13.
Vivian sat in the Ravenclaw common room. She was dressed warmly and wrapped in a blanket which Madam Pomfrey had given her, waiting for Snape to come and interview her about her curse.
She was feeling understandably nervous. She hadn't seen Snape since she'd cursed him, and as well as feeling guilty she had a nasty suspicion he knew it was her who had done it. She tried to dismiss her fears: hadn't everything gone to plan? She had sent Harriet and Diana to knock over a couple of suits of armour near the Ravenclaw common room entrance, so that the curse would be traced to Ravenclaw house. And surely enough, after a long wait, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Snape arrived, and tested each wand to see if it had performed the curse. Marcus Fowler had been quickly singled out, and he was now suspended from lessons and awaiting punishment from Professor Vector, the head of Ravenclaw. Vivian felt a surge of pride at how effective the plan had been, accompanied by a slight feeling of guilt as she remembered how Snape had looked when she'd cursed him. Had she become like her mother without even realising it? A feeling of panic took possession of her.
Vivian made an effort to think of other things to take her mind of her fear; instead she wondered what Snape was trying to find out about her curse for. Presumably because her health was deteriorating, despite the Bene Liquidas potion she was still taking. But what could he possibly find out from her?
Her reflections were interrupted by the arrival of Madam Pomfrey, accompanied by Snape. Apparently he had not relished the thought of a tête-à-tête with Vivian, and had got Madam Pomfrey to come with him.
Snape sat down wordlessly in an armchair opposite Vivian's. Madam Pomfrey seated herself nearby.
"You know why I'm here." Snape said brusquely. "I must warn you that Professor Dumbledore and I are seriously concerned about your health at present, and the headmaster will be writing to your cousin about it in due course. Professor Dumbledore has asked me to find out all I can about your ...ailment, so that we can discover why it is suddenly growing worse, and if possible, cure it."
Vivian nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She had been wondering what was wrong with her, but had tried not to think about it. Now she felt a wave of fear engulf her. Was she seriously ill? Quickly she tried to reassure herself. It was probably just hormones or something.
Did Snape know it was her? She couldn't decide, his dark eyes were bent on the piece of parchment he had brought with him to take notes, and his face was as inscrutable as usual. She felt a grudging respect towards him; most people hit by the Metuas curse were laid up for at least a week and could barely stand for the first two days. Still, she reminded herself, he had been a spy. Maybe he had more endurance than most.
"I'm afraid I must ask you to remember things which you may find painful." Snape continued, "I need to know everything I can about ... when you were cursed, anything you can remember."
Madam Pomfrey saw a shadow of revulsion cross his face. It would be as hard for him to listen, as it would be for Vivian to speak. But he was determined to do what he had to unflinchingly. She felt a sudden pity for this strange, proud man, which she quickly brushed aside. She had never been particularly fond of Snape.
Vivian tensed. Snape wanted her to talk about her mother, something she never spoke about to anyone. How could she sit there and tell him what he needed to know, in the knowledge that he had been a death eater, had probably loved her mother?
Her attitude to her mother was, normally, rather cool and logical. She accepted her cousin Laura's explanation that her mother had loved her, but the love had been eclipsed by the evil in her mother's nature. It was thanks to Laura that she could accept both the good and evil in her mother, and remember without bitterness the times when she and her mother had loved one another and been happy. But when she was forced to lie in bed whilst the other children went to school and danced and ran and were happy and free, she would sometimes remember her with resentment.
Snape was watching her, waiting for her to begin. She forced herself to speak.
"I don't remember much." She said.
"Please try." Snape said coldly, "For your own sake."
"The night I was cursed...Mum had left us by that time. I was lying in front of the fire at home, with Dad, and then all I can remember is pain, like all my bones were splintering and Dad shouting. There was this silver light. Then I felt like I was being burned, and I got the mark on my wrist, and then ..."
"Then what?"
"Then everything went dizzy, and Dad tucked me up in bed. I couldn't see much; everything was blurred. I think he'd been crying. He kissed me goodnight, and then he left. That was the last time I saw him."
Vivian was speaking almost in a monotone, her head bowed. She couldn't meet Snape's gaze, instead she stared at the floor. Snape's keen eyes saw her mouth twist almost in a spasm, and realised she was battling against tears. Her lack of sleep had taken its toll.
If Vivian had looked up then she would have been surprised to see a look of pity cross Snape's face for an instant. But she was fighting to keep herself under control. These tears surprised her, she didn't normally cry when she thought about her father's death. She felt ashamed of herself.
"How did the curse symptoms progress?" Snape asked.
"I got weaker and weaker," Vivian said with an effort, "I had lots of headaches, sometimes I could hardly see. They thought I was going to die. But then I seemed to get a bit better, I just couldn't move well, I had to stay in bed."
"And what recent changes have you experienced?" Snape continued.
"I just seemed to be getting worse headaches and stuff, and the potion didn't help as much. Then I fainted and got all sick."
Vivian leant her head on her hand, and tried to take deep breaths. She wanted to go back to her dormitory and sleep.
Snape busied himself with taking notes for a few minutes, whilst Vivian regained control of herself. Finally she said
"Is that all?"
Snape looked up.
"I think so." He said. "If there's anything else you remember, you know where my office is. Thank you for your time. Oh, and I'll need a sample of your blood for the mediwizards at St Mungo's, if that's alright." Vivian nodded. Snape produced a blue needle, and handed it to Vivian.
"Just prick your finger." He said. Vivian gingerly obeyed. To her surprise she felt no pain, although her finger was bleeding profusely. Snape caught some blood in a small glass bottle. He would have healed the cut on her finger, but he was in no mood do be kind to her. Let her bleed, he thought nastily.
Vivian moved to stand up, staggering slightly; Madam Pomfrey immediately got up to help her.
"Are you having trouble walking?" Snape asked suddenly. Vivian started; Snape's potion had left her legs weak and almost useless, although they were no longer paralysed.
"A bit." She said guardedly, "I've been in bed for days, my legs are weak."
"She's being very brave," Madam Pomfrey added, "she could hardly walk this morning! It came on so sudden, I suppose it's all to do with this horrible curse...."
There was a pause; Vivian wanted desperately to leave, but she couldn't get far without Madam Pomfrey's help. She had a horrible feeling Snape was making connections between last night's events and her sudden inability to walk. She could feel his eyes on her, and stared resolutely down at the carpet.
"I suppose you're still feeling under the weather, Professor." Madam Pomfrey said kindly to Snape, in an effort to ease the tense atmosphere. "After last night's shocking events..."
Marcus' suspension had been the subject of much discussion and rumour, but at Snape's request the matter was being kept as quiet as possible, and only the Ravenclaws knew all the details. This was helped by the excitement Harry Potter had caused by speaking Parseltongue at the duelling club.
"I've felt worse." Said Snape, "And it's a relief at least to know at last who was responsible."
Involuntarily, Vivian looked up at him. His expression as unfathomable as ever, but one glance into his shadowed eyes told her all she needed to know: he knew it was her.
He can't prove anything, she thought to herself.
"It's always good to see people get what they deserve, isn't it?" she said.
"And most people do, eventually, "get what they deserve", as you put it." Snape replied. It was a warning, Vivian realised. Had she been entirely wise to start a vendetta against an ex-death eater who already had a grudge against her?
"Is it ok if I go back to bed?" she asked abruptly. Madam Pomfrey said "of course", and together they began climbing the stairs to the dormitory.
What could he do? He had no proof; her plan had gone almost perfectly.
Snape, watching their slow progress upstairs, was pondering the same question. He examined his notes, wondering... How had she survived the curse at all? And why were they symptoms suddenly getting worse?
Why did it have to be Vivian he had to help? His momentary sympathy with her had reverted to his previous anger. He was livid. The knowledge of who had really cursed him had seeped gradually into his consciousness, and now he was certain it was her. He was further infuriated by the lack of proof. He couldn't do anything to revenge himself. How dared she curse him, he who was trying to help her? Was the girl insane, or completely amoral?
Then he remembered the girl, Laura or Lorna or whatever her name was. The girl he had humiliated in potions. She was Vivian's friend wasn't she? That would explain her motives.
Well at least she's not insane, he thought.
He was thinking deeply as he left the Ravenclaw common room and made his way towards his office. His thoughts were broken as he almost collided with Professor McGonagall, who was hurrying in the other direction looking rather agitated.
"Severus!" she said, "There's been another attack..."
Vivian sat in the Ravenclaw common room. She was dressed warmly and wrapped in a blanket which Madam Pomfrey had given her, waiting for Snape to come and interview her about her curse.
She was feeling understandably nervous. She hadn't seen Snape since she'd cursed him, and as well as feeling guilty she had a nasty suspicion he knew it was her who had done it. She tried to dismiss her fears: hadn't everything gone to plan? She had sent Harriet and Diana to knock over a couple of suits of armour near the Ravenclaw common room entrance, so that the curse would be traced to Ravenclaw house. And surely enough, after a long wait, Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall and Snape arrived, and tested each wand to see if it had performed the curse. Marcus Fowler had been quickly singled out, and he was now suspended from lessons and awaiting punishment from Professor Vector, the head of Ravenclaw. Vivian felt a surge of pride at how effective the plan had been, accompanied by a slight feeling of guilt as she remembered how Snape had looked when she'd cursed him. Had she become like her mother without even realising it? A feeling of panic took possession of her.
Vivian made an effort to think of other things to take her mind of her fear; instead she wondered what Snape was trying to find out about her curse for. Presumably because her health was deteriorating, despite the Bene Liquidas potion she was still taking. But what could he possibly find out from her?
Her reflections were interrupted by the arrival of Madam Pomfrey, accompanied by Snape. Apparently he had not relished the thought of a tête-à-tête with Vivian, and had got Madam Pomfrey to come with him.
Snape sat down wordlessly in an armchair opposite Vivian's. Madam Pomfrey seated herself nearby.
"You know why I'm here." Snape said brusquely. "I must warn you that Professor Dumbledore and I are seriously concerned about your health at present, and the headmaster will be writing to your cousin about it in due course. Professor Dumbledore has asked me to find out all I can about your ...ailment, so that we can discover why it is suddenly growing worse, and if possible, cure it."
Vivian nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She had been wondering what was wrong with her, but had tried not to think about it. Now she felt a wave of fear engulf her. Was she seriously ill? Quickly she tried to reassure herself. It was probably just hormones or something.
Did Snape know it was her? She couldn't decide, his dark eyes were bent on the piece of parchment he had brought with him to take notes, and his face was as inscrutable as usual. She felt a grudging respect towards him; most people hit by the Metuas curse were laid up for at least a week and could barely stand for the first two days. Still, she reminded herself, he had been a spy. Maybe he had more endurance than most.
"I'm afraid I must ask you to remember things which you may find painful." Snape continued, "I need to know everything I can about ... when you were cursed, anything you can remember."
Madam Pomfrey saw a shadow of revulsion cross his face. It would be as hard for him to listen, as it would be for Vivian to speak. But he was determined to do what he had to unflinchingly. She felt a sudden pity for this strange, proud man, which she quickly brushed aside. She had never been particularly fond of Snape.
Vivian tensed. Snape wanted her to talk about her mother, something she never spoke about to anyone. How could she sit there and tell him what he needed to know, in the knowledge that he had been a death eater, had probably loved her mother?
Her attitude to her mother was, normally, rather cool and logical. She accepted her cousin Laura's explanation that her mother had loved her, but the love had been eclipsed by the evil in her mother's nature. It was thanks to Laura that she could accept both the good and evil in her mother, and remember without bitterness the times when she and her mother had loved one another and been happy. But when she was forced to lie in bed whilst the other children went to school and danced and ran and were happy and free, she would sometimes remember her with resentment.
Snape was watching her, waiting for her to begin. She forced herself to speak.
"I don't remember much." She said.
"Please try." Snape said coldly, "For your own sake."
"The night I was cursed...Mum had left us by that time. I was lying in front of the fire at home, with Dad, and then all I can remember is pain, like all my bones were splintering and Dad shouting. There was this silver light. Then I felt like I was being burned, and I got the mark on my wrist, and then ..."
"Then what?"
"Then everything went dizzy, and Dad tucked me up in bed. I couldn't see much; everything was blurred. I think he'd been crying. He kissed me goodnight, and then he left. That was the last time I saw him."
Vivian was speaking almost in a monotone, her head bowed. She couldn't meet Snape's gaze, instead she stared at the floor. Snape's keen eyes saw her mouth twist almost in a spasm, and realised she was battling against tears. Her lack of sleep had taken its toll.
If Vivian had looked up then she would have been surprised to see a look of pity cross Snape's face for an instant. But she was fighting to keep herself under control. These tears surprised her, she didn't normally cry when she thought about her father's death. She felt ashamed of herself.
"How did the curse symptoms progress?" Snape asked.
"I got weaker and weaker," Vivian said with an effort, "I had lots of headaches, sometimes I could hardly see. They thought I was going to die. But then I seemed to get a bit better, I just couldn't move well, I had to stay in bed."
"And what recent changes have you experienced?" Snape continued.
"I just seemed to be getting worse headaches and stuff, and the potion didn't help as much. Then I fainted and got all sick."
Vivian leant her head on her hand, and tried to take deep breaths. She wanted to go back to her dormitory and sleep.
Snape busied himself with taking notes for a few minutes, whilst Vivian regained control of herself. Finally she said
"Is that all?"
Snape looked up.
"I think so." He said. "If there's anything else you remember, you know where my office is. Thank you for your time. Oh, and I'll need a sample of your blood for the mediwizards at St Mungo's, if that's alright." Vivian nodded. Snape produced a blue needle, and handed it to Vivian.
"Just prick your finger." He said. Vivian gingerly obeyed. To her surprise she felt no pain, although her finger was bleeding profusely. Snape caught some blood in a small glass bottle. He would have healed the cut on her finger, but he was in no mood do be kind to her. Let her bleed, he thought nastily.
Vivian moved to stand up, staggering slightly; Madam Pomfrey immediately got up to help her.
"Are you having trouble walking?" Snape asked suddenly. Vivian started; Snape's potion had left her legs weak and almost useless, although they were no longer paralysed.
"A bit." She said guardedly, "I've been in bed for days, my legs are weak."
"She's being very brave," Madam Pomfrey added, "she could hardly walk this morning! It came on so sudden, I suppose it's all to do with this horrible curse...."
There was a pause; Vivian wanted desperately to leave, but she couldn't get far without Madam Pomfrey's help. She had a horrible feeling Snape was making connections between last night's events and her sudden inability to walk. She could feel his eyes on her, and stared resolutely down at the carpet.
"I suppose you're still feeling under the weather, Professor." Madam Pomfrey said kindly to Snape, in an effort to ease the tense atmosphere. "After last night's shocking events..."
Marcus' suspension had been the subject of much discussion and rumour, but at Snape's request the matter was being kept as quiet as possible, and only the Ravenclaws knew all the details. This was helped by the excitement Harry Potter had caused by speaking Parseltongue at the duelling club.
"I've felt worse." Said Snape, "And it's a relief at least to know at last who was responsible."
Involuntarily, Vivian looked up at him. His expression as unfathomable as ever, but one glance into his shadowed eyes told her all she needed to know: he knew it was her.
He can't prove anything, she thought to herself.
"It's always good to see people get what they deserve, isn't it?" she said.
"And most people do, eventually, "get what they deserve", as you put it." Snape replied. It was a warning, Vivian realised. Had she been entirely wise to start a vendetta against an ex-death eater who already had a grudge against her?
"Is it ok if I go back to bed?" she asked abruptly. Madam Pomfrey said "of course", and together they began climbing the stairs to the dormitory.
What could he do? He had no proof; her plan had gone almost perfectly.
Snape, watching their slow progress upstairs, was pondering the same question. He examined his notes, wondering... How had she survived the curse at all? And why were they symptoms suddenly getting worse?
Why did it have to be Vivian he had to help? His momentary sympathy with her had reverted to his previous anger. He was livid. The knowledge of who had really cursed him had seeped gradually into his consciousness, and now he was certain it was her. He was further infuriated by the lack of proof. He couldn't do anything to revenge himself. How dared she curse him, he who was trying to help her? Was the girl insane, or completely amoral?
Then he remembered the girl, Laura or Lorna or whatever her name was. The girl he had humiliated in potions. She was Vivian's friend wasn't she? That would explain her motives.
Well at least she's not insane, he thought.
He was thinking deeply as he left the Ravenclaw common room and made his way towards his office. His thoughts were broken as he almost collided with Professor McGonagall, who was hurrying in the other direction looking rather agitated.
"Severus!" she said, "There's been another attack..."