”

Minerva studied him.

”A will, Severus?” she asked him curiously.

The Potions master nodded.

”Yes. Albus’ will,” he replied shortly.

Minerva’s eyes filled immediately.

”By all means, go, Severus. I will find a substitute for you. Didn’t Professor Binns fill in for you on occasion?”

Snape fought the urge to roll his eyes. Yes, professor Binns, the ghost who taught “The History of Magic” class would fill in for him from time to time, and fill his good swivel chair with ectoplasm in the process. It took forever to clean the goo off wood. He’d usually assign a Gryffindor the job.

”Yes, he does,” the wizard replied tightly.

”Good,” Minerva said, “I’ll contact him immediately. I hope all goes well, Severus.”

”Thank you, Headmistress,” the dark wizard replied. He exited the Great Hall, all the staff whispering about Albus’ will, having heard Snape request the morning off. There were a few envious comments as well.

”Why is only Snape invited to the reading of the will?” Pomona Sprout hissed. “There is more than one teacher at Hogwarts. If Albus left anything, he should have divided it among us.”

There was something about the divvying up of a dead man’s possessions that brought out the worst in people. It was a phenomenon known around the world, one that could change the most even-tempered persons into jealous, money-grubbing opportunists.

”The only person who has any right to say anything about that will, is Albus’ brother, Aberforth,” Minerva said sharply. “If Albus wanted to leave you anything, you would have been called in as well. Now, no more about this. The entire conversation is reprehensible, and makes you sound like a . . . a vulture wanting to feed off his corpse, Pomona!”

The Herbology professor reddened, highly embarrassed. She said nothing more as the staff returned to their meal.

Hermione, seated at the Gryffindor table, watched Snape leave breakfast. He never received owls, and she was very curious as to what the letter contained. It had to be important by the way he reacted. She doubted he would tell her, even if she had the nerve to ask him at detention this evening. Gah, detention.

Again, Hermione couldn’t help thinking what a git he was to give her detention because she inadvertently entered another world. But then again, she did become an extra burden and something could have gone horribly wrong. Luckily it didn’t.

Maybe she did deserve detention. Possibly expulsion, since technically she wasn’t supposed to use the mirror at all. Hm. Maybe she should be glad a few days of detention were the only repercussion for her actions.

She just hoped he wouldn’t give her something horrible to do.

But, knowing the Potions master, he would.

******************************

Snape arrived at a small, unassuming office building in wizarding London. He entered and walked up a long, narrow flight of stairs to the top floor. There was a single door on the landing, with stippled glass on which was painted “Ickle, Fickle and Bones.” He opened the door and entered.

The office was sparse, furnished with a simple desk, a plump secretary with blue hair and a couple of chairs resting against the wall. In one of the chairs sat Aberforth Dumbledore, who looked up at Snape with narrowed blue eyes. He wore glasses, was thin, grumpy-looking, had a large amount of long gray hair and a beard. As Albus’ only living relative, Aberforth didn’t take it well when he was informed that Severus Snape was also mentioned in the will.

Why?

Had his brother and this Snape character been lovers? Aberforth knew his brother batted for the other team, but hadn’t seen him show interest in anyone since Grindelwald. That relationship ended badly. But, they didn’t talk much when Albus was alive, and the wizard could have had a long term affair with Snape and he wouldn’t have known about it.

Three closed doors were behind the desk, and the secretary smiled at the Potions master.

”Mr. Snape?” she asked him politely.

Snape nodded.

”Please take a seat, sir. Mr. Bartleby will be with you shortly.”

Severus strode over to the chairs and sat down in the one furthest from Aberforth, who studied him for a moment. Snape looked straight ahead and seemed rather stiff and uncomfortable.

”So, Albus included you in the will, too,” Aberforth ventured.

”Apparently,” Snape replied shortly.

Aberforth arched an eyebrow at the pale wizard. He certainly wasn’t a very good-looking man. There was something almost villainous about him. But, looks weren’t everything.

”So, were you and my brother close?” Aberforth pressed, trying to find out what kind of relationship this Snape had with Albus.

”He was my employer,” Snape said shortly, “for many years.”

”Hm. Your boss, eh? Now, I know who you are . . . you run the Potions class at Hogwarts. A teacher.”

”That’s correct,” Snape replied.

”Are you sure that’s all you were to my brother? I mean, why would he include a teacher in his will? If he were going to leave teachers money, I imagine there would be more than just you here,” Aberforth said, a small sneer on his face.

Snape looked directly at him now.

”I have no idea why I am mentioned in his will. As I said, our relationship was that of employer/employee. We were not friends,” Snape said.

”How about lovers?” Aberforth replied with a frown.

Snape’s face contorted and he was about to give the old wizard a scathing reply when the secretary said, “You may both go in now.”

She pointed to the middle door.

Aberforth jumped up quickly and hurried around the desk, wanting to enter the lawyer’s office first. Snape slowly followed.

John Bartleby’s office was much warmer than the waiting room. He had comfortable upholstered chairs, a pitcher of ice water and glasses on a table in easy reach, and a number of plants scattered around the room. His degrees and certificates hung on the wall behind his mahogany desk. Several pictures of his family rested on the desk as well. He was a rather jowly man, balding and rounded, with sharp brown eyes. On the desk before him rested a parchment.

Albus’ will.

He nodded at the two men soberly as they sat down.

”Mr. Snape and Mr. Dumbledore, welcome,” he said briskly. “You have both been called here because the late Albus Dumbledore has included the both of you in his will. You are the only two people named. Now, do you want me to actually read you the will, or just give you the nuts and bolts of it?

”Nuts and bolts,” Aberforth said quickly, “I want to know how much he left me.”

Snape just nodded.

”All right. Albus Dumbledore had investments, properties and savings amounting to . . .”

Aberforth rubbed his hands together as Snape looked a bit stunned at how wealthy Albus had been.

”He’s left a trust for Hogwarts, and donated to several charities,” Bartleby continued. “Now, which of you would like to know what was left to them first?”

”Me!” Aberforth said, his eyes covetous. “What did my brother leave me?”

”He left you the sum of one hundred thousand Galleons,” Bartleby replied.

That was quite a large sum of money . . . but nothing compared to what Albus was worth in total. Aberforth’s eyes narrowed.

”That’s a mere drop in the cauldron!” he hissed.

”Ungrateful git,” Snape thought.

”Well, according to the will, your brother thought he was being quite generous, considering how you shirked your familial duties when you were younger. There seems to have been a little bad blood.”

Aberforth frowned.

”He was the older brother. He was supposed to take care of Ariana, not foist her off on me so he could go run around the wizarding world with his ‘partner,’” Aberforth said angrily. “It wasn’t my fault she died during a lover’s spat.”

Snape blinked at him. Someone named Ariana died during a duel? He hadn’t known that.

”Well, that is what he left you, Mr. Dumbledore. He also included a clause that states if you challenge his will, the amount left you will drop to one Galleon. So, consider that, sir. If you are unhappy with the amount, you may challenge the will. You might win. But if you lose . . . you will lose big.”

Aberforth stared at the lawyer.

”Why that sneaky bastard,” he breathed, looking at Snape now.

Snape gazed at the lawyer calmly.

”Mr. Snape, he has left everything else to you,” the lawyer said with a small smile. “Investments, properties, savings and a number of priceless items stored in a vault at Gringotts. You are now a very wealthy wizard.”

Snape was again stunned. Albus had left him the lion’s share of his wealth!

”Why? Why did he leave all that to this wizard?” Aberforth demanded, nearly frothing at the mouth.

Both of Bartleby’s eyebrows rose as he looked at Snape, his lip quirking slightly.

”He only wrote one short statement concerning his reasons, Mr. Dumbledore . . . “

”For Services Rendered.”

***********************************
A/N: Thanks for reading.