Author's Note: Thanks very much to Nastya and Anna who have been giving me information on the Russian and Slavic cultures.
A Memory Found
by: Mystical Dragon
Ivan stared down at his Jacenty, angry. Angry at the other humans for not helping Jacenty and angry at himself for failing his family when they most needed him. But he had fixed that little problem. He would never be helpless like that again. Ivan narrowed his eyes. Jacenty needed his parents. But his parents were dead.
But... these other humans weren't. These other humans that wanted to turn his Jacenty into a child again. Ivan liked that idea. He should have there for Jacenty and this time he would be there. He would just need to find these Lestranges. Where would they be? He would find out and then give them Jacenty.
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Severus climbed onto his small sled and nervously looked over at Ivan, who was already sitting on the sled and looking quite excited. "Are you sure this is safe? What if we get into trouble?"
Ivan shook his head, his ears flapping. "Cezar and Vasya are still asleep," he said, mischievously. "We will never tell them."
Severus looked down at the long staircase before him and fearfully grinned, trying to look pleased. Ivan would protect him, he knew that, but still, he hated heights. But this adventure might prove to be fun.
"Okay," Severus said, gripping the sled tightly, "go," he winced.
The sled tipped down and went hurtling down the staircase. The ride was smooth, no bumps thanks to Ivan, but Severus still screamed.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," he yelled, his hair being whipped backwards, and then suddenly the ride stopped.
They were at the bottom and Severus started to nervously giggle. "That was fun," he weakly said, wondering if it had been fun. "But let's not do it again for awhile."
Ivan laughed. "You didn't like it at all, did you?"
Severus shook his head and got up, staggering over to a couch. "No. Maybe when I'm four but not three."
But as Severus laid there, the ride kept replaying in his mind and a genuine smile lit his face. "Let's try it again."
Ivan nodded, not having moved away from the sled (had he known Severus would want to ride the sled again?), and they ran up the stairs together, the sled floating behind them, giggling and laughing. Five more rides and Severus was screaming and laughing in delight as they sped down towards the bottom, all his fear forgotten.
"This is fun!" he screamed to Ivan.
But a figure loomed ahead and Severus's mouth dropped. It was his father.
"Uh-oh," Severus muttered.
The sled stopped right at the man's feet.
Cezar just stared down at the two of them and Severus realized he wasn't saying anything because he was trying to hold back a smile.
"Daddy," Severus said coaxingly, seeing this, "me and Ivan are having fun. We like it," he said, blinking up at his father. "No one is getting hurt," he said, shrugging.
Cezar's face twisted into a smile. "I fear the day you become a teenager and really learn how to get your way."
Ivan nodded his head, his ears flapping again. "We will teach him."
"Thanks," Cezar muttered sarcastically. "Go on, Jacenty, have your fun."
Severus grinned and got up to hug his father. "Thanks, Daddy!" he said, hugging him around his legs.
"I'm a pushover," the man lamented, reaching down to lightly spank Severus.
Severus giggled and reached behind him to protect his butt with his hands. "You're silly."
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Waking, Severus noticed Draco curled up on the upholstered chair, fast asleep, his wand in his hand. The door was opened but why was Draco allowed in his bedroom? That was not Hogwarts policy. Students were only allowed in offices or in the outer rooms with another adult present. Last night Severus had been too tired to realize the impropriety of the situation.
Severus sighed at his obsession with rules and regulations. For so long, Severus had followed them blindly in the attempt to feel good about himself. If he followed this rule or that rule to perfection than he was worth the breath he had been given but that was a pretty meaningless way to make one feel good about themselves. But for so long, it had been all he had. And having pickpocketed, even to survive, still left him feeling queasy. He shouldn't have done it. But then he would have died. Maybe that crazy Head of Slytherin, Professor Logan, was right and some rules had to broken. After all, Harry Potter was constantly breaking and bending the rules and nobody did a thing about that.
Severus closed his eyes. Did Potter's rule breaking even have anything to do with him? Why did he care so much about it? Partly because of all the things Potter, and his father, had always gotten away with while Severus had been punished for the slightest infraction. Severus was still trying to take revenge for it.
"Even the teachers were terrified of him," Lupin's voice echoed in his head. Severus rubbed his forehead tiredly. Several of the teachers, namely Professor Sprout, Flitwick, Sinistra, and McGonagall had teased him about how frightened they had been of him as a student. Severus had always assumed they were lying. But what if they hadn't been. And if the teachers had favored Potter over him it hadn't been Potter's fault.
"Professor?" came Draco's concerned voice.
Severus glanced over there. "Hello, Draco," Severus said pleasantly, not bothering to get onto him about being in a professor's bedroom, though Severus would talk to Dumbledore about that. "Feeling well?"
Draco nodded. "Very. How did you sleep?"
"Great," Severus said truthfully. Those dreams he often had of his parents were very nice. He wondered if Ivan was still alive.
"You're going to have to stay in your rooms today," Draco said. "A teacher will be watching you all day."
"I thought I would just go to Madam Pomfrey's..."
Draco shook his head, fear slightly clouding his face though he wasn't letting it show too badly. "No," he said quickly, "we changed our minds. This is for the best."
Severus looked at him, wondering why he had changed his mind. "Draco? What happened?"
"Nothing," Draco said, deliberately casual, as he quickly got up and darted out the door before Severus could ask him another question.
Something was going on. Severus wished he hadn't slept so much yesterday; if he hadn't he would know why Draco was so agitated.
Dumbledore poked his head in the door and grinned at seeing Severus awake, though his eyes weren't quite as twinkling as they normally were. He looked worried and upset about something. But Severus didn't ask. He didn't feel comfortable enough around Dumbledore to ask him personal questions.
"Why is Draco so worried?" Severus tried, instead. What was worrying Draco probably was the same thing that was worrying Dumbledore.
Dumbledore looked pensive. "You had a bad night," the Headmaster said. "We felt it best if you just stayed in your rooms and were watched. You really scared Draco."
"Oh," Severus mumbled. What had he done? "But with Lupin out of commission today and tomorrow isn't having someone watching me going to be impossible? The teachers with the planning period need to take over Defense Against the Dark Arts."
Dumbledore smiled a little. "I'll be taking over DADA. Or, if you would prefer, I could be the one watching you while the others take over DADA."
Severus opened his mouth to reply that Dumbledore was too busy to do something like that but either way, Dumbledore was going to have to do something he didn't want to do.
"Whatever you want," Severus concluded. "I better take a shower," he said, grabbing a robe from his wardrobe and shuffled into his bathroom.
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Dumbledore sighed as the door shut. He had really done it, hadn't he? Pushed Severus away so much when he was a teenager, when he needed someone, that Severus no longer wanted him around. Severus tolerated him, it seemed, but he didn't like him.
"Where is he?" Draco asked from the doorway.
"Taking a shower," Dumbledore said, turning to the boy.
Draco stared at him in the much the same way that Severus had looked at him after the Shrieking Shack incident when he had been sixteen, but Draco seemed to have lost some of the venom he had held only days earlier.
"Draco, do you hate me?"
Draco's face showed his surprise and then he shrugged, looking confused. "I used to. All you cared about was Potter. Potter this, Potter that. But... now..... I don't know," he said, looking at the closed bathroom door. "Do you really care about Snape?"
"Yes."
Draco leaned against the door frame, folding his arms. "What he said last night really bothered you," he said.
Dumbledore, hearing the water running, retreated to the cushioned chair and sat down, taking his glasses off and rubbing his tired eyes. "Especially that it never occurred to me that he was trying to commit suicide that night. How could I have been so blind? I drove him right to Voldemort. And what choice did he have? I've deluded myself into thinking he had one," Dumbledore leaned his head back against the softness of the chair. "When he graduated I wouldn't have bothered trying to help him get a job. It, after all, was the student's responsibility, not mine. And, with his scores, he wouldn't have been able to get one. The Ministry bases everything on those stupid scores. Severus would have had to go back to living on the streets," Dumbledore said heavily.
"It's not your fault," Draco said softly. "You can't save everyone."
Dumbledore snorted. "I didn't save anyone, Draco. How many other students did I fail? How many other children came here with no one but themselves to care for them, trying to make their own way in life, trying to better themselves, only to get pushed back down where they came from by me and the rest of the staff who didn't have the time to be bothered by them."
"It's not too late to change that," Draco prompted. "You couldn't save Snape but I'm sure there are other kids you can help."
Dumbledore opened his eyes. How many lectures had he given Severus about needing to 'redeem' himself for joining Voldemort, or prescribed what Severus needed to do to be 'forgiven'? If Severus needed redemption for joining Voldemort than Dumbledore needed it more for driving him to that madman.
"Do you know of any?" Dumbledore asked softly. "Are there any kids in Slytherin that might be joining Voldemort out of force."
Draco chewed his lip thoughtfully, thinking. "I don't know of any. I'm rich, remember, none of the poor kids even talk to me."
"Oh," Dumbledore said.
"I'm afraid that no Slytherin likes you," Draco said, leaning his back against the door frame and sliding down to sit. "What you did my first year was fairly stupid. You alienated the one house that needed to be able to look up to you, to now, or at least think, you were on their side. Now who are the Slytherins going to turn to when they do something wrong? You? Never."
"What about Severus?" Dumbledore asked, forcing his voice not to crack. How could he have messed up so badly?
"They'll turn to him. But will he turn to you?"
Dumbledore slowly closed his eyes. No, Severus would not. Severus would keep it to himself, worried about what Dumbledore would say to the child, and try to manage on his own, like he had been doing his whole life. How had Severus managed to survive? He must have a will like steel... or diamond... or something even harder.
"I can't believe what I've done," Dumbledore said, shaking his head.
Something touched his arm and Dumbledore looked up to see Draco standing there. "My parents are always lamenting how they need to spend more time with me or work on their patience and yet they never do. They just say it but do nothing about it. If you're really sorry about what you've done, Dumbledore, you'll work on it, try to change, and not just say it."
"Do you think Severus will ever forgive me?" Dumbledore asked, wondering why he was asking Draco.
Draco shrugged. "I hope."
The water stopped.
"I better go," Draco said. "Breakfast and then classes. Are you staying or should I get ...."
"I'm staying," Dumbledore said firmly.
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Ivan curiously watched this man who felt so guilty about not being there for his Jacenty. Ivan could tell it really upset him. He wasn't just spouting words he didn't mean and he meant more than he said. Poor man. But the man had been there, free to help, and hadn't done a thing to help Jacenty. That angered Ivan, though he did feel sorry for the man.
But this blond-haired child was very interesting. He cared a great deal for Jacenty. And he hadn't even been born when Jacenty needed the real help but the child was ready to help Jacenty as much as he needed now. Ivan was going to keep an eye on this Draco.
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Severus, walking out of the bathroom, saw Dumbledore and briefly nodded towards him. So he was staying. But did he have to stay in the bedroom? Severus was used to being alone and the idea of having someone with him at all times had suddenly hit him while showering. He didn't like it.
"Hungry?" Dumbledore asked.
Severus was about to reply no when his stomach growled. "A little," he muttered.
"I'll get the house-elves to bring up some food on the table," Dumbledore agreeably said.
"I'll eat in here," Severus said, wondering if Dumbledore would get the hint that he wanted to be alone. He didn't.
"In here is fine too," Dumbledore said, smiling at Severus, as he conjured up a table and two chairs in the center of the room.
Severus winced. He hated eating with other people. Eating in the Great Hall was fine since the other staff members always had someone else to talk to and didn't bother him but eating one-on-one was a sickening thought.
"Binny," Dumbledore called and a house-elf appeared and smiled at both of them.
But then his smile faded and his ears dropped as he looked around the room, cringing. He started wringing his hands. "Ye...s... Head.. Headmas... Headmaster.... Dumb.... Dumbledore," he stammered, still looking around the room. Was he trying to find a way to escape? But house-elves could just pop in and pop out whenever they felt like it.
Severus crinkled his eyebrows. What was wrong with him?
"What's wrong?" Severus asked, despite himself.
The elf jumped, staring at him with wide eyes. "Noth... noth... nothing. Nothing. What do you want to eat?" he said, trying his best to sound normal.
"Fine!" Binny suddenly screamed. "It is fine with Binny!"
Neither Dumbledore or Severus had said anything. Severus glanced at Dumbledore, worried.
"What's the matter?" he mouthed.
Dumbledore shook his head, looking quite bewildered. "Binny?"
Binny whirled around. "Binny will get Headmaster's breakfast."
"What about Professor Snape's?" Dumbledore asked.
"It will come," Binny choked out and then disappeared.
"That was certainly strange," Dumbledore softly said. "He didn't even wait until I had ordered anything."
Severus shrugged, looking around the room himself. "You don't suppose there's someone in here?"
Dumbledore immediately conjured up the Marauder's Map and shook his head. "Just the two of us and that door is closed so no one could have gotten out."
Severus stared at the map. "I thought that was Potter's? How did you conjure it?"
"Harry," he said, with slight emphasis, "decided it would be best if I kept it. It suddenly occurred to both of us last night that since Barty Crouch Junior had the map for a good part of last year that Voldemort might know about it and want it destroyed."
Severus nodded as food started to appear. Good thinking on Potter's part, though Severus wasn't about to admit that to anyone.
Without really thinking about the food, Severus took a swallow of the milk in his glass and widened his eyes. It was delicious and... familiar.
"More sugar, Daddy," came a child's voice.
Severus jumped.
"What's wrong?" Dumbledore asked.
"Nothing," Severus said quickly as he absently reached for the sugar bowl (strange; there was usually not one available) and spooned more sugar into his milk.
"What are you doing?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"Nothing," Severus mumbled.
"I see," Dumbledore said quietly. "You're doing nothing," he said, his voice soft and- was it teasing?
"That's right," Severus agreed. "Nothing."
A child's laugh sent Severus falling out of his chair.
"Severus?" Dumbledore's voice came, not amused at all anymore. "What's wrong?"
"I think I want to sleep," Severus muttered.
Great, now he was hearing voices. Everyone already thought he was teetering on the brink of insanity and this little new development wouldn't help him any. Especially not with him being so jumpy about it.
"You need to eat first, Severus," came Dumbledore's voice as he loomed before him.
Severus looked up at him from the cold stone floor and groaned. "I don't want to eat," he snapped.
"You're eating," Dumbledore said, his voice hard.
Severus clenched his fists. He hated this. He hated being told what to do. He hated it when Dumbledore acted like he knew what was best when Severus had been surviving on his own his whole life- well since he was three apparently. But he was an adult now and he wished Dumbledore would start treating him like one. If he didn't want to eat, he shouldn't have to.
"Eat, Jacenty," came his father's voice.
Without really thinking, Severus got to his feet and sat, staring down at his food. A beet soup with a dark colored bread beside it and a bowl of very strange black round boysenberry sized fruit. Fruit after the meal, Severus told himself.
The soup and bread tasted quite familiar, though Severus had never had them before at Hogwarts or in Knockturn Alley. But then he would have had to have them with his parents? If those dreams were real, that was. But why hadn't the house-elves ever fixed it before? Maybe they were just trying out new recipes. That happened occasionally.
Wiping his mouth clean, Severus picked one of the round berries up and bit into it. The inside was a bright orange and delicious, though tart. Ivan. He had had these berries with Ivan before. Ivan had taken him somewhere. Somewhere far from home but where? If Ivan even existed. Maybe he was insane.
Eating the entire bowl, Severus quickly picked up his glass of milk and drained it.
"Severus," Dumbledore said. "I'm sorry. It should have been your decision to eat. I shouldn't have made you."
Startled, Severus lowered his napkin.
"I guess I'm trying to make up not being there for you when you were a teenager by being there for you now, but you aren't a teenager anymore. You're an adult and I need to remember that," Dumbledore said, fiddling with his plate-full of eggs, bacon, and bread rolls. "I'm really sorry, Severus. I should have paid more attention to you when you were a student."
Stunned, Severus just stared at the Headmaster, unable to think of a reply. "It wasn't your job to pay attention to me," Severus said.
"Then whose job was it," Dumbledore asked.
"My parents, of course," Severus said, looking at his empty plate and then back up.
Dumbledore was staring at him with the saddest expression Severus had ever seen on his face before. "Your parents," Dumbledore repeated.
"Well, yeah, I mean..." Severus trailed off as Dumbledore's cheek spasmed and his eyes turned cloudy.
Dumbledore knew. Severus just stared at him, his face starting to burn, as he pushed his chair back from the table, struggling to stand up but for some reason his legs wouldn't obey the messages from his brain.
"When did you find out?" Severus breathed.
"When you were eighteen, after you came to me," Dumbledore said, pushing his barely touched plate away. "I asked around and found out about your living in Knockturn Alley. I guess that's why I still treat you like a child sometimes. Every time I look at you I see the child you were at Hogwarts; scared, lonely, and very angry. You're still like that and I just want to help. But I seem to go about it the wrong way."
Severus continued to try to get up but his body wouldn't let him; it almost felt like he was tied to the chair.
"How many people have you told?" Severus hissed.
"Nobody," Dumbledore said, "but Draco told several people when you scared him to death by trying to dissolve your arm to get rid of the Dark Mark."
Draco knew? Severus didn't see how he could. "How did he find out?" Severus demanded, not believing that Dumbledore hadn't told him.
"I'm not sure," Dumbledore admitted. "Draco's closed mouth about what he knows. He only told us about it because you were talking about how angry your parents would be if they found out you had the Dark Mark. He knew you didn't have any and it upset him. Draco was worried that you had gone insane."
"Who did he tell?" Severus asked, his voice hoarse.
"Remus and Harry," Dumbledore said softly.
Severus clenched his mouth, looking away. Lupin would certainly tell Black and then the two of them would get a good laugh about it. And Potter. He could imagine Potter, Weasley, and Granger joking about it.
"Get out," Severus hissed. "Get out of my rooms!"
"Severus," Dumbledore tried, his voice cracking.
"Get out!" Severus screamed. "Just get out!"
"I'm sorry..."
"Get out!" Severus yelled.
Dumbledore didn't move.
"Fine," Severus hissed. "I'll leave," he spat and wrenched himself out of the chair and headed towards his door.
Dumbledore reached a hand out but Severus shoved him aside, not noticing, or caring, that Dumbledore painfully fell against the table. He tried the handle but the door wouldn't open.
He retreated into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. Breathing raggedly, Severus leaned against the door and slid down to sit on the very cold floor. How could he ever look at anyone again when they knew he had been abandoned? But he hadn't been. His parents had wanted him. No they hadn't. These dreams were just his mind making something up. Who would ever want someone like him?
Trying to control his breathing, Severus was pleased to note that his eyes were completely dry. The last time he had cried was when he had gotten burned and Severus wasn't about to start now.
Coldness began to slowly seep into his body as Severus sat there, for how long he didn't know. He was never going to be able to look at Draco, Dumbledore, Lupin, Potter, or anyone else ever again. He was sure the news that he had been abandoned had spread like wildfire through the castle. All the students were probably getting a kick out of it.
Reaching into his pocket, Severus slowly withdraw a small pocket knife he kept there. Opening the blade, Severus placed it against the skin of his wrist and made a slicing motion in the air. One good jerk would be all it took if he could hit the vein. Severus lifted it high enough to start the motion when he screamed, clutching his hand to his chest. The blade clattered to the floor and disappeared underneath his shower curtain.
"What..?" Severus asked as he looked at his hand. For a brief moment the blade handle had felt like it was a burning brand but his hand looked fine; no red mark, no nothing.
"Severus?" came Dumbledore's voice from the bedroom. "Are you all right?"
"Fine," Severus snapped. "Just leave me alone."
Scooting over to the knife, Severus moved the curtain back and attempted to reach for it again when the small thing skidded away. Angry, Severus crawled to it when the blade part turned towards the wall and flew so fast towards it that it jammed itself into the wall. The handle disappeared and the knife blade could no longer be seen.
The door opened.
"Severus?" Dumbledore said, walking to him. "I'm sorry. I didn't know telling you would upset you so much. I'm sorry."
Severus shrugged, his hair in his face, and got up, shaking a little at what had happened to his knife. Had that happened or was he imagining things?
Dumbledore grabbed his arm. "Severus?"
"Leave me alone," Severus angrily replied, tearing his arm out of Dumbledore's grasp. "I'll get over. Just a stupid thing anyway. I'm acting like an overgrown child, as usual."
He went to his bed and lied down, willing Dumbledore to leave, as he drew the curtains. Something he never did. Encased in blackness, Severus stared up at nothing, wishing to cease existing. Maybe if he held his breath? No... and plus he didn't really know what was going to happen after he died. And frankly, Severus didn't want to find out until he had to. Life, as horrible as it was, was all he had to hang onto right now.
Severus rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes. Wishing the nightmare would go away.
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Dumbledore sat down, feeling much older than his one hundred and fifty years, as he looked at the closed black curtains. Why had he told Severus that he knew he had been abandoned? He should have just pretended he didn't know. And telling him that Remus and Harry knew had just destroyed whatever grounds Dumbledore had gained that day.
And Dumbledore was just now beginning to realize how little he had really talked to Severus over the years. He gave Severus orders all the time but Dumbledore had never taken the time to just talk with him; to understand why he felt the way he did about things. And Harry's third year Dumbledore had just dismissed Severus's concern about Sirius and Remus being in league together as that of a jealous schoolboy who needed to grow up instead of making Severus feel that his concerns mattered to Dumbledore. He should have talked to Severus, a long time ago, about his being abandoned. But no, Dumbledore had decided it was Severus's job to come to him.
Dumbledore was expecting Severus to trust him based on a foundation that was not there. Remus, Sirius, and Harry all trusted him. And each one of them had others to turn to for help besides him. Severus had no one but Dumbledore to turn to and Severus wasn't about to turn to him.
"I've really messed up," Dumbledore muttered.
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"Jacenty," came a voice in Severus's ear.
Severus turned to stare at the blue face of Ivan. He was dreaming again.
"Hi, Ivan," Severus smiled as he reached out to run a finger along the creature's ear. "I'm having some awful dreams lately."
"I know," Ivan said. "I can fix them. Where are the Lestranges?"
"The Lestranges?" Severus said, wondering how Ivan knew about them. "You aren't supposed to know about them," Severus said, getting upset. "You are only supposed to know about my Mommy and Daddy and..."
A blue finger touched his mouth. "I'm here, now, Jacenty. You called me yesterday night and I came."
"Oh," Severus said, relief washing over him. "The dreams are real?" But he was dreaming now.
"Where are the Lestranges?" Ivan asked again. "They are with Voldemort. Where is Voldemort?"
"The Dark Lord is in a Magical castle on an unplottable island off Wales. But no one can get to it unless summoned."
Ivan snorted. "I'm an elf. I can get anywhere I want to."
"Oh," Severus said. "What do you want with the...." sleep overtook him.
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Nathan Lestrange magically floated the entire collection of "Little Wizard Owen" books onto the shelf and grinned. It was done. Sev's room was complete. Now they just had to wait for that incompetent idiot of a Dark Wizard to kidnap Severus. And now... with the possibility of raising Severus into one of the worst Dark Wizards ever known, Nathan could dispose of that man and still have the magical world changed like it should be, with the pure-bloods on top and the rest of the humans serving them. And Florence would agree. She may adore Voldemort but she would adore Severus, her very own son, even more.
Turning around, Nathan's wand dropped as he cursed and backed into the bookshelf that he had been arranging.
"What are you doing here?" Nathan demanded. "Your kind is supposed to be... gone... returned to..."
The little blue creature just shrugged his shoulders. "Some of us- were forgotten about," he smirked. "I'll give you Severus Snape if you let us be his nanny."
Nathan's eyebrow rose. "Really?" he asked, managing to stand upright again. "Why?"
"We want him to be a child," the creature said. "He needs to be a child again."
Nathan really didn't like the idea of a Dark Elf being out of the Shadow World but like he had a choice. Nobody, including him, knew how to take care of those things anymore. And how in the world did the creature know about him wanting to turn Severus into a child in the first place. And why did it want to be Sev's nanny?
"Well?" the creature demanded.
Nathan nodded his head. "Sure. Like I have a choice," he sneered.
The creature grinned, showing his sharp little teeth. "At least we didn't come to you in our real form."
Nathan's eyes widened. He had forgotten about that. "Uh.. sure... I mean I would very much like you to be Severus's nanny."
"I thought so," the blue-skinned creature said. "Nice room," he said approvingly. "I will make a crystal sphere for us to live in until Severus reaches fifteen. The sphere will pass one year for every day in this world. In nine days, just in time for Christmas, Severus will be fifteen and we can leave it. Is that agreed?" the creature asked, looking at Nathan with an amused expression, daring him to disagree.
Nathan, though he didn't like the idea of an elf, even a Dark Elf, ordering him around, thought it was a good idea. Waiting for nine years to dispose of Voldemort would have tested even his patience. This way, he could do it even sooner and Voldemort would never have a chance of knowing what he was really teaching Sev.
"Agreed. I want Severus to be six, though youth potions are tricky and it may be a year or two off, if not more. I have the potion ready to change him already," Nathan said, picking his wand up and conjuring up a bottle full of red liquid.
The elf reached a hand out and the bottle floated to him. "Right after the fire," the creature said. "I will make the potion work and make it right after the fire. Right after the burns. You will heal them, yes?"
Nathan nodded, wondering how the Dark Elf knew about Severus's burns.
"I will bring him to you," the creature promised. "But first, the sphere."
As Nathan watched in awe, the elf sent a silver liquid from his hand that started to revolve, faster and faster, until it become a perfect sphere and hardened. The room he was standing in suddenly became bare.
"The rooms are now furnished. Get your wife and I will get Severus," the creature said and then popped away, leaving the sphere to float to a corner of the room and settle down.
Nathan left to tell Voldemort about the change in plans, which Voldemort was very pleased about (not having liked the idea that Severus would be out of commission for so long), and to get Florence. Nathan reflected that Karkaroff couldn't have planned his torture of Severus at a better time. The Dark Lord only agreed to allow him and Florence to change Severus into a child because he was afraid Severus was insane, and therefore useless, but he didn't want to have to kill Severus and so readily agreed to their proposal.
The door closed behind them and the creature appeared along with a small bundle floating before him.
"It's my son," Florence said breathlessly as she knelt before it, pulling the covers back.
Nathan walked up behind her to see Severus laying there, as a six year old. His eyes were closed but his face was contorted with the pain of the burns he had.
"Here," Nathan said, giving Florence a bottle of potion to heal burns as their surroundings changed around them.
Florence carefully removed Severus's blackened shirt, not even gasping at the sight of the burned flesh, and gently poured the bottle over it.
"Why isn't he waking?" Nathan asked. "That's got to hurt."
"We won't let him until his burn is mostly healed," the Dark Elf said. "We don't want him to be in any pain."
Florence gathered Severus up into her arms and the Dark Elf lead her to where Sev's bedroom was. Nathan stayed where he was, taking in this odd place and trying to remember if there was a way to kill Dark Elves.
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Ivan wasn't stupid. He could tell Nathan Lestrange wanted him dead but it didn't matter to him. Humans had never killed a Dark Elf before. Restrained them, yes, but never killed. And restraining would never work again in Ivan's case. Plus, if Nathan got out of hand he could always get too sick to make it through the illness. Humans were notorious at believing elves, even Dark Elves, would never hurt them. Silly things. Only his Jacenty didn't have to worry about that.
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"Severus?" Dumbledore tried for the tenth time. "I'm sorry."
No answer. Sighing, Dumbledore walked to the bed and gently moved the curtains back. Nothing. Pulling the covers back, Dumbledore frowned in confusion.
"Accio, map," he barked.
The map flew to him and Dumbledore scanned it. No Severus. Not even in his rooms.
"How... how.... but... Binny!" Dumbledore said.
Binny appeared, looking around nervously and then relaxing, a smile appearing on his face.
"Who was in here earlier? Who?!" Dumbledore said, trying hard not to scream. "Was there someone in here earlier?"
Binny shook his head. "Not telling! No, not telling!" he said, terrified as he hid his face in his hands.
"Was it a Dark Wizard?" Dumbledore asked gently.
Binny just popped away and Dumbledore frowned at the map. Barty Crouch Junior could have jinxed it. He had had the time. He may not have reported it to Voldemort but that didn't mean he hadn't done it. But who would have known? A Dark Wizard, then? Or had some student jinxed it last night? Harry had left the map in his trunk all night, someone could have jinxed it already, making them believe that the map still worked and consequently causing them to let their guard down. But the door hadn't opened. How had they gotten out?
Dumbledore stuffed the map into his robes and flew out of Severus's rooms.