Nightbirds

And when the wind draws strong Across the cypress tress

The Nightbirds cease their songs

So gathers memories.

-Loreena McKennitt, "Courtyard Lullaby"

Two weeks later…

Dumbledore sighed.  "Well, Arabella, I applaud your efforts to keep Harry at the Dursley's.  I suppose it was only a matter of time before Molly Weasley reached her limit."

Arabella Figg nodded. "The Dursley's are horrid people, Albus.  It's for the best.  Between Arthur, Molly, and their sons, Harry will be safe.  Especially with Tinuvial back."

"Tinuvial is back, that's true, but she's not up to her full strength yet," Dumbledore cautioned.  "That is why she is here, where I, Poppy, and even Severus can keep a close watch on her health."

Arabella shuddered.  "That poor girl…I shudder to imagine how she feels now."  The tone of her voice changed somewhat with her next question.  "Do you think we should let Molly and Arthur tell Harry about her?"

Dumbledore shook his head.  "I expect Harry will find that out for himself.  But Tinuvial has already told me that she wasn't sure she was ready to let him know.  Remember, she hasn't seen him since he was three."  He stroked his beard.  "I was hoping to plant the seed in her mind to go to Diagon Alley in a few weeks.  If it just happens to be the day Harry is there…"

The witch smiled.  "Whatever you feel is best, Albus."

There was a knock at the door and Dumbledore bid them to enter.  Snape walked into the room.  "Yes, Severus?" he said benignly.

Snape, who sensed a bit startled at first to see Arabella Figg in the Headmaster's Office, said in a tense voice, "There's something I need to talk to you about." He was holding a letter in his hand, which he gave to Dumbledore.  The old wizard's face darkened as he read it.  He handed it to Arabella, who frowned. 

"When did this come, Severus?" he asked gravely.

"Just now," Snape replied.  "Given the circumstances, I…thought it best to show you." 

Dumbledore read the note with a careful eye, looking rather quizzically at his Potions Master.

"There are things that happened when we were in school that you should be aware of," Snape said flatly. 

"Yes, yes, I understand."  Dumbledore sighed heavily.  "Do you know where Tinuvial might be?"  Snape shook his head.  "Well, we must wait for her until discussing this." He looked at the Potions Master closely.  "We may have to bring everyone in sooner than we thought," he said grimly.  

***

It should have been a lovely day, what with the unusually warm breeze, Tinuvial decided, watching the lake.  She remembered from her schooldays spending time down here watching for the giant squid or the elusive mer-people.  Once in awhile, she fancied to see a shape of something, but preferred to let her imagination decide what was down there.

She idly scratched the ears of the large dog she had seen a few weeks earlier when returning from Hagrid's after tea.  She had not thought to ask him about the dog, so she hadn't the slightest idea what it's name could be.  At any rate, she was not big into naming a pet, believing that an animal chose it's own name in its own time (a thought she attributed to her mother's line of thinking).

It should have been a lovely day for herself, she realized. She was growing stronger each day, thanks to the rest and nutrition she was receiving and also partially to the potion that Snape brewed for her everyday.  However, Snape was what weighed her mind down.

It had been two weeks since they last spoke, not since their discussion about…well, she wasn't entirely sure what it had been about.  She had asked him about teaching at Hogwarts and the conversation somehow shifted into his grudge against James Potter. Tinuvial cringed inwardly each time she thought about it.  Why had she brought it up then?  Why? It had not been her place to say anything to him, even if they had been friends before.  After all these years, they were virtually strangers to each other.

But it had to be said, a voice in the back of her mind said sagely.  Under normal circumstances, it would have been different, but these are not times for childish behavior

She sighed and ruffled the dog's fur.  "I wish I could turn myself into an animal and forget about this whole bloody mess," she said ironically to the dog.  "It must be nice, not having to worry about little matters such as old friends or the last hope for the world."  She rolled her eyes at her own pettiness.  "I know, I'm pathetic.  But at least allow me a few moments of self-pity."  The dog seemed to grin back at her and then nuzzled her leg reassuringly.  For some reason, it made her feel better. She looked longingly up at the sky and dimly caught the daytime outline of the moon in the clear sky.


Another thought struck her.  It was going to be a full moon tonight.  She wondered if Remus Lupin was going to a special place for the night or if he simply continued on with his daily life.  She remembered that the day before and of the full moon, he would be overly fatigued and ill.  Perhaps the change has become easier with age.  For his sake, she hoped so. It had been hard to watch one of her dearest friends fall sick every month and know that every time the moon was full, he had to suffer excruciating pain.  James had assured her that he, Sirius, and Pettigrew would help him, but he never said how.  Every time she asked to help, Sirius would mysteriously become deaf until the subject was changed.  James was worse.  He would simply refuse outright, saying it was too dangerous.  And he would not even listen to her argue that if it was too dangerous for her, it was for them. They were absolutely maddening.

But how she longed to see them… any of them.  Even Pettigrew, although he might not find the meeting so pleasant.   She missed Sirius's sarcasm, the way Remus let her unload her mind to him, even when he himself was overwhelmed, or James acting as her older brother after Tobias… she swallowed hard and couldn't continue the thought.  Even after all these years, she couldn't bring herself to think of Tobias or what happened before.  A bit of a hard time with Lucius Malfoy, Hagrid? she thought bitterly.  You don't know the half of it.  She never talked about it.  Even Lily hadn't know, and the two of them told each other practically everything.  Only a handful of people knew the entire truth of what happened:  herself, Malfoy, and Snape.  Tobias may have known, but it would have been too late.


She smiled at the way her thoughts kept coming back to Snape.  Cold, sarcastic… and those are his good points, she reminded herself.  She understood exactly why people disliked him.  But they never got a chance to see the more human side of him, he wouldn't let them.   

She stood up and the dog looked up at her mournfully.  "Don't worry, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again," she said to him reassuringly.  It looked at her balefully and seemed to wink at her.  She shook her head at her own foolishness.  She walked back up to the castle and the dog stayed by the lake, watching her move slowly.

The dog yawned and stretched.  Then, slowly, it transformed back into its true body.  Sirius Black stood up and watched Tinuvial's retreating form with a brooding gaze.  Part of him wanted to run after her, despite what Dumbledore requested.  He didn't doubt the old wizard knew he was prowling the area, but was sure that he wouldn't like it if he just turned up without notice.

Merlin's beard, Tinuvial was…different.  He hadn't seen her since her seventh year.  Gone was the little girl he remembered and in her place was a grown woman.  Of course, he remembered that when he saw her at seventeen, he hadn't seen her for a few years.  Even then, he had been acutely aware of the changes in her.  But she was just a girl to him then.  Now…

He sighed pensively.  Life was complicated enough as it was. He didn't need to think along those lines.  Maybe after this mess was sorted out, but not before.  Until then, however…he smiled somewhat wickedly.  Eventually, she would find out he didn't belong to Hagrid, but it was fun to be able to watch her, truly watch her at ease.  It was reassuring to know that the face she presented to the world was no different than her true self.  

He still carried her scent with him and he breathed it in deep.  Maybe someday… while in mid-thought, he shifted back into a dog and padded off into the trees.    

***

Moments later, Tinuvial was passing Dumbledore's office and was surprised to see the door open.  "Tinuvial, come in," she heard the Headmaster call.  As she entered the room, she saw Snape standing in the corner and a witch she vaguely recognized sitting in the chair, holding a cup of tea.  The witch smiled at her warmly.

"Hello, Tinuvial, dear," she said pleasantly.  Tinuvial stared at her for a few seconds.

"Mrs. Figg!" she exclaimed, recognition coming to her eyes.  "My God, I haven't seen you in ages."  The grandmotherly old witch embraced the young woman like a daughter.  To no one's surprise, Arabella Figg had tears in her eyes.

"The last time I saw you was at Tobias's funeral," she said softly.  "You've grown up, child."

"It does happen, doesn't it?"

Snape cleared his throat pointedly.  Arabella Figg sat back down with her tea.  "I suppose we should get started, shouldn't we, Albus?" she said in a graver tone of voice.  The Headmaster nodded.  He handed Tinuvial the letter Snape had received.  She looked at him strangely, but took the letter.  Her jaw tightened as she read.

Professor Snape,

            It has come to my attention that a mutual acquaintance of ours has been recently appointed the new Defense Against Dark Arts professor.  Given that we all assumed she was dead for many years, don't you believe that this is rather convenient, given her obviously frail state of health? 

                                                                                                Lucius Malfoy

With great self-control, Tinuvial placed the letter back on Dumbledore's desk.  He regarded her with his sharp eyes.  "Severus has told us that something happened between the two of you in school that even I am not aware of," he said gently.  Tinuvial looked rather sharply at Snape.  "Perhaps it would be in your best interest to enlighten me."

She shook her head.  "I'd rather not talk about it," she said flatly.  "It's done, in the past, it doesn't matter."

"But it obviously haunts you, doesn't it?" Arabella Figg said softly.  "Whatever he did to you, it's always in the back of your mind, isn't it?"  Tinuvial did not answer.


"Tinuvial."  This time, Dumbledore spoke to her.  She forced herself to look up at him.  "If you have learned anything from me, I should hope it would be that only you can allow someone to have power over you."  She looked away to Snape, who stood stiffly in the corner, watching her through narrowed eyes.  They stared at each other for several seconds, until her own gaze flicked away.  Finally, she sighed.

"I suppose that even a memory can have power over you," she whispered, mostly to herself.  Dumbledore looked at her sagely, awaiting her story.