Severus relaxed in his armchair, nursing a glass of quality cognac - a present from a graduated Slytherin. She had passed her Potions NEWT with an Outstanding mark two years ago, and Severus - at her plea - continued to guide her via letters in her home self-studies. This summer she had managed to get a very prestigious position - her dream job - in the famous Canadian Potions laboratories. For these few successful students of his, Severus felt his work at Hogwarts made sense. A thank-you bottle of quality alcohol was just the cherry on top of the sundae.

If only every student knew what job they wanted to get after their graduation, and studied accordingly. The vast majority of the nerds just kept meandering through their subjects carelessly, lacking will, brain capacity, or talent to excel. As Harry did, for example, Severus sighed. He had hoped that with the proper amount of studying Harry could be reasonably competent in Potions - as Lily had been. However, even thought the boy was appropriately preparing for his lessons now - Severus had seen to that - he was still below average. It was rather frustrating for Severus to watch his sloppy ward producing so-far-from-perfect concoctions class after class. Severus would like to give the boy some extra lessons, but there was no time for them in Harry's schedule.

Severus frowned. Maybe the boy would be more attentive to his brewing if it weren't for Pomatia.

Weasley's pet owl had never been found, and the red-head boy was accordingly moody. Harry was furious on Weasley's behalf, as it didn't go well with his Gryffindor sense of fair game to attack a harmless animal. Of course, there was no proof or even one single hint that it was Pomatia's doing, but Severus had hardly any doubts about the culprit - especially after another handful of accidents had happened.

Only last week, Harry reported to Severus that a Gryffindor - Seamus Finnegan - had been unjustly accused of stealing from various other students. After a Defence lesson, Pomatia had forcibly gone through Seamus' bag - claiming that he had been informed by a student about Seamus' kleptomania - and found nonsense things as pens, ties, shawls and even a hairbrush - all of which belonged to other students - in Finnegan's bag. It was completely ridiculous, of course, but it still ended up with the boy being put on probation. Severus had to agree with his furious ward, Finnegan was hardly the right kind to suffer from kleptomania; the boisterous boy was much more likely to make faces or smart comments about the Defence teacher and thus provoke Pomatia's wrath.

Gryffindors, as Severus knew, weren't the only ones at odds with the Defence teacher. A seventh year, linguistically-strong Ravenclaw, Anita Boilcattle, had reacted with laughter when hearing the Defence teacher's name during the welcoming feast. The girl had got locked in a classroom the following Friday, and she was found three days later - on Monday morning - bound and silenced with a spell, without her wand and without memories about how she had gotten there. Severus gritted his teeth, remembering how awfully distressed the teen had been, even after having been dosed with a strong calming potion. It wasn't exactly a murder attempt, as Pomatia had had to know that the classroom would be opened on Monday - it was not as if anything pointed to Pomatia being the one to blame, of course - but who else? Miss Boilcattle was a descendant of a family which had been magical for several generations, a family that had stayed politically neutral, formed mostly of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. She certainly wasn't a typical Death-Eaters' target.

Another Ravenclaw had dared to correct Pomatia during one of his lessons - some detail about an inventor of a jinx, Severus was told - and he had fallen down a staircase the night after. He was still in the Hospital wing.

Another Ravenclaw lost his pet - a cat -without a trace, similarly to Weasley's owl.

Severus knew it was very likely there were even more cases of smaller acts of vindictiveness which he hadn't heard about. There were an unusually high number of complicated pimple-rash cases this school year, which might or might not be connected to the Defence teacher. Then there were way too many ‘lost' homework essays among Gryffindors - though one never knew with Gryffindors; maybe there were especially lazy this year?

Albus, who was busy with the approaching war, had been deaf to Severus' warnings.

"There's no proof it is Helix's doing, Severus, you have said so yourself," the Headmaster had opposed, adding one of his favourite quotes about innocence until proved guilty. Albus had refused to do anything to find any proof about who was to blame, however, and he even pointed out that he had often turned a blind eye on Severus' treatment of his students, 'having faith in you that you will find your way eventually, Severus'.

There was nothing he could say to that, of course. It stung, as Severus never did anything that could have endangered a student's life. However, Severus knew all too well that his own performance as a teacher sometimes bordered on verbal abuse, so he stayed silent.

He was reluctant to try to solve the situation by himself, without Albus' support. At the same time, however, he was also afraid that sooner or later Pomatia might actually kill a student - intentionally or not - and Severus would blame himself for it.

Another part of his nervousness sprang from the uneasy knowledge that Gryffindor students weren't very likely to bear such a teacher forever. They would eventually have a rebellion and Severus had the dark suspicion that his ward would be standing at the head of it.

After some pondering, Severus decided to try to approach Minerva. Her House was, after all, one of the most persecuted - Slytherins, on Severus' strict orders, were lying low; and Hufflepuffs, well, were Hufflepuffs.

Yes, Severus nodded to himself. As soon as a suitable moment came, he would have a chat with the fierce Scottish witch.

***

"Did you see the look in his eyes?" Hermione all but squealed on their way from the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. "What will I do now?"

She was asking them for the fourth time already, and Harry still didn't know the answer. She had just opposed Pomatia in class - a part of Harry was glad that she had, because otherwise it would have been he, Harry, who would have stopped the idiot from continuing to say such ridiculous crap. It would have consequences, of course, Snape would chew him up and Hedwig would be in danger.

"Crookshanks!" Harry blurted. Hermione turned to him in panic; and he added in a spurt of inspiration, "We should send him to Ron's mum; I bet she wouldn't mind having him for this school year. Well," he added optimistically, "maybe Pomatia won't even last for so long."

"Sure," Ron agreed readily, "Mum'll love to have someone to take care of. And we'll guard you, so that Pomatia can't attack you."

"He can try to attack me!" Hermione said fiercely and shook her head in an indisputably challenging manner. "He can try!"

Harry looked at her in awe. He wouldn't stand against her for all gold in his vault. She was like a lioness prepared to fight, furious and determined. Harry remembered the spring in their third year when Hermione's hand sent Malfoy down with his face bleeding. The thought suddenly crossed his mind that Ron unknowingly had found himself a girlfriend very similar to his own mother.

Hermione's sharp brain moved on immediately. "Do you think Professor McGonagall will let me Floo Crookshanks to the Burrow?"

***

"For God's sake, Minerva, do you really believe Finnegan has started stealing girls' hairbrushes and other garbage?" Severus asked exasperatedly. He was trying to persuade the witch that Pomatia was a dangerous person to have at the school staff, but she refused to believe in the man's petty vindictiveness. Merlin save us all from Gryffindors' naivety!

Minerva paused. "Well," she admitted hesitantly, "whilst I think that teenagers get cases of rash every year, whether it be more or less of them; and that pets sometimes - sadly - go missing, I have hard time to believe that Seamus would do such a thing."

"Don't forget Miss Boilcattle," Severus reminded her silkily, "it's been over a month since the attack and she is still on calming potions and has to take the Dreamless Sleep potion every night. I don't know how it influences her performance in your class, but I have lost one of the most competent brewers of her year."

Minerva's face turned white with fury. "If you prove that it was Pomatia's doing," she hissed like a furious cat, "or prove anyone else guilty, I swear I'll hex them until they wish they were never born!"

That's the spirit! Severus thought, satisfied. "If I find the culprit," he assured the witch easily, "I won't forget to invite you to scratch their eyes out. For now, I suggest we watch out for Pomatia's next sins. Once we catch him in action, we can squeeze the truth from him." Secretly, he wished he could interrogate the bastard without letting him to strike again first. Severus knew, however, that Minerva wouldn't let that happen - her sense of ‘fair play' was in the way.

Before Minerva could answer him, someone knocked on the door. At her call, Severus stood back and watched his ward and his two best friends enter Minerva's office. Granger had a rather big, ginger-coloured cat in her arms and she appeared on the verge of tears. Weasley and Harry had several large boxes in their hands.

"What is the meaning of this?" Minerva asked bemusedly. "Miss Granger, is something wrong with your cat?"

The big animal didn't appear ill or hurt, or even scared to Severus. It looked curiously around the office, sniffling the air with interest.

"Please, Professor, may I send Crookshanks to Mrs. Weasley through your Floo? I think he may be in danger here," Granger pleaded, and she hugged the cat harder. The animal had had enough of being squeezed and he wriggled out of the girl's arms and jumped on the floor gracefully.

"Why he should be in danger?" the Head of Gryffindor asked exasperatedly, and she obtained a rather incoherent explanation in two voices. Granger and Weasley, each over the top of the other, explained that the girl had accused Pomatia of being wrong earlier today, and now she was afraid it was just a matter of time before he struck.

Minerva shot Severus an accusing look. She apparently blamed him for spreading panic via Harry. She tried - to no avail - to persuade the Golden Trio that Pomatia may have been falsely accused of misplacing the lost pets.

Severus stepped in before he would be forced to witness a discussion on the old topic. "Minerva, if I may... Regardless of whether Professor Pomatia is dangerous to the cat or not, I don't see a reason why not to send him to Molly. She will certainly be happy to have something to mother."

Granger gave him a grateful look, whilst Minerva and Weasley looked at him as if he had grown a second head. Harry just nodded, unfazed; for him the animal-friendly Severus was nothing new. The cat ignored them all, he just paused his exploration of the office, contemplating the potential of the huge hibiscus tree next the window.

"Very well," Minerva agreed after the smallest hesitation, and motioned towards the fireplace.

Granger moved forward and the boys followed her, their hands full.

"What is in the boxes?" Minerva added, paying the attention to the luggage for the first time. Severus had been wondering about the contents since the students had entered.

"Oh, it's just Crookshanks' cat food and treats, his hairbrushes, his toys and scratching boards, and his bed," Granger explained dismissively as she went to retrieve the cat, who had started to feast on the huge red hibiscus blossoms.

Severus' eyebrow quirked up, and Harry grinned at him, nodding in a way that said 'no kidding'. Severus shook his head in disbelief and his ward's smile spread wider. Severus decided that if given a choice, he would be born as a Gryffindor's pet in the next life.

A few minutes later, the cat and its multiple belongings had been sent to the Burrow and the Weasley matriarch had been repeatedly assured that all of her children - in blood and ‘surrogated', both - were all right. Minerva still looked disapproving on the whole matter, but her face softened when Granger thanked her sincerely for helping ‘the endangered, helpless cat' - a phrase that left the two boys grinning at each other.

Severus noticed that the Head of Gryffindor was about to dismiss the trio, and he intervened quickly, "Before you three leave... I would like to hear, Miss Granger, what exactly you said to Pom- Professor Pomatia." Severus decided to ignore Harry's snicker at Severus' near-mistake.

The girl coloured. "Eh- " she hesitated, "I told him that something he said was a lie."

"The most stupid, big, fat lie she had ever heard," Weasley mumbled to Harry, who nodded.

"Was it an exact quotation, Mr. Weasley?" Severus asked, trying hard not to show his amusement. Granger and Weasley turned red.

Minerva raised her eyebrows at Severus. Her ears apparently hadn't managed to catch Weasley's mumbling. Then the witch evidently decided that accusing a teacher of lying was wrong enough. In a highly disapproving tone she asked, "I would like to hear what exactly Professor Pomatia said that you felt the need to accuse him of lying, Miss Granger?"

"He said horrible lies about the first war against You-Know-Who," Granger answered, getting angry at remembering it. Severus had the urge to roll his eyes. Pomatia was sent by the Ministry. The Ministry kept lying. How can she get angry about it after some six weeks into the school year? But of course, she was a Gryffindor. Even the ten thousandth repetition of the lie would anger her again.

"He said Muggles and Muggleborns were dim-witted and thus inferior to pureblood wizards," Harry elaborated, "and that after learning about our superiority, they often committed suicide."

"He- he said many of Death-Eaters' victims during the first were actually felo de se!" Granger added furiously. "The Death-Eaters just found their bodies and were falsely accused of murders."

Severus was completely stunned. He remembered Lily's favourite saying, Pigs can fly and fish sing so beautifully.

"Certainly- " Minerva, who was looking as gob smacked as Severus felt, found her voice, "certainly you must have misunderstood."

"Certainly we didn't!" Granger answered sharply. "He said it as clear as rain. Muggles decided to die rather than to live a half-life without magic. Such bullshit!"

"Language, young lady," Severus admonished her, but the rebuke was said with such indifference that it was more than evident that Severus didn't care. Pomatia had crossed too big a river in his eyes, too. Pensively, he added, "Minerva, would you ask Mad Eye, who exactly Pomatia works for at the Ministry? Who has recommended him here?"

"Very well, Severus," the witch agreed, "I will send him a message. You three may leave. And behave yourselves," she admonished with a sharp gaze at Granger.

Severus frowned. There was something else. Something should be considered. Something potentially very important. He tried hard to catch the fleeting thought that was nagging his brain...

"Miss Granger!" he called, just when Weasley's hand reached for the doorknob. From the way the three students jumped in surprise, Severus realised his voice must have been sharp. "Is your parents' home magically warded?"

***

"I'm going to kill him!" Hermione murmured under her breath furiously, over and over again. "I'm going to kill him!"

Harry exchanged a worried look with Ron. What now?

"Let's go to the Room of Requirement to have some privacy," Harry offered hesitantly. "It will be over-crowded in the common room."

His two best friends nodded and they strolled quickly through the corridors to the seventh floor. Hermione's fury made her walk at the pace that Harry usually associated only with Snape. In no time, they reached the place.

"Let me," Harry said and the others nodded again. Harry paced back and forth in front of the wall three times and wished for a very private and calming room, comfy and maybe with five o'clock tea prepared.

They hurried inside, and Harry couldn't stop a grin. The Room was just perfect!

"Tea, anyone?" he offered as they got seated into deep, soft armchairs. After tea and delicious biscuits even Hermione had lost her sharp edge. Now, she appeared more pensively-angry than aggressively-angry to Harry. Still, it was starting to make him nervous. Hermione was usually the peace-maker among them. He glanced at Ron. His best mate was still stuffing himself with the sweets, though, looking too busy eating to divide his attention. Harry felt like rolling his eyes.

"Hermione?" Harry said tentatively. "Are you okay?"

"We have to do something," Hermione informed him instead of answering. "Pomatia is dangerous and we have to stop him."

"How?" Ron asked with his mouth full. His girlfriend gave him a slightly disgusted look, but didn't school him about table manners for once.

"I don't know yet," she admitted, "but I'll start working on planning immediately. Every day missed means another day when he can steal pets or harm students. Or parents!" She added darkly. To Harry's relief, she didn't go back to muttering murder threats.

"We should prove his guilt first," Harry objected. "I mean- we know it's him, but we can never be hundred percent sure until we catch him with his hands bloody. Er- not literally speaking," he added when he noticed Ron turning quite white in the face.

"Maybe he will attack me, after all," Hermione mused. "We can arrange a suitable incident and catch him doing it."

"No!" Ron and Harry objected at the same moment. Neither of them was willing to risk Hermione.

She huffed. "If he wants to attack me, he's going to do it anyway."

"Yes, but we're not going to do anything to provoke the attack or deliberately create a chance for it," Harry said determinedly. He actually tried to use the same kind of commanding voice that Snape used on occasion. He must have been successful to a point, because Hermione grudgingly nodded and didn't argue further.

"We could dose him with Veritaserum," Ron contributed. "He would confess everything and nobody would be at risk by being a decoy."

"Brewing it takes forty-four days," Hermione objected. "It's too long. Not to mention that it's illegal."

"Unlike threatening to kill a teacher," Ron quipped, and stretched out his hand for the last biscuit. Then he shrugged. "I'm just saying that we could brew it and try to work out another plan in the mean time. And if the plan fails, we'll at least have the Veritaserum. Oh, and we'll also have to think up a way how to make Pomatia drink it without giving ourselves away."

It sounded like a good idea to Harry, and he said so, "it's a good strategy, in my opinion. Veritaserum will be our back up plan. We have to really make sure we don't get caught, though, because Snape would kill me. Or worse."

"All right," Hermione agreed, "but prepare to sacrifice all your money for it. We'll have to buy several ingredients, all of which are rare and costly."

Ron made a face. Before he was forced to admit that he had only a few sickles - something that he would find shameful to confess, even though both Harry and Hermione knew and didn't mind that the Weasleys weren't rich - Harry said, "I think we have a problem."

Two pairs of curious eyes turned to him and he explained, "I don't have any change this year. Snape bought me Withdrawal parchments, and he, as my guardian, can check what I bought."

Ron looked envious, and Hermione furrowed her brows. "It works like a combination of checks and credit cards, right?"

Harry shrugged. He didn't know how exactly the Muggle system of checks and cards worked in detail, as he had never had any Muggle money, cash or otherwise. "I guess," he answered, "you've got a stack of spelled parchments from the Goblins, that you give or send to sellers with your demand. The seller adds the price - the parchment prevents them from writing a larger price than he sells the goods for - and the parchment spells itself to Gringotts."

Hermione asked pensively, "I suppose the parchment has some anti-forgery protection?"

"Yeah," Harry confirmed, "Snape said it checks if the signature is authentic and legitimate to the vault." He shrugged unhappily. "It sounds neat, but you can't buy anything anonymously."

"You can make a withdrawal from Gringotts," Ron pointed out, his voice tense. Harry didn't know why Ron never understood that Harry would happily exchange his gold for a nice childhood and parents like Weasleys any day of the week.

"Snape would want to know what I withdrew it for." Harry shook his head dejectedly.

"Hogsmeade spendings?" Ron offered. The Hogsmeade weekend, first this school year, was planned on the next weekend.

Harry shared a short version of the lecture he had got from his guardian about being a spendthrift. Ron was laughing madly when Harry finished, his fit of jealousy fortunately gone, and even Hermione smiled a bit.

"That rules out Veritaserum," Hermione summed it. "So, we need to find a swift and foolproof plan."

***

"Do you really think Pomatia would try to attack the Grangers?" Minerva asked on their way to the Apparition spot, later that evening. They were going to visit the Grangers, to strengthen the magical wards on their household.

"It's a possibility," Severus shrugged, and then he added in a voice overflowing with disdain for the man, "or I should say it's a possibility that the coward will send someone to attack the Grangers."

"You do realise that we may be on the wrong trail entirely, suspecting Helix Pomatia of every bad thing that has happened lately, don't you?" Minerva asked, her voice thick with rhetoric.

Severus nodded grudgingly. "I do. However, Granger has been Potter's best friend since their first year at Hogwarts, which is a reason enough to get their house warded. I can't believe Albus haven't taken care of it, especially after the Dark Lord was reborn."

"He has a lot on his mind," Minerva defended the old wizard, like Severus had known she would. "It was prudent of Miss Granger to ask Nymphadora to create wards this summer," Minerva added with pride.

Severus nodded; he had to admit that Granger was cleverer than most Gryffindors usually came. "She would do well in Ravenclaw," he commented; it was the best that could ever be said about any Gryffindor in Severus' books.

"And it was quite Slytherin to keep from her parents how dangerous our world became last year," he said, reminding Minerva of Grangers' confession. Minerva chuckled. Severus realised with relief that the witch had apparently managed to get over her displeasure about Harry's guardianship.

The Grangers made a good impression on Severus. They were rational, clever, and cultivated. Though both Muggles, their only issue with the world of magic was their inability to protect and support their only daughter. David Granger especially failed to conceal his frustration over it. He was one of those men programmed by nature to make taking care of his wife and progeny his top priority. Severus could identify with these tendencies; he would be the same - if only he had a family to protect.

Minerva briefly explained the danger they were in from magical blood-purists that were attacking Muggleborns or their families, and the need to ward the house - fortunately, the Grangers' dentist consulting room was inside the house, which meant they would be protected for almost the whole day - and Minerva then presented them with Portkeys keyed to her own home.

"If the house is attacked, don't waste a second. Take these golden keys and say 'safety'. You will be transferred immediately into my home, where my husband will help you," she instructed. "He rarely leaves the house; he is a scholar, buried in books both day and night."

The Grangers took the portkeys gratefully; and Helen Granger asked once again, if Hogwarts castle was really the safest place their daughter could be.

"I just wish we could pick up Hermione and leave for Australia or Canada. To start a new life in safety," Helen said wistfully. "But she wouldn't agree, she's too stubborn, she always has been." David put his arm around her shoulder in silent support. Severus and Minerva looked at them sympathetically.

"What a nice people," Minerva commented to Severus when they were heading back to Hogwarts.  "If only all Muggles were this supportive of their magical children."

Severus nodded. He was feeling envious. Envious of Hermione Granger for having such perfect parents; envious of David Granger for having such a perfect little family. Something that Severus would never have.

"They certainly didn't seem to despair over their lack of magic to the point of planning a suicide," he told the witch sarcastically. "Maybe you could talk to Albus about Pomatia's weird curriculum and the opinions shared with the students. He wouldn't listen to me."

***

Harry was lying in his bed, determined not to think about Luna and her lovely hair that had been decorated with small, colourful butterflies earlier today to match Luna's shoes.

Harry wished there were no classes and lessons, and no Pomatia to worry about. He just wanted to have time to spend with Luna, to enjoy her easy-going presence. He sighed.

Using all of his will, Harry turned his thoughts to Pomatia. They needed a plan to stop the man. A good, foolproof plan. Harry pursed his lips. Save from hexing the teacher, Harry couldn't find and viable idea.

Suddenly, Harry wondered if Snape would provide Veritaserum, if they asked him to. He might even have a brilliant idea of how to administer it to the Defence teacher. No, Harry decided, that was silly. Snape would never go for it. Or would he?