* * * *
"It's too much," Parvati said finally, breaking the silence. "How can they expect to put the world on our shoulders? I'm only seventeen!"
Kendra reached out blindly for a chair and sat carefully on the edge. "I was the one given the connection this time. What did it say Hermione?" She stared at the other girl. "I can sense the others and our guardians?" She glanced at Snape.
Hermione nodded. "That's what this book says."
"You better not tell my mum about this Professor," Ron said, looking extremely pale. "She'd have a fit."
Kendra's curious gaze shifted from Snape to Dumbledore and back again. "How are you our guardians?"
Her question was lost in the commotion when Harry collapsed. His knees gave out and a moment later he was on the floor, his palms bracing his body and his head hanging near the floor.
"Harry!" Hermione cried, rushing to his side.
"I'm okay," he murmured. "Just shocked I guess . . . scared. Wondering when the hell this is all going to be over." He settled on the floor, content to sit there for the moment. "When does this end? My parents have already been taken from me because of this monster and now, eighteen years later, he's still at large. He's still out there and now we're expected to fight him? What if we lose? I can't . . ." he trailed off, embarrassed by the tears that were suddenly in his eyes. Taking off his glasses and staring at the stone floor, Harry mumbled, "I can't bear to lose anyone else."
Hermione knelt down to his level, then sat on the floor beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't be ridiculous Harry Potter," she whispered, trying to sound reassuring. Dumbledore could see the tears shining in her eyes as well, but she kept her fear from her voice. "We're not going to lose. Our ancestors did it before us and now we're going to do it."
"Yeah," Ron added, kneeling down as well. "Look at us . . . we're a scary lot. There's no way You-Know-Who can beat us."
Parvati smiled slightly and reached out to squeeze Harry's shoulder. "You're not in this alone anymore. We have each other and we have Dumbledore."
Kendra settled on his other side and closed her hand over his. She squeezed it tightly before saying, "Don't forget Professor Snape. He's one of our guardians as well."
Even Snape had to hide his smile at the shocked look on Harry's face.
"What we're saying is, we'll be okay Harry." Kendra tilted her head slightly. "It will be a long, scary road but together we can do it. Didn't you see that picture in the book?"
Ron grinned. "Yeah, we glow!"
Harry chuckled, then glanced up at his friends. "Okay," he said. "We can do this."
Dumbledore watched them, sitting on the floor in his office and a great smile formed on his lips. He cast a long glance in Snape's direction who was looking extremely pleased as well, even if he wasn't smiling.
"Didn't I tell you that they just needed time?" the Headmaster asked.
Snape inclined his head slightly. "Of course you were right Albus."
"We can begin explaining everything to them very soon."
Snape frowned. "Not tonight?"
"It's past ten Severus, let them sleep tonight," Dumbledore said. "We will start discussing everything with them over the Christmas holidays. Let them digest the information they have been given before bombarding them with more."
Without waiting for a response, Dumbledore went to where the students were still sitting on the floor and tapped each of them in turn.
"I think it's time everyone got a little sleep, don't you?" he asked.
They stood slowly, each staring at Dumbledore and Snape.
"How are you our guardians?" Kendra asked finally, the question that was on everyone's mind.
Dumbledore smiled and waved them toward the door. "All in good time Miss Rayne. Professor Snape shall see you all back to your common room."
He ushered them to the door, then shut it behind him, leaving them alone with their thoughts, each other and Snape. Nothing was said on the trip back to the Gryffindor room and Harry murmured the password to open the portrait hole. They went inside, one by one, until only Harry, Kendra and Snape were left in the hall.
"Aren't you coming?" Harry asked.
Kendra nodded. "In a minute. I have to ask Professor Snape something."
Snape, who had already turned back to his dungeons, froze at the mention of his name. He turned to see Harry raising one of his eyebrows at Kendra, then shrugging and disappearing into the portrait hole.
Kendra stared at the ground for a long moment and Snape sighed impatiently.
"I would advise you to speak your mind Miss Rayne," he snapped. "Just because you are a member of a magical order does not give you the privilege to waste my time."
"Of course Professor," she murmured, her cheeks flaming. "I just wanted to know something about your role in all this."
"Yes?" he asked, his voice still sharp.
"If . . . well, if one of us were to die, are you supposed to take our place?"
Snape felt his body grow cold with that thought. Slowly, he shook his head. "No Miss Rayne. It is my job to make sure you don't die. I will die in this mission before any of you will. You cannot die and there is no arguing that fact. Miss Granger and Miss Patil cannot die. Mr Weasley and Mr Potter will not die. Simply put, you will not be permitted to die."
"So, you're supposed to protect us?" she asked.
Snape nodded. "Yes. I will protect you, all of you."
Kendra allowed herself a small smile. "Well then Professor, I'm glad you're one of our guardians. I feel safe knowing that you're protecting us." She nodded to him, then slipped into the portrait hole. The Fat Lady smirked at Snape as she swung closed behind Kendra.
"I'll bet you never thought you'd be hearing that from a Gryffindor," she stated, then closed her eyes, indicating he wasn't supposed to answer her.
Snape nodded slowly and turned away. "You're right about that," he murmured. "Then again, I never thought I'd be protecting a bunch of Gryffindor brats either." With that, Snape began to walk away and he allowed himself the tiniest of smiles. He had promised to keep them safe and that wasn't a promise he would easily break.
* * * *
"It's too much," Parvati said finally, breaking the silence. "How can they expect to put the world on our shoulders? I'm only seventeen!"
Kendra reached out blindly for a chair and sat carefully on the edge. "I was the one given the connection this time. What did it say Hermione?" She stared at the other girl. "I can sense the others and our guardians?" She glanced at Snape.
Hermione nodded. "That's what this book says."
"You better not tell my mum about this Professor," Ron said, looking extremely pale. "She'd have a fit."
Kendra's curious gaze shifted from Snape to Dumbledore and back again. "How are you our guardians?"
Her question was lost in the commotion when Harry collapsed. His knees gave out and a moment later he was on the floor, his palms bracing his body and his head hanging near the floor.
"Harry!" Hermione cried, rushing to his side.
"I'm okay," he murmured. "Just shocked I guess . . . scared. Wondering when the hell this is all going to be over." He settled on the floor, content to sit there for the moment. "When does this end? My parents have already been taken from me because of this monster and now, eighteen years later, he's still at large. He's still out there and now we're expected to fight him? What if we lose? I can't . . ." he trailed off, embarrassed by the tears that were suddenly in his eyes. Taking off his glasses and staring at the stone floor, Harry mumbled, "I can't bear to lose anyone else."
Hermione knelt down to his level, then sat on the floor beside him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Don't be ridiculous Harry Potter," she whispered, trying to sound reassuring. Dumbledore could see the tears shining in her eyes as well, but she kept her fear from her voice. "We're not going to lose. Our ancestors did it before us and now we're going to do it."
"Yeah," Ron added, kneeling down as well. "Look at us . . . we're a scary lot. There's no way You-Know-Who can beat us."
Parvati smiled slightly and reached out to squeeze Harry's shoulder. "You're not in this alone anymore. We have each other and we have Dumbledore."
Kendra settled on his other side and closed her hand over his. She squeezed it tightly before saying, "Don't forget Professor Snape. He's one of our guardians as well."
Even Snape had to hide his smile at the shocked look on Harry's face.
"What we're saying is, we'll be okay Harry." Kendra tilted her head slightly. "It will be a long, scary road but together we can do it. Didn't you see that picture in the book?"
Ron grinned. "Yeah, we glow!"
Harry chuckled, then glanced up at his friends. "Okay," he said. "We can do this."
Dumbledore watched them, sitting on the floor in his office and a great smile formed on his lips. He cast a long glance in Snape's direction who was looking extremely pleased as well, even if he wasn't smiling.
"Didn't I tell you that they just needed time?" the Headmaster asked.
Snape inclined his head slightly. "Of course you were right Albus."
"We can begin explaining everything to them very soon."
Snape frowned. "Not tonight?"
"It's past ten Severus, let them sleep tonight," Dumbledore said. "We will start discussing everything with them over the Christmas holidays. Let them digest the information they have been given before bombarding them with more."
Without waiting for a response, Dumbledore went to where the students were still sitting on the floor and tapped each of them in turn.
"I think it's time everyone got a little sleep, don't you?" he asked.
They stood slowly, each staring at Dumbledore and Snape.
"How are you our guardians?" Kendra asked finally, the question that was on everyone's mind.
Dumbledore smiled and waved them toward the door. "All in good time Miss Rayne. Professor Snape shall see you all back to your common room."
He ushered them to the door, then shut it behind him, leaving them alone with their thoughts, each other and Snape. Nothing was said on the trip back to the Gryffindor room and Harry murmured the password to open the portrait hole. They went inside, one by one, until only Harry, Kendra and Snape were left in the hall.
"Aren't you coming?" Harry asked.
Kendra nodded. "In a minute. I have to ask Professor Snape something."
Snape, who had already turned back to his dungeons, froze at the mention of his name. He turned to see Harry raising one of his eyebrows at Kendra, then shrugging and disappearing into the portrait hole.
Kendra stared at the ground for a long moment and Snape sighed impatiently.
"I would advise you to speak your mind Miss Rayne," he snapped. "Just because you are a member of a magical order does not give you the privilege to waste my time."
"Of course Professor," she murmured, her cheeks flaming. "I just wanted to know something about your role in all this."
"Yes?" he asked, his voice still sharp.
"If . . . well, if one of us were to die, are you supposed to take our place?"
Snape felt his body grow cold with that thought. Slowly, he shook his head. "No Miss Rayne. It is my job to make sure you don't die. I will die in this mission before any of you will. You cannot die and there is no arguing that fact. Miss Granger and Miss Patil cannot die. Mr Weasley and Mr Potter will not die. Simply put, you will not be permitted to die."
"So, you're supposed to protect us?" she asked.
Snape nodded. "Yes. I will protect you, all of you."
Kendra allowed herself a small smile. "Well then Professor, I'm glad you're one of our guardians. I feel safe knowing that you're protecting us." She nodded to him, then slipped into the portrait hole. The Fat Lady smirked at Snape as she swung closed behind Kendra.
"I'll bet you never thought you'd be hearing that from a Gryffindor," she stated, then closed her eyes, indicating he wasn't supposed to answer her.
Snape nodded slowly and turned away. "You're right about that," he murmured. "Then again, I never thought I'd be protecting a bunch of Gryffindor brats either." With that, Snape began to walk away and he allowed himself the tiniest of smiles. He had promised to keep them safe and that wasn't a promise he would easily break.
* * * *