What Once Was Lost

By Miss Jo

The characters you recognize are Miss Rowling's. The ones you don't are mine. This story is for entertainment purposes only. Please don't sue.

Chapter Two: Mrs. Higgleston has the Mumps

Hermione Granger was thoroughly annoyed. Her displeasure was visible to anyone at Hogsmeade station, and her voice was growing more shrill by the second.

"Sofia Brigid Granger! Put that rabbit back into the carrier this instant, or you will be in time out until you're fifty!"

Sofia Granger was Hermione's adopted daughter. Under normal circumstances, the spirited four year old was fairly well behaved. Now however, she ignored her fuming mother and held her baby rabbit tightly in her arms as she listened to its floppy left ear with her muggle stethoscope. A quiet voice made her look up.

"Sofia, the carriage will be here soon. We need to get Mrs. Higgleston back into her special traveling bed before it gets here."

"I KNOW that Neville! Sofia snapped, as he gently prised her fingers off the black and white fluffy ball of fur in her hands. "But Mrs. Higgleston is very ill and needs medical attention! Do they have any rabbit doctors at this castle place we are going?" She raked her fingers through her auburn hair irritably as her blue eyes flashed.

"Yes, Sofie-bear, the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be riding with us in the carriage. You can ask her then."

Neville Longbottom had lived with Hermione since before Sofia had even been born. The final battle had come two weeks after Neville and Hermione had graduated from Hogwarts. Once the two had recovered, neither was keen on living alone or in a dorm with a stranger when they went to university. They had decided to share a flat for a year, and it had stretched on for what was now seven years. The relationship was a platonic one, and over time they had inexplicably become close friends. Neville was what many would call a late bloomer, and still quite shy. Living with Hermione and Sofia had given him a sense of belonging. When Hermione had adopted Sofia as a baby, Neville had taken over as a father figure, helping with her care. When Sofia's magic started to manifest itself at age three, Neville had recognized it for what it was, and cast wards around the nursery and flat itself to prevent any accidents. Hermione and Sofia were both prone to moodiness, and Neville had become the one to keep the odd family together. As he looked around for the carriage, Sofia pulled on his hand.

"Neville, "I don't want to go to this new place. I want to go home."

Neville ran his fingers through his thick grey hair and picked her up, cuddling her in his arms. While most of the people who fought in the final battle managed to escape with a thick streak of grey hair in their crown, Neville had taken the full brunt of the magic, which nearly killed him. He had served as a conduit for the power, allowing the ancient magic to use his body as a power source, as it unleashed its wrath and restored the natural balance. A deep scar on his left arm was a remnant from the blood sacrifice he had paid to start the process. The effort had stripped his hair of all color, and no charms or even muggle hair dye could darken it. His eyes had been stripped of some pigment as well, and he now wore blue tinted wire spectacles to hide his unusual yellow-green cat like eyes. Many of his former classmates didn't even recognize him anymore.

"Hello, Neville" a voice called from behind him, and the young man turned around to smile at a familiar face. Hermione's eyes widened as she saw the strange woman approach. She was tall and thin, with a purple headscarf. She looked to be in her early forties, and was pulling a heavy trunk as though it weighed nothing at all. Had it not been for the hooked nose that revealed her ancestry, no one would never have guessed that the tanned, smiling woman in the slightly frayed robes was related to her fearsome former potions master.

"Ariana! Ivy told me I'd be seeing you soon, but she never said why. Are you here to teach Magical Creatures?" He reached out and embraced the woman, still holding on to Sofia.

"What else? Headmaster Dumbledore called and said the old teacher was getting married and moving to France. He didn't seem to care that I've never taught anybody before, either. He called it "on the job training". If you ask me, I think he's up to something. I am looking forward to teaching, but not seeing that slimy git of a brother of mine. With any luck I won't have to see him except at staff meetings."

"Hermione, this is Ariana Snape; Neville explained as Ariana shook her hand. She is an old friend of my boss, Ivy Gorgon and younger sister to the illustrious potions master."

Sofia looked at Ariana closely. "Uncle Harry said that Professor Snape was a vampire, but you're standing in the sun." Neville clamped his hand over her mouth before she could say any more. Ariana snorted.

" Merlin, is this little Sofia? The last time I laid eyes on you was at Gorgon's. You were still in diapers then, as I recall."

Sofia stiffened and moved forward a few steps, still clutching Neville's hand. " I'm a big girl now. I don't wear baby underpants anymore."

The older woman smiled as she looked at the fuming toddler. "I am glad to hear it".

" Ariana has managed Snape Farms since she was a teenager, Neville explained to Hermione, changing the subject. They raised everything there: Manticores, ashwinders, you name it." A blush stained Ariana's cheeks.

"Well I didn't have much choice, did I? Severus was hiding out here, playing secret agent. My grandparents got sick, and then my parents. There was no one there to do it except me. The headmaster is letting me keep some animals in the paddock by the forest, so I'll still be able to sell some items through Gorgon's. Keep the Snape Farm's name alive and whatnot." She bent down to inspect her fraying robes.

Hermione's face reddened. While Professor Snape had never been her favorite teacher whilst in Hogwarts, she admired the man who had risked his own life many times to spy on the Death Eaters and had never asked for anything in return. He had been integral in Voldemort's defeat , and she was flustered by this woman. Ariana was clearly related to the Professor, but didn't seem to understand his sacrifice. Her mouth got the better of her, and she spoke without thinking.

"Professor Snape was a critical part of the final battle. He was a spy and could have been killed at any time. All of us should be grateful to him for the things he has done. The Ministry even recognized it when he got his Order of Merlin, First Class. He wasn't hiding anywhere."

Ariana went completely still. As she slowly straightened to look at Hermione, her black eyes flashed and her voice took on the deceptively soft tone that Hermione knew well. "Miss Granger, we all did our part during the war. Some of us did not seek glory, didn't put ourselves in the public eye. However, I can assure you that many of us sacrificed a great deal to defeat a man that my brother helped bring to power. A man that my brother held in great regard for many years. Don't patronize me by telling me what my brother has done. I have known him my entire life, I know EXACTLY what he is capable of."

Hermione blushed and stammered an apology. Ariana looked at her for a long moment before her eyes softened and her manner relaxed. "Miss Granger, you seem to be looking at Severus through the eyes of a student. If you are to work with him as colleagues, you need to overcome that. He is a man, human just like the rest of us. He has made some poor choices in his life that have had disastrous effects. I am glad that he helped to rectify some of them in the end. I hope time has humbled him. If not, it is going to be a very long year." She picked up her luggage and moved to the end of the platform.

Neville looked at Hermione and rolled his eyes. "Hermione, here is a lot you don't know about Ariana Snape. She was a major part of the resistance, but no one ever knew about her because Professor Snape hid her from the Death Eaters. Few in the resistance knew about her because she and the professor don't get along very well."

Hermione looked at the silent woman at the end of the platform. "Like what? What did she do?" Neville sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Hermione was like a hound with a scent. She would not rest until she knew the story. He took another look at Ariana and began.

" Ariana poisoned Nagini for one thing. She is a parseltongue and an expert on magical creatures, especially serpents. She suggested to Ivy Gorgon that an herb be mixed in with the normal herb delivery to Nagini that looked almost identical to one the snake normally ate."

"Ivy Gorgon worked for Voldemort?"

Neville shook his head. "Ivy works for herself. Normally she never takes sides in conflicts, both sides tend to leave her alone. When Voldemort killed my parents, she took a side- Dumbledore's. Ariana and Ivy have been friends for years- for Merlin's sake, Ivy has snakes for hair! She knew what Ariana's suggestion would do. Crabbe and Goyle were in charge of feeding Nagini, and they were so afraid of the snake that they never looked closely at the herbs. They just threw them in there with her, and she ate them. Voldemort could tell that Nagini was sick, he had no milk in storage and Ariana's poison had no cure. It moved the final battle forward so the Death Eaters had less time to prepare." Neville lowered his voice. "If she took that turban off, her hair would be as grey as mine."

Hermione's head jerked up. "She was the weapon?" Neville nodded.

"She was perfect. Barely anyone knew she existed, and she has powerful ties to ancient magic. When she collapsed, Ivy was waiting and disapparated with her before anyone could get near her. She is as much a hero as anyone, Hermione."

As, Neville and Hermione whispered to each other, Sofia had taken Mrs. Higgleston out of her carrier and headed toward the end of the platform.

"Are you a qualified rabbit doctor?" Ariana looked down at the toddler and the squirming rabbit she held clamped tightly in her arms.

"You should be with your mom and Neville. The carriage will be coming soon."

"I need a qualified medical doctor. Mrs. Higgleston is ill."

Ariana looked over at the two adults deep in conversation, and then down at the wide- eyed toddler. She sighed.

"What makes you think she is ill?"

Sofia climbed up onto Ariana's trunk and sat down.

"She has rabbit mumps. Uncle Harry told me all about them. When rabbits get the mumps, their feet fall off. Uncle Harry has a rabbit's foot on his broomstick, and he told me that the mumps made the rabbit's foot fall off, but it didn't hurt the rabbit at all. He says that it is called a "cruelty free rabbits foot". She looked down at the rabbit in her arms. "Even if it doesn't hurt them, I don't want Mrs. Higgleston's feet to fall off. She won't be able to hop properly if they do".

Ariana bit back a laugh. The little girl had a great imagination.

"Sofia, don't bother Professor Snape. And put Mrs. Higgleston back into her carrier. I can't BELIEVE you took her out again." Hermione and Neville were approaching the end of the platform, and she was looking at Ariana with something that looked like respect.

"Mummy, Professor Snape is going to cure Mrs. Higgleston. She is a qualified rabbit doctor." Sofia countered. "She knows all about rabbits".

Only as an appetizer for manticores, Ariana thought silently as she took the rabbit from the little girl. She ran her hands over the rabbit's body looking for the alleged bumps that Sofia had found…and then stopped. She would not laugh. She Would. Not. Laugh.

"Sofia", she said carefully as she put the baby rabbit back in the carrier. "Your rabbit is going to be fine. It doesn't have any sort of disease."

"Well then, what are those bumps?"

Neville and Hermione looked at the woman, who was trying desperately not to laugh.

"Sofia, Mrs. Higgleston is not…well, Mrs.Higgleston is a boy bunny."

Neville choked, Hermione snorted, and Ariana's face was growing redder by the second. Sofia was furious, looking up at Ariana with stormy eyes.

"Of course she is a girl bunny. She has a PINK collar, with a BELL. Boy bunnies don't wear pink collars. Plus, her name is MRS. Higgleston. I named her, and I say that she is a girl. Can't you just take the bumps off?"

The adults in the party laughed until the carriage pulled up.

Coming Up: An interlude which describes the final battle.

Then: The Two Snapes meet at last.

Thank you for all my reviews. I really appreciate it, and keep them coming.