Chapter 6

The Beginning of a Mystery

"You told him what?"

Amber was positively indignant. She couldn't believe that Katie had revealed one of her most personal stories, secrets even, to a man that she knew intimately through the too short pages of the seven books but hardly at all by their day-to-day interactions.

"I told him about my parents' deaths, my dad's alcoholism, and my rages," Katie restated calmly.

"Wow," said Brittany stunned, "What else did you tell him?"

"I told him how old I really am and how we all came to be here."

"Holy bajoly," Amber exclaimed in her characteristically weird way, "Why did you tell him that?"

"He asked," Katie answered simply.

"So if he asked you about you sex life, would you tell him that too?" Brattany asked half jokingly but half serious as she was trying to make a point.

Katie's face turned a deep, beet red.

"Hell no! Even though there is nothing to tell, that's my business! I would only tell people that I felt comfortable telling. Plus, it's not like Severus Snape is going to stop me in the middle of an Occlumency lesson and be like, 'There is another inquiry I have about your personal life, Ms. Insche. Are you a virgin?'"

Reluctantly, Amber and Brittany laughed. The imitation of Snape's voice and use of formal diction was simply too funny to ignore.

"Besides, Brittany," Katie added as a sudden afterthought, "If for some stupid reason I did have to tell Snape about my sex life, it's not like I have anything to be ashamed of."

"So," said Brittany with a mischeivious grin, "If you did have to tell him, what would you say?"

"I'd simply say that I'm saving myself for marriage, which is perfectly true as you both know," Katie answered with dignity.

"Wow, what an exciting and original answer," Brittnay said sarcastically.

"The point is that it's true," said Katie.

"So anyway," chimed in Amber, slightly embarrassed by the direction the conversation had taken, "What else did he have you do?"

"When the lesson first started, he told me to empty my mind by concentrating on something that I deeply love."

"Did you start thinking about-" Brittany began jokingly.

"No, I did not!" Katie wished she had never told Brittany that particular secret.

"What would you do though if he saw some of the memories?" Brittany asked.

"I really don't know," Katie mused, "It would all depend on what the memories were."

"Who did you think of?" Amber asked, completely confused by a secret that Katie had obviously only shared with Brittany.

"I thought of God."

"Did Snape know?" Brittany asked.

"I think he did based on the memories that he saw after that," Katie answered, not about to go into the way Snape had reacted. Somehow she knw that reaction had been very personal. She would not discuss it with anyone, except perhaps, one day, him.

"I'm really tired from tonight's lesson," Katie said before they could ask her anymore personal or embarrassing questions. "I think I'm gonna go to bed."

"Ok, goodnight," called Amber.

"Sweet dreams,' Brittany said wickedly.

Katie smiled. Maybe she would have wonderfully sweet dreams tonight.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

From the peace and sanctity of his beloved office, Albus Dumbledore heard the pounding of the racing footsteps coming up the spiral staircase. Dumbledore knew he would come eventually, but he certainly had not expected this so soon. He was highly anxious to know just how much of it all had been revealed, not only to him, but to her as well.

Three rapid bangs met his ears as he slowly got to his feet, not knowing exactly how he would need to defend himself when he opened the violently shuttering door. With a sigh he grabbed the wooden handle and pulled the old door inward.

"Exactly when were you planning on telling me, Headmaster?" a seathing Snape asked through clenched teeth.

"Please, come and sit, Severus," Dumbledore said resignedly.

Glaring at the ever polite and proper old man, Snape reluctantly sat in the very same chair that Harry would occupy each time he entered the office.

"Now," Dumbledore began, "What is it that you wish to know, Severus?"

'I wish to know many things at the moment. First, I would like to know why Ms. Insche, Ms. Daniels, and Ms. Douglass arrived at Hogwarts in such an unusual manner. I do not believe that such a thing has ever been heard of before or if it is even possible. Though I used no veritesirum, I did employ a bit of Legilimency; Ms. Insche truly believes that she and her friends arrived at this school without having any type of warning about their arrival. She believes the three of them were in separate locations engaging in different tasks when they all found themselves on the Hogwarts Express. Explain this."

"I cannot," Dumbledore said simply.

"What do you mean you cannot?" Snape asked angrily, "Is this another one of your brilliant plans to meddle with another's life in order to accomplish tasks for the "greater good"? I will not have any part in this. Look at how this is already beginning to affect Lily Evans's son. Look at how it has affected me. And I dare say I will still be a pawn in your plans as long as I'm alive."

"Lily Potter," Dumbledore corrected quietly to cause Snape's tirade to come to an abrupt hault. "There is more to this than you could possibly understand at the moment. Since it involves others along with yourself, I can neither tell you what I know nor what I suspect. All I can say at this point is that there is a prophecy. And yes, it is the one you partially overheard. It contains much more than any of us could have possibly expected. Harry Potter and Voldemort are not the only ones involved. The only other thing I can say at this point is that one of these girls is special; I do not know which one, but I know it is crucial that she learn Occlumency. That is where your involvement in this begins."

"Begins?" Snape repeated confusedly, "Does this mean that I will have more to do in this? I do not wish to be tangled up in the lives of others when I do not know the reasons why!"

"You do not have a choice," Dumbledore tried to explain without evoking the entire secret to the annoyed man sitting before him, "Some of the events in the prophecy have already happened. It has already begun, and as far as I know, it will continue until the prophecy is fulfilled. You cannot stop it, Severus."

"And if I refuse to teach these girls Occlumency?'

A sad look slid easily onto Dumbledore's face.

"Then, you will possibly miss out on one of the greatest gifts you could ever be given over the course of your life."

"I lost that gift many years ago," Snape commented knowingly.

"That was only one gift," Dumbledore said sympathetically, "That does not mean that more will not come. Also, even if you do choose to no longer give Occlumency lessons, you will still be involved. If you continue to teach these three girls, in the long run, things will be much easier for all of you, including Harry Potter."

"Very well," said Snape grudgingly, "I will do this for the boy only; if life is easier on him, it would make her happy."

"Do you not mean "will make her happy", Severus?"

"She is dead," Snape answered softly, "The only word I can use is "would"."

"We have discussed this to no avail, so perhaps I will stop trying for now. Did you have any other matters you wished to know about?"

"Only one," said Snape, coming out of his rarely seen mood of mourning, "Tonight, I was trying yet again to have Ms. Insche empty her mind. She allowed me to get in too far, and the counter spell she used on me was highly unusual. She caused my wand to fly out of my hand and hover in a circular motion above my head. She has done this before. Do you know anything about this spell?"

Dumbledore's eyes widened slightly. He had never heard of the spell either, but that didn't necessarily mean…

"I do not know of this spell," Dumbledore answered finally, "However, there are many spells and areas of magic that I am ignorant about. I will ask some of the other teachers and do a bit of research in the library. If I discover anything, I will tell you. Put it from your mind for now though, Severus. I do not think it is of great importance."

Though a quick retort was at the ready, Snape chose to remain silent; he had already been bold enough with the Headmaster tonight.

"Yes, Headmaster," he said, showing the slightest glimpse of humility;

"Well then Severus, if that is all, we shall end our session here."

"That is all for the moment," Snape replied in his usual cold manner.

"Goodnight then, Severus," said Dumbledore cherrily.

"Goodnight Headmaster," Snape said in turn.

Snape had to excersise a great deal of control over his boiling temper so as not to slam the door to the Headmaster's office on his way out. He was simply sick of this. Ever since the moment he had come back to Dumbledore and confessed his horrible deed of revealing the prophecy to the dark lord, Dumbledore had been using him in any way he could. And, of course, Snape was never informed of the reasoning behind his expected obedience and blind loyalty. Blind. What in the hell did this girl, these three girls, have to do with the prophecy? Which one was the "special" one? Special. What a curious word to apply to one of three girls that Dumbledore only seemed to know of from a prophecy. Yes, he would continue to teach them Occlumency, but he would try to solve this mystery on his own. It would save time and possibly pain. He merely had to ask the correct series of questions during the lessons. Katie Inshce, he already knew a bit about, but the others he knew next to nothing of. If he could only ask them now, he could tell Dumbledore of his findings and maybe spare the four of them from being forced under his calm yet powerful hand. If only he could ask them now. And yet, why not? After all, it wasn't as if they were in the dormitory.