The first thing the students noticed when they came into the hall was the lack of food.
“What has the old man come up with now? Is he going to starve us? ”Ron moaned.
"Come on, let's have a seat, we'll surely find out," Harry suggested.
Gabrielle said goodbye to her big friends and sat down with a group of first years with whom she got along very well.
meanwhile, Ron and Draco grumbled together over the empty tables.
"How can you be so hungry?"
“Mine, you've been asking yourself that since first grade. and my answer will always be the same: I have no idea, ”Harry grinned.
"Back then I was still under the assumption that only Ron was such a glutton, but Draco is just as bad."
The young hero said nothing to that.
when they got to their desks they all looked forward to the teachers' table. It looked like the professors didn't know why there was no food either.
at some point a side door opened and McGonagall and the headmaster entered the room.
"Finally," muttered Ron.
Minerva had been contacted by Amelia Bones about Flea half an hour ago. she had informed her of the punishment Dumbledore had received from her. Then the teacher had gone to the director's room and met a wildly raging director for whom she also had to play nanny. he wasn’t allowed to wander the corridors alone.
Partly she was glad that Albus no longer had that much power, but it bothered the Scottish woman that all work was now hanging on her. she would later call the other teachers together and make a plan that divided all the tasks fairly. Otherwise she wouldn't keep up with her classes. Severus was also able to forget her, he had enough to do with the behavior lessons. So even one less. Still she would ask him. Maybe he could spare time somewhere. but now she first had to educate the children about the new situation.
She made sure Albus sat down before going to the lectern.
“Dear students, there have been some changes,” she began.
"Are we put on a diet?blurted out a student.
“No, you will still get your food. However, Director Dumbledore will no longer appear in the future. "
And so the teacher began listing all the punishments Albus had received. of course the children wanted to know the reason, so she had to briefly touch on the article in the newspaper. Even if Harry had already confronted the headmaster with it. no one would have thought that the old man would one day be punished for his mistakes.
"In the future, the director will only take care of the paperwork, all other activities will be taken over by the teachers."
"Does that mean he can no longer get too close to us?" A girl wanted to know who clearly had a fairy involved.
"Yes, Ms. Lol, that's it," confirmed the assistant director.
in response to these words, almost all of the students began to cheer. It no longer held any in its place. There were only a few incredulous faces to be seen, but the rest of them didn't care.
Severus looked at his husband.
"I always thought the children would only start celebrating together when I retired."
Sirius said with a grin:
“Then you can see that you are not that unpopular after all. after all, none of the students mutinied when they found out that you were responsible for the behavior lessons. "
"Yes, because they would never have dared to do it," said the jailer grimly.
"However I am glad that the old owl can no longer harm a child."
"At least not at school," interjected Severus.
"You don't think he would dare to behave wrongly now, do you?"
severus gave his husband a piercing look.
"Do you still believe in Santa Claus?"
"You think I'm naive?"
"However."
"Let's hope you're wrong," growled the former marauder.
Severus nodded.
When the students had finally calmed down a bit, the deputy headmistress let the food appear. The children pounced on it like starved hyenas.
Harry looked inconspicuously at the staff table. one of his fathers seemed very pleased with himself. Severus, on the other hand, looked grouchy as always. He probably didn't think it was that easy to silence the old man. And Harry agreed with him. especially when he saw out of the corner of his eye how this director secretly got up and walked towards the students' desks. Nobody had discovered him yet, everyone was still in too much of a celebratory mood. Even the teachers chatted cheerfully with one another. that changed when the man stopped right in front of Harry.
'Why always me?' The boy grumbled mentally.
"Go, you are not allowed to approach us any more."
This poisonous statement came, surprisingly to everyone, from Neville.
dumbledore ignored the young man. He continued to stare at Harry.
"That's really scary," he muttered.
"Just forget about him, he can't talk to you anyway," Ginny tried to distract him.
now the teachers had noticed where the old man was.
Severus jumped up as if bitten by the Niffler and leapt across the table. Sirius came right behind him.
Albus just grabbed Harry's hand and put a note inside.
"Hey," he mutinied immediately.
In the next second, the old man's clothes changed. Amelia's secret punishment had had its effect.
Everyone present dropped their jaws. fleur even covered her sister's eyes.
"Merlin," Luna whimpered.
"This gives me nightmares," Draco yelped.
“Can someone please scratch my eyes out? Astoria?"
"Only if you dazzle me too," her sister said.
"Please, even I'll run out of food." That was Ron now.
Severus turned reproachfully to McGonagall.
"Why didn't you warn us?"
"Do I look like I knew about it?" She shot back and gestured at the headmaster in horror.
albus himself stared down at himself in shock. It was plain to see that he hadn't known about the part of the sentence either.
Only Sirius was grinning like a madman.
"Sirius Orion Black, do you have something to tell us?" Severus wanted to know.
“First of all, my name is Black Snape, you should know. And then, honestly, I didn't think she would really pull it off. "
"That was Amelia?" Poppy said in disbelief.
"Yes, she was incredibly angry when she read the wind-cut article. And since she has not liked our esteemed director for years, she seized the opportunity. the ritual guards did a really great job. "
"A little childish for ritual guards, don't you think?" Harry wanted to know.
Sirius shrugged.
“Let them have the fun. The other punishments are serious enough.
and how long do you want to stand here and be admired? Hopefully you don't expect one of us to change you? "
At the aristocrat's spiteful words, Dumbledore blushed as red as a tomato and made him get away. however, it got stuck on the door.
Minerva sighed:
"Mr. Filch, would you please accompany the director to his rooms, he is no longer allowed to do it alone. "
"Great, am I a nanny now?" He snorted.
"See it positively, maybe some of his magic will rub off on you," the woman tried to comfort him.
"That's an argument, come on then."
Dumbedore had no choice but to follow the old caretaker like a good dog. He wanted out of that damn diaper.
The next morning, Harry's entire year was sitting together in a large classroom. they waited for Severus to teach them etiquette. However, there was only one topic of conversation at the moment. The disempowerment of Albus Dumbledore. And associated with that, of course, this embarrassing punishment with the baby clothes.
“These are images that have haunted my dreams. Why did my aunt think that was funny? "
"Because it probably is for the adults too," said Goyle.
"They all have a strange sense of humor," Crabbe grumbled.
"What was actually on the paper that the old man gave you?" Pansy wanted to know.
Harry shrugged:
"Can't tell you, Dad took it from me before I could read it."
“You don't have to know what this man wanted from you either. I burned the note, ”said a dark voice from the classroom entrance.
All students automatically turned to their teacher.
“I wasn't that keen on the content either. Believe me, I can very well imagine what it said. "
"And your guess isn't that far off the mark."
.“Hey, I thought this lesson was about proper manners in society. Then why are you reading my mind? I am sure that this is considered very rude. "
Severus had to smile at Harry's outburst.
"You can read your thoughts from your face."
"Great, do we learn from you how I can prevent that in the future?" Harry wanted to know.
"We will see."
.Severus started the lesson by handing out the book, Etiquette in the Magic World, to everyone who did not yet have one.
“I want you all to read this book. It is an introduction to the society of the magical world. in order to live in this world without offending it is essential to adhere to the points described. "
Pansy pointed up.
"Yes, Ms. Parkinson?"
"But if these points are so important, why didn't Professor Umbridge stick to them?"
“That is a very good question, such a mistake shouldn't have happened to the woman. What's worse, however, is that she didn't even know the rules herself. and it is precisely this negligence that has resulted in every employee of the Ministry now having to undergo a test. If you don't pass it, you also have to take part in a behavioral course. "
"And you run him?" Hermione wanted to know.
severus scowled at the girl.
“Don't wake sleeping dogs, I've got enough to do with this school. And while we're at it, Msgranger, finally stop blurting out the answers in class without asking. We all know you are a smart girl, but you take other people's chances to shine too. log in and wait until you are called. That is also part of etiquette. "
Hermione looked a little embarrassed. Then she raised her hand, though.
"Oh look, it works. Yes?"
"But if I can't come up with the answer, then I feel stupid."
Now the girl had the undivided attention of the whole class.
"And can you tell me why you feel this way?" Severus wanted to know.
"I'm of Muggle origin, so I always have to have top grades, otherwise I won't be taken seriously."
Severus glanced around the class and was dismayed to see that every child raised among Muggles nodded. his own son was no exception either. The students didn't seem to notice it themselves.
'Great, and now psychology too, it's getting worse and worse,' the Potions master pitied himself.
"It looks like a lot of you seem to think that way," he sighed.
Now the students who had grown up in the magical world saw each other too.
Crabbe pointed and Severus nodded to him.
“But you can't be good at everything. what should I say then? I have almost no talent and am only really good at transformation. I also don't know if I can get the required E everywhere. my biggest fear is to have to leave this school at the end of the year. "
Other students nodded.
"We teachers will talk about that with Professor Umbridge, I've already promised some students that," said Severus.
.now Ron answered and he was also taken.
“But the problem is not the woman but Fudge. He made this absurd rule. "
Severus had leaned against his table and crossed his arms. he looked into a series of long faces.
“Then we'll have to talk to the man too. It's just like Mister Crabbe said, that it is impossible to be good at everything. if I were in your position today, I would have to be seriously concerned about my grade in metamorphosis. We'd better not talk about history at all, the subject is an imposition. the goblins would rehearse a second riot if they knew that this ghost almost only reports that they did it once. "
The teacher earned a few laughs for this.
“But just to be on the safe side, you continue to form study groups. this can only be an advantage in this situation. This is also the best way to prevent house rivalries. Two birds with one stone."
Since his students were now a bit calmer, he could finally start the actual lessons.
"Now please open the book to page twenty-seven."
A low murmur went through the class.
"Table manners," it said.
“Stop doing this. I see you eating every day. believe me, most of you are in dire need of tutoring. And I would also like to enjoy my meal without losing my appetite at the sight of smacking students. "
Without much enthusiasm the students went to read the chapter.
Severus was aware that the lack of zeal was because most of his students thought they didn't need a class for this. but they were wrong. Correct behavior at the table was more than just keeping your mouth closed while chewing or holding the cutlery properly. And that's exactly what he'd teach the kids first