Disclaimer/Author Note/Rating: Please see Chapter 1 for full disclaimers, legal info, etc.
Go raibh maith agaibh:
Mercury Gray… It does fit. It does! Glued to your seat? Excellent!
Rushumble… Ask and ye shall receive or something like that – more Snape here for you.
Wyall Jared… Immense suspense? I like that! Hopefully that trend will stay true a little longer.
Trina/Leonora… Glad you're back. You had a bunch to catch up on!
Wiri… Glad you're liking the little power play between the brothers.
Silverthreads… I'm pleased you like my choice of Neville. You'll have to let me know what you think of his ultimate/profound truth…
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Chapter 30: Shattered
"Neville!" screamed Hermione. "Don't!"
Everyone in the room froze when they heard Hermione. Neville looked back at them and held his bleeding hand out towards the crystal. McGonagall realized what he was doing.
"Longbottom!" hissed McGonagall. "If you're wrong…"
"Neville," said Harry. "Don't!"
"You might be killed," said Hermione.
"Longbottom," growled Snape, "the Dominatus Crystal will pull your power into it and transfer it to the person who created it… if you're wr…"
"If I'm wrong, then I'll blood well die," snapped Neville with more heat than any of them had ever heard. "But if that happens, at least I will have tried…"
He pressed his bleeding palm against the smooth surface of the crystal. He groaned as he felt the gem start to pull the blood in. It made him feel light-headed and he wobbled on his feet for a moment.
Inside, Snape was screaming. By all the powers! Don't swoon, you faint-hearted ninny! You are the most inept, untalented Dark Arts student I've ever seen in my entire career! If you make this worse you had best hope the Dominatus Crystal kills you because if it is left up to me…
"No one is making me do this. It is my decision." Neville spoke to the Crystal, not knowing who else to address. "Earlier they said the only thing that can break this spell is a willing sacrifice: someone who will offer their own blood freely, who speaks a profound truth and who has nothing to gain from it."
The room was quiet. All eyes rested on Neville.
"I'm willing to sacrifice some of my blood for Professor Castleton-Black. She's always been fair to me. Tough on me… but fair. And after this year, I'm not taking Dark Arts classes anymore, so it doesn't even matter what grade I get on the final exam…"
A willing sacrifice, nothing to gain… Keep going Neville, you may be the only chance she has, thought Dumbledore.
Then Neville looked into the crystal at Serena's kneeling form.
"You told my Gran I was insightful. I hope you're right… You all want to hear the truth? I'll tell a couple of truths." He looked up at Professor Snape. "You scare me Professor Snape. You've always scared me. When Professor Lupin taught us how to handle a Boggart, do you know what shape it took for me? You."
That bit of truth actually surprised Snape. Had the situation been different, Lupin might have laughed; he remembered the Boggart-as-Snape dressed in Grandmother Longbottom's stole and outrageous hat.
"I've been afraid of you since I first set foot on this campus," Longbottom continued, "but Professor Castleton-Black isn't scared of you. She isn't scared of you one bit. She… she loves you, and you love her. Even I can see that. And the truth is…" Neville paused, making every heart in the room stop for a fraction of a moment.
"The truth is…" he said, "that everyone, no matter who they are, deserves to have someone who loves them. Even you."
A moment of perfect silence filled the room before it was split by a tremendous cracking as a fissure formed in the surface of the crystal. It spiraled out, etching a delicate spider web lattice over the face of the gem.
"You've done it, Longbottom!" shouted Dumbledore. And in an eruption of crystal shards, the Dominatus Crystal shattered. Neville Longbottom staggered back, tripped, and fell into the arms of his friends. Serena, now free of the crystal, limply fell to the floor.
Severus rushed to Serena and knelt down. Lifting her partially off the ground, he supported her in his arms.
"Serena? Serena!" He called her name, hoping she could hear him. His hand went to her throat and he felt for her pulse. He sighed when he felt it fluttering under his fingertips. The Dark Arts professor groaned and her eyes opened slowly. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; at least she was still alive.
"What's that?" asked Ginny Weasley. She was pointing to a glowing red cord that was slowly materializing. It emanated from Serena and flowed across the room, taking shape like a snake. It reached the center of the now empty room and disappeared into thin air. Fascinated, the youngest Weasley reached out, but her brother Bill gently pulled her back.
"No, Ginny," he whispered. "Don't."
"Severus? Malfoy did this." Serena's voice was soft, tired. "He turned himself into you… Did something to my tea… I woke up here…"
"A Polyjuice potion?" Severus Snape's face darkened dangerously. "He'll pay for this Serena, I promise." His eyes, sharp and bright, followed the length of red to where it disappeared in the air. Severus' lip curled into a snarl.
Ron elbowed Harry and whispered behind a raised hand, "Now I'm really scared of Snape. He's going to bloody well kill Draco's uncle."
Harry's green eyes were wide. "You're not kidding…"
"Where is he?" Serena asked. "I have to make Malificus break the cord…"
"We don't know where he's gone," said Tonks gently, not wanting to upset her but knowing that Serena would sense a lie.
"If he's not here, how will this affect the spell, Albus?" asked McGonagall.
"Ummm… I think you should all look at the room," said George.
"Yea," said Fred. "This is a wee bit freaky…"
In the room, where the red cord disappeared, the air had taken on a viscous quality and it rippled the way a pond rippled when stones were thrown into the water.
"I guess we'll see how the spell is affected in short order," said Dumbledore as he stroked his beard.
Snape looked up at the clock. It was less than a half-hour until midnight. They were nearly out of time.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
We're getting fairly close to wrapping up this story, so everything will get wrapped up I promise (but obviously not quite yet!)… Please let me know what you think!
Go raibh maith agaibh:
Mercury Gray… It does fit. It does! Glued to your seat? Excellent!
Rushumble… Ask and ye shall receive or something like that – more Snape here for you.
Wyall Jared… Immense suspense? I like that! Hopefully that trend will stay true a little longer.
Trina/Leonora… Glad you're back. You had a bunch to catch up on!
Wiri… Glad you're liking the little power play between the brothers.
Silverthreads… I'm pleased you like my choice of Neville. You'll have to let me know what you think of his ultimate/profound truth…
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Chapter 30: Shattered
"Neville!" screamed Hermione. "Don't!"
Everyone in the room froze when they heard Hermione. Neville looked back at them and held his bleeding hand out towards the crystal. McGonagall realized what he was doing.
"Longbottom!" hissed McGonagall. "If you're wrong…"
"Neville," said Harry. "Don't!"
"You might be killed," said Hermione.
"Longbottom," growled Snape, "the Dominatus Crystal will pull your power into it and transfer it to the person who created it… if you're wr…"
"If I'm wrong, then I'll blood well die," snapped Neville with more heat than any of them had ever heard. "But if that happens, at least I will have tried…"
He pressed his bleeding palm against the smooth surface of the crystal. He groaned as he felt the gem start to pull the blood in. It made him feel light-headed and he wobbled on his feet for a moment.
Inside, Snape was screaming. By all the powers! Don't swoon, you faint-hearted ninny! You are the most inept, untalented Dark Arts student I've ever seen in my entire career! If you make this worse you had best hope the Dominatus Crystal kills you because if it is left up to me…
"No one is making me do this. It is my decision." Neville spoke to the Crystal, not knowing who else to address. "Earlier they said the only thing that can break this spell is a willing sacrifice: someone who will offer their own blood freely, who speaks a profound truth and who has nothing to gain from it."
The room was quiet. All eyes rested on Neville.
"I'm willing to sacrifice some of my blood for Professor Castleton-Black. She's always been fair to me. Tough on me… but fair. And after this year, I'm not taking Dark Arts classes anymore, so it doesn't even matter what grade I get on the final exam…"
A willing sacrifice, nothing to gain… Keep going Neville, you may be the only chance she has, thought Dumbledore.
Then Neville looked into the crystal at Serena's kneeling form.
"You told my Gran I was insightful. I hope you're right… You all want to hear the truth? I'll tell a couple of truths." He looked up at Professor Snape. "You scare me Professor Snape. You've always scared me. When Professor Lupin taught us how to handle a Boggart, do you know what shape it took for me? You."
That bit of truth actually surprised Snape. Had the situation been different, Lupin might have laughed; he remembered the Boggart-as-Snape dressed in Grandmother Longbottom's stole and outrageous hat.
"I've been afraid of you since I first set foot on this campus," Longbottom continued, "but Professor Castleton-Black isn't scared of you. She isn't scared of you one bit. She… she loves you, and you love her. Even I can see that. And the truth is…" Neville paused, making every heart in the room stop for a fraction of a moment.
"The truth is…" he said, "that everyone, no matter who they are, deserves to have someone who loves them. Even you."
A moment of perfect silence filled the room before it was split by a tremendous cracking as a fissure formed in the surface of the crystal. It spiraled out, etching a delicate spider web lattice over the face of the gem.
"You've done it, Longbottom!" shouted Dumbledore. And in an eruption of crystal shards, the Dominatus Crystal shattered. Neville Longbottom staggered back, tripped, and fell into the arms of his friends. Serena, now free of the crystal, limply fell to the floor.
Severus rushed to Serena and knelt down. Lifting her partially off the ground, he supported her in his arms.
"Serena? Serena!" He called her name, hoping she could hear him. His hand went to her throat and he felt for her pulse. He sighed when he felt it fluttering under his fingertips. The Dark Arts professor groaned and her eyes opened slowly. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief; at least she was still alive.
"What's that?" asked Ginny Weasley. She was pointing to a glowing red cord that was slowly materializing. It emanated from Serena and flowed across the room, taking shape like a snake. It reached the center of the now empty room and disappeared into thin air. Fascinated, the youngest Weasley reached out, but her brother Bill gently pulled her back.
"No, Ginny," he whispered. "Don't."
"Severus? Malfoy did this." Serena's voice was soft, tired. "He turned himself into you… Did something to my tea… I woke up here…"
"A Polyjuice potion?" Severus Snape's face darkened dangerously. "He'll pay for this Serena, I promise." His eyes, sharp and bright, followed the length of red to where it disappeared in the air. Severus' lip curled into a snarl.
Ron elbowed Harry and whispered behind a raised hand, "Now I'm really scared of Snape. He's going to bloody well kill Draco's uncle."
Harry's green eyes were wide. "You're not kidding…"
"Where is he?" Serena asked. "I have to make Malificus break the cord…"
"We don't know where he's gone," said Tonks gently, not wanting to upset her but knowing that Serena would sense a lie.
"If he's not here, how will this affect the spell, Albus?" asked McGonagall.
"Ummm… I think you should all look at the room," said George.
"Yea," said Fred. "This is a wee bit freaky…"
In the room, where the red cord disappeared, the air had taken on a viscous quality and it rippled the way a pond rippled when stones were thrown into the water.
"I guess we'll see how the spell is affected in short order," said Dumbledore as he stroked his beard.
Snape looked up at the clock. It was less than a half-hour until midnight. They were nearly out of time.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
We're getting fairly close to wrapping up this story, so everything will get wrapped up I promise (but obviously not quite yet!)… Please let me know what you think!