Chapter 19

"Wait, how what?!" Harry followed after Severus who was busy grabbing their cloaks that had been unceremoniously left on a nearby boulder. "I didn't feel anything.... Shouldn't I feel something when someone gropes me?!"

"Mr. Potter, I did not... grope you." Snape deadpanned while trying to stifle a smile though Harry still saw a twitch of his lips. "I simply relieved you of your valuables. It's called sleight of hand,"

"How do you even know how to do that?"

"Practice," another deadpan. "Who knew my childhood skill would come in handy during spying."

"You picked pockets as a kid?!" Harry blinked, trying to wrap his head around the information while automatically donning the cloak Snape handed him.

"Until I met your mother, which is also how and why we met...," Snape was rather vague on that subject and Harry felt that there was a story there though he didn't push.

"So... uhm... where are we going now?" Harry changed the subject though he was also genuinely curious. Snape had been tightlipped about the whole matter.

"You wanted the Headmaster gone right? Or at least not focussed on us for the time being," the Potion Master stated completely unaware of Albus's latest troubles.

"Well, yes," Harry said though he asked "Are you going to transfigure him into a duck again? I'm guessing the spell wore off now,"

"As much as I would like to, we will not be breaking into Hogwarts today. However, I have a much more interesting plan to inconvenience Albus," Severus's casual tone about the subject sent shivers down Harry's spine. Not in a bad or creepy way either but more in an excited way. Harry had no more sympathy for the Headmaster, not after he had screwed him over for nearly 30 years. In his lonely and cold cell he had dreamt of ways to humiliate and utterly destroy Albus-too-many-names-Dumbledore. When it was revealed that he could not acquire his estate he had been devastated, all his plans were crumbling. He had hardly any assets in this reality, no friends either... sure they were his recently deceased counterpart's friends... but they weren't his and they never would be. He couldn't bank on their loyalty. The only one that had stayed beside him was his former Potions Master. Harry only had an inkling of what Snape must have gone through. If the Potions Master needed to have blackmail ready, just how much had the Headmaster screwed the man over?

"Potter, shrink the rest of our supplies. We will not be coming back here any time soon. Also, do you remember the identity the Goblins arranged for you?"

"Hadrian Evans, Harry for short, Muggleborn, 26. Born to Mike and Roselyn Evans with Mike being the estranged brother of Lily Evan's father. They had me much later in life as they had trouble conceiving and I was homeschooled and took my exams in France where we lived." Harry recited as he stuffed the shrunken stuff in his pants pockets.

"And you and I met how?" Snape questioned further.

"I had decided to reconnect with the family only to find out that only Petunia was left along with her horrid son and husband. When they found out I was a wizard I was subsequently thrown out on my arse but not before Petunia yelled that I was 'Just like that horrid boy,', didn't know what she meant, and did some digging on my own which led me to you... my late cousin's former best friend."

"We ended up getting along quite well and became friends," Harry finished with a smirk... "Maybe more than friends... eventually,"

"Acquaintance, I don't do friends," Snape stated.

"Intimately acquainted," Harry corrected as he gave Severus a look. "I don't know about you but I don't kiss and tell."

Snape coughed awkwardly and Harry was glad to see the former spy try to hide his blush. Clearly, the man was affected by Harry's... choice of words. Snape, wordlessly offered Harry his arm for apparition and the two vanished from the cave. They appeared at an apparition spot close to the Leaky Cauldron in a back alley.

"Mr. Potter, would you be so kind as to reserve one of the smaller private meeting rooms at the pub. I will be back shortly," Snape said to which Harry nodded and true to his word the Potion Master was back within 20 to 25 minutes of Harry reserving the room.

"I am so very confused here," Harry muttered as Severus entered the private room. The man wasted no time in setting up his own privacy spells before answering.

"Mr. Evans, surely you can trust me,"

"Of course I trust you!" Harry replied while not getting Snape's meaning until a knock at the door, not 5 minutes later resounded.

"Cloak," Snape gestured and Harry pulled his hood up as Snape opened the door to reveal none other than Rita Skeeter.

"Hello, Hello, darlings," Skeeter said as she walked past Snape without an invitation. "Surely you could have picked a better meeting place than a room so.... Drap."

"Oh, and who might you be?" She questioned as her eyes zeroed in on the closed Harry.

"Leave the man alone Skeeter, your business is with me," Snape stated as he hadn't bothered to cover up.

"Severus Snape, oh imagine my surprise when I get a note delivered to my desk that you wanted to meet with me," Rita stated.

"Are we really going to use her of all people?" Harry asked annoyed.

"She's the most efficient," Snape retorted.

"I smell a juicy scoop but is it juicer than the one I got?" Rita questioned as she slunk to the table and sat down.

"What are you covering now?" Snape questioned.

"You know, this and that, The wizengamot sessions, some random gossip..." she said dismissively.

"What if I tell you I had the scoop of a lifetime for you," Severus stated. "It involves Dumbledore,"

"I'm listening," Rita said, eyes gleaming.

"However, I will only tell you if you keep my name out of it," Snape continued. "And no Dicta-Quil,"

"But that ruins all the fun!" Rita actually pouted.

"Do you want the scoop or not?"

"How am I going to verify it if I can't name you as a source," She countered.

"You should be more resourceful than that Rita. Especially considering that you were a Slytherin. Do I need to chew for you as well?" Snape taunted.

"Fine, anonymous it is," Rita grumbled as she sat down Snape and an obscured Harry.

"That's all I ask for," Snape stated. "Now onto business."

"This better be good Snape. Better than Fudge's alleged divorce due to his affair with his Undersecretary scandal,"

"Wait what?!" Harry uttered completely taken by surprise.

"Oh, your mystery man wants to hear the juicy bits!" Rita exclaimed.

"Do you want this scoop or not? It will be worth it I promise,"

"Hit me Snape, do you think anything would shake me after getting pictures of Fudge and Umbridge going at it in the office?"

Harry's shock and possibly horrified expression was hidden under his hood and Snape could only make out the slight flinch when Umbridge's name came up. "What would you say if I told you that the Headmaster of Hogwarts was embezzling funds?"

"I call BS," Rita retorted. "Someone would have caught that!"

"Unless it was cleverly hidden," Severus stated. "Tell me, did you know that Alchemy is also an elective class? What about Wizarding law? Advanced Runic diagrams? History of Rituals?"

"What are you on Snape? Those were never classes Hogwarts offered." Rita pursed her lips.

"But they were, on paper at least," Snape stated. The reason we never knew about them was because the Headmaster never made those options known to the students and he reported to the board that none had signed up for those classes, though he managed to pocket the budget allocated for those classes,"

"That's a serious accusation Snape," Rita frowned. "How am I going to verify this if you remain anonymous?... wait... you were expecting this weren't you? Any article I write implying any of this would have the Hogwarts Board of Directors requesting an audit of the school!"

"Possibly," Severus said casually. "Perhaps they should also look into the scholarship fund,"

"What scholarship fund?!" Rita questioned.

"Well if even you don't know then this goes deeper than you think," the Potion Master retorted.

"Damn you Snape! Damn you," Rita muttered. "Without a credible source, this is just hearsay."

"Why does that matter to you now?" Harry asked. "You lapped up the gossip at the Triwizard's tournament."

"That was just gossip," Skeeter snapped. "Right now we are talking about fraud, embezzlement, and whatnot. These accusations are much more serious than teen drama. My career is on the line for this if I report it,"

"I can roughly guess what Snape wants," Rita said rather flustered. "A full audit of Hogwarts. But I need at least some tangible angle to go off of. An anonymous source for these accusations won't hold much water."

"Tom Riddle," Harry suddenly said as if realizing something. "Look into a student named Tom Riddle and go from there,"

"Do with this information as you wish Skeeter. If your investigation finds out it is accurate then do send me a message. I have something that trumps this." Severus said as he stood up, opened the door, and let Harry out first.

"Wait Snape! What do you mean you have something better than this of all things!!" Rita shouted but Severus merely slammed the door shut leaving the reporter alone in the private room.

Once the duo had exited the Leaky Cauldron Harry wasted no time in dragging Snape into a nearby alleyway and kissing him. "That was... hot," Harry whispered breathlessly. He always dreamed of ruining Dumbledore but seeing Severus so actively participating made his emotions sing in unexpected ways. "I made my decision Severus. I want this... all of THIS," Harry said before snogging Snape again.

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AN: Happy New Year everyone! Enjoy the extra chapter!