He'd naturally heard the entire proceeding today. When he'd figured out exactly what their grievance was with the boy, it infuriated him. Harry Potter was being lied to, cheated and stolen from by these three children! He'd known the trio were using the boy. Hell, he'd have needed to be deaf, blind and stupid not to know that after four years of shadowing the boy everywhere. But he hadn't known they were actively stealing from him. They'd actually dared to come here to confront him about their thievery and demand he allow them to continue stealing from him! They were either completely immoral or just plain stupid. Maybe both.
He narrowed his eyes and the vein in his jaw started ticking a clear sign he was gritting his teeth as he automatically began thinking of ways in which he could pay them back for their treachery. He was good at getting payback against misbehaving students and these three wouldn't be the first time he failed at it. They would pay. He expected to have to extract some revenge for the boy since it was virtually impossible for Harry to get it on his own. Dumbledore and his stooges made it nearly impossible for the boy to be anything but a doormat. Any attempt on his part to stand up for himself only got him knocked on his arse again in the most humiliating way possible. And that was if it wasn't life endangering.
But it quickly became clear, revenge wouldn't be necessary. Not for Potter anyway. Potter was living up to his name in dealing with these three. He was getting his own revenge on them. In true Potter style, no less. If he dealt with the other two as he'd dealt with Granger the trio would be a long time recovering from this encounter. This Potter's revenge was meant to last. He smirked happily.
Of course, he'd never expected to witness exactly how Potter went about getting his revenge. And under no circumstances had he expected events to play out as they had. Potter was supposed to be dim-witted and stupid. Brave. That went without question. And loyal past the point of it being a virtue. He wasn't supposed to actually have the ability to stand up for himself. Not like this.
But as the boy stood to answer their claims Severus felt an unaccustomed pride. He wasn't sure how the boy did it but somehow he looked every inch the noble heir to an old title that he was. In that moment someone could have told him Potter was the heir to King Arthur and Severus would've had no trouble believing them. Potter laid into the trio with Slytherin skill making a complete mockery of their claims and completely denouncing them as he did so. He didn't just cast aspirations on their characters. He demolished them. And when his little snakes got done spreading the word around the castle, none of them would be holding their heads up proudly as they strutted like peacocks on the walk through the halls anymore. Those three may have believed they owned Potter but Potter was showing them otherwise in a way that couldn't be denied.
When he had paused, Severus hit him with the Soothing Throat charm, somehow knowing the boy needed it even if he hadn't given any indication of such, hoping the boy wasn't planning to back down now that he had the three in a less than righteous position. Potter had them on the ropes now and if he didn't finish them off, they'd only return with backup to make him regret it. For the first time in a long time, he wasn't disappointed.
What took place that day was monumental. Harry hadn't only ruined the trio in Hogwarts. Because Severus did see the avid interest of his Slytherins and knew they would make absolutely certain the entire school and beyond heard of this confrontation. But he had marked Ms. Granger permanently in a manner worse than the one the Dark Lord had used on his followers. He at least could conceal the mark that disfigured his person. She could not. It was on her face where no clothing would ever hide it without drawing attention to the fact she was hiding something. Everyone who saw her, would immediately see her mark. Even if she took to wearing a scarf over her lower face. He couldn't help feeling gleeful. For too long he'd put up with people who knew of his own mark looking down on him for his mistake in judgment. Now that negativity would be cast on her as well. Misery does love company and he now had someone to share in his own misery. Not that he'd be actually talking to the chit. Or sharing his own experiences of being shunned and looked down on with her. He wouldn't. When he'd taken his mark of shame, he'd only done so because he thought he would be gaining a place to belong. A home and a family he could be a part of and do something good for the world in the process. She got hers through greed, jealousy, malice and spite.
Though only a small portion of the population would actually know exactly what her mark meant, no one would miss seeing it. Even those who could read runes wouldn't necessarily understand her marking as it wasn't a straight rune. The rune she now bore was a patron compilation punishment rune standing for every wrong she'd committed against her admitted and acknowledged patron. Unless his children and their parents made sure information about this confrontation was spread throughout the magical community. He'd have to make certain it was. The public deserved to know just what that mark meant and why she had it. It was his duty as a citizen of this world to do what he could to make sure they knew.
Because if she'd use him, the boy who had actually saved her life. Twice. For her own gain. Then she'd use anyone. He was certain none of the students in the Library today actually knew or understood exactly what the rune was but he'd tell his students tonight in their common room what he knew of it. Of course he'd have to get a hold of that book Potter had thrown down on the table first. But that shouldn't be a problem. Irma was sure to get him a copy of it. For now, those studying in the Library today, one thing was clear. To them, the meaning of the mark was crystal clear just going by what they'd heard Potter telling her. She was scum according to her own values and morals.
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