Dinner that night was quite interesting. My advanced seventh-years took two
class sessions, so I only had one more class to teach: a combined class of
Gryffindor and Slytherin first-years. In a paradoxical twist, the first
years were more respectful towards me, while less afraid. Despite having
only two classes, I was quite exhausted by the time I arrived in the Great
Hall, and didn't hear the rumors flying around. After I began eating,
Professor Snape made sure to fill me in.
"The latest," he said, leaning over and whispering conspiratorially, "is that you are over three hundred years old, an immortal, more powerful than even Lady Hecate the Goddess of Magic, and out for Potter."
"The first three I would understand, but why I am offing the Boy-Who- Lived?"
"Apparently, you're out to get Draco over there, but his secret boyfriend won't let you and has challenged you to a duel tonight."
I smirked into my coffee.
"Who started that one?"
"One of the Ravenclaws. For being so smart, that house has some of the most insane people in it. No common sense, whatsoever."
Once done, Snape and I left together, Potter's eyes on Snape, Draco's on me. I took Snape down to my rooms, as he asked to see them. I was amused to see that even the Head of Slytherin was confused by the twists and turns it took to reach the portrait of the elves.
We entered and his gaze, while not as awestruck as Draco's, roamed the living room, taking in every detail. We sat down and I muttered some spells for warmth, light, and l'kona. Snape sampled the drink and told me he found it pleasant.
"Neither of us, I think, are fans of small talk," I began.
Snape nodded.
"I wanted to tell you, Master to Master, what I am and why I am here."
I explained to Snape about the Mage system, going into more detail than I had given my seventh years. I also told him about my years at Salem - who I studied under especially, as my Potions professor had once been Snape's mentor.
"After I graduated from Salem, I was called as a Slayer. The Council sent me a Watcher and I trained in New York for a few months before going to the Hellmouth and training with Buffy Summers and her Watcher, Giles. The traditional coming-of-age ritual one is forced to undergo at 18, I took when I turned 15. I passed."
"Which means what?"
"I don't need a Watcher anymore. The Council of Watchers feels I know enough of the old prophecies and that I'm able to take care of myself. Because I'm not assigned to the Hellmouth, I'm allowed to roam where I please."
"I thought only one Slayer exists at a time?" Snape asked, confused.
"That's a rumor propagated by the Watcher's Council. Makes the vampires around the world feel more off-guard if they know the Slayer's in Sunnydale. Usually, there are three Slayers, one for the Hellmouth, one to roam - currently Miyu, who I met in Japan, and one that's insane, in order to see the patterns of the vampiric world - that's the Slayer Faith."
"Patterns?"
"There's a pattern to the way Vampires and Slayers interact. Some of the more.slightly unhinged.vampires can see the pattern and use it to try and overwhelm the Slayers. Because Faith can see the pattern, she can keep balance and counteract the insane vampires."
"So where do you fit in with all of this?"
"A few years ago, Buffy called the spirit of the First Slayer and bonded with her. Buffy was inhabited by the First Slayer and found out more about the Slayer heritage than anyone before her knew. Then, Buffy died. The First Slayer was left as a spirit and stranded on earth without a vessel. She chose to inhabit me, thanks to my powerful magic, making me the vessel of the First Slayer. Buffy came back, thanks to a very powerful Wiccan, and retains memories of the First, but not the First herself. Thanks to the First, I was called as a Slayer."
"After that?"
"I left America and traveled to India. I spent just under a year there and studied the art of necromancy."
"Raising?"
"I studied both, but I'm a Binder. When I left, my master gave me his mentor's bells and pipes. I was approached by the College of Masters at the age of 16 and spent five years there."
Snape's jaw dropped.
"Five years? And you're a Master?"
"Yes. I studied hard and the Masters allowed me to accelerate my studied. They were approached by the Mage Circle when I began at the College and told that the Mages would come for me in five years. They had that time to train me."
"What are your specialties, Mistress Rowan? I see you have seven wands."
"My first mastery came in Defense against the Dark Arts. I also am a Divination mistress, a Charms mistress, a Transfiguration mistress, a Runes mistress, a mistress of the Dark Arts, and.a Potions mistress."
"Potions?" Snape's eyes gleamed with camaraderie, not threatened at all. "I don't remember your name on the lists of achievements."
"The Masters thought it best to protect my name because of my promise to the Mage Circle, because of my gifts and the rising of Voldemort. Dumbledore especially advised the Masters to keep me anonymous. I published under a pseudonym."
"Which was?"
"Maleficent." I began, and Snape finished.
"Glennis. Amazing. I highly respect your work. How did you discover the aconite-valerian combination?"
"Actually," I said, beginning a conversation that lasted well into the night.
"The latest," he said, leaning over and whispering conspiratorially, "is that you are over three hundred years old, an immortal, more powerful than even Lady Hecate the Goddess of Magic, and out for Potter."
"The first three I would understand, but why I am offing the Boy-Who- Lived?"
"Apparently, you're out to get Draco over there, but his secret boyfriend won't let you and has challenged you to a duel tonight."
I smirked into my coffee.
"Who started that one?"
"One of the Ravenclaws. For being so smart, that house has some of the most insane people in it. No common sense, whatsoever."
Once done, Snape and I left together, Potter's eyes on Snape, Draco's on me. I took Snape down to my rooms, as he asked to see them. I was amused to see that even the Head of Slytherin was confused by the twists and turns it took to reach the portrait of the elves.
We entered and his gaze, while not as awestruck as Draco's, roamed the living room, taking in every detail. We sat down and I muttered some spells for warmth, light, and l'kona. Snape sampled the drink and told me he found it pleasant.
"Neither of us, I think, are fans of small talk," I began.
Snape nodded.
"I wanted to tell you, Master to Master, what I am and why I am here."
I explained to Snape about the Mage system, going into more detail than I had given my seventh years. I also told him about my years at Salem - who I studied under especially, as my Potions professor had once been Snape's mentor.
"After I graduated from Salem, I was called as a Slayer. The Council sent me a Watcher and I trained in New York for a few months before going to the Hellmouth and training with Buffy Summers and her Watcher, Giles. The traditional coming-of-age ritual one is forced to undergo at 18, I took when I turned 15. I passed."
"Which means what?"
"I don't need a Watcher anymore. The Council of Watchers feels I know enough of the old prophecies and that I'm able to take care of myself. Because I'm not assigned to the Hellmouth, I'm allowed to roam where I please."
"I thought only one Slayer exists at a time?" Snape asked, confused.
"That's a rumor propagated by the Watcher's Council. Makes the vampires around the world feel more off-guard if they know the Slayer's in Sunnydale. Usually, there are three Slayers, one for the Hellmouth, one to roam - currently Miyu, who I met in Japan, and one that's insane, in order to see the patterns of the vampiric world - that's the Slayer Faith."
"Patterns?"
"There's a pattern to the way Vampires and Slayers interact. Some of the more.slightly unhinged.vampires can see the pattern and use it to try and overwhelm the Slayers. Because Faith can see the pattern, she can keep balance and counteract the insane vampires."
"So where do you fit in with all of this?"
"A few years ago, Buffy called the spirit of the First Slayer and bonded with her. Buffy was inhabited by the First Slayer and found out more about the Slayer heritage than anyone before her knew. Then, Buffy died. The First Slayer was left as a spirit and stranded on earth without a vessel. She chose to inhabit me, thanks to my powerful magic, making me the vessel of the First Slayer. Buffy came back, thanks to a very powerful Wiccan, and retains memories of the First, but not the First herself. Thanks to the First, I was called as a Slayer."
"After that?"
"I left America and traveled to India. I spent just under a year there and studied the art of necromancy."
"Raising?"
"I studied both, but I'm a Binder. When I left, my master gave me his mentor's bells and pipes. I was approached by the College of Masters at the age of 16 and spent five years there."
Snape's jaw dropped.
"Five years? And you're a Master?"
"Yes. I studied hard and the Masters allowed me to accelerate my studied. They were approached by the Mage Circle when I began at the College and told that the Mages would come for me in five years. They had that time to train me."
"What are your specialties, Mistress Rowan? I see you have seven wands."
"My first mastery came in Defense against the Dark Arts. I also am a Divination mistress, a Charms mistress, a Transfiguration mistress, a Runes mistress, a mistress of the Dark Arts, and.a Potions mistress."
"Potions?" Snape's eyes gleamed with camaraderie, not threatened at all. "I don't remember your name on the lists of achievements."
"The Masters thought it best to protect my name because of my promise to the Mage Circle, because of my gifts and the rising of Voldemort. Dumbledore especially advised the Masters to keep me anonymous. I published under a pseudonym."
"Which was?"
"Maleficent." I began, and Snape finished.
"Glennis. Amazing. I highly respect your work. How did you discover the aconite-valerian combination?"
"Actually," I said, beginning a conversation that lasted well into the night.