A/N: Thanks, once again, to the talented and lovely Keppiehed for her beta brilliance.
Natalie's Rule
Lightning flashed, sending arcs of electricity across the sky. The thunder that followed rattled the walls of St. Mungo's. Unaware of her surroundings, a girl sat on the windowsill, staring into the darkness.
Two aides entered the room and began changing the linens. "Who's that?" asked the worker in training, nodding at the girl.
"That's Natalie. You'll be glad when you see her on your daily lineup. Easiest patient here."
"What's wrong with her?"
The older man frowned. "I don't know. They say that something really messed her up as a child. I remember when she first came here; only the administrators knew what happened, and no one else was privy to the details. To this day it's kept under wraps, although it's old news around here, so nobody really asks. Since that time, she hasn't spoken a word." He glanced her way and shook his head. "Poor girl doesn't even know we're here."
They finished putting sheets on a bed she would never use, then left the room.
Professor Johannas was awakened by the storm raging outside her window. She glanced at the clock, noting she still had an hour until she would be expected at the monthly staff meeting. She snuggled down into the covers and lay there, collecting her thoughts. She had been apprehensive about leaving the States to accept a position at Hogwarts, but now that she was here, she knew she had made the right decision. Only one month in and the staff already welcomed her as one of their own.
"That concludes my agenda for this month," Headmaster Dumbledore said. "I will now open the floor to your questions or concerns."
When no one spoke up, Professor Johannas raised her hand.
Dumbledore smiled at her. "You may speak freely at these meetings. It is completely informal."
Her cheeks reddened, but she continued. "I have a concern about one of the first year Slytherins, Severus Snape." She looked around the table, noting that all attention was focused on her. "He's being bullied by some of the other students."
Her words caused a visible change in the witches and wizards seated around the table. She wrinkled her brow in confusion, but charged ahead. "I have no problem addressing it, but I'm not entirely sure how to go about it. My assessment so far is that Mr. Snape, if cornered, will freeze up and say that nothing is wrong, despite what I know to the contrary. I could approach the accused, but I haven't actually seen them in action. I think those boys would deny it, and without proof, I can't press the issue. All I have to go on are stories I've overheard from some of the students. I've flipped through the employee handbook, but I can't find any guidance on this topic."
Silence followed, with seemingly nervous colleagues fidgeting in their seats.
Professor McGonagall cleared her throat. "We don't intervene in cases of bullying."
Professor Johannas turned her eyes toward Dumbledore who was nodding in agreement.
"Children need to learn how to solve their own problems," he said. "If we step in every time there is conflict, they will never grow up." He glanced around the table. "Does anyone else ha—"
"With all due respect, Headmaster, we're not talking about silly boyish pranks. I found Mr. Snape lying on the steps to the Astronomy tower with a bloody nose, a concussion, and two broken ribs."
No one responded.
"Madam Pomfrey," she pleaded, "you know what I'm talking about."
"Yes, dear," the matron said, talking to her hands, which were folded in her lap, "but it was easy enough to patch him up. He is as good as new at this point."
Professor Johannas was too stunned to even respond. The meeting ended and everyone shuffled out of the room.
As she fled the scene, McGonagall caught up with Johannas, grabbing her sleeve with a gentle tug to stop her.
"Please accompany me to my office," McGonagall said. "There are some things we need to discuss."
Johannas followed, unsure where she'd gone wrong.
McGonagall ordered tea from a house-elf, then entered the sitting room, taking the chair opposite the the other witch. "I suppose I should have mentioned this at the start of term," McGonagall said. "It is a conversation I do not like having, but I see now that I should include it as part of the orientation process." She paused, taking a sip of her tea.
"I intend apologize to the Headmaster for speaking out of turn, but I'm not sorry for trying to protect a student in my care." She narrowed her eyes at her mentor. "What does being a teacher mean to you all, anyway?"
A mixture of shame and sorrow graced the older woman's features. "Please hear me out before you judge the staff. You spoke the truth when you said there was nothing in the handbook about this. We stick with the Headmaster's wishes to let the children deal with this sort of conflict on their own. Those of us on staff refer to it as 'Natalie's rule.'"
Professor Johannas set her tea on the table, then settled back on the couch awaiting explanation.
Ten years ago
Professor Dumbledore was making his rounds of the Hogwarts grounds and had just stopped to watch a few minutes of the Ravenclaw Quidditch practice when he heard a girl crying. He found her under the stands of the Quidditch pitch, her long blonde curls sticking to her wet face. He crouched down, placing a hand on her back. When she turned her head to see who was there, he handed her a handkerchief to wipe her face. "Why such tears, young lady?"
She took a shuddering breath, trying to regain her composure. "It's silly," she said.
Dumbledore rubbed his hands together. "Excellent, I do enjoy a good bout of silliness every now and again."
"I've heard some of the others talking about the werewolf problem."
Dumbledore gave her a questioning look.
"That there are more around than usual, " she explained, "and that they have been seen pacing the fronts gates waiting for someone to come out. Justin, Michael, and Sean told me that they love blonde, curly hair. And what's worse, they think Muggle-borns taste better than purebloods. I am the only one in the castle who fits those descriptions." She swiped at her face with the handkerchief. "I'm Natalie, by the way," she said.
"First year Hufflepuff, correct?"
Her eyes widened and she nodded her head.
"Your sister Coraline is one of my best students."
He peeled a strand of hair from her face and smiled. "The werewolves are not the only ones who have noticed your flowing tresses. I find them quite lovely," he said.
She was not impressed.
"Natalie, last year it was vampires who liked girls with blue eyes. Next year it will be giants with an interest in young ladies wearing flowery perfume. Do you see what I am saying? Boys just like to tease girls. It is in their nature to do so."
She sniffled, tears still streaming down her cheeks.
"But those boys tease you a lot, don't they?"
She nodded her head.
"Why don't you tell me about it?" he said, offering his hand to help her up from the ground.
As they strolled across the grounds, she told him how it started when some of the students found out that she still slept with her teddy bear. Two of her roommates – who Dumbledore noted had probably been mis-sorted – snatched the bear while she was in class and delivered it to Sean, who promptly attached a noose to its neck and followed Natalie around all day, dangling the toy in front of her, just out of reach.
Dumbledore listened as she explained how Muggle-borns would never be as good at magic as purebloods, and that even for a Muggle-born, her skills were lacking. The pair arrived at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and Dumbledore motioned for her to have a seat on a large rock.
"Despite what your classmates have told you, I have heard that you are quite good at spell casting."
Natalie smiled, although she knew that he was just being nice.
"For that reason, I am going to teach you a special spell."
Her ears perked up, and she leaned forward in anticipation.
"I need you to promise me that what I tell you stays a secret between you and I."
She sat back and paused a moment. "My mom told me that if a grown up ever tells me that we have to keep something secret, just between us, it is probably a bad secret and I should tell her straight away."
"Your mother sounds like a very smart woman," he said. "She is right about that, but I did not mean that you could not tell anyone. If you wish to discuss it with any of your professors it would be quite all right. I just do not want the students to know, and if you tell even one person, the entire school will know by dinner time." Dumbledore winked at her, and she giggled, knowing he spoke the truth. "I mean to avoid frightening the students or have them think I am playing favorites. It would also be a good idea if a certain group of boys had no idea you have let them get under your skin."
She nodded her agreement, once more excited at the prospect of learning something new.
"I will show you the wand movement, and once you have that mastered, we shall add the incantation."
"What does it do?" she blurted out.
Dumbledore leaned in closer with a smile on his face. "Why, it protects you from werewolves, of course."
"You did what?" Professor McGonagall said.
"It really is not a big deal, Minerva," Professor Dumbledore replied. "I've sent out a memo and no one else seems concerned."
"You taught the girl a mosquito repelling charm, and told her it would protect her from werewolves!"
He put a hand on her arm and lead her to a chair.
"The girl lacks confidence and therefore does not stand up for herself against the other students."
"So you lied to her, just like that."
Dumbledore sighed. "I know what I am doing, Minerva. I plan to continue to work with her. By Christmas she will have settled in and made some friends. They always do."
"And then?" McGonagall looked at him expectantly.
"I will sit her down before she leaves for break and explain everything. She is reasonable enough to understand my motive and accept it as a friendly gesture."
"What if she leaves the castle?"
"Natalie is a first year. She cannot leave without her parents permission, which still has to be cleared through me."
"I don't like this."
"You know we've added extra security this year. If nothing else, the age line around the gates would prevent her from leaving, even if she wanted to."
McGonagall sighed. "Of course you are right; you always are."
As the weeks progressed, Dumbledore kept a close eye on his new favorite student. She was a fast learner and a joy to teach. She had made a handful of friends, but the most important development was that when their teasing no longer produced tears, the boys stopped tormenting her.
Winter had settled over the grounds and a thick blanket of white covered the landscape. It was disturbed only by two sets of footprints.
"How are things going, Natty?" Coraline asked.
"Okay," Natalie said.
"Just okay?"
The younger girl leaned down, grabbed a handful of snow and hurled it at her sister. "They're much better now, thanks," she said with a devious grin.
Coraline launched a counter attack, and soon both girls were engaged in battle. Her Head Girl duties, as well as her advanced workload had kept her from spending much quality time with Natalie, and she was pleased that they still shared a closeness despite their recent distance.
Coraline called a truce, extending her hand to help her sister up from the ground. It was getting late, so they headed back to the castle arm in arm.
Natalie stopped short. "Teddy!" she shouted and ran to the front gate.
Coraline arrived a moment later to find her sister's face pressed against the bars. She was pointing to a tree where the bear hung from its infamous noose.
"Cory, I thought he was gone forever. Can you get him down for me?"
Coraline pulled out her wand and cast a levitating charm on the bear.
"Stop!" Natalie shouted. "His head's coming off!"
She lowered her wand, weighing her options. The rope was wrapped several times around the branch; a summoning charm would have the same effect. She finally decided on a slicing hex to the noose which caused the bear to tumble toward the ground only to get caught in one of the lower branches. Coraline growled with frustration.
"It's getting really dark,and I'm cold and hungry. Could you just go out and get him?" Natalie pleaded. "Pretty please? I won't tell."
Coraline looked toward the castle to verify that no one was watching. She touched her wand to the lock on the front gate, and it clicked open. "You're lucky I have privileges," Coraline said. The snow had weighed the branches down, so she was able to reach the bear. Coraline pulled him to safety when she heard the sound of crunching snow. She looked up to see two werewolves sniffing around a tree no more than ten meters away. She froze. "Natty," she whispered, "don't make any sudden moves."
Natalie looked up and gasped when she saw the creatures so near her sister.
"Just open the gate," she whispered, panicked. "Touch your wand to the lock. The password is 'caramel apples.'"
Natalie didn't move. She couldn't open the gate, could she? Sure there was a chance that her sister would make it in, but the odds were in favor of entry by the beasts as well. She couldn't protect everyone. "Hang on, Cory. I've got this."
The older girl breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her sister creep closer to the gate and remove her wand from her robes. Instead of opening the door, she pointed it straight at Coraline.
"Natalie, stop! Whatever you are thinking of doing is foolish. They will see the light from your spell."
"But by then, you'll be protected. Don't you trust the headmaster?"
Tears streamed down the girl's face as she watched her sister disobey her wishes.
One scream.
Two screams.
One scream.
Silence.
The gossip in the staff lounge ended abruptly as the girls' voices pierced the night, and six bodies raced for the stairs in one fluid movement.
When they reached the gates, Dumbledore was already there, kneeling on the ground with a lap full of sobbing Hufflepuff. The Head Girl was unrecognizable and the circle of crimson snow that surrounded her body was growing ever larger. The staff was still standing there, stunned into inactivity, when the team from St. Mungo's arrived to take the girls away.
"That is so tragic," Professor Johannas said, shaking her head. "Two lives lost due to poor judgment from an authority figure."
"He couldn't possibly have known this would be the outcome," McGonagall said.
"You just said that you questioned his decision yourself at that time," Johannas shouted.
"Yes, well, Albus Dumbledore is the greatest headmaster this school has ever seen."
Johannas stood up and stormed over to the door. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get out of this office. If he is the greatest, I don't believe I could stomach hearing any stories about the lesser ones." She nearly knocked Dumbledore over as she barreled out the door.
He entered the office and put his arm around her shoulder. "Chin up, Minerva. She will get over it. They always do."
She looked up, her sad eyes meeting his, devoid of emotion. "She's not the one I worry about," she said.
"I have long since let go of the events of the past." He gave her a brief smile. "Now if you have everything under control, I have an errand to run. You can expect me back in time for dinner."
The business office staff at 's was just closing up for the day when a last minute envelope was slipped through the door.
"Well, my girl, I guess you weren't forgotten after all," said the man behind the desk.
His coworker peered over his shoulder. "What is that?"
"A donation. Comes in about this time every year in honor of a girl in the East wing."
"A birthday gift?"
"No. It's an anonymous donor, and I have no idea what prompts its arrival each time. All I can tell you is that it comes faithfully year after year."
Her visitor stayed just long enough to leave a mumbled apology and a vase of daffodils.
The sun shone, sending rays of radiance across the sky. The chirping of the birds brightened the courtyard of St. Mungo's. Unaware of her surroundings, the girl sat on the windowsill, staring into the cloudless sky.