Chapter 10: Sweet Nothings

by Jazmine Lovejoy

A/N: I don't own the players but this is my game!

The trip to the infirmary was as gloomy as the Green Mile for the succubus. Between the verbal beat down from Snape, her crap forensic skills turning up nada in the corridor, and trying to figure out how in the hell she was going to protect a kid who's got a target on his back the size of China, she was at her wits' end. This wonderland adventure is turning into one giant bite on my ass, she thought glumly. Her head was screaming at her to jump ship and head back home where at least she knew what she was dealing with when she heard the whispering.

Do not forsake the children; Hogwarts needs you.

"Well, I don't need THIS right now!" she screams, and in her anger and frustration, she throws one of her daggers in the direction of the whispers. The knife embeds itself into a portrait of dancing nymphs who scream and hid behind some of the trees. The commotion drew the Headmaster of all people as he gazed at the Fae with concern.

"This isn't what it looks like-" Bo starts awkwardly. Yeah, good going Bo—she berated herself, what excuse are you going to give the old man…I sneezed and my dagger flew out of my sleeve when I went for a tissue?

"Professor Dennis, I need you to collect your weapon and come with me." His voice was soft but still had the tone that was not to be ignored. Bo wordlessly pulls her dagger out of the enchanted painting (disregarding the nymphs' agitated cries) and follows Dumbledore to his office. Shit, I'm being sent to the principal's office and I'm not even a student!

By the time they entered the wizard's domain, Bo finds her voice and says, "I was on my way to the infirmary-"

"I have already received an update from Poppy," the old man interrupts, "Mr. Weasley was subjected to a dark toxin."

"Is he going to be alright?" she immediately asks.

"He was tended to in time. He will have to stay in the infirmary for a fortnight but I have Poppy's assurance that the lad will make a full recovery."

Bo slumps back into her chair in relief. "At least SOMETHING is looking up today."

The headmaster considers her for a moment before gently stating, "I know that you having some—adjustments but I must point out that attacking innocent paintings is not the way-"

"I wasn't trying to attack any paintings," she cuts him off. When he kept his gaze on her to explain she sighs as she admits, "You are gonna think I'm crazy—hell, I'm starting to think I'm crazy, but I was trying to stop the voices that seem to keep following me around this damn castle."

"Can you describe the voices?" he asks her with interest.

Bo shifts in her discomfort but supplies, "There are four of them—two male voices, two female and one of the males has a lisp." Dumbledore's eyes grow wide and surprises Bo with his excitement.

"Can you hear them now—what are they saying?"

She was shocked that he not only believed her but also seemed to know exactly what it was.

"Can we back this train up a little and you tell me what the hell is going on?" The old man didn't seem to take offense at the woman's sharp request and he glances back sheepishly.

"Of course, my dear; the voices that you are hearing is the soul of Hogwarts."

She pauses before saying incredulously, "The school is talking to me?"

"Well, the souls of the Founders of Hogwarts to be exact—what has Severus told you about the school?"

"He mentioned that the four most powerful wizards and witches came together and used their combined magic to create a school for magic."

"That is true but what you may not know is that when the Founders combined their magic to create Hogwarts they also imbued the land that Hogwarts resides on with a part of themselves…when they died, their souls were tied to the school forever. In essence, they became the very soul of Hogwarts."

"That's…great, Headmaster; yay for them. Not to be rude but why are they talking to me and why am I the only one who can hear them?"

"Excellent questions, my dear. I'm afraid when the Founders created the school, there was a prophecy-"

"Of course there was," she interrupts sarcastically but apologizes when she sees the disapproving look the old man was giving her.

"As I was saying, a prophecy mentioned that there would come a time when Hogwarts would be in danger and that she will call upon the Guardian."

"…Who?"

"All we know about the Guardian is that he or she will be a powerful individual with a connection to the school."

"And you think that I'm the Guardian."

"The evidence points to it, yes."

"But I'm not a witch; hell, I'm not even human!" argues Bo.

"But you are powerful," counters the Headmaster.

"I don't feel very powerful right now," she argues petulantly.

"Nevertheless, it would seem that Hogwarts has chosen you as her protector."

She mentally stops herself from spiraling into an inevitable pity party when she hears Dumbledore's last word. "How can we know for sur—wait a minute. Lucky!" she calls out. Immediately the house-elf in question pops in front of the succubus.

"Mistress Bo called for Lucky?"

"Yes, um, Lucky, the first day that we met you called me the 'protector professor'." The elf bobs his head in agreement.

"Mistress Bo is the protector professor."

"Did any of the other professors tell you that?" This time the elf shook his head.

"Oh no, Mistress Bo; none of the Master Professors told Lucky."

"Then how did you know that I was sent to protect the school?" she couldn't help but ask.

"Because Hogwarts told Lucky Mistress Bo was the protector professor." This stunned Bo but the old wizard in the room simply smiled a knowing smile at the little elf and the confirmation she brought with her.

"Thank you Lucky, that will be all," he tells the elf.

Lucky bowed before the Headmaster and to the Fae before popping out of the office. The remaining two looked at each other when Bo weakly argues, "Okay—I'll admit that that is one hell of a coincidence..." When he silently raises his eyebrows in response, she slumps back down in her chair and mutters, "Alright, fine—I'm the Guardian." Dumbledore smiled triumphantly at her admitted defeat. "Has anyone ever told you that you're annoying when you're always right?"

He laughed. "They never stopped."

She smiled weakly. "Aside from talking with a castle, what can the Guardian do? Do I have any special privileges, a fancy decoder ring, what?"

The old man chuckled in response. "Well my dear, the Guardian has access to all of Hogwarts. No room will be denied and no password needed. The Guardian also has the power to lock down the castle."

"Don't I need your permission for that?"

He shakes his head. "The Headmaster is the authority in Hogwarts. However, in matters of security and protection the Guardian can override the Headmaster. If you choose to lock down Hogwarts, I would have to submit to your wisdom along with anyone else." He rises from his seat to venture over to one of the oldest animated portraits of previous headmasters: Brian Gagwilde (Bo remembered reading about him as the author of Jiggery Pokery and Hocus Pocus). The painting nodded to the current headmaster as it swings out to reveal what looked like a wizard's safe. Dumbledore reached in a pulled out an ancient tome bound in red leather and handed it to Bo. "This is everything Hogwarts has on the Guardian. May I suggest you read through it and ask her if you have any questions."

"Her? You want me to talk to the school?"

His eyes twinkle at the Fae's skepticism. "Of course, it would be rude not to. She's talking to you after all."

Bo wordlessly gets up to leave the room but pauses when he adds, "Oh and give my regards to your grandfather!" She leaves him with a smile before returning to her chambers.

The next few days flew by for the Fae. Bo threw herself in her dual roles of professor and protector. Her students were showing definite progress, and she managed to give extra night lessons to Harry (who was quite eager once she approached him with the offer) along few of his friends (Hermione, Ron{who recovered quickly but was unable to recall what happened to him}, Neville, Ron's sister Ginny and a little odd blond named Luna). When she wasn't teaching Bo was either patrolling or talking to the school in her classroom or her own rooms. She devoured the book that Al gave her and she discovered that she didn't need the bracelet that McGonagall insisted she wore at the beginning of the year. She also discovered that Hogwarts used the different essences of the Founders to convey different emotions. When Hogwarts was being informative, she used the voice of Rowena Ravenclaw, when she was annoyed or being sarcastic, she used Salazar Slytherin, when she was being motherly, Bo heard the nurturing voice of Helga Hufflepuff and when encouragement was needed, Godric Gryffindor was voice.

The children that were used in the lad Weasley's misfortune were indeed imperiused, Rowena informed Bo.

The coward that committed such a vile act on children did so off our grounds, hissed Salazar.

The succubus nodded as she tiredly rubbed her eyes.

Dear Guardian, soothed Helga, you need to conserve your strength in order to protect the children.

The Guardian needs to vigorously bed her man, argues Salazar.

"Hey! I do not need sex advice from a building," huffs Bo, "and for the record, the 'dungeon professor' is not my man!"

Come now Guardian, Godric adds, as a fae of the flesh, a good tupping is essential for your overall health.

"Am I talking to the soul of a school or the Playboy Mansion? I'm gonna do a final patrol and then call it a night," Bo firmly retorts before muttering, "Pervy castle," under her breath.

She takes her familiar trek around the castle with her mind wandering onto the very topic she wanted to avoid. Ever since their fight, Severus was actively avoiding her. Every time she would enter a room, he would find cause to leave it. She was tempted to stroll right into his room with her all access pass a la Guardian, but she knew that it would just push him further away. He was just supposed to be a donor, her mind whined, how the hell did it get so complicated? She was just finishing with the last of her perimeter walk when she noticed movement in the shadows. Bo stopped to peer out in the field when she spotted some figures shuffling out of the castle. Bo groans. "So much for an early night," she grumbles as she follows along.

A/N: Love some feedback!