A Squib's Proper Place
a Harry Potter fan-fic
by Ozma
a sequel to "To Save A Squib"
Chapter 2: Hope and Fear
Everything in this story really belongs to J.K. Rowling
"What??" I gasped. "Callandra, my apprentice? No!"
I knew that Callandra's mother, Hyacinth, would never allow such a
thing. No wonder the Moffitt family had been with the Headmaster all
day. Hyacinth Moffitt, former Ravenclaw Seeker, was probably fighting
the idea tooth and nail! Or, more appropriately, beak and talon.
The fifth year Gryffindors all looked at me, surprised by my
reaction. Even Neville looked upset with me.
"But you seemed to be rather fond of Callandra, Mr. Filch..."
Lavender said, softly, after a few moments.
"I am. She's a good child," I said, struggling for the right
words. Most of the Gryffindors were looking at me indignantly. I felt
surrounded and besieged.
I gave Mrs. Norris a desperate look, but she just glared. The
expression in her golden eyes said plainly, "Don't bother me, I'm
pregnant. You're on your own!"
"A young girl scrubbing floors and toilets? Cleaning old gum off
the stair railings? Enduring Peeves' endless taunts...?" I said,
miserably, shaking my head in dismay.
Worse than anything else was the thought of shy, pretty Callandra
shut away from the sun in a gloomy dungeon office.
"But, Mr. Filch," Dean Thomas pointed out, "you do those things."
"It's all right for me. I'm an old man. She's just a child!"
"What about detentions then," Ron Weasley wanted to know. "The
bedpans? The trophy polishing? The floor-scrubbing? Watching us clean
doesn't seem to upset you!"
"Do you have to clean like a Muggle every single day, boy?" I
asked, getting angry now. "A little hard work never hurt anyone, and the
prospect of doing a bit of menial labor for punishment should be enough
to deter you witch and wizard brats from doing things you know you
shouldn't be doing anyhow!"
My voice was shaking. "It would be different for Callandra. It
wouldn't be a punishment for just a few hours, but her job! Back-
breaking chores, morning, noon and night."
I looked over at Neville. My young friend's face was both angry
and troubled.
"That can't be what you want for her!" I said.
"What if she won't be allowed to stay in the Castle any other
way?" Parvati asked me before Neville had a chance to answer.
"It's not as if she could be admitted here as a student," Seamus
said. "Her name was never on the List. No letter. No wand. No magic."
"But Squibs do have magic," Hermione Granger said.
"It's true," she went on, as everyone turned to look at her.
"They're not the same as Muggles." Hermione said. "I've been doing
some reading..." she added, unnecessarily.
"They're not proper wizards either..." Ron said, looking at me
apologetically. "Sorry, Mr. Filch," the boy muttered.
I shrugged. He wasn't saying anything I hadn't been hearing all my
life. And, at least he did have the courage to say it to my face.
"Squibs are very sensitive to magic," Hermione said. "More so than
regular witches and wizards. And they're immune or invisible to certain
spells. Quite a number of spells, really."
"The spell that creates the List for Hogwarts is one of that
type," she explained. "That's why Squibs' names don't appear."
Her voice got softer. "Squibs are safest when they're hidden. Dark
Wizards have always wanted to cut them to bits and make use of their
magical immunity. Why do you think the Death Eaters took Callandra?"
I shuddered. I wasn't the only one, either.
"You've been doing research in the Restricted Section..." I said,
glaring at her.
"Professor McGonagall gave me permission," Hermione replied. "As
it happens, there's more information on Squibs there than there is in
any other section."
"That must be why you were kidnapped too, Mr. Filch. Back in
December!" Parvati said. Her voice was full of pity for me.
Naturally these children would make the obvious connections.
Minerva's young lions were too clever to do otherwise. My kidnappers
were supposed to have used a memory-charm on me, and the details of my
own attack were presumed to be a mystery. But the whole school knew that
Professor Snape had brought me back to Hogwarts, a half-dead bloody
mess. I'd spent nearly a month in the hospital wing, recovering.
I realized that I was still trembling. Angry with myself for not
having gotten past this yet, I knelt to stroke Mrs. Norris who had
finally waddled over to rub against my ankles. Lowering myself to the
floor, I cradled her in my lap. She purred like a round, furry
thunderstorm.
Neville's voice was gentle. At least my young friend didn't sound
angry with me any more. "If a Squib's best protection is to remain
hidden, then neither you or Callandra have that protection any longer,"
he said. "Callandra needs to be here, surrounded by witches and wizards.
She'd be safer here than anywhere. I'm sure you can see that."
"I do want Callandra to stay," I muttered. "I just don't want to
see her breaking her back, blistering her hands and rubbing her knees
raw! It's not fair!"
The young lions were all looking at each other, grinning now.
"This, from the man who'd like nothing better than to see us all
hung up by our ankles in the dungeons?" Ron Weasley said, dryly.
"That's different! Callandra is a good child!" I retorted. Then I
sighed. I had a sinking feeling that my cover was blown as far as these
particular Gryffindors were concerned.
Potter had been very quiet, till now. "Everyone's been saying that
Callandra's going to be your Apprentice, but it's really just a rumor,"
the boy pointed out. "And rumors can lie. What if Professor Dumbledore
really has other plans for her? What if she's going to be invited to
stay here as a student?"
Everyone was looking at him now. Including me.
"Maybe the story about Callandra being your Apprentice started
because no one could imagine any other place for a Squib at Hogwarts."
Harry went on. "But the Headmaster likes to give everyone a chance,
doesn't he? Dumbledore was talking to her family all day! It wouldn't
take that long just to make arrangements to take her on as your
assistant."
"You don't know her mother!" I thought. But I felt hopeful. Could
the boy be right?
"The caretaker before you, Pringle. Was he a Squib too?" Harry
asked me.
I shook my head. "Hardly. Old Pringle was a proper wizard, who'd
failed at his studies. He wasn't too pleased by the idea of training a
Squib to do his job, either. Thought it was an insult."
"You may have been the first Squib here, then," Harry said. "Just
like Professor Lupin was the first werewolf allowed to come as a
student. If a werewolf can come to school, why not a Squib?"
"B-but Professor Lupin had a wand, and could do proper magic! What
will Callandra do about Transfiguration? And Charms?" Parvati asked.
"If Squibs are very sensitive, magically, then Callandra might be
able to manage Divination," Lavender murmured, naming her favorite
subject.
"Or Arithmancy." Hermione said.
"Or Care of Magical Creatures. Or Study of Ancient Runes..." Dean
said, thoughtfully.
"Or Potions." Neville shuddered. "Or Herbology," he added,
brightening a bit. "I could always help her with any spells that she
needs to do, if her magic isn't strong enough."
"Or Defense Against Dark Arts." I thought. She could not protect
herself the way the rest of the children could, but there were other
ways.
What would Mad Eye Moody make of Callandra? Or vice versa?
How would another Squib react to a journey through a Door, I
wondered, curiously. Not that I'd want to take such a risk with
Callandra, unless it was to save her from Death Eaters.
"She can certainly fall asleep in History of Magic as easily as
the rest of us do..." Seamus said, grinning.
Deeply moved by the young Gryffindors' willingness to accept
Callandra as one of them, I fought to control my emotions. Tears were
threatening. I blinked them away and stroked Mrs. Norris who responded
with another contented purr.
Thinking about my own early days in the Castle was something that
I very seldom did. I'd had to work hard to show that fierce-tempered old
man that I could do whatever he asked of me, even if I was "nothing but
a Squib."
With all my heart, I wanted Callandra's life to be easier than
mine had been. I'd had to prove myself just to be allowed to mop the
Castle floors. If Potter was correct, then Callandra would be an
experiment; the first Squib witch that Hogwarts had ever really trained.
Callandra was fortunate that she had friends willing to accept her. She
would need them. And every shred of courage and strength she possessed.
*******
The Gryffindors finished cleaning the corridor, eventually. After
I dismissed them, I summoned red-and-gold. With Mrs. Norris cradled in
my left arm, I stepped through the tapestry into the hospital wing. My
right arm and hand were aching, despite the fact that I hadn't been
using them for anything.
Poppy gave me a pain-killing potion, and then she gently palpated
Mrs. Norris.
"Six kittens at least..." Poppy told me. "Quite a litter! And they
should arrive very soon now. Keep a close watch on her, Argus." She
stroked my cat who had permitted the examination with dignity.
Mrs. Norris's resigned manner was much the same as "Snuffles." The
injured Animagus was permitting himself to be petted and crooned over by
a group of Hufflepuff first-year girls who had come for some Pepperup
potion and remained to fuss over the "poor sweet doggy."
Black looked like he missed Harry, who came to visit with his
godfather in the evenings. Detention had made the boy late.
I knew that Potter would be down from Gryffindor tower as soon as
he cleaned himself up a bit. But I couldn't say so in front of the other
children. I hoped that Harry would not mention the fact that Severus had
given him detention. The Animagus might bite the Potions Master the next
time they met.
Poppy gave me a small vial of pain-killing potion and a jar of
liniment for Severus.
"I know he has plenty of his own. But I'd wager a stack of
galleons that he's not looking after himself properly," she said. "I
want you to go and check on him for me," she added softly.
Stepping into the corridor again, I used my Doors in a way that I
rarely do. "Take me to Professor Snape," I told green-and-silver.
I found myself in the dungeon corridor outside Severus's
classroom.
Professor Flitwick had placed his Unreachable Charms around
Severus's office and classroom. Severus and I were both grateful for
that. The Unreachable Charm was a lot less painful than the sort of
violent curses that the Potions Master preferred to protect himself
with. I was sure that I still had some scars left from the porcupine
quills.
The classroom door was slightly open. I could hear voices within.
The one speaking sounded very young and uncertain. So unlike the usual
superior drawl that I didn't recognize Draco Malfoy's voice at first.
"He didn't want me to know that he was ill. But Mother wrote me
anyhow. She knew I'd miss his letters, and that I'd worry. Mother won't
say what's wrong with him. I've been owling her all day, and she won't
tell me what happened! Don't I have a right to know? He's my father."
"Your mother is wise, Draco," Severus said wearily. "Let her be."
"You *do* know what happened to Father!" Draco said, triumphantly.
I saw him lean forward to clutch at Snape's arm.
"Professor, please. You can tell me. I won't tell Mother that I
know!"
The worried boy's grip must have been painful. Either that, or
Snape deliberately allowed the glamour that hid his terrible bruises to
falter for a moment.
Draco's gasp of mingled shock and pity was audible from where I
stood.
"Your father is very strong, Draco. Nothing was done to him that
he could not endure and survive." The Potions Master said. He allowed
the pain to show clearly in his voice, though his wounds were concealed
once again.
Afraid for Lucius, Draco had come to Severus for reassurance. He
hadn't found it. But perhaps he'd gotten the information he was seeking
after all.
The boy's back was to me, so I could not see his face. But he was
trembling. Badly shaken, Draco's first response was still to reach out
to his mentor. Offering the support he hadn't been given.
Severus retreated, withdrawing into himself. "You have studying to
do, Mr. Malfoy." He said, harshly.
Draco's hand fell back to his side. Even before the boy stepped
back from his Professor, I was retreating into green-and-silver again,
so I would not be seen.
The Door took me to my own room. I lingered long enough to put
Mrs. Norris down gently on the bed. Then, still holding the potion and
the liniment that Poppy had sent for Severus, I went back through the
tapestry.
The classroom door was still open. But Severus was alone now.
He was sitting at his desk, his face buried in his hands.
"Professor...?" I said, softly. "May I come in?"
He looked up, dark eyes raking over me. The glamour was down, and
the sight of his battered face made me wince.
"I thought I saw your shadow in the corridor a few moments ago.
Don't deny it!" He snarled.
"I'm not denying it," I said. "I didn't mind if you saw me, as
long as the boy didn't."
His real anger wasn't aimed at me, I knew.
"Poppy sent you some things..." I continued.
He waved impatiently at a corner of his desk. Then he buried his
face in his hands again.
"Draco," he said, harshly, "won't be a boy for much longer. He's
going to have to choose his path."
Anguish and shame mingled in his voice. "I meant to frighten him,
Filch. I wanted him to see the handiwork of the Dark Master that he's
being groomed to serve. No one else can make the decision for him. Not
Lucius. Not me. The Dark Lord wants his followers to know they had a
choice, and that they gave themselves to him freely."
Involuntarily, he rubbed at his left forearm. The Dark Mark,
hidden beneath his sleeve, was a wound more painful than any of his
bruises. Unlike them, it would never completely go away.
"I haven't done enough for Draco. I've taught him all the wrong
things." Snape's voice was quiet, but I could hear his pain. "I'm going
to lose him forever. He's going to Fall."
"You weren't lost," I said softly. "Not forever."
He shook his head, tears in his voice even if they weren't on his
face. "I wouldn't wish my life, my choices, on anyone. I wanted Draco's
path to be easier than mine."
He sighed, bitterly. "You couldn't possibly understand."
I thought of Callandra, and my own fears for her. I did
understand. Better than he knew.
END OF CHAPTER TWO
******
Author's Notes:
Melodie: Thank you!! Harry knows that Snape is Dumbledore's spy. He did
not actually see Snape in his visions, but thanks to Sirius's and
Filch's reactions to the injured Potions Master, Harry knows that Snape
was involved in Callandra's rescue.
Elspeth: Thank you!! And YES!!! That's exactly the reaction that I was
hoping for. Why should Callandra be forced to scrub floors, just because
she's a Squib? "Squib" is part of who she is, not ALL of who she is.
(Er... sorry. I was channeling Hyacinth Moffitt for a moment there.)
Filch's lowly position in the Wizarding world is all too realistic, but
it hurts to think of someone so much younger not having better choices
available to her! Callandra's magic may be slight but she does have
magic, though it's different from the "mainstream." She can do things in
a way that "regular" magic-users can't.
Draco doesn't know much about his father's illness, though he suspects
and is fishing for clues. I don't know what choices Rowling is going to
have him make in the actual books (though I'm keeping my fingers crossed
that he'll eventually join Dumbledore) and I want to stay close to
canon. So, I'm not going to have Draco choose in my stories. But I did
want the shadow of his choice to be looming over him, as well as Snape's
fears for him.
Yes, Severus and Sirius would instantly join forces against anyone who
suggested that they might actually be getting along well with each
other.
I really liked what you wrote about Snape and his father in "Not All
Scars Are Visible." You captured a complex relationship very neatly.
Snape's desire to please a man who, clearly, he could never hope to
please was heartbreaking. (And his reaction to his father's Death in
"Prophet of Doom" was even more heartbreaking.)
Everyone, go read Elspeth's stories!!!
Ryven: Thank you!! More about Callandra's abilities in the next chapter.
Maybe kittens too, if the story cooperates.
Lizard of Fire: Thank you!! I like both Severus and Sirius. They're
adorable when they're sniping at each other.
WG: Thank you!! Yes, from Snape's point of view, Neville and Ron's
attack on Crabbe and Goyle was unprovoked. Crabbe and Goyle had only
gone over to stand next to Pansy. Neither one had insulted Callandra or
Hermione. Neither one had yet made a move against the Gryffindors.
Hermione noticed this. "They might have only been coming over to
restrain Pansy," she said. And Hermione was in the best position to see.
As understandable as I find Neville and Ron's actions, the Gryffindors
aren't always right, and the Slytherins aren't always wrong.
Darkrose: Thank you!! Callandra's parents and Dumbledore all want
Callandra to have a number of choices open to her. And they all want her
to be safe. Unlike most other Squibs, the Death Eaters are aware of who
and what she is, so for now, Hogwarts is her best choice.
Rabbit: Thank you!! I agree that Potions is probably one of the most
Squib-accessible disciplines of magic.
Jelsemium: Thank you!! It's true that Snape is always going to defend
his Slytherins, whether they're right or wrong. But Crabbe and Goyle
really hadn't done anything except walk over to Pansy. They can't help
being big and threatening.
It's true that Ron and Neville couldn't have done anything "right" by
Snape in that situation. They were doomed to get detention the moment
Pansy started insulting Callandra and Hermione defended her.
Severus has the difficult task of trying to guide his Slytherins away
from the Dark because he's the one that they're most likely to listen
to, even with all the mistakes he's made in his life. But he also has
the difficult task of being a double-agent, who can't allow his true
loyalties to show. It's a complicated dance. No wonder the poor man is
crabby and sarcastic.
Yes, Dumbledore has a deeper plan than just making Callandra Filch's
assistant. He let in a werewolf and a half-giant, didn't he?
Callandra would still need Filch to take her through a Door. The Doors
became "keyed" to Filch over the years because he was the only Squib in
the Castle and the only one who could possibly enter them. He's still
the only one who can summon and enter them, with the exception of the
Heirs. (And each Heir could only, after years of practice, summon and
use their own Founder's Door.)
But Callandra wouldn't get sick if he took her through any of the Four
Doors and there'd be no "resistance" on their journey.
(In fact, should Harry ever get taken through red-and-gold, he might be
puzzled because the Door is reacting to him like it would react to a
Squib.)
Thanks for telling me about the new chapter and the filksong! I rushed
over to read & review!
Tina: Thank you!!
UnrepententReader: Thank you!! I hadn't planned on writing the meeting
between Hyacinth and Neville's Gran, but who knows? The two of them
might get along surprisingly well...
Ariana Deralte: Thank you!! YES!! It's unfair to assume that any Squib
who comes to the Castle is going to automatically have a scrubbing brush
shoved into her hands, right before she's directed down to a gloomy
dungeon office. Callandra's parents don't want her to live Filch's life
and Filch doesn't want that for her either.
Gramarye: Thank you!! Snape gave all the Gryffindors detention because
they kept loudly defending Ron and Neville. Their yelling gave Snape a
terrible headache and his head was one of the few places that didn't
ache already. He got very cranky.
Crabbe and Goyle did not actually deserve the attack from The White
Knights of Gryffindor, since they hadn't done anything. It was Pansy who
was being rude. Neville and Ron would not hit her, of course.
(My thoughts on Vincent and Gregory is that they are content with their
role in life, which is a simple one. Defend their young lord and his
lady.)
Demeter: Thank you!! Believe it or not, I'm rather fond of Pansy too.
She's quite protective of the younger children in her own house. (In
"Squib Wizard" she was the one who was watching over both Lilith and
Gehenna, and Pansy's screams saved Gehenna when the vine tendril
attacked the smaller girl.)
It was also Pansy whom Snape and Dumbledore trusted to get the copper
sulfate crystals from Snape's storeroom and bring them out to Hagrid,
after the bonfire.
Pansy's deep loyalties to Draco and Slytherin House don't extend to
Gryffindors or Squibs, and yes, any Gryffindor-eye view of Pansy is
bound to be unflattering.
Miche: Thank you!!
Bluemeanies: Thank you!! You have a point about the recaps. I'll try not
to do it so often.
RioRaptor: Thank you!! A picture of Callandra? Cool!! My e-mail (which
I'll get around to posting on my author page one of these days) is:
ozmaz2002@yahoo.net
Alchemine: Thank you for both the kind comments and the story!! I know
what you mean about those parenting moments. I had some of my worst
parenting moments while waiting on various lines. (When he was two, my
rambunctious older son knocked down the Post Office Christmas tree while
I was waiting on line to mail packages. I was pregnant with my younger
son at the time. Couldn't help feeling like everyone in the Post Office
was looking at me and thinking "Oh, GOD, she's having another one!")
Yes, Callandra deserves better than to be "kept at home like a shameful
secret." Since Rowling hasn't said very much about Squibs and how
they're treated, I'm making assumptions. But it seems as if there would
be the same sort of prejudice against them that there is against Muggles
and Muggle-borns.
None of the Moffitts are aware of the roles that Filch and Snape played
in saving Callandra's life. And they don't know who the big, black dog
really is. The identities of Dumbledore's secret agents remain
uncompromised.
a Harry Potter fan-fic
by Ozma
a sequel to "To Save A Squib"
Chapter 2: Hope and Fear
Everything in this story really belongs to J.K. Rowling
"What??" I gasped. "Callandra, my apprentice? No!"
I knew that Callandra's mother, Hyacinth, would never allow such a
thing. No wonder the Moffitt family had been with the Headmaster all
day. Hyacinth Moffitt, former Ravenclaw Seeker, was probably fighting
the idea tooth and nail! Or, more appropriately, beak and talon.
The fifth year Gryffindors all looked at me, surprised by my
reaction. Even Neville looked upset with me.
"But you seemed to be rather fond of Callandra, Mr. Filch..."
Lavender said, softly, after a few moments.
"I am. She's a good child," I said, struggling for the right
words. Most of the Gryffindors were looking at me indignantly. I felt
surrounded and besieged.
I gave Mrs. Norris a desperate look, but she just glared. The
expression in her golden eyes said plainly, "Don't bother me, I'm
pregnant. You're on your own!"
"A young girl scrubbing floors and toilets? Cleaning old gum off
the stair railings? Enduring Peeves' endless taunts...?" I said,
miserably, shaking my head in dismay.
Worse than anything else was the thought of shy, pretty Callandra
shut away from the sun in a gloomy dungeon office.
"But, Mr. Filch," Dean Thomas pointed out, "you do those things."
"It's all right for me. I'm an old man. She's just a child!"
"What about detentions then," Ron Weasley wanted to know. "The
bedpans? The trophy polishing? The floor-scrubbing? Watching us clean
doesn't seem to upset you!"
"Do you have to clean like a Muggle every single day, boy?" I
asked, getting angry now. "A little hard work never hurt anyone, and the
prospect of doing a bit of menial labor for punishment should be enough
to deter you witch and wizard brats from doing things you know you
shouldn't be doing anyhow!"
My voice was shaking. "It would be different for Callandra. It
wouldn't be a punishment for just a few hours, but her job! Back-
breaking chores, morning, noon and night."
I looked over at Neville. My young friend's face was both angry
and troubled.
"That can't be what you want for her!" I said.
"What if she won't be allowed to stay in the Castle any other
way?" Parvati asked me before Neville had a chance to answer.
"It's not as if she could be admitted here as a student," Seamus
said. "Her name was never on the List. No letter. No wand. No magic."
"But Squibs do have magic," Hermione Granger said.
"It's true," she went on, as everyone turned to look at her.
"They're not the same as Muggles." Hermione said. "I've been doing
some reading..." she added, unnecessarily.
"They're not proper wizards either..." Ron said, looking at me
apologetically. "Sorry, Mr. Filch," the boy muttered.
I shrugged. He wasn't saying anything I hadn't been hearing all my
life. And, at least he did have the courage to say it to my face.
"Squibs are very sensitive to magic," Hermione said. "More so than
regular witches and wizards. And they're immune or invisible to certain
spells. Quite a number of spells, really."
"The spell that creates the List for Hogwarts is one of that
type," she explained. "That's why Squibs' names don't appear."
Her voice got softer. "Squibs are safest when they're hidden. Dark
Wizards have always wanted to cut them to bits and make use of their
magical immunity. Why do you think the Death Eaters took Callandra?"
I shuddered. I wasn't the only one, either.
"You've been doing research in the Restricted Section..." I said,
glaring at her.
"Professor McGonagall gave me permission," Hermione replied. "As
it happens, there's more information on Squibs there than there is in
any other section."
"That must be why you were kidnapped too, Mr. Filch. Back in
December!" Parvati said. Her voice was full of pity for me.
Naturally these children would make the obvious connections.
Minerva's young lions were too clever to do otherwise. My kidnappers
were supposed to have used a memory-charm on me, and the details of my
own attack were presumed to be a mystery. But the whole school knew that
Professor Snape had brought me back to Hogwarts, a half-dead bloody
mess. I'd spent nearly a month in the hospital wing, recovering.
I realized that I was still trembling. Angry with myself for not
having gotten past this yet, I knelt to stroke Mrs. Norris who had
finally waddled over to rub against my ankles. Lowering myself to the
floor, I cradled her in my lap. She purred like a round, furry
thunderstorm.
Neville's voice was gentle. At least my young friend didn't sound
angry with me any more. "If a Squib's best protection is to remain
hidden, then neither you or Callandra have that protection any longer,"
he said. "Callandra needs to be here, surrounded by witches and wizards.
She'd be safer here than anywhere. I'm sure you can see that."
"I do want Callandra to stay," I muttered. "I just don't want to
see her breaking her back, blistering her hands and rubbing her knees
raw! It's not fair!"
The young lions were all looking at each other, grinning now.
"This, from the man who'd like nothing better than to see us all
hung up by our ankles in the dungeons?" Ron Weasley said, dryly.
"That's different! Callandra is a good child!" I retorted. Then I
sighed. I had a sinking feeling that my cover was blown as far as these
particular Gryffindors were concerned.
Potter had been very quiet, till now. "Everyone's been saying that
Callandra's going to be your Apprentice, but it's really just a rumor,"
the boy pointed out. "And rumors can lie. What if Professor Dumbledore
really has other plans for her? What if she's going to be invited to
stay here as a student?"
Everyone was looking at him now. Including me.
"Maybe the story about Callandra being your Apprentice started
because no one could imagine any other place for a Squib at Hogwarts."
Harry went on. "But the Headmaster likes to give everyone a chance,
doesn't he? Dumbledore was talking to her family all day! It wouldn't
take that long just to make arrangements to take her on as your
assistant."
"You don't know her mother!" I thought. But I felt hopeful. Could
the boy be right?
"The caretaker before you, Pringle. Was he a Squib too?" Harry
asked me.
I shook my head. "Hardly. Old Pringle was a proper wizard, who'd
failed at his studies. He wasn't too pleased by the idea of training a
Squib to do his job, either. Thought it was an insult."
"You may have been the first Squib here, then," Harry said. "Just
like Professor Lupin was the first werewolf allowed to come as a
student. If a werewolf can come to school, why not a Squib?"
"B-but Professor Lupin had a wand, and could do proper magic! What
will Callandra do about Transfiguration? And Charms?" Parvati asked.
"If Squibs are very sensitive, magically, then Callandra might be
able to manage Divination," Lavender murmured, naming her favorite
subject.
"Or Arithmancy." Hermione said.
"Or Care of Magical Creatures. Or Study of Ancient Runes..." Dean
said, thoughtfully.
"Or Potions." Neville shuddered. "Or Herbology," he added,
brightening a bit. "I could always help her with any spells that she
needs to do, if her magic isn't strong enough."
"Or Defense Against Dark Arts." I thought. She could not protect
herself the way the rest of the children could, but there were other
ways.
What would Mad Eye Moody make of Callandra? Or vice versa?
How would another Squib react to a journey through a Door, I
wondered, curiously. Not that I'd want to take such a risk with
Callandra, unless it was to save her from Death Eaters.
"She can certainly fall asleep in History of Magic as easily as
the rest of us do..." Seamus said, grinning.
Deeply moved by the young Gryffindors' willingness to accept
Callandra as one of them, I fought to control my emotions. Tears were
threatening. I blinked them away and stroked Mrs. Norris who responded
with another contented purr.
Thinking about my own early days in the Castle was something that
I very seldom did. I'd had to work hard to show that fierce-tempered old
man that I could do whatever he asked of me, even if I was "nothing but
a Squib."
With all my heart, I wanted Callandra's life to be easier than
mine had been. I'd had to prove myself just to be allowed to mop the
Castle floors. If Potter was correct, then Callandra would be an
experiment; the first Squib witch that Hogwarts had ever really trained.
Callandra was fortunate that she had friends willing to accept her. She
would need them. And every shred of courage and strength she possessed.
*******
The Gryffindors finished cleaning the corridor, eventually. After
I dismissed them, I summoned red-and-gold. With Mrs. Norris cradled in
my left arm, I stepped through the tapestry into the hospital wing. My
right arm and hand were aching, despite the fact that I hadn't been
using them for anything.
Poppy gave me a pain-killing potion, and then she gently palpated
Mrs. Norris.
"Six kittens at least..." Poppy told me. "Quite a litter! And they
should arrive very soon now. Keep a close watch on her, Argus." She
stroked my cat who had permitted the examination with dignity.
Mrs. Norris's resigned manner was much the same as "Snuffles." The
injured Animagus was permitting himself to be petted and crooned over by
a group of Hufflepuff first-year girls who had come for some Pepperup
potion and remained to fuss over the "poor sweet doggy."
Black looked like he missed Harry, who came to visit with his
godfather in the evenings. Detention had made the boy late.
I knew that Potter would be down from Gryffindor tower as soon as
he cleaned himself up a bit. But I couldn't say so in front of the other
children. I hoped that Harry would not mention the fact that Severus had
given him detention. The Animagus might bite the Potions Master the next
time they met.
Poppy gave me a small vial of pain-killing potion and a jar of
liniment for Severus.
"I know he has plenty of his own. But I'd wager a stack of
galleons that he's not looking after himself properly," she said. "I
want you to go and check on him for me," she added softly.
Stepping into the corridor again, I used my Doors in a way that I
rarely do. "Take me to Professor Snape," I told green-and-silver.
I found myself in the dungeon corridor outside Severus's
classroom.
Professor Flitwick had placed his Unreachable Charms around
Severus's office and classroom. Severus and I were both grateful for
that. The Unreachable Charm was a lot less painful than the sort of
violent curses that the Potions Master preferred to protect himself
with. I was sure that I still had some scars left from the porcupine
quills.
The classroom door was slightly open. I could hear voices within.
The one speaking sounded very young and uncertain. So unlike the usual
superior drawl that I didn't recognize Draco Malfoy's voice at first.
"He didn't want me to know that he was ill. But Mother wrote me
anyhow. She knew I'd miss his letters, and that I'd worry. Mother won't
say what's wrong with him. I've been owling her all day, and she won't
tell me what happened! Don't I have a right to know? He's my father."
"Your mother is wise, Draco," Severus said wearily. "Let her be."
"You *do* know what happened to Father!" Draco said, triumphantly.
I saw him lean forward to clutch at Snape's arm.
"Professor, please. You can tell me. I won't tell Mother that I
know!"
The worried boy's grip must have been painful. Either that, or
Snape deliberately allowed the glamour that hid his terrible bruises to
falter for a moment.
Draco's gasp of mingled shock and pity was audible from where I
stood.
"Your father is very strong, Draco. Nothing was done to him that
he could not endure and survive." The Potions Master said. He allowed
the pain to show clearly in his voice, though his wounds were concealed
once again.
Afraid for Lucius, Draco had come to Severus for reassurance. He
hadn't found it. But perhaps he'd gotten the information he was seeking
after all.
The boy's back was to me, so I could not see his face. But he was
trembling. Badly shaken, Draco's first response was still to reach out
to his mentor. Offering the support he hadn't been given.
Severus retreated, withdrawing into himself. "You have studying to
do, Mr. Malfoy." He said, harshly.
Draco's hand fell back to his side. Even before the boy stepped
back from his Professor, I was retreating into green-and-silver again,
so I would not be seen.
The Door took me to my own room. I lingered long enough to put
Mrs. Norris down gently on the bed. Then, still holding the potion and
the liniment that Poppy had sent for Severus, I went back through the
tapestry.
The classroom door was still open. But Severus was alone now.
He was sitting at his desk, his face buried in his hands.
"Professor...?" I said, softly. "May I come in?"
He looked up, dark eyes raking over me. The glamour was down, and
the sight of his battered face made me wince.
"I thought I saw your shadow in the corridor a few moments ago.
Don't deny it!" He snarled.
"I'm not denying it," I said. "I didn't mind if you saw me, as
long as the boy didn't."
His real anger wasn't aimed at me, I knew.
"Poppy sent you some things..." I continued.
He waved impatiently at a corner of his desk. Then he buried his
face in his hands again.
"Draco," he said, harshly, "won't be a boy for much longer. He's
going to have to choose his path."
Anguish and shame mingled in his voice. "I meant to frighten him,
Filch. I wanted him to see the handiwork of the Dark Master that he's
being groomed to serve. No one else can make the decision for him. Not
Lucius. Not me. The Dark Lord wants his followers to know they had a
choice, and that they gave themselves to him freely."
Involuntarily, he rubbed at his left forearm. The Dark Mark,
hidden beneath his sleeve, was a wound more painful than any of his
bruises. Unlike them, it would never completely go away.
"I haven't done enough for Draco. I've taught him all the wrong
things." Snape's voice was quiet, but I could hear his pain. "I'm going
to lose him forever. He's going to Fall."
"You weren't lost," I said softly. "Not forever."
He shook his head, tears in his voice even if they weren't on his
face. "I wouldn't wish my life, my choices, on anyone. I wanted Draco's
path to be easier than mine."
He sighed, bitterly. "You couldn't possibly understand."
I thought of Callandra, and my own fears for her. I did
understand. Better than he knew.
END OF CHAPTER TWO
******
Author's Notes:
Melodie: Thank you!! Harry knows that Snape is Dumbledore's spy. He did
not actually see Snape in his visions, but thanks to Sirius's and
Filch's reactions to the injured Potions Master, Harry knows that Snape
was involved in Callandra's rescue.
Elspeth: Thank you!! And YES!!! That's exactly the reaction that I was
hoping for. Why should Callandra be forced to scrub floors, just because
she's a Squib? "Squib" is part of who she is, not ALL of who she is.
(Er... sorry. I was channeling Hyacinth Moffitt for a moment there.)
Filch's lowly position in the Wizarding world is all too realistic, but
it hurts to think of someone so much younger not having better choices
available to her! Callandra's magic may be slight but she does have
magic, though it's different from the "mainstream." She can do things in
a way that "regular" magic-users can't.
Draco doesn't know much about his father's illness, though he suspects
and is fishing for clues. I don't know what choices Rowling is going to
have him make in the actual books (though I'm keeping my fingers crossed
that he'll eventually join Dumbledore) and I want to stay close to
canon. So, I'm not going to have Draco choose in my stories. But I did
want the shadow of his choice to be looming over him, as well as Snape's
fears for him.
Yes, Severus and Sirius would instantly join forces against anyone who
suggested that they might actually be getting along well with each
other.
I really liked what you wrote about Snape and his father in "Not All
Scars Are Visible." You captured a complex relationship very neatly.
Snape's desire to please a man who, clearly, he could never hope to
please was heartbreaking. (And his reaction to his father's Death in
"Prophet of Doom" was even more heartbreaking.)
Everyone, go read Elspeth's stories!!!
Ryven: Thank you!! More about Callandra's abilities in the next chapter.
Maybe kittens too, if the story cooperates.
Lizard of Fire: Thank you!! I like both Severus and Sirius. They're
adorable when they're sniping at each other.
WG: Thank you!! Yes, from Snape's point of view, Neville and Ron's
attack on Crabbe and Goyle was unprovoked. Crabbe and Goyle had only
gone over to stand next to Pansy. Neither one had insulted Callandra or
Hermione. Neither one had yet made a move against the Gryffindors.
Hermione noticed this. "They might have only been coming over to
restrain Pansy," she said. And Hermione was in the best position to see.
As understandable as I find Neville and Ron's actions, the Gryffindors
aren't always right, and the Slytherins aren't always wrong.
Darkrose: Thank you!! Callandra's parents and Dumbledore all want
Callandra to have a number of choices open to her. And they all want her
to be safe. Unlike most other Squibs, the Death Eaters are aware of who
and what she is, so for now, Hogwarts is her best choice.
Rabbit: Thank you!! I agree that Potions is probably one of the most
Squib-accessible disciplines of magic.
Jelsemium: Thank you!! It's true that Snape is always going to defend
his Slytherins, whether they're right or wrong. But Crabbe and Goyle
really hadn't done anything except walk over to Pansy. They can't help
being big and threatening.
It's true that Ron and Neville couldn't have done anything "right" by
Snape in that situation. They were doomed to get detention the moment
Pansy started insulting Callandra and Hermione defended her.
Severus has the difficult task of trying to guide his Slytherins away
from the Dark because he's the one that they're most likely to listen
to, even with all the mistakes he's made in his life. But he also has
the difficult task of being a double-agent, who can't allow his true
loyalties to show. It's a complicated dance. No wonder the poor man is
crabby and sarcastic.
Yes, Dumbledore has a deeper plan than just making Callandra Filch's
assistant. He let in a werewolf and a half-giant, didn't he?
Callandra would still need Filch to take her through a Door. The Doors
became "keyed" to Filch over the years because he was the only Squib in
the Castle and the only one who could possibly enter them. He's still
the only one who can summon and enter them, with the exception of the
Heirs. (And each Heir could only, after years of practice, summon and
use their own Founder's Door.)
But Callandra wouldn't get sick if he took her through any of the Four
Doors and there'd be no "resistance" on their journey.
(In fact, should Harry ever get taken through red-and-gold, he might be
puzzled because the Door is reacting to him like it would react to a
Squib.)
Thanks for telling me about the new chapter and the filksong! I rushed
over to read & review!
Tina: Thank you!!
UnrepententReader: Thank you!! I hadn't planned on writing the meeting
between Hyacinth and Neville's Gran, but who knows? The two of them
might get along surprisingly well...
Ariana Deralte: Thank you!! YES!! It's unfair to assume that any Squib
who comes to the Castle is going to automatically have a scrubbing brush
shoved into her hands, right before she's directed down to a gloomy
dungeon office. Callandra's parents don't want her to live Filch's life
and Filch doesn't want that for her either.
Gramarye: Thank you!! Snape gave all the Gryffindors detention because
they kept loudly defending Ron and Neville. Their yelling gave Snape a
terrible headache and his head was one of the few places that didn't
ache already. He got very cranky.
Crabbe and Goyle did not actually deserve the attack from The White
Knights of Gryffindor, since they hadn't done anything. It was Pansy who
was being rude. Neville and Ron would not hit her, of course.
(My thoughts on Vincent and Gregory is that they are content with their
role in life, which is a simple one. Defend their young lord and his
lady.)
Demeter: Thank you!! Believe it or not, I'm rather fond of Pansy too.
She's quite protective of the younger children in her own house. (In
"Squib Wizard" she was the one who was watching over both Lilith and
Gehenna, and Pansy's screams saved Gehenna when the vine tendril
attacked the smaller girl.)
It was also Pansy whom Snape and Dumbledore trusted to get the copper
sulfate crystals from Snape's storeroom and bring them out to Hagrid,
after the bonfire.
Pansy's deep loyalties to Draco and Slytherin House don't extend to
Gryffindors or Squibs, and yes, any Gryffindor-eye view of Pansy is
bound to be unflattering.
Miche: Thank you!!
Bluemeanies: Thank you!! You have a point about the recaps. I'll try not
to do it so often.
RioRaptor: Thank you!! A picture of Callandra? Cool!! My e-mail (which
I'll get around to posting on my author page one of these days) is:
ozmaz2002@yahoo.net
Alchemine: Thank you for both the kind comments and the story!! I know
what you mean about those parenting moments. I had some of my worst
parenting moments while waiting on various lines. (When he was two, my
rambunctious older son knocked down the Post Office Christmas tree while
I was waiting on line to mail packages. I was pregnant with my younger
son at the time. Couldn't help feeling like everyone in the Post Office
was looking at me and thinking "Oh, GOD, she's having another one!")
Yes, Callandra deserves better than to be "kept at home like a shameful
secret." Since Rowling hasn't said very much about Squibs and how
they're treated, I'm making assumptions. But it seems as if there would
be the same sort of prejudice against them that there is against Muggles
and Muggle-borns.
None of the Moffitts are aware of the roles that Filch and Snape played
in saving Callandra's life. And they don't know who the big, black dog
really is. The identities of Dumbledore's secret agents remain
uncompromised.