Of Spirit and Spirits
Authors Note: OK, so it is unlikely that anyone will actually read this because book 5 is FINALLY here... But I decided to post anyway.. Study avoidance.. Only 2 exams to go then I can concentrate on finishing Order of the Phoenix and finishing this... Thank you to those of you who asked for email updates if necessary, I have saved your email addresses for future reference and promise to update you personally if necessary.
Don't forget reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome. I generally have a pretty clear answer for most questions.. If you think something is a little off I will probably have an explanation.
Thanks for reading, please enjoy.
**********
"Severus?"
Snape put his quill down and looked at the young girl who was watching him from a chair across the room. "Yes Jane?" He could tell by her tone of voice that something was bothering her.
"Severus, is everyone here magical?"
Snape smiled, her inquisitiveness amused him. Having no experience of a world such as Hogwarts, she was constantly finding questions to ask him. He knew she tried hard not to disturb him while he was working, and he was grateful for that, but generally she failed miserably. He was surprised that it didn't bother him; from anyone else the constant interruptions would have elicited a less than pleasant response.
Jane was watching him closely, waiting for her answer. Her eyes were filled with trust and adoration of such immense proportions that it scared him. He wanted to run from her before he did the inevitable and destroyed that faith and trust. If she became aware of the details of his activities as a Death Eater, he knew she would run from him, as she had from her father, and never stop. He admitted to himself that loosing her would be unbearable.
He answered somewhat evasively. "Everyone who lives here is a witch or wizard except of course for you, and Mr Filch, the caretaker."
"So some people don't stay here?"
Snape shook his head. "Everyone stays here, but some of Hogwarts' more colourful personalities aren't alive."
"Aren't alive?" Jane's voice rose in pitch slightly and Snape noticed she stiffened a little.
"That is correct, yes. There are ghosts here." He explained.
"Ghosts?" Another rise in pitch.
"Yes, but don't fret, they are mostly harmless."
"Mostly?"
Snape sighed. "Well, Peeves the poltergeist is somewhat of a prankster, but he would never hurt you. Not seriously anyway." Snape watched Jane as she sat thinking about what he had told her. He could see things being turned over in her mind. "I'm sorry this is all so strange for you Jane."
Jane shrugged. "It's not your fault. I suppose I will get used to it all eventually, but everything here seems so different." She paused, still thinking. "So if everyone here is magic, well, nearly everyone, what's going to stop them from casting spells on me?"
"Is that what has been worrying you?"
Jane hung her head ashamed and nodded a little.
Snape hated that. He hated that he had taken a child who was more than capable of looking after herself, and turned her into a panicky, insecure one instead. He had to admit she was far better off at Hogwarts than she had been living on the streets. Even just the ample supply of food, and appropriate shelter was having an extraordinary effect on her health, but she had lost something fundamental to her personality in the transition. She no longer had the pride and self-assurance she had as a homeless child. He hoped her insecurity would be transient.
"No one here would consider doing such a thing Jane, not while you are under my protection. They fear me more than they would like to try something on you."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. I am, after all, the dreaded Potions Master." He smiled. "My magic is far stronger than any student's and I won't hesitate to use it if I catch anyone playing games with you. Even if one of them was foolish enough to attempt something I wouldn't allow you to be hurt."
She nodded, accepting his promise of protection without question. "Can I meet them?"
"The students?"
Jane shook her head. "The ghosts."
Snape raised his eyebrows and looked at the child, surprised, again. "Of course." He put away the parchment he had been working on, and capped his inkbottle. "Baron, are you within earshot?"
"Of course Severus."
Jane jumped and hid behind Snape as the silvery form of the Bloody Baron appeared without warning. Holding his robes with trembling hands, she peeked out from behind him and looked at the ghost.
He smiled back at her. He enjoyed scaring students, but this child was not a student, she was Severus' guest, and it had been far too easy to scare her. He was already aware of the Muggle child Snape had brought to Hogwarts, and while he didn't understand his Head of House's attachment to the timid girl, he would endeavour to make her as comfortable as possible with his presence. "How can I help you Severus?"
"Baron, I would like you to meet Jane." Snape turned and took Jane by the shoulders, drawing her forward to meet the ghost. She allowed him to move her forward, but he could still feel her shaking. She was ready to flee at the slightest sign of danger. "Jane, this is the Bloody Baron. He is the Slytherin ghost. There are three other house ghosts and various others that reside here at Hogwarts."
Snape watched as Jane put her hand out. She stammered slightly when she spoke. "H- how do you do?"
The Baron slid forward and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "I am very well, for a ghost," his eyes smiled with amusement, "thank you for asking. It is a pleasure to meet you Jane."
Jane was surprised to feel the ghost's touch. It was cold and clammy. She hadn't known what to expect, never having met a ghost before, but feeling him surprised her. She smiled shyly. "It is a pleasure to meet you too. How did you die?"
The Baron was startled by Jane's question. "Brutally child. That's why I am a ghost."
Jane nodded. "Sorry for being nosy." She thought the ghost's answer had been terse; he was obviously touchy about his death.
The Baron chuckled at her apology. "Forgive me for being so brusque, it is a major bone of contention. Few have the courage to ask so I am unused to answering, but I doubt a detailed answer would be suitable for you at any rate Jane." The ghost paused for a moment; he seemed to be listening to something. "Sorry, must dash. Peeves is up to no good." He disappeared as suddenly as he appeared.
Jane said nothing for a few minutes, and then Snape noticed she looked slightly alarmed. "I killed Adam, Severus, does that mean he is a ghost?"
Snape considered Jane's question carefully. "It isn't impossible, but it is improbable, besides he would have been haunting you already if he was."
Jane nodded and looked relieved. "Thank goodness."
Snape had to agree. The girl had enough to cope with without adding her own personal ghost to her burdens.
Authors Note: OK, so it is unlikely that anyone will actually read this because book 5 is FINALLY here... But I decided to post anyway.. Study avoidance.. Only 2 exams to go then I can concentrate on finishing Order of the Phoenix and finishing this... Thank you to those of you who asked for email updates if necessary, I have saved your email addresses for future reference and promise to update you personally if necessary.
Don't forget reviews and constructive criticism are always welcome. I generally have a pretty clear answer for most questions.. If you think something is a little off I will probably have an explanation.
Thanks for reading, please enjoy.
**********
"Severus?"
Snape put his quill down and looked at the young girl who was watching him from a chair across the room. "Yes Jane?" He could tell by her tone of voice that something was bothering her.
"Severus, is everyone here magical?"
Snape smiled, her inquisitiveness amused him. Having no experience of a world such as Hogwarts, she was constantly finding questions to ask him. He knew she tried hard not to disturb him while he was working, and he was grateful for that, but generally she failed miserably. He was surprised that it didn't bother him; from anyone else the constant interruptions would have elicited a less than pleasant response.
Jane was watching him closely, waiting for her answer. Her eyes were filled with trust and adoration of such immense proportions that it scared him. He wanted to run from her before he did the inevitable and destroyed that faith and trust. If she became aware of the details of his activities as a Death Eater, he knew she would run from him, as she had from her father, and never stop. He admitted to himself that loosing her would be unbearable.
He answered somewhat evasively. "Everyone who lives here is a witch or wizard except of course for you, and Mr Filch, the caretaker."
"So some people don't stay here?"
Snape shook his head. "Everyone stays here, but some of Hogwarts' more colourful personalities aren't alive."
"Aren't alive?" Jane's voice rose in pitch slightly and Snape noticed she stiffened a little.
"That is correct, yes. There are ghosts here." He explained.
"Ghosts?" Another rise in pitch.
"Yes, but don't fret, they are mostly harmless."
"Mostly?"
Snape sighed. "Well, Peeves the poltergeist is somewhat of a prankster, but he would never hurt you. Not seriously anyway." Snape watched Jane as she sat thinking about what he had told her. He could see things being turned over in her mind. "I'm sorry this is all so strange for you Jane."
Jane shrugged. "It's not your fault. I suppose I will get used to it all eventually, but everything here seems so different." She paused, still thinking. "So if everyone here is magic, well, nearly everyone, what's going to stop them from casting spells on me?"
"Is that what has been worrying you?"
Jane hung her head ashamed and nodded a little.
Snape hated that. He hated that he had taken a child who was more than capable of looking after herself, and turned her into a panicky, insecure one instead. He had to admit she was far better off at Hogwarts than she had been living on the streets. Even just the ample supply of food, and appropriate shelter was having an extraordinary effect on her health, but she had lost something fundamental to her personality in the transition. She no longer had the pride and self-assurance she had as a homeless child. He hoped her insecurity would be transient.
"No one here would consider doing such a thing Jane, not while you are under my protection. They fear me more than they would like to try something on you."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. I am, after all, the dreaded Potions Master." He smiled. "My magic is far stronger than any student's and I won't hesitate to use it if I catch anyone playing games with you. Even if one of them was foolish enough to attempt something I wouldn't allow you to be hurt."
She nodded, accepting his promise of protection without question. "Can I meet them?"
"The students?"
Jane shook her head. "The ghosts."
Snape raised his eyebrows and looked at the child, surprised, again. "Of course." He put away the parchment he had been working on, and capped his inkbottle. "Baron, are you within earshot?"
"Of course Severus."
Jane jumped and hid behind Snape as the silvery form of the Bloody Baron appeared without warning. Holding his robes with trembling hands, she peeked out from behind him and looked at the ghost.
He smiled back at her. He enjoyed scaring students, but this child was not a student, she was Severus' guest, and it had been far too easy to scare her. He was already aware of the Muggle child Snape had brought to Hogwarts, and while he didn't understand his Head of House's attachment to the timid girl, he would endeavour to make her as comfortable as possible with his presence. "How can I help you Severus?"
"Baron, I would like you to meet Jane." Snape turned and took Jane by the shoulders, drawing her forward to meet the ghost. She allowed him to move her forward, but he could still feel her shaking. She was ready to flee at the slightest sign of danger. "Jane, this is the Bloody Baron. He is the Slytherin ghost. There are three other house ghosts and various others that reside here at Hogwarts."
Snape watched as Jane put her hand out. She stammered slightly when she spoke. "H- how do you do?"
The Baron slid forward and took her hand, bringing it to his lips. "I am very well, for a ghost," his eyes smiled with amusement, "thank you for asking. It is a pleasure to meet you Jane."
Jane was surprised to feel the ghost's touch. It was cold and clammy. She hadn't known what to expect, never having met a ghost before, but feeling him surprised her. She smiled shyly. "It is a pleasure to meet you too. How did you die?"
The Baron was startled by Jane's question. "Brutally child. That's why I am a ghost."
Jane nodded. "Sorry for being nosy." She thought the ghost's answer had been terse; he was obviously touchy about his death.
The Baron chuckled at her apology. "Forgive me for being so brusque, it is a major bone of contention. Few have the courage to ask so I am unused to answering, but I doubt a detailed answer would be suitable for you at any rate Jane." The ghost paused for a moment; he seemed to be listening to something. "Sorry, must dash. Peeves is up to no good." He disappeared as suddenly as he appeared.
Jane said nothing for a few minutes, and then Snape noticed she looked slightly alarmed. "I killed Adam, Severus, does that mean he is a ghost?"
Snape considered Jane's question carefully. "It isn't impossible, but it is improbable, besides he would have been haunting you already if he was."
Jane nodded and looked relieved. "Thank goodness."
Snape had to agree. The girl had enough to cope with without adding her own personal ghost to her burdens.