Part 6
Professor Snape sat in his usual seat at the end of the teacher's table. To his left sat Remus Lupin. Both men bore signs of a long night. There were a few empty seats at the student's tables, testifying that there were many taking advantage of this unexpected holiday.
Debating over whether it would be wise to have something to eat or stick with a cup of tea, Severus felt something tickle his senses. Ignoring it for the moment, he decided that he would not want to eat and fill his stomach with food he was going to lose soon enough. Morning meals had never been good for him, they always messed with his digestion.
When the tingle returned, stronger this time, he looked up. There, in the doorway, stood the Weasley twins. 'One bad thing about my sister's return,' he mused, 'is that my senses have sharpened. Of course, when dealing with those particular Gryffindors, that's not such a bad thing.'
"Oh, hex me seven ways to the side," he muttered to Remus absently. "What are they doing here? I thought we were well rid of them, as not even Dumbledore wanted them in the Order."
"I would guess that they are visiting Harry and Ron," Remus replied sympathetically. Whenever that particular pair appeared, most witches and wizards feared for their lives. There was no telling what they would do.
It was then that Severus' tingle changed. The tenor of his feelings shifted, becoming something more. He gasped, feeling as though he'd been set on fire from the inside.
From the looks on the twins' faces, they had felt it too. And were scared.
A soft hand slipped into his own, soothing waves passed through him. "Behold the power of the awakening of twins' magical maturity. And they know it not," Septina murmured in his ear. "We must get them away from here before something happens."
The potions master shivered as he realized just what that could entail. Rising with a nod, his face became thunderous. As he walked down towards the Weasley boys, students flinched away from the terrifying man he'd become. His rage came off him in waves, more impressive for being restrained. "Still feel the need to make an entrance, boys? I thought that your 'business' would settle your queer starts."
His voice sneered at them, "I guess it was to much to hope that success would teach you a little dignity. But why should I be surprised by Gryffindor's inability to learn anything beyond impulsive arrogance."
Even though they weren't really afraid of him anymore, the event in the Great Hall had left them shaken. As a result, they found no words to defend themselves. And they backed up and away from him.
The doors closed and there was a sigh, "really, Severus, must you be so theatrical?"
"Of course, Lily. Sometimes it is the only way to get things done." He gestured to the Weasleys, "I will explain everything if you will be so good as to come with me, gentlemen."
It was not a request and they knew it.
Following Professor Snape took more courage than either young man felt at that moment. Nevertheless, they entered his office and waited nervously for his next move. "Gentlemen? I am waiting."
Swallowing, they entered his chambers and stopped, amazed. This was no torture chamber with chains and coffins lining the walls. There was no river of blood flowing. The ceiling lacked vampire bats and the webs of productive spiders. There was not even one snake to be seen, not even in art.
Instead, they stood in a semi-circular room with two wing chairs and a long couch, all three of deep blue, flocking a large fireplace. The floor was of hard stone, but that was covered in a rug that nearly touched the room wall to wall. A series of large bookshelves dominated most of the room. But the cheery wood was more welcoming than threatening.
As was the sight of the books shelved haphazardly in them. Cinnamon hung in the air as a fire burned dimly, providing a heartening feel to the room.
"Sit down. Let me present my sister, Septina Snape," Severus spoke calmly, knowing that his polite behavior was doing more to keep the boys scared than his most threatening manner in class. "Septina, may I introduce Fred and George Weasley."
"How do you do?" Her voice was faintly cordial, but mostly cold. Extending her hand, she wondered if either boy would dare take it.
Fred accepted her hand with some trepidation, "pleased to meet you, I think," he replied faintly.
George studied her, then her brother, accepting her hand as he did so. Business had added an edge to him that he'd lacked in school. It had made him more aware of people and their motives, so he recovered faster than Fred. "You're twins."
"Obviously," Severus answered his words as though they'd been asked.
"What happened in the Hall?" George asked, folding his arms across his chest. Fred started to wander around before he caught his arm and held him in place.
"Do you know how rare it is for twins to be born into our world?" Severus answered his question with one of his own.
"Actually," Fred said as they sat down, even though they hadn't been invited, "the thought never crossed our minds."
Professor Snape muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'unsurprising. Trusting, unsuspecting Gryffindor bumblers' before he was elbowed in the ribs. Hard. Lily smiled innocently when he glared malevolently at her.
"Aren't you Lily Potter?" Fred gasped, staring at her. Well, through her since she'd decided to let go of her more physical aspects and retained a ghostlier form.
She smiled cordially at them, "yes. But try not to let that disturb you. Sev here has some things to tell you that you must hear."
Ignoring their gaping mouths, Severus frowned at Lily.
She blew him a kiss.
Resolutely, he spoke to them. "I don't want to bore you, so I shall make this as concise as possible. All wizards have a center of power and they can share it with others if necessary. But there is an inborn system that protects them from abuse or power stealing. In the case of twins, protection such as that does not exist. Twins have their own centers and have access to each other's. Thus the saying, double the power, double the trouble. What you experienced was the awakening of your magical maturity-the ability to reach out and tap into each other. Am I making myself clear?"
"I think so," George looked thoughtful. "Are you telling me that we have an untapped source of power?"
Septina sighed, "an unsophisticated way of putting it but, yes."
It was like striking a match and letting it drop into a container of nitroglycerin. The castle shuddered as a wave of power hit it and something shifted. Severus groaned in frustration, burying his head in his hands, cursing the foolishness of Gryffindors.
This time, Lily let him be and turned wrathful eyes upon the boys.
"Wicked!" Fred exclaimed, then moaned. A wave of dizziness swept through him, leaving him feeling weak and shaky. Glancing at George, he got an idea of how he must look.
"What was that?" George groaned, his face a ghastly pale against the background of his bright hair.
"That," Septina spoke harshly, rising from her chair to get them some nourishment, "is what happens when fools rush blindly into things they know nothing of. You used to much power to accomplish your foolishness!"
"But we've done magic before and never felt this way," George protested.
"That is because you used a focus-your wands-to help you. Wands limit the amount of energy from your center that you tap into. They have a balance that allows both the inner vessel-your source-and their cores to help your perform magic. With this small trick, you tapped directly into each other. Wizards do not use their source energy unless there is an emergency because it weakens the whole body." Severus explained acidly, "Idiots! Did you not listen to anything you were taught in your fundamentals classes? Or were you to lost in arrogance and pride to care?"
"You're one to talk of arrogance and pride, Snape. And what gives you the right to talk to us like that," Fred growled, glaring at him over the protests of his head. "We are not your students anymore. Has it escaped your narrow, judgmental mind that we've made quite a successful venture into business?"
"I will speak to you ask I see fit, boy. I know what you are meddling with. You do not." His face was carved of granite, harsh and unyielding. The only indication of his emotions was the sneer in his voice. "If you have every intention of killing your brother, then ignore my wisdom and the devil take you!"
He left-the cold words hanging in the air.
Septina handed each young man a cup of tea, "this will help ease the lingering pain."
Fred grabbed her arm, desperation in his voice. "What did Snape mean?"
"Professor Snape. About killing your brother?" Her question was mild, "did you hear nothing of what was said? There is no barrier between twins. You can tap directly into him and drain him of his power without knowing that you've done so. We have relied too much on our magic to pull us through the obstacles that bar our way. As a result, we have weakened our physical bodies to the extent that most of us cannot survive without the magic."
Fred began to shake, realization dawned in his eyes. Contrary to popular opinion, he was not stupid. George reached out a steadying hand, jerking away when something jolted him. "What?"
Sitting down and drawing her legs up under her, she tilted her head curiously, "What, what?"
"Something shocked me!" George cried, "that's never occurred before."
"You've never shared power before, either. It was a simple acknowledgement of the transfer of comfort between you. In time, it will be so natural to you that you won't feel it at all. My brother and I often do it."
George shook his head, "I thought Professor Snape said that would kill us."
"No. What he said was that being unaware of what you were doing and tapping into your source would kill him. Little transferences, such as comfort or communication, are natural. All wizards do it to some extent. It is when you attempt to do things, such as a prank, that causes the problems. They draw more power."
"I don't understand," George was holding the cup gingerly, smelling the sweet aroma but unsure if he should drink it up. This was, after all, Snape's sister. Her presence was akin to his, frightening to behold and even worse when it focused on you.
"Have you ever noticed how easy it is for you to communicate without saying a word? But when you try to speak to another person, it's harder because you have to create pictures with your words?"
They nodded slowly, knowing what she meant. It was always easier to talk amongst themselves because they knew what the other was saying. When she made no further comment to explain her analogy, they lifted their eyes from their intense study of the carpet.
Her eyes were not on them. In fact, they seemed to be staring at nothing at all.
"Are you all right?" George ventured to ask.
"Fine, just have some eye troubles." There was nothing in her demeanor to indicate otherwise but the Weasleys felt there was more to it than that.
"May be it's a twin thing but you're lying," Fred commented, finally yielding to the enticing aroma and drinking the tea. The aches in his head and stomach faded away to be replaced with a warm tingle. "This is good stuff. What's in it?"
"If you'd paid attention to your class, you'd know." It was cutting, "and don't gulp it so fast. You'll make yourself sick."
"Fine," George spoke through gritted teeth. "But could you find it somewhere in your nonexistent heart to give us the name of someone who could teach us about our new abilities. I wouldn't dream of taking up any more of your precious time."
"Should we use smaller words?" A cutting voice asked from the doorway. Professor Snape had returned. "This isn't wand magic or like potions, easily acceptable to all. You are twins. Only a twin can understand what you are going through. Only a twin will know what to teach you and how to teach it."
"How kind of you," Fred was sarcastic, "but we wouldn't want you to go to so much trouble for us."
"You will have meals in the Great Hall with the other students and do homework like anyone else. Be here every Tuesday and Thursday evenings for lessons. Or I will come for you. And boys," he leaned over them, a malicious presence, "you don't want that to happen. Trust me."
After a moment, he straightened and turned to his sister. "Headmaster Dumbledore wants to see you. I believe it has something to do with last night."
She rose and disappeared out the door without a word.
"Your brother would like to see you. Be careful in what you do and try not to get excited until you have more understanding of what you are experiencing. Oh, wait. I forgot who I was talking to."
Putting the cups aside, they left the room. "Isn't that the limit. Can you believe the nerve of those two? Who did they think they were, scolding us like that?"
"Yeah, Fred. But they were telling the truth. I know you felt it, like I did." As much as he didn't want to admit it because it went against everything they'd learned about him, Professor Snape was not playing with them.
"Were they? Since when has Snape cared about helping any of us Gryffindors?" Fred stopped, looking at him. "I don't buy that he's changed because we are in the middle of a war."
George was silent for a moment, "I don't think he wants to help us. There's something else driving him."
"We can get through this, brother. We have always been able to climb over any obstacles in our path." He was silent as they started to walk again, "I know you're scared. I am too. I just don't trust Snape. He's never given any of us a break."
"If he's our only help, we have to take that chance. We can't let this whatever it is take over our lives."
"He could be lying, George."
"And what will you do if he isn't?" The question came out of nowhere and echoed voicelessly in the empty hallway.
Professor Snape sat in his usual seat at the end of the teacher's table. To his left sat Remus Lupin. Both men bore signs of a long night. There were a few empty seats at the student's tables, testifying that there were many taking advantage of this unexpected holiday.
Debating over whether it would be wise to have something to eat or stick with a cup of tea, Severus felt something tickle his senses. Ignoring it for the moment, he decided that he would not want to eat and fill his stomach with food he was going to lose soon enough. Morning meals had never been good for him, they always messed with his digestion.
When the tingle returned, stronger this time, he looked up. There, in the doorway, stood the Weasley twins. 'One bad thing about my sister's return,' he mused, 'is that my senses have sharpened. Of course, when dealing with those particular Gryffindors, that's not such a bad thing.'
"Oh, hex me seven ways to the side," he muttered to Remus absently. "What are they doing here? I thought we were well rid of them, as not even Dumbledore wanted them in the Order."
"I would guess that they are visiting Harry and Ron," Remus replied sympathetically. Whenever that particular pair appeared, most witches and wizards feared for their lives. There was no telling what they would do.
It was then that Severus' tingle changed. The tenor of his feelings shifted, becoming something more. He gasped, feeling as though he'd been set on fire from the inside.
From the looks on the twins' faces, they had felt it too. And were scared.
A soft hand slipped into his own, soothing waves passed through him. "Behold the power of the awakening of twins' magical maturity. And they know it not," Septina murmured in his ear. "We must get them away from here before something happens."
The potions master shivered as he realized just what that could entail. Rising with a nod, his face became thunderous. As he walked down towards the Weasley boys, students flinched away from the terrifying man he'd become. His rage came off him in waves, more impressive for being restrained. "Still feel the need to make an entrance, boys? I thought that your 'business' would settle your queer starts."
His voice sneered at them, "I guess it was to much to hope that success would teach you a little dignity. But why should I be surprised by Gryffindor's inability to learn anything beyond impulsive arrogance."
Even though they weren't really afraid of him anymore, the event in the Great Hall had left them shaken. As a result, they found no words to defend themselves. And they backed up and away from him.
The doors closed and there was a sigh, "really, Severus, must you be so theatrical?"
"Of course, Lily. Sometimes it is the only way to get things done." He gestured to the Weasleys, "I will explain everything if you will be so good as to come with me, gentlemen."
It was not a request and they knew it.
Following Professor Snape took more courage than either young man felt at that moment. Nevertheless, they entered his office and waited nervously for his next move. "Gentlemen? I am waiting."
Swallowing, they entered his chambers and stopped, amazed. This was no torture chamber with chains and coffins lining the walls. There was no river of blood flowing. The ceiling lacked vampire bats and the webs of productive spiders. There was not even one snake to be seen, not even in art.
Instead, they stood in a semi-circular room with two wing chairs and a long couch, all three of deep blue, flocking a large fireplace. The floor was of hard stone, but that was covered in a rug that nearly touched the room wall to wall. A series of large bookshelves dominated most of the room. But the cheery wood was more welcoming than threatening.
As was the sight of the books shelved haphazardly in them. Cinnamon hung in the air as a fire burned dimly, providing a heartening feel to the room.
"Sit down. Let me present my sister, Septina Snape," Severus spoke calmly, knowing that his polite behavior was doing more to keep the boys scared than his most threatening manner in class. "Septina, may I introduce Fred and George Weasley."
"How do you do?" Her voice was faintly cordial, but mostly cold. Extending her hand, she wondered if either boy would dare take it.
Fred accepted her hand with some trepidation, "pleased to meet you, I think," he replied faintly.
George studied her, then her brother, accepting her hand as he did so. Business had added an edge to him that he'd lacked in school. It had made him more aware of people and their motives, so he recovered faster than Fred. "You're twins."
"Obviously," Severus answered his words as though they'd been asked.
"What happened in the Hall?" George asked, folding his arms across his chest. Fred started to wander around before he caught his arm and held him in place.
"Do you know how rare it is for twins to be born into our world?" Severus answered his question with one of his own.
"Actually," Fred said as they sat down, even though they hadn't been invited, "the thought never crossed our minds."
Professor Snape muttered something that sounded suspiciously like 'unsurprising. Trusting, unsuspecting Gryffindor bumblers' before he was elbowed in the ribs. Hard. Lily smiled innocently when he glared malevolently at her.
"Aren't you Lily Potter?" Fred gasped, staring at her. Well, through her since she'd decided to let go of her more physical aspects and retained a ghostlier form.
She smiled cordially at them, "yes. But try not to let that disturb you. Sev here has some things to tell you that you must hear."
Ignoring their gaping mouths, Severus frowned at Lily.
She blew him a kiss.
Resolutely, he spoke to them. "I don't want to bore you, so I shall make this as concise as possible. All wizards have a center of power and they can share it with others if necessary. But there is an inborn system that protects them from abuse or power stealing. In the case of twins, protection such as that does not exist. Twins have their own centers and have access to each other's. Thus the saying, double the power, double the trouble. What you experienced was the awakening of your magical maturity-the ability to reach out and tap into each other. Am I making myself clear?"
"I think so," George looked thoughtful. "Are you telling me that we have an untapped source of power?"
Septina sighed, "an unsophisticated way of putting it but, yes."
It was like striking a match and letting it drop into a container of nitroglycerin. The castle shuddered as a wave of power hit it and something shifted. Severus groaned in frustration, burying his head in his hands, cursing the foolishness of Gryffindors.
This time, Lily let him be and turned wrathful eyes upon the boys.
"Wicked!" Fred exclaimed, then moaned. A wave of dizziness swept through him, leaving him feeling weak and shaky. Glancing at George, he got an idea of how he must look.
"What was that?" George groaned, his face a ghastly pale against the background of his bright hair.
"That," Septina spoke harshly, rising from her chair to get them some nourishment, "is what happens when fools rush blindly into things they know nothing of. You used to much power to accomplish your foolishness!"
"But we've done magic before and never felt this way," George protested.
"That is because you used a focus-your wands-to help you. Wands limit the amount of energy from your center that you tap into. They have a balance that allows both the inner vessel-your source-and their cores to help your perform magic. With this small trick, you tapped directly into each other. Wizards do not use their source energy unless there is an emergency because it weakens the whole body." Severus explained acidly, "Idiots! Did you not listen to anything you were taught in your fundamentals classes? Or were you to lost in arrogance and pride to care?"
"You're one to talk of arrogance and pride, Snape. And what gives you the right to talk to us like that," Fred growled, glaring at him over the protests of his head. "We are not your students anymore. Has it escaped your narrow, judgmental mind that we've made quite a successful venture into business?"
"I will speak to you ask I see fit, boy. I know what you are meddling with. You do not." His face was carved of granite, harsh and unyielding. The only indication of his emotions was the sneer in his voice. "If you have every intention of killing your brother, then ignore my wisdom and the devil take you!"
He left-the cold words hanging in the air.
Septina handed each young man a cup of tea, "this will help ease the lingering pain."
Fred grabbed her arm, desperation in his voice. "What did Snape mean?"
"Professor Snape. About killing your brother?" Her question was mild, "did you hear nothing of what was said? There is no barrier between twins. You can tap directly into him and drain him of his power without knowing that you've done so. We have relied too much on our magic to pull us through the obstacles that bar our way. As a result, we have weakened our physical bodies to the extent that most of us cannot survive without the magic."
Fred began to shake, realization dawned in his eyes. Contrary to popular opinion, he was not stupid. George reached out a steadying hand, jerking away when something jolted him. "What?"
Sitting down and drawing her legs up under her, she tilted her head curiously, "What, what?"
"Something shocked me!" George cried, "that's never occurred before."
"You've never shared power before, either. It was a simple acknowledgement of the transfer of comfort between you. In time, it will be so natural to you that you won't feel it at all. My brother and I often do it."
George shook his head, "I thought Professor Snape said that would kill us."
"No. What he said was that being unaware of what you were doing and tapping into your source would kill him. Little transferences, such as comfort or communication, are natural. All wizards do it to some extent. It is when you attempt to do things, such as a prank, that causes the problems. They draw more power."
"I don't understand," George was holding the cup gingerly, smelling the sweet aroma but unsure if he should drink it up. This was, after all, Snape's sister. Her presence was akin to his, frightening to behold and even worse when it focused on you.
"Have you ever noticed how easy it is for you to communicate without saying a word? But when you try to speak to another person, it's harder because you have to create pictures with your words?"
They nodded slowly, knowing what she meant. It was always easier to talk amongst themselves because they knew what the other was saying. When she made no further comment to explain her analogy, they lifted their eyes from their intense study of the carpet.
Her eyes were not on them. In fact, they seemed to be staring at nothing at all.
"Are you all right?" George ventured to ask.
"Fine, just have some eye troubles." There was nothing in her demeanor to indicate otherwise but the Weasleys felt there was more to it than that.
"May be it's a twin thing but you're lying," Fred commented, finally yielding to the enticing aroma and drinking the tea. The aches in his head and stomach faded away to be replaced with a warm tingle. "This is good stuff. What's in it?"
"If you'd paid attention to your class, you'd know." It was cutting, "and don't gulp it so fast. You'll make yourself sick."
"Fine," George spoke through gritted teeth. "But could you find it somewhere in your nonexistent heart to give us the name of someone who could teach us about our new abilities. I wouldn't dream of taking up any more of your precious time."
"Should we use smaller words?" A cutting voice asked from the doorway. Professor Snape had returned. "This isn't wand magic or like potions, easily acceptable to all. You are twins. Only a twin can understand what you are going through. Only a twin will know what to teach you and how to teach it."
"How kind of you," Fred was sarcastic, "but we wouldn't want you to go to so much trouble for us."
"You will have meals in the Great Hall with the other students and do homework like anyone else. Be here every Tuesday and Thursday evenings for lessons. Or I will come for you. And boys," he leaned over them, a malicious presence, "you don't want that to happen. Trust me."
After a moment, he straightened and turned to his sister. "Headmaster Dumbledore wants to see you. I believe it has something to do with last night."
She rose and disappeared out the door without a word.
"Your brother would like to see you. Be careful in what you do and try not to get excited until you have more understanding of what you are experiencing. Oh, wait. I forgot who I was talking to."
Putting the cups aside, they left the room. "Isn't that the limit. Can you believe the nerve of those two? Who did they think they were, scolding us like that?"
"Yeah, Fred. But they were telling the truth. I know you felt it, like I did." As much as he didn't want to admit it because it went against everything they'd learned about him, Professor Snape was not playing with them.
"Were they? Since when has Snape cared about helping any of us Gryffindors?" Fred stopped, looking at him. "I don't buy that he's changed because we are in the middle of a war."
George was silent for a moment, "I don't think he wants to help us. There's something else driving him."
"We can get through this, brother. We have always been able to climb over any obstacles in our path." He was silent as they started to walk again, "I know you're scared. I am too. I just don't trust Snape. He's never given any of us a break."
"If he's our only help, we have to take that chance. We can't let this whatever it is take over our lives."
"He could be lying, George."
"And what will you do if he isn't?" The question came out of nowhere and echoed voicelessly in the empty hallway.