Part 10 Visions and Death Eaters
Willow followed Snape quietly to the dungeons. Normally she would take great pleasure in annoying the very cranky professor but he was their best chance for useful information on finding Dumbledore and he was finally going to talk to her so she kept her mouth shut. They walked into a small sitting room, he motioned for her to sit in one of the nearby chairs then waved his wand quickly lighting several sconces. When he finished he put his wand away and sat in the chair next to hers.
"Finally going to tell me." Willow stopped and held her head for a moment, "What the hell?"
"Are you okay?" Snape was out of his chair now rubbing his left arm with one hand, and leaning over her. She had paled considerably, "Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?"
"No, I'm fine," Willow looked up, surprised to see concern not annoyance in his face, "Wow, know why Cordy didn't like it now though."
"Like what? Who's Cordy?" Snape, not for the first time since Willow's arrival, found himself unable to follow her thought process at all.
"Visions, and a, well, I wouldn't say friend but, long story."
"You had a vision?" Snape asked, "You have second sight?"
"Not usually, but yeah, it was sort of like I was watching something through someone else's eye's."
"What did you see?" Snape asked, Hogwarts was protected against this kind of thing.
Before Willow could answer there was a knock on the door. Snape went to answer the door, wondering who that would be; no one came to his rooms. Pulling open the door, he bit back a slight growl at his visitors.
"Is Professor Rosenberg here?" Hermione asked immediately, "The Bloody Baron said he saw her coming down here with you."
"And if I say she isn't here?" He snarled at the girl.
"You would be lying," Willow moved to stand behind him, "What's up?"
"Professor Burkle said if we remembered anything or anything happened that we should tell one of you," Harry said quickly, he wasn't any happier about being in Snape' s chambers than Snape was at having them there.
"You remembered something? Wow this is my lucky day for information," Willow nudged Snape out of the way and gestured the reluctant teen-agers inside.
"Not remembered, I uh, had a. I saw something?"
"What?" Willow asked, ignoring the snarling Potions teacher now pacing the room.
"I saw. I saw Death Eaters. Five or six of them I think," He looked at his friends who looked as uneasy as he did to be here, "and I think Lord Voldemort but."
"What did they look like?" Willow asked.
"They had the black robes with snakes, like they always wear," Harry was pacing now too, "And it was weird I usually, when I see things, I see through Voldemort's eyes. But this time I saw, at least I think I saw him."
"His back was turned," Willow watched Harry pace, "But he had a robe like the others, he was angry about something. And he was."
"Touching someone's arm?" Snape asked.
"How did you. Your arm?" Willow asked.
"Around the same time as your vision?" Snape answered.
"You had a vision too?" Harry asked.
"Sounds like the same one you had. If you usually see it from Voldemort's view though, who were we seeing it from?"
"I don't know but they were."
"Not happy?" Willow offered, she had gotten a definite vibe of unhappiness and anger.
"Yeah, it wasn't a Death Eater it was someone who didn't want to be there."
"You both had the same vision? At the same time my mark burned, that he was calling his people?" Snape moved to stand next to Harry and Willow.
"Looks like. But why?"
"Well we know why my mark hurts. He wants the Death Eaters. And it's common for Potter's scar to hurt when Voldemort is near, or feeling a strong emotion but why did you."
"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed, "Well, it only make's sense but can it be done. I'll go check it out. If it can be."
"Don't you love when she explains herself so clearly?" Ron muttered to know in particular.
"Miss Granger what are you going on about?" Snape snapped, he did not have the patience for this right now.
"Dumbledore!" Hermione said.
"What about him?" Ron and Harry said together.
"Well, you said Dumbledore said to bring you here right?" She asked Willow, "But you didn't know why?"
"Yeah," Willow was trying desperately to follow Hermione's thoughts but this was worse than Cordelia logic, "What's that have to do with this?"
"Well, I'm not sure it's possible but, Professors, is it possible to magically get into someone's head? To make them see or hear something."
"I don't think." Snape snapped.
"No it is possible," Willow interrupted, "Well I'm not sure about seeing but I know you can enter someone's mind and communicate with them."
"How can."
"We did it. The summer Buffy was.gone," Willow was now pacing, "We had to patrol, Faith was in prison and someone had to patrol Sunnydale until I.Anyway, I would get on top of a crypt or anything high enough to see the whole cemetery and tell everyone where the vampires or demons were. But as I said we talked, but I'm sure there must be a way to create a visual effect."
"We can look it up in the library?" Hermione offered, ignoring the groans of both her friends.
"You and Ron work on that," Willow replied already heading to the door, "Harry find Faith or Fred tell them what's happened. I'll send an owl to Giles, see if he can help. Everyone meet in my rooms tomorrow and we'll discuss what we found out."
Everyone immediately set off on their set tasks. Snape followed Willow to his classroom then to the owlery.
"Are you sure this Giles can help?" Snape asked as he watched her release the owl.
"Giles can always help," Willow smiled, "If he doesn't just know, he loves to look stuff up."
"Should introduce him to Miss Granger," Snape muttered.
"Now I really do need to know everything you can tell me about Voldemort and Death Eaters." Willow said.
**********
"Faith I'm not sure that it would be appropriate," Mcgonagall said to the girl pacing the room, like a caged animal.
"Why not?" Faith turned to face the older woman, "What's the worst that can happen, students can't leave the grounds. The castle's crawling with teachers."
"But a party?" Mcgonagall was not at all sure a party by muggle standards would be a good thing, "We always have a feast."
"So we have the feast then." She was interrupted by a knock on the door. She pulled open the door and smiled at Harry, "Hey Harry, tell Professor Mcgonagall that a Halloween Party would be cool."
"Party? You mean the feast?" Harry had been caught off guard by the question.
"No I mean music, dancing, fun?" Faith prompted.
"Like a muggle party?" Harry asked, surprised that Mcgonagall hadn't given an outright no at the idea.
"Yeah."
"Sure it would be fun," Harry replied.
"See students want it."
"Fine, after the feast you can have a party. We'll inform the student's tomorrow," Mcgonagall gave in, "You will of course be held responsible if there are any problems. Now Mr. Potter did you need something?"
"Yeah, I was looking for Faith actually," He smiled at the Slayer, everyone would love a party.
"Talk while we walk kid," Faith said leaving the office, "We've gotta write to B, and get some music."
Harry followed Faith to her room and then the owlery so she could send the message to her friends. While they walked, he explained what had happened that afternoon. When he was done, Faith looked at him and smiled.
"'Bout time, thought I was never going to kick some ass."
"Well, you still really aren't I mean, we don't know where they are, just that he's calling the death eaters to him."
"Yeah, but at least something's happening."
"I guess," Harry had never seen anyone happy about Voldemort being active, "Well, I'm going to go help Ron and Hermione research."
"See ya," Faith turned in the opposite direction, she was going to find Fred then decided that if Fred had went somewhere with Charlie Weasley they probably didn't want to be found.
**********
"So let me make sure I understand all of this," Willow said when Snape had finally finished telling her about his time as a Death Eater and the last few years since Voldemort's return.
"This Voldemort guy decided that only pure blood wizards deserve to exist. He then set about destroying every one else, along with any one that just annoyed him. There was this Order of the Phoenix headed by Dumbledore that fought him." Willow waited for Snape to nod his agreement before continuing, "Then Trewaleny had a vision, by the way she is such a fraud, that some kid born at the end of July would have a mark that would steal his power. He thought it was Harry, killed his parents and tried to kill Harry, but well failed obviously, leaving the scar, therefore making prophecy true."
"Correct." Snape said, amazed at how unsurprised she was by everything he had told her.
"Why is it that evil people think so damn much of prophecies anyway? I mean hell, Buffy proves them false like weekly," Willow said, Snape just stared at her, the girl had an amazing way of going off track with her thoughts but eventually would come back to the topic at hand, "So six or so years ago he took over the Dark Arts teacher's body and tried to steal this stone thing that would make him immortal. Again they're all so obsessed with immortality, vampires had that gem of Amara thing, now this. Harry stopped him and every year since he's gotten stronger but Harry's always stopped him."
Snape waited patiently for her to continue, he was amazed she had went this long without a breath.
"Then last year, he went after the prophecy ball thing. You know books, much easier, by the way. Big fight, lots of people died, both sides, Dumbledore killed Voldemort."
"Or so we thought yes." Snape agreed.
"But then Dumbledore had reason to believe he was back and went in search of him for the Ministry. And now he's gone?"
"Yes," Snape agreed, "Does all this help you?"
"Some, But I still don't understand why you became a Death Eater?" Willow flopped down next to him on the small couch in his chambers.
"Does it matter?"
"Suppose not," Willow shrugged, "Why do you hate Harry?"
"I don't hate Potter," Snape answered, "His father, Black, and Lupin I hate."
"Why?"
"I told you I wasn't popular in school."
"Yes, but that doesn't explain why you hated them? I wasn't popular either but I didn't hate any. Well okay I hated Cordelia's sheep."
"Cordelia's sheep?" Snape asked confused, "She had livestock?"
"Livestock?" Then realizing what he was saying, "No, that's we called her friends, they couldn't do anything without someone usually Cordy telling them. Wait, they picked on you didn't they?"
Snape glared at her, he was not discussing that part of his life with her.
"Fine don't talk about it. I don't like to talk about Harmony either," Willow said quietly, she did understand being picked on, she had just never let it make her this miserable, "But you aren't still the kid being picked on by the cool people, and most importantly it is not Harry's fault if his father was a jackass."
Snape sat broodily staring at her, he knew she was right, but James Potter was not here to take it out on, Harry was.
"Are you going to Hogsmeade next weekend?"
"No."
"Why not?" Willow asked, "I heard it's the only all Wizard town around."
"It is."
'Then why aren't you going?"
"Students." Snape snapped.
"What about them?"
"They will be there."
"You know they might be less frightened of you if you went to Hogsmeade and maybe smiled a little occasionally," Willow suggested.
"I like them afraid." He smirked.
"You have to come with me," Willow pleaded.
"Why, I'm sure the students, who adore you already, will be happy to show you around."
"I'm sure they would, but Faith is meeting Remus," Willow ignored the small growl that escaped his lips, "And Fred is probably going to spend all her time with Charlie Weasley. So that means everyone has a date but me."
"Date?"
"Okay a grown up to talk to, is that better?"
"I don't want to go."
"I will show up in your class every day until you do, oh, and I'll tell all the students about how you were the little picked on kid in school that's why you're so crabby now."
"Fine, I am not staying all day though," He finally conceded.
Willow followed Snape quietly to the dungeons. Normally she would take great pleasure in annoying the very cranky professor but he was their best chance for useful information on finding Dumbledore and he was finally going to talk to her so she kept her mouth shut. They walked into a small sitting room, he motioned for her to sit in one of the nearby chairs then waved his wand quickly lighting several sconces. When he finished he put his wand away and sat in the chair next to hers.
"Finally going to tell me." Willow stopped and held her head for a moment, "What the hell?"
"Are you okay?" Snape was out of his chair now rubbing his left arm with one hand, and leaning over her. She had paled considerably, "Do you need to see Madam Pomfrey?"
"No, I'm fine," Willow looked up, surprised to see concern not annoyance in his face, "Wow, know why Cordy didn't like it now though."
"Like what? Who's Cordy?" Snape, not for the first time since Willow's arrival, found himself unable to follow her thought process at all.
"Visions, and a, well, I wouldn't say friend but, long story."
"You had a vision?" Snape asked, "You have second sight?"
"Not usually, but yeah, it was sort of like I was watching something through someone else's eye's."
"What did you see?" Snape asked, Hogwarts was protected against this kind of thing.
Before Willow could answer there was a knock on the door. Snape went to answer the door, wondering who that would be; no one came to his rooms. Pulling open the door, he bit back a slight growl at his visitors.
"Is Professor Rosenberg here?" Hermione asked immediately, "The Bloody Baron said he saw her coming down here with you."
"And if I say she isn't here?" He snarled at the girl.
"You would be lying," Willow moved to stand behind him, "What's up?"
"Professor Burkle said if we remembered anything or anything happened that we should tell one of you," Harry said quickly, he wasn't any happier about being in Snape' s chambers than Snape was at having them there.
"You remembered something? Wow this is my lucky day for information," Willow nudged Snape out of the way and gestured the reluctant teen-agers inside.
"Not remembered, I uh, had a. I saw something?"
"What?" Willow asked, ignoring the snarling Potions teacher now pacing the room.
"I saw. I saw Death Eaters. Five or six of them I think," He looked at his friends who looked as uneasy as he did to be here, "and I think Lord Voldemort but."
"What did they look like?" Willow asked.
"They had the black robes with snakes, like they always wear," Harry was pacing now too, "And it was weird I usually, when I see things, I see through Voldemort's eyes. But this time I saw, at least I think I saw him."
"His back was turned," Willow watched Harry pace, "But he had a robe like the others, he was angry about something. And he was."
"Touching someone's arm?" Snape asked.
"How did you. Your arm?" Willow asked.
"Around the same time as your vision?" Snape answered.
"You had a vision too?" Harry asked.
"Sounds like the same one you had. If you usually see it from Voldemort's view though, who were we seeing it from?"
"I don't know but they were."
"Not happy?" Willow offered, she had gotten a definite vibe of unhappiness and anger.
"Yeah, it wasn't a Death Eater it was someone who didn't want to be there."
"You both had the same vision? At the same time my mark burned, that he was calling his people?" Snape moved to stand next to Harry and Willow.
"Looks like. But why?"
"Well we know why my mark hurts. He wants the Death Eaters. And it's common for Potter's scar to hurt when Voldemort is near, or feeling a strong emotion but why did you."
"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed, "Well, it only make's sense but can it be done. I'll go check it out. If it can be."
"Don't you love when she explains herself so clearly?" Ron muttered to know in particular.
"Miss Granger what are you going on about?" Snape snapped, he did not have the patience for this right now.
"Dumbledore!" Hermione said.
"What about him?" Ron and Harry said together.
"Well, you said Dumbledore said to bring you here right?" She asked Willow, "But you didn't know why?"
"Yeah," Willow was trying desperately to follow Hermione's thoughts but this was worse than Cordelia logic, "What's that have to do with this?"
"Well, I'm not sure it's possible but, Professors, is it possible to magically get into someone's head? To make them see or hear something."
"I don't think." Snape snapped.
"No it is possible," Willow interrupted, "Well I'm not sure about seeing but I know you can enter someone's mind and communicate with them."
"How can."
"We did it. The summer Buffy was.gone," Willow was now pacing, "We had to patrol, Faith was in prison and someone had to patrol Sunnydale until I.Anyway, I would get on top of a crypt or anything high enough to see the whole cemetery and tell everyone where the vampires or demons were. But as I said we talked, but I'm sure there must be a way to create a visual effect."
"We can look it up in the library?" Hermione offered, ignoring the groans of both her friends.
"You and Ron work on that," Willow replied already heading to the door, "Harry find Faith or Fred tell them what's happened. I'll send an owl to Giles, see if he can help. Everyone meet in my rooms tomorrow and we'll discuss what we found out."
Everyone immediately set off on their set tasks. Snape followed Willow to his classroom then to the owlery.
"Are you sure this Giles can help?" Snape asked as he watched her release the owl.
"Giles can always help," Willow smiled, "If he doesn't just know, he loves to look stuff up."
"Should introduce him to Miss Granger," Snape muttered.
"Now I really do need to know everything you can tell me about Voldemort and Death Eaters." Willow said.
**********
"Faith I'm not sure that it would be appropriate," Mcgonagall said to the girl pacing the room, like a caged animal.
"Why not?" Faith turned to face the older woman, "What's the worst that can happen, students can't leave the grounds. The castle's crawling with teachers."
"But a party?" Mcgonagall was not at all sure a party by muggle standards would be a good thing, "We always have a feast."
"So we have the feast then." She was interrupted by a knock on the door. She pulled open the door and smiled at Harry, "Hey Harry, tell Professor Mcgonagall that a Halloween Party would be cool."
"Party? You mean the feast?" Harry had been caught off guard by the question.
"No I mean music, dancing, fun?" Faith prompted.
"Like a muggle party?" Harry asked, surprised that Mcgonagall hadn't given an outright no at the idea.
"Yeah."
"Sure it would be fun," Harry replied.
"See students want it."
"Fine, after the feast you can have a party. We'll inform the student's tomorrow," Mcgonagall gave in, "You will of course be held responsible if there are any problems. Now Mr. Potter did you need something?"
"Yeah, I was looking for Faith actually," He smiled at the Slayer, everyone would love a party.
"Talk while we walk kid," Faith said leaving the office, "We've gotta write to B, and get some music."
Harry followed Faith to her room and then the owlery so she could send the message to her friends. While they walked, he explained what had happened that afternoon. When he was done, Faith looked at him and smiled.
"'Bout time, thought I was never going to kick some ass."
"Well, you still really aren't I mean, we don't know where they are, just that he's calling the death eaters to him."
"Yeah, but at least something's happening."
"I guess," Harry had never seen anyone happy about Voldemort being active, "Well, I'm going to go help Ron and Hermione research."
"See ya," Faith turned in the opposite direction, she was going to find Fred then decided that if Fred had went somewhere with Charlie Weasley they probably didn't want to be found.
**********
"So let me make sure I understand all of this," Willow said when Snape had finally finished telling her about his time as a Death Eater and the last few years since Voldemort's return.
"This Voldemort guy decided that only pure blood wizards deserve to exist. He then set about destroying every one else, along with any one that just annoyed him. There was this Order of the Phoenix headed by Dumbledore that fought him." Willow waited for Snape to nod his agreement before continuing, "Then Trewaleny had a vision, by the way she is such a fraud, that some kid born at the end of July would have a mark that would steal his power. He thought it was Harry, killed his parents and tried to kill Harry, but well failed obviously, leaving the scar, therefore making prophecy true."
"Correct." Snape said, amazed at how unsurprised she was by everything he had told her.
"Why is it that evil people think so damn much of prophecies anyway? I mean hell, Buffy proves them false like weekly," Willow said, Snape just stared at her, the girl had an amazing way of going off track with her thoughts but eventually would come back to the topic at hand, "So six or so years ago he took over the Dark Arts teacher's body and tried to steal this stone thing that would make him immortal. Again they're all so obsessed with immortality, vampires had that gem of Amara thing, now this. Harry stopped him and every year since he's gotten stronger but Harry's always stopped him."
Snape waited patiently for her to continue, he was amazed she had went this long without a breath.
"Then last year, he went after the prophecy ball thing. You know books, much easier, by the way. Big fight, lots of people died, both sides, Dumbledore killed Voldemort."
"Or so we thought yes." Snape agreed.
"But then Dumbledore had reason to believe he was back and went in search of him for the Ministry. And now he's gone?"
"Yes," Snape agreed, "Does all this help you?"
"Some, But I still don't understand why you became a Death Eater?" Willow flopped down next to him on the small couch in his chambers.
"Does it matter?"
"Suppose not," Willow shrugged, "Why do you hate Harry?"
"I don't hate Potter," Snape answered, "His father, Black, and Lupin I hate."
"Why?"
"I told you I wasn't popular in school."
"Yes, but that doesn't explain why you hated them? I wasn't popular either but I didn't hate any. Well okay I hated Cordelia's sheep."
"Cordelia's sheep?" Snape asked confused, "She had livestock?"
"Livestock?" Then realizing what he was saying, "No, that's we called her friends, they couldn't do anything without someone usually Cordy telling them. Wait, they picked on you didn't they?"
Snape glared at her, he was not discussing that part of his life with her.
"Fine don't talk about it. I don't like to talk about Harmony either," Willow said quietly, she did understand being picked on, she had just never let it make her this miserable, "But you aren't still the kid being picked on by the cool people, and most importantly it is not Harry's fault if his father was a jackass."
Snape sat broodily staring at her, he knew she was right, but James Potter was not here to take it out on, Harry was.
"Are you going to Hogsmeade next weekend?"
"No."
"Why not?" Willow asked, "I heard it's the only all Wizard town around."
"It is."
'Then why aren't you going?"
"Students." Snape snapped.
"What about them?"
"They will be there."
"You know they might be less frightened of you if you went to Hogsmeade and maybe smiled a little occasionally," Willow suggested.
"I like them afraid." He smirked.
"You have to come with me," Willow pleaded.
"Why, I'm sure the students, who adore you already, will be happy to show you around."
"I'm sure they would, but Faith is meeting Remus," Willow ignored the small growl that escaped his lips, "And Fred is probably going to spend all her time with Charlie Weasley. So that means everyone has a date but me."
"Date?"
"Okay a grown up to talk to, is that better?"
"I don't want to go."
"I will show up in your class every day until you do, oh, and I'll tell all the students about how you were the little picked on kid in school that's why you're so crabby now."
"Fine, I am not staying all day though," He finally conceded.