74. the Great Hall
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He went upstairs to the Great Hall and nodded at his snakes as he passed them. He'd been so intent at his brewing that he had missed breakfast. The Slytherin table was always full even on weekends because of his insistence that his entire house eat three meals a day. He stopped briefly and looked around for Harry, spotting him sitting with his friends at the Gryffindor. Severus grinned slightly as he caught sight of Ron Weasley's face. He still looked as if he was about to sick up due to Draco, Mr. Knott, and Miss Bulstrode sitting at the Gryffindor table. He took his seat next to Minerva. "Mr. Weasley still has not changed his tune, I see."
Minerva shook her head. "I've thought about owling Molly, but I suspect the end result would be a Howler and that certainly would not soften Mr. Weasley's attitude any."
"Probably not," Severus agreed. "And Merlin knows we have had to listen to enough Weasley Howlers since the twins arrived."
"I've always suspected that Molly casts a special spell on them to make them even louder than they normally are."
"It would not surprise me to find you are correct."
He finished eating lunch and stopped by the Gryffindor table before he left the Great Hall to speak with Harry. He knelt down beside him so he was at eye level and said, "I thought you might like to have dinner in my quarters tonight if you do not have any other plans."
"No, I don't have plans for dinner and that sounds great. What are we having?"
"I was thinking a roast chicken for a start."
"That sounds good. Are you inviting mum too?"
"Yes, I am going to fire-call her when I get back to my quarters."
"What time then?"
"Six o'clock is fine," Severus answered as he got up again.
"Can we come down and study? Everybody wants to see Keb and Isis again too."
"Yes. I will be in my lab most of the time, but I expect you and your friends to hold down the noise."
"Okay, Dad. We'll be down in about an hour."
Mad-Eye limped gruffly out of his office and over to James and Sirius who were sitting on a bench in the corridor waiting. "Well, Potter you managed to pass all of my tests with a decent score and I've informed Rufus. Be here tomorrow morning at eight sharp to be sworn in. If you haven't got uniforms; you'll need to purchase them. You'll be on desk duty for two weeks until I'm certain you're up to speed."
"I've still got my uniforms from before. Sirius said there hasn't been any changes to them and they still fit me," James replied smugly.
"Good. Just make sure you're here tomorrow when you're supposed to be," Mad-Eye warned turning to go back into his office.
"Well, you're back in!" Sirius exclaimed exchanging a high five with James. "I told you that you had nothing to worry about. What do you say we go out and celebrate tonight?"
"Okay, but just for dinner, no booze. I don't want to be late and hung over on my first day back."
"Agreed," Sirius said as they left.
Inside his office, Moody cast a silencing spell and then said to Orion, "Severus reported to me that he and the Malfoys found the Hufflepuff Cup horcrux in Bellatrix Lestranges's personal vault this morning. I've already let Rufus know."
"We've got all of them then with the exception of the Ravenclaw Diadem?"
"All that we know about, but there could be more. We don't know if You-Know-Who might have made other horcruxes while in Albania," Moody said. "And if there's even one left; You-Know-Who cannot die."
Harry came into his dad's quarters and took an appreciative sniff of the scent of roasting chicken with herb stuffing. He went out into the kitchen and found him mum sitting and talking to his dad while sipping a glass of red wine. His dad was busy shaping kneaded bread into rolls. A glass of half-drunk wine sat beside him. "Hi Dad, Mum," Harry said waving. "Smells terrific and I'm hungry!"
"Hi Harry," Lily said, giving him a hug. She just felt as if she could never hug him enough.
"Do you need any help, Dad?"
"Well, I believe the potatoes are done. If you would like to drain and mash them while I put the rolls in the oven, you can. The rolls will be done by the time we're ready to sit down."
"Sure," Harry replied, pulling up the sleeves of his sweater. He expertly drained the potatoes, mashed them, added cream and butter and began whipping them vigorously. When he was finished, he removed a large bowl from the cupboard and put them in it, sprinkling fresh chopped chives over the top. He set the bowl on the table next to the bowls of peas and green beans. Severus had sliced the chicken and set the platter on the table and then went back into the kitchen to get the rolls which he brought back to the table wrapped in a napkin in a straw basket. He pulled out Lily's chair for her and seated her and then sat down. Lily was seated to his left and Harry to his right. They filled their plates and began eating.
"Your mashed potatoes are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, Harry," Lily complimented him.
"Thanks Mum. I had a lot of practice. Aunt Petunia hates lumpy potatoes," Harry replied. He turned to his father, missing his mother's frown. "What potion are you working on, Dad? It must really be important because I didn't see you at breakfast this morning and you were in your lab practically all afternoon."
"Yes, it is. I am working with the healer who has been taking care of Neville's parents. I am attempting to reverse the severe nerve damage they suffered with repeated use of the Cruciatus Curse."
"You mean your potion might get them well enough so Neville can have his parents back?"
"That is our hope, but please do not tell Neville. I do not want to get his hopes up and then have them crash if it does not work."
"It will work, Sev because you're a genius at inventing new potions," Lily said confidently.
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