Chapter 52. Calm
Half an hour after Severus left, Dumbledore finally reached the cave and, seeing that the hat was unharmed, felt a rush of relief.
"Albus, you took your time."
"I only found out five minutes ago that someone had kidnapped you. I just do not understand how he managed to do it, especially from my office," Dumbledore added, stepping up to the hat and touching the barrier. It vanished a second later. "Did you figure out who it was?"
"How would I? He hid his face and altered his voice, but I think he is not a bad person."
"I see. I am glad to hear it." Picking up the note lying beside it, Dumbledore stroked his beard, and a few seconds later he smiled. "You never said you were so bored in my office. Why did you not say anything?"
"Huh? What does it say?" the hat asked in bewilderment, sounding a little embarrassed by his words.
"That I am an ungrateful old fart exploiting the labor of a poor artifact and not caring about its opinion, while giving it not a shred of freedom, making it just gather dust on an old shelf among all the other junk."
"Now, now, Albus, of course he is wrong." Yet it said it in such an ironic tone that even a wizard as wise as Dumbledore felt a twinge of embarrassment.
"I understand. Perhaps he is right. I will think about how to resolve this issue." Coughing a few times, he put the sheet away in a spatial artifact. "What did he need you for?"
"He did not need me, he needed the Sword of Gryffindor."
"The sword? Do not tell me." The hat chose to remain silent, and Dumbledore frowned. "So he managed to take it. How did he do it?"
"He used a weakness in the spells cast on me and on the sword."
"A weakness?"
"Illusions. He made me believe that James Potter was in danger by creating a very realistic illusion, and the sword reacted to that." The hat's voice did not sound sad or angry; on the contrary, there was a hint of amusement in it. "I kept telling Godric it was foolish. 'Only a true Gryffindor can pull the sword out.'"
"I see. Did he say what he needed it for?"
"He said he is fond of fencing and is looking for a worthy sword, though it is hard for me to believe that."
Let us hope he will not use that sword for evil. And will not become another problem like Tom, he added to himself with a weary sigh as he picked up the hat and Apparated back to Hogwarts.
At first Severus had planned to obtain the sword by force, breaking into the Headmaster's office and taking the hat after a brief fight.
But thanks to the morning letter he received from Malfoy, warning that people would soon be coming for him, Severus came up with a new idea: simply lure Dumbledore out of Hogwarts and send the house-elf he had trained to fetch the hat. The elf could Apparate within the castle walls, while it was completely impossible for humans because of the charms placed on the castle back in the days of the first wizarding war, the war with Grindelwald, with the exception of the classroom where the Ministry official teaches that subject, and even then only during lessons.
And everything went as perfectly as possible, to the point that Severus himself was a bit surprised. He had assumed it would be much harder to draw Dumbledore out of his office, but a single letter and a squad of Aurors coming to the school were enough to make him act.
Returning to the shop, Severus almost immediately went into the training room and began analyzing the sword.
First of all, he removed all tracking spells similar to his own marks, and the link between the hat and the sword. Only then did he begin studying the sword itself.
After a detailed examination, Severus could not suppress a joyful smile, because the effort had been worth it. Not only was the metal far from ordinary and quite decent for this world, the crystals could also store magic and, at the right moment, abruptly flood the wizard's body with it, increasing his physical capabilities for several dozen seconds. The fact there were no charms on the sword at all did not surprise him, since he had already learned from history that Godric mostly used this sword for ceremonies, as well as in duels and fights with Muggles.
But what was most intriguing, and did not escape his sharp eye, was the sword's special property of taking on the magical qualities of everything it touched. Thanks to the metal, it was also an excellent conductor of magic. You could even say it was the ideal sword for battle mages, wizards who used warrior skills, limiting themselves not only to magic but also able to fight in close combat and combine the two.
Severus was very pleased with his new acquisition, though he still decided to work a little on its appearance, adding more dark tones.
Closer to morning, Aurors dropped by his little shop, that same group of ten, returning everything they had taken from it, with apologies on top in the form of five thousand galleons. Severus, of course, magnanimously forgave them, but first they had to do a thorough cleaning, and they even gave him back that very hand they had found in his place, wearing very sour expressions.
Toward evening, after handing Karner a purse with potions for the next two weeks, Severus returned to Hogwarts.
On the way to his room, students stared at him in surprise, apparently not expecting him to return so soon, and only later did he learn from a house-elf that the Aurors had caused quite a stir at the school. They strode around the castle like they owned the place, went into the Slytherin common room, and then broke into his room and turned everything upside down.
Severus paid little attention to the students, since this was far from the first time he had encountered such a reaction, and when they had learned who owned the little shop in Diagon Alley, it had been much worse. A real line had formed at his door even from other houses, and he had not had a second of peace during breaks.
At last reaching his room, with the door still intact, he flung it open and was greeted by a pair of narrowed eyes with vertical pupils.
"My little Nagini, did you miss me?" he winked with a smile, closing the door behind him.
"As if. But I am glad you are back. I will have someone to talk to," Nagini snorted, keeping her composure as she lowered her head onto a cushion and closed her eyes.
"Ah. and I hurried so to get to my little Nagini, thinking you were worried about me." Severus intoned tragically, clutching his heart, and after a few pirouettes fell down beside her. "Nellie, thank you for taking care of this layabout."
"M. master must not thank Nellie. Nellie is glad to serve master and mistress," the little house-elf in a lilac dress stammered quickly, standing by the bed with a large fan.
"From what I gather, everything worked out for you?" Nagini asked casually, trying to maintain her cool.
"Yes, it went as well as it possibly could." Severus raised his hand, and in the next second a rather plain-looking, long dark blade appeared in it, distinguished from other similar swords only by the dark runes along the center of the blade and the guard shaped like the letter E. Otherwise it was an entirely ordinary sword, so it did not elicit any particular surprise from Nagini. "For now it is the best I have seen." ...in this world, he added silently as he put it away.
"I am happy for you. I hope you will not expose yourself like that again."
Even though Nagini knew he sensed her emotions, she still tried not to show them. My teacher was right: "Women are the strangest creatures. One thing in their head, another on their tongue." Smiling, Severus started stroking her head gently. "I will try, of course, but I promise nothing." Feeling through the bond a flicker of displeasure and, at the same time, a trace of joy and calm, he could not help himself, and his smile turned a little crooked.
But at that moment the idyll in the room was spoiled in the worst possible way: by a loud knock at the door.
"Open it, Nellie, it is Professor Slughorn," Severus said. He had little trouble sensing Slughorn's magic, and the charms he had put on the door, so he would know whether anyone was waiting for him, also played their part.
"Yes, master." Nodding timidly, the elf quickly went to the door, and as soon as she opened it, a somewhat agitated Head of House walked in. Seeing his student sitting on the bed, smiling and stroking Nagini, he froze.
"Severus, are you all right? I heard the Aurors took you away and accused you of possessing Dark artifacts."
"Perfectly, Professor. I even managed to profit from it," Severus replied with a smile, noting the concern on Slughorn's face.
"Thank Merlin. I was about to ask my mentor for help, but apparently that will not be necessary," Slughorn exhaled in relief, wiping his brow with a handkerchief. "Did you manage to find out the real reason?"
"Potions, Professor. Potions."
Slughorn frowned at once, but after a moment's thought he nodded.
"You said you only gained from this?"
"Yes. I made a deal with the Minister that I will hand over the recipes, but in return I will receive a certain percentage of every potion sold, so I only end up ahead," Severus answered with a proud smirk, and surprise flashed across Slughorn's face.
"I am glad for you, Severus, very glad," he nodded with a smile, then added sternly, "But even if you make a fortune, that will not be grounds to skip my extra classes. Was I clear?"
"Of course, Professor. I will definitely earn a gold cauldron before I leave Hogwarts."
"I am glad to hear it." For a moment his gaze slid down to Nagini, who, sensing it, narrowed her eyes in annoyance and hissed. "Er. Severus, I have a request to make of you."
"I am listening."
"I. might I take a little of her venom?" Slughorn asked awkwardly. Nagini was taken aback by such a proposal, and Severus was a bit surprised as well.
"If she wants to, otherwise I cannot help you."
Swallowing, Slughorn looked down again at Nagini, who was watching him with a displeased squint.
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