Chapter 44: The Inevitable Pull Of Destiny
{A/N: Here's Another Update...}
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers Enjoy -S.S
{"Something's burning inside of me...Can I put out the flame before I lay to waste?...Here I stand, gettin' hard to breath...Now I can't feel the burn...It's getting cold and lonely...Stay, because I'm feeling alone and I need you more than you know...Don't leave me because I'm under attack and you don't have a reason to go...Don't leave me alone...I've been living too blind to see...How do you know my name, but aren't we all the same?...Black out all of the memories...The bitterness of old...How is my life unfolding?...Stay, because I'm feeling alone and I need you more than you know...Don't leave me because I'm under attack and you don't have a reason to go...Don't leave me alone..."} Alone, Burn Halo
The Courtyard, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
The aftermath of the strange tremor had saw to terror sweeping across Hogwarts Castle as Headmaster Albus Dumbledore attempted to do damage control. He got the students whom had been in the courtyard to safety as they looked on at the destruction of the stone fountain in confusion. Professor McGonagall had arrived helping with the rounding up of students and investigating the possible cause for the thing to have split into two leaving a mess of water and toppled stone everywhere. She had not seen such damage in years but it was during the time of Harry Potter's parents attending given James Potter and his mates knack for getting into all sorts of mischief.
Dumbledore's keen eyes had been fixated on the site, the degree of power used to enable such a catastrophe had not been lost on him as he waved his wand and set about mending the broken stone and putting the fountain back together.
Professor McGonagall approached Dumbledore with a worried expression filed across her aged face. She knew no student had been powerful enough to cause this kind of damage let alone via a single spell and it unnerved her as to whom might have been responsible. She didn't believe a breach was made given the short time frame and that Dumbledore himself had been present at the school.
The Headmaster was silent on the matter as his mind had taken him to the only logical conclusion as to how this incident occurred. There was only one person capable of such damage in such a short amount of time and he had hoped that he had been wrong given the implications.
"Albus...this is madness." said McGonagall shakily. "I should hope that none of our students are to blame for what has happened here."
"No Minerva." replied Dumbledore at once. "None of the students are to blame...at least none of our current students that is."
McGonagall looked at him, completely baffled by what he'd been saying.
"Are you telling me that this mess was caused by our former students?" she asked not liking the sound of that. "Some sort of prank gone wrong?"
"I am afraid that despite the damage you see before you, only one of our former students was capable of making this mess." said Dumbledore.
McGonagall looked over the elder wizard for a few moments. She had not a clue whom had been so bold as to vandalize the fountain, but she was determined to give whomever it had been a piece of her mind once she found out.
"I take it you know exactly whom is responsible." she said knowing the Headmaster all too well.
"I do indeed." replied Dumbledore seemingly weary. "Although, I had hoped he had grown out of such violent displays."
"Well do tell." said McGonagall eager to know whom she'd be hexing for the next few months.
"I'm afraid I cannot share such sensitive information." replied Dumbledore. "I...and I alone must deal with this former student directly."
Despite her disappointment, McGonagall believed the Headmaster knew best when it came to certain situations and gladly left it to him to sort out. Only once had Dumbledore been forced to make repairs to the castle on his own and it had been during the time it was revealed to him that the teenage Severus Snape had been more than what he seemed. Determined to learn more about this incident, the Headmaster made his way toward the dungeons once he'd finished repairing the courtyard.
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The Court Yard, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...1976...
A black sky had been the appropriate backdrop as an enraged teenage Severus Snape stood in the center of the courtyard shirtless and his body a glow via the black flames that enveloped his body. Their purple hue the only means of telling the difference between them and the sky above. Severus' lengthy raven hair had covered his sallow pale face and it was quite difficult to get a read on his expression, which was almost certainly twisted by rage. The glow of his eyes had been just so that Dumbledore found himself with cause to worry after being alerted about a fight going on between James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Lily Evans and the enraged Slytherin boy before him.
It was Lily herself whom had come to retrieve him, fearful of what her enraged best friend would do to a rather helpless Sirius Black in the wake of all that happened with the young Evelyn Shaw.
By the time the Headmaster arrived, a furious Severus Snape had held a gasping Remus Lupin in his were form by the throat crushing his windpipe without regard in the wake of his own rage.
"SEV!" shouted Lily attempting to rush toward the angry wizard.
"Steer clear of him." commanded Dumbledore not wishing to endanger the young red head witch as he marveled at the flames that engulfed Severus Snape's body.
"He's burning Remus." said James Potter scrambling to his feet after recovering from being slammed via magic courtesy of the younger Slytherin.
He rushed at Severus only to find himself unable to take the heat of the angry wizard's fury as he was scorched in the process. The scent of burning flesh filled the air and the clouds burst forth as rain continued to pour from the sky.
Dumbledore had heard the stories passed down via his ancestors but never in his life did he imagine that he'd bear witness to the might of a Psijic Phoenix in person. What had been more disconcerting had be that Severus Snape's powers had not even been a fraction of what a full grown Psijic Phoenix had been capable of as he was still just a boy.
Already, his rage gave way to destruction and he cared not for a single mortal in his path, be it friend or foe.
"Mr. Snape...stop this nonsense at once!" demanded Dumbledore recalling his authority as Headmaster.
Severus merely glared at the older wizard, seemingly unaffected by rain and determined to destroy everyone whom had dared stand against him.
Dumbledore drew his wand not at all sure how he was going to combat such a powerful opponent, even if he had been a mere boy.
He had not had a moment to settle his thoughts before the boy advanced intent on destroying him and the school around them as the black flames ripped apart the courtyard. The Gryffindor students found themselves staring death in the eye as Severus Snape's rampage threatened to be the end of them all despite Dumbledore's best efforts.
The aged Headmaster was quickly overcome during the scuffle and sent flying into a nearby wall crushing his back in the process.
"WHERE IS SHE!?" growled Severus not in the least sorry for his actions against the Headmaster. "WHERE IS MY WIFE!?"
"SHE'S GONE!" shouted Lily Potter with tears streaming down her cheeks. "Sev...you know that."
"NO!" shouted Severus Snape further enraged by the implication. "SHE'S HERE...I CAN FEEL HER...YOU ARE KEEPING HER FROM ME!"
"Severus don't do this to yourself." said James struggling to get to his feet despite his injuries. His infamous glasses were broken in the wake of the scuffle. "Evie is gone and it's high time you face it."
Severus had not seemed to like the sound of the rather brave Potter's words as he used a variation of wandless magic to strangle the already badly damaged Potter in the wake of it.
"SEVERUS STOP THIS MADNESS, your wife is gone...there is nothing anyone can do to bring her back." said Dumbledore attempting to block the wandless spell.
Severus Snape let out a furious shout before splitting the entire castle via his abilities unnerving Dumbledore in the process.
As the tremors increased the angrier he became, someone or something burst through the building rubble. Dumbledore had been shocked to see what looked to have been a baby much bigger than an infant and smaller than a toddler make it's way into the courtyard. There was a faint glow of fire that surrounded it and the eyes gave off a glow similar to that of the enraged young Severus.
"What's..." began Lupin still in agony from the assault he suffered when he attempted to put a stop to Severus Snape's rampage.
"Is that a baby?" asked Sirius Black in disbelief.
"That is..." began Lily just as confused as she looked on.
The baby approached Severus unaffected by his flame induced rage as the two locked eyes. Dumbledore witnessed the baby, now revealed to a girl confront the enraged teen matching his power as if it had been nothing.
"Evelyn." said Severus finally calming himself as he took the child into his arms.
The amber color of her eyes returned as his rage fizzled out and he began to weaken.
"Evelyn." said Severus once more as tears streamed down his sallow pale cheeks.
Seizing that moment, Dumbledore got to his feet and struck the young wizard via a well timed spell, knocking him out cold and putting an end to the chaos once and for all.
Realizing how his actions upset the girl, Dumbledore spelled her as well wrapping her in the tattered remains of Severus Snape's shirt and instructing Filch to get the students into the infirmary. He took the small child that he now knew to have been Evelyn Shaw de-aged due to Sirius Black's folly and opted to get her as far away from Hogwarts castle and Severus Snape as possible.
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The Potions Classroom, The Dungeons, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
When Dumbledore arrived, Potions Master Severus Snape had been huddled over his desk in his usual fashion grading stack after stack of parchment depicting assignments from his students. He'd been none too thrilled about a good deal of them being rubbish and it only showed when the aged wizard made his way inside the classroom.
"Good evening, Severus." he said in his usual pleasant tone.
"To what do I owe this displeasure, Headmaster?" asked Snape not looking up from his work.
"You seem to be quite on edge." observed the older wizard.
"Why don't you get to the point of this idiotic visit, if it's Potter related I have my hands full as it is." said Snape still grading.
"It's possible, tell me...did you feel the strange tremors that shook the castle to it's very foundations?" asked Dumbledore watching Snape closely.
"No." replied Snape unsure what tremors have to do with him grading papers. "As you can see I've been otherwise preoccupied."
Dumbledore seemed to watch the younger wizard for a few moments more.
"Does my presence cause you discomfort Severus?" he asked testing the waters.
"What do you think old man?" growled Snape still grading. "Don't you have Gryffindor brats to attend to, I'm sure Potter has found himself in need of bailing out of yet another scheme gone wrong."
"And what of Miss Granger?" asked Dumbledore still apparently testing the waters.
Snape had no reaction aside from his usual annoyance.
"What about the insufferable little know it all?" growled Snape none to pleased to speak of her either. "I'm sure she'll come up with the perfect little ploy to save his hide in time for her next class assignment."
Dumbledore seemed satisfied, but his new found suspicion was duly noted as he treated Snape to a father-like smile as he left him to his work.
"Carry on then, Severus." he said. "But do take care to rest now and again."
Snape rolled his eyes and continued grading his parchments.
It had occurred to Dumbledore that despite the display, Severus Snape had been no more aware of his powers now than he had been back then.
As for Snape, his own suspicions had grown given the active interest the Headmaster had taken in him as of late.