Chapter Two

Essie

Corey hurried to keep up with his adopted father, slightly worried about what was going to happen next. It had been a year and a half since the Death Eaters had murdered his parents in a horrible Christmas raid, and since then his Aunt Rebecca, blaming all wizard kind for that act, turned her back on Corey and anyone else born of magic. He had always understood why, although he had never agreed with her; he himself couldn't help but feel a little guilty that perhaps if it hadn't been for him, they might have not died.

No, Corey thought, shaking himself out of it. He knew it wasn't as simple as that. Had anyone been able to do anything, they would have. Still, he had forgiven his aunt long ago for her anger. She and her husband had taken such good care of Essie and the farm since it happened, and did everything they thought was right. But now everything was in jeopardy because of a single letter, a letter that his sister's future depended on.

Not a word was said as Severus walked them towards the farmhouse. Corey, a bit leery about what his aunt was going to do when she saw them, stood back from the door and tried to comfort Essie, who was nervously biting her nails. It was Uncle Mark who opened the door, gazing in surprise at the tall black figure looming on the porch, and then at the two children standing together on the path.

"My name is Professor Snape, and I would like to have a moment to speak with you and your wife about your niece, if you don't mind," Severus said in a voice that indicated that he actually didn't care if they minded or not.

"I remember you," Mark said calmly. "You were at the funeral standing with Corey, and at church at Christmas. I suppose you had better come in," he said expressionlessly, opening the door wider. "You two youngins' stay out o' the way while we talk to yer aunt," he added, shutting the door. Corey and Essie looked at each other as it closed.

"Well, I'm not missing this. Let's head for the window," Corey said. "I hope Dad doesn't have his necklace on," he added as the two of them hurried around the corner.

"Necklace? What necklace?" Essie asked, but Corey hushed her, realizing the window was open. The two of them wedged themselves between the tree and the house, just under where the curtains were blowing out of the open window. Then they sat against the trunk. Corey risked a peek inside just as his aunt came out of the kitchen door, wiping her hands on a towel around her waist and looking none too pleased at finding a wizard in her parlor.

"I suppose you're here about Essie. Well, it's a waste of time. She's not here, and you're not going to contaminate her with your devil's powers, so you might as well be off and leave us alone."

"Becky –"

"Now, don't you start, Mark! Bad enough to let one of his sort in the house. He may be here to finish the job and kill us as well!" Rebecca warned. "He'll have to if he wants to take Essie. I won't let you near her!"

"I'm afraid you've already failed at that, just as you failed to keep Essie and Corey apart," Severus replied evenly, although his black eyes were flashing. "The truth of the matter is that Essie has visited her brother nearly every day this summer, just as she did the summer before. If any ill has come of it, it would only be the fact that she was afraid to tell you, knowing that you might find another way to try and keep them from seeing each other. And that I will not have," Severus snarled dangerously. "Aunt or no aunt, blood relative or not, you have no right to keep them apart if they want to see each other, and nothing you can say or do will be able to stop it."

"How dare you threaten me in my own home! If you don't leave at once, I'm going to call the authorities and tell them what's really going on here! And I want my niece back this very instant!" Rebecca said, standing toe to toe with the much taller man.

"Now, Becky, Essie is right outside. I just didn't want her in the middle of this," Mark reassured her. Rebecca stopped and stared at her husband.

"You knew about this!" she accused him.

"Well, not 'xactly. Suspected would be the better word," Mark admitted. "I heard from Brommel about 'em owning the cottage a while back, and Essie always heads towards the bluff when she's mindin' the sheep."

"Don't you realize the danger you're putting her in getting mixed up with these people?" Rebecca asked. "Look at him! If he doesn't look like an incarnate of evil then no one does!" Severus couldn't help but smirk at that.

"Fortunately, we're not here to discuss me. We're here to talk about Essie," he reminded her.

Corey felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked back in surprise at who was standing there with a finger pressed to his lips. The wizard patted his shoulder gently before heading towards the front door. Corey grinned at Essie, who seemed to have missed the whole exchange, then peered expectantly back in the window.

"Essie is staying here and going to a normal school where she belongs!" Rebecca said firmly.

"She belongs at Hogwarts, or she wouldn't have been invited at all," Severus said defiantly. Corey gnawed on his bottom lip. "Whether you like it or not, she is a witch and should be properly trained."

"Essie is no such thing! I'll not have you corrupt her like that Craw woman did to Corey!" Rebecca yelled, glancing out the window wondering where Essie was. The two children ducked back.

"Madam, I have been trying to be patient, but if you insult my wife again, I'll be quite tempted to give you a little demonstration…" Severus growled, pausing when there was a knock at the door.

Grateful for the distraction, Mark hurried over to the door, leaving the two of them to glare threateningly at each other. He was quite surprised to see three men standing at the door, for although he had known them all fairly well, they had never called on the residence before.

"Mr. Door! Father Pachem! And Sarge? This is an unexpected surprise, do come in," Mark said, stepping away from the door.

Still flustered, Rebecca tried to regain her composure while still eyeing Severus, taking off her towel and pushing back her hair with her hand. Severus, on the other hand, seemed to have his complete attention on the elderly gentleman who had entered first, nodding to him and making an almost symbolic step backwards. To either side of him were the pastor and the policeman, smiling and greeting everyone around the room.

"Pardon us for intruding," said Mr. Door with a quick glance towards Severus before looking back towards Mark and Rebecca. "But there's something quite important we're here to speak to you about, and I think it's something that everyone listening at the moment should hear."

"Actually, this man is not a friend of ours and he was just leaving," Rebecca said firmly, frowning at Severus. But Mr. Door held up his hand.

"No, no. It's quite all right, Becky. I know this may sound strange to you now, but Severus happens to be a trusted friend of mine," Mr. Door said, "and what I have to say concerns him and his family as well. Becky, I think it's time you learned who your friends really are."

"What exactly do you mean by that?" she asked, eyeing Severus warily.

"You have known me for quite some time, have you not?" Mr. Door asked.

"Yes, of course, since you used to sit with Charles in the Glowing Embers pub house, along with the Sarge and their friends," she nodded. Severus looked over at the elder man with a look of mild surprise. Mr. Door nodded in agreement to her.

"Yes, we've known each other for over three years now, and I'd like to think you have always thought well of me," Mr. Door said almost questioningly.

"Of course, Mr. Door," Rebecca said with surprise. "Why, with the exception of perhaps the pastor here, there's hardly a better man that ever lived with everything you do to help here, and beyond. And of course, most especially all you've done to help the families that were devastated that night. We're all grateful for your good deeds and compassion, although I must admit I have often wondered why you took so much upon yourself."

"Then perhaps it's time for you to learn," Mr. Door said.

Taking three simple steps forward, Mr. Door dramatically began to change. His tidy cropped beard and hair suddenly grew to an astoundingly long length, his large glasses shrank until they sat upon his nose, and his simple suit suddenly burst into golden robes and a matching hat appeared upon his head.

"Please don't be alarmed," said the wizard gently as the woman took a staggered step backward. "You know me as Mr. Door, but most know me by my full name, Albus Dumbledore. And it was my Deputy Headmaster, Professor McGonagall, who sent that letter inviting Essie to the school."

"I don't believe this!" Rebecca said in shock. "You are a wizard? All of this time?"

"All of my life," Dumbledore said, his lip curling slightly. "But yes, I sometimes take a more conservative appearance when I am visiting my non-magic friends so not to startle anyone. And I am sorry that I had to startle you just now, but it was time you knew the truth. I have worked very hard to put things right, Becky. You know that as well as anyone. I only hope you do not think any less of me now than you did a moment ago. I am hoping that you know me better than that."

"So you did this all to make up for what your kind did to us?" Rebecca asked. Dumbledore frowned slightly, looking serious.

"Rebecca, this isn't about 'your kind' or 'our kind.' It is about right and wrong. There are many, many good people in this world, magic or no magic. And there are, sadly enough, a number of bad people as well, who do everything in their power to destroy everything we've worked for. Voldemort was an evil that could have happened just as easily to your kind as mine…an evil of prejudice, persuasion, and corruption. Warping minds for his own purposes, manipulating people with fear and false promises alike, corrupting those that follow him to believe they are the only pure race, and demonstrating their 'superiority' by causing death and destruction. Does this sound familiar yet?" Dumbledore asked quietly. Rebecca had turned unusually somber.

"Should we judge a race, or a country, or a community, by the evils of one man and his followers? Magic or non-magic alike?" he asked. "No, of course not. Do we?" he paused, nodding sadly. "Yes, sometimes we all do. We're only human, after all.

"But," Dumbledore continued, taking a much lighter tone, "I can assure you, that as Headmaster of Hogwarts, I will do everything in my power to try and do what I can to see that it doesn't happen again."

"As will the rest of the faculty," Severus put in expressionlessly, earning a quick smile from Dumbledore.

"And I can assure you that I will do my best to make certain that Essie is well taken care of and taught how to use her magic in beneficial ways… provided, that is, she's also allowed to see her brother… who, by the way, has proven himself to be a hard working, outstanding student."

"Corey? Hard working? Now that in itself is a miracle," Mark replied.

"He had to be nudged a bit," Severus put in dryly.

"If you need second opinions on Mr. Door's character, Mrs. Hunt, I for one would like to point out how often Mr. Door comes to service," Pachem said with a twinkle in his eye. "And despite the occasional dozing off, I am quite convinced he is one of the most decent sort of wizards I've ever met."

"How many wizards have you met?" Brommel asked with a chuckle. "Before Mr. Door told me who he was after that horrible night, I wouldn't have had a clue that I had already met several and just not known it."

"True enough," Pachem smiled. "Well, then, he's one of the most decent sort of person I've ever met, and I for one am grateful for all the help he's given us over the years."

"That I agree with," Brommel said. "As for Professor Craw, I'll speak for her as well. Seems like the only evil about her is the evil you bring with you when you meet her." Severus regarded Brommel thoughtfully, while Dumbledore smiled widely.

"You always were an insightful man, Sarge, and I thank you both for your kind words. But the question is, Rebecca, what do you believe?" the Headmaster asked.

Rebecca sat down and didn't say anything for a long time, but looked deeply into Dumbledore's eyes as if trying to find her own soul as well as his.

"I wonder where Essie and Corey are," she asked, her voice sounding distant.

Using that as an excuse to act, Severus stepped over to the window and with almost lightning speed he plucked the ears from two different children, their wincing faces suddenly appearing in the window as he pulled on them.

"Never try to spy on a professional," Severus told them quietly before ordering them to come around to the kitchen door to face the consequences in person.

It was that weekend that Carol moved in, and despite Jennifer being convinced that Severus was going to tell her 'I told you so,' he barely commented at all.

But a sinister smile had crept across his face the moment Jennifer had told him that she had found someone, so she was hardly surprised to find herself being kidnapped by her own husband for an evening the moment Carol was settled.

Essie had come over to visit, and for a change Aunt Rebecca had sanctioned it. She was even allowed to come to Corey's birthday party a few days later. The two of them had not been so happy in a long time, and Essie excitedly listened to Corey as they lay on the living room floor and looked over her school list.

"A lot of these books I can lend you, except the Defense book. I don't have that one. Dad changed them on us when he took over last year," he explained with a grin. "Oh, and when we go to the Alley, don't worry about the Potion kit. I'll get Mom to pick one up from our alchemist out in Wales. There's no reason using that rubbish from Malfoy's if you don't have to."

"There is so much to learn! I hope I can handle all this," Essie said, glancing through some of his old books.

"It's not that bad, honest. It's a piece of cake, you'll see," Corey reassured her.

"Easy for you to say, you've got that perfect recall memory of yours," Essie sighed.

"Yes, but you were the one who got all top marks in school, not me. Don't worry, anything you don't understand, I'll help you with," he said.

"I expect you should leave anything you don't understand to askin' the professors, nae your brother, Essie," Carol said from the kitchen. She had Alex in one arm and a wooden spoon in the other, which she wagged at them dangerously. "Teachin' is best left to the teachers, hear me now."

"Are you going to be a professor when you get out, Corey?" Essie asked.

"No, thanks! I've seen how much work Mom and Dad have to do. Besides, that job's too risky. Do you know how many times my Mom and Dad have nearly been killed in the last few years? I want something a bit safer," Corey said. "Like alchemy or something."

"Aren't you afraid you might get blown up?" Essie asked. "Doug was telling me there was an alchemist who accidentally turned himself to dust, and then a wind came up and nobody ever found him."

"Don't listen to Doug, Essie, he was pulling your leg because he thought you were a Muggle," Corey told her. "Well, he won't be laughing now. I already wrote him you're going to Hogwarts."

"I just can't believe it," Essie said with a smile. "I mean, I never showed magic like you did, and I never saw the cottage like it really is until you pointed it out to me. I didn't think I'd make it."

Corey smiled at her with a reassuring look that he didn't feel. What would happen if she turned out to be a Muggle after all? No, he thought to himself. Perhaps she hadn't wished things into being as much as he had when she was little, but there was no way he would believe that she wasn't magic.