Part 6 – THE EPONA SPELL
no grandfatherly fondness there!
Snape's black cloak disappeared through the the door, and McGonagall was left without a target for the insults she still had on her tongue.
Well, if one excepted the Headmaster, anyway, and the Transfiguration Professor wasn't very inclined to do so at the moment.
« Explain, » she said drily.
« Unfortunately, Minerva, there is very little to explain, » he replied.
« So you're just planning in letting him go ahead? »
Ignoring the disbelief in her voice, he reached for a Chocolate Frog and began to unwrap it.
« Why did his father do that in the first place? » she asked again. « Sex magic can be very easy to manipulate, and it's often completely uneffective. »
« Not this time. And don't forget that this spell was not meant to be reached. It was thought to be a last, powerful defence if everything else had failed – and I, for one, didn't think that it would. »
He put the sweet into his mouth and chewed it musingly.
« Excellent taste, » he said finally.
« Albus… » replied McGonagall, flashing her dark eyes at him.
« Seven wards – and most of them involved Dark Magic of the most powerful kind. Severus' father was, after all, an Unspeakable. He knew his matter well. And he knew his son well. »
A sad light appeared in Dumbledore's blue eyes.
« While Severus overcame the first six, submitting himself to years of extensive research and unbearable physical pain, he was eventually stopped by the seventh. I believe he reached it during his last year as a Death Eater, and in the beginning he was relieved. A simple variation of the Epona charm – a drop of semen would activate it. »
Dumbledore lowered his eyes on the card in front of him. Sorceress Morgana waved at him, and he smiled fondly.
« But the Epona charm, as all Celtic charms, has several strings at its bow, and Severus found himself uncapable to overcome them. The girl had to be completely willing, for one. In this case, she had to be a Muggle-Born. And you were right, Minerva: his first problem, at twenty-two years old, was to bring himself to bear the mere presence of a Muggle-born. He certainly wasn't ready to seduce one, let alone allow one to touch him. »
Minerva McGonagall's mouth was so tight it had practically disappeared into her face.
« His first – and last – attempt to break the seventh spell is buried in a Muggle cemetery. I believe the Muggle police is still trying to find the killer. »
« And you hired the man, Albus, » she said after a short silence.
« He turned spy for us, Minerva, at great personal risk, when nothing compelled him to. He's done more to protect the wizard community – and the Muggle-born part of it – that many of the Order. »
« Yes, but still! » she replied impatiently, « How can you trust him? »
He passed his long fingers through his beard and didn't answer.
« Have it your way, then. But I don't want him near Hermione for the next two years, » she said, getting to her feet.
« I do everything in my power to ensure the safety of my students, Minerva. »
She glared at him and left the office.
When Hermione saw her storming into the Great Hall and take the farthest place from Snape, her heart sank. So it hadn't gone well.
« What did he say? » was asking Harry, from her right side.
Hermione had gone directly to the library after her conversation with Snape, partly to calm down and partly to start a research of her own about her condition.
« Nothing, » she said, truthfully. « He said it's going to be permanent. »
« Well, that wouldn't be too bad, » said Ron through a mouthful of fried chicken.
« Thank you for your support, Ron, » she said icily. « Unfortunately, be as similar as possible to Fleur Delacour wasn't my first objective in life. »
Harry giggled, and Ron had the grace to blush.
« I meant, » he said, swallowing, « that it could have been worse. Look at that Marietta girl. »
It was Hermione's turn to blush. Over the summer, Marietta Edgecombe had been to St Mungo and they had eventually cured her pustules, but the scars were still visible.
Well, she had to admit that being blonde was way better than going around with a scar saying 'Sneak' all over one's face.
A/N Epona was a goddess worshipped by Celts living in France (Gauls), and adopted by Romans. We dom't know exactly what she did, but as she's always with a horse, let's assume she's something to do with travels…Gosh, hope that my University Professor will never find out that I use his lessons to write about Harry Potter…
Thank you so much to my four reviewers (ooh, it's getting better, thank you for letting me know that you like it!) – here is the rest of the back history you need. Now, back to the present, and to Hermione's new life…who said that for blonds everything is easier?
Patathlon You'll find out something in the next chapter
duj lol, I hadn't thought about that at all…I mean, love is so strange, and Snape is not the worst man on earth, is he?
Natsuory Very happy to hear it! Please go on!
Gwen Drailemac Welcome and thank you a lot…updates will always be regualr every three days…
Next Update: February 15th