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The Calm Before the Storm
By Loralee



Disclaimer: Not mine.

Summary: After the fall of Voldemort Snape has a sense of foreboding. Is it the rise of a new dark lord or something more sinister?


Severus Snape Potions Master and Professor woke with a start. He wasn't sure just what was bothering him. He dressed and began to roam Hogwarts, checking his rooms, labs, storage and personal wards before beginning a circuit of the school checking wards, locks and secret passages in a habitual but unthinking manner.

The war had been over for more than a decade, Voldemort defeated, Dumbledore retired and Harry 'bloody' Potter savior of the Wizarding world well away from Hogwarts. Severus ended his circuit up on the battlements looking out over the site of the final battle. He rubbed absently at his left forearm as a sense of foreboding washed over him.

As he stared out he wondered why he was still here at Hogwarts. He hated teaching the little dunderheads. Oh it was much better now, he had an apprentice that taught the lower levels. He had time to research and develop new potions, had patents, money and fame for his potions and his role in the war. He 'guest lectured' the advanced DADA classes three or four times a year and enjoyed it. He had no lack of partners for the few social function he attended. So what exactly was wrong that made him so fretful this early in the morning. He finally gave up trying to figure it out and descended to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Good morning Severus." Called McGonagall as he entered. "Are you ready for the term to begin? It should be an interesting year."

Snape sat and turned to the Headmistress. "Why should this year be any different than any other?" he questioned.

She looked surprised and he heard a chuckle from Vector.

"I told you he'd forgotten. I'll wager he hasn't looked over his class role for the first years yet either." Said the Arithmancy professor.

"Forgotten what? What are you on about?" Snarled Snape the unease of earlier returning stronger.

"It's been just over twelve years since the last battle Severus. The incoming first years are a rather larger than normal class." Said McGonagall with just a hint of a smile on her lips.

Severus paled as the sense of foreboding and unease were explained. The first of Harry 'Bloody' Potter's spawn would be coming to Hogwarts.

"I quit!"

"You can't quit Severus. Your contract is quite specific and you are passed the deadline. You are most defiantly committed to teaching this next term. The student will be here tomorrow." This time McGonagall was certainly smirking.

Snape left the table.

"Don't you want any breakfast Severus?" Vector called after him as he stalked away.

"No," he snarled, "I going to kill myself!"

The laughter behind him only added to his dismay.


In his quarters he fumed. He could just walk away. His apprentice could take over from him. McGonagall couldn't hold him to the contract if he just left. No, he decided that would be rather cowardly.

Potter, he hadn't given much thought to the boy savior for some time. He idly hoped that Potter had suffered for what he'd done. He often wondered how the boy had gotten himself into the predicament he had. Had Potter hoped to died taking out the Dark Lord? He still didn't have a clue. Perhaps it was time to find out.

Snape remembered it quite clearly.

The months before the final battle after he'd been found as a spy Snape had watched Potter and his harem dance around each other. Dumbledore had been sure that the Potter brat's defeat of the Dark Lord would be an instinctual use of wild magic. The Granger girl had a different idea and Potter had sided with her.

Snape sneered to himself. Love would be the power to defeat the Dark Lord. Granger had convinced Potter and several other girls that he needed their strength. The bed hopping that had accompanied that plan had staggered even Dumbledore and try as the Headmaster had even he could not stop the plan.

By the time of the final battle Potter to his shock had managed to impregnate six girls. If he had not managed to defeat the Dark Lord in the fashion that he did he'd have been strung up by irate parents. Others in Potter's class had taken advantage of the 'the final battle is coming I don't want to die a virgin' line to further populate the incoming class of first years.

The Board of Governors blamed Dumbledore for a to permissive an atmosphere.

Now Snape was left to deal with the results. The evidence all to clear on the roster of first years; a Bones-Potter, a Granger-Potter, a Greengrass-Potter, a Lovegood-Potter, a Longbottom, a Patil-Potter, dear gods a second Patil-Potter, and one, two, three Weasleys.

Feeling terribly ill Snape dropped his head to his desk and for the first time in years he cried.


The Calm Before the Storm: Sorting


Hangover cure, pain potion and calming draught assured that Severus Snape looked to be in a reasonable frame of mind when he entered the Great Hall just prior to the students arrival.

McGonagall and Sprout smirked at each other and then the Headmistress addressed Snape.

"I see you are still alive and well, Severus."

Snape glared at her. "I have decided this is my last year teaching, Headmistress. My apprentice Marcus will be able to sit his Masters by the end of term and can therefore take over for me next year."

McGonagall looked surprised. "I'm sure it won't be that bad Severus."

He shook his head. "I am also sure it won't Headmistress. Marcus will be teaching the lower levels and I am sure that Potter's spawn will be disgustingly Gryffindor and there for Vector's problem and not mine. I believe that I can successfully avoid the brat's completely."

McGonagall smiled, "A wise choice I'm sure Severus but I would still like to discuss you staying at a later time."

Snape sneered and Sprout rolled her eyes as the students settled into their seats and Professor Vector lead the new first years into the Hall.

Sprout gulped and her eyes widened at the sight of sixty-eight first years, almost double the amount of students from previous years.

Snape sneered at the children trying to guess which of the disgusting creatures were Potter spawn.

Vector held up a parchment and began to call names: Abercrombie, Janice became a Gryffindor, Boot, Leo was a Ravenclaw, Creevey, Harrietta became a Gryffindor.

Snape shook his head at the small, enthusiastic blonde. Flint, Michael became a Slytherin as did Foust, David and Longbottom, Alice became a Gryffindor.

Snape's eyes narrowed as he heard a name he'd missed on the roster. Lupin, Sirius became a Gryffindor.

Finally Vector came to the P's and with a deep breath called out the first one. Potter, Cedric was a pink-cheeked boy with messy strawberry blonde hair and Potter's green eyes who sat under the hat for some time before being proclaimed 'Hufflepuff'.

Snape's eyes widened slightly as a gasp was heard from the direction of Sprout. The next name was Potter, James who had messy brown hair and the same green eyes. Again there was a delay before the hat yelled; 'Slytherin' and Snape almost fell out of his chair. He sat there shaking his head as the next Potter, Remus was called, a shorter delay this time and he became a Ravenclaw. The next one was Potter, Rose a dark skinned girl with long black hair and green eyes who was sorted into Ravenclaw. Flitwick squeaked in excitement at the second Potter to be sorted into his house.

Potter, Selene a green-eyed blonde with a rather vague expression caused Snape to bang his head into the table as she was sorted into Slytherin. The last Potter Violet was nearly identical to Rose and was the only Potter to go into Gryffindor.

Snape sat through the rest of the sorting in a daze not really hearing Weasleys; Arthur, Harry and Molly sorted to Gryffindor or Zabini, Philip to Slytherin.


A rather pale Headmistress stood at the end of the sorting for the start of the term notices and tried not to notice her potions master banging his head repeatedly on the table in front of him.


The Calm Before the Storm-Rumblings


Severus Snape paced down the corridor. His head hurt and the lump had turned purple, he couldn't believe there was Potter spawn in his house.

Snape stopped and slid into the shadows of a nearby alcove when he heard footsteps. Catching some student out of bed on the first night would make him feel better. Then he heard the hissing.

The hair on the back of his neck stood up and his left arm began to ache as he recognized the sounds of Parseltongue. He stood rooted to the floor as two small children stopped just short of his hiding place.

He recognized them and as he was about to step out when he again heard footsteps. From the opposite direction this time came the other four Potter spawn.

"Stop with the Parseltongue. Remember dad said not to let anyone know. It could wreck his plans. After all we don't want him being accused of being a Dark Lord, even if the Mums say he's a demon." Said James.

"Oh, Jamie you're such a wet blanket. There isn't anyone around they're all snug in their beds." Spoke Cedric.

"You're the one supposed to mind all the rule you Hufflepuff." Snarked Remus.

"Look now is not the time to argue." Said Rose, "We got into the houses we wanted. The plan is going good. It really would have been suspicious if we'd all gone into Slytherin. Did the hat suggest any place other than Slytherin for anyone?"

"It really didn't seem to care by the time it got to me." Smirked Violet.

"I really had to fight for Hufflepuff." Said Cedric. "But I just said I didn't want to share a house or quidditch team with the rest of you."

Snape listened to the conversation with growing horror. Potter becoming a dark lord was what Albus had feared but if he was a demon that explained quite a lot and meant that these children were demon spawn.

"Well I say we find the bathroom and open the Chamber, I want to get some sleep sometime to night."

As a group they turned and Snape saw six pairs of glowing green eyes.

The Potter children didn't seem to hear the muffled thump of a body hitting the floor as they walked down the corridor glancing at their identical pieces of parchment.

"What is it Poppy?" Asked Minerva McGonagall as she entered the infirmary in her dressing gown.

"Filch found Severus passed out in the third floor corridor. When I brought him around he was hysterical. All I got was something about the dark lord, demon spawn and quidditch. I gave him a calming draught and dreamless sleep."

"Well let me know when he wakes, I suppose I'll have to have a talk with him. Honestly you'd think he'd realize that no dark lord it going to rise as long a Harry is the Head of the Auror Department."


The Calm Before the Storm - Lightening Strikes

When Severus Snape received the summons to the Headmistress' office that afternoon he hoped she had reconsidered his warning. That morning when he had woken and discovered that he had been sedated against his will by Poppy Pomfrey, Severus had been very upset. He had tried to make Minerva understand that Potter was a danger, that his spawn had been out after hours intending to penetrate the Chamber that Albus had sealed years ago. She had not believed him.

Now she had summoned him hopefully to listen this time.

He strode into her office only to be confronted with the new Dark Lord, Harry Potter himself, drinking tea and sharing gossip with the headmistress.

"What is he doing here?" Snape sneered, unwilling to show how shaken he was a Potter's appearance.

"I thought that you needed to see for yourself Severus that Harry is not a demon or a dark lord." Said McGonagall.

Harry Potter smirked at Severus, rose and extended a hand.

"Hello, Snape it's been a long time. How have you been?"

Snape drew himself up there was no way he was taking Potter's hand. The hand dropped and Potter's smirk grew wider.

"Well I told you Minerva that there would be no changing his mind. I expect you to review all the interaction between this Professor and my children. He is obviously still holding a grudge. Since he's already accused them of rule breaking on the first day." Said Potter.

"Of course Harry." Said McGonagall.

With a nod Potter strode to the door, "I'll see myself out and give your regards to my ladies."

After Potter was gone Severus turned to McGonagall to complain about being surprised but before he was able to open his mouth she lit into him.

"Honestly, Professor Snape I am most appalled by your behavior. I will certainly not tolerate the type of behavior Albus let you get away with towards the Potter children. Harry Potter is one of the most widely respected wizards in the world. As head of the DMLE he is a leader in the fight against Dark wizards and you dare to accuse him. Hermione is the Head of the Department of Mysteries and Harry just told me that Daphne is running for Minister in the next election. You had better get over this silly grudge or I will be accepting your resignation."

"Minerva..." Snape tried to get in a word.

"No, Severus, if and in my book it is a big if, those children were out after curfew last night I am sure that what ever you think you heard was a prank. If you saw them out of bed then you should have confronted them as soon as you saw them instead of spying on mere children. You may go."

Severus straightened his shoulders and stormed from the room. There must be something that could be done. He started down the corridor toward his dungeon when he felt a spell hit him.

When Snape came to he was suspended off the floor, pressed against the wall of an unused classroom.

"Hello Snape." Came the voice.

"Potter how dare"

His voice broke as a wand was pressed against his neck.

"No talking, it's my turn now, Snape. I was willing to let you be. You do remember the end of Voldemort don't you?" Snape nodded eyes widening.

"How the death eaters collapsed as good old Voldy died, how they screamed their lives away, how you survived?"

Snape was trembling now, he did remember the mark bursting in to agony, feeling his magic and his life burning away, and how Potter leaned over him and hissed in Parseltongue and the pain stopped.

"Yes, I see you do. I thought that day of letting you die for the torment you put me through do you know why I didn't?"

Snape's head move sideways fractionally.

"Because I had a use for you."

Snape's eyes widened.

Yes, that's right, the werewolf cure you were collaborating on with Padma. I knew all about it. She needed you to get her Mastery. I don't need you any more."
Potter's eyes were glowing with an intensity that Snape had only seen once, the day Voldemort was killed.

"Now I will let you live but there are some conditions. You will treat my children with respect and courtesy. If you catch them breaking the rules, pranking, out of bounds that sort of thing you will punish them in the same way you would punish any other of your Slytherins. They need to learn not to get caught. You will not try to convince anyone that I am the next dark lord or dark in any way."

Snape nodded slightly. He would agree to anything at this point.

"And since agreements made under duress are easily broken I think I will take out some insurance." Then Potter began to hiss and Severus Snape's arm burst into agony once more.

When Snape recovered his wits once more he was sitting in a comfortable chair in front of Potter who handed him a cup of water.

"Better?" at Snape's nod he went on, "You should know that I've placed a secrecy spell on you. It is impervious to detection. My mark is emplaced where the dark mark was. It's always been there but only you and others in my employ can see it now. If you wish to leave Hogwarts I will insure that you find gainful employment in one of the most up to date potions research facilities in the world." Harry smiled.

"I take care of my people and make no mistake Severus Snape, you are mine." With those words Harry Potter waved a hand to dismiss the wards on the room and walked out with out a backward glance.

Snape pulled up his sleeve to gaze on the jagged flaming green lightening bolt adorning his left forearm and began to laugh, dark or light he was well and truly screwed.


A/N. Hermione- Head of the DoM, Daphne-soon to be Minister of Magic, Susan- top healer St Mungo's, Padma- Potions Mistress and Head of R&D Potter/Longbottom Greenhouses & Labs Inc, Luna- Ed in Chief Quibbler Publications, Pavarti- co owner with Lavender Weasley Styles Unlimited, Fine Wizard Wear for the Superior Witch & Wizard.