To The Victor...
Chapter 2
By Ya Nefer Ma'at
"An enchantment, you say?" Dumbledore glanced at Fennen's distraught face before he fixed his perceptive yet kind gaze on Snape. "What manner of spell?"
Snape looked sideways at the girl standing beside him, his face set. As he had suspected, Dumbledore seemed deaf to the sensual assault Snape was grimly ignoring. Fennen was staring up at Snape with such panic, with such ancient demons glowing behind her eyes, that he was momentarily lost in a vortex of desire, and tore his eyes from hers. He was hesitant to admit in front of Fennen exactly what offer the spell made of her innocence. He had been studying the enchantment ever since the girl's return, confirming with quiet discomfort that the spell both fired her eyes and played its siren song out very specifically, speaking only to those not immune to the dark arts, like he and Jareth.
Dumbledore looked between them again, smiling vaguely without relaxing his scrutiny. "Miss Al Amar, perhaps it would be best for you to return to your friends while Professor Snape explains his concerns to me. Dear me, lunchtime already! We will call you once we've discussed the matter. I'm sure we'll be able to put your mind at ease then."
Fennen hesitated, her face a study of distress. When she started to turn away, Snape shot his hand out, gripping her by the arm. Fennen stared at him, while the dark magic permeating her flooded Snape with new force, filling him with such hunger that he sharply turned, looking deeply into those eyes. For a dangerous moment, Snape saw himself owning her, mastering her, an image that at once thrilled him unspeakably and disgusted every nuance of his code of honour. Her purity cried out for his darkness, the spell assured him, both in her impeccable lineage within an ancient wizarding family, and in her virginal state.
"Severus?"
Dumbledore's kind voice ran like ice water through Snape. He recovered to find himself holding Fennen by both upper arms, his face close to hers. He thrust her away with some force. She stumbled back, regaining her balance with the practiced ease of the dancer.
"What's wrong?" she cried, "What did I do?"
Snape turned sharply away from her. "Remain immediately outside the door, Miss Al Amar, and call us if any one-", he risked a glance at her, "any one- urges you to walk away with them. Is that clear?" He barely gave her time to nod before he bit out, "Go."
Dumbledore stood quietly, pouring drinks in elegant crystal goblets. He noted how Snape's hand trembled when he gratefully accepted his glass. "Obviously a powerful enchantment, Severus", he smiled, waving the other to sit. Snape sank down tiredly, more shaken by the exponential rise in his susceptibility to spell than he had realized. "Are you sure that the enchantment is on her, or with her?"
Snape looked up sharply, annoyed by the implication. Dumbledore smiled disarmingly. "Do you not feel it, Albus?" Snape asked quietly.
Dumbledore shook his head thoughtfully. "I have wondered at the change in her eyes. As to the rather primal reaction you have to her, I am considerably older than you, Severus, and thus less likely to feel the call of the flesh."
"This is not a simple matter of 'the call of the flesh', as you put it!" Snape snapped, eyes narrowed. "This is dark magic at its most base, not some fit of juvenile lust for the girl!"
"Let us say then that you have a rapport with Miss Al Amar, which would certainly sensitise you to any enchantment she has acquired." Dumbledore amended, studying Snape. "I have sensed the spell on her, Severus, particularly when you touched her, though what I hear is merely a faint whispering. Tell me what you hear."
"It's not what I hear, it's what she hears, Albus." Snape spoke softly, absently swirling his drink. "Something happened to Miss Al Amar over the summer, something involving her hearing singing at night, and sleepwalking to find the singer. Before her return to Hogwarts, her father came to speak with me in my new role as Head of Slytherin, to confess his concerns. I thought that he was over reacting; she's almost 17 now, and no doubt has suitors. Then I saw her." Snape looked Dumbledore in the eye. "Dark magic lay over her like a shadow, not too strong then, as if she had been brushed with evil. Under that shadow, her purity shone like a beacon. I saw the change in her eyes, too. They were only dusted with red at first, which was a bit worrisome, but not indicative of a great curse. Or so I thought at the time."
"How did her parents deal with her?"
"More gently than I have. I gather that they acted as if the whole affair was nothing to be frightened of, though her father was reluctant to go into details-"
"Which tells its own tale."
"Indeed. He suggested that his family found her out of her bed at all hours of the night, and all over their castle, staring out over the desert. In each case, she would simply say that the song called her to the open window. They were quite concerned, as no one else could hear any singing. On a couple of nights, she apparently sleepwalked from the castle and was discovered...dishevelled in the extensive oasis garden. She had no recollection of walking there, or of what had happened."
"As you say, her purity burns within her. Evidently no one took advantage of her in her nocturnal wanderings."
"I've come to the conclusion that the curse was cast by a spirit, rather than by any, ah, physical entity." Snape said delicately. "Ever since her return, I've been trying, with Professor Jareth's help, to discern the nature of the spell."
"How does Jareth react to her?"
"Astute question. He feels the enchantment as sharply as I do. We neither of us completely trust ourselves to be alone with her for any length of time. We very quickly learned that seeing her together is even worse, as if the dark magic augments each of our reactions with the others."
"What exactly is that reaction?"
Snape felt a blush spread over his white cheeks, and compressed his lips, trying to compose a tactful answer.
"I see..." Dumbledore frowned slowly, "How... overtly... does the spell tempt you?"
Snape blushed even more as images and sensations flitted unwelcomed across his tightly controlled mind. "At first, it was only vague sensations", he said carefully, "but lately, whole, graphic, vulgar... enactments play out for me, despite my attempts to resist the spell." Snape shuddered. He looked back at the door, beyond which Fennen obediently stood. "My concerns were heightened when, by chance, Lucius Malfoy saw her while visiting last week. Malfoy clearly chooses not to resist the offer of the spell. I had to send Professor McGonagall to extract Fennen from his attentions."
"As I recall, Minerva was quite annoyed at his reluctance to leave the girl alone, despite her obvious discomfort."
"I would have had more success in chasing Malfoy off, but neither Jareth or I dared go near them, for fear that Malfoy's immediate submission would overcome our resolve. We were reduced to watching from a distance. Even then, we had to move away from each other, as Malfoy's reaction was still affecting us."
"Will Malfoy be affected, now that he had returned to his estate?"
"I hope not… the temptation lessens with distance. On the other hand, I know Lucius of old. I don't think he'll easily forget his lust for her, now that he's had a taste of the enchantment on her."
"Most disturbing. It appears to me that the source of the enchantment is becoming desperate for one or more of you to succumb to its lure. I suspect you know as well as I do what the likely sequelae of such weakness would be?"
Snape's expression indicated that he did indeed.
"How is Miss Al Amar coping?"
Snape's rare smile lightened his face. "With the charming resilience of youth, she's shown remarkable composure. She is suffering, though. She hasn't confided in any of us, as far as I know, but she certainly has been losing sleep due to the song. I believe that the singer at first frightened or angered her, causing her to try and escape him by hiding in the common room. Lately, though, she's shown every sign that she is instead seeking the singer, either wilfully or in her sleep. If the curse isn't lifted, I think she'll progress to leaving the castle when he calls." Snape paused, taking a sip from his goblet, his eyes narrowed. "She certainly isn't aware of the effect the spell has on those around her. I believe that she is resigned to my correcting and punishing her when she transgresses; after all, I'm only acting as I am expected to, being the Head of Slytherin. So far, where I have had moments of... weakness, I have disguised them as anger."
"And Professor Jareth?"
"He covers his attraction with withering sarcasm. I suspect that she hates us as much as she erroneously believes we hate her."
"Have any others indicated that they are susceptible to the lure of the spell?"
"Not so as to be of concern, save for Malfoy."
"I see." Dumbledore looked off into the distance, considering how best to proceed. "Mr. Malfoy is unlikely to be a problem, as long as she isn't alone with him. He considers himself a luminary in our elite, so I will make a point to treat him as such, accompanying him while he's here. I don't wish to segregate the child, particularly with Christmas exams coming up. Nor do I wish to alarm her any more than she is already. While the other houses are probably thanking Miss Al Amar for her effect on Slytherin's point standing, I suspect you would like to see her revert to her normal status as your primary point earner."
Again the rare smile, transforming Snape's face. "I would like that, yes, but I'm more concerned with her safety, and then, with her falling grades. If only we could silence the curse while we determine how to remove it, she could recover her previously excellent academic standings."
"An excellent plan, my friend." Dumbledore extracted his wand from his voluminous robes, waving it languidly over his desk. A pretty lapis lazuli Evil Eye necklace materialized. Dumbledore concentrated, whispering words of power over the amulet. Once he was done, Snape picked it up appreciatively, aware of the powerful enchantment focussed by the eye. "White magic to counteract dark whispers." Dumbledore smiled, "Let's see how well it works, shall we? Miss Al Amar."
Fennen entered obediently, looking worried. Both men stood as she entered, Dumbledore smiling reassuringly. "Come in, child, come in." He waved her to a chair, allowing them all to sit. While he talked, he closely watched how Snape reacted to Fennen's proximity. The strained look was back, in the tight lines of his mouth and the fierce focus of his gaze away from the girl.
"Professor Snape has outlined his thoughts for me, Miss Al Amar. It is clear that you were exposed to some spell while home, a spell that is dark and seeks to hurt you."
Fennen went as white as she could.
"Do not fear, child. We're here to guard you as well as teach you. I made you this amulet, to ward off the spell, while we determine exactly what magic has been laid over you, and how to remove it."
Fennen accepted the necklace timidly. She put it on under the close scrutiny of Dumbledore. Snape did not trust himself to watch. As she held it up to admire the intricate design, Dumbledore was aware of the tension draining from Snape's face and posture. He nodded imperceptibly at Dumbledore, who nodded in return.
"The spell relates to the song I hear, doesn't it?" Fennen looked fiercely up at Snape, her small fist clenched around the amulet. "W-what does it want to do to me?"
Snape hesitated, looking at Dumbledore, who smiled encouragingly. "We're not sure exactly what the spell is seeking." Snape met Fennen's eyes, looking intently into their fire-edged abyss. "Clearly, it wants you to be sacrificed, though exactly how, or to what purpose, still eludes me." He was oddly touched by the panic held in tight check behind Fennen's determined expression. "Trust us, Fennen. As Professor Dumbledore says, we're here to protect you as well as to teach you. I will not willingly allow any spell to hurt you."
His quiet words had a profound effect on the girl. Her panicked look smoothed, allowing a hint of her normal confidence to shine through the curtain of fear. "Thank you. Both of you." Fennen sounded more her old self, with the security of the men and the amulet. "I am truly sorry to be such a bother, and to have lost so many points for Slytherin, Professor Snape. What might I do to help remove the spell?"
"Stay in your bed at night." Snape bit out.
Fennen hung her head. "Of course, Sir! I mean, in addition to that?"
Snape felt almost drunk with relief to no longer be assaulted by the magic around the girl. He could sense both the curse and the new spell jousting, but Dumbledore's magic clearly had the upper hand. Even the angry fire within her eyes was muted. "You may help us by being sure to discontinue any contact you're not comfortable with, Miss Al Amar." Snape stated calmly. "It didn't escape my or the other teachers' notice that Mr. Malfoy's attentions were unwelcome last week. Should he or any other press you to accompany them, or otherwise attempt to coerce you, you are to report to one of us at once."
Fennen frowned, blushing at the memory of how Malfoy's eyes had dwelt on her. "Is he part of the spell, Sir?"
Dumbledore answered, "No, my child, he is not. He is merely susceptible to it, and might unknowingly hurt you through that susceptibility. As Professor Snape has stressed, you are to come immediately to one of us if any interaction makes you uncomfortable. I too must insist that you resist the call of your nocturnal serenader, and to remain stubbornly in your bed. Be careful not to be alone with any outsiders, and if possible, even with any one of the occupants of Hogwarts, though I believe you're safe among us. It doesn't hurt to be cautious, though, now does it?"
Dumbledore stood up, in preparation of dismissal. Snape and Fennen promptly followed. "Be brave, Fennen: we're watching over you." Dumbledore continued, "Try to put the problem out of your mind and concentrate on your studies and your friends, where possible, but remain vigilant. As you've been taught."
Fennen managed a normal enough looking smile, though her eyes were still huge. "I will. Thank you, Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape." She turned away with new determination, her step lightened. Snape watched her go, a slight smile playing at his lips. Dumbledore's attention, in contrast, was on the Potions Master.
'You're wrong, my friend,' Dumbledore thought, a smile illuminating his lined face, 'she doesn't hate you at all.'
