I've said it before, I'll say it again..I don't own em. They belong to the
wonderful JK Rowling (who really needs to get Book 5 out soon). On a
different note, hope the movie comes soon.
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The day before Halloween, everything was back to a state of order. Harry of course was still upset about Sirius, and the Slytherins were quieter than usual, but other than that, things were quite normal.
That night, Samantha decided to venture down into the dungeons. She had no idea what her father did at night. She knocked and waited for a reply, and when it didn't come, she entered. She found Severus lying on the floor. He was unconscious, but he was still holding his left arm. She checked for external injuries, and finding none tried to wake him; he didn't stir.
She held out her hand and he lifted into the air. She guided him all the way to the Hospital Wing and called out for the medi-witch. She once again stood aside as Poppy did her magic. Dumbledore came in and asked what happened.
"I went down to the dungeons to see him, and I found him. He was clutching his Dark Mark. I'll admit, it was hurting a lot more than usual today."
Dumbledore muttered something and nodded slowly. "What is it Headmaster?"
"I said I was afraid of this."
"Afraid of what?"
"When Voldemort brands his followers, he does so with a very deep, dark magic. He uses it to call and control them, but it can also be used to kill if given enough time."
"But--?"
"I think that the lack of activity we've witnessed from the Dark Lord is not fear, but retaliation. He's been spending his time concentrating on Severus." Samantha got as close as a Snape gets to teary-eyed. She closed her eyes and heaved a great sigh, knowing what she had to do.
"I'm going to get some things. I'll stay with him tonight." It wasn't a request, and the Headmaster knew it. He nodded and she was off. She slipped into her night robe and grabbed a book off her desk. She looked at Caribe and nodded, sending him a silent signal.
When she returned to the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore was gone, as was Poppy. She decided not to risk it anyway and resolved to sleep for a few hours. She told herself to wake up around 1 am.
When she finally awoke, she noticed her father was a lot paler than usual. She decided the time was right and she grabbed the book from under her mattress. She opened it and placed her hands over the Dark Mark on his arm. She began to whisper an incantation; every time she repeated it, she got louder until she was at a low shout.
Suddenly, the room exploded with a white light; but it wasn't just the room. The whole castle filled with the bright light.
Dumbledore awoke and, after alerting McGonagall and Poppy to meet him, he rushed to the Hospital Wing. When he arrived, he saw McGonagall looking aghast with a hand over her mouth. Poppy was tending to Samantha, who was faintly glowing. She had been placed in the bed next to Severus, who, he noted, actually looked better.
Then he noticed the book lying on the floor and he picked it up. Miraculously, it hadn't lost the page she had been reading from, and Dumbledore read the spell she had cast. He closed his eyes, knowing what had happened.
"Oh my," he mumbled.
"What happened Headmaster?" Severus was awake. Professor McGonagall now looked as if she were about to faint, so she sat down in a nearby chair.
Dumbledore also sat down, but on the end of Samantha's bed. "It seems she has learned Ancient Magic." Severus' eyes widened as he now saw his daughter lying in the bed next to him.
"But that's impossible! No one knows it; it's too powerful!"
"Actually, I believe that is what Voldemort uses to brand his followers. But it seems as if she's found a way to counter it." Snape nearly choked and looked down at his arm. The Dark Mark was gone, though the skin where it once lay was still glowing slightly.
"Is she alright?" he asked. Dumbledore read the entire spell, and once again, he closed his eyes. Gravely, he shook his head.
"The spell she used is called Merlin's Blessing. It protects the caster or recipient for life. It can also counteract Ancient Dark Magic, but at a great cost. In order for the counteraction to occur, a willing sacrifice must be made." Then something clicked, "Oh my, this must be what Lily used to -" he stopped, seeing the look on his young friend's face. "I'm sorry Severus. There's nothing we can do for her."
Slowly and painfully, Severus sat up and switched beds. As he sat next to his daughter, he took her hand. Instantly, a rush of warmth filled him. Everything around him seemed to freeze and he could hear her in his mind.
"Father, I realize now how hard this must be for you. That only shows a love you never let out. It was so hard for me to know how to act and what to say around you. I never knew you before Brisham, and then everything I heard was second hand. I can only pray now that you understand I never hated you for leaving us. I see now it was to protect Mother and me.
"She was so proud when I received my acceptance letter from Brisham, but there was still an unexplainable sadness in her eyes. I know now that was regret. She would have loved for me to attend Hogwarts, but now I know it would have been too hard. Staying these couple of months has shown me that you've come to be untrusting and closed off to everyone, even me.
"I have left a message with Caribe, though I believe now he is too weak to deliver it. Please see that Professor Reyes gets it. Take care of Caribe, Father. He will be weakened by my death, but slowly he will regain his power. I will always be with you Father. Goodbye."
As he watched, the white mist that had surrounded her body collected and rose to the sky. For the first time since the death of his mother, he let a teardrop fall. It too rose with the mist, but as it melded with the haze, a stream of white light pierced shot down and pierced his heart. The strange warmth faded, and time became normal again.
Dumbledore, oblivious to what had just occurred, placed a hand on the man's shoulder. She was gone.
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Ok, it's almost done (I know I've said this before, but I mean it this time. There are like four or five posts left (maybe six)...okay, so I don't have any idea how many posts are left, but as I said, I'm trying to keep it under 20 chaps.
Aztec
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The day before Halloween, everything was back to a state of order. Harry of course was still upset about Sirius, and the Slytherins were quieter than usual, but other than that, things were quite normal.
That night, Samantha decided to venture down into the dungeons. She had no idea what her father did at night. She knocked and waited for a reply, and when it didn't come, she entered. She found Severus lying on the floor. He was unconscious, but he was still holding his left arm. She checked for external injuries, and finding none tried to wake him; he didn't stir.
She held out her hand and he lifted into the air. She guided him all the way to the Hospital Wing and called out for the medi-witch. She once again stood aside as Poppy did her magic. Dumbledore came in and asked what happened.
"I went down to the dungeons to see him, and I found him. He was clutching his Dark Mark. I'll admit, it was hurting a lot more than usual today."
Dumbledore muttered something and nodded slowly. "What is it Headmaster?"
"I said I was afraid of this."
"Afraid of what?"
"When Voldemort brands his followers, he does so with a very deep, dark magic. He uses it to call and control them, but it can also be used to kill if given enough time."
"But--?"
"I think that the lack of activity we've witnessed from the Dark Lord is not fear, but retaliation. He's been spending his time concentrating on Severus." Samantha got as close as a Snape gets to teary-eyed. She closed her eyes and heaved a great sigh, knowing what she had to do.
"I'm going to get some things. I'll stay with him tonight." It wasn't a request, and the Headmaster knew it. He nodded and she was off. She slipped into her night robe and grabbed a book off her desk. She looked at Caribe and nodded, sending him a silent signal.
When she returned to the Hospital Wing, Dumbledore was gone, as was Poppy. She decided not to risk it anyway and resolved to sleep for a few hours. She told herself to wake up around 1 am.
When she finally awoke, she noticed her father was a lot paler than usual. She decided the time was right and she grabbed the book from under her mattress. She opened it and placed her hands over the Dark Mark on his arm. She began to whisper an incantation; every time she repeated it, she got louder until she was at a low shout.
Suddenly, the room exploded with a white light; but it wasn't just the room. The whole castle filled with the bright light.
Dumbledore awoke and, after alerting McGonagall and Poppy to meet him, he rushed to the Hospital Wing. When he arrived, he saw McGonagall looking aghast with a hand over her mouth. Poppy was tending to Samantha, who was faintly glowing. She had been placed in the bed next to Severus, who, he noted, actually looked better.
Then he noticed the book lying on the floor and he picked it up. Miraculously, it hadn't lost the page she had been reading from, and Dumbledore read the spell she had cast. He closed his eyes, knowing what had happened.
"Oh my," he mumbled.
"What happened Headmaster?" Severus was awake. Professor McGonagall now looked as if she were about to faint, so she sat down in a nearby chair.
Dumbledore also sat down, but on the end of Samantha's bed. "It seems she has learned Ancient Magic." Severus' eyes widened as he now saw his daughter lying in the bed next to him.
"But that's impossible! No one knows it; it's too powerful!"
"Actually, I believe that is what Voldemort uses to brand his followers. But it seems as if she's found a way to counter it." Snape nearly choked and looked down at his arm. The Dark Mark was gone, though the skin where it once lay was still glowing slightly.
"Is she alright?" he asked. Dumbledore read the entire spell, and once again, he closed his eyes. Gravely, he shook his head.
"The spell she used is called Merlin's Blessing. It protects the caster or recipient for life. It can also counteract Ancient Dark Magic, but at a great cost. In order for the counteraction to occur, a willing sacrifice must be made." Then something clicked, "Oh my, this must be what Lily used to -" he stopped, seeing the look on his young friend's face. "I'm sorry Severus. There's nothing we can do for her."
Slowly and painfully, Severus sat up and switched beds. As he sat next to his daughter, he took her hand. Instantly, a rush of warmth filled him. Everything around him seemed to freeze and he could hear her in his mind.
"Father, I realize now how hard this must be for you. That only shows a love you never let out. It was so hard for me to know how to act and what to say around you. I never knew you before Brisham, and then everything I heard was second hand. I can only pray now that you understand I never hated you for leaving us. I see now it was to protect Mother and me.
"She was so proud when I received my acceptance letter from Brisham, but there was still an unexplainable sadness in her eyes. I know now that was regret. She would have loved for me to attend Hogwarts, but now I know it would have been too hard. Staying these couple of months has shown me that you've come to be untrusting and closed off to everyone, even me.
"I have left a message with Caribe, though I believe now he is too weak to deliver it. Please see that Professor Reyes gets it. Take care of Caribe, Father. He will be weakened by my death, but slowly he will regain his power. I will always be with you Father. Goodbye."
As he watched, the white mist that had surrounded her body collected and rose to the sky. For the first time since the death of his mother, he let a teardrop fall. It too rose with the mist, but as it melded with the haze, a stream of white light pierced shot down and pierced his heart. The strange warmth faded, and time became normal again.
Dumbledore, oblivious to what had just occurred, placed a hand on the man's shoulder. She was gone.
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Ok, it's almost done (I know I've said this before, but I mean it this time. There are like four or five posts left (maybe six)...okay, so I don't have any idea how many posts are left, but as I said, I'm trying to keep it under 20 chaps.
Aztec