A/N: I was going to get this up after camping, I swear. My computer
crashed, and I lost nearly all my files. Thankfully, this one was saved,
but it took me quite a while to find it. So that's why I didn't post
sooner. Sorry :(
I hope it's worth the wait! Enjoy!
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CHAPTER 5
EXPLANATIONS
The Head Angel muttered something under his breath, and all three observers were whisked away, away from the coughing and the curses and the crying, to another world altogether.
The blackness swirled around them once more, and suddenly, they were there. James and Sirius blinked. They were back in the meeting room, sitting in the same chairs, as if they had never left. For a moment, the three men sat, staring at the walls, the table, anything but each other. But finally, James knew that the awkward silence had to be broken.
James cleared his throat and looked over at the Head Angel. "What was that?" he asked quietly. His voice was quite shaky. He dared to look over at Sirius, who for once wasn't making snide remarks. On the contrary, he looked pale.
The Head Angel sighed deeply and turned towards James. "That, as I told you before, was Severus Snape's 5th birthday. What other questions do you have? I'm sure there are quite a few that must be answered.
It was not James who spoke this time, but Sirius. "What—what—well—his father—why..." he stuttered hoarsely.
The Head Angel sighed again. "I suppose I should do some explaining." James and Sirius nodded and drew in closer.
The Head Angel rubbed his temples. "Severus Snape's mother, Althea Snape, was a Muggle-born. His father, Ares Snape, was a pure blood, as you wizards put it, and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with Muggle-borns. However, the two were enchanted with each other as soon as they met, and Althea managed to keep her blood lines a secret from him until they married. He found out who her parents were right after she became pregnant with Severus, and he nearly killed her in his rage. Ares hated Severus even before he was born, just because he wasn't the son of two pure bloods. That scene you just saw? That was a pretty frequent occurrence in the Snape household. Ares had a big inheritance coming to him, but after his parents found out what he had married into, they withdrew the inheritance. Althea was pretty poor as it was, so that apartment was pretty much the only place they could afford to live. That was another reason Ares hated his wife and son so much—the inheritance. Does that answer your question?"
Sirius nodded, too shocked to speak.
There was silence for a few more minutes as the three men contemplated this, then James spoke up. "But his father—his father said—that Severus is a—well, he can't be—can he? Is he?" Both Sirius and James were talking in starts and stops, but the Head Angel understood.
"Yes," he said quietly. "Severus Snape is a vampire." James and Sirius gasped.
"Well, that would explain a lot, wouldn't it?" said Sirius, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room again. "Is that what his parents were talking about, at the beginning of the scene?"
"Yes," said the Head Angel, nodding. "A few weeks before his birthday, young Severus and his parents were at the Boar's Head Pub, in Hogsmeade. Do you know the place?" Sirius and James nodded. "Severus's parents stayed all night, getting drunk, and Severus got bored, so he snuck out late. He ducked into the alleyway behind the bar, and let's just say that not the friendliest types dwell there. The alley behind the Boar's Head is quite like Knockturn Alley, if you've ever been there. Well, a vampire lived back there, and he gave Severus quite a nasty bite...nearly killed him, if I remember right. Fortunately, he survived."(Sirius chanced a little snort, but was silenced by a glare from the Head Angel) "However, if you leave a vampire bite to fester instead of treating it right away, you become a vampire yourself. Severus's father refused to treat the bite because he felt his son deserved it, so Severus Snape remains a vampire to this day."
Another long silence fell over the room, and it was James's turn to break it. "But how..." he trailed off, then started on strong again. "We never found out at school. How did he hide it?"
"A very good question," said the Head Angel, nodding approvingly. "Your friend Remus Lupin managed to hide his ailment too, did he not?" James and Sirius nodded. "Very clever man, Albus Dumbledore," the Head Angel went on. "Always felt that all students deserved to be treated equally, unusual or no. And he did manage to hide some ailments quite well."
"Have either of you ever heard of the Hapzalathard Potion?" the Head Angel asked. Sirius shook his head vigorously. James began to, but stopped and gazed off into space.
"I heard of it—once..." he replied. "I think I remember...it's a potion—that weakens the symptoms of--
"A vampire," finished the Head Angel. "The Hapzalathard Potion allows a vampire behave like a normal human being for a period of time, until the potion wears off. There are side effects, however, such as greasy hair..." Sirius shuddered, but James wanted to know more.
"Is that why he could go out into daylight?" he demanded. "Is that why he could eat regular food, and see his reflection in a mirror?"
"Yes to all of those," replied the Head Angel, nodding. "When an individual takes the Hapzalathard Potion, he shows no symptoms whatsoever of being a vampire. However, the potion must be continuously administered in order to subdue the symptoms, which makes it very much like the Polyjuice Potion."
This information was met with silence from the two Marauders.
"He was quite safe to be around, you know," added the Head Angel, almost as a second thought. "Your Potions teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Smythe, brewed an excellent Hapzalathard Potion in his day, and Severus never transformed into his original vampire form at the school. Just the same, none of the students were ever told—save one, who found out for himself."
Sirius, who had been daydreaming about big, pink wads of cotton candy while the Head Angel explained the effects of the Hapzalathard Potion, was alert at once. "Who found out?" he demanded, bringing the real world back into focus. "Do we know him? Who was it?"
"I'm afraid," replied the Head Angel, "that we have time for only a few more memories before James goes down to try and save Severus. But you will indeed find out who discovered Severus Snape for what he truly is. I take you now to Hogwarts. It is Severus Snape's fourth year—yours as well. We must travel back into the past to find out why the present is so." The Head Angel was just about to tape the Pensieve-looking object again when James asked one final question.
"Er—sir—now might not be the right time to ask this, but what was wrong with Snape's mother in that last memory?"
The Head Angel rubbed his hand over his eyes.
"Ah, yes, I almost forgot about her," he said. "Poor Althea Snape. She had tuberculosis."
There was a hateful silence. Then James asked quietly, "What ever became of her?"
"She died shortly after her son's fifth birthday," answered the Head Angel, not looking at James or Sirius. He tapped the Pensieve object again, and the three men swirled into the darkness as the prospect of another discover awaited them.
- - - - - - -
A/N: I know the memories are kind of slow-going, but I have to get through all of them, because they're vital to the plot. I'll write them as quickly as possible, and try not to get too boring. In your reviews, please inform me if the story is as slow as molasses and whether it's boring right now. I kind of needed this chapter to explain some things.
Review responses! Your enthusiastic reviews deserve to be rewarded!
Silverthreads: Thank you so much for your kind reviews! I didn't know my writing had enough power to "move" people. I was feeling extremely guilty about not making that chapter funny, but you convinced me that not everything has to be funny. One question: what is IAWL? Lol, it'll probably turn out to be something really obvious.
Lucky: No trouble at all! Your reviews brighten my day, and if all it takes is a simple email alert, it's time well spent :) I know how nice it is to feel appreciated. I feel a little guilty isn't as humorous as the first parts were, but I have to get some messages across, and the real humor will come in later in the story. I am very much looking forward to write those parts. So thanks a million, and I'll email you with new chapters!
TheHyperFreek: I, too, imagined Severus to have a horrible childhood (obviously). JKR hasn't really said anything about Mr. Snape being a vampirecough cough. Thank you thank you very much!
PrettyPink: Sorry for making you wait (smiles sheepishly). Yeah, I feel really bad for Snape too, but there isn't much I can do about it whistle whistle I hope JKR does write something about his childhood in the books, I want to find out what's his problem! Thanks for your review. (Mrs. Open Mind? First of all, I'm not married, but what do you mean?) And I did have fun on my vacation, thanks for asking.
Bluebird161221: I was a little confused by your review. You said that you're against everything in my story, but you love my story! I'm flattered, just a little confused. I did put a note in the disclaimer about Christianity, didn't I? I'll have to check that. And sorry to tell you this, but cracks about Sevvie is what the story's all about! I intend to poke a little fun at him, as well as show my version of his cruel childhood (what I think happened) and eventually send James down to help him. Have you ever seen the movie "It's a Wonderful Life"? You might want to watch it, it's pretty good. And thanks for the review.
Esta-gr: Thank you very much! Your kind words spurred me to finish the chapter. And I did indeed enjoy my vacation—a week away from my computer was actually refreshing, instead of torture as I had originally thought.
Carole: Thanks a bunch! I hope to have my computer fixed for good so I can get chapters up faster. Reviews make my day :)
I hope it's worth the wait! Enjoy!
- - - - - - - -
CHAPTER 5
EXPLANATIONS
The Head Angel muttered something under his breath, and all three observers were whisked away, away from the coughing and the curses and the crying, to another world altogether.
The blackness swirled around them once more, and suddenly, they were there. James and Sirius blinked. They were back in the meeting room, sitting in the same chairs, as if they had never left. For a moment, the three men sat, staring at the walls, the table, anything but each other. But finally, James knew that the awkward silence had to be broken.
James cleared his throat and looked over at the Head Angel. "What was that?" he asked quietly. His voice was quite shaky. He dared to look over at Sirius, who for once wasn't making snide remarks. On the contrary, he looked pale.
The Head Angel sighed deeply and turned towards James. "That, as I told you before, was Severus Snape's 5th birthday. What other questions do you have? I'm sure there are quite a few that must be answered.
It was not James who spoke this time, but Sirius. "What—what—well—his father—why..." he stuttered hoarsely.
The Head Angel sighed again. "I suppose I should do some explaining." James and Sirius nodded and drew in closer.
The Head Angel rubbed his temples. "Severus Snape's mother, Althea Snape, was a Muggle-born. His father, Ares Snape, was a pure blood, as you wizards put it, and he wanted absolutely nothing to do with Muggle-borns. However, the two were enchanted with each other as soon as they met, and Althea managed to keep her blood lines a secret from him until they married. He found out who her parents were right after she became pregnant with Severus, and he nearly killed her in his rage. Ares hated Severus even before he was born, just because he wasn't the son of two pure bloods. That scene you just saw? That was a pretty frequent occurrence in the Snape household. Ares had a big inheritance coming to him, but after his parents found out what he had married into, they withdrew the inheritance. Althea was pretty poor as it was, so that apartment was pretty much the only place they could afford to live. That was another reason Ares hated his wife and son so much—the inheritance. Does that answer your question?"
Sirius nodded, too shocked to speak.
There was silence for a few more minutes as the three men contemplated this, then James spoke up. "But his father—his father said—that Severus is a—well, he can't be—can he? Is he?" Both Sirius and James were talking in starts and stops, but the Head Angel understood.
"Yes," he said quietly. "Severus Snape is a vampire." James and Sirius gasped.
"Well, that would explain a lot, wouldn't it?" said Sirius, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room again. "Is that what his parents were talking about, at the beginning of the scene?"
"Yes," said the Head Angel, nodding. "A few weeks before his birthday, young Severus and his parents were at the Boar's Head Pub, in Hogsmeade. Do you know the place?" Sirius and James nodded. "Severus's parents stayed all night, getting drunk, and Severus got bored, so he snuck out late. He ducked into the alleyway behind the bar, and let's just say that not the friendliest types dwell there. The alley behind the Boar's Head is quite like Knockturn Alley, if you've ever been there. Well, a vampire lived back there, and he gave Severus quite a nasty bite...nearly killed him, if I remember right. Fortunately, he survived."(Sirius chanced a little snort, but was silenced by a glare from the Head Angel) "However, if you leave a vampire bite to fester instead of treating it right away, you become a vampire yourself. Severus's father refused to treat the bite because he felt his son deserved it, so Severus Snape remains a vampire to this day."
Another long silence fell over the room, and it was James's turn to break it. "But how..." he trailed off, then started on strong again. "We never found out at school. How did he hide it?"
"A very good question," said the Head Angel, nodding approvingly. "Your friend Remus Lupin managed to hide his ailment too, did he not?" James and Sirius nodded. "Very clever man, Albus Dumbledore," the Head Angel went on. "Always felt that all students deserved to be treated equally, unusual or no. And he did manage to hide some ailments quite well."
"Have either of you ever heard of the Hapzalathard Potion?" the Head Angel asked. Sirius shook his head vigorously. James began to, but stopped and gazed off into space.
"I heard of it—once..." he replied. "I think I remember...it's a potion—that weakens the symptoms of--
"A vampire," finished the Head Angel. "The Hapzalathard Potion allows a vampire behave like a normal human being for a period of time, until the potion wears off. There are side effects, however, such as greasy hair..." Sirius shuddered, but James wanted to know more.
"Is that why he could go out into daylight?" he demanded. "Is that why he could eat regular food, and see his reflection in a mirror?"
"Yes to all of those," replied the Head Angel, nodding. "When an individual takes the Hapzalathard Potion, he shows no symptoms whatsoever of being a vampire. However, the potion must be continuously administered in order to subdue the symptoms, which makes it very much like the Polyjuice Potion."
This information was met with silence from the two Marauders.
"He was quite safe to be around, you know," added the Head Angel, almost as a second thought. "Your Potions teacher at Hogwarts, Professor Smythe, brewed an excellent Hapzalathard Potion in his day, and Severus never transformed into his original vampire form at the school. Just the same, none of the students were ever told—save one, who found out for himself."
Sirius, who had been daydreaming about big, pink wads of cotton candy while the Head Angel explained the effects of the Hapzalathard Potion, was alert at once. "Who found out?" he demanded, bringing the real world back into focus. "Do we know him? Who was it?"
"I'm afraid," replied the Head Angel, "that we have time for only a few more memories before James goes down to try and save Severus. But you will indeed find out who discovered Severus Snape for what he truly is. I take you now to Hogwarts. It is Severus Snape's fourth year—yours as well. We must travel back into the past to find out why the present is so." The Head Angel was just about to tape the Pensieve-looking object again when James asked one final question.
"Er—sir—now might not be the right time to ask this, but what was wrong with Snape's mother in that last memory?"
The Head Angel rubbed his hand over his eyes.
"Ah, yes, I almost forgot about her," he said. "Poor Althea Snape. She had tuberculosis."
There was a hateful silence. Then James asked quietly, "What ever became of her?"
"She died shortly after her son's fifth birthday," answered the Head Angel, not looking at James or Sirius. He tapped the Pensieve object again, and the three men swirled into the darkness as the prospect of another discover awaited them.
- - - - - - -
A/N: I know the memories are kind of slow-going, but I have to get through all of them, because they're vital to the plot. I'll write them as quickly as possible, and try not to get too boring. In your reviews, please inform me if the story is as slow as molasses and whether it's boring right now. I kind of needed this chapter to explain some things.
Review responses! Your enthusiastic reviews deserve to be rewarded!
Silverthreads: Thank you so much for your kind reviews! I didn't know my writing had enough power to "move" people. I was feeling extremely guilty about not making that chapter funny, but you convinced me that not everything has to be funny. One question: what is IAWL? Lol, it'll probably turn out to be something really obvious.
Lucky: No trouble at all! Your reviews brighten my day, and if all it takes is a simple email alert, it's time well spent :) I know how nice it is to feel appreciated. I feel a little guilty isn't as humorous as the first parts were, but I have to get some messages across, and the real humor will come in later in the story. I am very much looking forward to write those parts. So thanks a million, and I'll email you with new chapters!
TheHyperFreek: I, too, imagined Severus to have a horrible childhood (obviously). JKR hasn't really said anything about Mr. Snape being a vampirecough cough. Thank you thank you very much!
PrettyPink: Sorry for making you wait (smiles sheepishly). Yeah, I feel really bad for Snape too, but there isn't much I can do about it whistle whistle I hope JKR does write something about his childhood in the books, I want to find out what's his problem! Thanks for your review. (Mrs. Open Mind? First of all, I'm not married, but what do you mean?) And I did have fun on my vacation, thanks for asking.
Bluebird161221: I was a little confused by your review. You said that you're against everything in my story, but you love my story! I'm flattered, just a little confused. I did put a note in the disclaimer about Christianity, didn't I? I'll have to check that. And sorry to tell you this, but cracks about Sevvie is what the story's all about! I intend to poke a little fun at him, as well as show my version of his cruel childhood (what I think happened) and eventually send James down to help him. Have you ever seen the movie "It's a Wonderful Life"? You might want to watch it, it's pretty good. And thanks for the review.
Esta-gr: Thank you very much! Your kind words spurred me to finish the chapter. And I did indeed enjoy my vacation—a week away from my computer was actually refreshing, instead of torture as I had originally thought.
Carole: Thanks a bunch! I hope to have my computer fixed for good so I can get chapters up faster. Reviews make my day :)