A Song for Severus ~ (Not Update, but Edit)

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 80 ~ Other Activities

While Remus and Eloise sat vigil at Rubin’s bedside, a scowling Severus collected several horrified Gryffindor students without telling them why, thus extending their terror as he strode across the grounds somberly, the students nearly running to keep up. Once outside the castle gates, he made them all link arms, grasped a Gryffindor tightly by the back of his neck and disapparated with them to Rubin’s farm.

He immediately gave orders. Clean the stalls, barn and the grounds of manure, putting it in burlap sacks, feed and water the animals, pick up any trash and collect eggs. The grumbling students set about their work. Severus went into the barn and over to the bin that held Fenrir’s decapitated body, reapplied the stasis spell and disillusioned it.

Presently Albus came to collect the body, taking it to Hogwarts and placing it in the morgue beneath the castle along with his head and strongly warding it.

Severus entered Rubin’s home. He knew it was a bit early since the farmer wasn’t yet dead, but he knew Remus was in no condition to think about details. Severus strode through the house to Rubin’s bedroom and sorted through his clothing until he found another set of dress robes and other items for the farmer to be laid out in. He reduced their size found a piece of parchment to wrap them in and placed the clothing in his pocket. He then walked into the parlor and looked about.

There was a mahogany writing desk in one corner, and the Potions Master opened the drawers, finding one locked securely. After breaking the wards, he opened it and found a strongbox. This too was strongly warded and it took him a little more than an hour to get it open without damaging the contents. Inside were several documents.

Severus looked them over. Rubin had a will, life insurance policy, a compiled list of assets and investments along with the proper documents, and the deed to his farm all neatly tied together. Severus unfolded the will and skimmed over it.

Yes, it was just as he thought. He replaced the items in the strongbox, locked it back and reduced it, also placing it in his pocket. He looked around the house and walked over to the walls, noticing the glimmer of silver threading.

That would never do. Not now.

Rolling up his sleeves…the Potions Master went to work.

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Hermione took it upon herself to go down to the Ministry. The moment she appeared the sound of many voices chanting filled the air. Since she apparated on the side of the building, she had to walk around. What she saw made her smile broadly.

Several hundred people were standing behind barricades chanting slogans. Somber Aurors stood on the steps of the Ministry watching the crowd. Signs and banners were in plain view. Newspaper reporters and photographers were on the fringe, snapping pictures and taking statements from anyone who would speak to them. Rita Skeeter and Bilbo were on the scene as well, Rita looking decidedly smug at scooping the story.

Hermione walked up to the crowd and they parted to let her in, someone shoving a sign that read, “Freedom for All” in her hand. She accepted it, then worked her way to the front of the crowd.

A witch wearing large, furry werewolf-like ears on her head was yelling furiously. Hermione tapped her on the shoulder and the woman looked at her.

“Do you know where I can find the president of FOW?” she asked the woman loudly, so her voice could be heard over the din.

”Yes, she’s right up front. The witch with the blue-white hair,” the witch replied.

Hermione thanked her and pressed her way to the front until she reached the president. She tapped her on the shoulder. The woman turned around. She had blue eyes, a strong chin and her angular face was slightly lined. She had to be in her late nineties.

”Are you the president of FOW?” Hermione shouted.

”Yes I am. Ursula Gabbingsworth,” the witch replied, looking at Hermione’s sign with approval.

”Well, I’m Hermione Granger…a friend of Remus Lupin. He won’t be able to make it here today. A friend of his is very sick…on the brink of death actually. He’s with him now,” Hermione informed the woman.

Ursula looked sympathetic.

“Oh, how sad for him. I imagine it is someone close?” she asked Hermione.

”Yes. A gentleman named Rubin Fezwig,” Hermione replied.

Ursula stared at Hermione.

”Oh no. Not Rubin,” she said softly, “He’s a friend of mine…in fact of many of the members. He donated a lot of money to FOW. His son had the malady, you know…and met a sad end…a very sad end.”

Hermione nodded, not knowing what to say. Suddenly Ursula placed her wand against her throat and invoked the Sonorous charm so her voice was amplified.

”Friends! Friends, listen a moment please!” she shouted.

The chants died down.

”I have just been informed that Mr. Lupin will not be arriving here at the Ministry, because he is at the bedside of Mr. Rubin Fezwig, our friend and supporter of many years, who is close to his demise” she said as murmurs and cries of “oh no” filled the air.

”But we will continue to come here in support of Mr. Lupin every day until he himself appears, to show the world how noble, courageous and deserving those cursed with the werewolf malady can be, and to work toward securing the full rights of citizenship for this overlooked and persecuted sector of our society!” she cried.

Shouts of “Hear! Hear!” and applause followed.

”As for Rubin Fezwig, he has always been there for us, though he was a quiet, almost invisible presence, preferring to support us financially. Yet he has always been with us in spirit, also a victim of the unfair laws that drove his son to a life of crime. He did his part and will always be remembered with love and respect,” she said, tapping her wand to her upper left forearm. A green band appeared. She held up her arm.

”For Rubin Fezwig!” she cried.

”For Rubin!” the crowd shouted, every person placing a green armband on their left upper forearm, “For Rubin!”

Hermione felt herself tearing up as the people chanted Rubin’s name several times before returning to supporting Remus and the werewolf community.

”Tell Mr. Lupin we are with him,” Ursula said to Hermione, “Tell him he is not alone. We are with him until the end. He won’t be denied his just desserts.”

”I will tell him,” Hermione said, her eyes glistening, “Thank you, Miss Gabbingsworth.”

”That’s Ursula, my dear,” the president said with a smile, “Just Ursula.”

”Thank you Ursula. I have to go speak with Rita Skeeter,” Hermione said.

Ursula nodded.

”Rita was the one who contacted us. She did the movement a great favor,” Ursula said, “Who would have thought someone who slings as much trash as she does would do such a thing?”

Hermione just smiled. She had known. Of course, it wasn’t so much social conscience that moved Rita as it was the purpose of getting a good story going. But there was no reason to tell Ursula this.

”Goodbye, Ursula,” Hermione said, shaking the woman’s hand and making her way toward the edge of the crowd and Rita.

She emerged and Rita saw her immediately and grabbed her arm, pulling Hermione away.

”When is Lupin going to show up?” Rita asked her a bit angrily, “The public is waiting!”

”Didn’t you just hear what Ursula announced? He’s with Rubin,” Hermione said.

“Yes. Yes I know. I know. He’s dying. Do you think it will take long?” Rita inquired.

Hermione looked at the reporter incredulously. How could she be so callous?

Rita scowled at her.

”Don’t give me that disapproving look,” the reporter said, “There’s news waiting to happen. The farmer’s holding it up.”

Hermione fought to keep her wand in her pocket.

”He’ll come when he’s ready to come,” Hermione replied, forcing her voice to remain steady.

“Only the gods know when that will be,” Rita muttered, “I’m glad I have that Fenrir column tomorrow for filler. Barnabas isn’t going to be happy Remus didn’t show.”

”Fenrir column?” Hermione asked her curiously.

”Yes, yes,” Rita said impatiently, watching the crowd for anything interesting, “I did a little background research on him. It seems he and his mother were constantly harassed by the Aurors when he was a boy. Lots of reports from his mother about stealing, taking of valuables and money from their home and threats against her son. None of them were ever addressed but all were filed. One night four Aurors were killed at his home and Fenrir disappeared. His mother’s statement said one of the Aurors tried to steal a silver picture frame given to her by her deceased husband and pushed her to the floor. She claimed Fenrir tried to protect her but it got out of hand and he killed them all in self-defense. She was killed in a mysterious fire the following week. It was strange because no witch should ever get caught in a fire. They can disapparate away…but she died and was buried on the land. The killings and turnings started after that,” Rita told Hermione, who covered her mouth with her hand.

“That’s terrible,” she said.

Rita nodded.

”I think Fenrir is going to have a bit of sympathy from the public…not much because he was a cold-blooded killer, but it seems he was created by the Ministry itself. I’m approaching the story from the angle that if he and his mother weren’t so badly treated in the first place, Fenrir probably wouldn’t have become the killer he did. If he had been granted the same rights and protections of ordinary citizens, all those lives he took could have been spared,” Rita said, “And, here is the clincher…the Ministry may be creating another Fenrir as we speak. I’ve interviewed a few werewolves who only spoke on the grounds that they wouldn’t be identified, and they are still being robbed and arbitrarily beaten by Aurors from the Werewolf Control department. I’ve even seen pictures. Terrible…just terrible. I’m going to include one of a young man of about fifteen with his eyes swollen shut. Good press there. I can guarantee another outcry,”

Rita rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

Hermione couldn’t say that she approved of Rita’s motivations. The reporter simply wanted good press. But she had to admit that people would most likely be outraged about how Fenrir became the way he did, and the continued abuse of people with the malady.

”I’m going to go, Rita,” Hermione said to the reporter.

”All right. Let me know when the farmer’s funeral is. It ought to be good for filler,” the reporter said.

Hermione counted to three, then left Rita’s presence before she hit her with a Zipper Mouth hex. The woman was useful but irritating as hell.

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Severus returned with the exhausted students well after nine pm. He escorted the silent, sweaty and disgruntled students to the Fat Lady and looked at them imperiously.

”You have each earned a day off of your detentions,” the wizard said with a smirk as the students fought back exclamations of dismay. With all the work they did on Rubin’s farm, they should have had credit against further detentions.

“You will find your class assignments in your rooms, and are expected to have them complete ON TIME. You will leave them on your nightstands where they will be collected. Since you each have a week’s worth of detentions, you will each be going to Mr. Fezwig’s farm each day to tend to his animals under his final arrangements are made,” Severus said.

“Professor Snape, why are there only Gryffindors doing this? There have to be other students from the other houses that have detentions,” a curly-haired young wizard with mud or worse on his nose said, frowning at the Professor.

Severus arched an eyebrow at him.

”Do you really have to ask, Mr. Blackberry?” the wizard purred at him.

Dwayne let out a sigh. No, he didn’t. Everyone knew Professor Snape hated Gryffindor House and did all he could to make their lives miserable.

”No sir,” he responded.

“Good,” Severus replied, “And twenty points from Gryffindor for your asking such an impertinent question.”

All of the students groaned as Dwayne sullenly said the password and they climbed in one after the other.

”I will be collecting you at ten,” Severus called after them, a nasty grin on his face as the portrait swung closed. He turned and started walking away.

”You nasty, nasty man,” the Fat Lady hissed under her breath.

Severus paused.

”An astute assumption on your part, Lady,” he purred without turning around. Then he continued on to Albus’ office to give him Rubin’s things.

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”Ah, just as I thought,” Albus said, lowering Rubin’s will, “He’s left almost everything to Remus, except for a generous trust to FOW. He made a number of very astute investments it seems. Remus will not only have money but land as well. I am not sure how the Ministry deals with werewolves owning land, though they do own their homes at the werewolf village. If they attempt to argue the point, we can refer to other homeowners with the malady. I doubt if there will be much dispute on the part of the Ministry about it. Not with all the attention Remus is receiving.”

Severus nodded.

“It seems as if Remus has finally come into his own,” the Professor said, “It’s a shame we didn’t realize that his fighting the transformation, and his subsequent use of the wolfsbane potion was the reason he was so…reticent in his demeanor.”

Severus had learned that Remus came to Dumbledore asking him to do something about James and Sirius. Not that it meant much. The Potions Master believed him to have no backbone, no heart of his own. As far as Severus was concerned, Remus was a coward who let people do wrong without standing up for what was proper. Now he knew that Remus had never truly been himself. It didn’t change the past, but…at least there was another reason other than weakness of character. He was no Potter or Black.

”Yes, but from this point forward…we can expect nothing but the best from Remus Lupin,” Albus said.

Suddenly the floo turned green.

”Albus, Rubin is gone,” Poppy voice sounded from the floo.

Albus sighed, removing his glasses and rubbing his eyes as Severus sat somberly, his dark eyes resting on the Headmaster.

”Thank you, Poppy. I will be down presently,” Albus replied.

The flames returned to their normal color.

”Will you accompany me to the infirmary, Severus?” the wizard inquired, his eyes wet as he replaced his glasses.

Severus shook his head.

”No sir. I will pay my respects at a later time. Tonight is for friends…and loved ones,” the dark wizard said rising, “Good night, sir.”

”Good night, Severus,” Albus replied, watching as the Potions Master cast floo powder into the fireplace and stepped through.

He sighed.

”Such happiness and such sadness,” the old wizard said rising, “The duplicity of life is what makes it so, so precious.”

Gathering his robes about him and mentally preparing himself for the grief that would meet him, Albus took a deep breath and cast a handful of powder into the floo.

“The infirmary,” he said, stepping through.

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A/N: Thanks for reading. ***