Chapter 4 Facing Giants.
Carina emerged from the pensieve, everything was blurry and all they objects in the room were unfocused, with a trickle of water down her cheeks she realized she was crying again. She realized now how much stronger then herself, Severus was. She couldn't have done it, he had done what Albus had wanted him to do, but how could her beloved father push such a fate on Severus? And to sell it with "Do it for her!". He had manipulated Severus's feelings for her. Now she knew what it had cost him to say those three words she had so hungered for.
She needed to fight for him, he deserved more then she could give but she would give it all to him, her heart and soul. If that meant fighting with every member of the Order then fine, so be it. But first she needed to insure that they knew she was a strong and valuable asset to the Order.
With her new personal mission in place, her mind was beginning clear from all the emotional baggage she had been lugging around the last few days. If she had a third person view of herself she would have realized that she had indeed changed, grown up a bit, while her inner self was still the loving person she had always been, her outer layers were hardening from all the trauma.
She was standing taller and she seemed a bigger threat then before, her person was doing what needed to be done to survive the war, and to make sure Severus survived too.
She rejoiced in the proof of innocence, but it was hollow victory, she didn't know where to go from here other then defending Severus to the Order, and the Ministry. She would also become a full fledge member of the Order, and would do anything to prove herself. This would all have to do until she meet him again.
Remus wandered around The Burrow looking for Carina, she was being terribly silent again, and he didn't know if she was planning (plotting) something. Every time he went to her room it was empty, and every time he passed Ron's room, Ron, Harry, and Hermione were playing exploding snaps outside in the landing. They would look up and smile a little too innocently to him.
"Mind if I join?" He asked politely. Hermione was blushing and looking at her cards, Ron's ears were red, and Harry was 'Er-ing'.
"Thanks!" Remus sat on the floor and they dealt the cards. "So why the landing?"
"Fred and George hid a 'Fred's Farting Flower' in there somewhere, and it takes a good 3 hours for it to wear out." Hermione said offhandedly.
"Ah." Remus shook his head in understanding and looked down to his cards. If Ron, or even Harry had anwsered this he would have believed it, but Hermione was a master of subterfuge.
They continued their game, in silence, and they gave away more with their silence then if they had talked. "So what is Carina doing in Ron's bedroom?"
Ron's head shot up and his ears were bright red. "What are you on about, Remus?" he tried to recover from his mistake.
But the deed was done. "Look guys, Carina is in a highly delicate state of mind right now. I'm trying to separate her from anything to do with Snape. She seems to believe that he is harmless, and innocent. I don't know if she is forcing herself to believe it or what, but it's crazy."
"I know!" Harry blurted before he could stop himself. "I mean how in the Merlin's robes could he be innocent? I saw Dumbledore pleading for his live, and Snape just stood there starring at him."
"He wasn't starring, he was using Legilimency with my father, and begging my father not to make him do it." Carina was standing in the doorway of Ron's room, and her presense was a slight more commanding then they had ever seen.
"What?" Hermione asked, looking hopeful to her friend.
"I went into the pensieve and used my ability of Legilimency, and I am now completely secure in my belief in his innocence. He isn't guilty since my father made him take an Oath of protecting me, he made the oath work for him, and made Severus 'protect me'. My father always was a "puppet master" and did what he thought was for the 'greater good'. I do thank you Remus for being so concerned with me. Thank you Harry, here is your memory." she turned and pulled the small bottle from her pocket and handed it back to Harry.
Carina looked at Remus, she gave him a small smile because she knew that this was about to rock his world. She was focusing on his feeling, absorbing them so she knew how better to deal with him. He was confused, and so guilty feeling. He looked down at his boots and walked away. Carina knew he needed to be alone for a while so she watched him disappear down the stairs. She would check on him later but right now she had alot she needed to accomplish.
She needed to get to her house and pick up a few things. She moved to the living room and looked for the pot of floo powder, but it was still gone. Before she was too polite to do what she had to do, for fear of angering someone. Now none of that mattered as much as it used too, so she extended her arm up into the arm and shouted, "Accio Floo Powder Pot!". Sure enough the Floo powder pot came zipping into the room and straight into her hand. She tossed the floo powder in and flooed home.
She stepped into her kitchen and looked around, the house was standing tall again, she smirked. "Soot!" she called to her House elf.
With a pop she turned to see the short house elf standing looking up at her.
"Mister Remus, told Soot that Miss should not be here!" Soot scolded his Mistress.
"I am fine Soot. Mister Remus has changed his mind. I need the cloak and the pensieve, the ones I had you hide for me."
"Yes Miss Carina!" he bowed and popped away. She didn't have to wait long before she heard another pop and Soot had returned holding the black robe and the pensieve. She smiled and took them with a 'Thank you'. She made her way down the hall and opened the the 'Red Door' this time was different though, she left the door open.
She waved her wand and the cloak flew and wrapped itself around sewing manikin. She began to wave her wand in a series of spells, shortening the length, putting in dart and changing the structure of the frock/cloak to fit her feminine frame. She stood in front of a mirror and examined herself when she finished. It looked almost as fierce and strong on her as it did on him. In her eyes the frock was his cape, he was a super hero, but now he needed to be rescued. She took the memory from the pensieve and put it back into the pendant he had once worn, then pulled it around her own neck.
She went to her room and to her desk, opened a drawer took out a sheet of paper and wrote letters to Alaster Moody, and Kinglsey Shaklebolt asking them both to meet her at her residence. She sealed both the letters then shouted, "Fawks!"
The bird had been soaring around waiting to be called upon, she knew that, but she hadn't the heart the face Fawks yet, even now she knew that it would sting her heart to see him.
With a flash of red flame Fawkes came gliding down letting out soothing songs. "I'm glad you came Fawkes." Carina said genuinely, "Will you take these letters to Moody and Shaklebolt?" The bird bowed and offered his leg for the posts.
When she finished tying on the letter Carina bowed her head back to the bird and asked "Will you come back and stay here after your done?"
Fawkes took off straight into the air with one push of his wings, no, she realized, he would not be her familiar. He seemed to have a bigger purpose, and of course she understood.
Carina did not have to wait long for the arrivals of the two Order members. Kingsley greeted her politely and took the sit she offered, and Moody trudged in and sat himself on the wingback chair next the Kingsley.
"Thank you for coming, I have a few things to tell you, and a few things I need advice on." She waited for their nods of understanding.
"Well, what is it you called us here for then, las?" Moody grunted.
"Moody, let the girl speak." Kingsley replied.
"Why did she have to drag us out here? What does the girl have to say that she can't say at the Head Quarters."
"My point in 'dragging' you out here is that I am no more a 'girl' then Tonks is. This is my home, and I have been taken and held against my will at The Burrow. There is no danger of my home being discovered by death eaters, because is it unplottable."
"We were informed that Snape knows the location of your home."
"He does, but he will not be telling any death eaters where my home is."
"How can you be so sure? He is the traitor that murdered your father." Moody shot back.
"True but Snape is innocent, which is what I have brought you here for." she looked them both in the eyes and then went on. "I entered the pensieve and witnessed the act myself, I did however have one skill Harry Potter does not, I am an expert Legilimency user. My father told Severus to use the curse, and he even used an old Oath Severus had made to make sure Severus had no escape from the act."
Moody and Kingsley were both shell shocked, Dumbledore had asked Snape to murder him!
"As much as I would love to believe your sting of tales, I'll have to have more proof." Moody declared.
"Would you be opposed to my using Legilimency to show you?" Carina asked not backing down from his hard glare.
"It would help, and we will have to get a second Legilimens to come in and double check for us." He said to Kingsley.
"That sounds good." Kingsley moved his gaze to Carina, "Send your memory of what you saw in the pensieve into my mind now, please."
Carina nodded and looked Kingsley in the eyes then made the connection and sent it all into Kingsley's mind. When it was over Kingsley looked torn between emotions, happy that Severus was innocent, and grieved at what the man was forced to do. She followed suit with Moody, he however showed no emotion.
"Now the second reason I have asked you here." She looked at them both hard in the eyes, "I was accidentally informed at my father's funeral of a certain clause in my father's will. Why wasn't I informed of my role in this?" She was glaring at them both, and Kingsley felt aggrieved that they had chosen to hide the information, she seemed adult enough and strong enough to handle anything they could have thrown at her.
"Because your a child, and it shouldn't have fallen into your lap!" Moody snapped at her.
"And what is my age, Moody?" She stood straight and crossed her arms, knowing that what ever answer he gave he would be setting himself up.
"I have no idea, I've hardly seen you before today!" His magical eye was spinning madly as he said this, and Carina wondered if it was from his agitation.
"I'm 19 almost 20, in the wizarding world thats almost 3 years being a legal adult. I can join the Aurors and die fighting for the Ministry, or even the Order for that matter, but I'm not old enough to know information that is directly involved with me. I'm not allowed to know what burdens have been sat on my own shoulders!?"
"WE weren't only concerned with you age as much as your heart!"
"If I believed that Severus was a cold hearted murderer I would have made my judgment as justly as the Wizengamot! Even if it would have ripped my own heart out, but seeing as he is innocent you almost allowed him to be falsely convicted!"
"Listen Lassie, I've lived too long and been through too much to have a chit sass at me." Moody yelled grumpily.
"I'm stating hard cold facts and if you don't like it then you may leave, I would like to say that I am 'coming out' to the Wizarding World, I'm planning on going to the Ministry and claiming the right of judgement on Snapes behalf."
"What! You...grrr" Moody was getting very hot under the collar.
"She's right." Kingsley put in, making both the other occupants turn and stare at him. "If Severus Snape is an innocent man, then we can't allow him to go to Azkaban. At the same time you can't immediately pardon him, as you have smartly figured, because that would compromise his past position as a spy. Yes you have to go before the Ministry and take claim of all judgment for the Dumbledore murder into your hands. Your a smart girl, loyal too, I'm glad we have you in the Order."
A/N Wow this chapter was a beast for me to write!
Obsessed.Otaku.of.America - I find that my cliffies insure your return! An evil but useful tactic to procure readers!
debjunk - Thanks! I was really proud of my Legilimency/memory idea!
maraudergirl02- Hey I enjoyed your questions, someone is a thinker! sry it's late here (about 2am)
MioneRocks -If you have any questions just message me! I will try to straighten anything out I can!
Soccergirl0388 - I hope you liked this chapter, thanks for your review!
Annalithea - I'm glad you like it! did you read the first one? Its was fun plot wise but poorly written, so I'm working alot harder on this one.
